Datasets:

KrossKinetic

/

SP500-Financial-News-Articles-Time-Series

like 1

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/02/16/fridays-top-stocks-to-buy-like-nvidia.html

NKE

Nike, Inc.

Here are Friday's biggest analyst calls: Nvidia, Nike, Tesla, Coinbase, Arm, Meta, Eli Lilly, UPS, Carvana and more

Here are Friday's biggest calls on Wall Street: Bank of America reiterates Meta as buy Bank of America said it's bullish on Meta after it added the Broadcom CEO to its board of directors. "On February 14, Meta announced that it has added Broadcom CEO Hock Tan to its board of directors." Bank of America reiterates Nvidia as buy Bank of America said it's standing by the stock heading into earnings next week but that a pullback is possible. "We reiterate Buy/top pick ahead of NVDA Feb-21 earnings but won't be surprised to see a notable but brief pullback after the recent parabolic run-up in the stock." Goldman Sachs upgrades Informatica to buy from neutral Goldman Sachs said it's getting bullish on shares of the software company. "While Informatica has performed well in the LTM [last 12 months] at least partially attributed to its consistent execution against Cloud ARR [annual recurring revenue] targets despite broader weakness in the IT spending environment in the last 18-months along with strong operational discipline we see scope for further re-rating in CY24 to better align with similar revenue and FCF growth companies over the next 2-3 years." TD Cowen upgrades GCM Grosvenor to outperform from market perform TD Cowen said in its upgrade of GCM that the alternative investment company is too attractive to ignore. "Upgrade Thesis - Centers on favorable inflection on number of key fundamentals plus compelling risk-adjusted valuation, even after layering in particularly conservative assumptions." KBW upgrades Coinbase to market perform from underperform KBW upgraded Coinbase after its earnings report Thursday. "Solid revenue beat in the quarter on retail engagement ultimately being much stronger than expected towards year-end." BMO names Trade Desk a top pick BMO said the ad tech company's earnings report should "silence the bears." "This is a quarter/outlook to silence the bears. TTD is best positioned against two digital ad sector mega-trends in 2024: 1) third-party ad cookie deprecation in Google Chrome and 2) capturing a surge of ad dollars related to the U.S. presidential election." Baird upgrades UPS to outperform from neutral Baird said in its upgrade of UPS that the risk/reward is too attractive to ignore. "Consistent with this view and following the most recent pullback, we are upgrading UPS to Outperform and like the risk/reward." JPMorgan initiates Mister Car Wash as equal weight JPMorgan initiated the car wash company with a neutral rating mainly on valuation. "We are initiating coverage of Mister Car Wash (MCW) with a Neutral rating and a $9.50 Dec 2024 price target." Wells Fargo initiates Super Micro as equal weight Wells Fargo said the tech company is an artificial intelligence beneficiary but that the stock is fairly valued right now. "We expect Supermicro' s building-block portfolio breadth and engineering-first culture will continue to position the company as a first-to-mkt leader on next-gen. accelerated-compute architectures." Daiwa downgrades Arm to neutral from outperform Daiwa downgraded the semis company mainly on valuation. "Above expectation 3Q sent stock skyrocketing > 60%, > 130% vs launch. With Softbank/others owning > 90%, could keep share price elevated. Very positive on Arm's positioning, but look for a better re-entry point." Loop initiates Nvidia as buy Loop initiated Nvidia with a Street-high price target of $1,200 per share. "Initiating Buy and $1200 PT (63% appreciation) as we believe not only is there material upside to Street estimates in CY2024/FY2025 & CY2025/FY2026 but that we are at the front end of a 3 - 5 year GPU compute & Gen AI foundational build across Hyperscale." TD Cowen upgrades PVH to outperform from market perform TD Cowen said consensus estimates are too low for the maker of brands like Tommy Hilfiger. "Consensus is underestimating PVH's ability to elevate the CK and Tommy businesses, faster inventory turns, higher margins and an emerging capital allocation narrative, which can significantly improve the capital structure." UBS downgrades Newell Brands to neutral from buy UBS said it has decreased visibility for the maker of consumer and commercial products. "We are downgrading Newell Brands from Buy to Neutral with our NTM [next twelve months] price target moving to $8.50, implying ~6% upside from current levels." Raymond James downgrades Carvana to underperform from market perform Raymond James downgraded the stock mainly on valuation. "We are downgrading CVNA to an Underperform from a Market Perform rating. To be clear, our downgrade is not a call on upcoming 4Q23 results slated for Thursday, February 22nd, but on the recent stock performance." Raymond James upgrades Wayfair to strong buy from market perform Raymond James said it sees a "refreshed setup" for shares of Wayfair. "Our more constructive stance stems from two main points: 1) after a challenging period for the U.S furniture industry following COVID, we believe demand trends are nearing the bottom, with adjusted. U.S. furniture sales likely near 2015/2016 levels in 2023; and 2) management's recent cost-cutting initiatives will enable Wayfair to grow EBITDA meaningfully as demand returns." RBC initiates Biohaven as outperform RBC said the biotech company is "cutting edge." "We like the way BHVN identifies promising technologies and targets and then leverages its mgmt expertise to optimize the development path based on competitor data to become a fast-follower in high-value therapeutic areas." Oppenheimer downgrades Nike to perform from outperform Oppenheimer said it's concerned the next several quarters for Nike look "sluggish." "That said, as we re-examine closely the nearer-term outlook for NKE, we come away increasingly concerned that over the next several quarters that top-line trends at the enterprise are likely to remain sluggish, and below algo, given a combination of underlying, spotty consumer demand, lulls in product innovation, and modest competitive incursions, in select categories." Morgan Stanley reiterates Tesla as overweight Morgan Stanley said it's standing by Tesla but there has been "no place to hide." "While in the land of EV pure-plays, there has been no place to hide." Guggenheim downgrades SunPower to sell from neutral Guggenheim said it remains concerned about the solar company's financials. "We are downgrading our investment recommendation from Neutral to Sell with a $1 PT following SPWR' s announcement of a rescue financing package yesterday." Bank of America downgrades Dropbox to underperform from buy Bank of America said the "bull thesis has played out" for the data storage company. "Double Downgrading DBX to Underperform from Buy." Bank of America upgrades Cellebrite to buy from neutral Bank of America said it sees business trends stabilizing for the digital intelligence company. "We upgrade Cellebrite from Neutral to Buy and raise our PO from $9 to $12. The company sees improved business momentum, driven by healthy market demand, platformization of the portfolio, and growth acceleration of new product initiatives." Jefferies upgrades América Móvil to buy from hold Jefferies said the LatAm telecommunications company is becoming a "cash cow." " AMX | (Re)joining the Charge of the Cash Cows; Upgrade to Buy." Barclays reiterates Netflix as equal weight Barclays said it's standing by its equal weight rating on the stock and that growth could "slow substantially going forward." " Netflix core growth excluding the impact of paid sharing may have been quite weak last year." JPMorgan downgrades Bloom Energy to neutral from overweight JPMorgan downgraded Bloom Energy following its earnings report. " BE reported 4Q results below expectations. FY24 operating margin guidance aligned with our expectations though the revenue outlook was well below consensus and closer to expectations we have heard from recent bearish buyside conversations." Morgan Stanley reiterates Eli Lilly as overweight Morgan Stanley raised its price target on the stock to $950 per share from $805 and says it can be the first $1 trillion company. "Reiterate OW rating on LLY as we see upside to 2025+ estimates (and refresh our Bull scenario, which hinges on LLY's oral GLP-1) and make the case for why the stock continues to deserve a premium P/E multiple on outer-year estimates vs. historical Pharma stocks." Oppenheimer downgrades Roku to perform from outperform Oppenheimer downgraded the stock following earnings on Thursday and said shares are poised to be range-bound. "We are downgrading ROKU to Perform from Outperform and removing our $100 price target as we see the stock range-bound until the company sustainably delivers high-teens Platform revenue growth."

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/12/22/nike-foot-locker-stock-weak-outlook.html

NKE

Nike, Inc.

Nike, Foot Locker shares sink after athletic apparel maker cuts revenue outlook

Nike shares plunged Friday after the athletic apparel maker cut its revenue outlook for the fiscal year, with sneaker retailer Foot Locker also feeling the blow. Nike closed down more than 11%. Foot Locker, which relies heavily on Nike products in its stores, closed down nearly 4%. It was Nike's worst day since Sept. 30, 2022, when it fell 12.8%. Nike said in its earnings report Thursday that the company now expects its revenue to grow 1% for the fiscal year, down from the prior outlook of mid-single-digit growth. The company also said it was going to cut costs of upward of $2 billion over the next three years. The new outlook reflects increased headwinds "particularly in Greater China and EMEA," finance chief Matthew Friend said in the earnings call Thursday. He also noted digital traffic softness and a stronger U.S. dollar that has "negatively impacted second-half reported revenue versus 90 days ago." "Nike needs improved marketing outside of basketball, streetwear and lifestyle trends," TD Cowen analysts said in a Friday note, downgrading the stock to market perform from outperform. "Innovation at the higher end of its assortment is not resonating at scale while the Nike faces disruption from smaller competitors in footwear and apparel." Goldman Sachs analysts stuck with their buy rating on Nike's stock. But they also acknowledged that the company's report "provided ample fodder for bears, with slowing growth momentum as a result of a tougher macro pointing to a more promotional competitive marketplace, and the company now speaking more comprehensively to key franchise life cycle management which will weigh on sales momentum going forward." — CNBC's Gabrielle Fonrouge and Michael Bloom contributed to this report. Don't miss these stories from CNBC PRO:

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/12/21/nike-nke-earnings-q2-2024.html

NKE

Nike, Inc.

Nike sinks 12% after it slashes sales outlook, unveils $2 billion in cost cuts

Nike on Thursday unveiled plans to cut costs by about $2 billion over the next three years as it lowered its sales outlook. The stock fell about 12% in premarket trading Friday. Nike shares were up 4.7% so far this year through Thursday's close, lagging far behind the S&P 500's gains for the year. Retailer Foot Locker , which has leaned heavily on Nike products, fell about 8% in extended trading. Nike now expects full-year reported revenue to grow approximately 1%, compared to a prior outlook of up mid-single digits. In the current quarter, which includes the second half of the holiday shopping season, Nike expects reported revenue to be slightly negative as it laps tough prior year comparisons, and sales to be up low single digits in the fourth quarter. "Last quarter as I provided guidance, I highlighted a number of risks in our operating environment, including the effects of a stronger U.S. dollar on foreign currency translation, consumer demand over the holiday season and our second half wholesale order books. Looking forward, the impact of these risks is becoming clearer," finance chief Matthew Friend said on a call with analysts. "This new outlook reflects increased macro headwinds, particularly in Greater China and EMEA. Adjusted digital growth plans are based on recent digital traffic softness and higher marketplace promotions, life cycle management of key product franchises and a stronger U.S. dollar that has negatively impacted second-half reported revenue versus 90 days ago." The company still expects gross margins to expand between 1.4 and 1.6 percentage points. Excluding restructuring charges, it expects to deliver on its full-year earnings outlook. As part of its plan to cut costs, Nike said it's looking to simplify its product assortment, increase automation and its use of technology, streamline the overall organization by reducing management layers and leverage its scale "to drive greater efficiency." It plans to reinvest the savings it gets from those initiatives into fueling future growth, accelerating innovation and driving long-term profitability. "As we look ahead to a softer second-half revenue outlook, we remain focused on strong gross margin execution and disciplined cost management," Friend said in a press release. The plan will cost the company between $400 million and $450 million in pretax restructuring charges that will largely come to fruition in Nike's current quarter. Those costs are mostly related to employee severance costs, Nike said. Earlier this month, The Oregonian reported that Nike had been quietly laying off employees over the past several weeks and had signaled that it was planning for a broader restructuring. A series of divisions saw cuts, including recruitment, sourcing, brand, engineering, human resources and innovation, the outlet reported. The company didn't immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment on The Oregonian's report. During Nike's fiscal second quarter, it posted a strong earnings beat, indicating its cost-savings initiatives were already underway. But, for the second quarter in a row, it fell short of sales estimates, which is the first time Nike has seen consecutive quarters of revenue misses since 2016. Here's how the sneaker giant performed compared to what Wall Street was anticipating, based on a survey of analysts by LSEG, formerly known as Refinitiv: Earnings per share: $1.03 vs. 85 cents expected $1.03 vs. 85 cents expected Revenue: $13.39 billion vs. $13.43 billion expected The company reported net income for the three-month period that ended Nov. 30 was $1.58 billion, or $1.03 per share, compared to $1.33 billion, or 85 cents per share, a year earlier. Sales rose about 1% to $13.39 billion, from $13.32 billion a year earlier. Nike is considered a leader among industry peers such as Lululemon , Adidas and Under Armour , but its profits have been under pressure and it has been in the middle of a strategy shift that has seen it rekindle its relationships with wholesalers including Macy's and Designer Brands , the parent company of DSW.

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/02/02/fridays-top-stocks-to-buy-nvidia-apple-meta-amazon.html

NKE

Nike, Inc.

Here are Friday's biggest analyst calls: Nvidia, Apple, Meta, Amazon, Disney, Chipotle, Nike, Roblox, Costco & more

Here are Friday's biggest calls on Wall Street: Morgan Stanley reiterates Meta as overweight Morgan Stanley raised its price target to $550 per share from $375 after the company's earnings report on Thursday. " META's results and guidance were significantly stronger than expectations." Goldman Sachs reiterates Amazon as buy Goldman said it's sticking with its buy rating after the company's robust earnings report on Thursday. " AMZN's Q4'23 earnings report produced a beat across the board compared to GS/Street estimates driven by solid revenue trends and a rising margin trajectory in its North America eCommerce business and by a reacceleration of AWS revenue growth at rising margins." Bank of America reiterates Apple as buy Bank of America said investors should keep buying shares of Apple after its earnings report on Thursday. "iPhone grows despite China weakness; 15 cycle up vs. 14; GM [gross margin] blowout; GenAI coming." Bank of America reiterates Nvidia as buy Bank of America raised its price target on the stock to $800 per share from $700 heading into earnings on Feb. 21. "Expect NVDA to maintain dominance in AI inference also." Evercore ISI upgrades Global Payments to outperform from in line Evercore said in its upgrade of Global Payments company that the growth outlook is improving for the payment tech company. "Upgrading to Outperform on Improving Growth Outlook." Oppenheimer reiterates Costco as outperform Oppenheimer raised its price target to $760 per share from $695. "We look very favorably upon COST' s L-T prospects. Citi upgrades Sea Limited to buy from neutral Citi said the Singapore tech conglomerate has a "promising" outlook. "Together with steady gaming bookings on stable EBITDA margins while Fintech business delivers an improving profitability trend, Sea's fundamental outlook is likely to turn more promising." Citi upgrades Macy's to neutral from sell Citi said in its upgrade of the stock that the "risk/reward is less skewed to the downside." "In early December, the stock traded to ~$21 following a WSJ news story suggesting M had received a bid to be acquired at $21. With shares quickly trading up to within 1% of $21, we downgraded to Sell based on our skepticism that anything would materialize. We remain skeptical, but with the stock down 13% since, the risk/reward is less skewed to the downside." Deutsche Bank downgrades New York Community Bancorp to hold from buy Deutsche downgraded New York Community Bancorp after its "disappointing" earnings report earlier this week. "We are downgrading the shares to HOLD and lowering our price target to $7." Baird names KeyCorp and Comerica fresh picks Baird said investors should buy the dip in KeyCorp and Comerica. "Take advantage of this week's pullback, designating CMA, KEY, and TFC as Bullish Fresh Picks." Barclays reiterates Nike as a top idea Barclays said it's standing by Nike as a 2024 best idea. "We have increased confidence on margin drivers over the next 12- to 18-months as we seek more evidence on NKE's forthcoming product launches to assess the speed of sales recovery." Wells Fargo reiterates Shopify as buy Wells raised its price target on Shopify to $90 per share from $70. "With a strong holiday shopping season largely priced in, our attention turns to new product updates, rank ordering '24 catalysts and assessing the sustainability of margin outperformance. Maintain OW and raise our PT to $90 (from $70)." Bank of America reiterates Roblox as buy Bank of America said it's bullish on the stock heading into earnings next week. " RBLX plans to initiate quarterly and full year guidance on 7 February for the first time, a very positive development." Citi reiterates Disney as buy Citi said it's standing by the stock heading into earnings next week. " Disney reports F1Q24 results Wednesday (2/7) after the close. We believe the primary focus will be on DTC profitability and the execution of company's cost saving initiatives announced in F1Q23." UBS reiterates Chipotle as buy UBS said it's bullish heading into earnings next week. "We continue to view CMG as one of the best positioned in the sector for traffic outperformance and margin gains into 2024, and we value the brand's highly dependable growth outlook."

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/12/22/foot-lockers-push-to-diversify-sneakers-away-from-nike-is-a-good-call-after-a-tough-quarter.html

NKE

Nike, Inc.

Foot Locker’s push to diversify sneakers away from Nike is a good call after a tough quarter

Every weekday the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer releases the Homestretch audio feature in time for the last hour of trading on Wall Street. Here's today's edition. Stocks were looking to close out the week on a higher note, even as treasury yields were now up on Friday's session despite the cooler-than-expected inflation data. Friday marked the beginning of the Santa Claus Rally period, which technically runs through the final five trading days of the year and continues into the first two days of the new year. The success rate is historically pretty good here with the market up about 80% of the time during this stretch. Some defensive groups leading Friday were Utilities, Staples, and Energy as economic data softens up a bit. Consumer Discretionary was in the red due to Nike 's plunge on a cautious global outlook. Meanwhile, Tech and Communication Services were positive but lagging. DuPont was making a nice move this week as we learned encouraging news about the semiconductor and electronics cycle from Micron. About one-third of DuPont's business is tied to electronics. Stanley Black & Decker was still going strong even as the 10-year Treasury yield ticked up. Costco , Constellation Brands and Procter & Gamble were higher as the market gives the staples a little bit of a lift. On the downside was Foot Locker after Nike shares lost rough 12% on Friday due to its cautious outlook. It makes sense since the two are linked. It looks like Foot Locker's push to rely less on Nike was a good call. The U.S. stock market is closed Monday on Christmas Day. Friday's Homestretch was our last of 2023. We're back on Jan. 2. Happy holidays and Happy New Year. (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.

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/12/22/stocks-making-the-biggest-moves-midday-nke-rklb-bmy-ntes.html

NKE

Nike, Inc.

Stocks making the biggest moves midday: Nike, Rocket Lab, Bristol Myers, NetEase and more

Check out the companies making headlines in midday trading. Nike , Foot Locker — Shares of Nike plummeted 11.8% after the athletic apparel company slashed its revenue outlook and announced it would cut about $2 billion in costs over the next three years. On Thursday, Nike posted fiscal second-quarter revenue of $13.39 billion, short of the $13.43 billion expected by analysts polled by LSEG, formerly known as Refinitiv. Foot Locker, which sells Nike products in its stores, slid nearly 4%. Bristol Myers Squibb , Karuna Therapeutics — Shares of Bristol Myers Squibb added 2% and Karuna Therapeutics jumped 47% after Bristol Myers said it would buy the biopharmaceutical company for $14 billion in cash . Under the terms of the deal, Bristol Myers will pay $330 per share for Karuna, which suggests a 53% premium from Thursday's close. Tencent Music Entertainment , NetEase , Bilibili — U.S.-traded shares of Chinese internet giants took a hit after Beijing proposed guidelines to curb online gaming. Tencent slid 4% Friday, while Bilibili slipped 5%. On the other hand, NetEase plummeted more than 16%. Rocket Lab — Shares of Rocket Lab soared 22.8%. The space company posted a regulatory filing on Thursday, indicating that its subsidiary had signed a contract worth $515 million with the U.S. government to design, manufacture and operate 18 space vehicles. Coinbase — Shares of the crypto exchange added 4.4% after a bullish outlook from JMP. The bank nearly doubled its target price for the stock, which it dubbed the Amazon of the cryptocurrency industry. Paychex — Shares of the payroll company rose almost 1% Friday despite a downgrade to market perform from outperform by TD Cowen . This follows a decline of 7% Thursday after the stock posted fiscal second-quarter revenue that missed analysts' expectations. Lionsgate Entertainment — The entertainment company slid 4% after it announced plans to merge with Screaming Eagle Acquisition Corp ., a special purpose acquisition company. The deal, valued at $4.6 billion, would deliver about $350 million in gross proceeds to Lionsgate. Ansys — Ansys stock rose 18%. On Thursday, Bloomberg , citing people familiar, reported that the engineering software firm was considering its options after receiving takeover interest. — CNBC's Michelle Fox and Samantha Subin contributed reporting.

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/12/22/10-things-to-watch-in-the-stock-market-friday-including-nike-inflation.html

NKE

Nike, Inc.

10 things to watch in the stock market Friday, including Nike wreck and cooler inflation

10 things to watch Friday, Dec. 22 Wall Street indicated for a mixed open Friday as the November personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index comes in cooler than expected, which is a positive sign in the Fed's winning battle against inflation. Down 0.1% vs. flat expected – wow first time down since April 2020. 2.6% year over year versus 2.8% expected. Core PCE, the Fed's favorite inflation gauge, up 0.1% versus 0.2% expected and 3.2% year over year versus 3.3%. The U.S. stock market will be closed Monday on Christmas Day. Quarter was fine but a rough outlook from Nike sends the Dow stock more than 11% down. The company lowered its revenue and earnings-per-share (EPS) guidance as it expects softer sales over the next two quarters. China weak, getting more promotional. EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa) sluggish as well. Cost savings program of up to $2 billion will help. Stock had made a huge move so it will give some of that back. TD Cowen downgrades on too-high estimates. JPMorgan cuts to $128 from $138, maintains neutral. Bristol-Myers Squibb gives an early Christmas gift to shareholders of Karuna Therapeutic s, shelling out $14 billion to acquire the biotech for $330 per share and boost its psychiatric and neurological portfolio. Shares of Karuna, which makes a promising experimental schizophrenia drug, are up nearly as much as the more than 53.4% premium compared to Thursday's close. Oppenheimer likes the banks into the new year, prefers Club name Morgan Stanley as well as Bank of America , Goldman Sachs , Citigroup , Jefferies , and US Bancorp . In his CNBC exit interview Thursday, outgoing Morgan Stanley CEO James Gorman highlighted why we're staying in the bank stock . Ted Pick takes over as CEO on Jan. 1, 2024. Needham says its two favorite FAANG picks for 2024 are Club names Alphabet and Amazon . During this week's December Monthly Meeting for Club members, Jim Cramer and I ran through all of our tech stocks, including Nvidia and the three other Magnificent Seven we own . Wedbush raises its Tesla price target to $350 from $310 on electric vehicle share gains and margin stabilization next year. Tesla is the only Magnificent Seven stock we don't own. UBS says stay bullish on semiconductor and semi-equipment companies "as inventory trends enter the 'sweet spot.'" Top ideas are Micron and Advanced Micro Devices but they like Club names Nvidia and Broadcom , as well as Marvell Technology , Lam Research and Microchip Technology . Bank of America reiterated buy on Disney and $110 price target in its fiscal 2024 first quarter preview. The analysts think the quarter will be a continuation of recent trends – box office bad, director-to-consumer streaming improving, inflation and tough comps weighing on theme park margins. China surprises the video game industry with a new crackdown, enacts measures that limit time and spending on online games. News hits shares of Roblox , Electronic Arts , and Take-Two Interactive . Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway buys more Occidental Petroleum , increasing his stake to about 28%. Sign up for my Top 10 Morning Thoughts on the Market email newsletter for free (See here for a full list of the stocks at 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. 10 things to watch Friday, Dec. 22

https://www.cnbc.com/id/100063932

NI

NiSource

REFILE-FACTBOX-U.S. companies delay results due to Sandy

(Corrects company ticker symbol of Automatic Data Processing Inc to ADP.O from ADP.N) Oct 30 (Reuters) - Dozens of U.S. companies postponed releasing quarterly results after superstorm Sandy hit the U.S. east coast, disrupting power supplies and transportation and flooding large parts of New York city. All U.S. stock markets will be closed through Tuesday. Companies announcing delayed results and/or conference calls: -- Abiomed Inc rescheduled second-quarter conference call to Nov. 1 at 8 am Eastern Time. -- Accelrys Inc rescheduled third-quarter results to Oct. 31, after market. -- Acorda Therapeutics Inc rescheduled third-quarter results and conference call to Oct. 31. -- Advent Software Inc rescheduled third-quarter results and conference call to Oct. 30. -- Aegion Corp rescheduled third-quarter results to Oct. 31, after market closes. Its conference call will be held on Nov. 1, 9.30 am Eastern Time. -- Affiliated Managers Group Inc rescheduled third-quarter results to Oct. 31. Will hold a teleconference at 11.00 am Eastern Time. -- AGCO Corp rescheduled third-quarter results to Oct. 31, 8 am Eastern Time from Oct. 30. -- American Capital Agency Corp rescheduled its shareholder call to Nov. 1. The earnings call may be further postponed depending on when equity markets reopen, it said. -- Arch Capital Group Ltd rescheduled third- quarter results to after market on Nov. 1. The conference call will be held at 10 am Eastern Time on Nov. 2. -- Arkansas Best Corp rescheduled third-quarter results to Nov. 1 from Oct. 30. -- Armstrong World Industries Inc rescheduled its third-quarter conference call and webcast, and said new timings would be announced later. -- Aspen Technology rescheduled first-quarter conference call to Nov. 1, 8 am Eastern Time. -- Automatic Data Processing Inc rescheduled first-quarter results to Nov. 1. -- Avon Products Inc tentatively rescheduled third-quarter results to Nov. 1. The company said it would confirm once the weather stabilized. -- Big 5 Sporting Goods Corp rescheduled third-quarter results to Nov. 1 after market close. -- Blackbaud Inc rescheduled third-quarter conference call to Nov. 1. -- Brightcove Inc rescheduled third-quarter results to Nov. 1 from Oct. 30. -- Carmike Cinemas Inc rescheduled third-quarter results to Nov. 1. -- Cell Therapeutics Inc rescheduled third-quarter results to Nov. 1 from Oct. 30, and will hold its conference call at 8:30 am Eastern Time. -- Cerus Corp rescheduled third-quarter results to Nov. 7 after markets close. -- Cirrus Logic Inc rescheduled second-quarter results to Oct. 31 at about 4 p.m. Eastern Time. -- Compugen Ltd rescheduled third-quarter results conference call to Nov. 5. -- Con-way Inc rescheduled third-quarter earnings report to Oct. 31, after market. Conference call will be held on Nov. 1, starting at 8:30 am Eastern Time. -- Cummins Inc pushed back earnings by a day to Oct. 31, 7 am ET. -- Danaos Corp rescheduled third-quarter results to Nov. 5, after markets close. -- Dendreon Corp rescheduled third-quarter results to Nov. 2 and will hold its investor conference call the same day at 9 am Eastern Time. -- DreamWorks Animations SKG Inc rescheduled third- quarter earnings announcement and conference call for Nov. 1, after markets close. -- Drew Industries Inc rescheduled third-quarter to Nov. 1, before market and a conference call will follow at 1 pm. -- Entergy Corp rescheduled third-quarter earnings conference call to Nov. 5. -- Equinix Inc rescheduled third-quarter results to Nov. 1 and will hold its quarterly conference call at 5.30 pm Eastern Time. -- Exelon Corp rescheduled third-quarter earnings call to Nov. 1 at 10 a.m. Eastern Time, from Oct. 31. -- GNC Holdings Inc rescheduled third-quarter earnings call to Nov. 1 at 10 am Eastern Time. -- Heidrick & Struggles International Inc : rescheduled third-quarter results to Oct. 31. -- Hess Corp rescheduled third-quarter earnings conference call to Nov. 2, at 10 am Eastern Time. -- hhgregg Inc rescheduled second-quarter results to Nov. 2. -- Hercules Technology Growth Capital Inc rescheduled third-quarter results to Nov. 1 at 5 pm Eastern Time, from Oct. 30. -- Hertz Global Holdings Inc rescheduled third-quarter earnings to Oct. 31, after market, and the conference call will be held on Nov. 1 at 10 am Eastern Time. -- Iconix Brand Group Inc rescheduled third-quarter results and earnings call to Nov. 1. -- Integrated Silicon Solution Inc rescheduled fourth-quarter results conference call to Nov. 1, 4.30 pm Eastern Time. -- Intelsat S.A. rescheduled third-quarter results and conference call to Nov. 5 from Oct. 31. -- Itron Inc rescheduled third-quarter results to Nov. 1, 8.00 am Eastern Time. -- ITT Corp rescheduled third-quarter results to Nov. 2, 7 am Eastern Time. -- Kaman Corp rescheduled third-quarter results to Oct. 31, after the bell. A webcast and conference call will be held at 8:30 am Eastern Time on Nov. 1. -- Kilroy Realty Corporation rescheduled third-quarter conference call to Oct. 31, 10 am Pacific Time. -- L-3 Communications rescheduled third-quarter conference call to Nov. 1 at 11 am Eastern Time. The press release of the quarterly results will be issued on the same day before market. -- Life Technologies Corp rescheduled its third-quarter earnings and conference call to Nov. 1. -- LPL Financial Holdings Inc rescheduled third- quarter results to Oct. 31, before market opens. -- MannKind Corp rescheduled third-quarter results to Nov. 1, and will host a conference call at 6 pm Eastern Time. -- Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Inc rescheduled third-quarter results to Nov. 1 from Oct. 30. -- MCG Capital Corporation : canceled its conference call scheduled for Oct. 30, 9 am. It will instead file prepared remarks with the SEC on an 8-K. -- M.D.C. Holdings Inc rescheduled third-quarter results to Nov. 1 before market opens, and will host a conference call at 12.30 pm Eastern Time. -- Meadowbrook Insurance Group Inc rescheduled third-quarter results to Nov. 1 after market, from Oct. 29. -- Medidata Solutions Inc rescheduled third-quarter results to Oct. 31 from Oct. 30. -- Monolithic Power Systems Inc : rescheduled third-quarter results to Nov. 1, and will hold its conference call at 5 pm Eastern Time. -- MPG Office Trust Inc rescheduled third-quarter results to Nov. 5, after market. -- MSC Industrial Direct Co Inc rescheduled its fiscal fourth-quarter results to Oct. 31 from Oct. 30. -- NCI Inc rescheduled third-quarter to Nov. 7 after market. Conference call will be at 5 pm Eastern Time. -- Neustar Inc rescheduled its third-quarter results and conference call to Nov. 5, after market. -- Newtek Business Services rescheduled third-quarter results to Oct. 31 at 4:15 pm Eastern Time. -- NiSource Inc rescheduled its third-quarter results to Nov. 2. The company's analysts conference call is now scheduled for 9 am Eastern Time on Nov. 2. -- NRG Energy Inc rescheduled third-quarter earnings conference call to Nov. 2 from Oct. 31. -- Nu Skin Enterprises Inc rescheduled third-quarter results and conference call to premarket on Oct. 31. -- Office Depot rescheduled third-quarter earnings announcement and conference call to Nov. 6. -- Onyx Pharmaceuticals Inc rescheduled third-quarter earnings announcement to Nov. 1, and host a conference call at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time. -- Parkway Properties Inc rescheduled third-quarter earnings to Nov. 1, after market, followed by a conference call at 5 pm Eastern Time. -- PartnerRe Ltd rescheduled third-quarter results to Oct. 31, after market. -- Penske Automotive Group Inc rescheduled third- quarter earnings release and conference call to Nov. 2. -- Pentair Ltd rescheduled third-quarter results to Nov. 1 from Oct. 30. -- Peregrine Semiconductor Corp rescheduled third-quarter results to Oct. 31 from Oct. 29. -- Pfizer Inc rescheduled third-quarter results and conference call to Nov. 1, before the bell, from Oct. 30. -- Post Properties Inc will hold its quarterly conference call on Oct. 31 at 12 noon Eastern Time. The company released results on Oct. 29. -- Qiagen NV now plans to issue its third-quarter results in on Nov. 4 at 12 noon Eastern Time. -- Ralph Lauren Corp rescheduled second-quarter results to Nov. 1. -- Republic Airways Holdings Inc : rescheduled third-quarter results to Nov. 1, at 1 pm Eastern Time. -- Rogers Corp rescheduled third-quarter results to about two hours before the market on Nov. 5. -- Rudolph Technologies rescheduled third-quarter results and conference call to Oct. 31. -- Saba rescheduled conference call to Nov. 5. -- Saia Inc rescheduled third-quarter results to Nov. 1, before market opens. -- Sanmina-SCI Corp rescheduled fourth-quarter results to Oct. 30, after market. Hosts a conference call on Oct. 31 at 8:30 am Eastern Time. -- Sealed Air Corp rescheduled third-quarter results announcement to Nov. 2. -- Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc rescheduled third-quarter results to Nov. 1, 7.30 am Eastern Time. -- Sirius XM Radio rescheduled third-quarter results to Nov. 1. -- Solta Medical Inc rescheduled third-quarter results to Nov. 1, before market opens, and will host a conference call at 10:30 am Eastern Time. -- Sourcefire Inc rescheduled third-quarter results to Nov. 1. -- Southern Co rescheduled third-quarter results to Nov. 5, 7.30 am Eastern Time. -- Sterling Bancorp rescheduled third-quarter results and related conference call to Nov. 2 from Oct. 30. -- Sungard Data Systems Inc rescheduled third-quarter results to Oct. 31, and will host a conference call at 4.15 pm Eastern Time. -- Systemax Inc rescheduled third-quarter earnings announcement to Nov. 1, after market. The Company will host an earnings teleconference at 5 p.m. Eastern Time on that day. -- Taro Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd rescheduled announcement of results for quarter ended Sept. 30 to Nov. 1, after market closes from Oct. 30. -- Tesla Motors Inc rescheduled third-quarter results to Nov. 5 at 6:30 am Eastern Time from Oct. 29. The company will hold a live Q&A session at 8 am Eastern Time. -- Texas Roadhouse rescheduled third-quarter results and conference call to Nov. 1. -- The Corporate Executive Board Co rescheduled third-quarter results and conference call to Nov. 1. -- The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc rescheduled third-quarter earnings and conference call to Nov. 2 from Oct. 31. -- Thomson Reuters Corp rescheduled earnings announcement to Nov. 2 from Oct. 30. -- Time Warner Cable Inc rescheduled third-quarter results to Nov. 5 and will hold a conference call at 8.30 am Eastern Time. -- TripAdvisor Inc rescheduled third-quarter earnings release to Nov. 1. -- USA Mobility Inc rescheduled third-quarter earnings announcement to Nov. 1, 4.30 pm Eastern Time. -- Unilife Corp rescheduled the release of its first-quarter results to Nov. 8 at 4.05 pm Eastern Time. It will hold a conference call at 4.30 pm the same day. -- Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc rescheduled third-quarter results to Nov. 2, before market. -- Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc rescheduled third-quarter earnings and conference call to after market close on Nov. 1 from Oct. 29. -- Virtusa Corp rescheduled second-quarter earnings to Nov. 1 and will hold a conference call at 5 pm Eastern Time. -- Vision-Sciences Inc rescheduled second-quarter results to Nov. 5. Conference call will follow on Nov. 6. -- Waddell & Reed Financial Inc rescheduled third-quarter earnings announcement to Oct. 31 from Oct. 30. -- Waste Management Inc rescheduled third-quarter earnings conference call to Oct. 31, 10 am Eastern Time from Oct. 30. -- Weingarten Realty rescheduled its conference call previously scheduled for Oct. 29. (Compiled by Bijoy Koyitty and Sruthi Ramakrishnan in Bangalore)

