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https://www.cnbc.com/2012/02/27/10-Cash-Rich-Companies.html

MOS

Mosaic Company (The)

10 Cash Rich Companies

Corporations hold cash for a variety of reasons, including timing the price of growth-related assets, running day-to-day operations, conducting acquisitions, holding for future investment or acting as a precaution against market uncertainty. If a company holds more cash or highly liquid assets as a large proportion of its total assets - and relative to its peers - investors may draw insight into the size and scope of a company’s future investments. To get an idea of the companies that are holdin All values are as of market close on 2/24/12.

https://www.cnbc.com/2022/03/15/goldman-sees-30percent-upside-in-this-fertilizer-stock-from-the-russia-ukraine-agricultural-shock.html

MOS

Mosaic Company (The)

Goldman sees 30% upside in this fertilizer stock from the Russia-Ukraine agricultural shock

Mosaic will see huge gains ahead because of material fertilizer shortages from the Russia-Ukraine conflict, according to Goldman Sachs. Analyst Adam Samuelson upgraded the Mosaic to buy from neutral, saying in a note to clients on Tuesday that disruptions to fertilizer components will result in steep price increases to production costs in the food and agriculture sector. The firm issued a 12-month price target of $83, representing 34% upside potential. "MOS' position as the fourth largest global K producer and current market strength should support much higher EBITDA and FCF generation in the current environment," Samuelson wrote. Goldman Sachs said it now has buy ratings on all three large-cap fertilizer companies in its coverage, including Mosaic. The other companies are Canadian company Nutrien and CF Industries Holdings . Shares for Mosaic are up 48% year to date. — CNBC's Michael Bloom contributed to this report. Grain farmer Jim Niewold inspects corn plants on his farm, with grain bins at rear where some of last year's crop remains in storage because all of his end markets have been affected by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, in Loda, Illinois, June 18, 2020. Nick Carey | Reuters

https://www.cnbc.com/2022/02/23/stocks-making-the-biggest-moves-premarket-lowes-tenneco-tupperware-and-others.html

MOS

Mosaic Company (The)

Stocks making the biggest moves premarket: Lowe's, Tenneco, Tupperware and others

Check out the companies making headlines before the bell: Lowe's (LOW) – Lowe's shares added 1.6% in the premarket after the home improvement retailer beat top and bottom-line estimates for the fourth quarter. Lowe's earned $1.78 per share, 7 cents above estimates, and issued upbeat full-year guidance as demand for tools and building materials remained elevated. Tenneco (TEN) – The automotive components maker agreed to be acquired by affiliates of Apollo Global Management (APO) for $20 per share in cash, compared with Tenneco's Tuesday close of $9.98 per share. The deal is expected to close during the second half of this year. Tenneco soared 91.7% in premarket action. Tupperware (TUP) – The maker of home storage products saw its shares slump 3% in the premarket following its quarterly earnings report. Tupperware's revenue was above Street forecasts, but its adjusted profit of 38 cents per share missed estimates by 14 cents amid what the company called "challenging operating conditions." Tupperware noted it saw both top and bottom-line growth in 2021 despite those challenges. Palo Alto Networks (PANW) – The cybersecurity software company beat estimates by 9 cents with adjusted quarterly earnings of $1.74 per share and revenue that topped Street forecasts as well. Palo Alto also gave a better-than-expected forecast, and its shares rallied 7.8% in premarket trading. Virgin Galactic (SPCE) – The space tourism company's stock jumped 4.1% in premarket action after it reported a narrower-than-expected quarterly loss and improvement in its cash position. Stellantis (STLA) – The automaker beat its profit targets in the first year following the merger of Fiat Chrysler and Peugeot parent PSA Group. It also said it was realizing projected benefits from that combination sooner than originally expected. Its stock surged 6.3% in the premarket. GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), Sanofi (SNY) – GlaxoSmithKline rose 1.7% in the premarket and Sanofi was up 1.5% following news that the two companies would submit their Covid-19 vaccine to global drug regulators for approval. Caesars Entertainment (CZR) – The casino operator's stock jumped 4.5% in premarket trading after the company reported a 63% jump in revenue compared with a year ago, and a narrower loss. Mosaic (MOS) – The fertilizer producer's shares slid 5.6% in premarket action after the company's quarterly earnings and revenue fell below analyst forecasts. Mosaic said it expects upward pricing momentum to continue. Quest Diagnostics (DGX) – The medical lab operator's stock was down 2.1% in the premarket after UBS downgraded it to "neutral" from "buy." UBS cited risk to meeting management's earnings target for fiscal 2023, given the company's level of investment in growth. Kodiak Sciences (KOD) – The drugmaker said a mid-to-late stage trial of its experimental eye drug failed to show it was not inferior to Regeneron's (REGN) Eylea macular degeneration treatment. Kodiak tumbled 69.2% in premarket trading while Regeneron jumped 4.5%.

https://www.cnbc.com/id/22609511

MOS

Mosaic Company (The)

Lightning Round: Lowe's, Harley Davidson, Mosaic and More

Research In Motion : The fundies tell Cramer RIMM is a buy. Lowe’s : It could be worse, but Cramer only wants the best of breed in retail right now, and that award goes to Costco . Harley Davidson : Motorcycles are expensive consumer discretionary spending – a.k.a. exactly what NOT to buy right now, as far as Cramer is concerned. Tenet Healthcare : Precisely the stock to buy right now. Cramer sees “long-term greatness” in THC.

https://www.cnbc.com/2022/12/07/goldman-sachs-best-stock-option-trades-for-2023.html

MOS

Mosaic Company (The)

Here are Goldman's best stock option trades for 2023

Some major tech names and drugmakers could have big comebacks in 2023, and options can help investors capture those rebounds, according to Goldman Sachs. Goldman's derivatives research team, led by Vishal Vivek, looked at the potential upside for stocks in 2023 and found that the bank's analysts expect a slight recovery next year. "Our single stock analysts' price targets imply +11% upside over the next year for the weighted average of S & P 500 companies in our coverage, below the +28% implied ahead of October earnings," Vivek wrote. But even if the overall outlook for stocks looks somewhat muted, Goldman does believe there will be some big individual winners. The firm calculated the single stock options with the most upside by comparing the price of an at-the-money call that expires in Jan. 2024 with the hypothetical return if the stock reaches the price target of Goldman's analyst. There are several Big Tech stocks on the list, including Amazon and Salesforce . The shares of both companies have underperformed the broader market this year. Salesforce has dropped more than 18% in December after the company announced on Nov. 30 that co-CEO Bret Taylor would depart. Buying call options on those stocks carries potential upside of 312% and 535%, respectively, according to Goldman. Call options serve as bets that a stock price will rise above a set strike price during the life of the contract. If it does, investors can exercise the option to buy the stock at a discount and then sell it at a market price, collecting the spread as a profit. One benefit of using options is that, if the stock falls, the investors lose only the premium paid for the option. However, investing through call options does mean that investors miss out on any dividends paid by the underlying companies. The option play on the list with the most upside is Intellia Therapeutics , at more than 600%. The stock has fallen more than 60% this year, but Goldman said that biotech was one of the areas of the market with the most upside in 2023. "Our analysts cover 63% of the weight of the S & P Biotech ETF, and have a weighted average upside to price target of 40%," the note said. One stock on the list that has performed well in 2022 is fertilizer company Mosaic , climbing nearly 20%. If it continues to climb to Goldman's price target, the call option could deliver a return of nearly 300%, the firm said. The note also listed put options plays with high upside for investors. A put option is effectively the inverse of a call option and serves as a bet that a stock will fall below a set strike price. Two of the put options plays with the most upside are H & R Block and J.M. Smucker , at 241% and 138%, respectively. — CNBC's Michael Bloom contributed to this story.

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/08/19/these-electric-submarines-map-the-seafloor-to-make-way-for-wind-power.html

MOS

Mosaic Company (The)

These electric submarines map the seafloor to make way for wind power

In March, the departments of Energy, Interior and Commerce said they were aiming for U.S. offshore wind capacity to hit 30 gigawatts (GW) by 2030, a hugely optimistic goal that would require thousands of new wind turbines to be installed off the Atlantic, Pacific and Gulf coasts. With federal support locked in, now it's up to developers and operators to figure out where it's safe to install offshore wind farms and pursue permits. Bedrock, a Richmond, California, start-up, wants to help them map the seafloor using electric autonomous underwater vehicles (e-AUV) that can launch right from the shore. Traditionally, marine surveys would require a large, crewed ship and heavy sonar equipment that would generate terabytes of data stored on hard drives that had to be mailed somewhere for processing and analysis. Marine surveys like that can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars and take up to a full year, says Bedrock co-founder and CEO Anthony DiMare. By contrast his company's electric mini sub gathers data using lighter-weight sonar and other sensors, then transmits it to Bedrock's cloud-based service. The company's Mosaic software makes it usable almost right away from a work PC. Bedrock's electric submarines run on a lithium-ion battery that can be swapped out for a freshly charged one when needed. They run for 12- or 24-hour missions, typically at a speed of 2 to 3 knots (or less than 5 mph) to conduct surveys up to 300 meters in depth. Bedrock was co-founded in 2019 by DiMare, a repeat entrepreneur and mechanical engineer, along with CTO Charlie Chiau, a former SpaceX systems integration engineer. They told CNBC the company is focused on the needs of the domestic offshore wind industry right now, further motivated by the urgency of the IPCC report earlier this month. However, Bedrock's seafloor mapping technology can be put to use in many other industries. For example, it can find aging oil and gas infrastructure that may need to be decommissioned. It can also be used for data center planning underwater.

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/03/28/meme-stocks-are-back-as-trump-media-and-reddit-surge-upon-their-debuts.html

MOS

Mosaic Company (The)

Meme stocks are back as Trump Media and Reddit surge upon their debuts

So-called meme stocks are having a moment again. What do Reddit , Trump Media & Technology Group and GameStop all have in common? They all have strong retail participation. Trump Media made its market debut on Tuesday under the ticker DJT, following its merger with shell company Digital World Acquisition Corp. The new business has a current market capitalization of about $9 billion A market cap of roughly $9 billion would put Trump Media on par with the names in the lower end of the S & P 500 , making it comparable to Caesars Entertainment , American Airlines and Mosaic . Reddit, which is not in the S & P 500, also has a market cap of about $9 billion Market capitalization Trump Media & Technology $9.4 b. Reddit $9.2 b. Caesars Entertainment $9.4 b. American Airlines $10 b. Mosaic $10.3 b. This is rather remarkable, considering Trump Media had revenues of roughly $3.3 million. The company lost $49 million in the first nine months of last year, according to The New York Times . GameStop, in comparison, had a small profit in its fiscal year , with revenues of $5.2 billion. The market cap is about $4 billion. Even if you think of these as meme stocks, this is quite a difference. GameStop has a small profit, revenues of $5.2 billion and a market cap of $4 billion. DJT has revenues of $3 million, loses money and has a market cap of $9.4 billion. GameStop makes Trump Media & Technology look like JPMorgan. Another stock that has been a high flier is Reddit, which has surprised everyone by almost doubling its initial public offering price of $34 within days of its debut, a reversal of the usual pattern in which high interest IPOs decline after their first trading session. Reddit has given an undetermined number of shares to its site moderators, who are part of its loyal user base. What meme stocks have in common What Trump Media, GameStop and Reddit have in common is a high retail base. That means there is a large base of individual investors rather than institutional. Retail investors tend to move more on emotion and are less concerned with old-school metrics like fundamental analysis, which attempts to determine what the correct price for a stock should be based on estimate of future profitability and dividends. Each of these three stocks has a user base with a strong attachment to the product or the founder. It doesn't mean that the laws of investing have been repealed. Fundamentals do matter When GameStop first exploded in early 2021, plenty of retail traders messaged to inform me that this proved that a dedicated, organized group could move a stock and that fundamentals don't matter. This, of course, is nonsense. A stock is a share of ownership in a company, entitling the stockholder to a claim on the company's earnings and assets. That is literally the definition of a stock. Fundamental analysis was developed as a way to make a guess at what that future stream of profits, including dividends, would look like. You can see this in the charter of the very first modern stock company, the Dutch East India Company, which began operations in 1602. The company was set up to import spices from the Moluccas in eastern Indonesia, but it quickly expanded. In its charter , the Dutch East India Company said that ownership would entitle shareholders to receive profits from the sale of spices. According to this document, whenever the cargo arrived in port, the company was required to provide "a statement listing the goods received, and what the state the cargo is in. And what the proceeds received from sale of the merchandise are shall also be provided to the Provinces or cities, when they request this. … As soon as 5% of a return cargo has been cashed shall it be distributed to the participants." Here, in the very first modern stock company, the owners tell you: You are buying our stock to participate in profits from the spice trade. Every company since then has made essentially the same promise: You're buying our stock to participate in the profits from the business we are in. Have the laws of investing been repealed? As for GameStop, it has been in a long, slow descent since mid-2021, going from roughly $75 ( split adjusted in July 2022) to about $13 after the company reported disappointing sales this week. Almost every single person who has bought GameStop in the last three years is in the red. Looking out on the future of the gaming retailer, Michael Pachter of Wedbush, one of only two analysts who cover GameStop, noted that the company was continuing to see sales decline due to falling hardware sales, fewer large console releases and the growth of video game subscription services. The retailer is not in imminent danger of going under, but Pachter noted, "If we're right, GameStop has a likely runway of no more than five years. The demise of GameStop is outside the 12- month window we use for our price target, but we expect the company's demise at some point later this decade." What's it all mean? Back in the 1990s, we often had a man named Arch Crawford on our air. He gave investing advice based on astrology — I kid you not. If the stars and planets were properly aligned, it might be the right time to buy Microsoft. You might be surprised to hear that he had a following. If enough people decide they want to invest on astrology or sunspots or on the personality of a single man— or they just want to HODL and believe the stock will do well — it might be possible to move the stock, and leave everyone scratching their heads. But eventually, the story crumbles. Fundamentals do matter. You may not believe in gravity, but gravity very much believes in you.

https://www.cnbc.com/id/100134542

MSI

Motorola Solutions

UPDATE 1-Google warns of more cuts at Motorola, Q3 cuts to cost $340 mln

(Adds details, background) Oct 4 (Reuters) - Google Inc said planned job cuts at its Motorola Mobility mobile phone unit will cost about $340 million in severance and other costs in the third quarter and it warned of further restructuring that may result in "significant" charges. "Motorola has continued to refine its planned restructuring actions and now expects to broaden those actions to include additional geographic regions outside of the U.S.," the company said in a statement. Google plans to shrink Motorola's operations in Asia by exiting unprofitable markets, abandoning low-end devices and focusing on a few models instead of dozens, the New York Times had reported earlier. "Motorola continues to evaluate its plans and further restructuring actions may occur, which may cause Google to incur additional restructuring charges, some of which may be significant," the company said. The Internet search giant said in August that it would cut 20 percent of the workforce at Motorola Mobility, which it bought for $12.5 billion last year, as it moves to make more smartphones and fewer simple mobiles. By pairing Motorola's smartphone business with its Android software, Google may have a better chance of mounting a direct challenge to Apple Inc's popular iPhone. The acquisition raised concerns on Wall Street as investors fretted that Google was entering a business with much lower profit margins and in which it had little experience. Analysts were expecting Google to wind down many of Motorola's legacy businesses to fit its strategy. Google shares were up $1.60 at $764.10 in trading before the bell on the Nasdaq on Thursday. (Reporting by Neha Alawadhi in Bangalore; Editing by Rodney Joyce and Sreejiraj Eluvangal) ((neha.alawadhi@thomsonreuters.com)(within U.S. +1 646 223 8780, outside U.S. +91 80 4135 6385)(neha.alawadhi.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net)) Keywords: GOOGLE MOTOROLA/

https://www.cnbc.com/id/100166538

MSI

Motorola Solutions

UPDATE 1-Microsoft to sue Google with Motorola in German patent row

(Adds Google comment) SEATTLE, Oct 12 (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp said on Friday it plans to add Google Inc as a defendant in Germany in one of its patent actions against Google's phone maker, Motorola Mobility, the first time the two tech giants have come into direct legal conflict over Google's Android mobile software. Microsoft contends that Google's Android infringes its software patents but so far has pursued handset makers rather than Google itself for payment of royalties. Many hardware companies have settled with Microsoft over their use of Android, but Motorola -- which Google bought this year -- is fighting a range of patent issues with Microsoft in courts in the United States and Germany. In the latest move, Microsoft said in a court in Munich that it plans to add Google as a defendant in a case in which it claims a mapping feature on Motorola phones infringes one of its patents. "It became necessary to add Google to this particular case because Motorola maintains that it lacks sufficient information about actions occurring on Google's servers," said a Microsoft spokesperson in an e-mailed statement on Friday. Google signaled it would defend itself. "We want to focus on innovation, not litigation, but we'll vigorously defend against any amended complaint Microsoft files," Google's Deputy General Counsel Allen Lo said in an emailed statement. The patent in question defines a method for a mobile device to obtain a map from one database, call up resource information such as the location of a hotel from a second database, and overlay the two sets of data. Motorola and Microsoft are engaged in separate patent disputes in courts in Mannheim, Germany and Seattle over Motorola's use of scheduling software and Microsoft's use of some video and wireless technology. (Reporting By Bill Rigby; Editing by Steve Orlofsky; Editing by David Gregorio) ((bill.rigby@thomsonreuters.com)(+1 206 418 9236)(Reuters Messaging: bill.rigby.reuters.com@reuters.net)) Keywords: MICROSOFT MOTOROLA/

https://www.cnbc.com/id/100166252

MSI

Motorola Solutions

Microsoft to add Google as defendant in Motorola patent fight

SEATTLE, Oct 12 (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp said on Friday it plans to add Google Inc as a defendant in Germany in one of its patent actions against Google's phone maker, Motorola Mobility, marking the first time the two tech giants have come into direct legal conflict over Google's Android mobile software. Microsoft contends that Google's Android infringes its software patents but so far has pursued handset makers rather than Google itself for payment of royalties. Many hardware companies have settled with Microsoft over their use of Android, but Motorola -- which Google bought this year -- is fighting a range of patent issues with Microsoft in courts in the United States and Germany. In the latest move, Microsoft said in a court in Munich that it plans to add Google as a defendant in a case in which it claims a mapping feature on Motorola phones infringes one of its patents. "It became necessary to add Google to this particular case because Motorola maintains that it lacks sufficient information about actions occurring on Google's servers," said a Microsoft spokesperson in an e-mailed statement on Friday. Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The patent in question defines a method for a mobile device to obtain a map from one database, call up resource information such as the location of a hotel from a second database, and overlay the two sets of data. Motorola and Microsoft are engaged in separate patent disputes in courts in Mannheim, Germany and Seattle over Motorola's use of scheduling software and Microsoft's use of some video and wireless technology. (Reporting By Bill Rigby; Editing by Steve Orlofsky) ((bill.rigby@thomsonreuters.com; +1 206 418 9236; Reuters Messaging: bill.rigby.reuters.com@reuters.net)) Keywords: MICROSOFT MOTOROLA/

https://www.cnbc.com/id/100139283

MSI

Motorola Solutions

Motorola wins German patent case against Microsoft

FRANKFURT, Oct 5 (Reuters) - Mobile phone maker Motorola achieved a rare victory against software giant Microsoft in a patent case before a German court on Friday, the latest in a wave of patent lawsuits by technology firms fighting over market share. The regional court in Mannheim ruled that Motorola Mobility, part of Google , did not infringe a Microsoft patent which enables applications to work on different handsets. This allows application developers to avoid writing separate codes for each handset saving time and development costs. Germany has become a major battleground in the global patent war between makers of mobile phones, tablet computer devices and their operating software because court actions there have proved relatively cheap and quicker than in other jurisdictions. Microsoft has won three patent cases against Motorola in Germany. As a result of these rulings, smartphones with the disputed technology are no longer available on the German market. "This decision does not impact multiple injunctions Microsoft has already been awarded and has enforced against Motorola products in Germany," said David Howard, associate general counsel at Microsoft. Google bought lossmaking Motorola Mobility for $12.5 billion last year, in its largest acquisition ever, aiming to use the company's patents to fend off legal challenges against its Android mobile platform and expand beyond its software business. Other technology companies have also invested billions of dollars in buying up patent portfolios that they can use against rivals. Motorola could not immediately be reached for comment. (Reporting by Harro ten Wolde. Editing by Jane Merriman) ((harro.tenwolde@thomsonreuters.com)(+49 69 7565 1271)(Reuters Messaging: harro.tenwolde.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net)) Keywords: MICROSOFT MOTOROLA/PATENT

https://www.cnbc.com/id/100882325

MSI

Motorola Solutions

Eric Schmidt Talks Motorola, Microsoft Immigration and NSA

While Schmidt was wary of commenting directly on Microsoft's reorganization, announced Thursday, he said the changes reflect and industry-wide shift. "Every company is responding to the new architecture of cloud computing. We're having great success with Google apps and docs in enterprise and Microsoft must be responding to that in some way," Schmidt said. (Read More: Microsoft Shake-Up: Will Investors Win?) As to rising competition from Facebook, Yahoo and Twitter, as they improve their ad options, Schmidt said: "The funny thing about advertising is that it's not a zero-sum game. ... Historically, in the digital ad world, pie has gotten larger and it's possible for everyone to win, and it's perfectly possible that will continue to be true for quite some time." Schmidt was eager to vent his frustrations about the immigration bill stalling on Capitol Hill. "The policy of America to deny visas to technically trained people in the U.S. and shipped to other countries, where they create companies that compete with America, has to be the stupidest policy of all the U.S. government policies," Schmidt said. "It's being held hostage by all these other issues." (Read More: Why Silicon Valley Wants Immigration Reform) The other topic Schmidt vented about was the National Security Agency's Prism controversy. "We were upset because there was a statement made that somehow the NSA had special access inside Google, which was false," Schmidt said. "We clearly stated that's not the case." "We've also been upset as a company that we're not allowed to talk in details about the nature of such requests [because of the Patriot Act]," he said. "If allowed to do that, people would have a much better understanding if that's appropriate or not."

https://www.cnbc.com/id/100134439

MSI

Motorola Solutions

RPT-Google warns of more cuts at Motorola, Q3 cuts to cost $340 mln

(Repeats without changes to fix format) Oct 4 (Reuters) - Google Inc said planned job cuts at its Motorola Mobility mobile phone unit will cost about $340 million in severance and other costs in the third quarter and it warned of further restructuring. "Motorola has continued to refine its planned restructuring actions and now expects to broaden those actions to include additional geographic regions outside of the U.S.," the company said in a statement. "Motorola continues to evaluate its plans and further restructuring actions may occur, which may cause Google to incur additional restructuring charges, some of which may be significant." The Internet search giant said in August that it would cut 20 percent of jobs at Motorola Mobility, which it bought for $12.5 billion last year, as it moves to make more smartphones and fewer simple mobiles. (Reporting by Neha Alawadhi in Bangalore; Editing by Rodney Joyce) ((neha.alawadhi@thomsonreuters.com)(within U.S. +1 646 223 8780, outside U.S. +91 80 4135 6385)(neha.alawadhi.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net)) Keywords: GOOGLE MOTOROLA/

https://www.cnbc.com/id/100136385

MSI

Motorola Solutions

UPDATE 3-Google warns of more Motorola cuts, revises up Q3 bill

(Adds comments, background, details, byline) By Alexei Oreskovic Oct 4 (Reuters) - Google Inc raised its estimate of the cost of job cuts at its money-losing Motorola Mobility unit in the third quarter and warned of "significant" additional charges from further restructuring. Severance-related charges at its mobile phone unit will be 9 percent higher at $300 million, Google said, adding the bill may rise another $40 million in the quarter after the exit of facilities and markets. "Motorola has continued to refine its planned restructuring actions and now expects to broaden those actions to include additional geographic regions outside of the U.S.," the company said in a statement. Google's broader plan for the money-losing cellphone maker remained unclear. A spokeswoman said the company was not announcing additional job cuts. Shares of Google were up 0.7 percent at $767.65 in midday trading Thursday, at a record high. Google acquired Motorola in May for $12.5 billion to bolster its patent portfolio as its Android mobile operating system competes with rivals such as Apple Inc and Samsung Electronics Co Ltd . But many investors and analysts have questioned Google's need to be in the hardware business, where profit margins are lower and Google has little experience. "There's some lack of fully understanding beyond those patents what there is for Google to do with Motorola," said Needham & Company analyst Kerry Rice. "Investors have been waiting to see if Google keeps it as is, or makes any drastic changes by selling off certain divisions or manufacturing operations," Rice said. So far, Rice said Google has kept mum on its long-term plans for Motorola and has kept its focus on making the business less of a drag on profitability. Motorola's mobile devices unit has lost money in 14 of the last 16 quarters. In the second quarter, Motorola reported an operating loss of $233 million on revenue of $1.25 billion. Recent media reports have suggested that Google may sell the Motorola Mobility's television set-top box business. The world's No.1 Internet search company, which is due to report its third-quarter results later this month, has found favor on Wall Street despite the questions about Motorola. Google's lucrative search advertising business looks increasingly attractive to investors, compared with social Web companies such as Groupon Inc and Facebook Inc , whose long-term money-making capabilities are less clear, say analysts. Google said in August it would cut 20 percent of the Motorola Mobility workforce as it moves to make more smartphones and fewer simple mobiles. The New York Times has reported that Google planned to shrink Motorola's operations in Asia by exiting unprofitable markets and abandoning low-end devices to focus on a few models (htt p://r.reuters.com/mub23t). Motorola Mobility, which has 94 offices around the world, has centralized its research and development in Chicago, Sunnyvale, California and Beijing. "Motorola continues to evaluate its plans and further restructuring actions may occur, which may cause Google to incur additional restructuring charges, some of which may be significant," Google said in Thursday's statement. (Reporting by Alexei Oreskovic in San Francisco and Neha Alawadhi in Bangalore; Editing by Bernadette Baum) ((neha.alawadhi@thomsonreuters.com)(within U.S. +1 646 223 8780, outside U.S. +91 80 4135 6385)(neha.alawadhi.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net)) Keywords: GOOGLE MOTOROLA/

https://www.cnbc.com/id/23813164

MSI

Motorola Solutions

Motorola Plans Break Up--But Is That Right Move?

Motorola announced today it's planning on splitting up into two publicly traded companies: spinning off its money-losing mobile device business from its growing broadband and mobility solutions business. CEO Greg Brown said on a conference call this morning that having two independently traded companies would unlock value for shareholders. Motorola's stock is down nearly fifty percent over the past year, as Motorla sales have slid for four straight quarters. The company's Razr phone was a huge hit when it debuted back in 2004, defining a category of super lightweight phones. But now Motorola phones haven't been able to keep up with Apple's iPhones. So what really prompted this move? Brown said the company evaluated this solution independently, but there's no question that pressure from activist Carl Icahn--the company's second largest shareholder--played a role. After a dramatic drop of handset sales last year, Icahn bought up shares and waged a proxy battle for a seat on the board. This year Icahn has nominated four directors for the board, and this week sued the company for access to records on the handset business. The board offered Icahn two seats, which he nixed, so we'll see how many seats he walks away with after the shareholder meeting in May. What does Wall Street think? The stock got a bit of relief today--up just over two percent last time I checked--mostly because investors are thrilled the company is making a change. But I'm hearing a lot of concerns that this isn't the right move, and could perhaps cause more problems for the company. There's a lot of "wait and see." The company is looking to hire a CEO for the mobile devices unit and there's hope that new CEO could put the company on track. But the handset business is so challenging, Pacific Crest's James Faucette tells me he thinks this will cause more problems than it'll fix, pointing out that there's no successful model for a stand-alone company devoted to making handsets. If the deal does go through, it'll be in 2009, as a tax-free distribution to Motorola shareholders. The next big milestone? The company's May 5th annual meeting.

https://www.cnbc.com/id/100134321

MSI

Motorola Solutions

Google warns of more cuts at Motorola, Q3 cuts to cost $340 mln

Oct 4 (Reuters) - Google Inc said planned job cuts at its Motorola Mobility mobile phone unit will cost about $340 million in severance and other costs in the third quarter and it warned of further restructuring. "Motorola has continued to refine its planned restructuring actions and now expects to broaden those actions to include additional geographic regions outside of the U.S.," the company said in a statement. "Motorola continues to evaluate its plans and further restructuring actions may occur, which may cause Google to incur additional restructuring charges, some of which may be significant." The Internet search giant said in August that it would cut 20 percent of jobs at Motorola Mobility, which it bought for $12.5 billion last year, as it moves to make more smartphones and fewer simple mobiles. (Reporting by Neha Alawadhi in Bangalore; Editing by Rodney Joyce) ((neha.alawadhi@thomsonreuters.com; within U.S. +1 646 223 8780, outside U.S. +91 80 4135 6385; neha.alawadhi.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net)) Keywords: GOOGLE MOTOROLA/

https://www.cnbc.com/id/100066894

MSI

Motorola Solutions

Gadgetwise: Motorola Maxxes Out, This Time in HD

Motorola's flagship Droid RAZR Maxx has been updated and reissued as the Droid RAZR Maxx HD, and the company continues to aim for the iPhone's soft spots. At the top of the list is battery life. The RAZR Maxx HD claims the same 21 hours of talk time as the prior model. That's an estimated 32 hours of "mixed use," a formula based on a study of how people use their phones. As a very light user, I found it lasted several days without a charge. The Maxx HD also has the Google goodies that were banished from the iPhone, like Google Maps and Google Talk, and it uses the speedy Google Chrome as its default browser. It also has the latest YouTube app, which you won't find on the iPhone. While the Maxx HD comes with the Android Ice Cream Sandwich operating system, it will be among the first to upgrade to the Jelly Bean operating system at the end of the year. Jelly Bean will add Google Now, an app that learns how a phone is used and provides alerts based on where the user is and what that person is doing; voice search, which is Google's version of Siri; and actionable notifications, which build in shortcuts for dealing with alerts. The phone comes with 32 gigabytes of built-in storage, and a slot that will accommodate an additional 32 gigabytes in a microSD card. The Maxx HD has a slightly faster processor than the older Maxx, at 1.5 gigahertz versus 1.2 gigahertz for the prior phone. It also has a slightly larger Amoled screen than the old Maxx, 4.7-inch, 720p to the old version's 4.3-inch screen. Video played smoothly, clearly and without interruption. The main camera is eight-megapixel, with an LED flash; the front-facing camera is a 1.3-megapixel. It is 4G LTE compatible and works with 3G, 2G and many overseas networks. It has a comfortable heft and and the Kevlar back is coated with a soft material. Also unlike the iPhone, it's available only at Verizon, for $300 with a two-year contract.

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/06/21/inclusion-in-msci-index-is-a-big-milestone-for-saudi-market.html

MSCI

MSCI

Inclusion in MSCI index is a ‘big milestone’ for Saudi market, stock exchange boss says

Saudi Arabia's official inclusion on the MSCI emerging markets index is a reflection of strong investor confidence in the country's economy, the chief executive of the Saudi stock exchange said Thursday. "This is a very important milestone because it just gives us the recognition by international investors," Khalid Al Hussan, who heads the exchange — also known as Tadawul — told CNBC's Hadley Gamble in Riyadh. The announcement, made Wednesday, caps off a speedy 12-month exchange joining process that normally takes three to four years, the CEO said. This represented a first for the MSCI, and is expected to bolster Saudi equities. The Saudi equity market will now represent 2.6 percent of the MSCI index, which in total is worth $1.9 billion, meaning the Saudi market's weight will be around $45 billion. "That pool has both active and passive investors, we anticipate the passive investors to be around 25 to 30 percent, so guaranteed inflows of cash we forecast to be around $10 billion," Al Hussan said. "This is the size of the Saudi market represented in emerging markets, guaranteed inflow of passive funds of $10 billion, and we'll work very hard with the active investors to attract the remaining investments." Questions and concerns have been raised over governance and stability for investors in the kingdom ever since the Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman detained a number of wealthy nationals in the Ritz Carlton in Riyadh in November 2017. Those held were forced to hand over billions of dollars in what the government called an anti-corruption purge. But Mohammed El-Kuwaiz, the chairman of Saudi Arabia's Capital Markets Authority (CMA), did not consider this ultimately detrimental to the country's investment attractiveness. "Capital markets are a real-time barometer of how the investor community, local and international, views the attractiveness of investing in a country," he told CNBC on Thursday.

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/09/03/investors-in-china-weigh-msci-part-2-armed-with-wishlist.html

MSCI

MSCI

Investors in China weigh MSCI part 2, armed with wishlist

Investors stand at trading terminals in front of an electronic stock board at a securities brokerage in Shanghai, China, on Wednesday, May 30, 2018. The inclusion of Chinese stocks in MSCI's benchmark indexes this year has made mainland equities more attractive to foreign buyers, but exposure to global investment has also revealed some rough edges around corporate China's governance standards. Global index publisher MSCI adds another tranche of Chinese stocks to its emerging markets index, which follows the milestone debut inclusion in June, and foreign investors are queuing up to get into the asset class. Since the first tranche, the number of foreign investors in China has jumped about 30 percent, according to exchange data, despite the market volatility triggered by worsening Sino-U.S. trade relations. Still, global asset managers say Chinese companies leave a lot to be desired, including some basic practices such as making disclosures in English and shorter share trading suspensions. "It's pretty obvious some companies are not ready to have interactions with an investor base outside mainland China," said Zhang Jin, a New York-based portfolio manager at Vontobel Quality Growth Boutique. Zhang complained that most Chinese companies don't publish financial reports in English, making it difficult for such stocks to pass Vontobel's rigid stock-screening process. Zhang's fund recently bought Chinese stocks such as liquor heavyweight Wuliangye and is looking for other opportunities. MSCI's unofficial estimates indicate the two-stage inclusion will see inflows of roughly $17 billion into Chinese shares. But after the second tranche next week, Chinese A-shares will still only comprise a tiny 0.8 percent of its emerging market index. While active fund managers have leeway in allocating funds to China, whose main index is down 17 percent this year, managers of passive portfolios that track the MSCI indexes will have to include the roughly 230 Chinese companies in the benchmark. China's securities regulator has said it is working toward giving local stocks greater index weightings and supports a potential China accession into FTSE Russell's global share benchmarks. The country has been gradually opening its markets to global investors. However, only around 5 percent of the stock market is currently held by foreigners. Eugenie Shen, head of the asset management group at the Asia Securities Industry & Financial Markets Association which represents over 100 global financial institutions, said it has been lobbying Beijing for more transparency and efficiency. Shen said investors needed hedging instruments, such as securities lending and stock index futures, in a volatile market but not "window guidance", which refers to the informal way Chinese regulators often try to sway market participants. "Market fluctuations are normal. Foreign investors don't want to see government intervention in the market as this brings uncertainty," she said. Foreign investors also worry about the shareholding structures at many China-listed companies, where the interests of controlling and minority shareholders are not sufficiently aligned, according to Charles Sunnucks, a fund manager at Jupiter Asset Management, which holds stocks in three A-share firms. He said retail investors' particular focus on growth over income in many Chinese small-cap firms can sometimes lead management teams to make bad capital allocation decisions. Stephane Loiseau, Societe Generale's APAC head of cash equities & global execution services, believes MSCI could triple A-shares' inclusion factor in its EM index to 15 percent over the next six months. Despite the trade war, the message foreign investors get is that "China is very serious about the opening of its market, that the roadmap is very firm over time, and the pace of opening is accelerating", he said.