https://www.cnbc.com/id/36057174

NI

NiSource

March 26: Unusual Volume Leaders

What follows is a look at stocks in the S&P 500 displaying unusual volume in today's trading session. Some of the highlights include: Consol Energy (CNX), NiSource (NI), SLM (SLM), RadioShack (RSH) and Reynolds American (RAI).

https://www.cnbc.com/id/36324424

NI

NiSource

April 9: Unusual Volume Leaders

What follows is a look at stocks in the S&P 500 displaying unusual volume in today's trading session. Some of the highlights include: Jacobs Engineering Group (JEC), Pinnacle West Capital (PNW), NiSource (NI) and Constellation Brands (STZ).

https://www.cnbc.com/id/33793388

NI

NiSource

Profiting From Natural Gas: Strategists

Armstrong said he expects natural gas prices to remain relatively flat to lower than their current price through next year. “But in 2011 as the economy begins to rebound more strongly, that’s when you’ll see a pick up in prices,” he said. “Costs for producers right now are also very low—the cost of steel, pipe for transmitting, and labor is very low. So now is a good time to be looking at some of these things.” In the meantime, Jarvis said sluggish demand fundamentals and record storage have kept prices low, but once Washington decides to make a push toward natural gas, it will set up a bullish play going into next year.

https://www.cnbc.com/id/34959106

NI

NiSource

Mad Mail: Is Linear Tech a Buy?

Jack in Washington, D.C. last Wednesday asked Cramer about Analogic. This is a company that makes signal and imagining processing systems, mainly for medical imaging, but it also has some exciting security applications, one of Cramer’s big themes for 2010. In the end, though, Cramer said Analogic’s earnings are too dependent on hospital equipment spending, and the stock just ran up after the failed Christmas airplane bomber attack. So he thinks investors should pass on buying ALOG. Neutral Tandem also tripped up Cramer. Phil in New York asked about this difficult-to-understand company, which Cramer recommended back in October at $22.64 but has dropped $16.69. “I was wrong,” the Mad Money host admitted. He likes the business model, allowing phone companies to send traffic to other carriers more efficiently and cost effectively, but the stock has been overshadowed by concerns about competitors taking share. Just today the company said that its fourth-quarter results will be in line, and the Street sees results that merely meet expectations as a disappointment. Cramer’s bottom line is that the stock may look cheap, but the competition problem isn’t going away. Therefore, investors should “sell this one into any strength if we ever get it.” __ Dear Jim: I've been buying Nisource since the dividend was 11%. I've made some mad money and the dividend is now down to 6%, so I sold a little as not to be a pig. My question: Since NI is a utility stock, will it continue to rise as the natural-gas explosion takes off? Thanks for all your help. I never miss a show. -Randy in Ohio Cramer Says: “The dividend didn’t go down, the yield went down. The dividend has been consistently good at Nisource. But the stock went all the way down and gave you an accidentally high yield, and now its come back up…” Jim: What are your thoughts on Linear Technology as a tech play on the wireless Internet tsunami? It pays a nice dividend and has raised its payout. LLTC’s profit margins are higher than many of its peers on rising revenues, and the company has a diversified customer base. Is this a good play? -Mike in Marietta, Ga. Cramer Says: “…LLTC, that is a great tsunami play… Is it as good as Apple?No, but it certainly should’ve been considered just like SeagateTechnology , which reported monster numbers after the close, or Cree up $9 today.” Cramer's charitable trust owns Apple, 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/27458380

NI

NiSource

Lightning Round OT: Duke Energy, Johnson Controls and More

Nisource : “That’s a good one,” Cramer said. He likes the near 7% dividend yield. But if given the choice, Cramer would still choose Duke Energy. Johnson Controls : Cramer won’t recommend a company like JCI with autos exposure. Questions for Cramer? madmoney@cnbc.com Questions, comments, suggestions for the Mad Money website? madcap@cnbc.com

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/10/12/stocks-making-the-biggest-move-premarket-jpm-pnc-msft-el-intc--more.html

NI

NiSource

Stocks making the biggest move premarket: JPM, PNC, MSFT, EL, INTC & more

Check out the companies making headlines before the bell: JPMorgan Chase – The bank reported quarterly profit of $2.34 per share, beating the consensus estimate of $2.25 a share. Revenue also beat Street forecasts. A stronger consumer business helped negate weaker results in trading operations. Citigroup – Citi earned $1.73 per share for the third quarter, four cents above estimates. Revenue did miss forecasts, but the bank's bottom line benefited from lower expenses. Wells Fargo – Wells Fargo fell a penny shy of estimates with adjusted quarterly profit of $1.16 per share, while the bank's revenue did come in above forecast. Wells Fargo also said it was making progress in rebuilding customer trust. PNC Financial – PNC topped estimates by 10 cents a share, with quarterly profit of $2.82. Revenue for the banking company also came in above analysts' forecasts. Results were helped by higher interest income and a drop in provisions for credit losses. Microsoft – Macquarie upgraded the stock to "outperform" from "neutral," noting the pullback of the past two sessions and Microsoft's ongoing earnings power. Estee Lauder – The cosmetics maker was downgraded to "neutral" from "overweight" at JPMorgan Chase, which is concerned about the impact of the US trade dispute with China on Estee Lauder's business. Intel – Intel has reduced its stake in supplier ASML to just below three percent. Intel had originally bought a stake in 2012, along with two other semiconductor companies, to help fund ASML's next-generation lithography systems. Tesla – Tesla said orders for its electric vehicles placed by October 15 will still be eligible for a full $7,500 tax credit. The credit begins to reduce at the conclusion of the quarter after the three-month period in which an alternative fuel carmaker sells 200,000 vehicles. AbbVie – The drugmaker resolved a patent dispute with Sandoz over its best-selling Humira drug. Sandoz is the generic drug unit of Switzerland's Novartis . Sandoz will receive a license to sell Humira in most EU countries. Netflix – Netflix was upgraded to "buy" from "neutral" at Citi, which said this week's sell-off has pushed the stock down to attractive levels considering its strong fundamentals and highly recurring subscription revenue. NiSource – NiSource affiliate Columbia Gas was blamed for a recent deadly Massachusetts gas explosion. The National Transportation Safety Board said Columbia did not require repair crews to relocate pressure sensors while doing work on natural gas pipelines. Public Storage – The self-storage company's European affiliate Shurgard priced its initial public offering in Europe at the bottom end of the projected price range. Shurgard is Europe's largest self-storage provider and is 49 percent owned by US-based Public Storage. RH – The furniture and household goods retailer was upgraded to "buy" from "hold" at Stifel Nicolaus, which points to valuation as well as increased brand strength for the Restoration Hardware parent. Snap , Twitter – Snap was upgraded to "buy" from "hold" and Twitter was upgraded to "hold" from "sell" at Pivotal Research, with both calls partly based on stock price drops over the past two days. Pivotal notes that the Snapchat parent does have a widening user base and that the company can improve monetization. 3M – Credit Suisse initiated coverage of the diversified products manufacturer with an "outperform" rating, citing a strong balance sheet and stable global industrial production growth, among other factors.

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/10/12/wall-street-poised-to-rally-after-dow-saw-a-2-day-plunge.html

NI

NiSource

Wall Street is poised to rally after the Dow saw a 2-day plunge of nearly 1,400 points

On the data front this morning, the government is out with September import and export prices at 8:30 a.m. ET. And at 10 a.m. ET, the University of Michigan is out with its preliminary Consumer Sentiment Index for October. (CNBC) Earnings season officially kicks off this morning with quarterly earnings from Citigroup (C), JPMorgan Chase (JPM), Wells Fargo (WFC), and PNC Financial (PNC). There are no earnings reports to note after today's closing bell. (CNBC) * JPMorgan Chase third quarter earnings top Wall Street estimates (CNBC) Rescuers will pick through the rubble of ravaged beach communities searching for survivors today after Michael, one of the most powerful hurricanes in U.S. history, slammed into the Florida Panhandle, killing at least seven people. (Reuters) * After Michael's rampage: There's 'Nothing left' (AP) NBC has learned that lawyers for President Donald Trump are preparing written responses to questions sent by special counsel Robert Mueller. The possibility of a sit-down interview with the president is reportedly still being debated. Sources told CNBC that Dina Powell, a Goldman Sachs (GS) executive, had told friends that she was leaning toward staying at the firm instead of becoming President Trump's next U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. (CNBC) Rapper and entrepreneur Kanye West spent a stunning and surreal half hour talking to Trump in the Oval Office yesterday afternoon. He was surrounded by White House aides, reporters and former NFL star Jim Brown. (CNBC) U.S. officials imposed new restrictions on nuclear exports to China. That happened after officials concluded that China was seeking to illicitly acquire the technology to bolster its military and to undermine U.S. industry. (WSJ) Trump's top economic advisor Larry Kudlow said the White House has taken steps toward setting up a meeting between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping as the world's two largest economies clash over trade. (CNBC) * Trade war could cut China's growth by nearly 2 percentage points over two years: IMF (CNBC) Tesla (TSLA) said orders for its vehicles placed by Oct. 15 will still be eligible for a full $7,500 tax credit. The credit begins to reduce at the conclusion of the quarter after the three-month period in which an alternative fuel carmaker sells 200,000 vehicles. (Reuters) The U.S. Postal Service has proposed a 9 to 12 percent increase in fees for the shipping service used by Amazon (AMZN). The move happens just months Trump criticized the USPS, saying it gives Amazon too good of a deal. (CNBC) Facebook (FB) said it has taken down hundreds of U.S. pages and accounts that were spreading false or misleading political content. The social network said the accounts broke rules against "spam" and "coordinated inauthentic behavior." (WSJ)

https://www.cnbc.com/2015/07/15/cramer-remix-after-receptos-heres-whats-next.html

NI

NiSource

Cramer Remix: After Receptos, here's what's next

watch now The averages have had a huge run recently, and while this wasn't reflected in the market on Wednesday, Jim Cramer pointed out that people have made fortunes owning individual stocks in the past few years from the bright ideas that they have had. "I always say good investment ideas are often right in our faces, on the dinner table or the living room or in the mall, which means the gains are there to be had as long as you're actually looking for them," the "Mad Money" host said. Cramer heard a boatload of these fortune-brewing ideas on Wednesday when he attended CNBC's Delivering Alpha conference. He highlighted a few of the amazing ideas that he heard, so that investors could understand how easily good investment ideas can be found. Cramer interviewed Jeff Smith, the CEO of the activist fund Starboard Value, at Delivering Alpha and he presented a new way to judge Macy's . Instead of looking at the company based on the earnings per share—Cramer's way—he looked at it as a real estate play and suggested that this $72 stock could be worth $125. "I doubt I'll ever think of Macy's the same way again. It's not just the place where I bought my shoes, it's a collection of assets that might be worth much more than where the stock is currently trading," Cramer said. Read More Cramer: Mind blowing instant portfolio plays Frankly, the pace of change in these consumer markets today is faster than I've ever seen it Kendall Powell chairman and CEO, General Mills Kendall Powell, CEO, General Mills Scott Mlyn | CNBC Cramer was elated when he heard the news that Celgene paid $232 a share for Receptos on Wednesday. Receptos has been a long-time favorite of Cramer, as he started recommending it 130 points ago. But the people who should really thank Celgene? The shareholders, Cramer said. Celgene CEO Bob Hugin obviously recognized that his company's stock would soar when he picked up Receptos for $7.2 billion. "After all it is not often that a company shells out that much money and then sees its own stock go up almost an equal amount in value because it is such a fantastic acquisition," the "Mad Money" host said. What drew Cramer to Receptos initially, about a year ago when the stock traded at $35, was its drug Ozanimod. This drug had the potential to treat several conditions within one formulation. So, while Celgene was doing extremely well, it was perceived as being too dependent on its drug Revlimid. As a result, Cramer thinks this this was a match made in heaven. Now that Janet Yellen reiterated on Wednesday that investors should expect a rate hike later this year, Cramer is wondering what to do with high-quality packaged food names with a strong dividend, like General Mills . General Mills has a large array of brands spanning from Cheerios, Chex, Pillsbury, Progresso, Yoplait and Betty Crocker to its natural and organic business, which includes the recently acquired Annie's. On Tuesday General Mills hosted its annual investor day, where it outlined its plans to grow its business, including launching Yoplait in China and to dramatically expand its natural and organic product base dramatically. To hear more on its plans for growth, Cramer spoke with General Mills Chairman and CEO Ken Powell. "Frankly, the pace of change in these consumer markets today is faster than I've ever seen it," Powell said. Read More General Mills: We're going natural & gluten-free

https://www.cnbc.com/2015/02/18/wall-street-set-to-build-on-record-high-greece-deal-eyed.html

NI

NiSource

Wall Street uneasy after record high; Greece deal eyed

Investors now hope that some kind of deal between Greece and its international lenders can be reached by the end of the week, as the European Central Bank said it would hold off on cutting emergency funding for Greek banks, according to Reuters. U.S. stock index futures signaled a softer open on Wednesday, after the Greek government said it would request a loan extension from its euro zone creditors Tuesday. Traders work the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. It comes after the S&P 500 stocks closed at a record high once again on Tuesday, and the Dow finished over 18,000. A number of economic data releases are expected Wednesday, with January's industrial production due at 09:15 a.m. ET. The Labor Department said on Wednesday its producer price index for final demand dropped 0.8 percent, the biggest drop since the revamped series started in November 2009, after falling 0.2 percent in December. It was the third straight month of decline in the PPI. U.S. housing starts fell in January as ground breaking for single-family projects slipped off a 6-1/2-year peak, but stayed at levels consistent with a gradually improving housing market. The publication of the minutes of last month's Federal Open Market Committee meeting comes at 2:00 p.m. ET. Read MoreWith an eye on Greece, investors focus on the Fed Hilton Worldwide missed estimates by one cent with adjusted quarterly profit of 17 cents per share, though revenue was above estimates. Hilton's revenue per available room in properties open at least a year rose less than expected, and the company is also projecting current quarter earnings below Street estimates. Starwood Hotels said it will pay former CEO Frits Van Paasschen $7.2 million in severance, according to an SEC filing. He'll also get a $312,500 consulting fee for helping Starwood find his replacement. Actavis earned $3.91 per share for its latest quarter, beating estimates of $3.67. Revenue was also above estimates and the company also raised its full-year forecast on upbeat sales growth for its top selling products. It's also planning to take the Allergan corporate name when it completes its acquisition of that company, pending shareholder approval. Read MoreEarly movers: HLT, HOT, ACT, FOSL, CAT & more Garmin earned an adjusted 77 cents per share for its latest quarter, one cent below estimates, though revenue beat consensus. Garmin did say currency issues will slow revenue growth this year, but it will continue to invest in research and development. Marriott , Energy Transfer Equity , Marathon Oil , Norwegian Cruise Line and SolarCity due after the bell. European shares were higher after positive earnings and hopes of a Greek deal on Wednesday. Elsewhere, the U.S. backed a Russian-sponsored peace proposal late Tuesday, despite reports that fighting is continuing in the Ukrainian town of Debaltseve. In statement, U.S. Vice-President Joe Biden condemned the violation of the cease-fire, saying that the costs to Russia "will rise" if it continues to violate the agreement. Reuters and CNBC's Peter Schacknow contributed to this report.

https://www.cnbc.com/2015/07/14/natural-gas-tops-coal-as-top-source-of-electric-power-generation-in-us.html

NSC

Norfolk Southern Railway

Natural gas tops coal as top source of electricity in US

watch now Call it a one-two punch against coal. As global demand for U.S. coal exports continues to sag, domestic demand at power plants has been sliding as well. For the first time ever, natural gas trumped coal as the top source of electric power generation in the U.S. In April, roughly 31 percent of electric power generation came from natural gas, whereas coal accounted for 30 percent, according to a recent SNL Energy report. It's a dramatic difference from April 2010, when coal accounted for 44 percent of the mix and natural gas just 22 percent. "There's been a change both from a regulatory and economic perspective in terms of the competitiveness of natural gas," said Steve Piper, associate director of energy fundamentals at SNL Energy. "The transition from coal has been stunning." Read More What shuttering coal plants means for energy jobs Stunning is right. Coal prices have continued to crater this year, extending a years-long downward trend. American Electric Power's coal-fired John E. Amos Power Plant in Winfield, West Virginia. Luke Sharrett | Bloomberg | Getty Images This has been particularly true of coal mined in the eastern U.S. Since the start of the year, Central Appalachian coal (CAPP) futures have plunged nearly 15 percent to roughly $41 per ton; since their 2011 peak, prices have nearly halved. Tepid global economic growth, a stronger dollar, cheap natural gas and expanding U.S. regulations have pressured prices. Coal breaks down into two categories: thermal coal, used to generate electricity at power plants, mostly in the United States; and export coal—for example, metallurgical coal used by China and developing economies to make steel. On Monday Chinese customs data showed coal imports in China plunged 33.7 percent in June versus a year earlier, thanks largely to sluggish demand. China is the largest consumer of the commodity in the world. U.S. coal exports have been in free fall for years as countries like Australia and Indonesia have provided supply to China more inexpensively. The stronger dollar is also making American supply pricier abroad. Read More But perhaps the more worrying trend is at home. Natural gas futures continue to trade below $3 per mmbtu, as the onshore drilling boom has increased production by 30 percent since 2008. That coupled with a growing list of federal regulations restricting the emission of greenhouse gasses and utilities have had plenty of motivation to switch to natural gas. SNL Energy's Piper points out that many utilities are simply abandoning coal. In last 18 months, 17 gigawatt hours of coal-fired capacity has been retired completely, much of it already replaced by gas generation. "It could be the beginning of the end for the current fleet of coal plants," said Piper. However he also noted that it's likely the start of a new chapter in which the coal industry takes a much more serious look at options to burn the fossil fuel more efficiently to reduce emissions. watch now

https://www.cnbc.com/2016/03/02/early-movers-anf-amzn-csx-ibm-vrx-ckp-bud-sbux-znga-more.html

NSC

Norfolk Southern Railway

Early movers: ANF, AMZN, CSX, IBM, VRX, CKP, BUD, SBUX, ZNGA & more

A trader works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. Check out which companies are making headlines before the bell: Abercrombie & Fitch — The teen apparel retailer earned an adjusted $1.08 per share for its latest quarter, 9 cents above estimates. Revenue was also slightly above forecasts, and the company also reported its first same-store sales gain in more than three years. Amazon.com — BMO Capital began coverage on the online retailer's stock with an "outperform" rating, saying a flight to safety away from high growth stocks has created a buying opportunity for stocks like Amazon. CSX — Rival rail operator Canadian Pacific approached CSX about a takeover back in January. Canadian Pacific has been trying to buy rail operator Norfolk Southern , which has resisted those overtures. Chesapeake Energy — Chesapeake's former CEO Aubrey McClendon has been charged by the Justice Department for allegedly leading a bid-rigging conspiracy involving oil and natural gas leases. The charges follow a four-year federal investigation, but McClendon said the Justice Department action is "wrong and unprecedented." International Business Machines — IBM plans to sell up to $150 million of its shares in China computer maker Lenovo Group, according to IFR. Valeant — Valeant triggered the Securities and Exchange Commission's probe of the drugmaker with its own request that regulators investigate claims against the company made by short seller and Citron Research founder Andrew Left, according to Reuters. Separately, Canaccord downgraded Valeant to "hold" from "buy," on growing uncertainty surrounding the internal and external probes involving the company. Checkpoint Systems — The provider of inventory management solutions agreed to be bought by Canada's CCL Industries for $10.15 per share in cash or $556 million. Anheuser-Busch InBev — The beer brewer struck a deal to sell SABMiller's China-based beer business To China Resources Beer Holdings. The deal is part of the company's effort to win China regulatory approval for its pending acquisition of SABMiller. Starbucks — Chief Operating Officer Troy Alstead has resigned, a year after he took a leave of absence. His resignation was effective this past Monday and the coffee chain did not elaborate on a reason for his departure. Zynga — Zynga named Frank Gibeau as its new chief executive officer, with founder Mark Pincus becoming executive chairman of the online game creator. Gibeau is a former executive at video game maker Electronic Arts . Ross Stores — Ross reported quarterly profit of 66 cents per share, 2 cents above estimates, with the discount retailer's revenue also slightly higher than forecasts. Ross also increased its quarterly dividend by 15 percent to 13.5 cents per share. However, the company's guidance for the current quarter and the year as a whole is somewhat shy of expectations. Weatherford International — Weatherford announced a secondary offering of 80 million common shares, with the oilfield services company planning to use the proceeds for general corporate purposes. American Water Works — The utility company's stock will join the after the close of trading Thursday, replacing Consol Energy . Consol will move to the S&P MidCap 400 index. Chipotle Mexican Grill — CLSA raised its price target on the stock to $613 from $536 per share, saying the restaurant chain saw a better than expected uptick in customer traffic last month. CLSA maintains a "buy" rating on the stock.

https://www.cnbc.com/2014/10/13/midday-movers-gopro-tesla-motors-yahoo-more.html

NSC

Norfolk Southern Railway

Midday movers: GoPro, Tesla Motors, Yahoo & more

General Electric - The conglomerate fell after saying its aircraft-leasing unit said it would acquire Dublin-based helicopter leasing company Milestone Aviation for $1.78 billion. Ford Motor - The auto manufacturer edged down after saying it would add 850 jobs at its Dearborn, Mich., facilities for its new F-150 truck. Alnylam Pharmaceuticals - The drug developer soared after reporting favorable results from a clinical trial involving a rare disease affecting the nervous system. Take a look at some of Monday's midday movers: GoPro - The maker of wearable cameras fell after a French journalist linked Michael Schumacher's brain injury in a skiing accident last year to a GoPro camera mounted to his helmet. J.C. Penney Co . - The department-store operator rose after naming Home Depot executive Marvin Ellison as its CEO, replacing Myron Ullman in August 2015. Kansas City Southern - The railway rose as did Norfolk Southern on a Wall Street Journal report that Canadian Pacific Railway had approached CSX about a possible merger. Lakeland Industries - The maker of protective clothing rose as did competitor Alpha Pro Tech on news a Texas health worker contracted the Ebola virus. Lithia Motors - The seller of new and used cars declined after issuing a third-quarter earnings warning. Luxottica Group - The Italian maker of eye glasses fell after chief executive resigned. Tesla Motors - The electric-car maker declined after Friday's negative investor reaction to its Model D. Vertex Pharmaceuticals - The drug developer rose after positive comments from Needham on its latest drug for cystic fibrosis. Yahoo - The search engine edged lower BGC upgraded its share to buy from hold. ( ) Questions? Comments? Email us at marketinsider@cnbc.com

https://www.cnbc.com/2015/11/18/wall-street-firms-despite-terror-concerns.html

NSC

Norfolk Southern Railway

Wall Street firms despite terror concerns

In a police raid near Paris today, two people holed up in an apartment died, including a woman who blew herself up. Seven other suspects were arrested, as authorities searched for the alleged mastermind of last week's attacks. (CNBC) Security fears intensified in Europe as German authorities on Tuesday scrambled to respond to a reported bomb plot, abruptly calling off a soccer match Chancellor Angela Merkel had planned to attend. (Washington Post) The FBI said there were no explosives on-board two Air France flights that were diverted due to anonymous bomb threats. They were headed from the U.S. to Paris. (CNBC) In the first tentative steps toward a possible global alliance, France and Russia bombed Islamic State targets in Syria Tuesday, punishing the group for attacks in Paris and against a Russian airliner. (Reuters) State and federal politicians across the U.S. have called for a block on Syrian refugees, saying the White House plan opens the nation to unnecessary risks. But about 2,200 migrants have already been admitted. (CNBC) In the wake of the Paris attacks, Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush plans to outline his national security strategy today, with a focus on how to deal with ISIS. (USA Today)

https://www.cnbc.com/2015/11/18/early-movers-fcs-cag-low-spls-pmcs-aapl-tivo-bobe-more.html