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/03/01/msci-to-quadruple-weighting-of-china-a-shares-in-global-benchmarks.html

MSCI

MSCI

MSCI to quadruple weighting of China A-shares in its global benchmarks

Investors stand in front of an electronic stock board at a securities brokerage in Shanghai, China, on May 30, 2018. Global index provider MSCI will quadruple the weighting of Chinese mainland shares in its global benchmarks later this year, it said on Thursday, potentially drawing more than $80 billion of fresh foreign inflows to the world's second-biggest economy. MSCI also announced that it will add Chinese mid-cap stocks to its emerging market benchmark in November, boosting the number of Chinese constituents. In a statement on its website, MSCI said it will increase the inclusion factor of Chinese large-cap stocks to 20 percent from the current 5 percent in three steps, in May, August and November this year. On completion of this three-step implementation, the weighting of Chinese stocks in the MSCI Emerging Market Index will jump to 3.3 percent, from roughly 0.7 percent currently. The announcement could add fuel to a stock market that has jumped over 20 percent this year, partly on hopes that Beijing and Washington will soon reach a deal to resolve their trade dispute. Rival index publisher FTSE Russell and S&P Dow Jones Indices will both start adding yuan-denominated Chinese shares to their global benchmarks this year as Beijing steps up efforts to integrate China's capital markets into the global financial system. Fang Xinghai, deputy head of China's securities regulator, predicted foreign capital inflows to Chinese stocks this year will double to about 600 billion yuan ($89.76 billion). MSCI said it will add Chinese A Mid-Cap shares, including eligible ChiNext shares, with a 20 percent inclusion factor, to the MSCI indexes in November. After implementation, the MSCI Emerging Markets Index will include 253 large-cap and 168 mid-cap China A-shares, representing a weight of 3.3 percent in the pro-forma index. Brendan Ahern, chief investment officer at Krane Funds Advisors in New York, which manages the KraneShares Bosera MSCI China A ETF, said: "I am almost crying. We have built the (ETF) in anticipation of this event. We anticipated that this inclusion would take place and built an ETF vehicle that investors could proactively take advantage of." KBA is up 24.6 percent so far this year.

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/03/12/women-ceos-in-new-zealand-enjoy-twice-the-pay-of-their-male-counterparts.html

MSCI

MSCI

Women CEOs in New Zealand earn an average salary of $5.9 million, twice that of their male counterparts

In 2023, New Zealand had the strongest board representation with more than 40% of female CEOs, according to MSCI. New Zealand is showing the way for women participation in executive roles, as well as compensation, at a time when the rest of the world suffers from dismal female representation in leadership positions. Women CEOs in New Zealand earned an average salary of $5.9 million, more than twice their male counterparts, who had an average pay of $2.6 million. This Pacific Island nation had the strongest board representation with more than 40% of female CEOs, according to MSCI's latest report. This is in sharp contrast to just 6.5% CEO positions held by women — a slight rise from 5.8% in 2022 — the MSCI ACWI index of 2,868 large- and mid-cap companies from developed as well emerging markets showed. Women held 19% of CFO roles.

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/04/15/a-top-nvda-shareholder-reveals-his-trigger-for-selling-growth-stocks.html

MSCI

MSCI

A top Nvidia shareholder reveals his trigger for selling growth stocks

Nvidia shares have continued to soar this year, up more than 80%. But one of its top shareholders has revealed why they've been selling the stock. Jennison Associates, the 15th largest shareholder of Nvidia, was an early investor in the chipmaker and currently holds $7 billion worth of shares, or 0.57% of the company. That's down from a peak of 0.95% in the last quarter of 2022, according to LSEG data. Raj Shant, managing director at Jennison Associates, told CNBC Pro that the investment firm has been selling its position in the AI chip maker to manage risk despite remaining optimistic about its long-term prospects. "We emphasize risk management much more than many growth investors," Shant told CNBC Pro. He explained that Nvidia had quickly increased to nearly 10% of Jennison Associates' Global Equity Opportunities strategy due to the stock's 238% rise in 2023, which necessitated selling the stock to bring its allocation back to around 6%. "We're actually no less optimistic than we were, but we're [also] not more optimistic than we were then," he added. When should investors sell growth stocks? When asked about the right time to sell a growth company like Nvidia, Shant pointed to the firm's latest research note titled "Buy and Hold Forever?" It explains when the investment firm would sell a position: either to buy shares in more attractive growth stock, to take profits, or if the fundamentals change. "We are not satisfied holding a company — even if it is successful — if we believe there are more attractive opportunities available," the note said. Shant stressed that as long-term investors, short-term volatility wouldn't trigger a sell signal at Jennison. The chipmaking giant's stock briefly entered correction territory after shares fell 10% last week from their most recent all-time closing high. NVDA 1Y line Instead, the former fund manager said fundamentals, such as insufficient growth, are more significant drivers of Jennison's triggers to abandon a stock. He also cautioned that the reason behind an earnings disappointment is likely to be more important than the disappointment itself in evaluating an investment's future. "When you look at disappointments, you have to look: is it demand … or is it supply? [As in] they can't actually make enough to meet expectations in that quarter," Shant told CNBC's Squawk Box Friday. "One is very negative for the medium-term investment thesis, but the other is generally temporary, transitory and can generally be fixed with good management." Shant cited the example of companies like Nvidia, which he said could be laying the foundation of a whole new industry in generative AI, and obesity drug companies like Novo Nordisk , which Jennison Associates also has positions in. He explained that when these types of companies are growing fast and disrupting whole industries, there is a risk that orders start to slip or fade in a particular quarter. "But actually, more likely, is that they can't make enough," to meet demand, Shant said. "There comes a quarter where they don't deliver as much as the analysts are expecting." Shant believes long-term investors should overlook such bumps. Is it time to buy Nvidia now? When asked if he would buy Nvidia's stock right now, Shant shied away from providing investment advice but expressed confidence in the company's medium-term prospects. "If you're willing and able to close your eyes and not fret about the week-to-week or month-to-month over the next year or two? Yes. Will it outperform the market? Yes," he said. Jennison Associates' Global Equity Opportunities strategy, which holds about 35 stocks, significantly outperformed the MSCI AC World Index in 2023, returning 41.6% compared to the index's 22.2%. Nvidia remains the strategy's second-largest holding, with a 6.1% allocation. Despite Jennison Associates trimming its position, other institutional investors have been buying shares of Nvidia. Norges Bank, which manages the world's largest sovereign wealth fund, invested in the company during the fourth quarter of 2023 and now owns Nvidia shares valued at about $15 billion. Other notable investors in Nvidia include Morgan Stanley and Barclays, which also increased their stake throughout last year's second half and now own shares worth billions.

https://www.cnbc.com/2017/06/21/why-the-inclusion-of-china-a-shares-in-the-msci-emerging-markets-index-may-not-help-investors.html

MSCI

MSCI

Why the inclusion of China A-shares in the MSCI emerging markets index may not help investors

MSCI unveiled plans to gradually add mainland Chinese shares to its benchmark emerging markets index , injecting buzz into the market, but the stamp of approval may not help investors, say critics. The index giant will add 222 China A Large Cap stocks — including Bank of China and Tsingtao Brewery — on a gradual basis beginning next year. The review is the fourth straight year MSCI has considered adding the mainland-traded stocks, known as A-shares in China. Corporate governance is a particular bugbear as many of the 222 companies are large state-owned enterprises, said Kevin Carter, CEO of Big Tree Capital and founder of the Emerging Markets Internet and Ecommerce ETF. "You have all of these enormous state-owned banks, the four big policy banks, the oil companies, and these are really not run like traditional Western companies," Carter said. "These companies are filed with inefficiencies, they are filled with conflicts of interest and they are frequently filled with fraud. Adding more of that, even though it's just a small amount, I don't think it helps helps investors," he said, adding that it was not a problem unique to China but also to markets dominated by such mega companies, like Brazil. MSCI had previously left the A-shares out of the EM (emerging markets) index but it relaxed its investment criteria in March in a bid to address concerns on capital repatriation and suspended stocks.

https://www.cnbc.com/2017/06/19/asia-markets-dollar-strength-in-focus.html

MSCI

MSCI

Asian stocks close mixed as markets await MSCI decision on China A-shares

Asian indexes closed mixed on Tuesday as markets awaited MSCI's decision on the potential inclusion of mainland Chinese stocks, even as the dollar strengthened. The surged 0.81 percent or 162.66 points to close near a two-year high at 20,230.41. South Korea's benchmark Kospi index edged lower by 0.07 percent or 1.67 points to finish the session at 2,369.23. Down Under, the S&P/ASX 200 declined 0.82 percent or 47.874 points to end at 5,757.3. Markets in greater China were mixed, with Hong Kong's off by 0.21 percent at 3:00 p.m. HK/SIN. On the mainland, the edged lower by 0.13 percent or 4.0719 points to close at 3,140.3020 while the Shenzhen Composite climbed 0.118 percent or 2.2146 points to finish at 1,879.0645. Investors are keeping an eye on the decision on whether to include China A-shares in the MSCI Emerging Markets Index. This will be China's fourth attempt at MSCI inclusion, after being passed over the first three times. While MSCI inclusion is not "of vital importance" to China, it will be beneficial in terms of capital flows, said Clive McDonnell, head of equity strategy at Standard Chartered Private Bank. "If A-shares are admitted to (the MSCI) EM (Index), it could over the longer term have a positive effect on capital inflows to China, which would help support the currency over the medium term," McDonnell said. Whether China's latest attempt will succeed remains to be seen. "I still think it's about fifty-fifty as to what will happen," Janus Henderson Investors Portfolio Manager Sat Duhra told CNBC. While China was in the "best position they've been for a number of years" for MSCI inclusion, obstacles — such as the high proportion of suspended stocks — remained, Duhra added. watch now watch now Overnight, the dollar strengthened and U.S. Treasury yields rose on comments from New York Fed President William Dudley expecting that inflation should rise faster going forward, allowing the Fed to proceed with tightening monetary policy. Chicago Fed President Charles Evans however later said the Fed should move slowly to raise rates and trim its portfolio due to soft inflation. The dollar edged lower to trade at 97.468 against a basket of rival currencies at 2:58 p.m. HK/SIN after trading as high as 97.615 overnight. Against the yen, the dollar traded at 111.62, hitting its strongest level in more than three weeks earlier in the session. Meanwhile, the ratings downgrade of Australia's banks, including the big four, by Moody's Investor Services overnight is not expected to affect their funding costs, Reuters quoted Deutsche Bank analysts as saying. The Moody's downgrade of the banks from AA2 to AA3 aligns with S&P's existing AA- rating, said National Australia Bank Currency Strategist Rodrigo Catril in a morning note. Shares of the big four Australian banks closed in negative territory. ANZ was down by 1.34 percent, National Australia Bank fell 1.09 percent and Commonwealth Bank of Australia shed 0.66 percent. watch now

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/02/26/iag-msci-exclusion-from-spain-index.html

MSCI

MSCI

British Airways owner IAG falls after MSCI exclusion from Spain index

Shares in IAG , the owner of British Airways and Iberia, fell on Tuesday after index provider MSCI said it plans to delete the stock from its Spanish index. The Spanish listing was down 3.3 percent by 0821 GMT, at the bottom of the IBEX while the London-listed shares fell 3.8 percent. Traders said the deletion was due to the cap on foreign ownership of the shares, which came in on Feb 11 ahead of Britain's exit from the European Union.

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/12/18/diversity-under-scrutiny-as-esg-investing-grows.html

MSCI

MSCI

Diversity, inequality metrics will see 'a lot of scrutiny' next year as ESG investing grows, MSCI says

Diversity will be top of mind for investors in the year ahead, says a leading MSCI researcher. The Nasdaq's recent proposal to require more diversity on boards of companies listed on the exchange is just one example of a sustained push that is likely to strengthen, Linda-Eling Lee, global head of research for MSCI's ESG Research group, told CNBC's "ETF Edge" on Monday. "Oddly, the progress actually has been extremely slow even though we've already seen this kind of push for several years," Lee said. This year, MSCI's annual Women on Boards report showed a notable "slowdown in the rate of increase for female representation on boards with a gain of only 0.6 percentage points among constituents of the MSCI ACWI index," the firm's flagship global equity index, Lee said. "If you take this kind of trend of progress over the past four years and you project it forward, it's going to take until, like, 2029 for women to comprise 30% of corporate boards," she said. As such, the Nadsaq's move and support from larger institutional investors can help to accelerate progress on this front, Lee said. "I definitely think that this is an area that will continue to get a lot of scrutiny," she said. The relatively limited set of U.S. exchange-traded funds tracking diversity includes the Impact Shares NAACP Minority Empowerment ETF (NACP), the Impact Shares YWCA Women's Empowerment ETF (WOMN) and the SPDR SSGA Gender Diversity Index ETF (SHE). Inequality more broadly will also be a major focus following the economic hardship wrought by the Covid-19 pandemic, Lee said. "Covid has had this effect of really shining a light on the health and the economic disparities in our society," she said. "We expect that the incoming administration's focus on economic inclusion and on social issues is going to mean that companies should not really take their social license to operate for granted." That accounts for metrics such as how companies treat their employees, how diverse their workforces are, whether they have a tendency to "prey" on their customers or suppliers and if they create value that ends up being "shared across stakeholders," she said. "We think that this is really actually going to amplify and intensify over the coming years," Lee said. "In response, what we're seeing is that companies are going to get more creative about how they can actually better beef up their social credentials with investors in the public and maybe actually get out of the crosshairs of policymakers." That could spur growth in new forms of financing such as social impact bonds, sustainability bonds or share issuances tied to companies' sustainability goals, Lee said. "These are ways that companies are taking to make a more direct link between its business and the social value that it brings more broadly," she said.

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/12/16/chipmaker-smic-stock-falls-as-co-ceo-plans-to-resign-it-faces-msci-removal.html

MSCI

MSCI

Chinese chipmaker SMIC falls 5% as co-CEO plans to resign and it faces removal from MSCI indexes

GUANGZHOU, China — Shares of Chinese chipmaker SMIC fell over 5% on Wednesday after the company said it was aware its co-CEO planned to resign and as its stock was set to be removed from MSCI indexes. SMIC said it had become "aware" of co-CEO Mong Song Liang's "intention of conditional resignation." The company said it was "verifying" with Liang regarding his intention to resign. Meanwhile, American stock index company MSCI, one of the largest in the world, said it will remove SMIC from its indexes from Jan. 5, 2021, among other Chinese companies. It said it was doing so after these companies were named in an U.S. executive order that bans American companies and individuals from owning shares of Chinese companies that the White House alleges supports China's military.

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/01/04/jim-cramer-reviews-the-worst-performers-on-the-nasdaq-100-in-2023.html

NDAQ

Nasdaq, Inc.

Jim Cramer reviews the worst performers on the Nasdaq-100 in 2023

CNBC's Jim Cramer on Thursday gave his take on the worst performers in the Nasdaq-100 in 2023. Cramer compared each company's closing price in 2022 to the end of 2023, noting the biggest losers. The list included healthcare companies as well as several utilities outfits. "You've heard of the Dogs of the Dow? Well, now I want to talk to you about the Gnats of the Nasdaq, the worst performers in the Nasdaq-100 for 2023," Cramer said. "Just like the dogs of the Dow, maybe, just maybe, there are some quality stocks here that are ready to make a comeback."

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/12/27/these-are-the-biggest-nasdaq-winners-of-2023-where-analysts-see-them-going.html

NDAQ

Nasdaq, Inc.

These are the biggest Nasdaq winners of 2023. Where analysts see them going

If 2023 has one winner, it's technology. Among this group, CrowdStrike Holdings and Nvidia are some of the standout players, as they're some of the names that have seen their share price more than double — and even triple — over the past 12 months amid the broader tech rally. These names are part of the Nasdaq-100 , which tracks the 100 largest nonfinancial companies in the Nasdaq Composite by market capitalization. The index has popped about 56% this year, and is up 14.7% this quarter alone, as tech companies' eye-popping gains have continued to propel the market's growth this year. By comparison, the broader Nasdaq Composite has added about 44% in 2023. CNBC Pro screened for Nasdaq-100 stocks with the best performance this year, according to FactSet. Below is the full list of winners and what analysts think about them. From the list, cybersecurity company CrowdStrike and chipmaker Nvidia are the most loved by analysts. They're also both beneficiaries of the hype and advancements around artificial intelligence this year. The companies are buy rated by roughly 80% of analysts who cover each stock, according to FactSet, but Nvidia has a projected upside of 35.6% while analysts see a slight downturn in CrowdStrike's share price over the next year. CrowdStrike has popped more than 143% this year. As cybersecurity risks become increasingly sophisticated, the company's CEO George Kurtz has said that its generative artificial intelligence product can help better detect security threats. In addition to CrowdStrike's technology advancements, the executive said another tailwind to the company's business is the new regulation from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that requires publicly traded companies to disclose breaches within four days. CrowdStrike remains on track to reach $10 billion in recurring revenue within seven years, Kurtz told CNBC earlier this month . Nvidia, meanwhile, has jumped roughly 236% in 2023, making the AI leader the crown jewel in the Magnificent Seven , with gains that far exceed the other big-name tech stocks in the group. It has also outperformed every other member of the S & P 500. Through the first three quarters of this year, Nvidia raked in $17.5 billion in net income, which was more than sixfold from a year earlier. While most analysts recommend investors grab more shares of Nvidia, some think it's due for a pullback. The stock could see a "negative surprise" in the first half of next year, according to recent technical analysis from UBS Investment Bank Advisory Sales. MongoDB , which joined the Nasdaq 100 on Dec. 18 as part of the index's annual reconstitution, is one of the more promising names for next year, from the list. It has a projected upside of more than 10% from analysts surveyed by FactSet. The company also has a consensus buy rating from nearly two-thirds of analysts covering the stock, which has popped 113% this year. Analysts are bullish on MongoDB's long-term growth given the company's ability to add more workloads, or programs that run on computers. MongoDB had added more customers in its fiscal first quarter than Wall Street had expected, and also raised its fiscal 2024 forecast for both revenue and income. "We see MongoDB as the best AI play in software infrastructure given its ever-expanding list of new workloads," Wells Fargo analyst Andrew Nowinski wrote in a Nov. 16 note initiating coverage of the stock. The company is well-positioned for solid margin expansion, which in turn will drive strong free cash flow growth." Other Nasdaq-100 winners this year include online food delivery platform DoorDash , also new to the index this month; semiconductor manufacturing company Broadcom ; and cybersecurity firm Zscaler .

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/03/07/stock-market-today-live-updates.html

NDAQ

Nasdaq, Inc.

Nasdaq drops 1% Friday as Nvidia tumbles, Dow closes out worst week since October: Live updates

Stocks retreated on Friday, closing out a turbulent week as Nvidia 's incredible run took a breather. The S&P 500 lost 0.65% to 5,123.69, while the Nasdaq Composite slipped 1.16% to 16,085.11. Both swung into negative territory after rising to new all-time highs earlier in the session. The Dow Jones Industrial Average relinquished 68.66 points, or 0.18%, to end at 38,722.69. All three major indexes finished the choppy week lower. The broad S&P 500 pulled back by 0.26% this week, while the blue-chip Dow and tech-heavy Nasdaq fell 0.93% and 1.17%, respectively. That decline marked the worst week for the 30-stock Dow since October. Stocks were hurt Friday as an earlier rally in Nvidia lost steam. The artificial intelligence darling finished down more than 5% in its worst session since late May. Despite that breather, Nvidia shares still finished up more than 6% on the week. It's part of a monster rally that has added more than $1 trillion to the stock's market cap in just the new year alone. "It doesn't mean that the longer-term upside potential is over," said Sam Stovall, chief investment strategist at CFRA Research, of Nvidia's Friday move. "It just says that maybe we've gotten ahead of ourselves: We've gotten to an overbought situation, and it's time to take some profits."

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/03/06/stock-market-today-live-updates.html

NDAQ

Nasdaq, Inc.

S&P 500 jumps 1% for fresh closing record, Nasdaq pops 1.5% to touch all-time high: Live updates

Traders work on the floor during morning trading at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) on March 06, 2024 in New York City. Stocks rose Thursday, pushing the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite back to record highs, as hope over easing inflation and gains in tech aided Wall Street's midweek bounce. The broad S&P 500 advanced 1.03% to 5,157.36, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite climbed 1.51% to 16,273.38. Both notched all-time highs during the session, while the S&P 500 also clinched a closing record. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 130.30 points, or 0.34%, to close at 38,791.35. Information technology and communication services stocks led the S&P 500 to that record. Intel was the best performer in the Dow with a gain of more than 3%. Investor optimism was boosted after the European Central Bank lowered forecasts for annual inflation and growth on Thursday, though the bank also held key interest rates steady. That can be taken as a positive signal on the international inflation front. The ECB's announcement comes after Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell told Congress on Wednesday that he expects interest rates to come down this year. While Powell said that the Fed was not immediately ready to begin cutting, he told the Senate Banking Committee on Thursday that the central bank isn't far from having the confidence it needs on inflation to start. "The market was expecting it — and they're finally hearing it from Fed officials," said Adam Turnquist, chief technical strategist at LPL Financial, of Powell's commentary around interest levels. "It just adds to the confidence that rate cuts are coming."

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/03/05/stock-market-today-live-updates.html

NDAQ

Nasdaq, Inc.

S&P 500, Nasdaq close higher Wednesday, regaining some ground from recent sell-off: Live updates

Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange during morning trading on Feb. 29, 2024. Stocks rose Wednesday, with the market turning a corner following back-to-back losing sessions on Wall Street. The S&P 500 added 0.51% to 5,104.76, while the Nasdaq Composite gained 0.58% to 16,031.54. The Dow Jones Industrial Average traded higher by 75.86 points, or 0.2%, to close at 38,661.05. The blue-chip average was weighed down by a drop of more than 2% in Disney . Wednesday's advances mark a reprieve after the three major averages notched two straight days of declines, pulling the market off record highs. But gains were kept in check as Apple fell into the red once again and concerns swirled around a troubled regional bank. While the Nasdaq saw gains Wednesday, some major tech names sat out of the rally. Apple fell for its sixth straight trading day, even as mega-cap darling Nvidia climbed more than 3%. Alphabet and Tesla also both traded lower in the session. Despite Wednesday's action, the three major indexes were still down on the week. Regional bank stocks swung between gains and losses in the session after New York Community Bancorp announced a $1 billion capital raise. The SPDR S&P Regional Banking ETF (KRE) ended the session slightly lower after trading down by more than 2% during the day. Shares of NYCB rose about 7.5% after tumbling more than 40% earlier in the session. Trading in the stock was halted several times throughout the day.

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/12/27/these-nasdaq-100-stocks-struggled-this-year-where-analysts-see-them-going-in-2024.html

NDAQ

Nasdaq, Inc.

These Nasdaq-100 stocks struggled this year. Where analysts see them going in 2024

The major averages are rallying to end 2023, but not all stocks can be winners. Investor optimism over a more dovish Fed has spurred a surge in stock prices since late October, with all three major indexes most recently notching eight straight weeks of gains. The Nasdaq-100 benchmark has soared to new heights, closing at a new record high on Tuesday. The index's year-to-date gains are now an eye-watering 54%. Even as the index is tracking for a strong finish to 2023, 17 stocks are so far slated to end the year in the negative. Moderna , down about 45% so far this year, leads these losses. Waning Covid vaccine demand has contributed to Moderna's plummet this year. But shares of the biopharmaceutical company popped 28% this month after midstage trial data revealed its cancer vaccine, developed with Merck , reduced the risk of death or relapse when used with Keytruda in patients with skin cancer. Analysts covering the stock are fairly optimistic, according to FactSet. Nearly 38% of analysts have assigned a buy rating to Moderna, with an average upside potential of 28.7%. Biotech stock Illumina , down 30% this year, is the second-largest loser in the Nasdaq-100. While the stock recently popped after Illumina announced plans to sell its Grail unit, that's not enough to counter other hurdles facing the company. "ILMN has struggled to grow revenues over the past 4 years, and we see no imminent fix to a myriad of challenges facing the business," wrote Bank of America analyst Michael Ryskin. Earlier this month, the bank downgraded Illumina stock to an underperform rating, despite still naming the company as the "dominant market leader in DNA sequencing." Ryskin, however, noted that he sees no indication of a "quick fix on the horizon" for the company's stagnant revenue. Analysts polled by FactSet seem to agree with his assessment. While 52% of analysts covering Illumina have assigned it a buy rating, the average price target indicates a potential 1.9% decline from the stock's current trading price. Utility company Exelon has slumped 18% this year, plagued by an unfavorable rate case decision in Illinois that resulted in the company having one of the lowest returns on equity in the industry, at 8.91%. As a result, Morgan Stanley downgraded the stock to equal weight from overweight. However, Morgan Stanley analyst David Arcaro's price target of $38, down from $45, implies that the stock could still rise 7% from Tuesday's close. FactSet data indicates that just 21% of analysts covering the company have a buy rating assigned, and the average upside comes out to 12.8%. Arcaro underscored favorable characteristics such as attractive growth opportunities and low earnings risk in Exelon's remaining business. But he added that "elevated concern around its largest utility will be an overhang on the stock well into 2024." Another stock that has missed out on the 2023 rally is PayPal . Shares of the financial technology company have dipped about 12% in 2023. Bank of America recently downgraded the stock to a neutral rating from buy, accompanying the move by decreasing its price target to $66 from $77. That implies about 5.5% upside from Tuesday's close. Analyst Jason Kupferberg wrote that investors will have to practice patience ahead of a pivotal year for the stock. "Shares have traded up from lows following PYPL's modest 3Q beat and new CEO Alex Chriss' fresh messaging around profitable growth and increased urgency around execution. However, we see '24 as a transition year, as a new CEO/CFO seek to earn Street credibility while driving sustained improvements in top-line metrics," he wrote. More than half of analysts surveyed by FactSet had a buy rating on the name, and the average consensus price target suggests upside of 18.3%. — CNBC's Michael Bloom contributed reporting.

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/12/14/fridays-sp-500-and-nasdaq-100-rebalance-to-reflect-concerns-over-concentration-risk.html

NDAQ

Nasdaq, Inc.

Friday's S&P 500 and Nasdaq-100 rebalance may reflect concerns over concentration risk

It's arguably the biggest stock story of 2023: a small number of giant technology companies now make up a very large part of big indexes like the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq-100. Five companies (Apple , Microsoft , Amazon , Nvidia and Alphabet ) make up about 25% of the S&P 500. Six companies (Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, Nvidia, Alphabet and Broadcom ) make up about 40% of the Nasdaq-100. The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq are rebalancing their respective indexes this Friday. While this is a routine event, some of the changes may reflect the concerns over concentration risk. A ton of money is pegged to a few indexes Now that the CPI and the Fed meeting are out of the way, these rebalances are the last major "liquidity events" of the year, corresponding with another notable trading event: triple witching, or the quarterly expiration of stock options, index options and index futures. This is an opportunity for the trading community to move large blocks of stock for the last gasps of tax loss harvesting or to position for the new year. Trading volume will typically drop 30%-40% in the final two weeks of the year after triple witching, with only the final trading day showing significant volume. All of this might appear of only academic interest, but the big move to passive index investing in the past 20 years has made these events more important to investors. When these indexes are adjusted, either because of additions or deletions, or because share counts change, or because the weightings are changed to reduce the influence of the largest companies, it means a lot of money moves in and out of mutual funds and ETFs that are directly or indirectly tied to the indexes. Standard & Poor's estimates that nearly $13 trillion is directly or indirectly indexed to the S&P 500. The three largest ETFs (SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust , iShares Core S&P 500 ETF , and Vanguard S&P 500 ETF ) are all directly indexed to the S&P 500 and collectively have nearly $1.2 trillion in assets under management. Linked to the Nasdaq-100 — the 100 largest nonfinancial companies listed on Nasdaq — the Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) is the fifth-largest ETF, with roughly $220 billion in assets under management. S&P 500: Apple and others will be for sale. Uber going in For the S&P 500, Standard & Poor's will adjust the weighting of each stock to account for changes in share count. Share counts typically change because many companies have large buyback programs that reduce share count. This quarter, Apple, Alphabet, Comcast , Exxon Mobil , Visa and Marathon Petroleum will all see their share counts reduced, so funds indexed to the S&P will have to reduce their weighting. S&P 500: Companies with share count reduction (% of share count reduction) Apple 0.5% Alphabet 1.3% Comcast 2.4% Exxon Mobil 1.0% Visa 0.8% Marathon Petroleum 2.6% Source: S&P Global Other companies (Nasdaq , EQT , and Amazon among them) will see their share counts increased, so funds indexed to the S&P 500 will have to increase their weighting. In addition, three companies are being added to the S&P 500: Uber , Jabil , and Builders FirstSource . I wrote about the effect that being added to the S&P was having on Uber's stock price last week. Three other companies are being deleted and will go from the S&P 500 to the S&P SmallCap 600 index: Sealed Air , Alaska Air and SolarEdge Technologies . Nasdaq-100 changes: DoorDash, MongoDB, Splunk are in The Nasdaq-100 is rebalanced four times a year; however, the annual reconstitution, where stocks are added or deleted, happens only in December. Last Friday, Nasdaq announced that six companies would be added to the Nasdaq-100: CDW Corporation (CDW), Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP), DoorDash (DASH), MongoDB (MDB), Roper Technologies (ROP), and Splunk (SPLK). Six others will be deleted: Align Technology (ALGN), eBay (EBAY), Enphase Energy (ENPH), JD.com (JD), Lucid Group (LCID), and Zoom Video Communications (ZM). Tuesday night, following Pfizer 's pending acquisition of Seagen, Nasdaq announced that Take-Two Interactive Software , would also be added to the Nasdaq-100, and Seagen will be removed. Concentration risk: The rules Under federal law, a diversified investment fund (mutual funds, exchange-traded funds), even if it just mimics an index like the S&P 500, has to satisfy certain diversification requirements. This includes requirements that: 1) no single issuer can account for more than 25% of the total assets of the portfolio, and 2) securities that represent more than 5% of the total assets cannot exceed 50% of the total portfolio. Most of the major indexes have similar requirements in their rules. For example, there are 11 S&P sector indexes that are the underlying indexes for widely traded ETFs such as the Technology Select SPDR ETF (XLK). The rules for these sector indexes are similar to the rules on diversification requirements for investment funds discussed above. For example, the S&P sector indexes say that a single stock cannot exceed 24% of the float-adjusted market capitalization of that sector index and that the sum of the companies with weights greater than 4.8% cannot exceed 50% of the total index weight. At the end of last week, three companies had weights greater than 4.8% in the Technology Select Sector (Microsoft at 23.5%, Apple at 22.8%, and Broadcom at 4.9%) and their combined market weight was 51.2%, so if those same prices hold at the close on Friday, there should be a small reduction in Apple and Microsoft in that index. S&P will announce if there are changes in the sector indexes after the close on Friday. The Nasdaq-100 also uses a "modified" market-capitalization weighting scheme, which can constrain the size of the weighting for any given stock to address overconcentration risk. This rebalancing may reduce the weighting in some of the largest stocks, including Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, Nvidia and Alphabet. The move up in these large tech stocks was so rapid in the first half of the year that Nasdaq took the unusual step of initiating a special rebalance in the Nasdaq-100 in July to address the overconcentration of the biggest names. As a result, Microsoft, Apple, Nvidia, Amazon and Tesla all saw their weightings reduced. Market concentration is nothing new Whether the rules around market concentration should be tightened is open for debate, but the issue has been around for decades. For example, Phil Mackintosh and Robert Jankiewicz from Nasdaq recently noted that the weight of the five largest companies in the S&P 500 was also around 25% back in the 1970s. Disclosure: Comcast is the corporate parent of NBCUniversal and CNBC. This story has been amended to include the addition of Take-Two Interactive to the Nasdaq-100 and the removal of Seagen.

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/11/18/its-been-2-years-since-the-nasdaq-hit-a-record-and-its-gone-nowhere-since.html

NDAQ

Nasdaq, Inc.

It's been 2 years since the Nasdaq hit a record and it's gone nowhere since

The loudest investor chatter for months has insisted the heavyweights of the Nasdaq have been everything to the market in 2023. We hear much less about how they've done less than nothing over the past two years. Sunday is the second anniversary of the all-time closing high in both the Nasdaq Composite and Nasdaq 100 indexes, which remain 12% and 4 % underwater even after their monster gains in recent months. It's relatively rare for the Nasdaq 100 – the most easily investable part of the Nasdaq and the one most reflective of the mega-cap dominance – to enter a two-year downturn. The recent phase is the third such episode in nearly 30 years, the prior two being the gutting payback for the still-singular tech bubble and the market-wide carnage of the global financial crisis. As this plot I commissioned from YCharts shows, even at the Covid-crash low, the NDX was merely flat – and almost exactly so, on March 16, 2020 – over the prior two years. This doesn't mean the index must levitate from here, of course. But it's a reminder that with its 45% surge year to date, its near-record outperformance over the average stock and the weighting of the top six Nasdaq names within the S & P 500 up above 27%, most of the move has been a carom effect from the outsized 36% decline into its December 2022 trough. The market looks a lot less top-heavy and stingy over a two-year span, the NDX outperforming the equal-weight S & P 500 by seven percentage points compared to the 42-percentage-point advantage in 2023. QQQ RSP mountain 2021-11-17 Invesco QQQ Trust vs. Invesco S & P Equal Weight ETF Of course, the Nasdaq is simply an amplified version of the overall market, which is also in pretty rare territory sitting on slightly negative two-year performance. Citi chief investment strategist Scott Chronert points out the S & P 500's rolling two-year return "ranks in the 16 th percentile based on a 30-year look-back," which he believes explains the muted character of his investor-sentiment readings even after the 10% rebound in the S & P over the past three weeks. What we've learned in 2 years A few things have been accomplished in the two years since the Nasdaq 100 crested, some of them directly contradictory to the prevailing skeptical take that the mega-cap elite names are a monolithic bloc of equities benefiting from lazy momentum buying that ignores valuation, interest-rate and macro risk. The fact that the Magnificent Seven-type stocks have dominated the tape alongside a rush in Treasury yields to 16-year highs this year undercuts the popular view that these so-called "long-duration" stocks were uniquely susceptible to rising rates. I've argued against the notion since early last year, noting that the biggest Nasdaq bubble ever occurred decades ago with Treasury yields near 6%. The crash last year was about valuation compression, yes, but also massive downgrades to these companies' earnings expectations and an unwind of extreme investor crowding that had built up over 2021. And they have not moved in lockstep, either. Only three of the Big Seven have outperformed the Nasdaq 100 over the past two years – Apple, Nvidia and Microsoft — while Meta Platforms has kept pace and Amazon, Alphabet and Tesla have lagged. Most of this group – aside from Tesla, which is down 35% in two years – is also showing relatively scarce recent upside to profit projections. Citi's Chronert breaks down the consensus 10.7% S & P 500 earnings growth for next year to show that Nvidia, Alphabet, Microsoft, Apple, Meta and Amazon together are expected to account for more than a quarter of the index's entire profit increase. The softening of stock prices and firming up of earnings outlooks has moderated the Nasdaq 100's valuation, too, taking its forward price/earnings ratio and its premium to the S & P 500 to their five-year average levels. This doesn't make them particularly cheap or neglected, but excess froth has been drained. The true outlier in all this is, as ever, Apple. The company is in its third straight year of roughly flat sales and net income, yet the stock is up more than 20% and its forward P/E fattened to 28.7 from 26.4 over two years. Much of this can be credited to Apple's unassailably strong balance sheet in a time of higher debt costs and scarcer credit. Perhaps the fact that Apple doubled net income from 2017 to 2021, and has held those gains, earns the company some credit as hopes for a resumption in top-line growth spring eternal. And then there is the return of its capital to shareholders. The company has reduced its share count by 1.1 billion shares, or 6.5% of the total, over two years. What's more, Berkshire Hathaway owns a near-6% stake that has held mostly steady. So Apple has bought back some 7% of the shares owned by everyone but Berkshire. Whereto from here? Determining specifically what drives the performance in this rarefied class of anointed leaders of a winner-take-most tech-centric economy is not a science. They can serve as aggressive plays on rising animal spirits or defensive instruments amidst macroeconomic flux, and it's tough for any investor to gain much of an edge in analyzing them. With all that granted, Tony Pasquariello, Goldman Sachs head of hedge-fund coverage, offered his take on Big Tech's immediate prospects in a Friday client note: "In the context of buybacks, year-end window dressing and the proclivity of retail investors to follow momentum, I suspect the best-of-breed names will be well supported through December. One attendant point: it feels like US GDP growth is now running around 2% -- which, judging from the post-GFC era, is about the perfect temperature for the top of the index." This is not the same as predicting this group will, or should, perform well at the expense of all other stocks. The past week's rally, emboldened by a benign CPI report and resulting slide in Treasury yields, featured some nice broadening action, a revival play for small-caps and the median large-cap stock. Friday showed signs of outright rotation, the Russell 2000 up 1.3% versus a flat Nasdaq 100. Last week here, in mapping a possible route out of a frustrating macro maze , further evidence of disinflation was listed as the key to an escape. A broader base for a rally is welcomed for what it says about economic prospects, financial conditions and the organic demand for equity exposure. But there's no single "correct" way for a market to advance, and it need not be an either/or proposition of the few stocks against the many. The overall tape has in recent weeks responded well to oversold conditions after a 10%, three-month correction. There was some impressive, though not overwhelmingly convincing, momentum and breadth signals off the low. Some technical progress has been made, volatility has ebbed, corporate-credit metrics remain firm, the Fed seems finished with rate hikes and investor sentiment and positioning have not yet crossed into excess optimism. So far, so good, even if over the past two years we haven't gotten anywhere yet.