NSC

Norfolk Southern Railway

Early movers: FCS, CAG, LOW, SPLS, PMCS, AAPL, TIVO, BOBE & more

A trader works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. Check out which companies are making headlines before the bell: Fairchild Semiconductor — The company agreed to be bought by rival chip maker ON Semiconductor or $2.4 billion cash, or $20 per share. Fairchild had closed at $17.88 per share Tuesday. ConAgra Foods — ConAgra announced plans to split into two separate publicly traded companies, one dealing with consumer food brands, the other with ConAgra's food service business. Lowe's — The home improvement retailer earned 80 cents per share for the third quarter, 2 cents above estimates. A same-store sales increase of 4.6 percent for Lowe's exceeded analyst estimates of a 4.2 percent increase. Staples — The office supplies seller matched forecasts with quarterly profit of 35 cents per share, though revenue was slightly below analyst forecasts. PMC-Sierra — The back-and-forth battle for the chipmaker took another turn as Microsemi raised its bid again, this time to $12.05 per share in cash and stock. PMC-Sierra originally had a deal to be bought by Skyworks Solutions and the two bidders have moved to outbid each other several times since then. Apple — Apple was added to the "conviction buy" list at Goldman Sachs, which notes that Apple is trading at a 30 percent discount to the S&P 500's average multiple. Goldman adds that the market is not necessarily recognizing Apple's increasing emphasis on service revenue. Norfolk Southern — Canadian Pacific sent a more than $28 billion takeover proposal to combine the two railroad operators. The offer is valued at $94.95 per share in cash and stock, 9 percent above Norfolk Southern's current price. The company said it would evaluate and consider the offer. TiVo — TiVo announced that CEO Tom Rogers would step down on January 31 after 11 years, but will continue as non-executive chairman. The maker of digital video recorders has formed a search committee to find a successor to Rogers. (Disclosure: CNBC parent Comcast is an investor in TiVo.) Bob Evans Farms — The restaurant operator has named restaurant industry veteran Saed Mohseni as its new Chief Executive Officer. His predecessor, Steve Davis, resigned last December under pressure from activist investor Sandell Asset Management. Citrix Systems — Citrix will spin off its GoTo software business as a separate public company, and also said it would cut about 1,000 jobs. The company has been under pressure from activist investor Elliott Management to sell assets and restructure. Jack In The Box — The company earned an adjusted 62 cents per share for its latest quarter, missing estimates by 3 cents, and its revenue fell short as well. However, the restaurant chain issued better than expected guidance for fiscal 2016, on better pricing and stronger results from its Qdoba Mexican Grill chain. Motorola Solutions — The communications solutions provider increased its quarterly dividend by 20 percent to 41 cents per share. Wells Fargo — Wells Fargo named Timothy Sloan as president and chief operating officer. The move is considered by analysts to put Sloan first in line to eventually succeed the bank's current chief executive officer, John Stumpf. JPMorgan Chase , Royal Bank of Scotland — The two banks are under scrutiny from federal prosecutors, according to The Wall Street Journal. The paper said prosecutors are pursuing criminal cases against executives from the two banks, involving mortgage securities sold ahead of the 2008 financial crisis. Synopsys — Synopsys aid its computer systems had been the victim of unauthorized access. However, the software company said no customer project of design data had been accessed. Alphabet — The company's Google unit unveiled a new, simpler version of its Google Plus service, hoping to attract more users. Comcast — Comcast dropped the YES Network from its offerings after the NBCUniversal parent and YES owner 21st Century Fox failed to come to a new carriage agreement. (Disclosure: NBCUniversal is a parent of CNBC.)

https://www.cnbc.com/2015/12/08/early-movers-cp-tol-azo-amzn-hrb-hd-more.html

NSC

Norfolk Southern Railway

Early movers: CP, TOL, AZO, AMZN, HRB, HD & more

Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. Check out which companies are making headlines before the bell: Canadian Pacific — The firm sent a revised takeover bid to Norfolk Southern , saying it is "financially more attractive and dramatically reduces the regulatory uncertainty for NS shareholders." Norfolk's board of directors unanimously voted against the initial offer. Toll Brothers — The luxury homebuilder poster mixed quarterly results, with earnings per share coming in at 80 cents and revenue at $1.44 billion. Analysts polled by Reuters expected the company to report earnings per share of 83 cent on revenue of $1.43 billion. AutoZone — The auto parts retailer reported better-than-expected earnings per share for its fiscal first quarter. The company also posted revenue that was in line with expectations. H&R Block — The tax service firm posted a wider-than-expected quarterly loss on Monday. The company said its total revenue fell 4.6 percent amid foreign exchange headwinds. Staples — BB&T downgraded shares of Staples to "hold" from "buy," citing concerns over the Federal Trade Commission's decision to challenge its merger with Office Depot . Amazon — Pacific Crest initiated coverage of Amazon's stock with an "overweight" rating and an $800 price target. "We believe that Amazon's ecosystem aims (we think successfully) to be a part of the consumer's purchase process for most anything, making it one of the stickiest retailers." FireEye — Citi upgraded FireEye's stock to "buy" from "neutral," citing its ability to grow quickly and "expand its product line into adjacent markets." Comcast — Nomura Securities initiated coverage of the media giant with a "buy" rating and a price target of $72 a share, citing its content ownership, brand distribution infrastructure, "advanced X1 user interface technology," and low price-to-earnings multiple. (Disclosure: Comcast owns NBCUniversal, which is the parent company of CNBC.) Home Depot — The retailer reaffirmed its 2015 forecast, saying it expects sales to increase about 5.7 percent for the year, with same-store sales up approximately 4.9 percent. The company also expects adjusted earnings per share to grow approximately 14 percent to $5.36.

https://www.cnbc.com/2014/07/18/politics-fade-as-earnings-take-over.html

NSC

Norfolk Southern Railway

Politics fade as earnings take over

"So far this week, earnings, while dominated by the financials, have been, in general very good, and if next week looks like this week, it's hard to argue the bias shouldn't be to the upside in the near term," said Daniel Greenhaus, global market strategist at BTIG. More than a quarter of the S&P 500 companies report in the coming week, including a dozen in the Dow 30, like Microsoft , McDonald's , Visa , Caterpillar and Verizon . Tech and Internet names like Apple , Facebook and Netflix also report. Even as traders monitor the world's hot spots, corporate earnings news could be a positive for stocks in the week ahead. Market talk this week has centered around a debate over whether the Federal Reserve's easy money and zero rate policy is creating a bubble atmosphere for stocks, and the Fed, itself, wrote in its policy report that small caps, and some biotechs and social media stocks are overvalued as investors stretch for yield. It does not see the overall market as stretched. Yet, some analysts say the market can keep moving higher for now, with the Fed slowly tapering back on its bond buying and not expected to raise rates until next year. "There will of course eventually be a top and there will of course eventually be a decline, and the people pointing to these worries will claim victory on that day," Greenhaus said. "For me, I'm waiting for one of the themes driving the bull market to change ... and right now, those things have not changed." Read MoreHow investors should respond to Ukraine news Friday's relief rally took some of the sting out of a big downdraft Thursday on concerns the would widen the rift between Russia and Ukraine, and Russia and the West. Israel's also contributed to jittery markets. "I think this will hang over the market for a little bit," said Robert Doll, chief U.S. equity strategist and senior portfolio manager at Nuveen Asset Management. "There are too many uncertainties to say it's played out." Doll said important to watch will be whether Europe sides with the U.S. in sanctioning Russia. But Doll also says, absent a geopolitical spark, the market could find the path of least resistance to be higher for now, based on good enough earnings and an improving economy. "If earnings are good, it won't matter," he said, adding though he expects the market to face heightened volatility between now and the end of the year. Read MoreInvestors take fresh look at old tech names Larry McDonald, head of macro strategy at Newedge, says there's some warning signs for stocks. He says the market has entered a new phase of volatility, with back-to-back 1 percent moves in the S&P 500 Thursday and Friday after no moves of that size in two months. One metric he watches is the performance of high-yield debt. In the past month, HYG, the iShares iBoxx USD High Yield Corporate ETF, has lost 1.5 percent. The S&P 500, in the same time frame, is up 1 percent. "I think the market's a screaming sell short term. If you look at high yield, it's massively underperforming the S&P," he said. "When you see that type of underperformance, 90 percent of the time something's going to happen." Investors have been bailing on high-yield bond funds, just as they have on small caps, another pricey part of the market. The Russell was down 0.7 percent for the week, after a decline of more than 3 percent in the week before. The Dow was up 0.9 percent in the past week to 17,100, and the S&P 500 rose 0.5 percent to 1,978. The Nasdaq was up 0.4 percent at 4,432. BMO Private Bank CIO Jack Ablin said he had expected earnings to be a negative catalyst initially. Earnings are expected to grow at about 5 percent, and analysts say the pace needs to pick up for the second half of the year to justify the stock market's gains. "My original thought is it's a negative because our valuations are so high, but these companies are finding an opportunity to eke out a surprise. I'm finding forward guidance is pretty strong, much stronger than I thought," he said. "I think that if we can pay less attention to earnings and more attention to things that are driving the economy and liquidity, we'll be fine. Earnings will have to catch up. Right now, it's deal fever, liquidity, the Fed keeping their foot on the accelerator and its economy activity." Of the S&P 500 companies that have already reported, 68 percent have beaten earnings-per-share estimates and 67 percent have beaten revenue forecasts, according to Thomson Reuters. Bespoke studied the earnings track record of a number of companies reporting in the coming week. It found, for instance, that of the 40 largest companies reporting, Facebook, public for just eight quarters, had a 100 percent record of beating revenue forecasts, and an 88 percent rate of beating earnings estimates. Its stock moved an average 7.2 percent on the day after earnings. The data also show the McDonald's tends to be one of the bigger disappointments, beating earnings estimates only 46 percent of the time and revenue forecasts 66 percent of the time. Its stock sees an average loss on earnings day of 0.4 percent. Read More7 arrested in alleged penny stock pump-and-dump Lockheed Martin , meanwhile, is one of the better performers, beating earnings estimates 96 percent of the time and 75 percent on revenues, but its stock move is relatively small, an average gain of 0.05 percent. Starbucks only beats earnings estimates 53 percent of the time and revenues 65 percent of the time but its stock averages a 0.9 percent gain. Monday Earnings: Netflix, Halliburton , Canadian National Railway , BB&T , Six Flags , Sun Trust , Chipotle Mexican Grill , Texas Instruments , BancorpSouth , American Movil Tuesday Earnings: Apple, Coca-Cola , McDonald's, Microsoft, United Technologies , Verizon, Comcast , Travelers , Dupont , Credit Suisse , Lockheed Martin, Electronic Arts , Xilinx , State Street , Domino's Pizza , Kimberly Clark , VMWare , Juniper Networks , Harley Davidson 8:30 a.m.: CPI 9:00 a.m.: FHFA HPI 10:00 a.m.: Existing home sales Wednesday Earnings: Boeing , Pepsico , AT&T , Facebook, Dow Chemical , EMC , Gilead Sciences , Qualcomm , General Dynamics , Norfolk Southern , Owens Corning , Omnicare , Praxair , Whirlpool , Delta Airlines , Biogen Idec , Northrup Grumman , STMicro , Freeport-McMoran , Air Products , Ryder Systems , Raymond James , Glaxo Smithkliine , Cheesecake Factory , TripAdvisor , Assurant , Crown Castle , F5Networks , Angie's List 7:00 a.m.: Mortgage applications Thursday Earnings: Caterpillar, MMM , General Motors , Ford , Amazon.com , Visa, Starbucks , Bristol Myers Squibb , Eli Lilly , Roche Holdings , Hershey , Dr.Pepper Snapple , Pulte Group , Union Pacific , T. Rowe Price , KKR , Nasdaq Group , Altera , Chubb , Federated , Imax , JetBlue , Pandora , Decker's Outdoor , Kla-Tencor , Baidu , Brunswick , Dunkin Brands , Scholastic , Supervalu , Grubhub , Cabela's ,Under Armour , Wyndham Worldwide , Imax , Flextronics , Freescale Semi , Maxim , SolarWinds , Mettler-Toledo 8:30 a.m.: Initial claims 8:58 a.m.: Manufacturing PMI 10:00 a.m.: New home sales Friday Earnings: Aon , Xerox , Statoil , Black and Decker , Tyco , AveryDennison , Moody's , Covidien 8:30 a.m.: Durable goods

https://www.cnbc.com/2015/11/16/paris-attacks-wont-cause-a-correction-billionaire.html

NSC

Norfolk Southern Railway

Paris attacks won't cause a correction: Billionaire

The suspected mastermind of the Paris attacks, identified as Abdelhamid Abaaoud, is currently believed to be in Syria, according to Reuters, which cited a source close to the investigation. | Latest: CNBC blog The French Interior Minister said 23 people have been arrested in anti-terror raids, with another 104 people reportedly under house arrest. Meanwhile, the search continues for a Belgium-born suspect whose brother was one of the suicide bombers. (NBC News) against Islamic State targets in Syria last night, hours after France and the U.S. pledged to step up the campaign against the terror group, which claimed responsibility for the Paris attacks. (FT) President Barack Obama Sunday met with Russian leader Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the G-20 meeting in Turkey. They agreed on the need for a Syrian-led and Syrian-owned political transition. (NBC News) The Paris attacks raise new questions in the Syrian migrant crisis in Europe. But in the U.S., Alabama and Michigan said they will not allow the resettlement of Syrian refugees in their states. (CNBC) The deadly Paris attacks have intensified Republican opposition to letting thousands of Syrian refugees come to the United States. (AP) Leading GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump joins CNBC's "Squawk Box" at 8 a.m. ET, with his views on what role the U.S. should be playing on the world stage. Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton clarified her Saturday debate remarks on combating terrorism, saying America has to lead "the worldwide fight" but "cannot and should not do it alone." (NBC News) In deal news: Marriott (MAR) has agreed to buy Starwood (HOT) in a deal valued at about $12.2 billion in cash and stock, creating the world's largest hotel company. (CNBC) Nelson Peltz's Trian disclosed in its latest quarterly filing an 83 percent increase in its stake in General Electric (GE). Separately, GE reportedly has two bidders for its Japan commercial lending unit. (WSJ) Kraft Heinz (KHC) and Time Warner Cable (TWC) are among the new stakes disclosed by Dan Loeb's hedge fund Third Point in its latest 13F filing.

https://www.cnbc.com/2015/11/16/early-movers-hot-mar-tco-dis-gs-wmt-bby-ge-msft-more.html

NSC

Norfolk Southern Railway

Early movers: HOT, MAR, TCO, DIS, GS, WMT, BBY, GE, MSFT & more

Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. Check out which companies are making headlines before the bell: Starwood Hotels — Starwood agreed to be bought by Marriott for $12.2 billion in cash and stock, creating the world's largest hotel company. The deal is valued at $79.88 per share, compared to Starwood's Friday closing price of $74.99. Taubman , Simon Property , General Growth Properties — Evercore downgraded the mall operators to "hold" from "buy," pointing to broadening retail weakness across a variety of subsectors. Walt Disney — Guggenheim cut its rating on Disney to "neutral" from "buy," saying the shares are fairly valued after a recent run-up. Goldman Sachs , Wal-Mart Stores — Berkshire Hathaway cut its stake in Goldman by 13 percent and in Wal-Mart by 7 percent, according to its quarterly 13F filing. It also liquidated stakes in Viacom and Graham Holdings , and increased stakes in Charter Communications , General Motors , and 21st Century Fox . Best Buy — RBC downgraded the electronics retailer to "sector perform" from "outperform," pointing to concerns over deterioration in the electronics category for retailers. General Electric — The Wall Street Journal reports GE has two bidders for its Japan commercial lending unit. The paper said Sumitomo Mitsui Financial and Shinsei Bank are both in active discussions with GE. Separately, Trian disclosed in its latest quarterly filing that it had increased its stake in GE by 83 percent. It had been known that Trian increased its stake, but not by how much. Baxalta — The drug maker received U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for its drug to treat a rare bleeding disorder known as "Hemophilia A." Microsoft — Microsoft launched a new fund to help companies that are trying to bring affordable Internet to underserved markets. Ericsson — Ericsson said it has not engaged in any merger talks with Cisco Systems , despite rumors that Cisco was actively pursuing the Swedish maker of networking equipment. Blackstone — The asset management firm has reportedly agreed to sell its GCA Services Group unit for about $1 billion, according to Reuters. The buyers for the facility management company are said to be Goldman Sachs and Thomas H. Lee Partners. GCA is the largest provider of janitors to U.S. public schools. Canadian Pacific — Canadian Pacific Chief Executive Hunter Harrison met with Norfolk Southern CEO James Squires on Friday, according to The Wall Street Journal, proposing a possible merger. The report said, however, the pitch by Squires was met with a less than enthusiastic reception. Kraft Heinz , Time Warner Cable — These stocks are among the new stakes disclosed by hedge fund Third Point in its latest 13F filing. Oracle — Oracle was added to the "conviction buy" list at Goldman Sachs, which points to an expectation of accelerating cloud revenue growth Syngenta — Syngenta shareholders are urging the agricultural chemicals giant to initiate takeover talks with ChemChina, according to Bloomberg. That follows reports last week that ChemChina had made a bid for Syngenta.

https://www.cnbc.com/2015/01/26/midday-movers-ibm-generac-mattel-more.html

NSC

Norfolk Southern Railway

Midday movers: IBM, Generac, Mattel & more

Take a look at some of Monday's midday movers: IBM - The technology firm edged higher as it dismissed a report by Forbes magazine that it would cut about 26 percent of its workforce. Generac - The maker of home generators rose as a large snowstorm approached the East Cost. American Airlines Group , JetBlue Airways and Delta Air Lines declined amid thousands of cancelled flights. Mattel - The toy maker dropped after removing its chairman and CEO and warning sales fell 6 percent in the holiday quarter.

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/04/12/after-hours-buzz-avgo-ntrs-ftv.html

NTRS

Northern Trust

Stocks making the biggest moves after hours: Broadcom, Northern Trust & Fortive

Check out the companies making headlines after the bell: Broadcom stock jumped 4 percent after hours. The semiconductor company announced a $12 billion share repurchase authorization on Thursday afternoon. Shares of Northern Trust lost over 2 percent post-market. The financial services company announced two senior appointments in its Global Family Office & Investment Practices group across Europe, Middle East and Africa. Fortive stock gained nearly 2 percent in the extended session. The industrial conglomerate declared a 7 cent dividend on Thursday afternoon.

https://www.cnbc.com/2015/01/21/northern-trust-beats-street-4q-forecasts.html

NTRS

Northern Trust

Northern Trust beats Street 4Q forecasts

Northern Trust on Wednesday reported fourth-quarter profit of $244 million. The bank, based in Chicago, said it had earnings of 98 cents per share. Earnings, adjusted for pretax gains, were 94 cents per share. The results topped Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for earnings of 81 cents per share. The wealth management firm posted revenue of $1.13 billion in the period, also topping Street forecasts. Analysts expected $1.1 billion, according to Zacks. For the year, the company reported profit of $811.8 million, or $3.32 per share. Revenue was reported as $4.33 billion. Northern Trust shares have dropped slightly more than 7 percent since the beginning of the year, while the Standard & Poor's 500 index has dropped nearly 2 percent. The stock has risen roughly 3 percent in the last 12 months. This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment.

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/01/30/top-stocks-to-buy-on-tuesday-amzn-tsla-gs-crm-meta-spot-more.html

NTRS

Northern Trust

Here are Tuesday's biggest analyst calls: Amazon, Tesla, Goldman Sachs, Meta, Salesforce, Boeing, Spotify & more

Here are Tuesday biggest calls on Wall Street: Oppenheimer initiates Pinstripes as outperform Oppenheimer initiated the bowling company and said it has "robust unit economics." " PNST represents an intriguing and more speculative investment opportunity within the attractive 'eatertainment' category." Raymond James initiates CrowdStrike as outperform Raymond James initiated the cybersecurity company and said it sees more upside with a "rare blend" of recurring revenue. "We do see a rare blend of high growth recurring revenue at scale with expanding margin profile, and believe CrowdStrike deserves to trade at a premium against security software peers." Mizuho initiates Accenture as buy Mizuho initiated the IT company with a buy and said Accenture is a "significant exposure to fast growing markets." "We expect a recovery in IT spending over the next 2 years to drive growth acceleration throughout FY24 and into FY25." JPMorgan initiates Light & Wonder as outperform JPMorgan initiated the Australian gambling company with an overweight and said it has earnings momentum. "We initiate coverage of Light & Wonder with an Overweight rating and Dec-24 price target of US $98." Evercore ISI reiterates Meta as outperform Evercore said it's bullish on Meta heading into earnings later this week. " META remains one of our Top Longs for '24." Evercore ISI reiterates Amazon as outperform Evercore said it's bullish heading into Amazon earnings later this week. "Odds Stack Up Well Against Modest Expectations." Morgan Stanley initiates Instacart as equal weight Morgan Stanley initiated Instacart with an equal weight rating mainly on valuation. "Solid CART, But More Growth or Profit Needed." Morgan Stanley upgrades Bank of America and Goldman Sachs to overweight from equal weight and Citi to overweight from underweight Morgan Stanley upgraded several banks on Tuesday and said it's getting more bullish. "Ratings Changes. We are upgrading Bank of America (BAC) to OW from EW, upgrading Citigroup (C) to OW from UW, upgrading Goldman Sachs (GS) to OW from EW, and upgrading BNY Mellon (BK) to EW from UW. We are downgrading Northern Trust (NTRS) to UW from EW, due to valuation. Raymond James downgrades Advanced Micro Devices to outperform from strong buy Raymond James downgraded the stock mainly on valuation. "We are raising estimates, raising PT from $190 to $195, but downgrading AMD from Strong Buy to Outperform on valuation." Bank of America adds Salesforce to the US1 list Bank of America added the stock to its top picks list. "We are adding The AZEK Co Inc (AZEK) and Salesforce Inc (CRM) to the US 1 List." UBS upgrades Spotify to buy from neutral UBS said in its upgrade of the streaming giant that it sees "margin expansion" and has "increased conviction" in Spotify shares. "We are upgrading shares of SPOT to Buy and increasing our price target to $274 from $170." Oppenheimer downgrades Five Below to perform from outperform Oppenheimer said in its downgrade of the stock that the "growth engine [is] moderating." "That said, we are starting to fret that underlying growth dynamics for FIVE are slowing, at least somewhat, given a now larger base of units, waning remodeling opportunities, and stepped-up reinvestment requirements, on top of already elevated operating margins. " Oppenheimer upgrades Sensata to outperform from perform Oppenheimer upgraded the sensor solutions company and said it sees a plethora of new business in the years ahead. "We are upgrading ST shares to Outperform, introducing $50 PT, targeting ~10.5x '25E adjusted EPS and 7.5% FCF yield." UBS reiterates McDonald's as buy UBS said McDonald's is a "global market share winner" heading into earnings next week. "For 4Q earnings (2/5), we anticipate still solid but slower US sss [same-store sales] trends and some international sales pressure, while underlying momentum remains largely intact." Wells Fargo downgrades Western Alliance to equal weight from overweight Wells said in its downgrade of the regional bank that the risk/reward is already priced in. "We have been vocal supporters of WAL through the past year, but risk/reward scenarios at this stock price level seem skewed to the downside." Morgan Stanley reiterates Amazon as overweight Morgan Stanley said in a note on Tuesday that it's standing by shares of Amazon but gave several ways the company can enhance shareholder value. "We believe management needs to focus on 3 areas: 1) A stronger grocery strategy 2) AWS recapturing the cloud pole position 3) Increased capital returns/buybacks." Baird reiterates Tesla as outperform Baird said it's standing by the electric vehicle giant after reviewing its annual 10-K filing on Monday. " TSLA has numerous projects underway which could contribute to growth over time. While we continue to believe increased production capacity and new product introductions provide a steady cadence of upcoming catalysts." JPMorgan reiterates Boeing as overweight JPMorgan said it's standing by Boeing heading into earnings on Wednesday. "Overall, we expect an earnings call geared to the lawmakers and regulators who will figure prominently in Boeings path forward and less so to the investors whom are somewhat dependent on the actions of these other players." BTIG upgrades Square to buy from neutral BTIG said in its upgrade of the stock that it sees burgeoning growth opportunities. "We are upgrading Block ( SQ) to Buy following our recent assumption of coverage as we see the company's growth opportunities paired with management's focus on bottom-line as presenting an attractive investment opportunity with the stock trading at ~17x FY24E EV/adjusted EBITDA." Jefferies downgrades Masimo to hold from buy Jefferies said in a note that the worst is behind the global med tech company, but downgraded the stock mainly on valuation. "Overall, we think the worst is behind MASI, following a challenging '23 that included multiple downward revisions." Citi initiates Olema Oncology as buy Citi initiated Olema with a buy rating on Tuesday and said the biotech company has upside potential. "Next-Gen Endocrine Therapy with Potential Across Multiple Lines of Breast Cancer, Initiating at Buy/High Risk, TP $20." Bank of America reiterates Uber as buy Bank of America raised its price target on the stock to $73 per share from $68. "Looking forward, we see Uber as offering one of the best 3-5 year growth profiles in the Internet sector, with potential for mid-to-high teens bookings growth and 30% EBITDA growth as margins increase from 3.5% of bookings toward 7%." Seaport downgrades Netflix to neutral from buy Seaport downgraded the stock mainly on valuation. "We are downgrading our recommendation on NFLX shares to Neutral from Buy, having rapidly achieved our recently-increased $576 PT."

https://www.cnbc.com/2014/07/16/midday-movers-abbott-northern-trust-tesla-more.html

NTRS

Northern Trust

Midday movers: Abbott, Northern Trust, Tesla & More

Trader on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. Charles Schwab - The brokerage fell after posting slightly better-than-expected second-quarter revenue and profit. AMC Networks - The cable television network and competitors including Scripps Networks Interactive and Viacom jumped on thinking they could be potential acquisition targets in the wake of the $80 billion bid for Time Warner from Rupert Murdoch's Twenty-First Century Fox . Abbott Laboratories - The maker of medical products edged higher after reporting better-than-expected quarterly earnings. Take a look at some of Wednesday's midday movers: HCA Holdings - The provider of health care gained after raising earnings guidance for the second quarter and year. Tenet Healthcare , United Health Services , Community Health Systems , Lifepoint Hospitals and Envision Healthcare Holdings also rose. JB Hunt Transport Services - The freight company climbed after Credit Suisse upgraded the stock to outperform from neutral. Lannett - The provider of generic prescription pharmaceuticals declined after saying it had received a subpoena from Connecticut's attorney general into the company's pricing of digoxin, a treatment for heart trouble. Northern Trust - The bank declined fell after reporting second-quarter results. St Jude Medical - Shares fell slightly after the maker of heart-rhythm devices reported quarterly earnings. Tesla Motors - The maker of electric cars declined after saying it would name its planned small car the Model 3. Western Digital - The digital-storage company gained after Robert Baird upgraded the stock to outperform from neutral. (Read More: ) —By CNBC's Rich Fisherman. Questions? Comments? Email us at marketinsider@cnbc.com

https://www.cnbc.com/id/100181906

NTRS

Northern Trust

Northern Trust 3Q profit rises 5 percent

CHICAGO -- Northern Trust Corp. said Wednesday that its third-quarter net income rose 5 percent due to higher fees from clients for managing their money. The wealth management firm, which is based in Chicago, earned $178.8 million, or 73 cents per share, in the three months through Sept. 30, up from $170.4 million, or 70 cents per share, in the same quarter last year. The profit fell a penny short of Wall Street predictions. Analysts, on average, expected earnings of 74 cents per share, according to a FactSet poll. Northern Trust handles money for people, institutions and corporations and earns a fee on those funds. Non-interest income, which includes fees and makes up three-fourths of the company's revenue, rose 2 percent to $726.9 million. That included an 8 percent increase in fees for handling trusts and investments to $601.9 million. The gain came mostly from winning new business, as the company's assets under management grew 16 percent. The company also provides some banking services, and its income from loans, or net interest income, fell 4 percent to $245.6 million. Low interest rates are hurting interest income at many financial companies. Total revenue was flat at $972.5 million and fell short of average analysts' prediction of $987.5 million. Shares of Northern Trust rose 76 cents, or 1.6 percent, to $48.29 in afternoon trading.