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/01/07/stock-market-today-live-updates.html

NDAQ

Nasdaq, Inc.

Nasdaq Composite closes 2% higher Monday as tech stocks’ revival lifts major averages: Live updates

Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) on December 02, 2021 in New York City. The major averages rose Monday, boosted by tech shares, as Wall Street tried to recover from a tough week. The S&P 500 gained 1.41% to end at 4,763.54, and the Nasdaq Composite jumped 2.2% to close at 14,843.77. It was the tech-heavy index's best day since Nov. 14. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 216.90 points, or 0.58%, settling at 37,683.01. Investors are buying the dip with the technology sector, which lost 4% last week, as yields fell on Monday. Nvidia rose 6.4%, reaching an all-time high, and Amazon climbed nearly 2.7% to help pull the Nasdaq higher. Alphabet shares advanced 2.3%. Apple added 2.4% after Evercore ISI advised clients buy last week's dip. The VanEck Semiconductor ETF (SMH) jumped 3.5% for its best day since November. The yield on the 10-year Treasury yield , meanwhile, lost about 3 basis points to trade at 4.012%. Boeing , tempering the Dow's gains, fell 8% following the temporary grounding of dozens of Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft for inspections, after a section of an Alaska Airlines fuselage blew out. At one point, the Dow was down more than 200 points on the day before making a recovery. "I think it's still a new year, the same bull market with the same risk," Adam Turnquist, chief technical strategist at LPL Financial, said. Last week's losses coupled with Monday's moves on the 10-year yield have given investors "enough confidence to step back into tech," he said. "The simple story is stocks were overbought and yields were oversold, and now we had an excuse for a little bit of a bounce in both directions...it's nothing really too concerning at this point," Turnquist added. Wall Street is coming off its first losing week in 10 as mega-cap tech stocks such as Apple underperformed, and Treasury yields rose. The Dow slid 0.59%, and the S&P 500 dropped 1.52%. The Nasdaq Composite posted its worst weekly performance since September, falling 3.25%. This week, traders may gain greater clarity into the path of rate cuts from the Federal Reserve. The December consumer price index is set for release Thursday, followed by the producer price index on Friday. Those numbers should show whether the central bank's efforts to bring inflation down to its 2% target are taking hold. Correction: An earlier version misstated last week's moves for the Dow and the S&P 500.

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/02/28/stock-market-today-live-updates.html

NDAQ

Nasdaq, Inc.

Nasdaq closes at first record since 2021, major averages end February with 4th monthly gain: Live updates

Traders work on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange on Jan. 29, 2024. The Nasdaq Composite advanced Thursday, rising to its first closing record since November 2021. The tech-heavy Nasdaq jumped 0.90% to close at an all-time high at 16,091.92, as tech stocks and chips rallied into the close. The S&P 500 also popped to a record close, rising 0.52% to end at 5,096.27. The Dow Jones Industrial Average ticked higher by 0.12% to 38,996.39. Thursday's session caps off February trading and a fourth straight positive month for Wall Street, despite a string of declines raising questions around the sustainability of the AI-driven rally. The Nasdaq led the pack with a 6.12% gain. The S&P 500 climbed 5.17%, while the Dow added 2.22% for its first four-month winning streak since May 2021. The Nasdaq's climb to a record arrives at a time when enthusiasm over artificial intelligence has lifted a swath of major tech stocks – and the broader markets – through 2023 and into this year. The "Magnificent 7," which includes Alphabet , Amazon , Apple , Meta Platforms , Microsoft , Nvidia and Tesla , have led the Nasdaq's recovery from a rocky 2022 that was marred by rising interest rates and recession fears. Indeed, chip names were among the standouts in Thursday's rally, with Advanced Micro Devices popping more than 9% and the VanEck Semiconductor ETF (SMH) closing higher by 2.2%. Data released on Thursday showed the Federal Reserve's preferred measure of inflation was stubbornly above the central bank's target in January, but at least didn't exceed Wall Street forecasts. There were also signs that consumer spending remains robust. The core personal consumption expenditures price index, the Federal Reserve's preferred inflation gauge, increased 0.4% for the month and 2.8% from a year ago. That matches Dow Jones estimates. Headline PCE, which includes food and energy categories, increased 0.3% monthly and 2.4% on a 12-month basis, compared to respective estimates for 0.3% and 2.4%. "This morning's data is a sigh of relief for bulls, who were worried inflation was going to reaccelerate and cause the Fed to put off rate cuts for a much longer time," said Independent Advisor Alliance chief investment officer Chris Zaccarelli. "At least for today, it should be all systems go and buyers should re-emerge." Personal income rose 1% month-over-month in January, well above the forecast for 0.3%. Meanwhile, pending home sales posted a surprise drop in January amid swings in mortgage rates. Pending sales declined 4.9% for the month, much worse than the 2% projected increase from the Dow Jones consensus. Snowflake shed 18.4% after announcing the retirement of its CEO and sharing disappointing product revenue guidance. Meanwhile, Okta popped nearly 23% on strong results. New York Federal Reserve Bank President and CEO John Williams is also slated to moderate a discussion in the evening.

https://www.cnbc.com/id/39295946

NTAP

NetApp

Lightning Round: JDS Uniphase, Inergy, NetApp and More

Inergy : Cramer likes this energy distribution company, as well as Devon Energy and Chesapeake Energy . Mindray Medical International Limited : When it comes to medical device manufacturers, Cramer would look elsewhere. NetApp : Cramer is bullish on this data storage play. Call Cramer: 1-800-743-CNBC Questions for Cramer? madmoney@cnbc.com Questions, comments, suggestions for the Mad Money website? madcap@cnbc.com

https://www.cnbc.com/id/23151873

NTAP

NetApp

NetApp Sees Sales Shy of Forecasts; Shares Fall

Network Appliance posted a higher quarterly profit but forecast lower-than-expected revenue in the current quarter, sending its shares lower. Shares of the storage hardware maker tumbled about 5 percent in extended electronic trading Wednesday after finishing regular hours up almost 5 percent on what was generally a good day for technology shares. NetApp forecast fiscal fourth-quarter revenue of $915 million to $945 million, shy of the $960.7 million average estimate of analysts on Reuters Estimates. Net income in the data storage equipment maker's fiscal third quarter advanced to $101.8 million, or 29 cents per share, from $66.5 million, or 17 cents per share, a year earlier. Revenue grew to $884 million from $729.3 million. The company reported third-quarter earnings before certain costs of 37 cents per share. Analysts, on average, expected earnings before certain costs of 34 cents per share and revenue of $879.3 million, according to Reuters Estimates. NetApp in November had forecast third-quarter net income of 23 cents to 24 cents per share and earnings before items of 33 cents to 34 cents per share. It projected third-quarter revenue of $872 million to $883 million. - CNBC staff contributed to this report.

https://www.cnbc.com/id/38271225

NTAP

NetApp

Lightning Round OT: NetApp, Windstream and More

NetApp : Cramer called this a "monster good stock." He also likes EMC . Windstream : Buy WIN, Cramer said. He thinks it's a winning asset. Las Vegas Sands : When it comes to resorts, the Mad Money host prefers Wynn . Cramer's charitable trust owns EMC. Call Cramer: 1-800-743-CNBC Questions for Cramer? madmoney@cnbc.com Questions, comments, suggestions for the Mad Money website? madcap@cnbc.com

https://www.cnbc.com/id/31854344

NTAP

NetApp

Lightning Round: Huntington Bancshares, Emerson Electric, NetApp and More

NetApp : Now that NetApp is out of the running to buy Data Domain , Cramer is bullish on NTAP. He likes the business, expects a better-than-expected quarter and thinks the stock is “a winner.” Regions Financial : Sell RF, Cramer said. Go with Huntington Bancshares instead. Emerson Electric : Cramer is bullish on EMR. China is helping to drive business, orders are up, and the company offers a nice dividend yield. Plus, the stock is cheap. SLM Corp. : SLM works on this recent pullback in share price. Cramer’s charitable trust owns Emerson Electric. Call Cramer: 1-800-743-CNBC Questions for Cramer? madmoney@cnbc.com Questions, comments, suggestions for the Mad Money website? madcap@cnbc.com

https://www.cnbc.com/id/49123383

NTAP

NetApp

Why NetApp Is a Perfect Takeover Candidate

Chris Hyzy, who co-manages $334 billion in assets at U.S. Trust, said in a CNBC interview on Sunday, there are pockets of real growth in the technology sector, citing themes in the cloud computing area, mobile payments areas, software, and cybersecurity. In the same CNBC interview, it was mentioned that Oracle is one large-cap tech some strategists suggest considering. Art Hogan of Lazard Capital Markets, said the software giant sits in the sweet spot of middleware and software. “The shares are also cheap,” Hogan pointed out. “When you back out the amount of cash they have on the balance sheet, you are looking at a multiple of only nine times,” Hogan said. “Obviously a reasonable multiple when theS&P is trading at 14 times.” Oracle has $30.68 billion in total cash as of its last quarterly report and levered free cash flow (trailing 12 months) of close to $12 billion. It has been predatory when it comes to growing by acquisitions in areas that it can integrate in its profit-making business model. Having recently heard a report on National Public Radio that founder Larry Ellison purchased the Hawaiian island of Lanai for around $500 million, I wondered if it’s about time for Oracle to expand its already vast array of products and services? Perhaps a foray into the data-storage business would empower it to create even more cash flow and earnings per share. One way it could do this is by acquiring a company like NetApp. NetApp has a $12.6 billion market cap and creates innovative storage and data-management solutions for a wide array of companies. On Sept. 5, it was ranked No. 51 out of 100 on Forbes magazine’s list of the “World’s Most Innovative Companies” for 2012. “Customers around the world choose us for our ‘go beyond’ approach and broad portfolio of solutions for business applications, storage for virtual servers, disk-to-disk backup, and more. Our solutions provide nonstop availability of critical business data and simplify business processes so companies can deploy new capabilities with confidence and get to revenue faster than ever before,” says its investor-friendly, informative website, which I encourage you to explore. Yet from a key financial statistics point-of-view, NetApp needs help with its anemic profit margin (8.52 percent) and its 10.58-percent operating margin. It has revenue of $6.22 billion, but if it’s going to move its share price back up to the $46.80 52-week high, it’s going to need to drastically improve on its earnings-per-share, which dropped 54.3 percent (year-over-year) in its last quarter. Its five-year chart indicates that the share price of NetApp relates strongly with its earnings-per-share growth, which peaked in the middle of 2010 and again in the first half of 2012. Since then, it appears to have experienced a sharp decline. The need for data-storage solutions, enterprise-storage systems and software to be deployed in storage-area networks is growing by leaps and bounds. One of the three biggest names in this space is EMC. This tech powerhouse, which also owns a good portion of VMware, just felt the competition in the data-storage business heat up. International Business Machinesannounced on Sept. 24 that it purchased a private company that offers storage-planning software and storage-migration tools. This may give IBM an advantage in the increasingly complex world of data-center management as virtualization, data growth and the use of cloud technology to solve data-storage issues evolve. What would help EMC come from behind and take the lead? Perhaps the acquisition of a well-established, highly innovative company like NetApp could propel EMC into the virtual lead in this three-company race that supposedly includes Symantec. Symantec is the third competitor in this race to become the go-to storage-software provider. Along with IBM and EMC, they all want to attract customers who are having difficulty dealing with their costly data storage centers. EMC, with its deep pockets ($5.65 billion in total cash) and its $58 billion market cap, could figure out a way to absorb NetApp. It would be a stretch, but bigger coups have been pulled off in the world of technological dominance. With the current share-price pullback in this sector, the possibilities of a company like NetApp being “swallowed” by a much bigger “fish” is both realistic and, for NetApp shareholders, very promising. With these technology companies, if you’re interested in owning their shares, then be a smart buyer. As my admired colleague Jim Cramer pointed out Tuesday on Real Money, “Good trading, as well as good investing, can often be a function of entry points where you make your first buys. ... You simply don’t want that first buy to be too high. You want it to be where, if the stock goes down, you can buy some more without feeling you are going out on a limb or making a good-money-after-bad decision.” I couldn’t agree more! —By TheStreet.com Contributor Marc Courtenay Additional News: Oracle Meets Earnings Forecast Additional Views: Record High for S&P Next Year: Expert CNBC Data Pages: ______________________________ Disclosures: At the time of publication, Marc Courtenay held no positions in any of the stocks mentioned, although positions may change at any time. Disclaimer

https://www.cnbc.com/id/43409983

NTAP

NetApp

Stocks to Watch: Netapp, Myriad Genetics, Boston Scientific and More...

Stocks shaved some of their earlier losses Wednesday, but were still under pressure following a handful of weaker-than-expected economic news and amid worries over renewed concerns over the Greek debt situation. The Dow Jones Industrial Average pared some of its earlier losses to flirt with the psychologically-important 12,000 mark, after posting its biggest gain in almost two monthsduring the previous session. Here are six stocks that are on the move: Netapp The computer hardware company was upgraded to outperform from neutral at Credit Suisse while raising the price target to $62 from $54. ---------- Owens-Illinois The glass container manufacturer cut its second quarter profit outlook blaming weak demand in Asia and supply chain problems in North America. ---------- Diamond Foods The packaged food company was initiated a buy at Jefferies with an $80 price target. ----------- Myriad Genetics The biotech company was downgraded to hold from buy at Auriga. ----------- General Dynamics The defense company was initiated a buy at Lazard Capital with an $86 price target. ---------- Boston Scientific The medical equipment manufacturer was up 3.7%...perhaps on hopes the Bruins will win the Stanley Cup in game seven in Vancouver. ______________________________ Get the latest stock picks on the CNBC Stock Blog.

https://www.cnbc.com/id/42011092

NTAP

NetApp

Pops & Drops: Iron Mountain, Human Genome, NetApp and More

POPS (stocks that went higher) Iron Mountain (IRM) popped 5%: This stock rose after Elliott management called for a strategic review of Iron Mountain's capital allocation and operational efficiency, said Karen Finerman, president of Metropolitan Capital Advisors. Human Genome (HGSI) popped 13%: Shares jumped after news the FDA approved a lupus drug, the first new treatment for the disease in more than 50 years. The drug was developed in collaboration with GlaxoSmithKline . At a certain point, GSK may seek to acquire Human Genome, said Guy Adami of Drakon Capital. DROPS (stocks that went lower) NetApp (NTAP) drops 6%: The data storage products maker caught a downgrade from Susquehanna, which took it to 'neutral' from 'positive.' Options trader Pete Najarian said this stock has fallen to an attractive level. Smithfield Foods (SFD) dropped 2%: Being as this food company recently reported a strong quarter and with pork margins becoming manageable, Joe Terranova of Virtus Investment Partners thinks now is the time to buy SFD. ______________________________________________________ Got something to to say? Send us an e-mail at fastmoney-web@cnbc.com and your comment might be posted on the Rapid Recap! If you'd prefer to make a comment but not have it published on our Web site send your e-mail to fastmoney@cnbc.com. Trader disclosure: On Mar. 10, 2011, the following stocks and commodities mentioned or intended to be mentioned on CNBC’s "Fast Money" were owned by the "Fast Money" traders; Joe Terranova Owns (VRTS), (C), (GS), (PNC), (USB), (JPM), (UPL), (ABT), (MS), (PBR), (BAX), (TEVA), (CVI), (RSX), (SU) and (CNQ). Guy Adami Owns (AGU), (C), (GS), (INTC), (MSFT), (NUE) and (BTU). Pete Najarian Owns (AAPL) and (TCK). Comcast Is The Parent Company Of CNBC Comcast Is The Parent Company Of NBCUniversal GE Owns 49% Of NBCUniversal GE Owns 49% Of CNBC JOE TERRANOVA Terranova is Chief Market Strategist of Virtus Investment Partners, LTD Virtus Investment Partners Owns More Than 1% Of (ABAX) Virtus Investment Partners Owns More Than 1% Of (AMKR) Virtus Investment Partners Owns More Than 1% Of (CCG) Virtus Investment Partners Owns More Than 1% Of (CASS) Virtus Investment Partners Owns More Than 1% Of (CSVI) Virtus Investment Partners Owns More Than 1% Of (EXR) Virtus Investment Partners Owns More Than 1% Of (FCFS) Virtus Investment Partners Owns More Than 1% Of (KRC) Virtus Investment Partners Owns More Than 1% Of (LDR) Virtus Investment Partners Owns More Than 1% Of (LPHI) Virtus Investment Partners Owns More Than 1% Of (NCRI) Virtus Investment Partners Owns More Than 1% Of (DBV) Virtus Investment Partners Owns More Than 1% Of (XLB) Virtus Investment Partners Owns More Than 1% Of (XLV) Virtus Investment Partners Owns More Than 1% Of (XLP) Virtus Investment Partners Owns More Than 1% Of (XLY) Virtus Investment Partners Owns More Than 1% Of (XLE) Virtus Investment Partners Owns More Than 1% Of (XLF) Virtus Investment Partners Owns More Than 1% Of (XLI) Virtus Investment Partners Owns More Than 1% Of (XLK) Virtus Investment Partners Owns More Than 1% Of (XLU) Virtus Investment Partners Owns More Than 1% Of (SUBK) Virtus Investment Partners Owns More Than 1% Of (WDFC) Virtus Investment Partners Owns More Than 1% Of (YDNT) Virtus Investment Partners Owns More Than 1% Of (DOM) KAREN FINERMAN Finerman's Firm Is Short (IWM) Finerman's Firm Is Short (MDY) Finerman's Firm Is Short (SPY) Finerman's Firm Is Short (XRT) Finerman's Firm Is Long S&P 500 Puts Finerman's Firm Is Long Russell 2000 Puts Finerman's Firm And Finerman Own (AAPL) Finerman Owns (GOOG) Finerman's Firm And Finerman Own (MSFT) Finerman Owns (USO) Finemran's Firm Owns (JPM), (JPM) Leap Finerman Owns (JPM) Finerman's Firm Owns (FDO) ZACHARY KARABELL Karabell And River Twice Capital Own (AAPL) Karabell And River Twice Capital Own (CSCO) Karabell And River Twice Capital Own (BRCM) Karabell And River Twice Capital Own (GOOG) Karabell And River Twice Capital Own (FXI) Karabell And River Twice Capital Own (FCX) Karabell And River Twice Capital Own (VALE) River Twice Capital Owns (VALE) River Twice Capital Owns (BRCM) River Twice Capital Owns (SBUX) River Twice Capital Owns (QCOM) River Twice Capital Is Short (SPY) River Twice Capital Is Short (QQQQ) River Twice Capital Is Short (SMH) ANTHONY SCARAMUCCI SkyBridge Is A Fund Of Funds Manager Funds Held May Or May Not Own The Recommended Securities SOT/TIM SEYMOUR 2/15/11 ***NO DISCLOSURES ON GMCR SOT/PETE NAJARIAN 1/3/11 ***NO DISCLOSURES ON HPQ SOT/ANTHONY SCARAMUCCI 3/3/11 ***NO ADDITIONAL DISCLOSURE NECESSARY CNBC.com and wires

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/02/24/feds-favorite-inflation-gauge-looms-next-week-plus-2-portfolio-earnings-reports.html

NTAP

NetApp

Fed's favorite inflation gauge looms next week — plus, what we want from 2 portfolio earnings reports

Wall Street returned to its winning ways this week — and Nvidia 's blowout earnings report Wednesday night was a big reason why. All three major U.S. stock benchmarks closed the holiday-shortened week higher, led by the S & P 500 , which rose 1.66% and ended Friday at a record high. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite and Dow Jones Industrial Average , meanwhile, climbed 1.4% and 1.3%, respectively. The blue-chip Dow also closed at an all-time high Friday. The S & P 500, Dow and Nasdaq had been lower through the first two sessions of the week. Then Nvidia's stellar results crushed sky-high expectations , sparking a late-week rally that lifted the averages into the green. Other Club names that reported this week include Palo Alto Networks , Bausch Health and Coterra Energy . Twenty-six of our 32 portfolio stocks have delivered their results this earnings season (we didn't own Abbott Labs at the time of its report). It was a muted week for macroeconomic data, but we did get a slightly better-than-expected January existing home sales report on Thursday. In the week ahead, two more Club names are set to report earnings before a market-moving economic update arrives Thursday morning. As a reminder, our Annual Meeting is Saturday afternoon in New York City. We look forward to meeting and speaking with members in attendance. A live stream of the event also be made available to members here , beginning at 1:30 p.m. ET. Economic data : The main event of the week comes Thursday morning with the release of the January personal spending and income report. The key line time in the report is the core personal consumption expenditures price index, or core PCE — the Fed's preferred measure of inflation. As of Friday, economists forecast the PCE, excluding food and energy, increased 2.8% in January on a year-over-year basis, according to estimates compiled FactSet, which would represent a nice deceleration from the 2.9% rate we saw in December. This month's release will likely be even more closely scrutinized than usual due to last week's hotter-than-expected consumer and producer price index reports, which stoked fears about a rekindling of inflation. A day earlier, we'll get the second read of the fourth-quarter 2023 gross domestic product index. The report is backward looking, but is still important because it provides insight into how the economy held up into year-end. That, in turn, will shed light on whether the Fed has interest rates at an appropriate level between 5.25% and 5.5% and whether the U.S. central bank is right to hold them steady a bit longer. The market currently expects the first Fed rate cut at its June policy meeting, according to the CME FedWatch . The two other reports of note are the January new home sales report on Monday and ISM Manufacturing report on Friday. The former will offer a look at the supply-and-demand picture and price dynamics in the housing market, a crucial issue for the economy as higher shelter costs remain a key factor holding overall inflation levels higher. The latter provides an update on the state of manufacturing (about 12% of U.S. GDP) across various industries. There is always valuable insight to be gleaned from the "What Respondents Are Saying" section of the report. Earnings: Although the pace of earnings is slowing down, we'll hear from TJX Companies before the open Wednesday and from Salesforce after the close Wednesday. TJX Companies : We're simply looking for more of what the T.J. Maxx and Marshalls parent delivered in the third quarter , including gross margin expansion on a year-over-year basis and same-store-sales coming in a bit above management's guidance for a 3% to 4% increase. We'll also be interested to hear about the merchandise environment and foot-traffic trends. Recall that January retail sales disappointed , a sign the consumer is feeling the pressure of inflation and higher rates. Shoppers placing an increased focus on value, while still wanting quality products, should bode well for TJX Companies; we'll be looking for management to confirm that belief during the conference call. Salesforce : The focus is still on management's ability to appropriately balance growth and profitability. We're also looking for momentum in Salesforce's fast-growing Data Cloud offering and updates on how the company is helping customers take advantage of artificial intelligence applications to enhance their own productivity. Saturday, Feb. 24 Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B) Monday, Feb. 26 10:00 a.m. ET: New Home Sales Before the bell: Li Auto (LI), Krystal Biotech (KRYS), Domino's Pizza (DPZ), Alpha Metallurgical Resources, Inc (AMR), Fidelity National Information Services Inc (FIS), Itron (ITRI), Freshpet (FRPT), Elanco Animal Health Incorporated (ELAN), Public Service Enterprise Group (PEG), Pilgrim's Pride (PPC), Surgery Partners (SGRY), BioCryst Pharmaceuticals Inc (BCRX), Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings Inc (CCO), Enlight Renewable Energy Ltd (ENLT), Kosmos Energy (KOS), Playtika Holding (PLTK) After the bell: Unity (U), Zoom Video Communications (ZM), Workday (WDAY), Hims & Hers Health (HIMS), ONEOK (OKE), TiRobot Corp (IRB), SBAC Communications Corporation (SBAC), CarGurus (CARG), Everbridge (EVBG), HEICO Corporation (HEI), FS KKR Capital (FSK), Archer Aviation Inc (ACHR), PubMatic (PUBM), TransMedics Group (TMDX), Sterling Construction Company (STRL), AES (AES) Tuesday, Feb. 27 Before the bell: Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NCLH), AutoZone (AZO), Lowe's Companies (LOW), LendingTree (TREE), American Electric Power Company (AEP), Shift4 Payments (FOUR), American Tower (AMT), Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS), Cracker Barrel Old Country Store (CBRL), APLS Pharmaceuticals (APLS), Macy's (M), Arcutis Biotherapeutics (ARQT), Bank of Montreal (BMO) After the bell: Devon Energy (DVN), First Solar Inc (FSLR), CAVA Group (CAVA), Array Technologies Inc (ARRY), Rocket Lab USA (RKLB), Axon Enterprise (AXON), Lemonade (LMND), Beyond Meat (BYND), Virgin Galactic Holdings (SPCE), Splunk Inc (SPLK), eBay (EBAY), Luminar Technologies Inc (LAZR), Coupang (CPNG), Agilent Technologies (A), Ambarella (AMBA), Beacon Roofing Supply Inc (BECN), B & G Foods Inc (BGS), Masimo Corp (MASI) Wednesday, Feb. 28 8:30 a.m. ET: Gross Domestic Price Index Before the bell: TJX Companies (TJX), Baidu (BIDU), Novavax (NVAX), Advance Auto Parts Inc (AAP), Icahn Enterprises L.P. (IEP), Viatris Inc (VTRS), ACM Research (ACMR), Fulgent Genetics (FLGT), Golden Ocean Group Limited (GOGL), EMCOR Group (EME), Chart Industries (GTLS), NRG Energy (NRG), Bandwidth (BAND), Dycom Industries (DY), Editas Medicine (EDIT), Squarespace (SQSP), TopBuild (BLD), 1stdibs.com (DIBS), UWM Holdings Corporation (UWMC), Vistra Energy (VSTV) After the bell: Salesforce (CRM), Marathon Digital Holdings (MARA), Snowflake (SNOW), AMC Entertainment Holdings (AMC), 3.ai (AIC), Paramount Global (PARA), Okta (OKTA), IonQ Inc (IONQ), WW International (WW), Duolingo (DUOL), HP (HPQ), Iovance Biotherapeutics (IOVA), Pure Storage (PSTG), Stem (STEM), Goldman Sachs BDC (GSBD), Magnite (MGNI), Monster Beverage Corporation (MNST), Nutanix (NTNX) Thursday, Feb. 29 8:30 a.m. ET: Personal Spending & Income 8:30 a.m. ET: Initial Jobless Claims 10:00 a.m. ET: Pending Home Sales Before the bell: Best Buy Co. (BBY), Cronos Group (CRON), Birkenstock Holding plc (BIRK), Polestar (PSNY), Anheuser-Busch InBev (BUD), Bath & Body Works (BBWI), Brink's Company (BCO), Six Flags Inc (SIX), Papa John's International (PZZI), ACI Worldwide (ACIW), Endava (DAVA), Hormel Foods (HRL), Lion Electric Company (LEV), NetEase (NTES), BlackRock TCP Capital (TCPC), Dingdong (Cayman) Limited (DDL), Dole plc (DOLE) After the bell: Zscaler (ZS), SoundHound AI (SOUN), Fisker Inc (FSR), Dell Technologies (DELL), Ginkgo Bioworks Holdings (DNAG), Autodesk (ADSK), Green Brick Partners (GRBK), Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE), Veeva Systems (VEEV), NetApp (NTAP), Elastic N.V. (ESTC), CooperCompanies (COOP), MasTec (MTZ) Friday, March 1 10:00 a.m. ET: ISM Manufacturing Before the bell: fuboTV (FUBO), Rapid Micro Biosystems (RPID), RadNet (RDNT), INTTEST Corporation (INTT), Plug Power (PLUG) (See here for a full list of the stocks in Jim Cramer's Charitable Trust.) As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade. Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust's portfolio. If Jim has talked about a stock on CNBC TV, he waits 72 hours after issuing the trade alert before executing the trade. THE ABOVE INVESTING CLUB INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY , TOGETHER WITH OUR DISCLAIMER . NO FIDUCIARY OBLIGATION OR DUTY EXISTS, OR IS CREATED, BY VIRTUE OF YOUR RECEIPT OF ANY INFORMATION PROVIDED IN CONNECTION WITH THE INVESTING CLUB. NO SPECIFIC OUTCOME OR PROFIT IS GUARANTEED. People walk along Wall Street outside of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) on May 03, 2023. Spencer Platt | Getty Images

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/04/10/cloud-data-stock-can-jump-nearly-20percent-thanks-to-new-playbook-stifel-.html

NTAP

NetApp

This cloud data stock can jump nearly 20% thanks to a new company playbook, Stifel says

An improved company playbook can help NetApp outperform going forward, according to Stifel. Stifel upgraded the stock to buy from hold with a $75 price target, which represents 19% upside from Thursday's close of $63 per share. NetApp , a cloud storage provider that also provides physical hardware to other companies, is in the middle of a shakeup that could lead to more earnings per share and larger margins, analyst Matthew Sheerin wrote Sunday. Sheerin said the firm conducted meetings with NetApp where executives detailed several initiatives, which include layoffs to 8% of the workforce and reorganizing the company's sales strategy, to weather broader market headwinds. "We came away from the meetings more confident in our FY24 estimate -- $5.49 -- which reflects a soft 1H but a return to sales and EPS growth in 2H24," the analyst wrote. Shares of NetApp closed at $63 on Thursday and have added nearly 5% in 2023. Stifel added that the shakeup to NetApp's sales team encompasses employees being assigned to specific products and sectors to better communicate with customers on their specific needs. NTAP YTD mountain NTAP in 2023 Other company efforts to improve its outlook include improved hardware supply that will improve margins as well as the recent plunge into products that employ quad-level cell flash memory, which is the highest capacity available, which could help improve the company's market dominance. "We view the current risk-reward set up as compelling as NTAP continues to expand its product portfolio and believe the current valuation gives the company little credit for its company-specific initiatives," Sheerin said. — CNBC's Michael Bloom contributed to this report.

https://www.cnbc.com/2022/11/29/stocks-making-the-biggest-moves-after-hours-workday-crowdstrike-horizon-and-more.html

NTAP

NetApp

Stocks making the biggest moves after hours: Workday, CrowdStrike, Horizon Therapeutics and more

Check out the companies making headlines in after-hours trading. Workday — Workday gained 6% postmarket Tuesday after earnings beat Wall Street estimates on both the top- and bottom lines. The software vendor reported adjusted earnings per share of 99 cents on $1.6 billion in revenue, where analysts expected adjusted earnings of 84 cents per share and $1.59 billion in revenue, per Refinitiv. CrowdStrike — CrowdStrike Holdings plunged more than 18% after giving light guidance for fourth-quarter revenue. In the quarter just ended, results topped earnings and revenue expectations, with the cybersecurity provider posting adjusted earnings per share of 40 cents on $581 million in revenue where analysts expected adjusted earnings of 31 cents per share on $574 million in revenue, per Refinitiv. NetApp — NetApp stock fell 10.8% after cloud services and data management provider saw weaker-than-expected revenue in its latest quarter. NetApp reported adjusted earnings per share of $1.48, beating estimates of $1.33. But its revenue of $1.66 billion fell short of the $1.68 billion Wall Street anticipated, per Refinitiv. NetApp also issued weak forward guidance. HP Enterprise — HP Enterprise rose 2.2% after the company beat earnings estimates on the top and bottom lines. HPE adjusted earnings per share of 57 cents on $7.87 billion in revenue surpassed Wall Street estimates of 56 cents and $7.42 billion, respectively, per Refinitiv. AST SpaceMobile — Shares of AST SpaceMobile fell 10.7% after the satellite maker set plans to sell $65 million of Class A common stock. Proceeds will be used for general corporate purposes. Horizon Therapeutics — The biotech shot up 36% after hours after Dow Jones reported that the $18 billion biotech is fielding takeover interest. Dow Jones cited unnamed people familiar with the matter.

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/03/27/buy-stocks-on-wednesday-like-nvidia.html

NFLX

Netflix

Here are Wednesday's biggest analyst calls: Apple, Nvidia, Tesla, Spotify, Marvell, Netflix, Disney, DraftKings & more

Here are Wednesday's biggest calls on Wall Street: Morgan Stanley reiterates Tesla as overweight Morgan Stanley said reports of Tesla 's collaboration with battery company CATL can boost the stock. "Tesla-CATL could be a game changer." Evercore ISI initiates Western Digital as outperform Evercore said in its initiation of the stock that it's "uniquely positioned." "An Uncomplicated WDC Coupled With Cyclical Recovery Is Worth More." KBW downgrades Wells Fargo to market perform from outperform KBW downgraded the banking giant mainly on valuation. "We are downgrading WFC's shares to Market Perform following a strong run in its stock, outperforming the BKX by 48% since the summer of 2021 due to expense control, buybacks, and an asset-sensitive balance sheet." BMO upgrades Royal Gold to outperform from market perform BMO said in its upgrade of the gold company that the stock's valuation is "compelling." "Royal Gold's valuation is now more compelling under our new commodity price assumptions and with modest relative underperformance of Royal Gold share price year to date." Raymond James resumes GoDaddy as strong buy Raymond James resumed coverage of the website company and says it sees "underappreciated tailwinds." "We see the 20%+ upside potential at GDDY and 10%+ upside at WIX/SQSP." Wedbush removes Netflix from its best ideas list The firm said it's standing by its outperform rating on the stock but that Netflix will have more trouble impressing investors. "We are removing NFLX from the BIL but are maintaining our OUTPERFORM rating as we continue to see drivers to expand revenue, earnings, and free cash flow at least to the high expectations out there right now." JPMorgan reiterates Apple as overweight JPMorgan said it's standing by its overweight rating on the stock, even as recent data shows Apple's iPhone shipments declined in China. "China iPhone Shipments Decline in February as Market Undergoes Digestion." Morgan Stanley upgrades Deutsche Bank to overweight from equal weight Morgan Stanley upgraded the banking giant due to improved investment banking revenue. "Despite 10% outperformance vs the sector over the last 12 months, we think there is more room to go for DBK, as improving IB [investment banking] revenue momentum and better confidence on cost delivery are not fully priced in consensus numbers." Baird extends its bearish fresh pick on Tesla Baird extended its bearish fresh pick status on Tesla heading into deliveries in early April. "Extending Bearish Fresh Pick ahead of Q1 deliveries." Citi reiterates Tesla as neutral Citi lowered its price target on the stock to $196 per share from $224 ahead of the company's delivery numbers in early April. "Ahead of Tesla's Q1 delivery release, we're lowering estimates to reflect recent datapoints. Our Q1 delivery estimate goes to 429.9k from 473.3k." Redburn Atlantic Equities downgrades Visa to neutral from buy Redburn downgraded Visa due to slowing U.S. and UK markets. "We downgrade it to Neutral and update our price target to $307, with our profit forecasts in 2026 5% below consensus." Citi opens a positive catalyst watch on Marvell Citi said it's bullish heading into the company's AI day event. "We are opening a positive catalyst watch on MRVL going into its AI Era investor event on April 11th." UBS reiterates Disney as buy UBS raised its price target on the stock to $140 per share from $120 and said the stock is becoming an "earnings compounder." "We remain bullish on Disney shares and see multiple sources of potential upside within the model that should drive earnings estimates higher over the next several quarters, yielding a 25% 3-yr CAGR." Wells Fargo reiterates GE as overweight Wells raised its price target on GE to $200 per share from $177. "We see the aerospace business as one of the most attractive assets in commercial aero, with in-service fleet demographics set to drive profits for many years. We rate the shares Overweight." Mizuho initiates Cabot as buy Mizuho said in its initiation of the specialty chemical company that it's gaining share. "In addition, we expect CBT's forward earnings estimates to keep rising, in part because it appears to still be benefiting from the ban on Russian products." Citi reiterates Nvidia as buy Citi said it's sticking with its buy rating on shares of Nvidia. "We note that AI exposed peer stocks like NVDA, AVGO, and AMD moved up into their respective AI days and the setup appears similar for MRVL after the recent pullback." HSBC initiates Spotify as buy HSBC initiated the stock with a buy and said it's "hitting the right notes." " Spotify screens well against peers given its strong growth outlook. Initiate at Buy with a TP of USD310 per share." Barclays reinstates JetBlue as underweight Barclays reinstated the stock and downgraded it to underweight after a long period of restriction. "Network changes should help boost profitability, but we see long-term returns in JetBlue's shares challenged by significant financial leverage." Needham adds DraftKings to its conviction list Needham said it has "great confidence" in the stock. "We are adding DKNG to the Conviction List (replaces DASH) and increasing our PT to $58. We now have greater confidence in our estimates and the upside in the Bull case as we switch our modeling methodology." DA Davidson downgrades Lowe's to neutral from buy DA downgraded Lowe's mainly on valuation. "And with the stock once again outperforming year to date and valuation at the highest it's been since early on during the pandemic, both on an absolute and relative basis, we think shares are due a pause." UBS downgrades Linde to neutral from buy UBS downgraded the chemical company on valuation and slowing EPS growth. "We downgrade LIN from Buy to Neutral on a combination of slower EPS growth and and already high multiple limiting stock appreciation from here."

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/03/25/mondays-stocks-to-buy-like-nvidia-super-micro.html

NFLX

Netflix

Here are Monday's biggest analyst calls: Nvidia, Apple, Tesla, Super Micro Computer, Disney, Netflix, Meta, Amazon & more

Here are Monday's biggest calls on Wall Street: Bank of America reiterates Nvidia as buy Bank of America said Nvidia is one of the firm's picks for its best-of-breed second-quarter list. "BoB stocks have strong management, balance sheets, EPS growth, cash flow; the highest quality companies generate the best relative returns long term and protect against volatility short term. Mizuho downgrades Tesla, Rivian and Nio to neutral from buy Mizuho downgraded several EV companies due to concerns about slowing EV demand. "While we remain constructive on the broader EV landscape with the LT trend to electrification, near-term EV demand and tightening liquidity are creating challenges into 2025E. We are therefore downgrading TSLA, RIVN and NIO to Neutral, while maintaining GM/ALV at Buy." Wells Fargo reiterates Citi as overweight Wells Fargo raised its price target on Citi to $80 per share from $70. "We increase our PT to $80." RBC initiates Kinetik Holdings as outperform RBC said Kinetik is a "Permian basin pure-play." "We initiate coverage of Kinetik Holdings Inc. with an Outperform rating and $40 price target." Northland initiates Astera Labs as outperform Northland said it's bullish on the connectivity platform for cloud and AI. "We initiate Astera Labs with an Outperform rating and $85 PT. Three vectors drive compute performance, processing, memory, and bandwidth. AI is pushing the limits of all three vectors." Bank of America upgrades Huya to buy from neutral Bank of America upgraded the China gaming platform after Huya declared a special dividend. "We upgrade to Buy from Neutral due to 1) solid cash position and positive cash dividend plan; 2) new business is likely to help offset the decline of game streaming business, along with margin improvement in 24-25E." Bank of America reiterates Amazon & Meta as buy Bank of America said it's standing by its buy rating on Meta and Amazon after a series of meetings with hedge-fund clients. "We thought sentiment on Big-3 Internet stocks was most positive on Meta, very positive on Amazon, and most cautious on Alphabet." Argus downgrades McDonald's to hold from buy Argus downgraded McDonald's on concerns about slowing traffic. "Downgrading to HOLD on prospects for weak customer traffic." Raymond James downgrades Dave & Buster's to market perform from outperform Raymond James downgraded Dave & Buster's mainly on valuation. "Downgrade to Market Perform; More Balanced Risk/Reward; NT Comps Soft as Enter Key Comp Test." Barclays upgrades Disney to overweight from equal weight Barclays said in its upgrade of Disney that it sees a "narrative reset." "The recent narrative reset is likely to be followed by positive estimate revisions, which is still early in the cycle and should further support valuation." Morgan Stanley reiterates Adobe as overweight Morgan Stanley said it's standing by its overweight rating on the stock. "The investment thesis for Adobe builds on a premise 'the whole is more valuable than the sum of its parts', specifically in enabling GenAI capabilities. However, more disclosure would help to garner confidence from investors that the equation is valid and competitive threats are overstated." Evercore ISI initiates Motorola Solutions as overweight Evercore said in its initiation of the stock that it's a "unique asset." "We are initiating coverage of Motorola Solutions (MSI) with an Outperform rating and $400 Target price." Evercore ISI upgrades Foot Locker to outperform from in line Evercore upgraded the stock after meeting with management, and said "there is going to be the most significant investment behind the specialty athletic retail channel that we've seen in years." "Upgrading FL to Outperform from In Line." Citi reiterates Netflix as neutral Citi raised its price target on Netflix to $660 per share from $555. "Looking ahead, we expect the firm to continue to see healthy sub growth and see scope for consensus subscriber estimates to move higher." Loop upgrades Tempur Sealy to buy from hold Loop upgraded the mattress company on hope that its Mattress Firm acquisition closes. "We are raising our rating from Hold to Buy and raising our price target for TPX from $50 to $75 after folding the potential financial impact from the Mattress Firm acquisition into our model." Wells Fargo upgrades GoodRx to overweight from equal weight Wells said it sees "improved visibility" for the telemedicine and prescription company. "GDRX : Business Staying Power & Improved Visibility Should Compensate for Slower Growth; PT to $10; Upgrade to OW." JPMorgan initiates Super Micro Computer as overweight JPMorgan said Super Micro Computer is at the "forefront" of the AI revolution. "AI Revolution Through Rich Compute; Initiate at OW with PT of $1,150." Raymond James downgrades Scotts Miracle-Gro to market perform from strong buy Raymond James downgraded the stock mainly on valuation. "We're downgrading the shares of Scotts Miracle-Gro from Strong Buy to Market Perform and removing our prior $70 target price." Morgan Stanley reiterates Tesla as overweight Morgan Stanley said it's standing by its overweight rating on the stock. "We know it's very hard to imagine today… but we eventually expect to potentially see a load of new product coming out of Tesla and expect the stock to eventually price this in well ahead of their respective launches." Wells Fargo upgrades Masimo to overweight from equal weight Wells said in its upgrade of the stock that a separation of the business could be a "step in the right direction." "We are upgrading MASI from Equal Weight to Overweight and raising our price target to $160 from $117. We view the announcement that MASI is evaluating a proposed separation of its consumer business as a key positive and a step in the right direction." UBS reiterates Apple as neutral UBS said its survey checks on Apple's iPhone show "more consumption of Services but [the] rate of change [is] slowing." "Key takeaways include: 1) iPhone retention rate in the US is 79%, down 400 bps from last year. In China, iPhone retention rate is 49%, up from 44% last year. 2) The average age of the iPhone installed base ex China is over 34 months, vs 31 months in the prior survey likely driven by soft global sell-through over the past 12 mos." Citi reiterates Arista Networks as buy Citi removed the stock from its focus list mainly on valuation. "We have removed Buy-rated Arista (ANET) from Citi's Focus List, with shares up ~30% since mid December 2023."

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/03/07/jake-paul-to-fight-mike-tyson-in-boxing-match-streamed-live-on-netflix.html

NFLX

Netflix

Jake Paul to fight Mike Tyson in boxing match streamed live on Netflix

Netflix is coming out swinging in the world of live sports. Mike Tyson, the scandal-plagued former heavyweight champion, will go head to head with the YouTuber-turned-fighter Jake Paul in a "boxing mega-event" that will stream live exclusively on Netflix on July 20, the entertainment giant announced Thursday. Tyson and Paul are set to duke it out inside AT&T Stadium, an 80,000-seat capacity venue in Arlington, Texas, and the home of the National Football League's Dallas Cowboys, the company announced in a news release. The event marks one of Netflix's most ambitious forays into both sports programming and live entertainment as it seeks to cement its status as the premiere at-home viewing destination in the United States, muscling aside traditional players in broadcast and cable. The company recently reached a 10-year deal for the exclusive rights to stream World Wide Wrestling's weekly flagship show, "Raw," starting in January 2025. The headline-grabbing deal was valued at more than $5 billion, according to a company filing cited by CNBC. "I'm very much looking forward to stepping into the ring with Jake Paul at the AT&T STADIUM IN ARLINGTON, TEXAS," Tyson said in a statement accompanying the Netflix announcement, capitalized words and all. "He's grown significantly as a boxer over the years, so it will be a lot of fun to see what the will and ambition of a 'kid' can do with the experience and aptitude of a GOAT," Tyson added, using the acronym for "Greatest of All Time." Tyson, who will be 58 when the Netflix fight streams, earned a reputation as one of the most ferocious boxers and incendiary personalities in modern professional sports. He was the youngest heavyweight champion in history, at just 20 years old, and his prowess in the ring led him to a run of 37 consecutive victories — 33 of them by knockout, according to Netflix's summary of his career. Tyson's life has also been defined by troubling behavior and legal woes. He was convicted of rape in 1992 and served three years in prison. In the ring, "Iron Mike" could be vicious, such as when he bit Evander Holyfield's right ear during an infamous 1997 bout. Paul, 27, got his start as an early internet influencer, posting popular videos on the defunct platform Vine and cultivating a large following on YouTube. He pivoted to boxing in 2018 and turned pro in 2020, and he now has a 9-1 record that includes six knockouts. "It's crazy to think that in my second pro fight, I went viral for knocking out Nate Robinson on Mike Tyson's undercard," Paul said in a statement. "Now, less than four years later, I'm stepping up to face Tyson myself to see if I have what it takes to beat one of boxing's most notorious fights and biggest icons." The livestreamed fight is the result of a partnership between Netflix and Most Valuable Promotions, a company co-founded by Paul and Nakisa Bidarian in 2021 with "the mission to provide more creative control to fighters," according to Netflix's news release. Netflix established its sport content bonafides with the documentary franchise "Untold" as well as series such as "Formula 1: Drive to Survive," "NASCAR: Full Speed" and "Tour de France: Unchained." The platform has hosted two live sports events to date: "The Netflix Cup" and "The Netflix Slam."

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/03/20/wednesdays-stocks-to-buy-like-nvidia.html

NFLX

Netflix

Here are Wednesday's biggest analyst calls: Apple, Nvidia, JPMorgan Chase, Netflix, Delta, Best Buy, Spotify, Crocs & more

Here are Wednesday's biggest calls on Wall Street: UBS upgrades FMC to buy from neutral UBS said investors should "buy the bounce" in shares of the ag company. "We upgrade FMC stock to Buy as we believe 1Q EBITDA will reflect the bottom, and positive indicators on Brazil imports build confidence towards a normalizing 2H." JPMorgan upgrades Riot to overweight from neutral JPMorgan upgraded the bitcoin minor and says it has "relative upside." "We are upgrading Riot Platforms (RIOT) to Overweight (from Neutral)." Citi downgrades Wells Fargo to neutral from buy Citi downgraded the stock mainly on valuation. "With WFC trading at a premium relative to peers on our implied cost of equity metric, we believe the risk/reward is fairly balanced and downgrade to Neutral (from Buy) while raising TP to $63 (from $57) on higher normalized ROTCE reflecting increased likelihood of revised Basel III endgame." Barclays reinstates Broadcom as overweight Barclays reinstated coverage of Broadcom with an overweight and said its "best-in-class." "The company joins our preferred names this year as another way to play the 2nd Wave of AI via a best-in-class data center silicon portfolio." Citi upgrade International Paper to buy from neutral Citi said in its upgrade of the stock that it's bullish on the company's new management structure. "We're upgrading IP to Buy following the naming of Andy Silvernail as CEO." Citi reiterates Nvidia as buy Citi raised its price target on the stock to $1,030 per share from $820 after coming away impressed from the company's GTC Conference. "We attended Day 2 of Nvidia GTC 2024 and recap key takeaways." KeyBanc reiterates Netflix as overweight Key raised its price target on the stock to $705 per share from $580. "We are raising our price target to $705 as we continue to see signs that: 1) Netflix's content quality is improving; and 2) in our view, this creates a clear catalyst path as engagement should drive a monetization ramp." Citi upgrades Tencent Music Entertainment to buy from neutral Citi upgraded the China music company and says it sees "sustained" growth for Tencent Music. "Sustained Music Growth w/ Margin Expansion; U/G To Buy at $13." UBS initiates American Airlines and Delta as buy UBS initiated several airlines and says it likes stocks that have "strong FCF generation." "Notably, ALK, AAL, and DAL (all Buy rated) screen positive on majority of the parameters." Telsey upgrades Best Buy to outperform from market perform Telsey upgraded the electronics retailer after a series of meetings with management. "Our meetings with Best Buy increased our confidence in the business showing signs of stabilization and improvement after nine consecutive quarters of negative comps, as the replacement cycle kicks in, especially for products purchased in 2019-2020, and innovation starts to gain traction. In select categories, such as laptops." JPMorgan reiterates Apple as overweight JPMorgan said it's sticking with its overweight rating on Apple. " Apple has been perceived to be behind the other mega-cap technology companies in relation to progress on AI and the leverage of AI models as part of their product feature sets." Needham upgrades Carmax to buy from hold Needham said the used car company is an "industry leader." "We upgrade KMX to Buy, as we think a used-vehicle market recovery, as suggested by recent data, will benefit the industry leader." JPMorgan upgrades Antero Resources to overweight from neutral JPMorgan upgraded the hydrocarbon exploration company and says it likes the company's "balance sheet leverage." "We upgrade AR to OW from N and downgrade EQT to N from OW as we see a better near-term risk-reward in AR shares given lower balance sheet leverage." TD Cowen reiterates MicroStrategy as outperform TD lowered its price target for the crypto company to $1,450 per share from $1,560 but says its sticking with the stock. " MicroStrategy acquired another ~9,245 bitcoins for ~$623 mil ($67,382 average price) via proceeds from its recent convertible notes offering plus excess cash." Oppenheimer reiterates C3.ai as outperform Oppenheimer said the AI company is well positioned for growth. "The key finding from our industry report is that demand for AI infrastructure is extremely strong, largely due to the major productivity improvements and new revenues it can drive for enterprises." Mizuho reiterates Chevron as a top pick The firm raised its price target on the stock to $200 per share from $195. "We are updating our CVX model for YE23 reserves." Wells Fargo reiterates JPMorgan as overweight Wells Fargo raised its price target on the stock to $220 per share from $200. " JPM's surprise and rare off-cycle dividend increase (up 10% to $1.15) reflects to us greater confidence in the firm's strong capital levels and its ability to grow earnings through a cycle. We increase ests and raise PT to $220." Oppenheimer reiterates Microsoft as outperform Oppenheimer said the tech giant is well positioned for AI. "We believe that any company with AI infrastructure capacity at that point will be well positioned, which is why Microsoft has been spending so aggressively, as have other hyperscalers." Bank of America reiterates Crocs as buy Bank of America raised its price target on the stock to $150 per share from $140 and said shares are "compelling" after a series of investor meetings. "Valuation remains compelling; raise PO to $150. We hosted Anne Mehlman, CFO and Erinn Murphy, SVP of IR/Strategy for investor meetings in NY." Deutsche Bank reiterates Chipotle as buy Deutsche raised its price target on the stock to $3,300 per share from $3,100. "We have high conviction in CMG' s near-term & long-term growth outlook and believe a premium multiple is warranted, noting there is scarcity value for a high-quality US company with a clean balance sheet, strong fundamentals and potential upside to numbers." Bank of America reiterates Spotify as buy Bank of America raised its price target on the stock to $315 per share from $265. "We are confident that Spotify's (SPOT) 1Q24 results will be at least in line with guidance, including revenue, premium subscribers and MAUs [monthly active users]."

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/03/11/analyst-calls-all-the-market-moving-wall-street-chatter-from-monday.html

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Netflix

Monday's analyst calls: Netflix to jump another 20%, Bernstein sticks by this high-flying chip stock

(This is CNBC Pro's live coverage of Monday's analyst calls and Wall Street chatter. Please refresh every 20-30 minutes to view the latest posts.) A streaming giant and a chipmaker winner were in focus Monday as part of the early analyst chatter. Oppenheimer increased its price target on Netflix, calling for upside of nearly 20%. Bernstein, meanwhile, reiterated an outperform rating on Taiwan Semiconductor, noting that margins will fare better than the Street expects going forward. Check out the latest calls and chatter below. All times ET. 8:18 a.m.: Truist Securities upgrades Procter & Gamble to buy Truist thinks Procter & Gamble shares have room to run as the consumer goods manufacturer nears an inflection point for volume growth. Analyst Davis Holcombe upgraded shares to buy from hold and raised his 12-month price target by $15 to $175. That number implies the stock could gain 9.1% from Friday's closing price. The upgrade is "based on our belief that PG shares will outperform peers based on improving volume numbers and a normalized macro environment highlighting the company's strength," Holcombe wrote in a Monday note. According to the analyst, Procter & Gamble is a quarter or two from posting volume growth, which he believes will be a catalyst for shares and allow the company to differentiate itself from the overall group of consumer packaged goods stocks, which he expects to continue facing volume declines. — Pia Singh 8 a.m.: Bank of America asks 'What's not to like?' about upcoming General Electric spinoff General Electric is set to maintain its position as industry leader despite its upcoming spinoff, according to Bank of America. Ahead of the energy conglomerate's spinoff, analyst Ronald Epstein maintained his buy rating on shares of General Electric. Citing "strong demand and execution" the analyst also kept his $175 price objective, implying that shares could move up 4% from here. On April 2, General Electric is due to spin its aerospace and defense units from the rest of its business. Epstein believes that General Electric will enter a "goldilocks period" following the spinoff. "The LEAP aftermarket is quickly accelerating from its early innings coupled with continued high utilization of the CFM56. Additionally, defense remains well supported on key platforms, with upside for international orders," he wrote. "Our takeaway from the day was: 'What's not to like?'" Epstein also sees merit in the firm's aerospace business, nodding to its innovation, continuous improvement and strong culture of safety. "Apart from the strong culture, GE is set to capture robust demand with the LEAP engine in narrowbodies and the GEnx in widebodies," he wrote. And while General Electric has a dominating position in its field, the analyst also pointed out the firm is still making active efforts at improvement. "GE finds itself in a prime position across commercial and defense markets with strong demand for OEM and aftermarket, GE is not resting on its laurels," he said. "GE made it clear, investing in technology is a key differentiator and R & D will continue at 6%-8% of sales." Shares of General Electric have climbed 32% this year. — Lisa Kailai Han 7:58 a.m.: Jefferies upgrades PDD Holdings, says geopolitical risks priced in After tumbling more than 20% this year, Chinese ecommerce company PDD Holdings is now attractive, according to Jefferies. The firm upgraded the Temu parent to buy on Monday. "We believe that concerns on geopolitical risks are priced in, and Temu's market share gain story in domestic and overseas markets is intact," analyst Thomas Chong wrote in a note to clients. PDD Holdings is set to report fourth-quarter earnings next week. Chong estimates total revenue for the quarter will grow 15% from the prior quarter and 101% year over year. PDD 1Y mountain PDD in past year Shares were up nearly 5% in premarket trading. — Michelle Fox 7:55 a.m.: 'Buy the AI scare' on Adobe, says Jefferies Now is a good time for investors to buy Adobe on the dip, according to Jefferies. "We expect ADBE to recover as it shares more details on its video AI roadmap – either at earnings, Summit conf., or soon after," analyst Brent Thill wrote, noting that Adobe's current valuation is trading at a discount compared to its large-cap software peers. "Buy the AI scare," he said. Thill reiterated his buy rating and $700 price target, which implies about 26.9% upside for the stock. Adobe's shares are down 7.5% this year, hit by the release of OpenAI's new text-to-video AI generator, Sora, that many traders saw as a threat to Adobe's business model in the creative software market. Thill, however, disagrees that this threat would be long term, forecasting a first-quarter earnings beat and positive metrics on Adobe Firefly's AI adoption—and eventually expecting Adobe to return as a "top beneficiary of AI." — Pia Singh 7:12 a.m.: Nvidia, Western Digital among Morgan Stanley's top AI picks Morgan Stanley's recent Technology, Media & Telecom conference reinforced investors' high levels of interest in artificial intelligence, and that some areas of the industry are going through a "bottoming process." Analyst Joseph Moore said he continues to be positive on AI stock picks, and named Nvidia , Western Digital and Microchip Technology as his favored names coming out of the conference. Computer drive manufacturer Western Digital is the firm's top pick. Moore noted that the company posted higher revenue and earnings guidance, and that the company's NAND business will retain its "significant value proposition" given that the CEO will remain with that side of the company. Western Digital had announced in late October that it will split its hard disk drive and NAND memory businesses into two separate public companies. — Pia Singh 7:11 a.m.: Morgan Stanley downgrades Petrobras shares after the oil company cut its dividend Morgan Stanley has moved to the sidelines on Bazilian petroleum company Petrobras . Analyst Bruno Montanari lowered his price target by $2 to $18, suggesting about 21.8% potential upside for the stock, which is trading 0.8% higher in premarket trading. Shares are down more than 7% so far this year. "We downgrade PBR shares to equal-weight from overweight as we have lower confidence in additional shareholder returns via extraordinary dividends in the near term, leaving the risk-reward proposition more balanced," Montanari wrote in a Friday note. "The PBR positioning has been mostly driven by the company's compelling valuation relative to major oil stocks, which is no longer the case." Petrobras plunged 11.5% on Friday after the company's quarterly results reflected a lower-than-expected regular dividend, disappointing investors. Given the stock's more-than-72% return over the past 12 months, the analyst said he is waiting to see more evidence that the company's capital remuneration account will be used to fund more dividends in future quarters. — Pia Singh 6:29 a.m.: Duolingo initiated at overweight by JPMorgan JPMorgan's Bryan Smilek initiated coverage of online learning platform Duolingo at an overweight rating, forecasting "premium" revenue growth ahead. "Duolingo's freemium strategy, product obsession, & social-first marketing strategy have driven its industry-leading scale, strong brand reputation, & highly efficient acquisition (~90% of user growth organic)," Smilek wrote in a Monday note. "We believe DUOL is well-positioned to deliver sustainable 20%+ Bookings/Revenue growth." Smilek's $270 price target implies the stock can gain about 26.4% over the next year. Shares are down 5.9% year to date, but are still up 11.4% over the past month after the company surpassed fourth-quarter earnings and revenue expectations. The stock added 1.1% in premarket trading Monday. DUOL YTD mountain DUOL year to date Smilek expects Duolingo — which has 6.6 million paid subscribers — to see deeper monetization and paid subscription growth, projecting paid subscribers to double to 12.3 million by 2026. His bull case is also encouraged by the company's use of generative AI to enhance its products and cut costs. — Pia Singh 6:06 a.m.: Morgan Stanley downgrades Hyatt to equal weight, cites 'balanced risk-reward' Morgan Stanley is confident in Hyatt's continued performance after the hotel chain's strong fourth-quarter performance, but thinks shares could be overvalued. Analyst Stephen Grambling downgraded Hyatt to equal weight from overweight and lowered his price target by $7 to $149. That suggests shares could edge lower by about 0.4%. Shares are up about 20.2% year to date. "The pivot to asset light and simplification of the business model has driven outperformance, leaving a more balanced risk-reward," Grambling wrote in a Monday note, noting the stock's three-month run-up. "We continue to appreciate the underlying story and see substantial proceeds from asset sales still driving best in-class FCF/share growth." Hyatt reported a beat on quarterly earnings on Feb. 23, posting earnings of 64 cents per share, excluding items, while analysts polled by FactSet had called for earnings of 38 cents per share. Grambling's 2024 EBITDA estimates are near the top end of consensus guidance, largely reflecting higher royalty and licensing fees offsetting incremental asset sales, he said. — Pia Singh 5:44 a.m.: Netflix shares could gain nearly 20% from here, according to Oppenheimer Oppenheimer is more bullish on Netflix , citing the streaming giant's ability to grow its long-term subscriber base. Analyst Jason Helfstein reiterated his outperform rating and raised his price target on shares by $110 to $725, which suggests roughly 19.9% potential upside from Friday's close. Shares of Netflix have jumped more than 24% this year. NFLX YTD mountain NFLX year to date "We believe NFLX's initiatives such as password sharing rules, advertising and optimizing subscriber plan choices will drive subscriber growth and average revenue per membership (ARM), therefore leading to higher revenue," Helfstein wrote in a Sunday note. "We believe NFLX's dominance will continue, given its clear advantage in producing high-engagement content and monetizing that content more effectively than peers." The analyst estimated a high likelihood of subscriber additions beating Wall Street's estimates in the future, given forecasts assume a major slowdown in paid sharing and ad-tier subscriptions. Helfstein sees subscribers being 17 million higher than the consensus over the next three years as competition in streaming eases with other streaming platforms prioritizing profitability — while Netflix acquires more content and retains its dominant market share in U.S. television viewership. — Pia Singh 5:44 a.m.: Bernstein sticking by Taiwan Semiconductor Taiwan Semiconductor shares are off to a strong start for the year, and Bernstein expects them to continue doing well. Analyst Mark Li reiterated his outperform rating on the stock, calling for stronger gross margins, especially in the second half of the year. "While many worry about 2H24 margins, we expect an HoH improvement. Our 2025 & 2026 gross margin (GM) forecast is also above consensus," Li wrote. "Many now expect TSMC's GM to dip HoH and they attribute the 3-4% drag from 3nm and 1-2% drag for capacity sharing between 5nm & 3nm. We agree the 1-2% drag is incremental from 1H24 to 2H24, but in the 2Q23 earnings call (link) TSMC guided 4Q23 also had 3-4% drag from 3nm too." "We agree TSMC may not enjoy much operating leverage from depreciation, as TSMC guided its 2024 depreciation will be up close to 30% YoY, slightly faster the growth of low- to mid-20s% in revenue this year. However labor cost certainly won't rise as fast as revenue. ... Hence instead of a dip, we project TSMC's GM to rise to 53.5-54.6% in 2H24." U.S.-listed shares of Taiwan Semiconductor are up a whopping 40.7% year to date. The firm raised its price target on them to $150 from $125, implying upside of just 2%. However, it also increased its forecast on Taiwan-listed shares, calling for a 15% increase over the next 12 months. — Fred Imbert

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/03/18/mondays-stocks-to-buy-like-nvidia.html

NFLX

Netflix

Here are Monday's biggest analyst calls: Nvidia, Apple, Tesla, Netflix, PepsiCo, Micron, Meta, Starbucks and more

Here are Monday's biggest calls on Wall Street: KeyBanc reiterates Apple as sector weight KeyBanc said its carrier survey checks look "moderately negative" for Apple shares. "Our February carrier survey indicates iPhone 15 sell-through was largely in line with store expectations with pockets of softness." Morgan Stanley reiterates Starbucks as overweight Morgan Stanley said it's standing by its overweight rating on Starbucks shares. "Our OW view acknowledges the tougher trends and weak sentiment at play currently which have limited participation in the stock, but we continue to see limited downside risk at current levels and believe there are catalysts over the medium to long term for what remains an attractive business for the long run." Telsey downgrades Hibbett Sports to market perform from outperform Telsey said it sees too many negative catalysts ahead for the sporting goods company. "We are downgrading our rating on HIBB to Market Perform from Outperform given that 2024 is projected to be a more difficult year than we anticipated with the comp flat to down LSD and operating margin contraction, while we had been expecting comp growth and operating margin stabilization." JPMorgan upgrades ESAB to overweight from neutral JPMorgan said the welding company is a "growth compounder." "ESAB: How to think about 1Q vs. the rest of the year? ESAB expects 2024 sales cadence of ~24.0% in 1Q, ~25.5% in 2Q, ~24.5% in 3Q and ~26.0% in 4Q." Mizuho reiterates Meta as buy Mizuho said it sees "upside to consensus" for Meta. "Our deep dive into META's key products indicates upside to consensus FY24 revenue forecast, and meaningful optionality in strategic assets." Goldman Sachs reiterates Tesla as neutral Goldman Sachs lowered its price target on the stock to $190 per share from $220. "We are lowering our Tesla estimates to better reflect what we believe are both production (e.g. Model 3 ramp pace, and downtime in Berlin tied to the Red Sea conflict/power loss) and market headwinds." HSBC reiterates Nvidia as buy HSBC raised its price target on the stock to $1,050 per share from $880. "We are encouraged by Nvidia's AI product roadmap which focuses on moving beyond GPUs [graphic processing unit] and towards owning the entire value chain." JPMorgan reiterates Netflix as overweight JPMorgan said it's "positive on Netflix's ability to accelerate revenue growth in 2024, expand margins, & drive multi-year FCF ramp." "NFLX shares have significantly outperformed since 4Q earnings, up +23% vs. SPX +5%, & are 12% below the all-time highs of November 2021." RBC initiates Howmet Aerospace as outperform RBC said the aerospace company has "successfully positioned itself as a high-quality aerospace supplier providing primarily exposure to the original equipment (OE) commercial aerospace cycle." "We are initiating coverage of Howmet Aerospace (HWM) with an Outperform rating and a $75 price target." Evercore ISI upgrades 1stdibs.com to outperform from in line Evercore ISI said the e-commerce company is a "self-help" story. "We are upgrading shares of DIBS to Outperform from In Line. Our PT goes to $8 from $6 based on a 2X EV/Sales multiple on our '25 Revenue." Raymond James downgrades New York Community Bank to underperform from market perform Raymond James said in its downgrade of the stock that "credit is likely to impair earnings." "We downgrade NYCB shares to Underperform from Market Perform and establish a fair value estimate of $3 to reflect our view that credit costs are likely to impair earnings for the next several years, as incremental disclosures in the bank's 10-K suggest that several years of earnings will be needed to support the balance sheet remix." Morgan Stanley upgrades Pepsi to overweight from equal weight Morgan Stanley said the beverage giant is undervalued. "We are upgrading Pepsi to OW from EW as our Top Pick, both in beverages and overall." Morgan Stanley initiates Ball Corporation as equal weight Morgan Stanley initiated the beverage can company and says the stock is fairly valued right now. "We are launching coverage of beverage can producers BALL, CCK, and AMBP with an In-Line view of the Paper & Packaging industry." Citi upgrades Regionals Financial to buy from neutral Citi said the regional bank is poised to "deliver strong returns." "We are upgrading RF to Buy and raising target price to $23. RF is a different theme than our other Buy rated names, which are more plays on the market not properly valuing normalized returns." Morgan Stanley names LifeStance a top pick Morgan Stanley named the mental health company a top pick on Monday. "Stay selective amidst mixed fundamentals; Moving LFST to Top Pick." Morgan Stanley reiterates Micron as underweight Morgan Stanley raised its price target on the stock to $78 per share from $74.75 and said it's sticking with its underweight rating heading into earnings later this week. "We expect Micron to report upside around the quarter - but weakening trends in the core business put the onus on AI to carry the stock from here." Wolfe initiates Dynatrace as outperform Wolfe said it's bullish on shares of the software company. "After doing our diligence on Dynatrace we came away bulled up on the company's market opportunity , product cycle, and differentiation from offering full stack observability." Bernstein upgrades Charter to outperform from market perform Bernstein said in its upgrade of the cable giant that the risks are more than priced in. "While we acknowledge that Charter has a clear set of challenges to navigate near-term, we believe that the market has more than priced in these risks given the potential persistence of the risks." Truist upgrades PagerDuty to buy from hold Truist said it sees limited downside for the IT company. "Upgrading PD to Buy; Downside Limited, Potential Upside to $30+." Bank of America reiterates Taiwan Semiconductor as buy Bank of America said Taiwan Semiconductor is a "key enabler of AI with long-lasting leadership." "We raise PO to NT$880 (US$155) as we expect the structural advanced node demand to be stronger, supported by AI strength, computing power, power and saving requirement." Bank of America upgrades Pinnacle West to buy from neutral Bank of America said it sees an improving regulatory backdrop for the utility company. "We upgrade shares of Arizona based regulated utility Pinnacle West Capital Corp. (PNW) to Buy to reflect an improving regulatory environment." Evercore ISI downgrades Prologis to in line from outperform Evercore ISI said it's waiting for a better entry point for the logistics facilities company. "On the flip side, we are downgrading Prologis (PLD) and Invitation Homes (INVH) from Outperform to In Line while SL Green (SLG) moves from In Line to Underperform." UBS reiterates Five Below as buy UBS said it's sticking with its buy rating on shares of Five Below. "In our view, for a retailer with such a good long-term outlook, the market pays a lot of attention to the short-run gyrations. In this case, there shouldn't be a lot of mystery." Wells Fargo reiterates Carnival as overweight Wells Fargo said it's bullish heading into the cruise company's earnings report later this month. "Heading into CCL's 1Q24 EPS on 3/27, we up our 1Q EBITDA to $866m (+3% vs Street), and see a nice setup for CCL to raise and drive a catchup trade vs. cruise peers. F2Q seems de-risked as Red Sea impact was already quantified."