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/12/14/in-israels-northern-neighbor-worries-grow-that-netanyahu-wont-stop-with-gaza.html

NTRS

Northern Trust

In Israel’s northern neighbor, worries grow that Netanyahu won’t stop with Gaza

An artillery unit moves near the Israeli northern border with Lebanon on November 8, 2023 in Tel Aviv, Israel. Amir Levy | Getty Images An Israeli army soldier looks through the scope of a rifle while lying prone at a position in the upper Galilee region of northern Israel near the border with Lebanon on November 1, 2023 amid increasing cross-border tensions between Hezbollah and Israel as fighting continues in the south with Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip. Jalaa Marey | AFP | Getty Images Netanyahu faces pressure from all sides, squeezed between a public furious over his handling of the crisis and fraud charges that could see him thrown in jail if he's pushed out of office. "Netanyahu, on a personal level, he needs to do something. If this war stops tomorrow, he could be held accountable," said Abbas Ibrahim, a hostage negotiator who directed Lebanon's intelligence agency for more than a decade until March. "If he defeats Hamas and Hezbollah, he could be a hero at the end of this year — to protect himself, not his people." Netanyahu has an incentive to possibly prolong the Israeli military offensive in Gaza to try to safeguard his political survival, according to one person familiar with U.S. intelligence on Israel. But there are no indications at the moment that he or his government are currently considering launching a major campaign against Hezbollah in Lebanon, this person said. Almost a year before the latest round of fighting, Netanyahu's proposed judicial overhaul bill, which many Israelis saw as an effort to kneecap the country's legal system, had sparked unprecedented protests and set the country against itself. Many of Netanyahu's opponents had openly suggested that his proposals were themselves a bid to limit the power of a legal system that had charged him with fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes in three separate cases. Netanyahu has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. The prime minister's unpopularity paints him into a corner. If Netanyahu hopes to show his constituents that Israel is winning in Gaza, one concern in Washington and the Middle East is that the definition of an Israeli "win" in the Palestinian enclave remains nebulous: U.S. and Western officials say Israel does not have a coherent political plan once its military campaign is completed. Washington has also struggled to outline the future of Gaza. Israel's stated goal of ousting Hamas could leave a perilous power vacuum that few Palestinian politicians or groups could hope to fill. But even if regional worries are focused on Netanyahu, Hezbollah and other Iran-backed proxy groups have hardly been shying away from a fight. Since the day after Hamas' terrorist attacks, Hezbollah has been regularly firing rockets and other projectiles into northern Israel, forcing tens of thousands of Israelis to evacuate. Israeli retaliatory fire has killed 100 Hezbollah fighters, at least 18 Lebanese civilians and forced more than 30,000 Lebanese people from their homes. Yet, the fighting over Israel's border with Lebanon has remained relatively constrained, hewing to unspoken rules of engagement that emerged from Israel's monthlong war with Hezbollah in 2006. Other Iranian proxies throughout the region, which constitute the loosely connected "axis of resistance" inimical to Israel, the West and monied Sunni Muslim Arab Gulf kingdoms, have also been taking the offensive. The Iran-backed Popular Mobilization Forces in Iraq has fired dozens of projectiles at American bases, Iran-sponsored fighting groups in Syria have fired at American military installations, and the Houthi rebels in Yemen have been targeting ships in the Red Sea. Smoke billows following an Israeli air strike on the outskirts of the Lebanese village of Alma al-Shaab on November 20, 2023, amid increasing cross-border tensions as fighting continues with Hamas militants in the southern Gaza Strip. - | Afp | Getty Images

https://www.cnbc.com/id/100182472

NTRS

Northern Trust

Earnings roundup: US Bancorp, Northern Trust

Among the earnings stories for Wednesday, Oct. 17, from The Associated Press: _ U.S. Bancorp's net income leapt 14 percent in the third quarter as the regional bank made more loans to companies and people seeking mortgages. _ Northern Trust Corp. said its third-quarter net income rose 5 percent due to higher fees from clients for managing their money. _ BlackRock Inc. said its third-quarter net income rose 7.9 percent, boosted by an influx of investor cash into its low-cost iShares exchange-traded funds. _ Knoll Inc. said its third-quarter net income fell 34 percent as revenue declined on weak demand. _ Water-heater maker A.O. Smith's net income dropped 80 percent from last year's third quarter, when it gained from an asset sale.

https://www.cnbc.com/id/39865720

NTRS

Northern Trust

Northern Trust Calls Jump on Rumors

Northern Trust saw upside option activity yesterday after the U.K.'s Daily Mail reported that the asset management and banking firm might be a takeover target. The newspaper said HSBC Holding was a possible suitor and floated the price of $65 a share in cash. That's a pretty penny compared with Northern Trust's $50.57 closing price yesterday and the $48.02 price where it ended the previous session. Most of the early option paper appeared to be retail, but institutional-sized trades picked up as the day progressed. The November 60 calls drew the heaviest action, with large blocks going for $0.15 to $0.25, according to OptionMonster's real-time tracking systems. The November 55s were more popular in smaller lots, mostly in the range of 20 to 50 contracts and priced for about $0.65. The November 50s also traded 3,375 times, mostly for $1.85 to $2.10. Almost 25,000 contacts changed hands yesterday, compared with the typical number around 1,100 a day. Of those, calls totaled about 19,000. Like most financials, Nothern Trust has been struggling of late and dropped hard after reporting weak earnings on Oct. 21. More Options Tips from Pete Najarian Options Tips from Jon Najarian Read The CNBC Stock Blog ___________________________ 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/id/33415159

NTRS

Northern Trust

Pops & Drops: SanDisk, Northern Trust...

Brazil ETF (EWZ) popped 2%. Investors apparently believe the sell-off triggered by new taxes on foreign investments was overdone. - There was also chatter Brazil may back away from the tax, explains Tim Seymour. St. Jude Medical (STJ) popped 3%. Although the company reported lower quarterly earnings, investors instead focused on the company’s higher sales as well as comments that suggested long- term goals remained intact. Cree (CREE) popped 12%. The LED lighting manufacturer posted quarterly earnings and revenue well above Wall Street expectations and forecast strong results going forward. Tupperware (TUP) popped 8%. The container maker reported better-than-expected earnings largely due to cost cuts and strength in emerging markets; they also raised full-year outlook. DROPS (stocks that slid lower) Northern Trust (NTRS) dropped 6%. Although the firm swung to a profit in the third quarter the results fell short of analysts' expectations. - I think this stock goes lower, speculates Guy Adami. Altria (MO) dropped 3%. The company posted lower-than-expected quarterly sales due to increased prices related to a federal cigarette tax increase and because customers cut inventories. - I'm a buyer above $18.72, says Joe Terranova. Continental Airlines (CAL) dropped 13%. Although this airline turned a profit, it also said going forward fares will likely remain challenged. ______________________________________________________ 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 website send your e-mail to fastmoney@cnbc.com. Trader disclosure: On October 21st, 2009, the following stocks and commodities mentioned or intended to be mentioned on CNBC’s Fast Money were owned by the Fast Money traders; Adami Owns (AGU), (BTU), (C), (GS), (INTC), (MSFT), (NUE); Seymour Owns (DIG), (MSFT), (AAPL), (BAC), (EWZ), (INTC); Najarian Owns (DE) Call Spread; Najarian Owns (STX) Call Spread; Najarian Owns (XLF) Call Spread; Najarian Owns (YHOO), (YHOO) Puts; Terranova Owns December Crude Oil Futures For Joe Terranova Terranova Works For (VRTS) Terranova Is Chief Market Strategist Of Virtus Investment Partners, Ltd. Virtus Investment Partners Owns More Than 1% Of (XLY) Virtus Investment Partners Owns More Than 1% Of (CAL) Virtus Investment Partners Owns More Than 1% Of (CLB) Virtus Investment Partners Owns More Than 1% Of (DLR) Virtus Investment Partners Owns More Than 1% Of (EXR) Virtus Investment Partners Owns More Than 1% Of (XLI) Virtus Investment Partners Owns More Than 1% Of (IGE) Virtus Investment Partners Owns More Than 1% Of (XLB) Virtus Investment Partners Owns More Than 1% Of (DBA) Virtus Investment Partners Owns More Than 1% Of (DBV) Virtus Investment Partners Owns More Than 1% Of (UA) For Peter Schiff Schiff Owns Yen & Foreign Currencies Schiff Owns Gold For Moshe Orenbuch (AXP), (COF), (DFS), (MA), (JPM), (C), (BAC) Is Or In Past 12 Months Was A Client Of Credit Suisse Credit Suisse Provided Investment Banking Services To (AXP), (COF), (DFS), (MA), (JPM), (C), (BAC) In Past 12 Months Credit Suisse Provided Non-Investment Banking Services To (AXP), (COF), (DFS), (JPM), (C), (BAC) In Past 12 Months Credit Suisse Has Managed Or Co-Managed A Public Offering Of Securities For (AXP), (COF), (DFS), (JPM), (C), (BAC) In Past 12 Months Credit Suisse Expects To Receive/Seek Investment Banking Compensation From (AXP), (COF), (DFS), (V), (MA), (JPM), (C), (BAC) In Next 3 Months Credit Suisse Has Received Non-Investment Banking Compensation From (AXP), (COF), (DFS), (JPM), (C), (BAC) In Past 12 Months Credit Suisse Is A Market Maker In (MA) Credit Suisse Owned 1% Or More Of (V) As Of End Of Last Month For Jim Cramer Cramer's Charitable Trust Owns (V) Cramer's Charitable Trust Owns (WFC) Cramer's Charitable Trust Owns (PPG) Cramer's Charitable Trust Owns (CVX)

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/03/04/brexit-eu-threatens-legal-against-after-uk-delay-sea-border-checks.html

NTRS

Northern Trust

EU threatens legal action against the UK — again — over Northern Ireland deal

Prime Minister Boris Johnson and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen meet for a dinner during they will try to reach a breakthrough on a post-Brexit trade deal on December 9, 2020 in Brussels, Belgium. LONDON — The European Union is threatening new legal action against the U.K. over differences on their post-Brexit trading arrangements. As part of its departure from the EU, the U.K. agreed to conduct checks on goods moving across the Irish Sea, going from Scotland, Wales and England to Northern Ireland. The latter has remained part of the EU's single market for goods to avoid a hard border with the Republic of Ireland in what's known as the Northern Ireland Protocol. The U.K. had until the end of this month to put forward these checks, but it has decided to extend the implementation period until October. A move that the European Commission, the executive arm of the EU, said breaches their agreement and therefore international law. Maros Sefcovic, vice-president of European Commission, "expressed the EU's strong concerns over the U.K.'s unilateral action, as this amounts to a violation of the relevant substantive provisions of the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland," the commission said in a statement on Wednesday before a call between the EU's and the U.K.'s representatives. "The European Commission will respond to these developments in accordance with the legal means established," the statement also said.

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/02/07/scooping-up-a-cheap-defense-stock-trading-near-a-52-week-low-while-reducing-the-risk-using-options.html

NOC

Northrop Grumman

Scooping up a cheap defense stock trading near a 52-week low while reducing the risk using options

It might be surprising that as geopolitical tensions and the risk of a wider regional conflict in the Middle East rise, defense stocks have been lagging on the sidelines. Despite reporting better than expected earnings, investors sold Northrop Grumman (NOC) and Lockheed Martin (LMT) after earnings on the back of an uncertain outlook and guidance. With defense stocks trading closer to their 52-week lows, I believe that this presents an attractive risk/reward opportunity to potentially add some of these defense stocks to your portfolio. For the past year, NOC has largely traded within a range from $430 to $480 and its recent earnings announcement triggered a slide to the lows. The stock has since bounced off those lows and starting to show strength and now looks to close the gap at $463 before potentially reaching the $480 top of the trading range. Currently, analysts are expecting about 6% EPS growth this year on the back of 5% revenue growth, which is modest. However, this is reflected in the valuation at 18 times forward earnings. NOC is inexpensive relative to both itself and the market. With these types of valuations, the downside is limited, and the upside remains sizable, especially given the propensity for defense stocks to outperform during escalations of war. The biggest risk to NOC is its ability to navigate supply chain costs and budget overruns, which recently dented its recent quarter earnings. The trade The implied volatility rank on NOC is currently sitting at 23%, which indicates that options are neither cheap nor expensive. In these scenarios, my preference is to own the upside by purchasing options but using a vertical spread structure to reduce my overall risk and capital required. I'm buying to open the March 22 $450/$475 call vertical at $8.15 Debit. This means that I am: Buying March 22 $450 Calls @ $10.85 Debit Selling March 22 $475 Calls @ $2.70 Credit This strategy would risk a total of $815 per contract if NOC is below $450 on the March 22 expiration and potentially gain $1,685 per contract if NOC is above $475 at expiration. DISCLOSURES: (none) THE ABOVE CONTENT IS SUBJECT TO OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY . THIS CONTENT IS PROVIDED FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY AND DOES NOT CONSITUTE FINANCIAL, INVESTMENT, TAX OR LEGAL ADVICE OR A RECOMMENDATION TO BUY ANY SECURITY OR OTHER FINANCIAL ASSET. THE CONTENT IS GENERAL IN NATURE AND DOES NOT REFLECT ANY INDIVIDUAL'S UNIQUE PERSONAL CIRCUMSTANCES. THE ABOVE CONTENT MIGHT NOT BE SUITABLE FOR YOUR PARTICULAR CIRCUMSTANCES. BEFORE MAKING ANY FINANCIAL DECISIONS, YOU SHOULD STRONGLY CONSIDER SEEKING ADVICE FROM YOUR OWN FINANCIAL OR INVESTMENT ADVISOR. Click here for the full disclaimer.

https://www.cnbc.com/id/40149478

NOC

Northrop Grumman

Northrop Grumman cuts 380 jobs at Va. shipyard

Northrop Grumman says it's cutting 380 salaried jobs at its Newport News shipbuilding facility. The company that builds ships for the military says the reduction was necessary to improve efficiency and costs. Northrop Grumman said Friday the cuts are driven, in part, by the completion of major milestones on existing contracts. The announcement marks the first reduction its Newport News facility has experienced in more than a decade. The facility employs about 20,000 workers overall. Northrop Grumman said more than 100 of the affected employees have been identified as having prior trades experience and have been offered hourly positions, such as welders and electricians.

https://www.cnbc.com/id/40153875

NOC

Northrop Grumman

Northrop Grumman gets $64M UK defense contract

Northrop Grumman Corp. said Friday it has been awarded a $64 million contract by the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence to design and develop an upgraded airborne defense system used by the agency's Airborne Warning and Control System aircraft. The Identification Friend or Foe Interrogator program is used by the Royal Air Force Air Command at Waddington, a base in Lincolnshire, England. It provides a long-range, rapid early warning and detection capability allowing discrimination between friendly and hostile forces and is used in the RAF's Sentry AWACS aircraft. Work will be performed under Northrop Grumman's existing Sentry support program. It will be the largest program modification the company has carried out so far for the Sentry aircraft fleet. The work will be carried out at RAF Waddington, UK as well as at Northrop Grumman's facilities in Herndon, Va.; Warner Robins, Ga.; and Melbourne, Fla. Northrop Grumman is on contract until 2025 to support the Sentry aircraft. The company acts as the design organization, providing long term UK-based technical support to the program with 50 engineers located at RAF Waddington. The company also provides the radar and technical support for the radar. Northrop Grumman shares fell $1.38, or 2.2 percent, to $62.69 in early afternoon trading.

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/06/06/northrop-grumman-wins-us-antitrust-approval-to-buy-orbital-atk.html

NOC

Northrop Grumman

Northrop Grumman wins US antitrust approval to buy Orbital ATK

An Orbital ATK Antares rocket launches from Pad-0A on November 12, 2017 at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility U.S. defense contractor Northrop Grumman won U.S. antitrust approval to buy solid rocket motor supplier Orbital ATK with conditions, the Federal Trade Commission said on Tuesday. The $7.8 billion deal was approved on condition that Northrop supply the solid rocket motors to competitors for missile contracts and to separate the two companies' operations with a firewall, the FTC said in a statement. Northrop said in a statement it expects the transaction will be completed after market close on Wednesday. The European Commission approved the deal in February. Northrop announced the all-cash deal in September, saying it would give the company greater access to lucrative government contracts and expand its arsenal of missile defense systems and space rockets. Orbital has contracts with NASA and the U.S. Army. The Dulles, Virginia-based company is one of the two firms hired by NASA to fly cargo to the International Space Station under an initial contract worth up to $3.1 billion. The FTC said in a statement that it typically prefers to have companies sell assets rather than require a "behavioral" remedy, such as this one, but accepted it in this case because the defense industry sells solely to the Defense Department, which will ensure compliance with the condition.

https://www.cnbc.com/2017/09/17/northrop-grumman-nears-deal-to-purchase-orbital-source-says.html

NOC

Northrop Grumman

Northrop Grumman nears deal to purchase Orbital, source says

The US flag flies near the U.S. Air Force's B-2 Spirit Stealth bomber 'Spirit of Georgia' at the Northrop Grumman Corp. facility at U.S. Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale on July 17, 2014 Northrop Grumman neared an agreement to buy Orbital ATK in a transaction that could be announced as soon as Monday, according to a person familiar with the transaction. The source requested anonymity because the deal has not been disclosed publicly. Northrop Grumman declined to comment and Orbital did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Wall Street Journal reported the deal earlier on Sunday. Northrop is valued at $46.5 billion, while Orbital is valued at $6.3 billion. The acquisition price could not be immediately determined, but could exceed $7.5 billion if a typical premium was attached to it, Wall Street Journal said. The potential transaction comes as rising tensions with North Korea have put additional attention on defense systems. The Air Force had asked the defense industry last summer for proposals to replace the aging nuclear cruise missiles and intercontinental ballistic missile system as the military moved ahead with a costly modernization of its aging atomic weapons systems. In August, Northrop received a $328 million contract to continue work on the replacement of the aging Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile system from the U.S. Air Force. The potential deal follows aerospace supplier United Technologies $30 billion agreement earlier this month to buy avionics and interiors maker Rockwell Collins . When completed, that transaction would be the largest in aerospace history.

https://www.cnbc.com/2017/09/18/northrop-grumman-to-buy-missile-maker-orbital-for-7-point-8-billion.html

NOC

Northrop Grumman

Northrop Grumman to buy missile maker Orbital for $7.8 billion, create new business sector

Defense contractor Northrop Grumman said Monday it will buy missile and rocket maker Orbital ATK for about $7.8 billion in cash, with plans to establish a new, fourth business sector. The news sent Orbital's shares soaring by more than 19 percent at $131.79 before the opening bell. Northrop's stock was unchanged in premarket trading. Northrop's offer price of $134.50 per Orbital share represents a premium of 22 percent over the stock's Friday close. Orbital has billion-dollar contracts with NASA and the Army, as well as contracts with the U.S. Missile Defense Agency. The deal, expected to close in the first half of 2018, comes as the firing of missiles by North Korea in recent months has focused attention on missile defense systems. Orbital's defense systems group includes its development of advanced missile interceptors. Northrop's existing sectors are aerospace systems, mission systems and technology services. Orbital CEO David Thompson said in a statement the deal will allow his company "to maintain strong operational performance on existing programs while we pursue new opportunities that require the enhanced technical and financial resources of a larger organization." Orbital delivered the Air Force's ORS-5 spacecraft into orbit on Aug. 26 using its Minotaur IV rocket, the 26th successful launch of the platform. The rocket company said on Sept. 6 it is in the final stages of testing the solid rockets boosters the company is building for NASA's space launch system. Orbital said the two solid rocket boosters for the heavy launch SLS platform will be on time for NASA's first planned flight in 2019. NASA is building SLS to take crew and cargo beyond Earth's orbit, with Mars as an eventual destination. Northrop will assume $1.4 billion in Orbital's net debt as part of the deal, the companies said. On a pro forma basis, Northrop said it expects 2017 sales of $29.5 billion to $30 billion. Reuters on Sunday reported about the potential deal, citing a person familiar with the transaction. Perella Weinberg Partners is the financial adviser to Northrop while Citigroup is advising Orbital. — Reuters contributed to this report.

https://www.cnbc.com/2017/02/01/northrop-grumman-bows-out-of-the-air-forces-16-billion-dollar-next-generation-jet-trainer-contest.html

NOC

Northrop Grumman

Northrop Grumman bows out of the Air Force's $16 billion next-generation jet trainer contest

The Air Force’s aging T-38 Talon jet trainer is expected to get replaced by a new aircraft in 2024. Northrop Grumman said Wednesday it was dropping out of the U.S. Air Force's T-X trainer jet contest with partner BAE Systems , making it the second team to leave the competition in the past week. The T-X, a contract valued at more than $16 billion, would replace the aging T-38 Talon pilot training aircraft manufactured by Northrop in the 1960s. Last week, Raytheon exited the competition after failing to reach terms with Italian defense company Leonardo S.p.a. "The companies have decided not to submit a proposal for the T-X Trainer program, as it would not be in the best interest of the companies and their shareholders," Northrop said in a statement. Northrop said it and BAE still "remain fully committed to performing on current and future U.S. Air Force programs, to deliver critical capabilities to America's airmen." International teams from Sweden's Saab and Boeing as well as Lockheed Martin and Korean Aerospace remain in the competition for the Air Force's next-generation trainer. The contract is seen as a must-win for Boeing's tactical aircraft business since the government last year rejected the company's protest of Northrop winning the long-range strike bomber. Also, Sierra Nevada is teamed with Turkish Aerospace Industries and there's been talk Textron could propose its Scorpion jet as a trainer. A Textron spokesperson said Wednesday the company is "still evaluating the requirements" of the training program and does not have a decision to share at this time. The Air Force issued a final request for proposals for the T-X jet trainer program last month. The program involves the purchase of 350 aircraft with operational capability of the trainer by the end of the government's fiscal 2024. Northrop management had previously pointed out the costs of the T-X competition would vary between companies since there would be both a clean-sheet design in the contest as well as vendors with derivative airplanes. Northrop and Boeing designs fall in the clean-sheet category. Last week, Northrop CEO Wes Bush hinted the company had not made a final decision on whether to submit a bid for the T-X contract. "We're presently assessing the terms presented by that RFP to determine whether we see an appropriate business opportunity for us to submit a bid," he said.

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/01/29/cramers-lightning-round-we-dont-want-amc.html

NOC

Northrop Grumman

Cramer's Lightning Round: 'We don't want' AMC

Stock Chart Icon Stock chart icon Northrop Grumman's year-to-date stock performance. Northrop Grumman : "This has got to be one of the most hated stocks...At $438, I'm finally ready to pull the trigger, at least for a quarter of a position." Stock Chart Icon Stock chart icon John Bean Technologies' year-to-date stock performance. John Bean Technologies : "I actually am quite fond of this company...It's a little quirky, but it's good. Global industrial food has always been one of my faves." Stock Chart Icon Stock chart icon AMC's year-to-date stock performance. AMC : "We don't want AMC. AMC's not doing well. We want stocks that go higher...The consumer's not going to the movies like they used to." Stock Chart Icon Stock chart icon Procore Technologies' year-to-date stock performance. Procore Technologies : "That's a very, very expensive stock...I say ka-ching ka-ching on some of that one." watch now

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/01/31/voyagers-starlab-space-station-buys-spacex-starship-launch.html

NOC

Northrop Grumman

Starlab, meet Starship: Private space station buys SpaceX launch for later this decade

An artist's rendering of the Starlab space station in low Earth orbit. A contract written in the stars. Private station Starlab will fly on a Starship rocket later this decade to get to orbit, the companies developing both spacecraft announced on Wednesday. Starlab — being built by Voyager Space and Airbus through a joint venture, alongside partners including Northrop Grumman and Hilton — is planned to launch on a single mission of SpaceX's mammoth rocket. Starlab represents one of the earliest commercial customers to order a Starship launch from SpaceX. The companies did not disclose the launch contract's value. The station is one of several currently in development by U.S. companies, as NASA prepares to retire the International Space Station in 2030. Voyager and Airbus are targeting as early as 2028 for Starlab's launch. The space station's four-year development and construction timeline also gives SpaceX time to move forward with Starship, advancing from demonstration flights to launching customer spacecraft.

https://www.cnbc.com/2017/09/20/boeing-says-its-a-buyer-after-northrop-grumman-acquisition-of-orbital-atk.html

NOC

Northrop Grumman

Boeing says it’s a 'buyer' after Northrop Grumman acquisition of Orbital ATK

Boeing executive Leanne Caret said Wednesday the defense company is a "buyer," looking to make acquisitions. Her comments came two days after Northrop Grumman announced plans to buy missile and rocket maker Orbital ATK for $7.8 billion in cash. "We are continuing to look at other ways to increase our top line through mergers and acquisitions and we have a continued pipeline we're assessing," said Caret, CEO of Boeing Defense, Space and Security. She told CNBC she is "very focused" on growth. "That includes looking organically on where we are going to invest," Caret said on "Squawk Box." When asked whether Boeing is in any acquisition talks, Caret dodged the question, saying "we'll stay away from that." Northrop's acquisition of Orbital would create a fourth business sector at the Boeing competitor, but Northrop has not specified what that would be. The company expects to close the deal in the first half of next year. Orbital has billion-dollar contracts with NASA and the Army, as well as contracts with the U.S. Missile Defense Agency. Orbital is in the final stages of testing the solid rockets boosters the company is building for NASA's space launch system. It said the two solid rocket boosters for the heavy launch SLS platform will be on time for NASA's first planned flight in 2019. NASA is building SLS to take crew and cargo beyond Earth's orbit, with Mars as an eventual destination.

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/09/03/cruise-lines-cancel-re-route-trips-as-hurricane-dorian-approaches-us.html

NCLH

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings

Cruise lines cancel, reroute trips as Hurricane Dorian approaches US

Royal Caribbean's Mariner of the Seas departs from Port Canaveral ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Dorian. The ship's itinerary was adjusted due to the hurricane and will take passengers on an extended cruise to Mexico instead of its original destination in the Bahamas. "As we continue to monitor Hurricane Dorian in the Caribbean, we are in constant communication with the United States Coast Guard to ensure we are taking all necessary precautions to maintain a safe and secure sailing for all guests and crew on board," Norwegian said in a statement. In one case, the Norwegian Breakaway was originally supposed to return to Miami on Sept. 1 but will now conclude its trip in New Orleans on Tuesday. The cruise line has canceled two cruises scheduled to leave from Florida but has made no changes to cruises leaving from New York and Boston. Carnival , Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Lines are among the companies changing plans for travelers as ports in the Bahamas and Florida are closed due to Dorian. Cruise lines are canceling some trips and rerouting others as Hurricane Dorian continues to ravage the Bahamas and move up the eastern coast of the United States. "While it is our every intention to maintain the original itinerary as much as possible, the security of everyone on board always takes precedence. As such, we are reviewing the ongoing situation and its potential impact on our fleet." Dorian made landfall in the Bahamas this past weekend and stalled out over the islands, killing at least five people. The storm is currently classified as a Category 2 hurricane. The storm is projected to move north along the eastern coast of Florida and possibly make landfall in the Carolinas. More than a million people in the U.S. have been ordered to evacuate. Carnival has canceled one cruise and shortened some others. The company said it expects Port Canaveral and PortMiami to reopen later this week. One ship, the Carnival Horizon, is scheduled to depart from Miami on Wednesday with a port of call in Nassau in the Bahamas. Royal Caribbean said it is sending a team to CocoCay in the Bahamas on Wednesday to see how the company's facilities have been impacted by the storm. The cruise line has canceled one trip, originally scheduled to depart from Port Canaveral on Monday, and changed the itinerary for several others. Disney Cruise Line has altered the schedule for a cruise that is currently sailing. The Disney Dream cruise currently out will now return to Port Canaveral on Wednesday instead of Monday. The Disney Dream trip originally scheduled to leave on Monday has been canceled. Disney is also facing criticism for not evacuating its employees at Castaway Cay, which is one of the cruise line's frequent stops and is located about 40 miles from where the center of Dorian made landfall in the Bahamas. In a note to clients on Tuesday, Nomura Instinet analyst Harry Curtis estimated that the earnings impact of Dorian on the major cruise lines would be about 5 cents per share. "One of the benefits of the cruise industry is its ability to steer ships away from unfavorable locations," the analyst wrote. Shares of Royal Caribbean were down 1.4% on Tuesday, while Carnival fell by 0.9% and Norwegian's stock dipped 0.3%. Disney was down about 0.7%. WATCH: Hurricane Dorian batters the Bahamas, killing five

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/02/28/stocks-making-the-biggest-premarket-moves.html

NCLH

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings

Stocks making the biggest premarket moves: Dish, Target, Zoom, Arconic and more

Check out the companies making the biggest moves in premarket trading: Dish Network — The satellite company's shares fell almost 5% amid its multi-day service outage and double-downgrade from Bank of America. Dish shares are down 13.5% in 2023 amid a 61.8% drop during the past 12 months. Target — The retailer gained 1.2% after reporting fiscal fourth-quarter earnings per share of $1.89, topping the $1.40 consensus of analysts polled by Refinitiv. Revenue also beat, but Target's full-year EPS guidance came in below expectations. Arconic — Shares fell 3.5% following a downgrade to sell from neutral by Goldman Sachs. The firm cited an uncertain demand outlook in Europe. Celsius Holdings — The energy-drink maker rose 4.2% after being upgraded to outperform from neutral by Credit Suisse. The firm said the distribution agreement with Pepsi is going well and the long-term potential is high. Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings — Shares of the cruise company fell more than 5% in premarket trading Tuesday after Norwegian reported a wider-than-expected loss for the fourth quarter. The company lost an adjusted $1.04 per share on $1.52 billion of revenue. Analysts surveyed by FactSet's StreetAccount were expecting a loss of 86 cents per share on $1.50 billion of revenue. Norwegian's earnings guidance for 2023 also came in below expectations. Zoom Video —The video communications company rallied 6.9% in the premarket following a top- and bottom-line beat for the fourth quarter. Full-year revenue guidance came in lighter than expected, but its earnings guidance topped estimates. Dick's Sporting Goods — The sporting-good retailer slid 2.6% after being downgraded by Citi to neutral from buy. The Wall Street firm said it expects near-term gross margin pressure to continue. Workday — The human resources software fell 2.4% after its revenue guidance for the first quarter came in lighter than expected. However, it beat estimates for fourth-quarter revenue and earnings, according to Refinitv. Hims & Hers Health — The telehealth stock jumped more than 9% after Hims & Hers Health reported quarterly results that exceeded estimates on the top and bottom lines. The firm posted a loss of 5 cents per share on revenue of $167.2 million. That surpassed consensus estimates of a loss of 7 cents per share on revenue of $161.2 million, according to Refinitiv. Advance Auto Parts — The automotive aftermarket parts company gained 4.4% after reporting fourth-quarter EPS of $2.88, topping a StreetAccount estimate of $2.41. Revenue also beat expectations. — CNBC's Hakyung Kim, Alex Harring, Sarah Min, Jesse Pound and Michael Bloom contributed reporting.

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/05/29/how-norwegian-cruise-line-is-preparing-for-millennials-to-hop-aboard.html

NCLH

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings

Millennials want to cruise. How Norwegian is preparing for these young travelers to hop aboard

watch now When you come on board as a guest, we want you to think you are on that ship's maiden voyage. It's got to have that new car smell. Frank Del Rio Norwegian Cruise Line CEO Del Rio says the company is also pouring millions into its existing fleet. "Back in 2015 we said we would spend in the neighborhood of $500 to $600 million on the Norwegian brand. Another $100 million plus was spent on the Region brand, and we just recently announced a $100 million refurbishment program for the Oceania brand," he said. He added that by the end of February 2020, the 1998 Norwegian Spirit will have "a $150 million head-to-toe refurbishment." On May 9 Norwegian reported its Q1 earnings: a jump in revenue of 8.5%, to $1.4 billion. Today it is the third-largest cruise line in the world, controlling approximately 9% of the total worldwide share of the cruise market by passengers as of 2018. (Carnival controls the largest market share, at 45%, followed by Royal Caribbean, at 25%). Yet while growth is strong, Del Rio says he's always aware of the competition — and the fact that customers are more demanding today. "How do you make your product different? How do you motivate the consumer to choose your brand, which is higher-priced than a competitive brand? "When you come on board as a guest, we want you to think you are on that ship's maiden voyage. It's got to have that new car smell. The carpets have to be clean, that ... the art is relevant. Everything is new, and people are willing to pay for that kind of quality, for that kind of value. [The customer] is more demanding. I mean, the competition is fierce." Norwegian Cruise Lines Breakaway Photo: Norwegian Cruise Lines

https://www.cnbc.com/2016/08/09/norwegian-cruise-line-shares-stumble-on-lowered-guidance.html

NCLH

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings

Norwegian Cruise Line shares stumble on lowered guidance

The cruise stocks hit a rough patch on Tuesday after Norwegian Cruise Line lowered its outlook. The cruise operator said it now sees adjusted full-year earnings between $3.35 and $3.45, well below analyst expectations of $3.72, according to Thomson Reuters. The stock ended the day down more than 11 percent. Shares of Carnival and Royal Caribbean Cruises fell 3 percent and 6 percent, respectively, in sympathy. Frank Del Rio, president and CEO of Norwegian, cited four main reasons for revising its guidance, including "continued weak demand from our core North American consumer for European sailings at a time when half of our fleet is deployed in the region, including eight of our highest yielding ships."

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/06/13/stocks-making-the-biggest-moves-midday-jdcom-biogen-oracle-and-more.html

NCLH

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings

Stocks making the biggest moves midday: JD.com, Biogen, Oracle and more

A JD.com truck receiving incoming goods and preparing shipments at the Northeast China-based Gu'an warehouse and distribution facility in Gu'an, Сhina. Check out the companies making headlines in midday trading. Biogen — Shares of the biotech stock dipped 2.8% after Biogen revamped its board of directors. Three current board members will not run for reelection, while the company's former head of corporate strategy Susan Langer was nominated to the board, Biogen said Monday. Oracle — Shares rose 0.2% to an all-time high on the back of a strong earnings report for the fiscal fourth quarter. Oracle reported $1.67 in adjusted earnings per share, while analysts polled by Refinitiv expected $1.58. Revenue also came in higher than expected at $13.84 billion against a $13.74 billion estimate. Goldman Sachs upgraded Oracle to neutral from sell following the report. Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings — Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings jumped 5.7% to the highest since May 2022 after Bank of America on Monday raised its price target to $19 from $17, though the firm maintained a neutral investment rating. Carnival 's target went to $20 from $11, also rising to the highest since May 2022, while Royal Caribbean 's rose to $95 from $82 and the stock touched the highest since November 2021. Urban Outfitters — The retailer gained 3.5% following an upgrade to overweight by Morgan Stanley. The Wall Street firm cited Urban Outfitters' low valuation relative to peers and improving business fundamentals. Devon Energy — The energy stock rose 2%. Goldman Sachs upgraded Devon to buy from neutral, saying it trades at an attractive valuation and looks poised to appreciate as its production and capital expenditure outlook improves. Oil stocks — Oil shares rose broadly as WTI crude gained following Monday losses. The VanEck Oil Services ETF rose 2.2%. Shares of Halliburton jumped 3%, while Transocean climbed 2.6%. Zions Bancorporation — The Salt Lake City-based bank lost 1.5% after it said its net interest income outlook is "decreasing." The bank's previous outlook was "moderately decreasing," according to StreetAccount. The update came in a presentation posted Monday afternoon. Chinese internet stocks, metals and mining stocks — Shares of Chinese internet companies and metals and mining stocks jumped Tuesday after the People's Bank of China cut a key short-term policy rate in an effort to stimulate a post-Covid recovery. The KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF rose 2.4% while JD.com gained 3.5%. Metals and mining stocks were also boosted by the news, with shares of Freeport-McMoRan and Steel Dynamics rallying 5.3% and 6%, respectively. — CNBC's Samantha Subin, Sarah Min, Alexander Harring and Jesse Pound contributed reporting.

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/10/06/stocks-making-the-biggest-moves-premarket-constellation-brands-palantir-norwegian-cruise-and-others.html

NCLH

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings

Stocks making the biggest moves premarket: Constellation Brands, Palantir, Norwegian Cruise and others

Check out the companies making headlines before the bell: Constellation Brands (STZ) – The maker of beer and wine reported adjusted quarterly earnings of $2.38 per share, missing the $2.77 consensus estimate, although revenue did beat Wall Street forecasts and Constellation increased its full-year earnings outlook. Shares fell 2.2% in the premarket. Acuity Brands (AYI) – The maker of lighting and building management systems reported an adjusted quarterly profit of $3.27 per share, beating the consensus estimate of $2.85, with revenue topping forecasts as well. The earnings beat came amid what the company terms a "challenging" environment that included higher labor, materials and freight costs. Palantir Technologies (PLTR) – Palantir surged 8.1% in the premarket following news that it won an $823 million Army contract to provide its Gotham platform, an operating system designed to optimize defense decision-making. Norwegian Cruise Line (NCLH) – Norwegian CEO Frank Del Rio told CNBC's Closing Bell that the company would have its full fleet in operation by April for the first time since the pandemic began. He said 75% of ships should be sailing by the end of this year. Norwegian shares fell 1.7% in premarket trading. Seagate Technology (STX) – The disk drive maker's shares slid 3.3% in the premarket after Morgan Stanley downgraded the stock to "equal weight" from "overweight," citing deteriorating industry data including rising inventory levels and a drop in corporate spending plans. General Motors (GM) – The automaker's shares will be on watch today as GM holds its investor day, set to highlight its plans for electric vehicle growth. Southwest Gas (SWX) – Southwest Gas struck a deal to buy Questar Pipelines from Dominion Energy (D) for $1.975 billion in cash and assumed debt. Investor Carl Icahn, who holds a 4.9% stake in Southwest Gas, had sent a letter to the company objecting to such a deal when reports of it first surfaced earlier this week. Icahn said the deal would be a huge mistake and diminish shareholder value. Southwest Gas fell 1.7% in premarket action. Facebook (FB) – Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg responded to accusations from whistleblower Frances Haugen, saying the company does not prioritize profits over safety. Zuckerberg published a blog post addressing the accusations following Haugen's testimony before a Senate panel Tuesday. Shares shed 1.3% in the premarket. Manchester United (MANU) – Manchester United announced a 9.5 million share offering by the Glazer family, which controls the soccer club. Manchester United will not receive any proceeds from the sale. The stock tumbled 9.4% in premarket action. HSBC Holdings (HSBC) – HSBC was upgraded to "buy" from "neutral" at UBS, which points to an attractive valuation and optimistic 2022 expectations for the bank's financial performance. The stock added 2.3% in the premarket.

https://www.cnbc.com/2022/04/13/stocks-making-the-biggest-moves-midday-jpmorgan-delta-air-lines-paypal.html

NCLH

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings

Stocks making the biggest moves midday: JPMorgan, Delta Air Lines, PayPal

The JP Morgan Chase & Co. headquarters, The JP Morgan Chase Tower in Park Avenue, Midtown, Manhattan, New York. Check out the companies making headlines in midday trading. JPMorgan Chase – Shares fell 3.2% as JPMorgan Chase reported a $524 million hit from market dislocations caused by sanctions against Russia due to the war in Ukraine. The bank posted better-than-expected earnings and revenue in the first quarter, but profit fell 42% from the year prior. Delta Air Lines — The airline stock rose 6.2% as Delta forecast a return to profit in the current quarter. Delta posted a narrower-than-expected loss per share in its fiscal first quarter and beat consensus revenue expectations. American Airlines — Other travel stocks jumped after Delta's report. American Airlines soared 10.6%, Southwest Airlines jumped 7.5%, and Norwegian Cruise Line added 6.2%. PayPal Holdings , Walmart – Walmart on Tuesday after the bell announced it hired PayPal chief financial officer John Rainey. Rainey will replace Brett Biggs, who was CFO since 2015. PayPal fell about 2.9%, while Walmart shares rose 2.6%. Fastenal – Shares rose 2.2% after a stronger-than-expected quarterly earnings report. The company reported profit of 47 cents per share on revenue of $1.7 billion. Analysts surveyed by Refinitiv expected a profit of 45 cents per share on revenue of $1.69 billion. Charles Schwab – The brokerage company advanced 4.7% after Morgan Stanley named it a "top pick" and said rising rates will boost the stock. The firm's price target on BlackRock implies upside of about 65%. Warner Bros. Discovery – Shares rose 5.4% after Bank of America initiated the media stock with a buy rating. The firm said the merger of the two media companies creates a "powerhouse." Gap – The retail stock surged 8.2% after a report from Activist Insight speculating the company could be a potential activist target. CNBC has not confirmed the report. — CNBC's Samantha Subin and Tanaya Macheel contributed reporting.

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/06/16/cruise-stocks-carnival-norwegian-royal-caribbean-upgrade-wolfe-research.html

NCLH

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings

Carnival and other cruise stocks get upgrade from Wolfe Research on bookings jump

Early signs of customer demand for the return of vacations at sea should make investors more bullish on cruise stocks, according to Wolfe Research. The cruise industry was one of the hardest hit by the pandemic, with voyages being stopped around the world, but with widespread vaccinations in the U.S., the major companies have plans to resume American operations over the summer . Analyst Greg Badishkanian upgraded Carnival , Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings to outperform from peer perform, saying in a note to clients on Wednesday that early indications pointed to a strong restart for the industry. "Our checks suggest improving booking / pricing trends out of North America over the past month, with stronger trends over the past week. While there is some lingering uncertainty surrounding the U.S. restart (CDC / Florida, etc.), we view those unknowns as largely transitory when viewed against the broader reopening backdrop," the note said. Bookings and demand are running ahead of pre-pandemic levels, according to Wolfe. "Cumulative 2022 bookings are now up approx. +10% to +15% versus 2019 levels with signs of improving 1Q demand (especially in January). Pricing is up in the +15% to 25% range vs. 2019 before factoring in [future cruise credits]," the note said. Wolfe has price targets of $32 per share for Carnival, $96 for Royal Caribbean and $36 for Norwegian. Those represent upside of roughly 12%, 8% and 17%, respectively. -CNBC's Michael Bloom contributed to this report. The Carnival Liberty cruise ship is seen after docking to allow crew members to receive the COVID-19 vaccine at Port Canaveral, the first U.S. port to sponsor COVID-19 vaccine distribution to port workers and vessel crew members. Paul Hennessy | LightRocket | Getty Images

https://www.cnbc.com/2015/05/19/norwegian-cruise-ship-runs-aground-in-bermuda.html

NCLH

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings

Norwegian cruise ship runs aground on Bermuda reef, no injuries

In this photo provided by the Royal Gazette, the Norwegian cruise ship Norwegian Dawn, lies aground near Bermuda's North Channel Tuesday, May 19, 2015. "All guests and crew are safe and there were absolutely no injuries," Miami-based Norwegian Cruise Line said. The Norwegian Dawn was on a week-long Boston to Bermuda cruise with 2,443 passengers and 1,059 crew, the world's third-largest cruise operator said in a statement. A Norwegian Cruise Line ship ran aground on a reef on Tuesday after leaving Bermuda but no one was injured and the vessel was later floated off at high tide, the company said. It said its ship was leaving King's Wharf, Bermuda, at about 5 p.m. when the vessel had a "temporary malfunction of its steering system" which caused it to sail "slightly off course." The company said the ship's officers, engineers and an independent dive team have confirmed its structural integrity, and that the vessel will also be thoroughly inspected in Bermuda by DNVGL, the ship's classification society, before returning to Boston. "The ship is fully operational with the full complement of onboard services available to guests," the company said, adding it would remain at anchor nearby overnight. Photos posted on Twitter by people onboard showed passengers, some with drinks in hand, strolling on deck and peering over the rail into the bright blue sea. Read MoreFull steam ahead for Asia's cruise industry Small boats checking for damage could be seen, as well as two tug boats and a Bermuda police boat, and scuba divers in wetsuits preparing to investigate below the waterline. "Ship shuddered, then stopped really fast," wrote one Twitter user, Rachel Hansen of Londonderry, New Hampshire. "Lots of people still trying to have a good time." Norwegian Cruise Line operates 13 purpose-built ships on routes spanning North America, the Mediterranean, the Baltic, Central America and the Caribbean.

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/11/04/cruise-lines-build-up-capacity-despite-global-headwinds.html

NCLH

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings

Cruise lines build up capacity despite global headwinds, hoping for better days ahead

Cruise ship anchored off the shore of Grand Cayman Island, Royal Caribbean cruise liner Mariner of the Sea MyLoupe | Universal Images Group | Getty Images With market watchers debating the future of the economy, the cruise industry is making a bold bet on the consumer. Analysts say 17 cruise ships are expected to hit the market next year on the expectation that demand for cruising will rise as more baby boomers retire and the industry carves out new offerings. To increase the capacity at ports, terminals are being built and expanded to ensure there is enough room. Royal Caribbean invested $250 million to launch Terminal A at Port Miami, often referred to as the cruise capital of the world. Royal Caribbean plans to bring a number of its ships — including the Symphony of Seas — to Terminal A and over time, lease it out to other cruise lines in the industry. watch now The cruise operator says with the new terminal, its bookings are expected to rise from 750,000 to 1.8 million over the course of the next year. Norwegian Cruises in conjunction with Port Miami has also broken ground on a terminal which is expected to be fully operational by February 2020, slightly later than its initial fall 2019 target. Miami-Dade County is spending $100 million on the new terminal while the cruise line is allocating up to $65 million to cover costs among other items. Other cruise lines are expected to follow suit. Cruise analysts say while domestic demand is the underlying driver behind the forecasted growth in the cruise industry, a critical component over time will getting international passengers on board. While bullish on growing cruise bookings, Royal Caribbean's CEO Richard Fain concedes that a number of challenges exist — including geopolitics and trade tensions. "I'm a free trade advocate and anything that creates tensions about free trade…I view economically as a bad thing. But our business in China continues to do well," said Richard Fain at the launch of Terminal A. Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez recognized that trade tensions are a concern but is hopeful that a deal will be worked out. "We need to make investments to be ready," Gimenez said. The timing of these new terminals also comes as investors question whether consumers will continue to spend money on travel if the economic backdrop deteriorates. watch now

https://www.cnbc.com/id/36911129

NRG

NRG Energy

This Energy Firm to See Another Upside 'Jolt': Investor

NRG Energy has been rallying for the last five weeks, and one big investor is looking for another jolt to the upside. OptionMonster's tracking systemsFriday detected the purchase of 20,000 June 25 calls at an average premium of $0.8875 and the sale of a matching number of June 27.50 calls for $0.425. The call-spread strategy cost a net cost of about $0.46 and will generate a profit of about 440 percent if the stock closes at or above $27.50 on expiration. More Options Tips from Pete Najarian Options Tips from Jon Najarian Read The CNBC Stock Blog NRG climbed 1.6 percent to $24.17 on Friday, bucking weakness in the broader market. The power-plant owner has climbed 19 percent since March 26, rebounding from a 10-month low as investors priced in better demand amid a stronger economic backdrop. Berkshire Hathaway owns 6 million shares, or about 2.2 percent, of the New Jersey-based company. It's also trading at the kind of valuations that would get Berkshire CEO Warren Buffett interested now: The price-to-book ratio is just 0.80 times and enterprise value is just four times EBITDA. NRG pulled back after trading within a few cents of its 200-day moving average on Friday, and the call-spread buyer is clearly looking for it to rally back to the levels where it peaked in the August-October period. The shares could also get a charge heading into first quarter earnings, scheduled to be released before the market opens on May 10. Overall options volume in NRG was 23 times greater than average in the session, with calls outnumbering puts by 114 to 1. ___________________________ NRG Energy Competes With: The AES Calpine Mirant ___________________________ Options Trading School: ___________________________ ___________________________ Disclosure: Najarian owns a long call spread in NRG. 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/2014/06/04/early-movers-before-the-bell.html

NRG

NRG Energy

Early movers: NRG, P, UNH, GNC, AN, COH, UA & more

Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange on February 3, 2014. Under Armour –The athletic apparel retailer's shares were upgraded to "buy" from "hold" at Jefferies, based on strong secular sales trends and a recent drop in the stock. Pandora –The online radio service could be among the companies affected by news that the Justice Department will reexamine agreements with music licensing firms ASCAP and BMI. The increase in use of digital media has prompted the possible revision of those agreements, and that could eventually results in an increase in music royalty rates . UnitedHealth –The health insurer raised its quarterly dividend by 34 percent to 37-1/2 cents per share, and also approved a share repurchase program of 100 million shares. Check out which companies are making headlines before the bell: Coach –The stock was downgraded to "neutral" from "buy" at Sterne Agee, which cited lackluster sales trends and lower probability of a North American turnaround. Protective Life –The life insurer agreed to be bought by Japan's Dai-ichi Life Insurance for $5.7 billion, or $70 per share. It's the largest ever acquisition by a Japanese insurance company. Newell Rubbermaid –Morgan Stanley upgraded the household products maker's stock to "overweight" from "equalweight," saying an improvement in sales is not yet priced into the stock. AutoNation –The vehicle retailer reported a 15 percent increase in May sales compared to the same month a year ago. GNC –The health products retailer is rated "buy" in new coverage at Bank of America/Merrill Lynch, based on improving comparable store sales trends. Annie's –The organic food maker's auditor, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, is resigning from that duty. That comes after the auditor found a "material weakness" in the latest annual report related to an "insufficient complement of finance and accounting resources." That weakness, however, did not result in any material misstatements, according to the company. Mattress Firm –The company posted first quarter profit of 31 cents per share, excluding certain items, missing estimates by five cents. However, the mattress retailer did raise its full-year sales forecast on stronger trends, and backed its prior full-year earnings forecast. Tibco Software –Tibco projected quarterly profit of 12 to 13 cents per share, below Street estimates cents, with revenue also falling below current estimates, as sales of its Spotfire analytics software come up shy of forecasts. NRG Energy –The energy firm is reportedly close to buying the largest wind farm in North America, Alta Wind Energy Center, for $800 million. The Wall Street Journal said the deal could be announced as soon as today. Gartner – Chief financial officer Chris Lafond is leaving the information technology research firm at the end of the month to pursue other opportunities. He's served as CFO since 2003. Ascena Retail Group –Ascena earned 27 cents per share, excluding certain items, for its third quarter, eight cents above estimates. However, the company formerly known as Dress Barn did see comparable store sales that were short of estimates, as is its sales guidance for the full year. Monster Beverage –Credit Suisse began coverage of the beverage maker's stock with a rating of "outperform" —By CNBC's Peter Schacknow Questions? Comments? Email us at marketinsider@cnbc.com

https://www.cnbc.com/2014/03/20/early-movers-before-the-bell.html

NRG

NRG Energy

Early movers: LEN, UA, TSLA, NRG, SNE, FSLR & more

Under Armour – Sterne Agee cut its rating on the athletic apparel maker's shares to "neutral" from "buy", after a year-to-date gain of 40 percent. However, the firm said its view of Under Armour's long term growth prospects remains intact. ConAgra –The food producer reported fiscal third quarter profit of 62 cents per share, excluding certain items, beating estimates by two cents. ConAgra said it is dealing with "operating challenges" that have impacted earnings, but that it is encouraged by some "pockets of strength." Lennar —The home builder reported fiscal first quarter profit of 35 cents per share, seven cents above estimates, with revenue above consensus as well. Lennar sold more homes at higher prices, although it said it is too soon to predict how well the spring home selling season will go. Check out which companies are making headlines before the bell: Tesla –Arizona is considering lifting its direct-sales ban on automobiles in the state, just days after New Jersey banned Tesla from selling directly to customers. Ameren –Goldman Sachs downgraded the electric and gas utility to "sell" from "neutral" on a valuation basis, as well as citing lower than average near term dividend growth. NRG Energy –Goldman upgraded the energy company's shares to "conviction buy" from "neutral", pointing to under-appreciated free cash flow, among other factors. First Solar –Baird upped its price target for the solar equipment provider to $87 per share from $67 and repeated an "outperform" rating, saying First Solar is becoming even more efficient as it reduces costs and pushes new technology into the marketplace. Sony –The electronics giant reportedly seeks to cut down on the number of suppliers in its network. Japan's Nikkei newspaper said the move is part of an effort to bring products to the marketplace faster. Herman Miller –The maker of office furniture reported third quarter profit of 34 cents per share, in line with Street estimates, but forecast current quarter profit largely above Wall Street consensus. The company saw new orders rise 21 percent during the third quarter, with profit margins expanding as well. Guess –The clothing maker earned 83 cents per share for the fourth quarter, beating estimates by three cents, with revenue beating forecasts as well. However, it also forecast an unexpected loss for the current quarter, saying customer traffic at its North American stores has been weak. —By CNBC's Peter Schacknow Questions? Comments? Email us at marketinsider@cnbc.com

https://www.cnbc.com/2014/03/06/a-dirty-clean-energy-battle-becoming-a-utility-war.html

NRG

NRG Energy

A dirty clean energy battle becoming a utility war

Jim Rogers, the former chairman and CEO of Duke Energy , has the luxury of looking back over his long career at the helm of a regulated utility and wondering if he could have done more. Upon the recent occasion of achieving an industry lifetime achievement award, Rogers lamented in the press that he hadn't done enough about encouraging renewable energy, including solar, while running one of the biggest regulated utilities in the U.S. When Adam Browning, executive director of solar advocacy nonprofit Vote Solar, saw Rogers' comments, he was encouraged, but wondered why his solar group was "in legal dockets fighting you [Rogers] tooth and nail five years ago." It's much easier for a utility executive to support renewable energy when they are no longer actually running a utility. "There's something in the utility person that makes them want to own machinery," said Karl Rabago, an energy industry consultant who held former high-ranking positions at AES and Austin Energy. "It's in their bones." More than a 100 people gathered December 11, 2013 to protest Xcel's plan to stop paying people with solar panels. The Denver Post | Getty Images There's a compelling business reason for utilities' reluctance to embrace renewable energy. Recent battles across several U.S. states over net metering—whether utilities should be compensated by rooftop solar power owners generating power on their own for use off the grid—the nastiest of which took place in Arizona, are really about something much more fundamental to the life or death of the status quo in the utility business. Implicit in the business model of the regulated utility created in the 20th century to electrify the country is earnings based on the level of capital invested in infrastructure: the bigger the plant is that a utility builds, the bigger their "rate base." (Read more: Like it or not, Russia-US energy interdependence here to stay) "It's a legacy of electrifying the world," Rabago said. "We created a mechanism saying the more you invest in infrastructure to electrify the more profits you will make ... higher rate base equals higher return. ... The joke used to be it's the only business where you could get a rate increase for redecorating the CEO's office." Power to the people The "own and control" mentality and earnings model of regulated utilities is being threatened in an unprecedented way. And it's not just about solar on the rooftop. The battles that have recently played out in states including Arizona, Georgia and Colorado over net metering have focused on solar, but the experts say that misses the point. As distributed generation technologies become cheaper and more widely adopted, regulated utilities need to find a way to adapt to customers being owners, or, according to some critics, go into a death spiral. Solar, residential natural gas turbines and energy storage units are among the technologies giving new meaning to the term "power to the people." "Utilities tend not to lead," said Richard Sedano, director at the Regulatory Assistance Project, an energy think tank. "What they do tend to do is do safe things. The role of a monopolist as competitor, there's something strange about that." When Dominion Virginia Power recently released its latest Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) it included a statement that underlies the standard thinking in the regulated utility model: The company said it did not include consideration of "behind the meter" generation in its IRP because it did not own or control the distributed generation. (Read more: Tapping 100 years of US energy at light speed) Eran Mahrer, vice president of utility strategy at the Solar Electric Power Association, an industry association providing education to utilities whose majority membership is utility companies, said, "I think that what Dominion Virginia said is entirely fair. Their statement is shared by good majority of the industry. We look at distributed generation solar as a net load reduction, not resource contribution, and the short answer is as long as they have zero transparency into the operation of the resource, since you have no control over it, you do look at it as a net reduction." Other energy experts highlighted that IRP as the symbol of the threat to the future of utilities in their inability to adapt to innovations in distributed generation. "There's a fundamental mental obstacle," Rabago said. Dominion Virginia Power did not respond to a request for comment. In a recent energy trade publication's annual survey of utility executives, 57 percent said they view distributed generation as an opportunity. Browning said of that 57 percent, he guarantees that not one utility actually has a business plan for their regulated service territory reflecting the statement. Florida Power & Light is a regulated utility that is associated with more action than most in actively deploying solar—its affiliated with NextEra Energy . Last year, NextEra hired Andrew Beebe, formerly of Chinese solar company Suntech, as vice president of distributed generation, yet even FPL is reluctant to discuss the emerging issue. Beebe declined to comment on the company's plans through a Florida Power & Light spokesman, who said it was a subject they are not comfortable commenting on. A spokeswoman at the Brookings Institution, where Rogers is now vice chairman, did not respond to repeated requests for comment. If there is one utility company that has been most vocal in support of solar, it is NRG Energy and its CEO David Crane—who recently referred to his own industry as "shockingly stupid". There's a simple, business reason why Crane can afford to be so vocal—NRG is a retail and merchant energy provider, not a regulated utility. "If you think about a utility as something that has wires on the ground and service meters, we aren't a utility," said Steve Corneli, NRG's senior vice president of sustainability. "They have to get all that money back in rates. ... The problem utilities run into with distributed generation and energy efficiency and demand response and new energy services, all that stuff, is that all those things reduce the number of kilowatt hours consumers are buying. ... All that kind of capital intensive investment to keep the lights on has costs that go up even more with less sales," Corneli said. (Read more: Google's huge investment in clean energy) NRG sees things only getting worse for regulated utilities: capital intensive costs on top of less sales means passing on higher rates to consumers and that will only push more consumers to look for alternatives like rooftop solar. "That's called competition, and that's why a new utility model is needed," Corneli said. Energy experts said NRG's support of solar is somewhat self-serving—it has nothing to lose in taking advantage of the weakness of the regulated utility. Energy experts agreed that this is an existential threat to the regulated utility model that dominated the 20th century. The green tea party For proof, one can look to the state of Georgia, where the Public Service Commission recently pushed the regulated utility to issue a mandate for roughly 500 megawatts of solar power. Out in the streets protesting a utility plan being considered by the Public Service Commission weren't greenies wearing Birkenstocks and bused in from San Francisco, but tea party and libertarian-minded consumers—the green tea party. "The tea party came out in full support of solar," said Jigar Shah, founder of solar company SunEdison and board member of the Carbon War Room. "Two of the most conservative talk show hosts in Georgia said 'stop pissing on solar.' " For Shah, the battle isn't between solar and utilities, it's between utilities and their increasingly empowered customers, and that isn't going to change. "That old one-way relationship between a utility and customer is changing and it's not just a solar issue," Browning said. "In Georgia, we had enraged libertarians and they legitimately led a revolution to say no. ... Supermajorities want to see a transition to renewable and utilities are not delivering. They have fought every step of the way. It's a problem of their own making, so they either figure out how to transition or get out of the way." (Read more: Financing the solar panel on your neighbor's roof) watch now

https://www.cnbc.com/id/100950586

NRG

NRG Energy

Early movers: BBRY, ONYX, NRG, JPM & more

Check out which companies are making headlines before the bell on Friday: BlackBerry - The troubled smartphone maker is looking to the possibility of going private, according to Reuters, citing several sources familiar with the matter. The company's CEO Thorsten Heins and the board is increasingly coming around to the idea that taking BlackBerry private would give breathing room to fix problems out of the public eye, sources said. Onyx Pharmaceuticals - The pharmaceutical company said its process of seeking a buyer for the company is "ongoing" with multiple parties engaged. Separately, the company reported a narrower-than-expected loss as revenue more than doubled on sales of cancer drugs.