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/03/04/the-rally-is-over-for-these-nasdaq-stocks-like-netflix-and-amd-according-to-wall-street-analysts.html

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Netflix

The rally is over for Nasdaq stocks such as Netflix and AMD, according to Wall Street analysts

It may be downhill from here for some high-flying stocks in the Nasdaq. The Nasdaq Composite finally soared to a record high last Friday, making it the last of the three major stock indexes to hit the milestone in 2024. Now, traders have diverted their attention to the Federal Reserve as they await signs that the market has the momentum to continue its rally. But for some stocks in the Nasdaq, their ascent may soon come to an end. We used the CNBC Pro Stock Screener to search for names in the Nasdaq 100 , made up of the 100 largest nonfinancial stocks in the Nasdaq Composite, that could be due for a sell-off soon. To do this, we selected stocks that are up at least 40% in the past 12 months but have an analyst consensus price target that calls for at least a 1% pullback in the next year. One name on the list was streaming platform service Netflix , which is up 96% in the past year. However, analysts covering the stock see it falling nearly 7% in the near future. In January, Seaport Research Partners downgraded the name to a neutral rating from buy. While the company has good fundamentals, the firm thinks shares are now trading near their fair value. "We are downgrading our recommendation on NFLX shares to Neutral from Buy, having rapidly achieved our recently-increased $576 PT," wrote analyst David Joyce. "Various valuation metrics relative to growth expectations through 2027 appear to be rather full." Another name that could sell off soon is semiconductor manufacturer Advanced Micro Devices . The stock has rallied roughly 150% this past year, but could potentially fall 7%, according to average analyst estimates. Raymond James downgraded the name to outperform from a strong buy rating in January, citing elevated artificial intelligence revenue expectations. Analyst Srini Pajjuri's price target of $195, up from $190, suggests nearly 4% downside from Friday's close. Northland Capital Markets underscored the same reasons when it downgraded the stock in January to a market perform rating from outperform. "Expectations for AI growth are irrational exuberance in our view," wrote analyst Gus Richard. "AI is big, it's really big, just not as big as investors are thinking." Other names on the list include food delivery service DoorDash , which has gained more than 35% in 2024, but could decline 3%, according to analyst consensus price targets. Big-box retailer Costco also made the list, with analysts' price targets suggesting shares could slide 5%. — CNBC's John Melloy contributed to this report.

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/03/14/stocks-to-buy-thursday-like-nvidia-tesla-citigroup.html

NFLX

Netflix

Here are Thursday's biggest analyst calls: Nvidia, Netflix, Tesla, Citi, Robinhood, Meta, IBM, Broadcom and more

Here are Thursday's biggest calls on Wall Street: Truist initiates Deere as buy Truist said it's extremely bullish on shares of the industrial giant. "In our view, Deere is among the best-run industrial machinery companies with a growing technology story and earnings stream." Bernstein initiates Robinhood as outperform Bernstein said the stock will benefit from a "monster of a crypto cycle over 2024-25." "We are initiating coverage on Robinhood (HOOD) with an Outperform rating (PT $30, 83% upside)." UBS reiterates Tesla as neutral UBS lowered its price target on the stock to $165 per share from $225. "Though we remain cautious on the numbers and the stock near-term, we stay Neutral. While difficult to see a near-term catalyst for EV sentiment to improve, if/when it does we believe investors will look to TSLA for exposure." Evercore ISI reiterates Netflix as outperform Evercore ISI raised its price target on Netflix to $640 per share from $600. "We are reiterating our Outperform rating and modestly raising our FY25 estimates by 2% for Revenue, Op Income, and EPS." Citi downgrades Chubb to neutral from buy Citi said it sees a more balanced risk/reward for the insurance company. "We downgrade CB to Neutral (from Buy) while increasing our PT to $275 (from $238)." Goldman Sachs upgrades Citi to buy from neutral Goldman Sachs said in its upgrade of Citi that shares are "compelling." "Upgrade to Buy (from Neutral): Path to higher returns and compelling valuation support." Wells Fargo upgrades NeuroPace to overweight from equal weight Wells Fargo said it sees upside to estimates for the epilepsy device company. "We are upgrading NPCE to Overweight and increasing our price target from $16 to $20." Bernstein upgrades Instacart to outperform from market perform Bernstein said it still has competitive concerns about the stock, but that it's making a tactical call right now. "We are upgrading Instacart from Market-Perform to Outperform and taking our Price Target up to $43 (+$13)." Berenberg initiates Logitech as buy Berenberg said it's bullish on shares of the computer peripherals company. " Logitech has a strong track record of identifying complementary assets, integrating them into its product portfolio, and then leveraging its platform to drive operational performance and distribute new products to a wider audience through its large sales network." Barclays upgrades Thomson Reuters to overweight from equal weight Barclays said shares of the company are at an "inflection point." "IR [investor relations] day highlights TRI's transformation and approaching inflection point; upgrade to OW." Truist initiates Caterpillar as buy Truist said Caterpillar is a "high quality way to play infrastructure renaissance." "Our thesis on CAT is simple: you can't play infrastructure and energy transition without owning Caterpillar." Morgan Stanley upgrades Williams-Sonoma to equal weight from underweight Morgan Stanley said it sees margins improving for the home goods retailer. "We have underappreciated WSM' s ability to hold its margin even in a weaker demand environment, which drives our upgrade to EW." Citi reiterates Nvidia as buy Citi said after a series of investor meetings that Nvidia is a "most favored name." "We spent the last couple of weeks meeting investors, and it appears the most favored stocks were AI ( NVDA /AMD/AVGO), equipment, and NXP while the most disliked stocks were Micron, equipment (yes both sides), ON, and MCHP." Morgan Stanley reiterates Meta as overweight Morgan Stanley said its recent ad survey checks show Meta is a standout. "Within Internet coverage group, the survey results were most bullish for OW META. Facebook remained the most widely used platform with highest marks for ROI [return on investment]." Daiwa upgrades Goldman Sachs to outperform from neutral Daiwa upgraded the investment bank on an impending recovery. "[We] upped GS from 3 (Neutral) to 2 (Outperform) ahead of recovery investment banking." Wells Fargo upgrades RTX to overweight from equal weight Wells Fargo said it sees "potential upside" for shares of the defense contractor. "Raytheon segment margins likely get a boost from a better mix as programs move into production, really for the first time since its 2020 merger with UTC." Bank of America upgrades Utz to buy from neutral Bank of America said Utz is well-positioned for share gains. "We upgrade shares of pure-play salty snacks manufacturer Utz Brands (UTZ) to Buy (from Neutral) and raise our PO to $22 (from $19), now based on 18x our 2025E EV/EBITDA." Evercore ISI downgrades Under Armour to underperform from in line Evercore ISI said Wednesday's announcement of the company's founder return suggests the turnaround is not taking hold. "Last night, UAA announced that founder Kevin Plank will return as CEO, replacing Stephanie Linnartz (who just joined UAA in February 2023)." Wedbush upgrades Jack in the Box to outperform from neutral Wedbush said it sees upside on the back of the company's Smashed Jack burger. "The SSS [same-store sales] growth upside from the Smashed Jack is the primary driver of EBITDA/EPS upside in our model." JPMorgan upgrades UiPath to overweight from neutral JPMorgan said the robotic software company is entering a period of robust revenue. "We are upgrading UiPath shares to OW from Neutral as we anticipate the period of ARR [annual recurring revenue] growth decel transitioning into a stabilized growth trend while attachment to GenAI automation projects ramps amdist ongoing margin improvement." Bank of America reiterates IBM as buy Bank of America raised its price target on the stock to $220 per share from $200. " IBM repositioned for sustained growth and improving FCF." Bernstein reiterates Nvidia and Broadcom as outperform Bernstein said Nvidia and Broadcom are still top picks at the firm. "We think you should still be in NVDA which remains the best way to play AI, with numbers appear set to continue inflecting higher, and (surprisingly attractive) valuation . And while AVGO's core business is admittedly cyclically weak at the moment a robust AI story is fully bridging it, the 2025 set-up looks good, and VMware seems likely to drive upside." Argus upgrades Oracle to buy from hold Argus said in its upgrade of the stock that it sees cloud revenue growth. "We upgrading Oracle Corp . to BUY to a target price of $145. Fiscal 3Q24 marked the first quarter when rapidly growing cloud revenue crossed over to become a higher proportion of revenue than the company's legacy license support revenue."

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/03/11/mondays-stocks-to-buy-like-nvidia.html

NFLX

Netflix

Here are Monday's biggest analyst calls: Nvidia, Tesla, Netflix, Adobe, Amazon, Eli Lilly, Procter & Gamble & more

Here are Monday's biggest calls on Wall Street: Morgan Stanley reiterates Nvidia as overweight Morgan Stanley said the stock is a top idea after coming out of the company's recent TMT conference. " NVDA - rally in all AI exposed names leaves NVDA as a likely outperformer." Oppenheimer reiterates Netflix as outperform Oppenheimer raised its price target on the stock and said it sees subscriber upside for Netflix. "Raising target to $725 (was $615) and revisiting the bull case: ARM [adjusted revenue metrics] ramping in '24 and continued tailwinds to subscribers from paid sharing/advertising. Jefferies upgrades Choice Hotels to buy from underperform Jefferies upgraded the hotel chain after breaking off efforts to buy Wyndham. "We are upgrading CHH to Buy from Underperform as a result of the ceased efforts to acquire Wyndham Hotels." Jefferies reiterates Adobe as buy Jefferies said investors should buy the dip in shares of Adobe. "We expect ADBE to recover as it shares more details on its video AI roadmap - either at earnings, Summit conf., or soon after." Evercore ISI reiterates Tesla as in line Evercore said it feels more constructive on the stock following a tour of Tesla's giga factory but that it's sticking with its in line rating. "Nothing is quite like seeing the process first hand. Last week we had the opportunity to take investors through Tesla's Austin Gigafactory, test drive the Cybertruck & Highland Model 3 & meet w/ IR." JPMorgan upgrades Kingsoft Cloud to overweight from neutral JPMorgan said it sees margin expansion for the cloud company. "We forecast Kingsoft Cloud's margin expansion pace to beat market expectations even without a major revenue turnaround in the near term, driven by: 1) a favourable revenue mix shift to higher-margin business." JPMorgan initiates Duolingo as overweight JPMorgan initiated the language learning company and says it sees "premium revenue." "We are initiating coverage of Duolingo (DUOL) with an Overweight rating & $270 Dec 24 PT." Wolfe upgrades Xcel Energy to outperform from peer perform Wolfe said that despite the massive losses from the Texas wildfires that it sees an attractive entry point. " XEL lost $4B in value on the TX fire. We think damages likely prove under the $500M insured. Future fire risk likely keeps XEL below prior premiums." Morgan Stanley downgrades Hyatt to equal weight from overweight Morgan Stanley said in its downgrade of the stock that risk/reward is more balanced. "We are downgrading Hyatt to Equal-weight from Overweight as the pivot to asset light and simplification of the business model has driven outperformance, leaving a more balanced risk-reward." JPMorgan initiates Saia as overweight JPMorgan said it sees a "new chapter for growth" for the freight company. "Saia has transformed from a regional to a national LTL carrier through significant investment and consistent execution." Stifel upgrades Staar Surgical to buy from hold Stifel said in it's bullish on the implantable eye lens company. "We aren't pounding the table harder yet--we need better long-term US conviction and visibility into STAAR's ability to withstand China competition--but we think STAA is a $50 stock before it's a $25 one. Upgrading to Buy." Morgan Stanley downgrades Petrobras to equal weight from overweight Morgan Stanley said in its downgrade of the stock that it has "lower confidence on dividend yield support" for Petrobras shares. "A split decision about extraordinary dividends prompts us to move to the sidelines, even if we still see upside and a base dividend of ~12% remains healthy." Morgan Stanley reiterates Eli Lilly as overweight Morgan Stanley said the next catalyst for Eli Lilly is the results from the company's sleep apnea trial. "Continuing to build the diabesity data moat - sleep apnea data up next." Truist upgrades Procter & Gamble to buy from hold Truist said the stock is nearing an "inflection point." "In our opinion, if PG can post volume growth in the coming quarters, it will break from the CPG pack (especially its food peers, for whom we expect volume declines to continue) which should result in improved valuation for PG shares." Truist upgrades Freshpet to buy from hold Truist said in its upgrade of the pet food health company that it sees volume growth. "We are upgrading FRPT to Buy from Hold, raising our 12m PT to $135 from $120 and maintain our recently raised ests." Guggenheim names Nike a best idea Guggenheim said the athletic retailer is now a top idea. "Key Message: This morning, we are adding Nike as our Best Idea. At $99, we think the (14%) pullback in the shares over the last 3 months has presented a compelling entry point in the shares with a favorable risk/reward ratio at these levels." Jefferies upgrades PDD to buy from hold Jefferies said it's getting bullish on shares of the China retailer. "Among ecommerce names, share prices of PDD dropped more than 20% YTD; we upgrade the stock to Buy as we believe that concerns on geopolitical risks are priced in, and Temu's market share gain story in domestic and overseas markets is intact." Morgan Stanley initiates Phinia as overweight Morgan Stanley initiated the auto components and supplier company and says it's a "key beneficiary of the EV reset." "We believe PHIN is the purest expression of our 'ICE is Nice' thesis that can generate substantial cash flows for longer than the market anticipates at ~4x EBITDA." UBS upgrades Foot Locker to neutral from sell UBS said in its upgrade of Foot Locker that the "thesis has played out." "Our thesis has mostly played out. One year ago the sell-side was forecasting $4.50 in EPS for FY24. It now forecasts $1.60. We see less downward EPS revision risk." JPMorgan initiates Kaspi as overweight JPMorgan initiated the fintech company with an overweight and says it's a "leading super payment app." "We are launching coverage of Kaspi.kz, a Kazakhstan-based super app, with an Overweight rating and a $159 Dec 24 price target, representing 50% upside from current levels." UBS reiterates Apple as neutral The firm said Apple sales in China remain under pressure. " Apple remains the 'preferred' brand in the US, but under pressure in China." Morgan Stanley reiterates Meta as overweight Morgan Stanley said it's standing by shares of Meta. "GenAI top-line drivers remain rarer, as companies on multi-year infra. layer build, but META farthest along on user/platform tools driving incremental revs." Goldman Sachs reiterates Amazon as buy Goldman said it's standing by shares of Amazon. "Increasing momentum building around a few key narratives – improved AWS revenue growth, more linear North America operating margin recovery and sustained/stable performance for their global eCommerce revenue;

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/03/08/stocks-to-buy-on-friday-like-aapl-and-coin.html

NFLX

Netflix

Here are Friday's biggest analyst calls: Nvidia, Apple, Netflix, Broadcom, Disney, AMD, Coinbase, GE & more

Here are Friday's biggest calls on Wall Street: Oppenheimer downgrades Figs to perform from outperform Oppenheimer said it sees too many challenges for the surgical wear company. "We remain constructive upon longer term prospects for FIGS and the company's shares. That said, nearer-term, we are increasingly concerned that internal and external challenges, which have impacted trends at the company lately, are likely to persist, longer than initially anticipated." D.A. Davidson upgrades MongoDB to buy from hold DA upgraded the stock following earnings on Thursday. "We are upgrading shares of MDB from Neutral to BUY & are raising our PT from $405 to $430. Citi reiterates Apple as buy Citi lowered its price target on the stock to $220 per share from $225 but said it's sticking with Apple. "Maintain buy on structural gross margin expansion due to premiumization supported by AI smartphones and services growth." Barclays initiates Western Alliance as overweight Barclays said the regional bank is one of the best positioned in the firm's coverage. "The names we believe are best positioned within our coverage include WAL, EWBC, and WBS, which each have ample capital, strong credit, and stable funding." JPMorgan upgrades General Electric to overweight from neutral JPMorgan said GE is a "premier" name. "Looking ahead, it is clear that GE is the premier large cap name in Comml Aero with regard to 1) the business, 2) where that business is in the cycle, 3) the balance sheet.." JPMorgan upgrades Kinetic to overweight from neutral JPMorgan said the midstream operator is a "high quality business." "Overall, we upgrade KNTK to OW given attractive growth visibility." Goldman Sachs upgrades Coinbase to neutral from sell Goldman upgraded the stock as crypto prices are surging. "We are upgrading shares of COIN to Neutral from Sell, as crypto prices have surged to all time highs, and COIN daily volumes have reached levels not seen since 2021." Evercore ISI reiterates Alphabet as outperform Evercore said the stock is a new top pick at the firm. "Meanwhile, GOOGL's tech & data assets are clearly among the strongest in the world. And along with negative sentiment on GOOGL shares and cautious management commentary ('larger base') has come seemingly conservative Street estimates." Wells Fargo reiterates Disney as overweight Wells says the stock is "best-positioned" in the ad market. "We see DIS best-positioned and WBD most at-risk." Bank of America downgrades Victoria's Secret to underperform from buy Bank of America double downgraded Victoria's Secret due to too many negative catalysts. "We see risk to F24 sales guidance, as it assumes the broader lingerie market will stabilize in 2H after declining MSD [ mid single digits ] in 1H, as well as the impact of initiatives in sport and technology materializing." Morgan Stanley upgrades UBS to overweight from equal weight Morgan Stanley said in its upgrade of UBS that the "stars are aligned." "Short-term cyclical, long-term structural upside." Wolfe upgrades Gates to outperform from peer perform Wolfe said in its upgrade of Gates that it sees margin expansion for the power transmission company. "We see significant multiple expansion potential driven by growth recovery and better margin/FCF execution." UBS initiates AST SpaceMobile UBS said the space satellite company is well positioned. " AST is pre-revenue, but we believe it will be a leader in the emerging space- to-cellular broadband market - an industry with the potential to generate $10s of billions in annual revenue by providing uninterrupted coverage to traditional mobile devices." Morgan Stanley initiates enGene as overweight Morgan Stanley said in its initiation of enGene that it's a leader in bladder cancer therapy. "We initiate at Overweight with a $40 PT." Bank of America downgrades Petrobras to neutral from buy Bank of America said it's concerned about the lack of dividends for the Brazilian oil company. "In our view, the decision to not announce extraordinary dividends tonight heightens the risk perception at PBR and also suggests that the company could be pivoting to an agenda more focused on growth (leading to higher capex and M & A)." Bank of America reiterates Marvell as buy Bank of America said it's sticking with shares of Marvell following earnings on Thursday. "Legacy under pressure but AI well on track, reiterate Buy." JPMorgan reiterates SentinelOne as overweight JPMorgan added a positive catalyst watch on the cyber security company heading into earnings next week. "We expect strong 4Q results with constructive initial FY25 guidance from SentinelOne when the company reports earnings next week." Piper Sandler reiterates Microsoft as overweight Piper added the stock to its triple select list of top picks. " MSFT is a top ranked stock in the Macro Select model because it possesses the quality fundamental characteristics that typically outperform in similar economic backdrops." Goldman Sachs reiterates Broadcom as buy Goldman said investors should buy the dip in shares of Broadcom . "Although the market may have been looking for a positive revision in management's FY2024 outlook and, as a result, the stock may correct in the near-term, we would recommend investors to use any stock price weakness as an opportunity to add to positions, particularly with the company's robust competitive position in AI and its ability to extract better growth and margins in Software intact." Barclays reiterates Netflix as equal weight Barclays said streaming consolidation is poised to be a bigger win for YouTube than Netflix. "In the case of premium entertainment streaming, as distribution has shifted from being bundled to unbundled subscriptions and consumption has become atomized due to device and service fragmentation, value attribution for each service becomes more explicit." JPMorgan upgrades Teva to neutral from underweight JPMorgan said it sees a "favorable catalyst path" for the pharmaceutical company. "Along these lines, we are taking a more balanced approach to our ratings (which have been negatively skewed) and are moving TEVA from UW to N." Craig-Hallum upgrades Smith & Wesson to buy from hold Hallum said in its upgrade of the gun maker that it has "momentum" into the election cycle. "SWBI continues its deft execution and is entering the election cycle in an optimal position, with lean channel inventory, strong demand tailwinds and improving operating leverage." Bank of America upgrades Textron to buy from neutral Bank of America said in its upgrade of the biz jet company that the stock is undervalued. "Textron has been one of our better performing large caps YTD, up 12.31% (vs. S & P 500 +8.17%). However, concerns around Industrials, falling bizjet demand, and poor defense sentiment have peaked, translating into a multiple that is roughly one standard deviation below the historical averag Bank of America downgrades Vail to neutral from buy Bank of America said the setup looks too challenging for the ski and mountain resort company. "We are downgrading shares of Vail Resorts to Neutral from Buy. We see the setup as more challenging from here given 1) risk to FY24 guidance as visitation remains weak, 2) risk to FY25 estimates as MTN's Y/Y organic growth is slower than anticipated..." Deutsche Bank initiates Li Auto as buy Deutsche said the China auto company is a top pick. " Li Auto i s the largest 6 / 7 seater vehicles manufacturer in China with a 13.8% market share in 2023, which is the sweet spot of the automobile electrification mega-trend in China." RBC upgrades Carvana to sector perform from underperform RBC said the risk/reward is improving for Carvana shares. "We believe 1) any return to more meaningful unit growth will likely get fully if not overly extrapolated in the stock with additional amplification possible from the heavy short interest, 2) the company's cash generation/car may be better than many investors realize." Melius reiterates Advanced Micro Devices and Nvidia as buy Melius said it doesn't see Advanced Micro Devices having any impact on Nvidia's momentum but that it likes both stocks. Melius also called AMD a "Nvidia-Mini" and Melius raised its price target on the stock to $265 per share from $192. "However, we don't believe AMD will have an adverse impact on Nvidia's momentum as the TAM is larger and Nvidia is the industry's driving force."

https://www.cnbc.com/id/41414872

NEM

Newmont

Newmont CEO Expects up to $1500 Gold This Year

”The worry point for us would be if the economy really slows down and we don’t see growth, particularly in China and India. If that’s forecast wrong, then gold goes down. Otherwise we’re in a great spot. I think there’s a lot of shine in this metal.” Check out our entire and exclusive interview with Newmont CEO Richard O’Brien. Watch the video now! ______________________________________________________ Got something to to say? Send us an e-mail at fastmoney-web@cnbc.com and your comment might be posted on the Rapid Recap. If you'd prefer to make a comment, but not have it published on our Web site, send those e-mails to fastmoney@cnbc.com. Trader disclosure: On Feb. 3, 2011, the following stocks and commodities mentioned or intended to be mentioned on CNBC’s "Fast Money" were owned by the "Fast Money" traders; Joe Terranova owns (VRTS), (C), (UPL), (GM), (PEP), (MS), (LTD), (CVI), (CVE), (SU), (CPX), (CNQ) and (POT). Guy Adami Owns (AGU), (C), (GS), (INTC), (MSFT), (NUE) and (BTU). Steve Cortes owns (SVU), (MO), (PM), (K), (SWY) and (EXC). Steve Cortes are long U.S. Treasuries. Steve Cortes is short (LVS). Steve Cortes is short Gold. Steve Cortes is short Crude. Karen Finerman owns (BAC), (AAPL), (BP), (C), (WMT), (MSFT), (JPM), (GOOG) and (HPQ). Comcast is the parent company of CNBC Comcast is the parent company of NBCUniversal GE owns 49% of NBCUniversal GE owns 49% of CNBC KAREN FINERMAN Finerman's firm is short (MDY) Finerman's firm is short (SPY) Finerman's firm is short (IWM) Finerman's firm is short (IJR) Finerman's firm is long S&P puts Finerman's firm is long Russell 2000 puts Finerman's firm owns (AAPL) Finerman's firm owns (BAC) leaps Finerman's firm owns (BP) Finerman's firm owns (FCX) puts Finerman's firm owns (HPQ) Finerman's firm owns (IBM) Finerman's firm owns (JPM) and (JPM) leaps Finerman's firm owns (MSFT) Finerman's firm owns (PLCE) and (PLCE) calls JOE TERRANOVA Terranova is Chief Market Strategist of Virtus Investment Partners, LTD Virtus Investment Partners Owns More Than 1% Of (ABAX) Virtus Investment Partners Owns More Than 1% Of (AMKR) Virtus Investment Partners Owns More Than 1% Of (CCG) Virtus Investment Partners Owns More Than 1% Of (CASS) Virtus Investment Partners Owns More Than 1% Of (CSVI) Virtus Investment Partners Owns More Than 1% Of (EXR) Virtus Investment Partners Owns More Than 1% Of (FCFS) Virtus Investment Partners Owns More Than 1% Of (IGE) Virtus Investment Partners Owns More Than 1% Of (KRC) Virtus Investment Partners Owns More Than 1% Of (LDR) Virtus Investment Partners Owns More Than 1% Of (LPHI) Virtus Investment Partners Owns More Than 1% Of (NRCI) Virtus Investment Partners Owns More Than 1% Of (DBV) Virtus Investment Partners Owns More Than 1% Of (XLB) Virtus Investment Partners Owns More Than 1% Of (XLV) Virtus Investment Partners Owns More Than 1% Of (XLP) Virtus Investment Partners Owns More Than 1% Of (XLY) Virtus Investment Partners Owns More Than 1% Of (XLE) Virtus Investment Partners Owns More Than 1% Of (XLF) Virtus Investment Partners Owns More Than 1% Of (XLI) Virtus Investment Partners Owns More Than 1% Of (XLK) Virtus Investment Partners Owns More Than 1% Of (XLU) Virtus Investment Partners Owns More Than 1% Of (SUBK) Virtus Investment Partners Owns More Than 1% Of (WDFC) Virtus Investment Partners Owns More Than 1% Of (YDNT) Virtus Investment Partners Owns More Than 1% Of (DPUKF) GUY ADAMI Adami's wife works for (MRK) BRIAN KELLY Accounts Managed By Kanundrum Capital Own (YGE) Accounts Managed By Kanundrum Capital Own (TLT) Accounts Managed By Kanundrum Capital Own (IAU) Accounts Managed By Kanundrum Capital Own (SLV) Accounts Managed By Kanundrum Capital Own (ATW) Accounts Managed By Kanundrum Capital Own (BAC) Accounts Managed By Kanundrum Capital Own (UAL) Accounts Managed By Kanundrum Capital Own (DAL) Accounts Managed By Kanundrum Capital Own (DBA) Accounts Managed By Kanundrum Capital Own (JJG) Accounts Managed By Kanundrum Capital Own (DO) Accounts Managed By Kanundrum Capital Own (APA) Accounts Managed By Kanundrum Capital Own (MS) Accounts Managed By Kanundrum Capital Own (JEF) Accounts Managed By Kanundrum Capital Own (MON) Accounts Managed By Kanundrum Capital Are Short The Yen Accounts Managed By Kanundrum Capital Are Short The Australian Dollar BARRY RITHOLTZ Ritholtz has no disclosures ANDY BUSCH Busch has no disclosures ANTHONY SCARAMUCCI Scaramucci and SkyBridge Capital own (V) CHRISTOPHER VERRONE Verrone has no disclosures BRIAN STUTLAND Stutland owns (CSCO), is short (CSCO) calls GORDON JOHNSON Johnson has no disclosures FAST FIRE 12/21/2010 Guy Adami had no disclosure in (JEF) on 12/21/2010 CNBC.com with wires

https://www.cnbc.com/id/46859718

NEM

Newmont

Buy Gold Now Before it Gets to $2,000: Newmont CEO

At a time when investors want to invest in gold exchange-traded funds rather than the gold miners that pull the metal from the ground, Newmont CEO Richard O'Brien said either option is an "opportunity to participate in a bull market." But investing in Newmont gets you a dividend pegged to the gold price, and if gold does hit $2,000, as O'Brien predicts, investors would be getting a boost. Last year, when O'Brien predicted gold at $1,750an ounce in 2012, Newmont's dividend rose in each quarter and was 35 cents a share in the fourth quarter. Right now, the company pays a 2.3 percent dividend, he said, but "when we get to $1,700 gold, it will go up to 2.5 percent. When we get to $2,000, we'd be 3.5 percent to 4 percent higher." He did not say when he expects gold to rise to $2,000 an ounce but did say the company sees flat production and escalating costs this year.

https://www.cnbc.com/id/44728567

NEM

Newmont

Option Bulls Hope to Strike Gold in Newmont

NEM saw more than 5,000 March 65 calls change hands in a strong buying pattern, going mostly for $5.60 to $5.70, according to OptionMonster's real-time tracking systems. The volume was more than double the previous open interest at that strike. The action followed call buying in the December 72.50 contracts last Thursday. Newmont's shares closed yesterday at $62.52, up 1.61 percent on the session. Mining stocks plunged with the price of gold late last week, but traders apparently believe that the sector has hit a bottom. This week alone has seen bullish option plays in Yamana Gold on Monday, Ivanhoe Mines on Tuesday, Coeur d'Alene Mines on Wednesday, and Kinross Gold yesterday. For the NEM calls bought yesterday to turn a profit, the stock would need to gain roughly 13 percent by the March expiration. Overall puts in the name outnumbered calls by more than 4 to 1 yesterday. The company is scheduled to report third-quarter earnings results on Oct. 23. Another Opinion: How Long Will Gold Selloff Last? More Options Tips from Pete Najarian Options Tips from Jon Najarian Read The CNBC Stock Blog —Najarian has no positions in NEM. ___________________________ Options Trading School: ___________________________ Pete Najarian is a professional investor, CNBC contributor, regular co-host of CNBC's "Fast Money" and co-founder of OptionMonster.com. ___________________________ Disclaimer

https://www.cnbc.com/2013/10/31/after-hours-buzz-aig-newmont-mining-first-solar-more.html

NEM

Newmont

After-hours buzz: AIG, Newmont Mining, First Solar & more

AIG : Shares drifted lower after the insurer reported net income rose to $2.17 billion, or $1.46 a share, from $1.86 billion, or $1.13 per share, a year ago. On an operating basis, the company earned $1.4 billion, or 96 cents a share; analysts estimated earnings of 94 cents a share. Check out which companies are making headlines after the bell Thursday: Newmont Mining : The gold miner reported third-quarter revenue of $1.98 billion, just below estimates calling for $2 billion, and earnings per share of 46 cents, beating estimates of 32 cents per share. Shares rose in extended-hours trading. Fluor : The provider of construction services reported revenue of $6.68 billion, or $1.05 a share, versus estimated revenue of $7.22 billion, or $1.04 a share. Shares fell in extended-hours trading. First Solar shares gained after reporting third-quarter net income of $195 million, or $1.94 per share, up from $87.9 million, or $1 a share, a year ago. Revenue came in at $1.3 billion, beating consensus estimates of $988.63 million.

https://www.cnbc.com/2014/02/11/midday-movers-tesla-motors-newmont-mining-more.html

NEM

Newmont

Midday movers: Tesla Motors, Newmont Mining & More

A Tesla Model S sedan is seen plugged into a new Tesla Supercharger. Newmont Mining - Shares of the company and other gold miners including Barrick Gold , Goldcorp , AngloGold Ashanti and Yamana Gold rose along with the price of the metal. Tesla Motors - The electric car maker's shares topped $200 for the first time before pulling back. Charter Communications - The company's shares rose after it said it was nominating a slate of 13 candidates for Time Warner Cable's board as it pressed a $38 billion hostile takeover attempt. Take a look at some of Tuesday's midday movers: TriQuint Semiconductor - The company spiked after Forbes cited two sources in the semiconductor sector as saying TriQuint had hired Goldman Sachs for advice in response to activist pressure from Starboard Value. Green Mountain Coffee Roasters - Shares continued their strong run following news last week that Coca-Cola had taken a 10 percent stake in the company. ConAgra Foods - Shares fell after the food company lowered its outlook for its fiscal year ending in May. It blamed weaker-than-expected volumes in its consumer foods segment. Infoblox - The network automation company plummeted after it cut its second-quarter revenue outlook. Lennar - Shares of the home builder fell, along with developer St Joe after Raymond James downgraded their shares. KB Home - The home builder dropped after Raymond James also downgraded it to underperform from market perform. Omnicom Group - The advertising company fell after saying merger costs weighed on fourth-quarter net income. Zoetis - The animal health sciences provider declined after giving a disappointing outlook for 2014. Groupon - moved lower after the discounts site said its senior vice president of product management would be leaving next month. Dean Foods - The dairy processor slid after it warned of a possible first-quarter loss. Xilinx - The designer of programmable devices rose after declaring an 11.5 percent rise in its quarterly dividend to 29 cents a share. Mallinckrodt - The specialty pharmaceuticals company climbed after it said it would buy Cadence Pharmaceuticals for about $1.3 billion. Shares of Cadence Pharmaceuticals also gained. Mosaic - The fertilizer company rose after it said it will buy back $1 billion of its shares. Burlington Stores - The off-price apparel retailer gained after Morgan Stanley upgraded its shares to outperform. Pioneer Natural Resources - The energy developer fell as investors focus on its disappointing estimated cored production growth. Laredo Petroleum - Shares rose on record year-end reserves. (Read More: ) —By CNBC's Rich Fisherman. Questions? Comments? Email us at marketinsider@cnbc.com

https://www.cnbc.com/id/20478108

NEM

Newmont

Barrick CEO: No Substance to Newmont Takeover Rumor

"If we're taking over Newmont, I must've missed that board meeting," Wilkins joked on CNBC. Barrick has faced market speculation that it was pursuing Newmont -- the second-largest gold producer -- twice now in less than six months. Wilkins pointed to internal growth efforts, citing five new mines it's commissioned since 2004 and eight more mine projects in the works. The CEO speculated that rumors of a takeover of Newmont surface because the two companies share property in Nevada. Newmont Shares Remain Elevated Shares of Newmont remained higher even after Barrick publicly refuted merger rumors earlier Tuesday. "We previously said that this rumor had no substance to it, and again today that remains very much the case," Barrick spokesman Vincent Borg told Reuters in Toronto earlier in the day. A spokesman for Denver-based Newmont declined to comment. In morning New York Stock Exchange trade, Newmont shares rose more than 5 percent and the stock was the top percentage gainer. By the afternoon, it had eased back, but was still up more than 2 percent. Barrick was down more than 3 percent in New York and down C74 cents at C$33.14 in Toronto. In options trading, there was a total is 102,405 calls and 16,591 puts, far outpacing average volume of 25,779 contracts, according to market research firm Track Data.

https://www.cnbc.com/id/43945202

NEM

Newmont

Newmont Mining CEO Sees Gold at $1,750 in 2012

O'Brien said he is surprised Newmont's stock is down, especially after the company announced its gold-price-based third-quarter dividend will be raised to 30 cents per share from 20 cents a share. The company's board also approved two new gold and silver projects in Peru and Australia. Friday, the company announced second-quarter earnings that, while higher, missed Wall Street expectations. "This is a cyclical business we are in, for sure, not just with respect to pricing but mine cyclicality," O'Brien said. "What you saw in the quarter is we didn’t mine as much copper as a year ago…and we had a little higher costs in our operations in Nevada. But the last half of the year, we’ll make all that up."

https://www.cnbc.com/id/44510872

NEM

Newmont

Newmont Mining CEO: May Consider a Share Buyback to Boost Stock

“Over time, should we see this disparity between rising gold prices and equities trailing, at some point we may consider a share buyback,” Richard O’Brien, CEO of the company told CNBC Wednesday on the sidelines of the summer World Economic Forum in the Chinese city of Dalian. Gold prices have been hitting record levels in recent months, and are up 29.4 percent so far this year. In comparison, Newmont shares have risen 4.6 percent in the same period. O’Brien says the company doesn’t have a firm target for its stock price but wanted to reward long-term shareholders. Earlier this year, Newmont announced a gold price linked dividend to return more cash to shareholders. The company, which operates mines in a number of countries including the United States, Australia and Ghana, will pay an additional $0.05 dividend for every $100 increase in gold prices. But O’Brien also said the risks from higher inflation, and governments wanting to nationalize mining assets or tax them more heavily, were increasing. “When you see things like Australia, one of the richest countries around the world in terms of natural resources, starts to levy a tax and business people say we are not certain we want to invest here – it’s that uncertainty we are most worried about,” he said. Despite some analysts warning that gold prices are in a bubble, O’Brien says the company has no plans to hedge its production or to substantially increase its exposure to copper, a step taken by rival Barrick Gold when it bought Equinox of Canada. Instead, he says, investors could hedge themselves. The company is looking to raise annual production to 7 million ounces by 2017 annually from 5.1 to 5.3 million ounces this year. But the CEO says the company would rather do that by growing organically via a $7 billion capital expenditure plan, than via acquisitions. “We will always look at acquisitions to see if they’re profitable relative to our own internal portfolio and I would say at the present time, we don’t really see that,” O’Brien said. He pointed out that even though gold equities had underperformed the price of bullion, growing internally was still relatively cheaper.

https://www.cnbc.com/id/100151018

NEM

Newmont

BRIEF-Newmont Mining acquires shares of Loncor Resources

Oct 9 (Reuters) - Newmont Mining Corp : * Announces acquisition of shares of loncor resources inc * Unit acquired by private placement 4.9 million common shares of Loncor Resources at C$1.05 per share * Source text * Further company coverage ((Bangalore Newsroom; +1 646 223 8780))

https://www.cnbc.com/id/44241414

NEM

Newmont

Stocks to Watch: Newmont Mining, U.S. Steel, Tesoro and More...

Stocks opened lower Wednesday, following a sharp rally in the previous session, as investors continued to worry over the global economy. The Dow Jones Industrial Average opened lower after logging its biggest gain in almost two weeksin the previous session to finish well above the psychologically-important 11,000 level. Here are six stocks that are on the move: Saks The luxury retailer was upgraded to neutral from underperform at Credit Suisse based on a valuation call. ---------- Abbott Labs The pharmaceutical company was downgraded to market perform from outperform at Morgan Keegan. ---------- Newmont Mining The gold producer was upgraded to market perform from underperform at RBC Capital. ----------- U.S. Steel The iron and steel corporation was downgraded to equal-weight from overweight at Morgan Stanley. ----------- NASDAQ OMX Group The global exchange group was upgraded to buy from neutral at UBS, noting that shares are trading at a deep discount. ---------- Tesoro The crude oil refiner was upgraded to buy from sell at Benchmark Company. ______________________________ Get the latest stock picks on the CNBC Stock Blog.

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/09/08/howard-university-cancels-classes-after-ransomware-attack.html

NWSA

News Corp (Class A)

Howard University cancels classes after ransomware attack

Howard University, one of the largest historically Black schools in the United States, canceled classes Tuesday after a ransomware attack. The attack shut down the campus Wi-Fi, and nonessential employees were instructed to not report to work, the university announced Monday. In-person classes will resume Wednesday, but online classes remain canceled until at least Thursday. Ransomware attacks have become a scourge in recent years, and universities are common targets. Hackers have managed to infect at least 19 colleges and universities in 2021 alone, according to Allan Liska, an analyst at the cybersecurity company Recorded Future. In at least three other instances in the U.S. this year, schools had to cancel classes for at least one day. Criminal hackers use ransomware to break into a victim's computer networks to lock up files on as many computers as possible and then ask for money for a code to restore them. Many ransomware hackers also threaten to publish files they've stolen in the effort. So far, the university has seen "no evidence of personal information being accessed or exfiltrated," Howard said in its announcement. Its investigation is ongoing, however, and identifying the full extent of what the hackers have done can take weeks or months of analysis. Howard said its information technology team first noticed issues Friday. That's common for ransomware hackers, who often time their attacks to begin at the start of a weekend or a holiday, when there are likely to be fewer employees on call to quickly stop it. The school has since notified federal law enforcement. Howard's campus Wi-Fi is still down, but the university is working on implementing an emergency replacement system, it said Tuesday.

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/01/11/cathie-wood-says-bitcoin-etf-approval-makes-her-1point5-million-bull-case-more-likely.html

NWSA

News Corp (Class A)

Cathie Wood says bitcoin ETF approval makes her $1.5 million bull case more likely

Ark Invest's Cathie Wood said the approval of bitcoin exchange-traded funds in the U.S. made her more convinced that the world's largest cryptocurrency could hit her wildly bullish target. For her bull case, the Ark Invest chief sees bitcoin hitting $1.5 million by 2030. Her base case is in the $600,000 range, she said. "We think the probability of the bull case has increased with this SEC approval. This is a green light," Wood said on CNBC's " Squawk Box " on Thursday. "It is the first global decentralized digital rules based … monetary system in history. It is a very big idea." On Wednesday, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission approved new rules that allow for the introduction of bitcoin ETFs in the U.S. that are based on its spot price. The news has been long awaited by investors in the crypto space as it is seen as lending more credibility to what has been a volatile industry and asset class. Bitcoin traded higher Thursday, topping $47,000, following the news. The Ark Invest CEO and chief investment officer has been a longtime crypto bull. Wood believes the price of bitcoin could surge if companies continue to diversify their cash holdings and institutional investors continue to allocate 5% of their portfolio to crypto. The ETF decision may push institutions further in that direction. "We believe that bitcoin is a public good. What we have here, we believe, is a financial superhighway. It is the layer of the internet that developers did not build in the early '90s," Wood said. Ark Invest has partnered with 21Shares on a proposed bitcoin fund — the Ark21Shares Bitcoin ETF (ARKB). Wood is also a big investor in the Grayscale Bitcoin Trust , known by its ticker GBTC, through the ARK Next Generation Internet ETF (ARKW). "We are partnered with 21 shares, which is the largest pure play crypto ETP provider in the world," Wood said, referencing exchange-traded products. "We're the only ones with both the crypto and the ETF expertise."

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/06/02/robert-mueller-to-help-teach-law-school-class-on-trump-russia-probe.html

NWSA

News Corp (Class A)

Robert Mueller to help teach law school class on his Trump-Russia probe

U.S. Special Counsel Robert Mueller makes a statement on his investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election at the Justice Department in Washington, U.S., May 29, 2019. The notoriously tight-lipped former special counsel Robert Mueller will be opening up about his Russia probe to law school students in Virginia this fall. The University of Virginia School of Law said Wednesday that Mueller will participate in a class on his investigation, which examined alleged ties between former President Donald Trump's first presidential campaign and the Kremlin. The class will be taught by three other prosecutors who were on Mueller's high-profile team. The class, "The Mueller Report and the Role of the Special Counsel," will be taught in person in Charlottesville over six sessions. Mueller himself will lead at least one class, according to the school. In a short statement provided by the law school, Mueller said he was fortunate to be returning to the school where he earned his law degree in 1973. "I look forward to engaging with the students this fall," Mueller said. Mueller returned to private practice after his investigation and is a partner at the law firm WilmerHale. The class will be taught by Aaron Zebley, the former deputy special counsel; Jim Quarles, Mueller's former senior counsel; and Andrew Goldstein, the former senior assistant special counsel. According to a news release provide by the law school, the class will "focus on a key set of decisions made during the special counsel's investigation." "The course will start chronologically with the launch of the investigation, including Mueller's appointment as special counsel. Other sessions will focus on navigating the relationship with the Justice Department and Congress, investigative actions relating to the White House and the importance of the Roger Stone prosecution," the school said. "The final sessions will focus on obstruction of justice, presidential accountability and the role of special counsel in that accountability," the release added. Mueller's investigation began in 2017 and wrapped up in 2019, with the release of "The Mueller Report," which became a bestseller. In the report, the longtime former Federal Bureau of Investigation director concluded that there was insufficient evidence to conclude that the Trump campaign had colluded with the Russian government. Mueller also outlined ten episodes that raised the possibility that Trump had obstructed justice, but declined to say definitively whether Trump had committed a crime, citing longstanding Justice Department policy against charging sitting presidents. According to UVA, Zebley said the course will "use the extensive public record to explore why some paths were taken and not others."

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/11/02/peloton-pton-earnings-q1-2024.html

NWSA

News Corp (Class A)

Peloton reports wider-than-expected loss, 'bad news' on paid subscriptions

In this article PTON Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNT A Peloton Bike inside a showroom in New York, US, on Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2023. Peloton Interactive Inc. is scheduled to release earnings figures on November 2. Michael Nagle | Bloomberg | Getty Images Peloton on Thursday reported a wider-than-expected quarterly loss, a tepid holiday forecast and "bad news" for paid subscriptions. The connected fitness company has been working hard to boost revenue with a number of high-profile partnerships and the expected relaunch of its Tread+, but the success of its efforts remains uncertain as it continues to lose members and fails to make money off the ones it has. Here's how Peloton did in its first fiscal quarter compared with what Wall Street was anticipating, based on a survey of analysts by LSEG, formerly known as Refinitiv: Loss per share: 44 cents vs. 34 cents expected 44 cents vs. 34 cents expected Revenue: $595.5 million vs. $591 million expected The company's reported net loss for the three-month period that ended Sept. 30 was $159.3 million, or 44 cents per share, compared with a loss of $408.5 million, or $1.20 per share, a year earlier. Sales dropped to $595.5 million, down from $616.5 million a year earlier. Once again, revenue from Peloton's subscriptions — at $415 million — far outpaced sales of its hardware — $180.6 million — which has been an ongoing trend at the company. For its holiday quarter, Peloton cited concerns that inflation-weary consumers will pull back on spending during the season, which is typically its strongest for hardware sales. It's expecting revenue of between $715 million and $750 million, an 8% drop at the midpoint compared with the year-ago period. That falls short of the $763.2 million analysts had projected for the company's fiscal second quarter, according to LSEG. It expects paid connected fitness subscriptions to be between 2.97 million and 2.98 million, which falls short of the 3.03 million that analysts had expected, according to StreetAccount. It's forecasting a 21% year-over-year drop in paid app subscriptions and 12% sequential churn. For the full year, Peloton expects paid app subscriptions to drop 6% and revenue to fall 2% to a range of $2.7 billion to $2.8 billion. Analysts were expecting full-year revenue to be in line with Peloton's projections at $2.79 billion, according to LSEG. Uphill climb Peloton has been working to launch a series of new strategies in its quest to reclaim its Covid pandemic-era heyday but so far, the results have been mixed. One bright spot has been its rental service, also known as fitness as a service, which CEO Barry McCarthy called a "big growth opportunity" in a letter to shareholders. Peloton ended the quarter with 54,000 rental subscribers in the U.S. and Canada and expects to end the year with 75,000 subscriptions. During the quarter, rentals represented more than 33% of bike sales. During a call with analysts, McCarthy said he's actually been holding the program back from growing more because it still takes about 18 to 20 months for the company to start making money on rentals. Over the next year, Peloton is hoping to have a better understanding of the economics of the program and the working capital it needs to grow it, he said. "Before we let it loose in the wild, we better know what we're doing, if that makes sense," said McCarthy. "If I were to step out of the way, so to speak, it would already be a bigger business than I have allowed it to become." The company also has plans to relaunch its Tread+, which was recalled in 2021 after a child was killed and dozens of injuries were reported. Considering the new price tag of $5,995, McCarthy said sales could "fall flat" given the current economic environment but he thinks it could actually prove to be a boon for sales. "Of all of the products that I've ever been exposed to with Peloton, the one single product that you couldn't pry out of the dead hands of members is the Tread+," said McCarthy. "They are absolutely over the top fanatically obsessed about the user experience on the Tread+. I mean, dramatically, exponentially more emotionally engaged with that product than anything we've ever produced and frankly, it's that reaction that confirms my belief that we're more likely than not to be successful." Spinning wheels Despite its many efforts, the company is seeing higher-than-expected membership churn once again. It ended the quarter with 2.96 million connected fitness subscriptions, below the 2.99 million that analysts had expected, according to StreetAccount, and a drop off of about 30,000 memberships compared with the prior quarter. Churn came in at 1.5%, which was higher than the company's projections and the 1.35% churn rate that analysts had expected. Earlier this year, Peloton launched a new tiered pricing strategy for its app — a key part of its growth strategy — that included a free tier. The idea was users would fall in love with Peloton's content and spring for a paid membership, which comes with a far wider variety of classes, but that bet is yet to materialize. "With limited marketing support, we saw more than one million consumers download the free version of our App. Our brand relaunch was successful in continuing to resonate with our core demographic, and it also attracted more male, GenZ, Black, and LatinX groups than before the relaunch. That's the good news," McCarthy said in a letter to shareholders. "The bad news is we were less successful at engaging and retaining free users and converting them to paying memberships than we expected." In response, the company shifted its marketing spend to focus on the company's paid offering, which drove a higher mix of premium-priced subscribers than it expected. Second, it worked to improve the user experience to make it easier to find classes. It ended the quarter with 763,000 paying Peloton app subscribers, 65,000 fewer than the prior quarter. Churn for its paid app subscription came in at 6.3%, lower than what the company had expected. Analysts had expected 768,200 app subscribers, according to StreetAccount. Engagement with Peloton's content, measured by time spent on the platform, was up 6% during the quarter. Users are taking longer classes and more class types than they were a year ago, the company said. Activating the core

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/01/04/top-stocks-to-watch-on-wall-street-thursday.html

NWSA

News Corp (Class A)

Here are Thursday's biggest analyst calls: Nvidia, Apple, Nike, Home Depot, GM, Wells Fargo, Coinbase and more

Here are the biggest calls on Wall Street on Thursday: Piper Sandler downgrades Apple to neutral from overweight Piper Sandler said in its downgrade of the stock that it's concerned about handset inventories. "We are downgrading AAPL to Neutral given our updated outlook for the broader handset environment in 1H24." Morgan Stanley upgrades Allstate to overweight from equal weight Morgan Stanley said in its upgrade of Allstate that it's underappreciated. "Underappreciated Story in a Favorable Market Environment; Upgrade to Overweight." Roth MKM downgrades Mattel to hold from buy Roth MKM said in its downgrade of the toy company that there's too much excess inventory. "In our view, Mattel finished 2023 with excess inventory on retail shelves which will once again weigh on 1H results." Barclays downgrades Bath & Body Works to equal weight from overweight Barclays said in its downgrade of the stock that it sees top-line concerns. "downgrade BBWI to EW given concerns about driving top line." Bernstein downgrades Analog Devices to market perform from outperform Bernstein downgraded Analog mainly on valuation. "The company likely has a more resilient profile than peers in a potential downside scenario, with a profile that appears closer to bottom, however valuations have markedly expanded and the shares/earnings may need to grow into the multiple." Bernstein names Nike a best idea Bernstein said Nike is one of the firm's top picks for the next six months. "Meanwhile, the multi-year margin story is still intact, and we model ~20% EPS growth over the next 3 years." Bank of America upgrades Tal Education to buy from neutral Bank of America said it sees improving profitability for the China-based education company. "We upgrade TAL from Neutral to Buy. We raise our FY24-26E non-GAAP EPS by 59-381%, largely due to higher assumptions of K-9 non-academic tutoring growth." KeyBanc downgrades Sunrun to sector weight from overweight KeyBanc downgraded the solar company on valuation. "We are downgrading RUN to SW due to a recent valuation rebound." Jefferies upgrades Murphy USA to buy from hold Jefferies said in its upgrade of the gas station company that it's "well positioned for multiple expansion." "After conducting extensive analyses on the c-store industry, we are upgrading MUSA to Buy from Hold and PT to $425 vs. prev: $375." Evercore ISI upgrades Five Below to outperform from in line Evercore ISI said in its upgrade of the stock that it's "defying gravity and delivering growth." "We are upgrading FIVE with rising spend intention from our survey work, sticky remodel boost…" Mizuho upgrades Emerson Electric to buy from hold Mizuho said in its upgrade of the stock that it's a "barbell play." "We upgrade EMR as a barbell play (long/short cycle exposure)." Piper Sandler reiterates Nvidia as overweight Piper Sandler says the stock is still its top large-cap pick. "We continue to favor NVDA in this end market given its competitive position as the premier full-stack compute supplier." TD Cowen downgrades Pfizer to market perform from outperform TD Cowen said in its downgrade of the stock that it has a "lack of conviction" in the outlook. "After a very challenging 2023, much pessimism appears to be reflected in PFE stock." TD Cowen upgrades Merck to outperform from market perform TD Cowen says the stock's valuation is compelling. " MRK offers greater near-term EPS visibility and solid news flow, yet the stock was only an average performer in 2023, and it sells at a below-average PE multiple." Wells Fargo names Home Depot a top pick Wells Fargo says the stock is a top idea in 2024. " HD: Our Top Pick for '24, with growth/recovery levers, margin recapture, and idiosyncratic Pro opportunity." Wells Fargo downgrades Five Below and BJ's to equal weight from overweight Wells Fargo downgraded Five Below and BJ's on Thursday and says it sees earnings risks. "The industry faces an uncertain earnings backdrop in 2024 in our view, and we start the year somewhat below consensus for many of our companies." Deutsche Bank names General Electric and Boeing top picks Deutsche Bank said General Electric and Boeing were its best ideas in 2024. "Our top ideas: BA , GE , and CR are our top three ideas across the broad A & D sector." Oppenheimer downgrades PayPal to market perform from outperform Oppenheimer said in its downgrade of PayPal that it sees profits pressured. "Persistent Profitability Pressure Has Us Downgrading Shares To Perform." JPMorgan upgrades American Express to overweight from neutral JPMorgan said in its upgrade of the stock that it's a "safe haven." " AXP – Upgrade to Overweight (from Neutral) as safe haven from deteriorating household balance sheets." Goldman Sachs upgrades Comerica to buy from neutral Goldman Sachs said in its upgrade of the stock that it sees loan growth returning. "In addition, we are upgrading Comerica to Buy as we see several catalysts for shares over 2024, including: while NII has been under pressure, it should start to inflect as deposit pressure eases and it benefits from eventual fed rate cuts loan growth should return as its optimization finishes and middle market clients start to borrow incrementally." Goldman Sachs names Wells Fargo a top pick Goldman Sachs said it sees market share gains for the banking giant. "We are constructive on WFC on better NII [net interest income], given conservative management assumptions and best-in-class deposit repricing." Wolfe upgrades General Motors to outperform from peer perform Wolfe said in its upgrade of the auto company that it's "warming up to the stock" "We believe that investors underestimate the earnings and cash flow power that GM will generate over the near- to medium-term, and the competitive cost advantages that they are bringing to bear over the medium- to longer-term." Wolfe downgrades Rivian to peer perform from outperform Wolfe said in its downgrade of the stock that it sees product uncertainty. "We continue to believe in RIVN's long-term strategy. And we've been encouraged by their (recently) strong production and cost execution. But for the Street to look further out to the launch of their R2 platform (in 2026), we believe that Investors will need more insight into demand for the company's R1 platform." Mizuho reiterates Coinbase as underperform Mizuho said it's sticking with its underperform rating on the stock. "The potential upside to COIN revenue from Bitcoin ETF may be far less than what the stock indicates." Stifel downgrades Papa John's to sell from hold Stifel said the stock is "overbaked" right now. "We are downgrading shares o f PZZA to Sell from Hold and maintaining our $65 target price." Wells Fargo names Toll Brothers a top pick Wells Fargo says the stock is a top pick in 2024. " TOL is our Top Pick into '24, w/ lower rates presenting opp'ty for offense. But rest of the group can work too, w/ Street ASPs embedding no y/y growth & GMs +100bps y/y." Bank of America upgrades Truist to buy from neutral Bank of America said in its upgrade of the bank that the macro is becoming more "manageable." "We upgrade our rating on Truist Financial (TFC) to Buy from Neutral, raising our PO to $43 implying 17% upside (stock also offers a 5.7% dividend yield)." Wolfe upgrades Verizon to outperform from peer perform Wolfe said in its upgrade of the stock that the multiple looks "more up than down." "At the company level, VZ offers an established deleveraging trend, signs of improving execution, and 67% of revenue in growing businesses." Barclays upgrades Dollar General to overweight from equal weight Barclays says it sees a margin inflection for the stock. " DG (upgrade to OW from EW): We believe that efforts to clean up inventory along with store level investments will support improving sales and potential recovery in margins starting in Q2/3." Barclays upgrades Home Depot to overweight from equal weight Barclays says it likes the stock's exposure to rate cuts. "Other cyclicals may offer more upside, but HD gives us exposure to potential rate cuts, is not over-earning, and really just needs to hit numbers. Our proprietary leading indicators support improving comps through FY24 and into FY25." Piper Sandler upgrades Micron to overweight from neutral Piper Sandler says it sees pricing momentum for shares of Micron. "We believe that on peak earnings, book value could reach highs of $50-$60 per share with the stock trading at a multiple of 2.5-3.0x." Monness Crespi Hardt downgrades Snowflake to sell from neutral Monness said in its downgrade of the stock that it's overvalued. "Benefitting from an overly exuberant tech market in the final quarter of 2023 and riding the coattails of an unprecedented AI hype cycle, Snowflake has rebounded sharply over the past couple of months. In our view, this has left the stock overvalued and vulnerable to selling pressure.

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/09/21/rupert-murdoch-steps-down-as-chairman-of-fox-and-news-corp.html

NWSA

News Corp (Class A)

Rupert Murdoch steps down as chairman of Fox and News Corp.

Rupert Murdoch is stepping down as chairman of the board of both Fox Corp. and News Corp. , the companies said Thursday. The move will be official in November. Murdoch, 92, will be appointed chairman emeritus of each company. Lachlan Murdoch, one of his sons, will become sole chairman of News Corp. and will continue as Fox Corp.'s executive chair and CEO. "Our companies are in robust health, as am I," the elder Murdoch said in a note to employees. "We have every reason to be optimistic about the coming years – I certainly am, and plan to be here to participate in them. But the battle for the freedom of speech and, ultimately, the freedom of thought, has never been more intense." Murdoch is stepping away from the boards after a tumultuous year at Fox's TV network, soon after the company agreed to pay a $787.5 million settlement in the Dominion Voting Systems' defamation lawsuit over false claims that the company's machines swayed the 2020 election between President Joe Biden and Donald Trump. Murdoch's continued role behind the scenes at Fox News was highlighted in the months leading up the Dominion settlement. In his deposition for the lawsuit, Murdoch said some of the network's anchors parroted false claims in the months following the election. Until the settlement, Dominion was calling for Murdoch, his son, and other top Fox talent and executives to take the stand if a trial occurred. At the time, Fox had opposed having the elder Murdoch — as well as other top Fox executives — appearing in person, citing his age. A Delaware judge rejected the argument, and had said Fox wouldn't have been able to argue hardship given Murdoch's engagement that was later called off and his publicly discussed travel plans. Since July 2022, Murdoch had worked from his home in Montana rather than going into Fox or News Corp. offices, according to a securities filing. Fox News also saw top talent Tucker Carlson exit earlier this year, followed by a dip in ratings for a period before he was replaced. Murdoch's departure also comes a year ahead of the upcoming U.S. presidential election. News Corp. owns newspapers The Wall Street Journal and New York Post, among other publications, while Fox is the parent company of right-leaning TV networks Fox News and Fox Business. The Australian media mogul got his start in the industry nearly 70 years ago in 1954, after taking control of what was called News Ltd., which owned the No. 2 newspaper in Adelaide, Australia. His father was a war correspondent and regional newspaper owner. From there he built his newspaper empire, stretching to racy tabloids in Britain and later the U.S. In the 1980s, he entered the television business, and bought oil tycoon Marvin Davis' 50% stake in Twentieth Century Fox in 1985. He became a U.S. citizen that year in order to meet the requirement for owning TV stations in the country. In 1996 the Fox News Channel was launched, and has since become a top-rated cable network. "For my entire professional life, I have been engaged daily with news and ideas, and that will not change," Murdoch said in his note to employees, adding it was time for him to take on different roles. Nearly a year ago, Murdoch explored reuniting Fox and News Corp., a move that would have allowed leadership to be consolidated in his media empire, as well as cutting costs. Murdoch had split up News Corp. and Fox in 2013. The proposal had come as audiences shrink for both print media and cable TV, while readers and viewers increasingly get their news and entertainment from online news, social media and streaming. However, Murdoch called off the proposed merger in January. Murdoch had withdrawn the proposal for the reunion, saying in a letter to the board that he and his son "determined that a combination is not optimal for the shareholders" of either of the companies at the time. The Murdoch family trust controls roughly 40% of the voting rights of both companies. The family is said to have amassed a fortune of more than $17 billion as of 2023. Fox and its broadcast and pay TV networks are left over from the $71.3 billion Twenty-First Century Fox sale to Disney in 2019. The media company has focused on news and sports — primarily for its traditional TV networks — as well as the free, ad-supported streamer Tubi, rather than jumping into the direct-to-consumer subscription streaming business like its peers. Fox, which saw its stock move up slightly on Thursday, has a market cap of more than $15.5 billion. News Corp. has a market cap of more than $11 billion. The Murdochs' time and power in media has been chronicled over the years in books, as well as considered to be loosely portrayed in the HBO series "Succession." In coming days, Michael Wolff's "The Fall: The End of Fox News and the Murdoch Dynasty," will be released and is said to include more revelations about the Murdoch family, U.S. politics and Fox News. Read Murdoch's full note to employees: Dear Colleagues, I am writing to let you all know that I have decided to transition to the role of Chairman Emeritus at Fox and News. For my entire professional life, I have been engaged daily with news and ideas, and that will not change. But the time is right for me to take on different roles, knowing that we have truly talented teams and a passionate, principled leader in Lachlan who will become sole Chairman of both companies. Neither excessive pride nor false humility are admirable qualities. But I am truly proud of what we have achieved collectively through the decades, and I owe much to my colleagues, whose contributions to our success have sometimes been unseen outside the company but are deeply appreciated by me. Whether the truck drivers distributing our papers, the cleaners who toil when we have left the office, the assistants who support us or the skilled operators behind the cameras or the computer code, we would be less successful and have less positive impact on society without your day-after-day dedication. Our companies are in robust health, as am I. Our opportunities far exceed our commercial challenges. We have every reason to be optimistic about the coming years - I certainly am, and plan to be here to participate in them. But the battle for the freedom of speech and, ultimately, the freedom of thought, has never been more intense. My father firmly believed in freedom, and Lachlan is absolutely committed to the cause. Self-serving bureaucracies are seeking to silence those who would question their provenance and purpose. Elites have open contempt for those who are not members of their rarefied class. Most of the media is in cahoots with those elites, peddling political narratives rather than pursuing the truth. In my new role, I can guarantee you that I will be involved every day in the contest of ideas. Our companies are communities, and I will be an active member of our community. I will be watching our broadcasts with a critical eye, reading our newspapers and websites and books with much interest, and reaching out to you with thoughts, ideas, and advice. When I visit your countries and companies, you can expect to see me in the office late on a Friday afternoon. I look forward to seeing you wherever you work and whatever your responsibility. And I urge you to make the most of this great opportunity to improve the world we live in.

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/05/06/battle-over-tax-hikes-muddies-gops-post-trump-push-to-be-party-of-the-working-class.html

NWSA

News Corp (Class A)

Battle over tax hikes muddies the GOP's post-Trump push to be the party of the working class

President Joe Biden speaks following a tour of Tidewater Community College in Norfolk, Virginia on May 3, 2021. Mandel Ngan | AFP | Getty Images WASHINGTON — The looming battle over tax hikes to fund President Joe Biden's economic recovery bills threatens to undermine the Republican Party's nascent, post-Trump effort to rebrand itself as the party of the working class. Over the past decade, the share of Americans with only a high school education who identified as Republicans has risen by more than 10 points, from 34% to 45%, according to NBC News/Wall Street Journal polling. Many of these voters were initially drawn to the GOP over cultural issues, not financial ones. But Trump injected economic populism into the party platform. In the 2020 election, despite losing the presidency, he won noncollege white men by 42 percentage points, and noncollege white women by 27 points. Over the past year, Republicans also joined Democrats in voting for massive Covid relief bills that strengthened the social safety net with cash payments and enhanced unemployment benefits — two things that Republicans rarely vote for. Since Biden took office in January, several GOP senators have released new policy plans that boost the incomes of working families, and that defy traditional, laissez-faire conservative economics. GOP Sens. Marco Rubio of Florida and Mike Lee of Utah proposed raising the child tax credit in Biden's coronavirus relief bill even higher than Democrats had initially set it. Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah has released a plan to provide a monthly cash benefit of $350 to families for each child under 6, and $250 a month for children 6-17 years old. And Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri, a staunch Trump supporter, announced legislation to give a tax credit to anyone making less than the mean hourly wage of $16.50, in the form of a quarterly check from the IRS. Senator Josh Hawley, R-MO, speaks during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the the January 6th insurrection, in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, March 2, 2021. Graeme Jennings | Pool | Reuters "Before Trump, the GOP plan was to be hands off on the economy," said Henry Olsen, a senior fellow at the conservative Ethics and Public Policy Center. "But Trump's victories, and the fact that he mobilized large-scale support and grew the blue-collar vote for Republicans, changed all that." In the House, Rep. Jim Banks of Indiana , leader of the conservative Republican Study Committee, wrote a memo last month arguing that the only way for the Republican Party to win control of Congress was by "enthusiastically rebranding and reorienting as the Party of the Working Class." "For too long, the Republican Party fed into the narrative and the perception that the Republican Party was the party of big business or the party of Wall Street," wrote Banks. All these initiatives reflect a party "trying to catch up with the people who are supporting them," said John Russo, co-editor of the publication Working-Class Perspectives and a visiting scholar at the Kalmanovitz Initiative for Labor and the Working Poor at Georgetown University. "Trump turned it upside down, especially when it comes to deficit spending. The GOP is trying to capture the voters he won over and keep them," he said. But Biden's economic recovery package now threatens to drive a wedge between Republicans and the working-class voters they're trying to hold onto, by forcing the GOP to choose between protecting corporate tax cuts or creating more blue-collar jobs. Russo noted that there are many ways to define "working class." For the purposes of this story, it means people without a college education. The Biden factor The Biden recovery plan is divided into two massive investment bills: the infrastructure-focused American Jobs Plan, and the American Families Plan, which expands education and child-care aid. The combined price tag for the plans is north of $4 trillion, but Biden intends to avoid ballooning the federal deficit in part by raising taxes on corporations and the very rich to pay for the programs. The chief beneficiaries of the plans will be Americans without a college degree and low-income workers. For Republicans, however, the bills' prospects begin and end at the tax hikes. U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) speaks at a news conference at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S., December 15, 2020. Nicholas Kamm | Reuters Four years after passing the biggest tax cut in a generation in 2017, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said this week that any increase to the tax rates enshrined in the 2017 law would be a red line for Republicans. Calling the cuts among the most significant domestic accomplishments of Trump's presidency, the Kentucky Republican said, "We're not going to revisit the 2017 tax bill." He accused Democrats of wanting to "raise the corporate rate to the highest in the world," despite the fact that Biden proposes raising it only to 28%, which is still 7 points lower than the pre-2017 rate of 35%. Banks and the Republican Study Committee were equally outraged by the proposed tax increases on the wealthy and corporations. "Biden and Congressional Democrats' assault on American jobs and American taxpayers is simply unconscionable," the committee said in a statement on the proposed tax hikes. But the 2017 tax cuts didn't win over many Americans, a reality reflected in a wide array of polls both during and after the bill's passage in late 2017. But that's not surprising, given that multiple analyses of the bill's impacts have found that the biggest beneficiaries of the changes, by far, were the wealthiest Americans and corporations. Following the law's implementation, most voters did not report seeing any material change in their own circumstances. By contrast, the first part of Biden's package, the American Jobs Plan, appeals directly to noncollege educated voters: Three of every 4 infrastructure jobs created by the plan will require no more than a high school diploma. Getty Images Biden has referred to the jobs plan as "a blue-collar blueprint to build America," and it is widely seen as more likely to become law in a Congress where Democrats hold only razor-thin majorities in both chambers. The second part of Biden's agenda, the American Families Plan, faces a narrower path to becoming law, and there are competing estimates of how much it would actually cost to greatly expand public education, child-care subsidies and unemployment benefits. Like the infrastructure bill, this, too, relies on making changes to the 2017 tax bill. But not all Republicans agree with McConnell's iron-clad refusal to revisit the 2017 tax cuts. An opportunity for the GOP According to Olsen, preserving tax cuts above all else reflects a kind of conservative economic thinking that's increasingly outdated. "With respect, Senator McConnell tends not to be comfortable being a policy entrepreneur, so defending the tax cut comes naturally for him," Olsen said. "But going forward, it ought not to be the Republican approach to economic policy." Instead, conservative economists like Olsen see the influx of noncollege educated voters to the GOP as a chance for the party to champion new kinds of economic policy that will appeal to working-class people because it genuinely benefits working-class people. Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) speaks as bipartisan members of the Senate and House gather to announce a framework for fresh coronavirus relief legislation at a news conference on Capitol Hill on Dec. 1, 2020. Kevin Lemarque | Reuters

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/12/27/these-bonds-offering-tax-free-income-will-still-be-a-good-deal-in-2024.html

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These bonds offering tax-free income will still be a good deal in 2024

Municipal bonds, favored for their tax-free income, are looking at a solid year in 2024 and could be a compelling purchase for investors hoping to lock in attractive yields. Munis, along with an array of fixed-income assets, saw a sizable bump in yields amid the Federal Reserve's rate-hiking campaign. However, rates have calmed as the year winds down – the 10-year Treasury yield is around 3.8%, far off its October highs of more than 5%. "We will likely see positive total returns," said Cooper Howard, fixed income strategist at the Schwab Center for Financial Research. "Outperformance relative to Treasurys might be difficult, but the positive view boils down to two points: High absolute yields and good credit." The Morningstar U.S. Municipal Bond index has a roughly 6.4% total return in 2023, up sharply from its -9.2% return in the prior year as a sharp rise in rates led to falling prices for fixed income. Bond yields and prices have an inverse relationship to one another. With the central bank penciling in three rate cuts in 2024 , investors who've snapped up longer-dated munis could see another silver lining in addition to locking in today's higher yields: rising prices on the holdings. "If the trend line for government bond yields is lower, there's a high probability the muni bonds will follow suit – you get capital appreciation from duration in the muni market," said Peter Higgins, head of fixed income and senior portfolio manager at Shelton Capital Management. Tax-free municipals are generally lower risk – and lower yielding – compared to their corporate counterparts. However, the fact that they generate income free of federal taxes (and free of state taxes if investors reside in the same state as the issuer) means a high-income investor would have to find a higher-yielding corporate bond in order to match what he or she would get from a muni bond. To that effect, if a muni bond yields 3.5%, an investor in the 32% tax bracket would have to find a taxable bond yielding 5.15% to generate comparable income, according to New York Life Investments . More flows, higher duration The forecast for rate cuts in the new year isn't great news for investors hiding out in money market funds : Yields on cash are going to come down. However, by adding more duration – that is, raising exposure to longer-dated bonds with more price sensitivity – investors get to benefit from locking in higher yields and the opportunity for price appreciation. "The longer-duration nature of the asset class can potentially reduce the reinvestment risk present with the recently popular money market instruments," said Ben Barber, director of municipal bonds at Franklin Templeton Fixed Income, in his muni outlook. "A sustained increase in demand should support muni bond performance over the coming months." Schwab's Howard pointed out that longer-term municipal bonds offer investors more relative value compared to the short-term counterparts. "The gap between AAA-rated municipal bonds and Treasury bonds after taxes is fairly tight up until about 10 years, and then begins to widen out," he pointed out in his muni outlook. Given the current set-up, Paul Malloy, head of municipal investment at Vanguard, likes the idea of using a barbell to get intermediate-level duration. That involves using a short-term fund, like the asset manager's Short-Term Tax-Exempt Bond ETF (VTES) and a longer-dated fund, such as the Vanguard Long-Term Tax-Exempt Fund (VWLTX) . "Munis are one of the best things going in the fixed income space," he said. "It's got yield. It provides all the attributes of fixed income, and it serves as ballast to an overall diversified portfolio." Issues to watch in 2024 There are a couple of developments on the horizon in 2024 in the muni world. "There are higher balances in municipalities' rainy day funds, and the economy remains relatively strong, and tax collections are supportive of municipal budgets," said Beth Foos, associate director, fixed income strategies, at Morningstar. "That said, there is still a possibility for revenue slowing," she added, and that is all the more reason for managers to focus on credit quality and projects that are going to remain resilient even in a slowing economy. Naturally, rates are on the minds of fixed income investors and strategists, as well as recession risk. "The Fed is still trying to navigate the economy from this restrictive policy stance, and that means that there are recession risks still on the table for 2024 – and it means the high yield part of the muni market is an area where we have to be ultra selective," said Malloy. Finally, elections in the new year are worth eyeing. That's because a slate of provisions in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act are due to sunset at the end of 2025. The TCJA currently places a $10,000 cap on the state and local tax deduction – a write-off that was popular with taxpayers who itemize deductions and reside in states with high income and property taxes , such as New York, New Jersey and California – and this so-called SALT deduction is set to expire at the end of 2025. What will happen with the TCJA and the SALT deduction will depend on the outcome of state and presidential elections in 2024 – and that could make waves for munis. "It takes a long way to get to tax law changes, but if there is talk of it on the campaign trail, that can create headline risk," said Howard. Even with these issues, investors with a long-term perspective may benefit from adding to their high quality muni bond exposure while it's still cheap. "If you're in a higher tax bracket, it's a great time to re-establish your fixed income positions, especially if you've been holding cash," Malloy said.