https://www.cnbc.com/id/100127946

NRG

NRG Energy

UPDATE 1-INSIGHT-Delays dog U.S. government loans to green energy projects

* For subset of 19 loans, $5.1 bln left to go out the door * Four projects have not received any money * In one case, payment of more than $7 mln held up over $100 invoice * Caution shows government taking appropriate care-CEO (Adds further details about SoloPower loan milestones) By Ayesha Rascoe and Roberta Rampton WASHINGTON, Oct 2 (Reuters) - A year after the U.S. government raced to meet a deadline to finish loan agreements with dozens of clean energy companies, less than half the total money promised has been handed over. Technical questions and companies' own failures in hitting contractual milestones are behind some of the holdups. But government officials fearful of taking a risk on firms that could collapse may have also caused some of the delays. The political firestorm after the failure of Solyndra, a solar panel maker that went bankrupt last year after receiving more than $527 million in a government loan, may have made the authorities wary, industry experts and investors say. The Energy Department and some companies say the pace of disbursement reflects an appropriately cautious approach to handling taxpayer investment in nascent industries. In some cases, though, the rigid approval process for drawing on loans has frustrated recipients, who feel the government is withholding cash due to minor setbacks. A Reuters analysis of Treasury Department data on payments to 19 solar, wind and geothermal power projects of the 26 in the Energy Department's portfolio shows that the pace at which funds have been released has been slow and uneven. Funding for the other seven loans, amounting to a combined $5.6 billion, comes from private lenders, with the Energy Department guaranteeing 80 percent of the principal. The department declined to discuss these loan disbursements. (For a graphic, see ) The Treasury Department data provides a glimpse into how things are faring for the program, which the Obama administration hailed as a major job creator that would help wean the United States off its dependence on foreign sources of fossil fuels. The program was crafted during the Bush administration but funded as part of the 2009 economic stimulus. "One of the things it tells you is that the program became highly politicized and it gridlocked the process of doling out money," said Theodore O'Neill of Litchfield Hills Research, after seeing the results of the Reuters review. The Solyndra failure has become a stock part of stump speeches leading up the Nov. 6 U.S. elections, including those of Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, who argues that the government should not be in the business of picking winners and losers. He says Washington is not good at it, and should not put taxpayer money at risk in the process. Only 47 percent of the total approved funding, or $4.9 billion, had gone out the door by Aug. 31 for the 19 projects receiving their loans directly from the Federal Financing Bank, a division of the Treasury Department. Four projects have not received any of their promised funding, including two solar manufacturing projects that O'Neill and other analysts say have only faint hope of reaching viable commercial production because of stiff competition from China. Another five projects have received less than half the loan funds that were pledged. Some projects have seen disbursements withheld until they meet contract milestones with the Energy Department, which approves the payments. "Whatever it is, things are not going right with their original investment," said Jim Nelson, a solar cell entrepreneur who had a long career in private equity, including working at Bain and Co with Romney. For critics like Nelson, the slow pace of loan disbursement is one more sign that the government is not an efficient financier. He said he does not expect his company, Solar 3D, to need government help to commercialize its technology. AWKWARD PARTNER Renewable energy projects in general have been hurt by low natural gas prices, uncertainty about federal tax credits, and the failure of Congress to legislate a federal mandate for using solar, wind and geothermal power. Loan recipients also faced more government scrutiny after the failure of Solyndra, which received monthly payments right up until seven days before it shut its doors. Since then, the government has withheld money for projects with signs of technical problems. But that can lead to a "downward spiral," said one private investor familiar with some of the projects. Without the money, the companies can't fix the problems - and unless they are resolved, it is difficult for the firms to seek additional private capital they need to keep going, the investor said. Earlier this year, a geothermal project at a hot springs in eastern Oregon ran into technical issues. An injection well U.S. Geothermal had drilled was performing below expectations, and before the Energy Department would release regular monthly disbursements, the company needed to show it had equity to cover additional drilling costs. "We found ourselves responding to a significant amount of questions" from the government, said U.S. Geothermal's CEO Daniel Kunz, noting that the delay meant one small local contractor had trouble paying employees. U.S. Geothermal went without monthly disbursements again in June and July because of government questions about a single $100 invoice that held up more than $7 million in payments. "They got into some real minute issues, and they're entitled to do that," said Kunz, who stressed that he was grateful for the loan. When it came to the additional drilling costs, U.S. Geothermal turned to its equity partner, Enbridge Inc , a Canadian pipeline company and original investor. Enbridge kicked in an extra $6 million in exchange for hiking in its ownership stake from 27 percent to 40 percent. Kunz expects the project will be producing power, which it will sell under a long-term sales contract, by the year's end. Abound Solar was not as fortunate. After receiving 17 percent of its $400 million government loan, the solar panel manufacturer's payments were cut off by the Energy Department in August last year because panel prices had collapsed. "While we understood the increasing market risks driving this decision, and understood the technical justifications in the loan documents, we also knew that it put enormous financial strain on our small company," Chief Executive Craig Witsoe told lawmakers in July, shortly after Abound filed for bankruptcy. CAUTIOUS PACE More than 12 percent of the money that has been handed out by the Treasury so far went to Solyndra, Abound and Beacon Power, an energy storage project that also later filed for bankruptcy. Kevin Smith, CEO of Santa Monica, California-based SolarReserve, worries that all the loan projects are getting unfairly characterized as duds to score political points. SolarReserve got a $737 million loan guarantee for a solar plant in Nevada, the largest of its type in the world. "To use these short-term successes and failures to play politics is just too dangerous for us as a nation," he said, adding that there should be a long-term view on the need to move away from fossil-based fuels. Smith said he considered the government's cautious pace of loan disbursement appropriate. "The level of scrutiny by the Department of Energy and their advisors is at a much higher level than you would see in commercial project finance." For the 19 projects covered in the Treasury Department data, the Energy Department declined to comment on whether there are targets or goals for getting the $5.1 billion remaining in promised loans released. "The portfolio has been thoroughly evaluated by independent experts who determined that our practice of ensuring loan recipients can only access loan funds gradually as they meet financial and construction milestones is an important protection for the taxpayers," Damien LaVera, an Energy Department spokesman, said in an e-mailed statement. "In some cases, the agreements specifically require significant portions of the equity in a project to be raised before any loan funds can be disbursed," LaVera said. NO MONEY YET Four projects promised Treasury Department loans have yet to see any disbursements, including Abengoa's cellulosic ethanol plant in Kansas. Abengoa's executive vice president, Chris Standlee, said he expects the ethanol project to begin drawing on the loan soon. Its plant has been under construction for a year, and the terms of the loan require that it use its own equity first. Another company still waiting to tap its $197 million loan, SoloPower, opened a solar panel manufacturing plant in Portland, Oregon last week. The company can begin to tap funds once it has its first production line up and running, and meets other undisclosed milestones. SoloPower's chief executive Tim Harris said he believes his firm underwent a more rigorous review than Solyndra. "Our initial due diligence was 14,000 pages," Harris said. "I call us the most heavily due-diligenced company in the world. It sure feels that way." HUNDREDS OF MILESTONES SolarReserve's power plant in Nevada has about 200 milestones for which paperwork must be submitted to the Energy Department. The Crescent Dunes plant will use thousands of mirrors to reflect sunlight onto a tower of molten salt, where heat will be stored until it is needed to create power. The project is a year into its 30-month construction schedule. By the end of August, it had received only 21 percent of its loan, which CEO Smith said reflected the typical pace of building a plant. Most of the early project work focused on engineering and procurement, Smith said in an interview. But Crescent Dunes will soon enter the most cash-intensive part of construction and in the next few months, employment will jump from 220 to about 600. While Smith said his funding was on schedule, he said the government did not move as swiftly as a private-sector lender because it required more documentation and had more levels of review. It took two years to finalize the loan guarantee, a process that in the private sector would take six to eight months. Still, Smith said the program filled a "commercialization gap" for an emerging industry struggling to find lenders after the 2008 financial crisis. "Trying to finance that ... two years ago when we were still in the heart of economic downturn was virtually impossible," he said. (Additional reporting by Nichola Groom in Los Angeles; Editing by Martin Howell, Karey Wutkowski and David Brunnstrom) ((roberta.rampton@thomsonreuters.com)(Twitter @robertarampton)(+202 898 8390)) Keywords: USA ENERGY/LOANS

https://www.cnbc.com/2014/05/20/solar-the-future-of-energy.html

NRG

NRG Energy

Solar: The future of energy?

Since the dawn of civilisation, the sun has been relied upon to bring us light and warmth. Today, its energy is being harnessed to generate clean, limitless power that, along with other "renewable" sources, could eventually see us reduce our reliance on fossil fuels such as coal and oil. At the end of March, a report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warned of the imminent dangers of climate change. "We live in an era of man-made climate change," Vicente Barros, who co-chaired the report, told journalists at the report's launch. "In many cases, we are not prepared for the climate-related risks that we already face. Investments in better preparation can pay dividends both for the present and for the future," Barros added. Read More10 innovations that changed the world In the arid Mojave Desert, California, temperatures can reach over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. It is here that Ivanpah, the world's largest solar power thermal system, is breaking new ground when it comes to solar energy. Situated on a 3,500 acre site and with more than 300,000 mirrors, Ivanpah is built on a staggering scale. Costing $2.2 billion to build and owned by Google, NRG Energy and BrightSource Energy, Ivanpah generates enough energy to power 140,000 Californian homes. It will also reduce CO2 emissions by 400,000 tons a year. Read MoreRobots: The future of construction? Three "power towers" – developed by BrightSource Energy – dominate the site, standing over 450 feet tall and topped by huge boilers. These boilers generate 'superheated steam' when Ivanpah's solar mirrors reflect sunlight onto their pipes. It is this steam that is funneled to a turbine, generating electricity. "I believe Ivanpah is destined to be the most iconic solar power plant in probably the whole world," Randall Hickok, Senior Vice President, NRG Solar, told Episode 4 of CNBC's Industrial Revolutions. "If you're land-constrained, the power tower design is a great way to try to get more megawatts out of a limited amount of land," he added. As well as generating electricity during daylight hours, Ivanpah is capable of generating power when the sun sets, too. "Concentrated solar power is very stable… with concentrated solar you can store that energy in liquefied salts and use that latent heat to generate steam after the sun has gone down and get several more hours of production, which adds a lot of value," Hickok said. While the plant has earned plaudits for its sheer ambition and clean electricity, there have been reports of birds flying in and around Ivanpah being burnt by the heat generated by its mirrors and towers. "We are in the first year of operation and it was always anticipated that there would be some avian impact and this first year is all about monitoring what those impacts are," Hickok told CNBC.

https://www.cnbc.com/id/100127353

NRG

NRG Energy

INSIGHT-Delays dog U.S. government loans to green energy projects

* For subset of 19 loans, $5.1 bln left to go out the door * Four projects have not received any money * In one case, payment of more than $7 mln held up over $100 invoice * Caution shows government taking appropriate care-CEO By Ayesha Rascoe and Roberta Rampton WASHINGTON, Oct 2 (Reuters) - A year after the U.S. government raced to meet a deadline to finish loan agreements with dozens of clean energy companies, less than half the total money promised has been handed over. Technical questions and companies' own failures in hitting contractual milestones are behind some of the holdups. But government officials fearful of taking a risk on firms that could collapse may have also caused some of the delays. The political firestorm after the failure of Solyndra, a solar panel maker that went bankrupt last year after receiving more than $527 million in a government loan, may have made the authorities wary, industry experts and investors say. The Energy Department and some companies say the pace of disbursement reflects an appropriately cautious approach to handling taxpayer investment in nascent industries. In some cases, though, the rigid approval process for drawing on loans has frustrated recipients, who feel the government is withholding cash due to minor setbacks. A Reuters analysis of Treasury Department data on payments to 19 solar, wind and geothermal power projects of the 26 in the Energy Department's portfolio shows that the pace at which funds have been released has been slow and uneven. Funding for the other seven loans, amounting to a combined $5.6 billion, comes from private lenders, with the Energy Department guaranteeing 80 percent of the principal. The department declined to discuss these loan disbursements. (For a graphic, see ) The Treasury Department data provides a glimpse into how things are faring for the program, which the Obama administration hailed as a major job creator that would help wean the United States off its dependence on foreign sources of fossil fuels. The program was crafted during the Bush administration but funded as part of the 2009 economic stimulus. "One of the things it tells you is that the program became highly politicized and it gridlocked the process of doling out money," said Theodore O'Neill of Litchfield Hills Research, after seeing the results of the Reuters review. The Solyndra failure has become a stock part of stump speeches leading up the Nov. 6 U.S. elections, including those of Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, who argues that the government should not be in the business of picking winners and losers. He says Washington is not good at it, and should not put taxpayer money at risk in the process. Only 47 percent of the total approved funding, or $4.9 billion, had gone out the door by Aug. 31 for the 19 projects receiving their loans directly from the Federal Financing Bank, a division of the Treasury Department. Four projects have not received any of their promised funding, including two solar manufacturing projects that O'Neill and other analysts say have only faint hope of reaching viable commercial production because of stiff competition from China. Another five projects have received less than half the loan funds that were pledged. Some projects have seen disbursements withheld until they meet contract milestones with the Energy Department, which approves the payments. "Whatever it is, things are not going right with their original investment," said Jim Nelson, a solar cell entrepreneur who had a long career in private equity, including working at Bain and Co with Romney. For critics like Nelson, the slow pace of loan disbursement is one more sign that the government is not an efficient financier. He said he does not expect his company, Solar 3D, to need government help to commercialize its technology. AWKWARD PARTNER Renewable energy projects in general have been hurt by low natural gas prices, uncertainty about federal tax credits, and the failure of Congress to legislate a federal mandate for using solar, wind and geothermal power. Loan recipients also faced more government scrutiny after the failure of Solyndra, which received monthly payments right up until seven days before it shut its doors. Since then, the government has withheld money for projects with signs of technical problems. But that can lead to a "downward spiral," said one private investor familiar with some of the projects. Without the money, the companies can't fix the problems - and unless they are resolved, it is difficult for the firms to seek additional private capital they need to keep going, the investor said. Earlier this year, a geothermal project at a hot springs in eastern Oregon ran into technical issues. An injection well U.S. Geothermal had drilled was performing below expectations, and before the Energy Department would release regular monthly disbursements, the company needed to show it had equity to cover additional drilling costs. "We found ourselves responding to a significant amount of questions" from the government, said U.S. Geothermal's CEO Daniel Kunz, noting that the delay meant one small local contractor had trouble paying employees. U.S. Geothermal went without monthly disbursements again in June and July because of government questions about a single $100 invoice that held up more than $7 million in payments. "They got into some real minute issues, and they're entitled to do that," said Kunz, who stressed that he was grateful for the loan. When it came to the additional drilling costs, U.S. Geothermal turned to its equity partner, Enbridge Inc , a Canadian pipeline company and original investor. Enbridge kicked in an extra $6 million in exchange for hiking in its ownership stake from 27 percent to 40 percent. Kunz expects the project will be producing power, which it will sell under a long-term sales contract, by the year's end. Abound Solar was not as fortunate. After receiving 17 percent of its $400 million government loan, the solar panel manufacturer's payments were cut off by the Energy Department in August last year because panel prices had collapsed. "While we understood the increasing market risks driving this decision, and understood the technical justifications in the loan documents, we also knew that it put enormous financial strain on our small company," Chief Executive Craig Witsoe told lawmakers in July, shortly after Abound filed for bankruptcy. CAUTIOUS PACE More than 12 percent of the money that has been handed out by the Treasury so far went to Solyndra, Abound and Beacon Power, an energy storage project that also later filed for bankruptcy. Kevin Smith, CEO of Santa Monica, California-based SolarReserve, worries that all the loan projects are getting unfairly characterized as duds to score political points. SolarReserve got a $737 million loan guarantee for a solar plant in Nevada, the largest of its type in the world. "To use these short-term successes and failures to play politics is just too dangerous for us as a nation," he said, adding that there should be a long-term view on the need to move away from fossil-based fuels. Smith said he considered the government's cautious pace of loan disbursement appropriate. "The level of scrutiny by the Department of Energy and their advisors is at a much higher level than you would see in commercial project finance." For the 19 projects covered in the Treasury Department data, the Energy Department declined to comment on whether there are targets or goals for getting the $5.1 billion remaining in promised loans released. "The portfolio has been thoroughly evaluated by independent experts who determined that our practice of ensuring loan recipients can only access loan funds gradually as they meet financial and construction milestones is an important protection for the taxpayers," Damien LaVera, an Energy Department spokesman, said in an e-mailed statement. "In some cases, the agreements specifically require significant portions of the equity in a project to be raised before any loan funds can be disbursed," LaVera said. NO MONEY YET Four projects promised Treasury Department loans have yet to see any disbursements, including Abengoa's cellulosic ethanol plant in Kansas. Abengoa's executive vice president, Chris Standlee, said he expects the ethanol project to begin drawing on the loan soon. Its plant has been under construction for a year, and the terms of the loan require that it use its own equity first. Another company still waiting to tap its $197 million loan, SoloPower, opened a solar panel manufacturing plant in Portland, Oregon last week. The company can begin to tap funds once it begins shipping panels. SoloPower's chief executive Tim Harris said he believes his company underwent a more rigorous review than Solyndra. "Our initial due diligence was 14,000 pages," Harris said. "I call us the most heavily due-diligenced company in the world. It sure feels that way." HUNDREDS OF MILESTONES SolarReserve's power plant in Nevada has about 200 milestones for which paperwork must be submitted to the Energy Department. The Crescent Dunes plant will use thousands of mirrors to reflect sunlight onto a tower of molten salt, where heat will be stored until it is needed to create power. The project is a year into its 30-month construction schedule. By the end of August, it had received only 21 percent of its loan, which CEO Smith said reflected the typical pace of building a plant. Most of the early project work focused on engineering and procurement, Smith said in an interview. But Crescent Dunes will soon enter the most cash-intensive part of construction and in the next few months, employment will jump from 220 to about 600. While Smith said his funding was on schedule, he said the government did not move as swiftly as a private-sector lender because it required more documentation and had more levels of review. It took two years to finalize the loan guarantee, a process that in the private sector would take six to eight months. Still, Smith said the program filled a "commercialization gap" for an emerging industry struggling to find lenders after the 2008 financial crisis. "Trying to finance that ... two years ago when we were still in the heart of economic downturn was virtually impossible," he said. (Additional reporting by Nichola Groom in Los Angeles; Editing by Martin Howell, Karey Wutkowski and David Brunnstrom) ((roberta.rampton@thomsonreuters.com)(Twitter @robertarampton)(+202 898 8390)) Keywords: USA ENERGY/LOANS

https://www.cnbc.com/id/22007461

NRG

NRG Energy

Nuclear Energy Industry Powers Back Up

Princeton, N.J.-based NRG made headlines in September when it became the first company in the U.S. since 1978 to submit a request a build new nuclear power. Coal-based generation is currently the power source of choice, accounting for 50% of total U.S. electricity production, but it’s also a major contributor of carbon dioxide emission. State and federal initiatives to curb greenhouse gases associated with climate change are likely to make coal-based electricity more expensive in the future. “The higher the price of carbon dioxide, the more economic the nuclear option becomes,” says Jim Rogers, chairman and chief executive of Duke Energy. Charlotte-based Duke may build a nuclear power plant in South Carolina in the next decade, but that decision hinges largely on the “cost of carbon,” says Rogers. A Federal Case As compelling as price trends might be, federal incentives are helping to pave the way for an industry that still has vivid memories of huge losses and a spate of cancelled projects decades ago. The Energy Policy Act of 2005 provides incentives for new electricity generation, including renewable energy and nuclear power. The three biggest draws, say companies considering nuclear plants, are production tax credits of up to $6 billion, which will likely to be divided among the first nine newly-built units; regulatory risk insurance to cover licensing delays, worth up to $2 billion; and loan guarantees, which would cover most of the financing in case any of these multi-billion dollar projects wind up in default. For an unregulated energy provider like NRG Energy, federal incentives were a primary driver in plans to move forward with two new nuclear units in Texas, says Crane. The incentives were also important to UniStar, a joint venture between Baltimore-based Constellation Energy and French electricity group EDF. UniStar plans to submit the second half of its application for a new reactor in Maryland by March of 2008. CEO George Vanderheyden says the company is also considering an application for a new reactor in New York.

https://www.cnbc.com/id/36266492

NRG

NRG Energy

US Needs 'Wireless' Energy Policy: Gamco's Gabelli

“Have a concentrated energy policy that says, we’re producing less, consuming more—and come up with a plan of accelerating [production]. Put it together like they did in the FCC and sell it,” Gabelli told CNBC. The Federal Communications Commission unveiled a broadband plan in March, in a proposal that calls for upgrading Internet access for all Americans and shifting spectrum from television broadcasters to support the huge demand for smartphones and other wireless devices. Gabelli believes the same can be accomplished for alternative energy. “We needed a new telecommunications policy and [FCC Chairman Julius] Genachowski has come up with that,” said Gabelli. “We need a similar policy in energy.” “Where’s the master plan of increasing production of safe areas, how do we use technology to drive that, and how do we reduce consumption?” —Wire services contributed to this blog. ______________________________ More Market Intelligence: ______________________________ CNBC Data Pages: ______________________________ ______________________________ Top 'Traditional' Energy Firms: ExxonMobil Chevron Constellation Energy American Electric Power NRG Energy ______________________________ Disclosures: No immediate information was available for Gabelli or his firm. ______________________________ Disclaimer

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/11/09/citi-downgrades-nucor-says-infrastructure-news-is-already-priced-in.html

NUE

Nucor

Citi downgrades Nucor, says infrastructure news is already priced in

It's too late for investors to get big returns from Nucor ahead of major infrastructure spending in the U.S., according to Citi. Shares of the steel producer rose 3.6% on Monday, as part of a broader rally among infrastructure names after the House of Representatives passed a $1 trillion infrastructure bill over the weekend. However, analyst Alexander Hacking downgraded Nucor to neutral from buy, saying in a note to clients Tuesday that the good news was largely priced in to Nucor's shares. "We are structurally bullish on the steel sector but tactically cautious as flat steel prices appear to have peaked. We acknowledge NUE's quality and exposure to long steel/infrastructure. But broadly see the stock fairly valued now and potentially more vulnerable than peers given its outperformance (+120% YTD) and higher multiples/ lower [free cash flow] yield," the note said. The price of steel could be cut in half from its abnormally high pandemic levels in the near term, Citi said, which should weigh on stocks even if the prices remain high by historical standards. Citi did raise its price target Monday to $120 per share from $105 per share, but the new target is just 3% above where the stock closed Monday. Elsewhere in the steel producer industry, Citi has neutral ratings on Cleveland-Cliffs and U.S. Steel , as well as a buy rating on Steel Dynamics . —CNBC's Michael Bloom contributed to this report. Bundles of steel from Nucor Corp. sit for sale to at Thompson Building Materials in Lomita, California, U.S., on Thursday, Aug. 30, 2012. Patrick Fallon | Bloomberg | Getty Images

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/09/20/stocks-making-the-biggest-moves-midday-american-airlines-nucor-goldman-sachs-and-more.html

NUE

Nucor

Stocks making the biggest moves midday: American Airlines, Nucor, Goldman Sachs and more

Bundles of steel from Nucor Corp. sit for sale to at Thompson Building Materials in Lomita, California, U.S., on Thursday, Aug. 30, 2012. Check out the companies making headlines in midday trading. American Airlines , United Airlines , Delta Air Lines — Shares of American Airlines the major airlines rose about 3% Monday after the White House said it would ease travel restrictions for international travelers who are vaccinated against Covid-19. Shares of Delta and United each gained more than 1%. China Evergrande Group — Shares of the embattled Chinese property giant dropped 10% on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. The company has been scrambling to pay its suppliers, and warned investors that it could default on its debts. Last week, the company said its property sales will likely continue to drop significantly in September several months of weakness. Centerpoint Energy , Dominion Energy — Utility stocks rose on Monday as investors shifted toward defensive plays during the broader market slide. Shares of Centerpoint rose 1.2% and Dominion's stock ticked up 0.7%. Nucor, Freeport-McMoRan , Ford , Caterpillar — Stocks linked to global growth declined Monday. Steel stock Nucor declined 7.6%, miner Freeport-McMoRan fell 5.7%, auto maker Ford dropped 5.4% and construction equipment manufacturer Caterpillar retreated 4.5%. APA , Devon Energy — Energy stocks tumbled amid a drop in oil pries on concerns about the global economy. The S&P 500 energy sector fell 3.3%, becoming the worst-performing group among the 11 groups during Monday's market sell-off. APA shed 6.1%, Devon Energy and Occidental Petroleum each dropped 5.4% and Hess slid 5.2%. Goldman Sachs , Bank of America , JPMorgan Chase — Financials stocks declined as the U.S. 10-year Treasury yield dropped, with falling rates typically crimping bank profits. Goldman Sachs, Bank of America, Citigroup, JPMorgan Chase and Morgan Stanley all delined by around 3% or more. ARK Innovation , Coinbase , Tesla, Zoom , Square — Shares of Cathie Wood's flagship fund dropped 4.4% as innovation names experienced harsh selling. Coinbase lost 3.5%, Teladoc fell 5.3%, Unity Software shed 6.7%, Tesla dropped 3.9%, Square dipped 2.2% and Zoom Video moved 2.4% lower. Pfizer — The drug maker stock ticked 0.7% higher after the company said its Covid vaccine is safe and appears to generate a robust immune response in kids ages 5 to 11. If the FDA spends as much time reviewing the data for that age group as it did for 12- to 15-year-olds, the shots could be available in time for Halloween. AstraZeneca — Shares of the United Kingdom-based pharmaceutical company popped 5.3% in midday trading after announcing that its breast cancer drug Enhertu showed positive results in a phase-three trial. Invesco — Invesco shares declined 8.7% Monday. The stock ran up on Friday following a Wall Street Journal report that the asset manager is in talks to merge with State Street 's asset management unit. The report, citing people familiar with the matter, said a deal is not imminent and might not happen at all. — CNBC's Maggie Fitzgerald, Yun Li and Jesse Pound contributed reporting

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/28/nucor-ceo-commits-to-dividend-expects-bottom-in-steel-prices-in-q2.html

NUE

Nucor

Nucor CEO sticks by dividend, predicts steel price bottom in second quarter

Nucor CEO Leon Topalian told CNBC's Jim Cramer Tuesday that the steel producer will continue paying dividends, despite falling steel prices and the cloudy predicament facing the U.S. economy. Topalian, who began leading the company as chief executive in January, said in a "Mad Money" interview that low-cost producers can find success and that Nucor will commit to its tradition of sharing its earnings with stockholders. "We've been providing a dividend since I was five years old and I'm not going to be the first CEO in Nucor's history to stop that," the 52-year-old said. "That will continue." Nucor, one of the largest steelmakers in America, has paid out and increased its base dividend for nearly five decades, executives said on an earnings call Tuesday. The Charlotte-based manufacturer has been a public entity since 1972. Other corporations have slashed or paused dividends as executives try to grapple with the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic. Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. , another steel producer, announced earlier this month that it suspend its dividend and that its chief executive would take a 40% pay cut. Demand for steel has fallen in recent months and the going price for the construction material has declined along with it. In its earnings report for the first quarter, Nucor printed a top- and bottom-line beat. Revenue, however, was down 7.7% when compared to the same three-month period in 2019. The near-term is expected to be tough for Nucor. The company is forecasting a loss in the current quarter, though FactSet estimates project earnings of 23 cents per share. The company has paused some of its capital spending and delayed some planned projects. Capital spending was cut to $1.5 billion for the current year, down from an original projection of about $2 billion. The construction segment remains "very resilient," Topalian told Cramer. "We are optimistic that we'll see the bottom [in steel prices] in Q2 and move out of that as we enter the third and fourth quarters," Topalian said. Nucor expects to return to profitability in the second half of 2020. Shares of the steelmaker slipped 0.02% in Tuesday's session. The stock is down 28% this year.

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/10/22/steel-producer-nucor-sees-opportunity-in-autos-beyond-recent-rebound.html

NUE

Nucor

Steel producer Nucor sees opportunity in autos beyond recent rebound

Nucor is gearing up to substantially increase its production for the automotive end market as the industry experiences a sales rebound, CEO Leon Topalian told CNBC's Jim Cramer Thursday. "We're about 1.6 million tons a year of our products going to automotive. Will double that in the next several years," he said in a "Mad Money" interview. "Want to be at the 3 million range." U.S. automakers, which were shut down for a period at the onset of the coronavirus outbreak, experienced an unexpected level of demand for cars amid the pandemic-induced recession. Car manufacturers have sprung into action to boost inventories and deliver new vehicles to dealerships as used car inventories also face outsized demand. Wholesale used vehicle prices were up almost 20% year over year in August, according to Moody's Analytics. Nucor, which produces advanced steel sheets, engineered bar and cold-finished steel products for vehicles, reported seeing a strong recovery in automotive demand. The company expects production rates for the current quarter could exceed the last quarter of 2019. "Automotive is going to continue to be a big part of our business as we move forward," Topalian said. Nucor shares closed up 3% at $49.90 Thursday after announcing third-quarter results in the morning. The Charlotte, North Carolina-based steelmaker topped analyst estimates handily with earnings of 63 cents per share on revenue of $4.9 billion. Business was down about 10% from the same quarter last year when the company brought in about $5.47 billion. While the steel and broader economy continue to feel the impact of the coronavirus slowdown, Topalian said Nucor expects to produce a significant return for shareholders as the company tries not to get too "focused on the moment." "Nucor's investments are for the long term and we can't lose sight of that," he said. While Nucor stock remains down 11% this year, the stock closed Thursday's session at its highest price since February, recovering all of its losses since the historic market meltdown that began that month. The stock has gained 81% since reaching a bottom in late March.

https://www.cnbc.com/2022/03/23/investing-club-what-were-watching-wednesday-afternoon-including-big-tech-and-nucors-new-high-.html

NUE

Nucor

Investing Club: What we're watching Wednesday afternoon — including Big Tech and Nucor's new high

Here's what we're watching Wednesday afternoon The overall stock market was at session lows this afternoon and the price action in Adobe will likely weigh on technology, which makes up such a large portion of the S & P 500 — about 28% as of Feb. 28. Wall Street has also had such a strong run lately, with the S & P 500 gaining about 7% since its March 14 close. The market was due for a rest. However, we don't want to be too negative about high-quality, profitable tech companies that generate a ton of free cash flow and have pristine balance sheets. That's why Wednesday could be a good day to pick up our FAANG and Microsoft (MSFT) stocks. We upgraded Apple (AAPL) and Facebook-parent Meta Platforms (FB) earlier in the week. We also still like Google-parent Alphabet (GOOGL) and Microsoft even after adding up shares at lower prices earlier in the month. Read our trade updates here and here . Holy cow: Another all-time high for steelmaker Nucor (NUE), which now trades about $10 per share above our highest sale . Wednesday's rally comes despite news of a United States-Britain trade deal that relaxes on steel tariffs. We debated taking profits again but we also want to let our winners run. Maybe at $150 per share? We'll see. Must See TV: Re-watch Tuesday's GTC 2022 keynote with Nvidia (NVDA) CEO Jensen Huang and read our story about how the chip maker continues to push the boundaries of computing power and blur the lines between reality and science fiction. Toy Jensen stole the show. Abbott Laboratories (ABT) was still struggling with a recent powdered baby formula recall. Reuters reports that a FDA probe found quality control issues. Ouch. Here's what Abbott says . A lot of specialty retail names simply can't catch a bid. From Club holding American Eagle Outfitters (AEO) to the others that recently reported great quarters like Williams-Sonoma , the action here has been terrible. We downgraded AEO to a 2 rating earlier in the week because we'd rather see new buys happen in higher-quality companies. Here's a reminder of how we rate stocks . (Jim Cramer's Charitable Trust is long MSFT, APPL, FB, GOOGL, NUE, NVDA, ABT and AEO. See here for a full list of the stocks.) 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. Here's what we're watching Wednesday afternoon The overall stock market was at session lows this afternoon and the price action in Adobe

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/11/06/nucor-ceo-the-economy-is-our-real-driver-not-tariffs.html

NUE

Nucor

Tax reform, deregulation and energy—not tariffs—are Nucor's real drivers, steelmaker's CEO says

Investors "have to look at the overall economy" and not focus so much on President Donald Trump's tariffs on steel imports when considering whether to invest in Nucor , the country's largest steel producer, its CEO told CNBC on Tuesday. "We hear a lot of talk about the tariffs and, certainly, the tariffs are playing a role in the performance that the steel industry, and Nucor in particular, is having this year," John Ferriola, the steelmaker's chairman and CEO, told Jim Cramer. "But the real driver for the performance of the industry and Nucor is the economy, and the economy remains strong." The fate of U.S. steelmakers has been in question since the president's tariffs came into effect, as some raised concerns that they could raise the price of steel globally to unsustainable levels. In October, Cramer himself expressed concern that the tariffs were "hurting" the steel industry, citing Nucor's third-quarter earnings announcement in which the company forecast lower earnings for the fourth quarter. But if you ask Ferriola, a strong economy, higher demand and stable end markets far overshadow the tariffs' effects on his company's business. "[The economy is] being driven by the tax reform, by deregulation, by a very strong energy market, and all of these things are factoring into the fact that demand is good," he said in an exclusive "Mad Money" interview. "The economy drives demand in steel. When you look at our demand in the industry this year, it's up about 2 percent year over year." "We're on pace, Jim, to have our best year in history," the CEO added, noting that 23 of Nucor's 24 end markets "are either stable or increasing" heading into the fourth quarter and the first half of 2019. Ferriola also said Nucor's shareholders shouldn't worry about a potential Democratic sweep as a result of Tuesday's midterm elections. "At the end of the day, Jim, the economy drives steel demand, steel demand drives steel pricing, and we see the economy remaining strong," he told Cramer. "So unless there's a major change in tax policy, a major change in deregulation and we see a sudden and unexpected drop in oil, I think it's going to remain strong." Shares of Nucor ended Tuesday's trading session 1.74 percent higher, at $62.43. In October, the company reported that profit tripled in the third quarter as higher demand and higher prices fueled sales growth.