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/11/09/us-bonds-treasury-yields-fall-following-bidens-election-win.html

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10-year Treasury yield jumps above 0.95% following vaccine news

The yield on the 10-year Treasury note jumped 13 basis points to 0.95%. The benchmark rate touched a high of 0.975%, its highest level since March 20. The yield on the 30-year Treasury bond climbed 15 basis points to 1.742%. Yields move inversely to prices. U.S. Treasury yields jumped on Monday following news that a coronavirus vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech is proven to be more than 90% effective in a study. The jump in yields came after U.S. pharmaceutical giant Pfizer and German biotech firm BioNTech announced Monday their coronavirus vaccine was more than 90% effective in preventing Covid-19 among those without evidence of prior infection. The result was much better than the market was hoping for. White House coronavirus advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci has previously said one that is 50% or 60% effective would be acceptable. The news came as cases of the coronavirus continue to surge in the U.S., with daily infections reaching a record of 128,412 on Saturday, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. "As stock markets rally around the world on the news, bond markets will sell off, driving yields higher and that will cause a repricing across all asset classes," Chris Zaccarelli, chief investment officer at Independent Advisor Alliance, said in a note. Clarity on the political front also helped boost risk sentiment. Democrat Joe Biden defeated incumbent Republican President Donald Trump in the U.S. presidential election race, according to NBC News projections. The call came four days after Election Day and amid close counts in several battleground states. However, Senate control is uncertain as both of Georgia's Senate races are likely going to runoffs slated for early January. Last week, bond yields slipped from their multi-month highs as the expectations of a "blue wave" scenario dwindled. Investors had hoped a unified government would approve big stimulus spending, which could result in more government debt and inflation. Loretta J.Mester, president of the Federal Reserve bank of Cleveland, is due to make a speech at 15:30 p.m. ET and Philadephia Fed President Patrick Harker is set to speak at 16:20 p.m. ET. Auctions will be held on Monday for $54 billion worth of 13-week bills, $51 billion of 26-week bills and $54 billion of three-year notes. — CNBC's Vicky McKeever and Kevin Breuninger contributed to this story.

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/10/25/facebook-news-new-product-will-pay-publishers-highlight-news-stories.html

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Facebook News launches with hand-picked stories from major publishers

Facebook announced on Friday the launch of Facebook News, a new section of the social network that will show users a personalized selection of news stories. "News gives people more control over the stories they see, and the ability to explore a wider range of their news interests, directly within the Facebook app," the company said in its announcement. The rollout is to begin later Friday, but some users won't see it immediately, Facebook said. The move comes as Facebook has struggled to curb the viral sharing of false information on its service. Facebook came under criticism in 2016 after a former employee told Gizmodo that the company routinely suppressed news stories that were of interest to conservative readers in its "trending" news section. Facebook denied the allegations, but it ultimately killed the feature in 2018. More recently, CEO Mark Zuckerberg has faced criticism for Facebook's policy of allowing political ads with false information to run on the site. The company has been working on the Facebook News project for months. It could pay millions of dollars to news publications for licensing fees to run their stories on Facebook, according to The Wall Street Journal. For subscription-based publications, users will be able to read stories syndicated on Facebook for free but will have to pay if they click through to other stories, according to a Vox report. The company is launching the project at a public event in New York on Friday, with News Corp. CEO Robert Thomson sharing the stage with Zuckerberg. Thomson and News Corp. Chairman Rupert Murdoch have called for online giants like Facebook and Google to pay for news content, similar to how cable TV providers pay networks for the right to broadcast their programming. Facebook News will include local reporting for large cities like New York, Los Angeles and Chicago. At launch, the product will be shown only to a subset of users in the U.S. Among the publications that will be shown in Facebook News are The Wall Street Journal, owned by News Corp.; The Washington Post, owned by Amazon's Jeff Bezos; Gannett's USA Today; Buzzfeed; and NBCUniversal, which includes CNBC. The stories included in Facebook News will be chosen by a team of journalists. "This team is independent, free from editorial intervention by anyone at the company," Facebook said. "They will select stories based on publicly available guidelines, which you can learn about at facebook.com/news." WATCH: Key moments from Mark Zuckerberg's testimony before Congress about Project Libra

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/09/27/stocks-look-to-regain-footing-in-thursdays-session-onwall-street-.html

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Stocks look to regain footing in Thursday's session on Wall Street

BY THE NUMBERS Futures were higher this morning amid a late-month display of negative sentiment that has seen the S&P 500 down for four straight days. The Dow has been down for three straight sessions, although it is still up 1.6 percent for September. (CNBC) The Fed hiked its benchmark interest rate a quarter point yesterday, upped its anticipation for economic growth this year and next, and provided a road map of what lies ahead through 2021. The FOMC projects one more hike before the end of the year. (CNBC) * Cramer cautions against trading stocks every time Fed chief 'opens his mouth' (CNBC) Investors will have no shortage of economic reports to consider today, starting with three reports at 8:30 a.m. ET — initial jobless claims, August durable goods order and the second revision of second quarter GDP. At 10 a.m., the National Association of Realtors releases August pending home sales. (CNBC) Consulting firm Accenture (ACN), cruise line operator Carnival (CCL), food producer Conagra (CAG), spice-maker McCormick (MKC), and drug store chain operator Rite Aid (RAD) all issue quarterly earnings this morning. Progress Software (PRGS) is among the companies after-the-bell. (CNBC) IN THE NEWS TODAY STOCKS TO WATCH CVS Health (CVS) and Aetna (AET) have reached an agreement to sell part of their Medicare drug plan businesses to WellCare Health Plans. The deal, if approved would triple WellCare's current Part D membership from 1.1 million to 3.2 million. Bed Bath & Beyond (BBBY) earned 36 cents per share for its second quarter, short of the 50 cent consensus estimate, while revenue also fell short of forecasts. The household goods retailer saw comparable store sales fall 0.6 percent, with analysts having expected a 0.3 percent increase. The company also issued weaker than expected full-year earnings guidance. Papa John's (PZZA) has reached to potential buyers and asked them to submit bids, according to Reuters, with a first round of offers expected by October. On Wednesday, founder John Schnatter denied a CNBC report that he had reached out to private equity firms about putting together an offer for Papa John's. Canopy Growth (CGC) shareholders approved a $4 billion investment by an affiliate of spirits producer Constellation Brands (STZ). The cannabis producer said the transaction is expected to be completed on or before October 31. H.B. Fuller (FUL) reported adjusted quarterly profit of 86 cents, falling four cents short of estimates. Revenue also missed forecasts, with the adhesives and specialty chemicals maker's results hurt by higher raw material costs, currency fluctuations, and difficult business conditions. WATERCOOLER

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/03/19/tech-stock-market-meltdown.html

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Stock market meltdown has to do with a lot more than just Facebook

Bad news for Facebook may have been a catalyst for Monday's market meltdown, but analysts say there are plenty of reasons for selling to continue, not the least of which is an atmosphere of uncertainty being created by the White House. Fear of a global trade war tops the list of worries sparked by the Trump administration, but analysts also say the personnel shakeups and concern over the ongoing Russia investigation, including whether President Donald Trump will fire the special prosecutor, are also hanging over the market. On top of that, the economy seems to have lost some oomph. Economists no longer see 3 percent growth forecasts for the current quarter. Recent real estate and retail sales data raise questions about what is going on with the consumer, and there is concern Fed interest rate hikes could slow things down even more. In the very near term, investors are looking to the Fed for guidance. The Federal Open Market Committee begins a two-day meeting Tuesday and will release new economic and interest rate forecasts Wednesday. The Fed is widely expected to raise rates, but the future course of rate hikes is unclear, and analysts say the reaction in stocks could be negative if the Fed expects more than the three rate hikes it currently forecasts for this year. "We don't see any reason for an abatement of this market pressure coming on before the Fed. After the Fed, we'll have to see what their message is," said Julian Emanuel, head of equities and derivatives strategy at BTIG. "The [White House] personnel turnover at the margin increases uncertainty, and markets dislike uncertainty. There are so many uncertainties right now —politically, economically, monetarily." The Dow was down more than 335 points to 24,610, and the was off 1.4 percent to 2,712. The S&P broke below its 50-day moving average at 2,748 and was still about a dozen points above its 100-day moving average, at 2,688. U.S. interest rates, meanwhile, continued to rise Monday. Typically, Treasury yields fall when stocks sell off, because investors seek safety in the bond market. Instead, the 2-year yield reached a new nine-year high of 2.32 percent early Monday, and the 10-year yield also rose, to around 2.85 percent. Facebook was the far bigger weight on the market than rising rates, but analysts said Trump also spooked the market. Analysts pointed to a weekend flurry of tweets from the president attacking the integrity of special prosecutor Robert Mueller's investigation. "Trump is one tweet away from scaring the hell out of the market," said Art Cashin, UBS' director of floor operations. The fact that it was Facebook and tech that led the decline hit right at the sweet spot of the market. Tech was the sector that led the market off its February lows, and the Nasdaq was the only index that had recovered to the point where it was again setting new highs. Facebook and other members of FANG — Alphabet , Amazon and Netflix — were an even bigger driver. "The FANG thing is the biggest worry, that all these high-tech stocks which were potentially subject to some form of regulation are now wide open to some form of regulation," Cashin said. Facebook's stock tumbled after news this weekend that Cambridge Analytica obtained data on millions of its users. The firm had worked on Facebook ads for the Trump campaign. Facebook's trouble spread across tech, and the sector led the selling. "When that rolls over it does take the market over. Unfortunately, we're in no man's land on the S&P 500. We broke the 50-day, and the 100-day is not within shouting distance," said Art Hogan, chief market strategist at B. Riley FBR. "That's what we bounced off of the last time. That may be enough for people to say we're retesting the lows. When you break the 50-day, it tends to be self-fulfilling." The S&P hit an intraday low of 2,532 during February's sell-off. Facebook, after Monday's 7 percent plunge, was down 2.4 percent year to date, but Netflix was still up 61 percent while the S&P was up just 1 percent year to date. Nasdaq was hit hard Monday, with the tech-driven composite down 2.4 percent, at about 7,300. Scott Redler, partner with T3Live.com, said tech signaled it was ready for a sell-off last week. This happened when the PowerShares QQQ Trust , an ETF representing the Nasdaq 100, had a negative outside day, meaning it hit a lower low than the prior day and then remained weak. But Facebook stock had looked to be strengthening ahead of the surprise weekend news. Emanuel said the tech sector is also in the crosshairs of the trade issues and the Fed. The Trump administration has taken aggressive steps, slapping new tariffs on steel and aluminum and threatening to put tariffs on a range of Chinese goods. Analysts fear a retaliatory backlash that will hurt the sale of U.S. goods in overseas markets and potentially even slow global growth if it becomes widespread. Traders were watching headlines on Monday from Argentina, where G-20 finance ministers were critical of U.S. tariffs. "A higher interest rate environment should punish higher multiple stocks relatively more. They're also the biggest exporters. The average technology company is well in excess of 50 percent of an exporter, as opposed to the rest of the S&P 500," Emanuel said. James Paulsen, the Leuthold Group's chief investment strategist, said the market's reliance on tech is in some ways similar to tech before the bubble burst in 2000. "What happens in a bull market is everyone eventually tilts toward aggressives and avoids defensives. ... Everyone is going into the same popular stocks that have worked and avoided the ones that haven't, and everyone is riding the same wave," he said. Paulsen expects choppiness to continue until valuations come down to more normal levels. He said there could either be a quick panicky sell-off or the market could trade sideways with volatility for months. "Right now, it puts you at 2,300 or below," he said. But if earnings rise as expected, by year-end, the S&P should be at about 2,550 then.

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/12/23/not-knowing-these-roth-ira-truths-can-cost-you.html

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Not knowing these Roth IRA truths can cost you

Peter Cade | Getty Images To Roth or not to Roth? That may not be the question as William Shakespeare phrased it. But it is the question you should be asking yourself when saving retirement money in an individual retirement account. New research from TD Ameritrade finds that many individuals are confused when it comes to Roth IRAs — accounts that are funded with post-tax money. Consequently, many people are leaving cash on the table when it comes to maximizing this savings strategy. "Roth IRAs, Roth conversions, are sometimes seen as really benefiting just wealthy taxpayers," said Christine Russell, senior manager of retirement and annuities at TD Ameritrade. "In fact, Roth has benefits for many different taxpayers and many different tax brackets." Here are the biggest things that investors typically do not know about Roth IRAs. watch now You can contribute to a 401(k) and a Roth IRA Many workers get their retirement savings education from their employer. Often, those employer-provided plans are 401(k) plans. And you generally want to contribute enough to that account to get the employer match. But what many investors — 6 out of 10 — erroneously believe is that you can only contribute to a Roth once you hit your 401(k) maximum, according to TD Ameritrade's research. "You can certainly be contributing to both a Roth IRA and a 401(k) at the same time," Russell said. "You don't have to reach that 401(k) maximum in order to contribute to a Roth IRA." Roth 401(k) and Roth IRA contributions not the same Many 401(k) plans now offer savers the ability to save post-tax money in their 401(k) plans. But these savings are separate, which means you can both make Roth 401(k) contributions and save in a Roth IRA at the same time. The accounts are also subject to different rules. Roth savings options in 401(k) plans are subject to maximum limits for those accounts. In 2020, that will be $19,500, or $26,000 for individuals aged 50 and over. Meanwhile, Roth IRAs are subject to earnings limits. For many individuals, that is $122,000. "It probably doesn't impact as many people as we think, especially those that earn less than that amount," Russell said. FabrikaCr | iStock | Getty Images Contributions can be made after 70½ Just 22% of individuals surveyed by TD Ameritrade said they know it's still possible to contribute to a Roth IRA after they reach age 70½. Russell attributes that misconception to the fact that traditional pre-tax IRAs have prohibited individuals from making contributions after that age. While that is still true for the 2019 tax year, it will change in 2020. That's because a new law, called the SECURE Act, will now let individuals put away retirement savings in all IRA accounts beyond age 70½, provided you have earned income. There are advantages to saving in a Roth IRA, however, that investors should know about. With Roth IRAs, the money you contributed can be taken out tax-free, because the money you invested was post-tax in the first place. When it comes to the earnings on the money you invested in a Roth IRA, there is a five-year rule before you can take that out penalty free (as long as you're over 59½). The good news is that the five year rule on earnings is dependent on when you first open the account, Russell said. That's why it's a good idea to open a Roth IRA as soon as possible, even if it's just with a small amount of money, to get that five-year clock ticking, Russell said. watch now Roth IRAs can help control Medicare costs Having more taxable income in retirement can get expensive, even if you're middle class. That's because what you pay for Medicare Part B is based on your taxable income in retirement. Medicare Part B premiums are particularly tricky, Russell said. That's because even if you earn just one more dollar, you could have to pay hundreds of dollars more for your premiums as a result. To help guard against that, you may want to use Roth IRAs to provide tax-free income in retirement. "The benefit is that it's not going to increase your Medicare Part B premium," Russell said. Roth IRA conversions can mitigate tax bills

https://www.cnbc.com/2017/03/07/entry-ban-could-cause-doctor-shortages-in-trump-territory-new-research-finds.html

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Entry ban could cause doctor shortages in Trump territory, new research finds

President Donald Trump signs a revised executive order in September at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., taking Iraq off the U.S. travel ban list. President Donald Trump's executive order suspending entry to the U.S. by people from six Muslim-majority nations could reduce the number of doctors in areas with high percentages of Trump supporters, according to researchers at Harvard Medical School and MIT. Swaths of Appalachia and the Rust Belt could be disproportionately affected, the researchers who analyzed data about physicians in the United States found. As many as several hundred doctors from the six countries affected by Trump's new executive order will not be able to begin medical residencies this year unless waivers are granted, Atul Grover, executive vice president of The Association of American Medical Colleges, told NBC News. The AAMC is still calculating the precise number of doctors directly affected by the latest ban and is expected to release a breakdown of specific numbers within the week. Residency programs are a pathway for foreign-born doctors to become physicians in the U.S. and have played a critical role in preventing doctor shortages in rural and low-income areas. The new research from economists and medical professionals at Harvard and MIT found that doctors from the countries affected by Trump's latest immigration-related executive order — Iran, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, Syria and Libya — have tended to cluster in states like Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Residents of working class areas in those states tend to have higher incidences of health problems like obesity, diabetes, and alcoholism and also tended to give Trump big boosts of support in the election, according to The Economist. As the below maps show, doctors from the six affected countries have tended to serve these areas.

https://www.cnbc.com/2017/03/08/west-elms-quality-issues-dont-stop-at-peggygate.html

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West Elm's quality issues don't stop at #PeggyGate

The Peggy sofa is "a piece of s--t," Alex Fawcett, a former visual merchandiser for West Elm in Tysons Corner, Virginia, told BuzzFeed News. The company's product quality "isn't fantastic, but they're producing on-point design that is basically beautiful and trendy and affordable, considering most people can't afford to go to some haute couture Brooklynite store that will cost several thousand dollars." "I think people in general, they think it's high quality because it's so good-looking," former West Elm store employee Lee Hamby told BuzzFeed News. "But let's face the facts: It's not a high-end furniture brand." Consumers have forked out for the brand's glossy, midcentury modern aesthetic — the kind of middle-class professional look that screams, "I've graduated from Ikea" — but beneath the surface is a product that offers more in elegance than endurance, according to former employees and unhappy customers. West Elm's issues seem to go well beyond #PeggyGate, the recent guffaw in which the now infamous Peggy couch was pulled from sale after a viral essay lamented its poor quality. The prices are high enough that plenty of customers expect better. The furniture retailer, which is owned by pricey kitchenware chain Williams-Sonoma, isn't a stranger to quality complaints. A West Elm spokesperson told BuzzFeed News in a statement on Tuesday that it follows "industry-best standards with commitment to quality materials and manufacturing and rigorous third-party testing." "We also take customer feedback seriously and strive to be as responsive as possible," it added. But the prices are high enough that plenty of customers expect better. The furniture retailer, which is owned by pricey kitchenware chain Williams-Sonoma, isn't a stranger to quality complaints. Take, for instance the case of the $300 leather dining chair. @joshua_lory: .@westelm quality on $299 chair When Joshua Lory, 32, and his wife moved to San Jose, California, from New York City, they were won over by a set of West Elm framework leather dining chairs with a dark walnut finish, priced at $300 per chair. Yet when the chairs were delivered in February, Lory noticed a problem almost immediately. "Out of the six chairs we received, three were damaged in shipping or not put together correctly," he said. "You can also put them in a line and they're not all even. Some are higher than the others." The chair is now listed as "no longer available" online. Lory said a customer service representative told him the whole line had been discontinued because of "production issues" and offered to replace the chairs once the issues are fixed. "They're not charging Ikea prices," Lory said. "West Elm has a lot of pressure on them to put out new styles and be a little higher quality, but they're charging a lot of money for these chairs." Consider Exhibit B: the Reeve marble dining table. @arkent74: @westelm can you help? I've called, emailed, & no response. Table is falling apart. Alison Kent, 42, told BuzzFeed News she was happy with all of her West Elm purchases until she bought a $600 Reeve marble dining table that started chipping, revealing a marble veneer. "It wasn't cheap," she said. "I don't really use the table a lot. I had probably eaten at it all of three times." West Elm's customer service department told Kent they weren't able to refund or replace the table because it was not "technically an in-store purchase," she said. During another call, they offered a 20%-off coupon. In one final attempt, she spoke to a store worker, who told her the line had been discontinued because other customers had complained about the marble chipping. "I was just really disappointed in their level of customer service and their inaction in caring about the quality of the work they put together and the inability to follow through," she said. The company did not respond to requests for comment from BuzzFeed News. A number of unnamed employee reviews on jobs site Glassdoor.com include complaints that West Elm's furniture is not up to par," that "the product might be attractive but the quality is terrible," and that the "products are vastly over-priced compared to quality and craftsmanship." Consumers think West Elm is "better quality than it really is," said Hamby, who worked in visual merchandising for West Elm from 2007 to 2011. Its slick design and branding has allowed the company to command prices above other starter furniture brands like Ikea. West Elm's Peggy sofa, which was upholstered in fabric, retailed for $1,199; Ikea's Landskrona leather sofa retails for $799 and comes with a 10-year warranty. "It's probably a couple steps up from Ikea," said Hamby. But "it's not something you're going to pass on for generations." Fawcett, the former store staffer in Virginia, said: "When you come to a brand like Ikea, they may have a sturdier product because they don't put out a whole lot of pieces throughout the year. West Elm has an assortment of sofas and key pieces which changes every year. There is not a lot of lead time to test these products full-on like Ikea would." @maryrachelcutter: So disappointed my @westelm Reeve coffee table is falling apart after only 14 months :( #worstelm #fixmytable The flaws get noticed by customers. When Cassandra Berger decided to "be a grown up and invest in a good bed," she bought West Elm's mod upholstered platform bed for about $1,000. About nine months later, she noticed three out of the four legs had cracked and splayed out and discovered the joint that connects the bed frame to the legs had cracked. The company has offered to replace the legs, although it did not address the cracked joint. "I've ranted enough times about this," she said.

https://www.cnbc.com/id/100178474

NWS

News Corp (Class B)

News Corp. shareholder protest votes defeated

LOS ANGELES -- News Corp. managed to avoid rowdy protests at its annual shareholders meeting Tuesday, but that didn't stop stockholders from voicing complaints about the grip on the company held by founder and CEO Rupert Murdoch and his family. Despite the opposition, the News Corp. board said three shareholder proposals to dilute the Murdochs' control were defeated by a majority of voting shares. Only Class B shareholders could vote and the Murdoch family controls nearly 40 percent of them. That means it has a dominant say in the operations of the company, which owns media properties such as Fox News Channel and The Wall Street Journal, even though its stake amounts to 13 percent of outstanding shares. Some shareholders said they were upset at the lack of management accountability for the British phone hacking scandal that erupted last year, and registered significant protest votes. This year's gathering was more subdued, however, than a year ago, when protesters assembled outside following revelations made public in June 2011 that the company's British tabloid News of the World regularly hacked into the phones of celebrities and crime victims in the hunt for scoops. Still, Rupert Murdoch had a couple of testy exchanges with shareholders during the 81-minute meeting Tuesday on the 20th Century Fox movie studio lot in Los Angeles. "There are plenty of media stocks to buy if they don't like this one," said Murdoch, who chaired the meeting and had just 3.5 percent of votes cast against his re-election. "When you buy the stock you know what the company is. If you don't like it, don't buy the stock." The shareholder proposal that got the most support _ at 30 percent of the votes cast _ would have mandated that the board chairman be independent, which would have stripped Murdoch of the title. The proposal was supported by about two-thirds of the votes cast when excluding the Murdoch family's stake. "While Mr. Murdoch claims that the interests of his family are in line with those of all shareholders, this vote proves that most independent shareholders would disagree," said Julie Tanner, an assistant director at the motion's co-sponsor, Christian Brothers Investment Services Inc. Meanwhile, 28 percent were cast in support of eliminating the division between voting and non-voting shares. That also was about two-thirds of the non-Murdoch votes. Laura Shaffer Campos, director of shareholder activities for The Nathan Cummings Foundation, said it was important to call for a change in corporate governance even if it went unheeded. "Even if the very structure that we're trying to change prevents us from actually changing anything, they still need to hear that their shareholders really think this is an issue," she said. All the New York-based company's director nominees were approved, although several faced significant protest votes. Rupert Murdoch's son Lachlan and opera singer Natalie Bancroft both had 20 percent of votes cast against their re-election to the board. James Murdoch, Rupert Murdoch's son who has faced criticism for his handling of the British phone hacking scandal, had 16.3 percent of votes cast against him. James Murdoch is the company's deputy COO. News Corp.'s widely traded Class A shares closed the day up 41 cents, or 1.7 percent, at $24.77 after the meeting concluded.

https://www.cnbc.com/2015/10/09/dow-jones-says-hackers-gained-access-to-payment-info-from-some-of-its-customers.html

NWS

News Corp (Class B)

Dow Jones: We were hacked, client data exposed

Dow Jones said Friday that hackers breached its system and possibly stole payment information for some former and current subscribers. The News Corp unit, which includes The Wall Street Journal and MarketWatch, said the data theft may only have involved fewer than 3,500 people. The system was breached between August 2012 and July 2015, according to the company's wire service.

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/10/16/stocks-are-treading-water-as-earnings-season-accelerates.html

NWS

News Corp (Class B)

Stocks are expected to open higher as earnings season accelerates

September industrial production figures will be out at 9:15 a.m. ET. At 10 a.m. ET, the National Association of Home Builders is out with its October Housing Market Index. At the same time, the government will be issuing its August "JOLTS" report. (CNBC) Dow components — UnitedHealth Group (UNH), Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), and Goldman Sachs (GS) — are out with quarterly earnings this morning. Dow component IBM (IBM), Netflix (NFLX), and United Continental (UAL) are among the names out after the bell. (CNBC) Futures were higher this morning after the Dow and S&P 500 failed to hold gains and finished the day lower. The S&P 500 has fallen in seven of the past eight sessions, while the Dow is lower in six of the past eight trading days. (CNBC) U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrived in Saudi Arabia today for talks with King Salman over missing journalist Jamal Khashoggi. President Donald Trump has said the journalist could have been murdered by "rogue killers." (AP) NBC News reported the Saudi Arabian government is considering a plan to admit that missing journalist Jamal Khashoggi was killed inside its consulate in Istanbul. Saudi Arabia has insisted that Khashoggi left safely on Oct. 2. * Saudi Arabia could hike oil prices over the Khashoggi case. Here's why it would backfire (CNBC) After visiting storm-ravaged communities in Florida this week, Trump again declined to acknowledge climate change. He said the spate of storms wouldn't prompt him to rethink his decision to withdraw from the Paris climate accord. (NY Times) Venture capitalist and GOP megadonor Peter Thiel dropped $250,000 into Trump's joint fundraising committee, according to a new Federal Election Commission filing. Thiel made the contribution to the Trump Victory Committee in July. (CNBC) Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said Trump reassured him that he has his "100 percent" full support. That comment came even after the president said in an interview that the secretary's resignation could be imminent. (WSJ) Trump offered to donate $1 million to charity if Sen. Elizabeth Warren, one of his potential 2020 rivals, took a DNA test proving her Native American heritage. Now Warren wants the president to pay up. (CNBC) Microsoft (MSFT) co-founder Paul Allen died yesterday afternoon at 65 from complications of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. The Seattle billionaire disclosed earlier this month that he was receiving treatment for the disease. (CNBC) Blue Origin founder and Amazon (AMZN) CEO Jeff Bezos predicted at an anniversary summit in San Francisco that we'll have 1 trillion humans in the solar system one day — and he laid out how the rocket company plans to help get there. (CNBC) Facebook (FB) banned from its platform a broad variety of false statements about voting in the U.S. ahead of the midterm elections. The social network has been under pressure to avoid a repeat of the misinformation campaigns in 2016. (Axios)

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/07/16/bank-earnings-tech-hearings-on-capitol-hill-alleged-tesla-shortcuts.html

NWS

News Corp (Class B)

What to watch today: Bank earnings, tech hearings on Capitol Hill, and alleged Tesla shortcuts

It's also a busy day for economic numbers , beginning at 8:30 a.m. ET, with retail sales and import prices for June. Industrial production figures for June are out at 9:15 a.m. ET. May business inventories and the National Association of Home Builders' monthly sentiment index for July are issued at 10 a.m. ET. (CNBC) House votes today on whether to hold Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and Attorney General in contempt for not complying with subpoenas regarding the addition of a citizenship question to the 2020 census. Democrats have issued more than two dozen subpoenas for Trump administration officials. (The Hill) Congress begins two days of hearings today on Facebook's cryptocurrency Libra and the market power of Facebook (FB), Alphabet's (GOOGL) Google, Amazon (AMZN) and Apple (AAPL). The Treasury Department has "very serious concerns that Libra could be misused by money launderers and terrorist financiers." (CNBC) * Mnuchin: White House and Congress 'getting closer' to a deal to raise the debt ceiling (Reuters) China today rebuffed a suggestion from Trump that Beijing needs a trade deal with the U.S. because its economy is slowing, saying the U.S. president's comments were "totally misleading." Trump, in a Monday tweet, seized on slowing economic growth in China as evidence that U.S. tariffs were having "a major effect." (Reuters) North Korea warned today that if the U.S. and South Korea continue joint military exercise it would jeopardize potential nuclear disarmament talks. "With the U.S. unilaterally reneging on its commitments, we are gradually losing our justification to follow through on the commitments we made with the U.S.," North Korea's foreign ministry said. (Washington Post) The Trump Victory Committee, a joint fundraising operation between the Trump campaign and the RNC, showed they have successfully captured some business leaders who financed their previous 2016 opponents, including the Wilks brothers, who backed Ted Cruz three years ago, and new donor, Stephen Rosenberg, who previously wrote a check for Hillary Clinton. (CNBC) Former Texas Rep. Beto O'Rourke's presidential campaign announced that it raised $3.6 million in the second quarter of 2019. The haul puts O'Rourke in the lower tier of 2020 contenders who have struggled to raise campaign cash to keep pace with the primary leaders, including former Vice President Joe Biden, Sens. Bernie Sanders and Kamala Harris, and Mayor Pete Buttigieg. (CNBC) * Trump supporter Peter Thiel: Elizabeth Warren is the most 'dangerous' 2020 Democrat (CNBC) CBS (CBS) and Viacom (VIAB) continue to bob along with merger talks and are now circling Aug. 8 as an internal deadline to agree to a deal, according to people familiar with the matter. The price of the transaction, which will come in the form of a merger exchange ratio, hasn't been discussed and won't be addressed until all strategic and management issues are sorted out. (CNBC) Current and former Tesla (TSLA) employees working in the company's open-air "tent" factory say they were pressured to take shortcuts to hit aggressive Model 3 production goals, including making fast fixes to parts with electrical tape, working through harsh conditions and skipping previously required vehicle tests. (CNBC) Jeffrey Epstein has a ton of cash on hand, but the accused child sex trafficker has even more more money tied up in hedge funds, private equity plays and real estate, a newly unsealed court document reveals. (CNBC) Budget airline Ryanair said the delays in Boeing deliveries will lower growth next summer, forcing it to close some bases and make cuts ahead of next year. Ryanair reported today it expects a 3% growth in passengers in the summer of 2020, compared to its previous estimate of 7%. (WSJ) * Boeing seeks to reassure plane leasing firms as grounding of its 737 Max grinds on (CNBC) Amazon's (AMZN) Prime Day continues into its second day, ending Wednesday at 2:59 a.m. ET. While competitors may match Amazon's price deals, the company's goal is more about signing up more members for Prime, which for a monthly or yearly fee includes faster delivery, streaming video and music, as well as discounts at Whole Foods. (CNBC) * Here are tips for navigating the shopping extravaganza (CNBC) * Amazon workers in Minnesota walk out as Prime Day orders roll in (CNBC)

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/05/27/fed-relying-on-biased-data-its-not-an-a-economy-jim-bianco-warns.html

NWS

News Corp (Class B)

Fed relying on biased data, it's not an 'A+' economy, Jim Bianco warns

A veteran market researcher is out with a warning — saying the Federal Reserve is relying too heavily on economic surveys skewed by social media to mold their policies. According to Bianco Research President James Bianco, most economists mistakenly believe that leading indicators are signaling an "A+" economy that can withstand rising interest rates. "It's more like a B- economy," he told CNBC's "Trading Nation" on Friday. "It's not this screaming home run that everybody thinks it is based on the survey data." Bianco said social media is creating the bandwagon effect among survey respondents, a psychological phenomenon characterized by people following the herd. "The advent of social media is allowing us basically to be inundated with financial news or economic news," he said, adding the bulk of the news about the world's largest economy has been largely favorable. "When somebody is asked 'what do you think about the economy,'' they are not answering 'what do you think about the economy,' Bianco said. "They are answering 'What have you read about the economy?'" Bianco fears the Fed will make a policy error based on respondents' answers. "Economists like at the Fed say 'Wow, look at that data. It's even better than we thought. We have to raise rates even faster,'" he said, adding that the tightening could derail the bull market. "The 10-Year [yield] could very well be at 3 percent by the end of next year with a 3 percent funds rate," Bianco said. "[That's when] you get an inverted yield curve." He suggested Fed officials should evolve and begin looking at other types of data. A solution would be favoring Google Trends, according to Bianco. His research suggests it's a far more accurate predictor of how the economy is faring. "We bare our souls to Google ," Bianco said. "If we lose our job, we type in 'I lost my job.' You can search that stuff and what you find is you're right back to my B- argument."

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/12/14/these-stocks-have-the-most-to-gain-as-the-10-year-treasury-yield-tumbles-below-4percent.html

NEE

NextEra Energy

These stocks have the most to gain as the 10-year Treasury yield tumbles below 4%

Rates are plunging after the Federal Reserve on Wednesday left interest rates unchanged and penciled in several cuts in the new year. The move, and commentary from Fed Chair Jerome Powell, led Treasury yields to fall sharply. The benchmark 10-year Treasury note yield was last down nearly 11 basis points at 3.926%, breaching the key 4% mark for the first time since August. At its session low, the benchmark rate traded at levels not seen since July. Stocks also roared higher on the back of that Fed forecast, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average reaching a record above 37,000. Against this falling rate backdrop, investors may benefit from looking at stocks with high sensitivity to falling interest rates. Bank of America recently laid out some names with strong inverse correlations to changes in the 10-year yield. The list conjured up a slew of consumer-focused names and utilities companies that benefit from less competition from interest rates. Here are some of those names: Video game publisher Take-Two Interactive is one of the names that could benefit as rates fall. Shares of the company, set to join the Nasdaq-100 later this month, have rallied nearly 57% this year. A handful of utilities companies also made the cut. These businesses tend to benefit from diminished interest rate competition and are often viewed as safe havens to park cash during economic uncertainty given their stable yields. American Water Works , NextEra Energy and WEC Energy Group were all included in Bank of America's list. All three stocks have struggled this year as investors flock to less risky Treasurys offering attractive yields for the better part of 2023. Chipotle Mexican Grill and discount retailer Dollar General could also benefit as rates slump. Chipotle has experienced a strong year, with shares up 66%. Dollar General has slumped 48% as sales growth slowed. Several real estate companies and real estate investment trusts also made the cut, including Prologis and Ventas .