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/07/19/nucor-ceo-thanks-tariffs-for-second-best-quarter-in-companys-history.html

NUE

Nucor

Nucor CEO touts second-best quarter in steelmaker's history, nods to tariffs

The Trump administration's tariffs on steel and aluminum imports helped Nucor log its second-best earnings report ever, the steelmaker's Chairman, President and CEO John Ferriola told CNBC on Thursday. Nucor reported its second-quarter results before Thursday's opening bell, topping Wall Street estimates on earnings per share and revenues. Higher selling prices and shipments drove a record-breaking second quarter for the company, which makes steel products for numerous industries including the oil and gas space. But Ferriola said that tariffs weren't the defining factor of Nucor's latest quarter. "Let’s take a look at the facts," he said in an interview with "Mad Money" host Jim Cramer. "Certainly, we get a tailwind from the tariffs. But the tariffs really only have gone into effect, full effect, in June. So we’re just beginning to see the impact of that." Ferriola noted that from the first half of 2017 to the first half of 2018, U.S. steel imports only dropped roughly 1 million tons, a "very small change" by industry standards, the CEO said. "And that difference in the supply chain from imports [was] more than made up by domestic companies increasing their utilization," he added. The CEO also highlighted Nucor's long-term strategy — which included pouring $8 billion into its business during the financial-crisis-driven downturn — as a driving factor in its recent success. "Jim, you’ve heard me say on this show how many times that if Nucor had a level playing field on which we could compete, we would be very successful? And we are," he told Cramer. "And you’ve heard me also say that we’ve spent lots of money during the downturn preparing for the inevitable upturn in the steel market. Well, it’s here. We are capitalizing on it. There should be no surprise that we had a very strong quarter.” Nucor is currently investing another $1.5 billion in "eight very strategic projects" slated for 2019 and 2020 launches that will create "good, high-paying American jobs for American workers," Ferriola said. Nucor's stock slid 1.43 percent into Thursday's close, settling at $64.67 a share.

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/05/31/jim-cramer-steel-producer-nucor-the-biggest-winner-on-trump-tariffs.html

NUE

Nucor

Cramer: Steel producer Nucor the biggest winner on Trump tariffs, a ‘gift’ to investors

U.S. steel producer Nucor is the "single biggest beneficiary" of the Trump administration's latest tariffs, CNBC's Jim Cramer said on Thursday. Stocks took a hit Thursday after President Donald Trump announced steel and aluminum tariffs on the European Union, Mexico and Canada, renewing fears of a trade war. The U.S. allies quickly struck back by announcing retaliatory measures. "Whatever else President Trump's tariff decision means for the market, I think you are being given a gift here," the "Mad Money" host said of Nucor . "You can buy the stock of the one real corporate winner from this whole mess," he continued. "I suggest you take it before someone else does." Nucor, the largest steel producer in the U..S., applauded the tariffs when they were first announced by Trump in March. At the time, Canada, Mexico and the EU were given temporary exemptions. CEO John Ferriola told Cramer in March that since 1985, one-third of the U.S. steel industry has been wiped out. It has been caused, in part, by countries like China "dumping" steel, or keeping prices artificially low by flooding the market with supply. "We're simply leveling the playing field, treating them the way that they have been treating us for over 30 years," Ferriola said. Cramer said Nucor has done everything it can to lower the cost of its raw product and make itself more efficient. In fact, he called it the "most efficient steelmaker on Earth." However, while the Chinese government subsidizes its steelmakers, the U.S. Congress would never authorize the same here, he noted. "If the president wants to protect our steel industry, these tariffs are the best thing he can do," Cramer said. Shares of Nucor barely moved on Thursday, closing 0.14 percent higher at $62.19, which the "Mad Money" host called "insane." Nucor didn't immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment. Disclosure: Cramer's charitable trust owns shares of Nucor.

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/07/19/nucor-ceo-john-ferriola-says-very-pleased-with-trump-steel-tariffs.html

NUE

Nucor

CEO of US steelmaker Nucor: We're 'very pleased' with the results of Trump's tariffs

The chief executive of a major United States steel company says tariffs on foreign steel are working. "We're very pleased with the results that are happening as a result of the tariffs," John Ferriola, chairman and CEO of Nucor , told CNBC's Jim Cramer on "Mad Money" on Thursday evening. "The anticipated response was domestic capacity coming on line to replace the lower imported steel," he said. "That's exactly what happened." President Donald Trump's administration currently imposes 25% tariffs on imported steel from most countries, including China. The administration lifted similar tariffs against Canada and Mexico in May. "Last year, demand was very strong, and as a result people were afraid they wouldn't be able to get the steel they needed when imports went down. The domestic industry, Nucor included, responded by making sure that we gave our customers what they needed to keep our customers happy," Ferriola said, adding that demand for steel remains strong. On Thursday, however, Nucor reported weaker-than-expected fiscal second-quarter profit and revenue, with per-share earnings of $1.26 on sales of $5.9 billion in revenue. Citing weather issues and bloated inventories for the weakness, Ferriola said the company is seeing a "more normalized ordering pattern" now. Ferriola said Nucor has recently introduced price hikes on steel sheet products and that the tariffs are effective in keeping Chinese companies from flooding the market and lowering the price. The price of steel is actually lower for downstream customers than before the tariffs went into effect, he said. "We said all along last year that this is an issue of supply and demand. It got a little bit out of whack last year, now it's back normalized and pricing is normalized also," he added.

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/10/25/cramer-breaks-down-why-trumps-tariffs-arent-working-for-steelmakers.html

NUE

Nucor

Cramer breaks down why Trump's tariffs aren't working for steelmakers like Nucor

President Donald Trump's 25 percent tariffs on steel imports were supposed to be a boon for steelmakers. But now that they're starting to take effect in a tangible way, they're not exactly working, CNBC's Jim Cramer said Thursday. "The tariffs aren't helping the steel industry; in fact, they may be hurting the steel industry," the "Mad Money" host said. "The steel stocks have been slaughtered since the tariffs went into effect," he continued. "Just look at the stock of Nucor , the best steelmaker in America and the chief proponent of the 25-percent duty on steel imports. ... Nucor's down about $10 bucks since the tariffs were announced." Before the tariffs were implemented, the steelmaker was outperforming, logging its best year since the financial crisis in 2017 and its second-best quarter in history this July. But the earnings report Nucor issued last week proved underwhelming, so much so that Cramer apologized for recommending the company's stock after Trump's tariff move. "Let me read you the killer line when I was going over the release: 'Earnings in the fourth quarter of 2018 are expected to decrease across all three operating segments compared to the third quarter of 2018,'" he said. The "Mad Money" host floated three ideas for what went wrong with the tariffs, which were intended to raise prices on government-subsidized steel from other countries in order to revive business at U.S. steelmakers. "First of all, when the government slaps a 25 percent tax on imported steel — basically a federally-mandated price increase — that's going to reduce demand," he said. "We just spoke to Barry Sternlicht. He's the CEO of Starwood Capital — that's a major real estate developer and lender — and he said the price of steel has gotten so excessive that it's actually starting to limit demand." Second, the United States is now in the throes of a "genuine trade war with China," and tariffs being passed back and forth between the two countries is "bad for business" in the near term, he argued. "Unfortunately, the steelmakers are very economically sensitive," he said. "Which brings me to the final problem: all of these tariffs raise prices, and when the Federal Reserve sees prices going up, they get very worried about inflation. That's one of the reasons the Fed's gotten so aggressive about raising interest rates. And, look, you do not want to own the steelmakers when the Fed is tightening aggressively." Over the long term, tariffs could end up working in Nucor's favor if the United States and China were to reach an agreement for China to stop subsidizing its steel exports, Cramer acknowledged. "But, for now, the bottom line is that even the supposed winners from tariffs aren't winning here," he said. "And as much as I like Nucor, this is simply the wrong time in the business cycle to own a steelmaker. Even if these stocks have bottomed, I think the steel sector is simply too risky to touch for this moment."

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/03/30/nvidia-ceo-these-soft-skills-saved-my-2-trillion-company.html

NVDA

Nvidia

Nvidia CEO: Smart, successful people struggle with these 2 traits—but they kept my $2 trillion company from collapsing

It's never easy to admit you made a mistake, or ask for help fixing it — but doing both of those things once saved tech giant Nvidia from collapse, according to CEO and co-founder Jensen Huang. Nvidia is currently valued at more than $2.2 trillion, powered partially by the tech industry's artificial intelligence boom and high demand for its computer chips. But in 1996, it was three years old, facing layoffs and close to going out of business as a contract with a major partner — video game company Sega — fell apart. Huang's strategy to keep Nvidia afloat involved a rare amount of humility for a CEO, he told graduating students in a May 2023 commencement speech at National Taiwan University: "At Nvidia, I [have] experienced failures. Great big ones — all humiliating and embarrassing." As part of the Sega contract, Nvidia needed to make chips for rendering 3D graphics on gaming consoles, Huang explained. The contract was a big deal for the young business and it essentially "funded our company," he added. The company took an experimental approach to that goal, building low-cost chips that diverged from the rest of the industry's software standards. "After one year of development, we realized our architecture was the wrong strategy. It was technically poor," Huang said. Worse, during that period, Microsoft rolled out its DirectX software interface, which became a standard for gaming platforms — and it wasn't compatible with Nvidia's chips. "If we completed Sega's game console, we would have built inferior technology, [been] incompatible with Windows and be too far behind to catch up," Huang said. "But we would be out of money if we didn't finish the contract. Either way, we would be out of business." Huang decided at the time that the best course of action would be to come clean with Sega, and tell that company to find another partner. At the same time, he noted, "I needed Sega to pay us in whole, or Nvidia would be out of business." "I was embarrassed to ask," said Huang. "The CEO of Sega, to his credit and my amazement, agreed. His understanding and generosity gave us six months to live." Sega bought out its Nvidia contract, and used chips from Imagine Technologies' PowerVR for its Dreamcast consoles. Huang used the money from the Sega contract to scrap Nvidia's initial efforts and to build a new chip — the RIVA 128 — that was compatible with DirectX. The new chip supported higher graphic resolutions than its competitors, and Nvidia sold more than 1 million units in four months in 1997, marking the company's first hit product and turning around its fortunes. It wasn't easy to admit Nvidia's mistake and humbly ask a client for understanding, Huang said: "These traits are the hardest for the brightest and most successful, like yourself." He was also adamant that swallowing his pride was the right thing to do for his company. "Confronting our mistake — and, with humility, asking for help — saved Nvidia," said Huang. Want to make extra money outside of your day job? Sign up for CNBC's new online course How to Earn Passive Income Online to learn about common passive income streams, tips to get started and real-life success stories. Register today and save 50% with discount code EARLYBIRD. Plus, sign up for CNBC Make It's newsletter to get tips and tricks for success at work, with money and in life.

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/04/05/from-nvda-to-ba-portfolio-manager-names-her-top-stocks-to-buy.html

NVDA

Nvidia

From Nvidia to Boeing: Portfolio manager reveals the stocks she's loving right now

Portfolio manager Barbara Doran has revealed a number of her favorite stocks, reiterating a bullish outlook on the stock market more broadly. "People are reluctant to embrace this bull market after a couple of years of deep skepticism," the chief investment officer and senior portfolio manager at BD8 Capital Partners told CNBC's "Street Signs Asia" on March. 28. "But this is what bull markets do. They make new highs. And of course, given the rapidity and speed with which we've gone up, it's normal to expect a pullback." Boeing One of Doran's picks — Boeing — might come as a surprise. The aerospace giant has been grappling with a slew of manufacturing and quality issues. In January, a panel blow-out on an Alaska Airlines 737 Max 9 led to increased scrutiny of the company, and the Federal Aviation Administration stepped up its oversight. Shares in Boeing have also taken a hit, sliding around 13% over the last 12 months and falling 28% year-to-date. "I'd stayed away from the stock for a few years, but then it really seemed they were past ... the troubles. And really, the cash flow projections of 10 million in the [20]25/26 timeframe seem very attractive. And then, of course, the door blow off," she said. However, Doran says she now sees promise in the stock following announcements on an impending change in its senior management . According to Factset data, of 31 analysts covering the stock, 19 give it a buy or overweight rating. The average price target is $243.60, giving it around 30% potential upside. Nvidia A more popular name on Doran's list of stocks to watch is U.S. chipmaker Nvidia . The stock has dominated headlines over the past year and its shares logged an astronomical 240% rise in 2023. Its popularity shows little sign of abating, and although the stock is slightly lower over the past week, it is still up by more than 80% over the year to date. It has led some fund managers and analysts to say the stock now looks too expensive, although Doran is not concerned. "Investors think it is over given its massive run," she wrote in notes to CNBC. "But quarterly earnings a year ago were $.98 vs $5.51 estimated this quarter, a 460% increase. With a price-to-earnings of 37x this year and 29x next, the stock is attractive vs its growth rate." FactSet data shows that 53 analysts have a buy or overweight rating on Nvidia, while 7 give it a hold rating. Analysts' average price target for the stock is $968.14, giving it around 8% potential upside. Starbucks Beyond the headline-makers, Doran is also a fan of coffee chain Starbucks . Calling it a "largely discounted" stock trading at 22 times forward earnings, the portfolio manager highlighted its branding, pricing, product innovation and cost savings of $3 billion over the next three years as areas of strength. She also sees the company benefitting from additional store openings. By 2030, the company plans to expand to 35,000 locations outside of North America ; as of Oct. 1 last year, it had roughly 20,200 international cafes. These developments come despite "disappointing" trends in China, according to Doran. However, she said she still sees promise as the "premium luxury brand" starts to open up more stores in the country. Shares in Starbucks are down around 14% over the past 12 months. FactSet data shows that, of the 33 analysts covering the stock, 13 give it a buy or overweight rating. Analysts' average price target for the stock is $106.37, giving it 19.9% potential upside.

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/04/01/investor-names-payments-firm-with-nvidia-like-profit-margins.html

NVDA

Nvidia

This payments firm has Nvidia-like profit margins — and it's even more sustainable, investor says

The rapid rise in Nvidia 's share price amid the artificial intelligence hype has left some investors questioning the sustainability of the company's valuation. With the stock trading at a lofty 2.5% free cash flow (FCF) yield for next year, some investors are urging caution. Historically, Nvidia traded at a 4% FCF yield before the pandemic. Hannah Gooch-Peters, global equity investment analyst at Sanlam Investments, believes that Nvidia's current valuation is pricing in a continued and rapid increase in sales and profit. "If you've got 75% gross margin, and it's a hardware company at the end of the day, you've got to ask yourself, what is the company's ability to sustain those gross margins?" Gooch-Peters questioned Wednesday before CNBC Pro Talks ' live audience at London Business School. Gooch-Peters pointed to Visa — which has a 60% operating profit margin — as a more sustainable investment opportunity. "What is the sustainability of that versus the sustainability of Nvidia's margins today when you're already pricing in a massive pull forward in demand?" She explained that Visa also benefits from a powerful "networking effect," the phenomenon in which the value of a product or service increases as more people use it. V NVDA 5Y line In Visa's case, the more banks, merchants, and consumers adopt its payment network, the more valuable and indispensable it becomes. This creates a strong competitive moat and helps to sustain the company's high profit margins over time. "I think it really epitomizes a high quality company," Gooch-Peters added. Visa is a top-10 stock in Sanlam's Global High Quality equity fund, which manages more than $585 million in assets. The stock has risen by 7% this year, and analysts expect it to rise another 9.3% over the next 12 months. Gerry Fowler, chief European equity strategist at UBS, echoed the sentiment about the importance of a company's competitive moat while picking stocks. "Visa is one of these companies that operates in an oligopolistic sector that seems to be very hard to break into," Fowler said. The UBS strategist pointed to the attempts of Apple, then the world's biggest company, to break into the payments network sector. Ultimately, Apple instead decided to use MasterCard as its payment network provider for its Apple Card service. "There's lots of these sorts of attempts to break down that oligopolistic industry, but no one's done it yet," Fowler added. While Fowler acknowledged that Nvidia may also have a good position in the chip market because of the time it takes to develop and manufacture chips, he admitted that there is still a question of how to value the company's long-term growth prospects when AI's widespread use and implications are yet to be seen. The UBS strategist also cautioned that impenetrable moats might sometimes pose a downside risk to investors. Flower pointed to academic research suggesting that governments often take regulatory action when very large companies dominate their sectors and weaken competition to accrue monopolistic or oligopolistic benefits. Earlier this week, Visa and Mastercard entered into a $30 billion settlement with the U.S. government — one of the largest ever — to limit fees over the next five years.

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/04/08/buy-stocks-on-monday-like-nvidia.html

NVDA

Nvidia

Here are Monday's biggest analyst calls: Nvidia, Tesla, Amazon, Take-Two, BJ's, Dell, Disney, Broadcom, Apple & more

Here are the biggest calls on Wall Street on Monday: Morgan Stanley reiterates Amazon as a top pick Morgan Stanley raised its price target on the stock to $215 per share from $200. "New 'cost to serve' model highlights material upside to retail profit and gives us increased confidence in AMZN's ability to deliver $100bn+ of '26 EBIT and $10-11 of '26 FCF/share." Jefferies initiates Norfolk Southern as buy Jefferies said it sees margin upside for the railroad company. "We like CP and NSC for idiosyncratic growth (CP) and margin (NSC) stories." Piper Sandler upgrades Fastly to overweight from neutral Piper said investors should buy the dip in shares of the cloud-computing company. "Following a 30% YTD pullback, we are upgrading shares of FSLY from Neutral to OW with a $16 PT based on 3.5x CY25E Sales." JPMorgan upgrades GE Vernova to overweight from neutral JPMorgan said investors should buy the dip in the stock. "We are upgrading GEV to Overweight from Neutral. The stock has pulled back 14% since the April 2 spin, we believe largely owing to technical/flowback selling, and is now trading at a discount to our YE24 price target of $141 introduced in our recent initiation." Loop upgrades Ulta to buy from hold Loop said investors should buy the dip in shares of the stock. "We believe last week's selloff was well overdone, particularly given the extremely difficult comparison Ulta Beauty is facing in F1Q 2024." Goldman Sachs upgrades BJ's to buy from neutral Goldman said it sees earnings upside for the warehouse retailer. "We are upgrading BJ to Buy from Neutral with an updated 12-month price target of $87, as we see earnings upside driven by a better top-line outlook with the return of volume growth in grocery and solid inflation support along with greater customer engagement likely in general merchandise categories amid an improving consumer backdrop and the company's assortment refresh." Deutsche Bank reinstates Broadcom as buy Deutsche said it sees a slew of positive catalysts for the stock. "We are reinstating coverage of AVGO with a buy rating and a new price target of $1,500." Bernstein reiterates Tesla as underperform Bernstein said a Tesla Model 2 won't be as big a boon to the company as investors think. "The upshot is that the Model 2 will invariably be a huge boost to Tesla - but perhaps not as big as investors believe." Wolfe downgrades Eaton to underperform from peer perform Wolfe downgraded the electrical company mainly on valuation. " ETN continues to outperform. Perhaps not quite a tulip mania, but the valuation is becoming ever more de-coupled from fundamentals." Citi upgrades Take-Two to buy from neutral Citi said it sees an attractive risk/reward for the video game company. "We are upgrading Take-Two from Neutral to Buy and raising our target price from $170 to $200." Needham initiates D-Wave Quantum Needham said it's bullish on shares of the quantum-computing company. "We are initiating D-Wave Quantum with a Buy rating and have established a $2.50 price target. D-Wave is a pure-play quantum computing company that targets commercial applications with a unique quantum annealing technology. " JPMorgan reiterates Netflix as overweight JPMorgan raised its price target on the stock to $650 per share from $610 heading into earnings on April 18. " Netflix shares have significantly outperformed YTD — up +31% vs. the SPX +9% — and are 8% from the all-time highs of November 2021." KeyBanc reiterates Nvidia as overweight Key raised its price target on the stock to $1,200 per share from $1,100. "We view implications for our latest cloud tracker as moderately positive for NVDA and neutral for AMD, ARM, and INTC." Oppenheimer reiterates Meta as outperform Oppenheimer said it sees AI upside for Meta shares. "Increasing estimates and target to $585 (from $525) as AI driving revenue upside." Oppenheimer reiterates Alphabet as outperform Oppenheimer raised its price target on the stock to $185 per share from $172. "Following our ~1K person survey on Search/AI user behavior, we think GOOG shares remain attractive ahead of 1Q results and potential Gemini update at May Google I/O event given derisked model, discount to NASDAQ, and mixed/bearish investor sentiment." Citi reiterates Chipotle as buy Citi raised its price target on the stock to $3,358 per share from $3,016 ahead of earnings later this month. "We expect a top-line beat and encouraging commentary regarding momentum through the quarter, which, combined with a ramping benefit from thruput initiatives as CMG moves into its busier season..." JPMorgan adds PVH to the focus list JPMorgan added the stock to its focus list following a series of meetings with PVH management. "We hosted CEO Stefan Larsson, EVP & CFO Zac Coughlin, and SVP of Investor Relations Sheryl Freeman for group meetings." Evercore ISI reiterates Disney as outperform Evercore said it's sticking with its outperform rating on Disney shares. "We are increasing our price target from $115 to $130 to reflect an 18% premium to the S & P 500 on calendar 2024E EPS of $5.11 (+5% ahead of consensus)." Susquehanna upgrades Transocean to positive from neutral Susquehanna said it's getting bullish on shares of the oil field services company. "We also upgraded RIG to Positive as the offshore, ultra-deepwater market has rising demand, supply constraints, and pricing momentum." Cantor Fitzgerald upgrades Applied Materials to overweight from neutral Cantor said in its upgrade of the semiconductor company that it has a "clear path to share gains." "Adding AMAT (OW, PT $260) to Top Picks." Cantor Fitzgerald names Nvidia a top pick Cantor said Nvidia continues to be an AI winner. "AI momentum remains strong and should drive another solid beat and raise." Bank of America upgrades Huntington Bancshares to buy from neutral Bank of America says the regional bank is "well positioned." "Upgrade rating on Huntington Bancshares (HBAN) to Buy from Neutral. We view HBAN as well positioned to navigate multiple macro-economic outcomes." BTIG initiates Outset Medical as buy BTIG said the dialysis company is well positioned. " Outset Medical (OM) markets a pioneering dialysis system, Tablo, that can be used in both acute and home dialysis settings to address an $11.4B U.S. TAM [total addressable market]." Truist upgrades Sealed Air to buy from neutral Truist said in its upgrade of the stock that it has a compelling valuation. "We upgrade SEE to Buy from Hold and increase our price target to $44 from $39 given the company's growth potential once transitory headwinds abate, and ongoing portfolio rightsizing and cost savings initiatives, forthcoming operational improvements, and attractive valuation." Citi resumes SoFi as buy Citi resumed coverage of SoFi with a buy and said it sees "business diversification." "We resume coverage after a period of Rating Suspended with a Buy/High Risk (1H) rating and target price of $11." Melius reiterates Dell as buy Melius says Dell is "gaining ground" in the AI wars. "Still a Buy on AI - Dell is Gaining Ground." KeyBanc reiterates Apple as sector weight Key said its survey checks show iPhone demand remains "soft" for Apple shares. "Results from our iPhone carrier survey and Key First Look Data results reflect soft iPhone demand."

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/04/04/sk-hynix-plans-to-invest-3point87-billion-in-us-chip-facility.html

NVDA

Nvidia

Nvidia supplier SK Hynix plans to invest $3.87 billion in U.S. chip facility

SK Hynix logo displayed on a phone screen as seen in this illustration photo taken in Krakow, Poland on January 30, 2023. SK Hynix , one of the world's largest memory chipmakers, said it would invest $3.87 billion in its first chip packaging facility in the U.S., marking another victory for the Biden administration's efforts to onshore chip production. The South Korean firm announced the West Lafayette, Indiana-based project at an event at Purdue University on Wednesday, with officials from Indiana State and the U.S. government in attendance. SK Hynix said the facility, slated for operation in 2028, will house a production line for SK Hynix's cutting-edge high-bandwidth memory chips — important components in the Nvidia GPUs used to train AI systems like ChatGPT. "We are excited to become the first in the industry to build a state-of-the-art advanced packaging facility for AI products in the United States," said SK Hynix CEO Kwak Noh-Jung in a statement, adding it would "strengthen supply-chain resilience and develop a local semiconductor ecosystem." The project will also bring more than a thousand new jobs to the region and will include an R&D facility to develop future generations of chips, according to the company.

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/04/10/stock-market-today-live-updates.html

NVDA

Nvidia

S&P 500 closes higher in rebound from inflation-fueled sell-off; Apple and Nvidia pop: Live updates

A host of "Magnificent Seven" members rallied. Nvidia jumped 4.1%. Amazon added 1.7% and hit an all-time high in the session, and Alphabet gained more than 2%. Apple popped 4.3% after Bloomberg News reported that the company would transition its Mac product line to artificial intelligence-focused chips. The iPhone maker registered its best day since May 2023. Technology stocks lifted the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite into positive territory midday Thursday as investors bought into the dip from earlier in the week. The S&P 500 gained 0.74% to close at 5,199.06. The Nasdaq Composite added 1.68% to end the day at 16,442.20, a record level. The Dow Jones Industrial Average underperformed and slipped 2.43 points, or 0.01%, at 38,459.08. The S&P 500 jumped and the Nasdaq Composite closed at a record Thursday as tech shares climbed higher, rebounding from an earlier pullback over concerns of persistent inflation. The Dow is on pace to end the week lower by 1.1%. Meanwhile, the S&P 500 trimmed its earlier losses following a hot CPI report, and it is down just 0.1% week to date. The tech-heavy Nasdaq is up 1.2% for the week. The producer price index reading for March came in below estimates, providing some relief after Wednesday's sell-off on a hot consumer prices report. "The inflation data are noisy, and the market reflects that reality. There are clear signs of disinflation in lots of places, but the last mile of the inflation fight is going to be the most difficult," said Jamie Cox, managing partner at Harris Financial Group, referring to the Federal Reserve's ultimate goal of reaching 2% inflation. Meanwhile, New York Fed President John Williams said during an event Thursday that there is no need for a policy change in the near term. This comes on the back of a hotter-than-expected March consumer price index reading released Wednesday, which sparked a market sell-off. Minutes from the Fed's meeting last month also showed that some officials remain concerned about inflation's path toward the central bank's 2% goal. The early stages of earnings season continued Thursday, with CarMax falling more than 9% after disappointing on both top and bottom lines. Big bank earnings from JPMorgan, Wells Fargo and Citigroup are due on Friday.

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/03/24/nvidias-ai-ambitions-in-medicine-and-health-care-are-becoming-clear.html

NVDA

Nvidia

Nvidia's AI ambitions in medicine and health care are becoming clear

Last week, Nvidia announced deals with Johnson & Johnson for use of generative AI in surgery, and with GE Healthcare to improve medical imaging. The health care developments at its 2024 GTC AI conference, — which also included the launch of roughly two dozen new AI-powered, healthcare-focused tools — demonstrate just how important medicine is to Nvidia's non-tech sector revenue opportunities in the future. "The reason why Nvidia is so popular today is because it basically provided the plumbing and the technology for something that you could not do simply before or if you had to do something like this you would need probably several times more time, money and cost," said Raj Joshi, a technology analyst and senior vice president at Moody's Ratings. "Health care, whether it's biotechnology, chemicals, or drug discovery is a very powerful area." Nvidia shares are up close to 100% year-to-date, and the biotech industry is an example of the untapped potential that investors are continue to bet on. AI can speed up the process of drug discovery and even find uses for drugs that may have failed to produce results for the initial disease they were developed to target. "Over the last 18 months or so, we tend to believe it is more hope than hype because of the tangible outcomes and then the very compelling use cases how AI helped with the pharmaceutical industry, medtech industry or biotech industry," said Arda Ural, EY Americas health and life sciences industry market leader. Drug development is a risky process that can take at least a decade from concept to clinical studies, Ural said. It's also a process that can cost billions, with a high chance of failure. About 41 percent of biotech CEOs surveyed by EY in late 2023 said they were looking at "concrete" ways generative AI could be used for their companies. "This is very high for my experience, having been 30 years in this industry," Ural said. "This is a really unique feature we are seeing with AI that's being picked up much faster than other technologies." The health care focus from Nvidia at its conference was a doubling down on an ambition it's had for a long time. During an earnings call with investors in February, Nvidia mentioned several ways its technology was being adapted for the medical field. Companies like Recursion Pharmaceuticals and Generate: Biomedicines have been expanding their biomedical research with the help of hyperscale or GPU specialized cloud providers, and they need Nvidia AI infrastructure to facilitate the process. "In healthcare, digital biology and generative AI are helping to reinvent drug discovery, surgery, medical imaging and wearable devices," said Colette Kress, Nvidia chief financial officer. "We have built deep domain expertise in healthcare over the past decade, creating the NVIDIA Clara healthcare platform and NVIDIA BioNeMo, a generative AI service to develop, customize and deploy AI foundation models for computer-aided drug discovery." Last year, NVIDIA invested $50 million in Recursion for its drug discovery projects. Recursion is inputting its biological and chemical data to train NVIDIA's AI models on its cloud platform. The company has also worked with Roche's Genentech to develop new medications and better treatment protocols. It also partnered in 2021 with Schrödinger for drug discovery.