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/09/12/ubs-lays-out-the-best-names-to-play-the-2-trillion-clean-energy-transition.html

NEE

NextEra Energy

UBS lays out the best names to play the $2 trillion clean energy transition

A tidal shift in corporate support for decarbonization pared with government funding for the energy transition has created a secular growth cycle that can exceed $2 trillion, according to UBS. Some stocks are set to benefit. Second-quarter earnings reports showed a "clear divergence" in whether and how companies would be helped by the approximately $600 billion in government benefits in support of the green energy transition, analyst Shneur Gershuni told clients. That depends on where companies sit in the value chain, he said. Timelines for getting that support can also vary. While he said some companies are already receiving benefits tied to the transition, others aren't expected to see them in 2024 or beyond. Following the latest corporate earnings season, Gershuni updated his list of stocks that investors can use to play the energy transition capital expenditure cycle. His new list includes additions such as Aemetis , Sempra and DTE Energy . These names replaced stocks including SPX Technologies and FTC Solar . Here are 10 that made the most updated list, including all his new additions: Sempra's addition came after announcements showing it was upping exposure to the energy transition, Gershuni said. Late last month, the company said a subsidiary would work with a Japanese consortium to develop a carbon-neutral gas production and liquified natural gas supply chain. Shares have underperformed the market this year, down 7.6% since 2023 began. But the average analyst, who has a buy rating, sees an upside of more than 17% ahead, according to LSEG, formerly known as Refinitiv. Eaton Corporation is also on the list and is expected to be a "key beneficiary" of increased investment in electrification and energy efficiency. That's because of what Gershuni called a "close alignment" with industrial megatrends such as reshoring , which is when companies bring their supply chains back to home soil, in addition to electrification . ETN YTD mountain Eaton's strong year Unlike Sempra, it has been a banner year for Eaton with the stock up more than 52%. But Wall Street sees that rally losing steam, with the average price target of analysts polled by LSEG indicating a downside of more than 2%. Still, the average analyst has a buy rating on the stock. NextEra Energy also made the cut, as Gershuni said the company is well-positioned to benefit from unregulated growth tied to the Inflation Reduction Act. Despite falling about 19% this year, the average analyst sees an upside of more than 32% ahead, according to LSEG. The average analyst has a buy rating, per LSEG. One of those analysts is Goldman Sachs' Carly Davenport, who said in a note to clients last month that the stock's poor performance can create a good opportunity for investors. "We reiterate our Buy rating on NEE with attractive valuation after underperformance as we believe the market remains supportive of an inflection in pace of renewables additions, which we believe will drive best in class earnings growth for NEE," she said. — CNBC's Michael Bloom contributed to this report.

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/12/05/cramers-lightning-round-crocs-is-too-dicey.html

NEE

NextEra Energy

Cramer's Lightning Round: Crocs is 'too dicey'

Stock Chart Icon Stock chart icon Weyerhaeuser's year-to-date stock performance. Weyerhaeuser : "I like this stock long term, I think they're doing a lot of good things, making a lot of money. And I do think that housing is very strong." Stock Chart Icon Stock chart icon Take-Two Interactive Software's year-to-date stock performance. Take-Two Interactive Software : "I like Take-Two. I watched the trailer for Grand Theft Auto, I thought it was amazing...I'd buy it." Stock Chart Icon Stock chart icon New Fortress Energy's year-to-date stock performance. New Fortress Energy : "I think that this is all about Wes Edens being able to have a great vision over a multiple year period...I think you just buy Wes." Stock Chart Icon Stock chart icon NextEra Energy's year-to-date stock performance. NextEra Energy : "...We like Sempra, and we like American Electric Power. Those are more our cups of tea. This one, not so much." Stock Chart Icon Stock chart icon RadNet's year-to-date stock performance. RadNet : "Look, you know I like Radnet very much. We had Dr. Berger on, I thought it was a super story, and I just think I'm going to stick behind it." Stock Chart Icon Stock chart icon Stellantis' year-to-date stock performance. Stellantis : "Hold onto it because it just had a very big spike. It is by far the best of the group." Stock Chart Icon Stock chart icon Crocs' year-to-date stock performance. Crocs : "No, too dicey." Stock Chart Icon Stock chart icon Fortinet's year-to-date stock performance. Fortinet : "I got to buy best of breed. That's why I like Palo Alto." Stock Chart Icon Stock chart icon Masimo's year-to-date stock performance. Masimo : "I don't know. They had a tussle with Apple...I'm just an Apple guy, what can I say." watch now

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/04/19/investors-are-hoping-big-tech-earnings-next-week-could-revive-a-flagging-bull-market.html

NEE

NextEra Energy

Investors are hoping Big Tech earnings next week could revive a flagging bull market

The Big Tech earnings next week could revive a flagging market, or at least give investors direction into where stocks are going from here. Next week will spotlight the bulk of the Magnificent Seven names, which had a strong start to the year, but have been in a slump as of late. Tesla reports Tuesday, Meta Platforms is out Wednesday. Thursday serves a double whammy with Google-parent Alphabet and Microsoft . But those results are coming at a time when investors are on edge, uncertain where markets are heading after a pushback in rate cut expectations, a recent rise in geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, as well as a spike in Treasury yields. On Friday, the S & P 500 was more than 5% off its 52-week high; it also dipped below 5,000, a level the broader index had only reached for the first time ever in February. Wall Street is hoping next week's megacap tech results will give investors insight into where the artificial intelligence trade is going from here, as a bounce in tech could lift the indexes. They're also hoping a slew consumer commentary will give investors insight into the state of the economy. "Every week of earnings is the most pivotal one, but I really think this one is the most pivotal one," said Kim Forrest, founder at Bokeh Capital, adding, "I think everybody is like me looking to next week thinking, 'This will be the time where we can figure out the direction of the market.'" On Friday, the S & P 500 and tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite registered losing weeks. Further gains, or buying opportunity? As a whole, the bar is high for the Magnificent Seven, even as there are increasing divergences between the names. Tesla, for example, will be in the spotlight next week. Investors are hoping for some positive news out of electric vehicle maker, which is the second-worst performer in the S & P 500 this year as it contends with slowing sales and rising competition from China. This week, Deutsche Bank downgraded the stock to hold from buy following a Reuters report of the possible scrapping of a low-cost car. In response, CEO Elon Musk said Reuters was "lying." Shares were down 14% this week. Investors a sense of how artificial intelligence will be monetized, seeking insight into growing Google's cloud business , as well as Microsoft's Copilot chatbot. "These will give us some of the best indications of AI demand," said Emily Leveille, portfolio manager at Thornburg Investment Management, adding, "We expect earnings, I think, to be pretty good for at least for Microsoft and for Meta, just considering sort of recent momentum in earnings growth." Horizon Investments' Scott Ladner urged caution ahead of the reports given the high expectations swirling around the megacaps. However, he said any pullback in the tech names could give investors an opening to start "nibbling away" at additional exposure. While the investment chief anticipates further volatility over the next several weeks, he said he anticipates stocks can again rise over the intermediate term, and gain another 10% from here. "Especially with the AI trade, those expectations have been ramped up. And so, we would probably be a little bit cautious in terms of getting exposure to those names ahead of earnings releases because that bar is quite high," Ladner said. "But if we do get a sell-off associated with those releases that don't hit up on those raised expectations, it probably is, we think, a better buying opportunity than a selling opportunity at that point," Ladner added. He also advised investors to start adding exposure to other interesting assets such as in Europe, or in small caps, which could jump after the central bank cuts rates later this year. Consumer focus Wall Street is also anticipating commentary from consumer-facing companies next week that could give insight into the state of the economy. Investors are hoping that consumer spending, which has thus far held up the economy in the face of higher prices, remains robust. Earnings results from Visa, for example, will be on deck. "From a sentiment standpoint, consumers don't feel very good, but they haven't acted like that for the better part of years," Horizon's Ladner said. "So, the bigger thing that we've been looking for and look for this quarter, is, are the consumers still acting like they're in good shape? Even if they feel a little bit down in the dumps because they don't like the price that they're paying for things, are they are they still paying those prices? Are they still borrowing? Are they still consuming?" "So long as that is continues to be the case, which we expect it to be, we think this consumer-facing company is probably going to have a pretty good rebound in the second half of the year," Ladner added. On the economic front, next week will also bring the first-quarter gross domestic product number. Economists polled by FactSet are anticipating the U.S. economy will have expanded by 3.1%, in line with the prior reading. Week ahead calendar All times ET. Monday, April 22 8:30 a.m. Chicago Fed National Activity Index (March) Earnings: Verizon Communications, Ameriprise Financial , Truist Financial Tuesday, April 23 8 a.m. Building Permits final (March) 9:45 a.m. PMI Composite preliminary (April) 9:45 a.m. Markit PMI Manufacturing preliminary (April) 9:45 a.m. Markit PMI Services preliminary (April) 10 a.m. New Home Sales (March) 10 a.m. Richmond Fed Index (April) Earnings: Baker Hughes , Visa , Enphase Energy , Tesla , NextEra Energy , Freeport-McMoRan , Philip Morris International , Halliburton , United Parcel Service , PepsiCo , Lockheed Martin , Raytheon Technologies , GE Aerospace Wednesday, April 24 8:30 a.m. Durable Orders preliminary (March) Earnings: Chipotle Mexican Grill , International Business Machines , Lam Research , Ford Motor , Align Technology , Waste Management , Universal Health Services , Raymond James Financial , Meta Platforms , Boeing , Hilton Worldwide Holdings , AT & T Thursday, April 25 8:30 a.m. Continuing Jobless Claims (04/13) 8:30 a.m. GDP (Q1) 8:30 a.m. Initial Claims (04/20) 8:30 a.m. Wholesale Inventories preliminary (March) 10 a.m. Pending Home Sales (March) 11 a.m. Kansas City Fed Manufacturing Index (April) Earnings: T-Mobile US , Capital One Financial Corp, Intel , Western Digital , Microsoft, Alphabet , Comcast , American Airlines Group , Southwest Airlines , Valero Energy , Caterpillar , Tractor Supply , Royal Caribbean Group , PG & E, GE Vernova Friday, April 26 8:30 a.m. PCE Deflator 8:30 a.m. Personal Consumption Expenditure 8:30 a.m. Personal Income 10 a.m. Michigan Sentiment NSA final Earnings: T. Rowe Price Group , Colgate-Palmolive , Exxon Mobil , Chevron , AbbVie , Phillips 66

https://www.cnbc.com/2017/07/06/berkshire-hathaway-energy-oncor.html

NEE

NextEra Energy

Berkshire Hathaway Energy is close to a $17.5 billion deal for Oncor, report says

Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Energy is nearing a deal to acquire Oncor, one of the nation's largest electric utility companies, according to people familiar with the matter. According to a Wall Street Journal report, specifics of the more than $17.5 billion deal could be announced as soon as Thursday. The Wall Street Journal reported that the deal's total value is less than the $18.4 billion offer Oncor received from NextEra Energy in a deal with Energy Future Holdings in July 2016. The NextEra deal fell through when Texas regulators blocked the takeover, saying it wouldn't be in the public's interest. Energy Future, formerly TXU Corporation, owns most of Texas-based Oncor. The Berkshire Hathaway and Oncor deal would be the next step in one of the largest bankruptcy proceedings to date. Energy Future Holdings filed its $42 billion bankruptcy in 2014. Berkshire Hathaway Energy and Oncor are not providing comments at this time. Read The Wall Street Journal report here.

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/09/02/fight-market-malaise-with-these-buys-bank-of-america-and-goldman-say.html

NEE

NextEra Energy

Fight the market malaise with these ‘attractive’ stocks, Bank of America and Goldman say

Questions about the course of the stock market in September, a historically dreary month, are not keeping Wall Street analysts from finding a slew of top stocks to buy. Goldman Sachs and Bank of America named an assortment of companies this week that they say have upside in the weeks ahead. CNBC Pro combed through recent Wall Street research to find some of the best-positioned stocks as September gets underway. They include: NextEra, Marathon Petroleum, Endeavor and H Group World Limited . NextEra Energy Buy the dip in shares of the renewable energy company, Goldman analyst Carley Davenport says. "NEE's underperformance has been in focus for investors in recent months, with many trying to understand what factors are driving it," she wrote earlier this week. Instead, Goldman says shareholders should look to several positive catalysts coming in the months ahead. First, Davenport says she's increasingly bullish on the company's new management team. "We recognize that it can take time for investors to build confidence in new management teams, but we believe that the management team for NEE is capable of meeting the robust growth plans the company has laid out," she added. Second, Goldman says renewable backlog growth is picking up which should help earnings in the quarters ahead. Davenport acknowledged investor angst hangs over NextEra's Florida Power & Light utility due to a continuing investigation for campaign finance violations. Still, the investment bank sees a resolution sooner rather than later, with an immaterial financial impact to the company. The stock is down 20% this year, leaving shares just too "attractive" to ignore at current levels, she says. Endeavor Group Bank of America analyst Jessica Reif Ehrlich said earlier this week that shares of the media company offer "striking value." Reif Ehrlich said investors are just not giving the company enough credit for its "entourage of highly attractive assets." Positive catalysts ahead include the closing of the transaction for TKO, which will succeed the merged WWE and UFC. Any dividends or buybacks would also be a positive catalyst, BofA said. "Should none of these catalysts drive a re-rating in shares, we believe management may then consider more transformative actions to create shareholder value," she added. The bank noted that a resolution of the twin Hollywood strikes is also likely to drive shares higher. Endeavor stock is only up a bit more than 1% this year, but Reif Ehrlich sees it as attractively valued. "We continue to view EDR as a collection of highly compelling assets that each, individually, have exposure to favorable secular tailwinds within the Media and Entertainment industry," Reif Ehrlich wrote. Marathon Petroleum The oil refiner is coming off a "better-than-expected" second-quarter top and bottom line beat in early August, according to Goldman Sachs analyst Neil Mehta. But the shares, which are up 25% this year, have plenty more room to run, he wrote. The robust earnings report led Mehta to raise his earnings per share estimates and lift his price target to $153 per share from $146. Goldman praised management's execution and likes Marathon's robust margin environment, strong demand trends and growth initiatives in cluding new renewable diesel facilities. In addition, Mehta noted Marathon's "commitment to shareholder returns" through dividends and buybacks. "During the quarter, MPC completed share buybacks of ~$3.1 billion, above our estimates of ~$2.75 billion, " he added. Mehta concluded by saying Goldman remains "constructive on MPC given leading shareholder returns" and an "attractive refining setup." Endeavor Group- Bank of America, buy rating "An entourage of highly attractive assets. ... .Striking value given run up in WWE shares. .... .Should none of these catalysts drive a re-rating in shares, we believe management may then consider more transformative actions to create shareholder value ... .We continue to view EDR as a collection of highly compelling assets that each, individually, have exposure to favorable secular tailwinds within the Media and Entertainment industry." NextEra Energy- Goldman Sachs, buy rating "NEE's underperformance has been in focus for investors in recent months, with many trying to understand what factors are driving it. ... .We recognize that it can take time for investors to build confidence in new mgmt teams, but we believe that the management team for NEE is capable of meeting the robust growth plans the company has laid out. ... .We continue to believe that valuation is attractive..." H World Group Limited- Bank of America, buy rating "Shares weak despite solid results = attractive opportunity. ... .H World Group, a leading and fast-growing hotel chain based in China, was founded in 2005. ... .We have a Buy rating on H World Group on three reasons: i) upside risk to company revenue/RevPAR [revenue per available room] guidance due to better than expected recent RevPAR trend, ii) re-rating potential in the early stage of recovery, iii) underperformance to hotel peers unjustified, in our view, given its superior growth and execution." Marathon Petroleum- Goldman Sachs, buy rating "On the call management highlighted a supportive margin environment on strong demand trends, provided broadly positive updates on strategic growth projects, & reiterated a commitment to shareholder returns through competitive dividends & opportunistic buybacks. ... .During the quarter, MPC completed share buybacks of ~$3.1 billion, above estimates of ~$2.75 billion. ... .Overall, we remain constructive on MPC given leading shareholder returns, with a ~21%/11% 2023/2024 capital returns yield on our forecasts, attractive Refining setup with cracks surprising to the upside..."

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/04/21/this-renewables-stock-will-make-three-kinds-of-investors-happy-jpmorgan-says.html

NEE

NextEra Energy

This renewables stock will make three kinds of investors happy, JPMorgan says

JPMorgan says three distinct investors types will find something to like in NextEra Energy Partners: energy industry investors, income hunters and those focused on environmental factors. "We believe the stock should appeal to a broad array of yield, energy and ESG investors," analyst Mark Strouse said in a note Friday. The Wall Street firm assumed coverage of the stock with an overweight rating and December 2024 price target of $73 — suggesting nearly 18% upside from Thursday's close. Shares are down more than 10% year to date, and JPMorgan believes that pullback has created an attractive entry point. " NEP provides investors access to downstream ownership of renewable projects, offering high-quality cash flows and industry-leading dividend growth, supported by the company's strong relationship with NextEra Energy ," Strouse wrote. NEP YTD mountain NextEra Energy Partners NextEra Energy Partners is a limited partnership formed by NextEra Energy. It invests in solar and wind projects, as well as natural gas infrastructure assets. The stock currently has a 5% dividend yield. Strouse likes the access to downstream ownership because those assets tend to be less volatile than investing in upstream renewable products, he said. NEP's access to NextEra Energy subsidiary NextEra Energy Resources is also bullish because the latter is "best in class developer, owner, and operator of renewable assets," Strouse said. "Its scale, technological advantage and decades of experience allow it to generate industry-leading returns," Strouse wrote. NEP buys projects developed by NextEra Energy Resources. The company also consistently raises its dividend, he pointed out. "NEP expects 12-15% dividend growth through FY26, above industry average of high-single digits," Strouse said. — CNBC's Michael Bloom contributed reporting.

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/07/28/these-non-tech-funds-had-top-annualized-returns-in-last-5-years.html

NEE

NextEra Energy

These 11 funds have performed as well as tech stocks over the past 5 years

Tech stocks have dominated market gains in recent years. In fact, the S & P 500 Equal Weight Information Technology index has had a 12.5% annualized five-year return from July 2019 – widely outpacing other sectors such as consumer staples, energy and financials. Still, the tech sector faces an uncertain future. "We do not think the daily grind upward in the stock indexes is sustainable, largely amid the possibility of mixed earnings reports over the next few weeks and the possibility of yet another Fed rate hike," said James Demmert, chief investment officer of Main Street Research, earlier this week before the U.S. Federal Reserve opted to raise interest rates . Look beyond tech But there are opportunities beyond tech: Morningstar data reveals the funds outside of tech and growth sectors that have also outperformed over the last five years. The following is a list of such U.S. dollar-denominated funds that had among the highest annualized return over the last five years — from July 2018 to the end of June this year — according to Morningstar data. Here are the funds and some of their top holdings: Luxembourg Selection Active Solar : The fund focuses on companies in the global solar energy sector. Its top holdings include SolarEdge, Sunrun, JinkoSolar, Canadian Solar and Enphase Energy. Fidelity Select Construction & Housing Portfolio : This fund invests in companies that design and construct residential, commercial and other facilities, or provide housing and construction products. Top holdings include Home Depot, Johnson Controls International, Floor & Décor and Trane Technologies. Guinness Atkinson Alternative Energy Fund : This fund picks companies in the alternative energy sector, with at least half of the business dedicated to renewable energy or energy efficiency. Top holdings include Schneider Electric, NextEra Energy and Eaton. Shelton Sustainable Equity Fund : This fund invests in stocks in the "sustainable economy," such as those that make products that mitigate the effects of key environment and economic "systemic risks." Top holdings include Darling Ingredients, which turns food waste into sustainable products, among other services; renewable energy firm Ormat; agribusiness firm Bunge; and medical and industrial products maker Danaher. Global X Lithium and Battery Tech ETF : The ETF comprises lithium producers and lithium battery makers — all essential to electric vehicles. Top holdings include Albemarle, Samsung SDI and CATL. First Trust RBA American Industrial Renaissance ETF : This ETF measures the performance of small and mid-cap U.S. companies in the industrial and community banking sectors. Top holdings include Hubbell, MasTec, SPX Technologies and Sterling Infrastructure. Global X U.S. Infrastructure Development ETF : This ETF comprises companies that are "part of the infrastructure theme," regardless of sector. Holdings include Eaton, Rockwell Automation, United Rentals, Trane Technologies and Deere & Co. Invesco Russell 1000® Dynamic Multifactor ETF : This ETF tracks the Russell 1000 Invesco Dynamic Multifactor Index. Financials, industrials and consumer are the sectors that make up the bulk of the ETF. Top holdings include United Airlines, Marathon Oil, Tyson Foods, Best Buy, and Synchrony Financial. Heptagon Fund ICAV - Driehaus US Micro Cap Equity Fund : The fund invests in U.S. micro-cap companies with "good growth potential." Top holdings include Xenon Pharmaceuticals, e.l.f Beauty, TransMedics Group, and FTAI Aviation. Vanguard Baillie Gifford Global Positive Impact Stock Fund : The fund invests in "high quality" companies that can deliver positive change in one of four areas: social inclusion and education; environment and resource needs; health care and quality of life; and addressing the needs of the world's poorest populations. Holdings include Moderna, Deere & Co, Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Coursera and Peloton. Invesco Water Resources ETF : This ETF tracks the Nasdaq OMX U.S. Water Index, which includes companies that create products to conserve and purify water. Machinery, water utilities and life sciences services are sectors which make up the bulk of the ETF. Top holdings include Ecolab, American Water Works, and Xylem.

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/10/03/rising-interest-rates-are-hurting-large-swaths-of-the-stock-bond-markets.html

NEE

NextEra Energy

Rising interest rates are hurting very broad swaths of the stock and bond markets

Rising interest rates are a problem for more than just interest rate-sensitive sectors. It's affecting very broad areas of the stock and bond markets. Dozens of stocks and ETFs are hitting 52-week lows on the relentless rise in interest rates. The usual suspects are the hardest hit. In equities, it's REITs and utilities. Utility/REIT ETFs: New lows Utilities Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLU) Vanguard Utilities ETF (VPU) Vanguard Real Estate ETF (VNQ) Schwab US REIT ETF (SCHH) Notably, Treasury bond ETFs are hitting new lows across the entire yield curve spectrum. Treasury bond ETFs: New lows iShares 1-3 Year Treasury Bond ETF (SHY) iShares 7-10 Year Treasury Bond ETF (IEF) iShares 10-20 Year Treasury Bond ETF (TLH) iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF (TLT) It's not just Treasury bonds. The two largest bond ETFs, the $92 billion Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF (BND) and the $90 billion iShares Core US Aggregate Bond Fund (AGG), which hold a mix of government, corporate and mortgage-backed securities, are also at new lows. Broad bond ETFs: New lows Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF (BND) iShares Core US Aggregate Bond Fund (AGG) Higher rates are affecting other areas of the U.S. economy: look at clean energy and biotech It's simple. Higher interest rates make the cost to fund new projects more expensive. The more capital intensive, the higher the borrowing costs. Two examples are clean energy and biotech. At the end of August, Orsted, a Denmark-based renewable energy provider, said it may book significant impairments of up to $2.3 billion for its wind development projects in the U.S., citing supply change challenges and rising interest rates. Recently, NextEra Energy's renewable-energy subsidiary, NextEra Energy Partners, revised down its annual growth expectations due to higher borrowing costs. That's pushing clean energy ETFs to new lows. Clean energy ETFs: New lows iShares Global Clean Energy (ICLN) VanEck Low Carbon Energy ETF (SMOG) Invesco WilderHill Clean Energy ETF (PBW) Invesco Solar ETF (TAN) It's the same story with biotech. The SPDR S & P Biotech ETF (XBI) , which tracks an equal-weighted index of US biotechnology stocks, is at a 52-week low. But the iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) , which tracks a market-cap-weighted index of biotech stocks, is not yet at a 52-week low. Why? Because the equal-weight XBI has many more small-cap stocks than the market-cap weighted IBB. Biotech is boom and bust to begin with, but biotech in particular has a lot of small cap names, which makes it even more difficult to keep raising money when rates go up. Juicy yields, if you can stand the risk Outside of REITs and utilities, dividend-paying stocks in general compete with Treasurys and bonds for investor money. Right now, they're having a hard time. Many dividend-paying funds like iShares Select Dividend (DVY) are at new lows. It holds stocks like Verizon and Altria. The SPDR Telecom ETF (XTL), which holds companies like Verizon and AT & T, is at a new low as well. The selloff in dividend stocks is driving yields up even more in that group. S & P 500: Highest dividend yields Altria 9.4% Verizon 8.4% AT & T 7.6% Simon Property 7.3% Crown Castle 6.9% Bank yields are also in stratospheric territory. Bank yields KeyCorp 7.9% Truist 7.5% Comerica 7.1% Citizens Financial 6.5% Huntington Bancshares 6.2% Those are juicy yields, if you can stand the risk.

https://www.cnbc.com/2016/07/29/the-nextera-oncor-sale-means-more-pay-for-big-banks.html

NEE

NextEra Energy

The NextEra-Oncor deal means more pay for big banks

Undoing the leveraged buyout of Texas utility TXU, a botched $45 billion deal that's now nearly a decade old , keeps paying out the advisors that assembled the massive, failed transaction. They may have bagged $1 billion on the saga already, according to a mergers and acquisitions expert. It's the deal that keeps on giving — to banks and law firms, at least. Investment banks' "transactional fees since 2008 have been about $625 million" on the TXU deal, said Freeman & Co.'s Jeffrey Nassof, who tracks M&A fees for big banks. "I've seen estimates that the legal and restructuring advisory fees could be several hundred million dollars. Adding that to [bankers'] fees could get you to the $1 billion range." The latest chapter in the saga of TXU, which was renamed Energy Future Holdings, is paying big banks once again. On Friday, when NextEra Energy announced it would buy Energy Future Holdings and its stake in Oncor Electric Delivery in a deal worth $18.4 billion, it meant bankers from Credit Suisse , Bank of America Merrill Lynch , Deutsche Bank , JPMorgan Chase , UBS and Wells Fargo racked up a payday for Wall Street. The banks were not immediately available to comment. This time around, the banks that advised NextEra and Oncor would likely have up to $75 million in fees to divvy up, once the deal closes, Nassof said. But that's just a drop in the bucket compared with what Wall Street has reaped on the massively complex buyout. It's been nearly 10 years since one of the biggest deals in the history of the private equity business went down, and more than two years since Energy Future Holdings filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy, costing investors from Henry Kravis to Warren Buffett billions in the process. A Buffett representative did not respond to a request for comment; private equity firm KKR , which Kravis continues to lead, declined to comment. And there's still more money to be made: Energy Future Holdings still has to exit Chapter 11, after its lengthy stay, meaning advisors will be getting more work in the future.

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/02/12/tiger-woods-taylormade-sign-apparel-deal.html

NKE

Nike, Inc.

Tiger Woods signs apparel and footwear deal with TaylorMade following his split with Nike

In this article NKE Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNT Tiger Woods speaks during the launch of Tiger Woods and TaylorMade Golf's new apparel and footwear brand "Sun Day Red" at Palisades Village on February 12, 2024 in Pacific Palisades, California. Kevork Djansezian | Getty Images Sport | Getty Images Tiger Woods and TaylorMade have made it official. The golf great has agreed to create a new apparel and footwear performance and lifestyle brand with the Carlsbad, California company following his recent split with Nike . The brand, Sun Day Red, will be available first only online beginning in May. "Life changes and this is an important transition and I wanted to have a brand that I was proud of going forward," Tiger said. Woods says the name of the brand "Sun Day Red" pays homage to the fact that he's always worn red on Sundays. The tiger logo is a tribute to the 15 majors he has worn over the course of his career. TaylorMade and Woods announced the news Monday night during a press event in Pacific Palisades, California, ahead of the PGA Tour's Genesis Invitational, an event he hosts. "It's the right time," Woods said, appearing in a cashmere sweater from the new brand. Tiger Woods partners with TaylorMade to launch "Sun Day Red" lifestyle and performance brand. Ethan Gulley/Sun Day Red Woods' relationship with TaylorMade dates back to 2017, when the two signed an equipment deal that has him playing with the brand's driver, fairway woods, irons and wedges. Woods said he was courted by other companies but he trusted TaylorMade for their ability to "get it right." TaylorMade CEO David Abeles said Woods had been an inspiration for his team, including his discipline and meticulous approach to product design. The new brand includes an entirely new company with separate headquarters and employees who are solely focused on its development, Abeles said. "There is no influence from TaylorMade on this brand. His brand stands alone and is independent from TaylorMade," Abeles said. A detail of hats and a club cover during the launch of Tiger Woods and TaylorMade Golf's new apparel and footwear brand "Sun Day Red" at Palisades Village on February 12, 2024 in Pacific Palisades, California. Kevork Djansezian | Getty Images Sport | Getty Images Last month, Woods announced his split from longtime apparel partner Nike after 27 years. Woods' agent, Mark Steinberg, told CNBC at the time that the golfer made the business decision not to renew with Nike. The 15-time majors winner's brand exposure today is less than it once was at the height of his career. Woods has been plagued with a series of injuries following his 2021 car crash near Los Angeles, in which he suffered multiple leg injuries. Since then, the 48-year-old has made rare appearances at major golf tournaments, and his play has been unsteady. Yet, the deal is still a major win for TaylorMade. Woods still has a lasting legacy, experts say, and continues to draw massive crowds as fans hope to catch a glimpse of one of the greatest golfers of all time. "Michael Jordan is still Michael Jordan, and Air Jordans still do very well," said Eric Smallwood, president of Apex Marketing Group, invoking the basketball Hall of Famer for comparison. Apex has tracked Woods' brand exposure over the course of his career. Smallwood said the golfer's TaylorMade deal will be a "huge lift" for its brand.

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/01/08/tiger-woods-ends-nike-partnership-after-27-years.html

NKE

Nike, Inc.

Tiger Woods ends Nike partnership after 27 years

Tiger Woods during the pro-am as a preview for the Hero World Challenge at Albany Golf Course in Nassau on Nov. 29, 2023. Tiger Woods' 27-year partnership with Nike has come to an end. The superstar golfer announced the news in a statement Monday on social media platform X. "Phil Knight's passion and vision brought this Nike and Nike Golf partnership together and I want to personally thank him, along with the Nike employees and incredible athletes I have had the pleasure of working with along the way," Woods wrote. Mark Steinberg, Woods' longtime agent, told CNBC that the golfer made a business decision to not renew with Nike. The announcement came after months of speculation that the two would break up. Nike confirmed the news on Instagram with a picture of Woods in his iconic red polo, saying, "It was a hell of a run." In a statement, the company said: "For over 27 years, we have had the honor to partner with Tiger Woods, one of the greatest athletes the world has ever seen. Throughout the course of our partnership, we have witnessed along with the rest of the world, how Tiger not only redefined the sport of golf, but broke barriers for all of sport. We watched him set records, challenge conventional thinking and inspire generations of people around the globe. We are grateful to have been a part of it. We wish him the best in the future." There's no word yet on Woods' plans for a future endorsement deal, but he said on social media, "There will certainly be another chapter." Some recent speculation about Woods' next chapter have pointed to On Running, the Swiss brand that tennis great Roger Federer joined in 2019 after he left Nike. Marc Maurer, co-CEO of On Running, addressed the speculation Monday at the ICR Conference in Orlando. "We also heard the rumors, so it's always interesting what's out there. We hope that Tiger finds a great new partner and it's not going to be us," he said. Golf club and equipment maker TaylorMade, which Woods, 48, has used since 2017, could be another potential landing spot for the 15-time major winner. On Monday, though, TaylorMade said their relationship is for equipment only and has no additional comment on the matter. Analysts aren't expecting a big effect with the news as the rumors have been circulating about Woods' departure for months. "We continue to believe the company has endorsements with some of the biggest name athletes in the world and we would expect that trend to continue for the foreseeable future," said Brian Yarbrough, a Nike analyst for Edward Jones. Nike has been quietly ramping down on golf for years as it wasn't a huge money maker for the brand. In 2016, the Oregon sports apparel maker announced it would stop making golf equipment altogether. Yet, Woods brought significant exposure to the Nike brand. Over the course of his career, Woods made a reported $500 million from "the swoosh." Eric Smallwood, founder of Apex Marketing, estimates that when Woods goes four rounds, he's providing Nike with $2 million to $4 million of exposure. Likewise, when Woods swapped his Nikes for FootJoy shoes at the 2023 Masters, he gave the brand $3.2 million of exposure. Woods provides even more exposure for Nike than even LeBron James due to the pace of play of golf compared to basketball, Smallwood said. "Golfers have longer longevity," he said. — CNBC's Gabrielle Fonrouge contributed to this report. Don't miss these stories from CNBC PRO:

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/02/16/stocks-making-the-biggest-moves-midday-coin-rku-nke-smci.html

NKE

Nike, Inc.

Stocks making the biggest moves midday: Coinbase, Roku, Nike, Super Micro Computer and more

Check out the companies making the biggest moves midday. Coinbase Global — Shares surged 8.84% after the cryptocurrency exchange reported its first profit in two years. Coinbase's fourth-quarter earnings came in at $1.04 per share, above the 1 cent loss expected from analysts polled by LSEG, formerly known as Refinitiv. Revenue was $954 million, versus the consensus estimate of $822 million. Roku — The streaming service provider slid 23.81% after posting a larger-than-expected loss for the fourth quarter. Average revenue per user, a key metric for Roku, also missed estimates. Nike — Shares pulled back 2.4% after the sneaker giant said it was laying off 2% of its workforce as part of a broader restructuring . The stock was also downgraded on Friday to perform from outperform at Oppenheimer, which cited spotty consumer demand, lulls in product innovation and modest competition. Applied Materials — Shares of the semiconductor equipment maker jumped 6.35% on the company's better-than-expected fiscal first-quarter results and strong second quarter. The stock was also on pace for its best day since Nov. 10, 2022, when it surged 11%. Yelp — Shares tumbled 14.35% after the company gave disappointing full-year guidance. Yelp expects full-year revenue to come in between $1.42 billion and $1.44 billion, less than the $1.46 billion expected from analysts polled by LSEG. Its adjusted EBITDA guidance for the first quarter and full year were also light. Vulcan Materials — The construction materials company added 5.23% following a fourth-quarter earnings beat. Vulcan's adjusted earnings per share came in at $1.46, topping the $1.40 expected from analysts polled by FactSet. Toast — The stock jumped nearly 16.77% after the restaurant management software company beat expectations for fourth-quarter earnings and revenue. Toast also said it plans to cut 500 jobs and announced $250 million in share buybacks. Dropbox — Shares shed 23.93% after the cloud storage company issued lower-than-expected first-quarter revenue guidance. Dropbox now forecasts revenue in the range of $627 million to $630 million, versus the $632.5 million expected from analysts polled by FactSet. Trade Desk — The stock popped 17.46% after the advertising software company said it expects first-quarter revenue to come in at $478 million, topping the $452 million guidance expected from analysts surveyed by LSEG. DoorDash — Shares tumbled 8.13% after the food delivery platform posted a larger-than-anticipated loss for the fourth quarter. DoorDash reported a loss of 39 cents per share, bigger than the loss of 16 cents forecast from analysts surveyed by LSEG. Elsewhere, the company beat expectations for revenue and announced a $1.1 billion share repurchase program. Super Micro Computer — The information technology company shed 19.99% after Wells Fargo initiated coverage of the stock with an equal weight rating. The firm said shares are "already discounting solid upside." The stock has rallied 212% year to date. Bloom Energy — The green energy stock slumped 17.46% after the company reported an earnings and revenue miss for the fourth quarter. Guidance for the full year also fell short of expectations. Carvana — Shares dropped 8.92% after Raymond James downgraded the used car dealer to underperform from market perform, expressing doubt in Carvana's near-term growth outlook. Nvidia — Shares initially climbed 1% but ended down 0.06% after Loop Capital initiated the chipmaker with a buy rating and a price target that calls for 65% upside over the next 12 months . — CNBC's Samantha Subin, Sarah Min, Alex Harring and Pia Singh contributed reporting.