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/03/27/nvidia-suppliers-and-more-bofa-picks-stocks-along-the-ai-supply-chain.html

NVDA

Nvidia

Nvidia's partners and more: BofA picks key global stocks along the AI supply chain

Big U.S. tech companies such as Nvidia , Microsoft and Alphabet have benefited from the artificial intelligence buzz in markets for the past year. But many smaller firms along the global AI supply chain also stand to benefit. BofA said in a March 15 note that there's been a "booming" AI market with multiple AI solutions since the second half of 2023. Most chips are dependent on TSMC's production, with chip and integrated circuit designs being sourced globally or from Taiwan, and some components from Greater China, said BofA. "The scarcity of AI/computing suppliers helps higher value-added and bargaining power, esp. for costly AI products," BofA analysts wrote. The bank named various parts of the supply chain that stand to benefit from AI, and its top stocks in each category. Server original design manufacturers Global firms have worked with Taiwanese manufacturers for highly customized projects, such as AI graphics processing units, the bank noted. These are BofA's top picks among such manufacturers or suppliers: Quanta : The investment bank says it's the top original design manufacturer and has a diversified client base. It has worked with Google for over a decade, thanks to its ability to produce highly customized server design, BofA noted. Wistron : A major graphics processing unit baseboard supplier, according to the bank. With rising AI server applications and GPU supply, it expects the AI server GPU baseboard business to account for 3% to 6% of Wistron's total sales in 2024 and 2025. That's up from 1% in 2023. Foxconn Industrial Internet: BofA noted it's a key partner to Microsoft and Nvidia through its subsidiary Ingrasys. It also noted that Foxconn Industrial Internet has been supporting Microsoft's OpenAI for years. Hardware tech Hardware tech such as printed circuit boards are the upstream parts of the AI server supply chain. These materials or components are "always needed," BofA said. These are BofA's top picks in this space: Unimicron and NYPCB are ahead when it comes to tech and product development related to AI and high performance computing, BofA said. Unimicron, however, has been faster in ramping up AI-server related revenue, as is evident from its "proven track record" in producing printed circuit boards for Nvidia, according to the bank. Semiconductors BofA says chip design is getting more expensive, as it becomes more complex and the costs of developing the physical components grow. But because a more advanced technology is needed to build chips for AI applications, there's a "growing reliance" on companies with a "solid track record" for designing customized chips, the bank said. "In our view, finding trustable IP and design service providers has become more crucial in the AI era, as the overall R & D investment becomes costlier and customers (chip-designer) shy away from the risk of failure," BofA analysts wrote. "Overall, IP and design service represents a small part of the whole semiconductor market globally, but turns increasingly important since the chip performance is largely predicated on the quality of IP and chip-design." Against this backdrop, the bank named Taiwanese stocks Alchip and eMemory as key beneficiaries. BofA also named MediaTek , a leading fabless company in Asia that is an indirect beneficiary of AI server trends. The bank says it sees "strong upside" for MediaTek as it expands its customized chips to hyperscalers. In addition, its partnership with Nvidia in automotive AI should widen its AI opportunities, BofA noted. — CNBC's Michael Bloom contributed to this report.

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/03/28/nvidia-launched-powerful-ai-chips-goldman-expects-boost-to-3-stocks.html

NVDA

Nvidia

Now that Nvidia's launched powerful AI chips, Goldman expects these 3 stocks to get a boost

In the wake of Nvidia 's launch of powerful new artificial intelligence chips, Goldman Sachs is predicting major growth for memory chips used in AI systems. Called Blackwell, the new GPU chips from Nvidia that power AI models require the latest third-generation memory chips, also known as high-bandwidth memory (HBM/HBM3E). The investment bank expects the total addressable market for HBM to expand tenfold to $23 billion by 2026, up from just $2.3 billion in 2022. The Wall Street bank sees three major memory makers as prime beneficiaries of the booming HBM market: SK Hynix , Samsung Electronics and Micron . All three stocks are also traded in the U.S., Germany, and U.K. Investors can also invest in the three stocks through exchange-traded funds. While Invesco Next Gen Connectivity ETF (KNCT) holds all three stocks in a highly concentrated manner, WisdomTree Artificial Intelligence and Innovation Fund (WTAI) has less than 2% allocation toward each. MU 1Y line Goldman Sachs said stronger AI demand was driving higher AI server shipment and greater memory chip density per GPU – the chip powering AI – leading them to "meaningfully raise" their estimates. Goldman analysts led by Giuni Lee said in a note to clients on March 22 that all three "will benefit from the strong growth in the HBM market and the tight [supply/demand], as this is leading to a continued substantial HBM pricing premium and likely accretion to each company's overall DRAM margin." Investors have been cautious about the memory market for AI systems since all three major suppliers are due to expand manufacturing capacity and add downward pressure on profit margins. However, Goldman analysts believe challenges like larger chip sizes and lower production yields for HBM compared with conventional DRAM memory chips are likely to keep supply tight in the near future. The Wall Street bank is not alone in its view. Citi analysts had also advised clients similarly in February. "Despite market concerns on potential HBM oversupply as all three DRAM makers enter the HBM3E space, we see sustained supply tightness in HBM3E space given demand growth from Nvidia and other AI clients amid limited supply growth on low yield and increased memory fabrication complexity," said Citi analyst Peter Lee in a note to clients on Feb. 27. Goldman also cited suppliers as saying "that their HBM capacity for 2024 is fully booked, while 2025 supply is already being allocated to customers." However, the investment bank expects SK Hynix to maintain over 50% market share for at least the next few years, thanks to its "strong customer/supply chain relationship" and its technology, which is believed to have "better productivity and yield compared to its peers' solutions." The Goldman analysts also said Samsung Electronics has "the opportunity to gain market share over the medium term." Earlier this month, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang hinted during a media briefing that his firm is in the process of qualifying Samsung Electronics' latest HBM3E chips for its graphics processing units . Meanwhile, Micron could start outgrowing rivals in 2025 by narrowing its focus on the HBM3E standard, according to the investment bank. — CNBC's Michael Bloom contributed to this report.

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/04/04/thursdays-stocks-to-buy-include-nvidia.html

NVDA

Nvidia

Here are Thursday's biggest analyst calls: Nvidia, Tesla, Super Micro, Meta, Wynn, Reddit, Coinbase, GM & more

Here are the biggest calls on Wall Street on Thursday: Bernstein initiates Reddit at underperform Bernstein said it sees too many headwinds for the social media and website company. "The headline optics aren't pretty. An unprofitable business, IPO a liquidity event with heavy exec selling, Redditors themselves apathetic, and investors wondering whether mid-sized social platforms are structurally disadvantaged and too sub-scale to compete." Raymond James initiates Grindr at outperform Raymond James says the dating app owner is well positioned. "We are initiating coverage of Grindr (GRND) with an Outperform rating and a $14 price target." Raymond James downgrades Bumble to market perform from outperform Raymond James said in its downgrade of Bumble that it sees too many negative catalysts. "While we believe that its brand is among the best-positioned in the space in terms of relevance with young people, we do see near-term headwinds stemming from changing user habits, which require significant rethinks among apps built in the Millennial era." Citi adds a positive catalyst watch on CDW Citi said it sees a "growing AI total addressable market" for the tech company. "We are raising estimates and opening a positive catalyst watch on CDW to reflect increasing optimism for CDW's services revenues." Barclays downgrades Ferrari to equal weight from overweight Barclays said it's taking a breather on shares of Ferrari ahead of earnings due in early May. "We actually see a strong Q1'24 thanks to very strong mix – but still think it's time for a pit stop – downgrade to EW." Mizuho reiterates Nvidia as a top pick Mizuho says Nvidia is still a top idea at the firm. "We rate NVDA with a Buy rating and a $1,000 PT, ~31x F26E EPS, within its historical 15-67x range, which we see as appropriate given as NVDA continues to dominate the AI landscape with a holistic hardware and software offering..." JPMorgan initiating SharkNinja at overweight JPMorgan said the household products company is well positioned. " SharkNinja is a global household products company that aims to solve consumer problems, supported by technology and engineering-led innovation at affordable prices." Goldman Sachs upgrades Avis to neutral from sell Goldman said in its upgrade of Avis that the "thesis has now played out." "We upgrade CAR to Neutral (from prior Sell rating) as we believe our thesis has now played out." Morgan Stanley initiates Mural Oncology at overweight Morgan said in its initiation of the biotech company that it sees a long "cash runway" lasting through 2025. "We initiate coverage of MURA with an OW rating and $13 PT." UBS downgrades Bank of America to neutral from buy UBS said in its downgrade of the Charlotte-based bank that it sees a "rate trap" ahead. "After adjusting estimates upward to reflect 3 cuts in '24 and 4 cuts in '25 (vs. 6 and 2 prior) and raising our PT by $1 to $40, we find upside limited at BAC over the next 12 months." Wolfe double upgrades Synchrony to outperform from underperform Wolfe said the finance and credit company is well positioned in a "higher-for-longer" rate environment. "In an environment where we see beneficiaries of healthy labor markets outperforming casualties of higher-for-longer rates we upgrade SYF to Outperform." Piper Sandler initiates Synopsys at overweight Piper said it sees "margin opportunity" for the software company. "Benefiting from strong hyperscaler/datacenter activity, Synopsys has seen a substantial improvement in metrics over the past four years: growing at 15% CAGR and expanding operating margins by 1000bps since 2019." Morgan Stanley downgrades Block to underweight from equal weight Morgan Stanley sees growth headwinds for the payment tech company. "Similarly, we're unconvinced about Block's ability to sustainably reaccelerate Square Seller growth based on medium term headwinds we've identified." Piper Sandler downgrades Dave & Buster's to neutral from overweight Piper downgraded the stock following the release of its latest earnings. "Following PLAY's 4Q23 earnings results last night, we are moving our rating to Neutral, down from Overweight prior." Jefferies initiates BioLife Solutions at buy Jefferies said in its initiation of the bioproduction company that shares of BioLife are compelling with profit margin upside. "Mix of commercially approved basket of drugs & robust clinical pipeline offer attractive durable (and high margin) recurring rev opportunity, supporting mid-teens revenue [compound annual growth rate] thru '26." Goldman Sachs reiterates Super Micro at neutral Goldman says the stock is an "AI winner" but its valuation is full right now. "Supermicro: AI winner but investor feedback mixed to negative on valuation." Morgan Stanley upgrades Zeta to overweight from equal weight Morgan Stanley said the marketing technology company has an underappreciated valuation. " Zeta's growth has proven more resilient despite a tough spending environment for marketing software and advertising." Oppenheimer reiterates Coinbase at outperform Oppenheimer raised its price target on the stock to $276 per share from $200. "Some of our thesis has played out as expected. At this level of trading, we are cautious about the near-term volatility, but remain positive on the long-term adoption of blockchain technology. We believe Coinbase can be one of the beneficiaries for this long-term trend." UBS reiterates Apple as neutral UBS said its checks show that Apple's App Store revenue was higher in March compared to February. "Our analysis of Apple's App Store suggests revenue in the month of March was up ~13% YoY, a 200 bps increase from the ~11% growth in February." Barclays downgrades Ball to equal weight from overweight Barclays said in its downgrade of the glass and lid producer that shares of Ball are fully valued now. "We think it is prudent to move to the sidelines as valuation is now back to early 2022 levels, with still some ongoing risks around near-term volumes and beer demand." Evercore ISI upgrades Wayfair to outperform from in line Evercore sees revenue acceleration ahead for shares of Wayfair. "Wayfair is trying to look its best for its 10th year as a public company. We want to be there for the party when revenues accelerate and are upgrading the stock to Outperform." JPMorgan adds a positive catalyst watch on AstraZeneca JPMorgan added a positive catalyst watch on AstraZeneca heading into the biopharma company's earnings later this month. "We expect Q124 results to see a sharp acceleration in top-line growth and significant sequential Core EBIT margin expansion." Jefferies reiterates Amazon as buy Jefferies raised its price target on the e-commerce platform to $225 per share from $190 after a series of expert meetings. "Our AWS expert sees an improving cloud environment, but believes AMZN needs to improve its AI offering to stay competitive as multicloud adoption grows." Jefferies reiterates Meta as buy Jefferies raised its price target on Meta to $585 per share from $550. "Based on our updated market share analysis, we believe Meta could capture 50% of incremental industry ad dollars in 2024, which would be its highest ever and well above its 33% in 2023." Citi reiterates General Motors as a top pick Citi said it's standing by shares of the GMC, Chevrolet and Buick parent. "With Q1 wrapping up, its become clearer that GM is likely to post another resilient quarter." Wolfe upgrades Capital One to outperform from peer perform Wolfe sees "meaningful upside" for shares of Capital One. "In an environment where we see beneficiaries of healthy labor markets outperforming casualties of higher-for-longer rates we upgrade COF to Outperform, with meaningful upside if the DFS deal closes and limited downside if it does not." Mizuho initiates Wynn as buy Mizuho sees a "compelling" valuation and Macau recovery for Wynn shares. "WYNNing Formula – Upside to Estimates + Long-term Optionality, BUY, $131 PT." Benchmark initiates DoorDash at buy Benchmark says it's bullish on shares of the food delivery company. "Our Buy recommendation is rooted in DASH's ever-growing dominance in restaurant delivery and the subsequent network effects its massive user/driver scale afford it to new retail vectors including grocery, convenience, and brick and mortar broadly." Morgan Stanley reiterates Tesla at overweight Morgan Stanley lowered its price target to $310 per share from $320. " Tesla's weak 1Q update is a clear sign of the ongoing EV 'shake-out' phase." Goldman Sachs downgrades Hertz to sell from neutral Goldman downgraded the rental car company and said it sees too many negative catalysts not priced in. "We downgrade HTZ to Sell (from prior Neutral rating), as we believe the full extent of pricing, cost and DPU [depreciation per unit] pressures have not been priced in." UBS upgrades Eversource Energy to buy from neutral UBS said in its upgrade of Eversource that shares of the residential energy company are compelling. "Upgrade to Buy from Neutral; Overly Discounted for Near-term Transformation."

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/12/coronavirus-stock-market-homebuilder-forecast-amid-low-interest-rates.html

NVR

NVR, Inc.

There's a tail wind in sight for the struggling homebuilders, traders say

Homebuilders are struggling. The SPDR S&P Homebuilders ETF (XHB) has seen an outsized decline relative to the S&P 500 year to date as investor worries about a possible economic slowdown tied to the global spread of the coronavirus multiply, with the group falling nearly 24.5% versus the S&P's more than 20.5% loss. Homebuilders Toll Brothers , Lennar and NVR were downgraded by Bank of America Securities analysts on Thursday, who said that while they were "still bullish" on U.S. housing, they "would be remiss to assume no impact ... from COVID-19." The firm upgraded KB Home for what it called "overdone" pressure on the stock. With homebuilding possibly on pause as U.S. markets brace for what could be a broad-based decline in economic activity, some traders are worried that the subsector's fight for gains could fizzle even further. "Of particular concern is a company like Toll Brothers that recently brought down revenue guidance and margins," Nancy Tengler, chief investment officer at Laffer Tengler Investments, said Wednesday on CNBC's "Trading Nation." "On the luxury end, that's not exactly what you want to see." Admitting that her firm "sort of missed the big move up" in the homebuilders that occurred over the course of 2019, Tengler said that she's been playing the group via the home retailers instead. "We've decided that low interest rates can manifest benefits in the big-box retailers in the home space," she said. "So, we own Home Depot as our largest holding. We own a little bit of Lowe's as well." Craig Johnson, senior technical research analyst at Piper Sandler, said that in this low-rate environment — which led to a 79% surge in mortgage refinance applications on Wednesday — ultimately, "millennials will finally start to step up and buy homes." "Low interest rates should be a nice tail wind for the homebuilders," he said in the same "Trading Nation" segment. Johnson pointed to a stock chart of NVR, a primarily East Coast-based home construction company. "Just now, that stock is starting to enter some technical challenges. It's breaking the uptrend support line that's been intact since ... 2018, and you can also see that we're starting to challenge some of the moving averages," Johnson said. "I think, at this point in time, you've got maybe 5% more downside to an important support level, and then I think you'll probably find your footing." NVR shares fell about 13% in early Thursday trading to roughly $2,964, well past the 5% downside Johnson had called for Wednesday. Tengler agreed that homebuilders could catch a tail wind from lower rates, but maintained that she would try and capitalize on the move "in individual names." "I wouldn't be looking at the ETF at this point because I think what you own is going to matter tremendously," Tengler said. "The home retailers have also been a safe haven. ... So, we're going to continue also to be adding to those holdings as we get the opportunity." Disclosure: Laffer Tengler Investments owns shares of Home Depot and Lowe's. Disclaimer

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/10/14/charts-flash-bullish-sign-for-homebuilders-technical-analyst-says.html

NVR

NVR, Inc.

This chart pattern signals even more room to run for the homebuilders, top technical analyst says

Home construction stocks are building big gains. The ITB home construction ETF hit its highest level since January 2018 on Friday, and has soared more than 50% from its December bottom. Craig Johnson, chief market technician at Piper Jaffray, thinks there could be even more room to run for the group. "One of the trends that most are honing in on is that interest rates around the world still continue to trend lower," Johnson said on CNBC's "Trading Nation" on Friday. "Despite the recent push up in the last couple days, you are seeing that trend continuing. ... Lower interest rates should be a positive for the homebuilders, and that's exactly what you've been seeing happening this year." Johnson points out that the ITB chart is signaling a pattern that could mean the group could be building up to even higher levels. "You've made what looks like to us … an inverted head and shoulders bottom. We're kind of breaking above that neck line. Next resistance is around $46," said Johnson. It closed Friday at $43.23 An inverted head and shoulders pattern forms when a stock or ETF makes a lower low, an even lower low, and then a higher low. It typically indicates a downward trend is reversing. Johnson says a few stocks like Lennar , D.R. Horton and NVR have been hitting the nail on the head. "[These stocks] represent about 40% of the overall index. … We like a lot of those charts. Lennar still looks very good, Horton still looks very good from our perspective," said Johnson. Chad Morganlander, portfolio manager at Washington Crossing Advisors, says that although interest rates have been going lower and causing excitement in the group, he wouldn't be breaking ground in these names just yet. "When you look at the fundamentals of mortgage credit growth, and you look at the Federal Reserve's data on it, it's only growing at 2-3%, and you could see this and track this with new homes sales, that are up about 1.3 million per month. So, it's listless at best," Morganlander said in the same segment. Morganlander says he would also avoid the group based on a valuation perspective. He suggests a different sector he believes is underappreciated. "When you look at and include debt from their balance sheet and add it to market cap, this group is not undervalued. If you want an industrial, or you want more of a cyclical torque on the overall system, I would look at the industrial sector which we believe is deeply undervalued at this point in time," he said. Disclaimer

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/10/31/5-things-to-know-about-smarties-the-70-year-old-family-candy-company.html

NVR

NVR, Inc.

5 things to know about Smarties, the women-led and family-run candy company celebrating 70 years in business

On Oct. 31, kids and parents across the country are busy hitting the streets in search of sugar. For Smarties, one of the oldest family-run candy companies in the U.S. with 70 years in the business, Halloween marks the biggest sales day of the year, Inc. reports. And it runs a tight ship in order to make the holiday a success. The maker of the candy wafer roll was founded in August 1949 by Edward Dee, who had immigrated with his family from London earlier that year. Originally launched as Ce De Candy, Inc., the founder changed the company name to Smarties Candy Company in 2011. These days, the company has two factories in Union, New Jersey, and Newmarket, Ontario, which produce over 2 billion Smarties rolls every year. Here are five things you might not know about the maker behind one of the most iconic Halloween treats. A trio of cousins leads the company Smarties is currently led by Dee's granddaughters: sisters Liz Dee and Jessica Dee Sawyer, and their cousin Sarah Dee. In an interview with Inc., the three co-presidents say it wasn't clear they would all go into the family business. According to a Q&A with HuffPost, Liz studied at Wesleyan University and later earned a master's degree from New York University in media and culture communication; Jessica studied art history at the University of Colorado Boulder; and Sarah holds a degree in management and marketing from Emory University. By the 2010s, however, the three came back from their various career paths to Smarties to serve as executive presidents. The three were named co-presidents, taking over from their fathers, in 2017. This makes the Dee cousins the third generation to run the Smarties business, the first all-women leadership team for the company, and fifth generation of candy makers within their family. According to Harvard Business Review, just 10% of family businesses remain active and privately-held long enough for a third generation to lead them. That's a particularly notable feat in the $10 billion candy industry, where the top four public businesses (think Mars and Hershey) make up 65% of the U.S. market, according to market research firm IBISWorld. Liz Dee, Co-President, Smarties Scott Mlyn | CNBC Everything revolves around Halloween Oct. 31 is the Smarties version of Black Friday — "It's by far the most important holiday for us," Liz tells Inc. — and the company starts prepping for its biggest day of the year a full 11 months prior. That means in November, retailers begin ordering from Smarties to prepare for the next year's trick-or-treating event. Smarties will start production for Halloween batches in spring, which are then shipped through summer. Smarties also ends its fiscal year on Halloween and hosts a company-wide lunch around that time to celebrate the end of its busy season. Workers get a pretty sweet perk Flexible scheduling is important for the family-run business, and the presidents make it a priority. "As a company, we pride ourselves on our family-friendly hours, encouraging us to spend more time with our families than a more traditional or corporate environment," Sarah tells HuffPost. And maybe the sweetest perk of all: In preparation for Halloween, Smarties workers are gifted 30 pounds of the candy to share with family, friends and trick-or-treaters. The company's 95-year-old founder still stops by the office Edward Dee celebrated his 95th birthday in October, near the 70th anniversary of the Smarties company founding. But he still drops by the New Jersey factory multiple times a week to check in on how business is going. "He could have retired years ago, but instead he still comes into the office nearly every day because he genuinely loves what he does," Liz tells Guest of a Guest. Various members of the Dee family have always been a fixture at the office. Liz, Jessica and Sarah share with Inc. that they often Rollerbladed around the factory floor when they were kids in the 1980s. Sarah and Jessica also each have two kids under the age of 5 who often frequent the Smarties headquarters. Smarties has an unspoken 'no-spouse' rule

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/07/13/analysts-are-getting-bullish-on-these-stocks-reporting-earnings-next-week.html

NVR

NVR, Inc.

Analysts are getting bullish on these stocks set to report earnings next week

As second-quarter earnings season kicks into high gear, Wall Street analysts are getting more bullish on these companies set to report next week. This earnings season could offer one of the first major tests to a market that seems to keep chugging on despite banking concerns and some recession jitters. Year to date, the S & P 500 has gained more than 17% while the Nasdaq Composite recently wrapped up its best first half in four decades . Given this backdrop, CNBC Pro searched for S & P 500 companies analysts are bullish on and that are also reporting earnings next week. All the stocks that met the criteria have seen earnings per share estimates revised upward at least 8% over the past three and six months. Here are the stocks that made the cut: EPS estimates for Las Vegas Sands have increased more than 57% over the past three months, the largest of the group. Over the past six months, that metric is up more than 85%. Since the start of the year, the stock has jumped nearly 26% as China reopens and travel returns, and Wall Street is bracing for more upside ahead. The consensus price target has increased nearly 30% over the past six months. Airline stocks United and American have also experienced strong momentum heading into the period. Wall Street has hiked EPS estimates for American about 91% the past six months, while United has seen a 46.3% uptick. Within that timeframe, analysts have also revised their price targets upward by more than 22% each. Both stocks have benefited from a rebound in travel and demand in a post-pandemic world. Analysts have lifted their EPS targets on American and United about 54% and 11%, respectively, in the past three months. Year to date, shares of both airlines have risen more than 46%. Paints and coatings giant PPG Industries , plus homebuilders NVR and D.R. Horton also made the list.

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/01/08/celebrity-fashion-designer-norma-kamali-on-why-shes-never-retiring.html

NVR

NVR, Inc.

77-year-old celebrity fashion designer says she's never retiring: 'This work is like breathing for me'

Some people look forward to retirement for years, planning trips in the winter to warm locales and long afternoons spent relaxing. But Norma Kamali, who turned 77 in June, hasn't thought about retiring once. In fact, the celebrity fashion designer and owner of Norma Kamali Inc. just signed a long-term lease on a new office in the West Village neighborhood of Manhattan. "I don't think you can ever retire from a creative life," she tells CNBC Make It. "Doing this work is like breathing for me." When friends or colleagues announce their retirement, Kamali admits she gets "anxious." "I think, 'God, why would you want to do that?'" she explains. "I'm not sure what retirement would even look like for me … but it's just a different point of view that I have on life, and I'm so grateful to do the work that I do. I want to take advantage of every opportunity I can in this lifetime." Kamali opened her first store in New York City in 1969 with her then-husband, designing clothes inspired by vintage fashion from the 1930s and 1940s as well as the vibrant outfits she'd see women wear in the streets of London. Her fashion empire has since outgrown the small basement boutique where she started building it — celebrities including Mindy Kaling, Heidi Klum, Christina Aguilera and Eva Longoria have worn her designs on magazine covers and red carpets across the globe. Still, Kamali's proudest achievement isn't the accolades she's received or the fame of her designs in Hollywood: It's being the sole owner of her company and having zero debt. "I really fought for a creative life and the ability to say no," she says. "I've had a lot of interesting challenges being a woman and owning a business, like people pressuring me to sell my company or bring in a partner." "I really had to learn how to run a business without any examples or mentors to look up to, and I had to learn how to connect with my staff and get the same respect men would get in my position." Humor has, and continues to be, one of the strategies Kamali relies on to build strong relationships at work. "Tasteful humor is the best way to offer advice, comments or even criticism to someone without hurting their feelings, especially when you want them to benefit from the advice and still feel good," she says. Looking ahead, Kamali is excited to continue working in fashion for as long as she can. She says she feels good about getting older, too — unless someone implies that her age brings limitations with it. "When I turned 65, I learned how to do a split," she says. "Challenging myself, trying something new and practicing discipline until I reached my goal gave me a tremendous amount of confidence that I bring with me to my work … and a strong sense of confidence makes success more likely." Check out: 77-year-old celebrity fashion designer Norma Kamali's 2 simple secrets for long-term career success 39-year-old self-made millionaire: 'Success isn't owned, it's rented. And rent is due every day' Women by the numbers in 2022: Share of female Fortune 500 CEOs hits all-time high, but other progress stalls Sign up now: Get smarter about your money and career with our weekly newsletter

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/09/15/1-800-flowers-inc-ceo-chris-mccann-interview-tips-for-seasonal-jobs.html

NVR

NVR, Inc.

This CEO is hiring 10,000 seasonal workers—here's his advice for landing a new job

Seasonal hiring for the holiday rush is in full swing at 1-800-Flowers.com Inc., which recently announced plans to bring in more than 10,000 seasonal associates across its gourmet foods and gift brands. The slate of new roles is up by 25% compared to last year in order to meet new demand posed by pandemic-driven online shopping, CEO Chris McCann tells CNBC Make It, and this year's holiday class will effectively quadruple the company's year-round workforce. The ambitious hiring plans will fill part- and full-time roles in production, gift assembly, customer service and distribution and fulfillment center operations. Openings are primarily in-person jobs on worksites throughout Illinois, Ohio and Oregon. Some work-from-home positions, particularly those in customer service, are available. Here, McCann shares his best tips for getting hired in a seasonal role right now. Key hiring traits that stand out Given elevated health risks due to the coronavirus pandemic, McCann says one key characteristic stands out when a candidate is interviewing on location for a new job. This year, the rules are different, and you have to consider the health and safety of your coworkers as much as you do for yourself. Chris McCann CEO of 1-800-Flowers.com Inc. "We prioritize health and safety first and foremost," he says. He explains that company facilities abide by social distancing guidelines, require workers wear employer-provided personal protective equipment, and follow health and cleaning procedures intended to minimize the spread of the virus. "This year, the rules are different, and you have to consider the health and safety of your coworkers as much as you do for yourself," McCann says. Job candidates who arrive for an interview ready to support and uphold safety guidelines will stand out: "We want to find people who understand that working environment." In addition to following company rules to maintain the health and safety of the workplace, McCann says he counts on employees who are reliable and work hard. Candidates may stand out if they have a flexible schedule and express interest in overtime work, especially during an unprecedented and unpredictable shopping season. McCann is especially keen to hire applicants who say they'd like to return to the company for future seasonal work, or if they say they hope to join the company on a permanent basis after the holiday rush. "We've been doing this for so long," McCann says, "some people who started in the contact center are now in our legal department, or there are people who started in warehouse operations who are now managers of customer service at our retail stores. Those are stories of how you build a great company, by giving people entry-level opportunities and, once they're inside a company, opportunity to move around." The company says it hires roughly 5% of their seasonal workforce into permanent positions after the holidays. Competition for e-commerce workers could mean better pay, perks

https://www.cnbc.com/select/best-gold-ira-companies/

NVR

NVR, Inc.

These are the best gold IRAs for investors of all experience levels

Individual retirement accounts (IRAs) are a common way to save for retirement for those who either don't have access to a 401(k) or want to supplement them. IRAs offer tax benefits and encourage account holders to leave funds untouched by imposing early withdrawal fees for attempting to access the money before turning 59 and a half. IRAs come in various forms and are not always tied to stocks and bonds. If you're looking to diversify your retirement savings and help protect yourself against inflation, you may consider gold IRAs. Plus, gold IRAs can include a range of precious metals aside from just gold. Here, CNBC Select reviews a range of top-rated gold IRAs with low initial purchase requirements, transparent fees and other useful features to find the best accounts for a variety of investors. (See our methodology for more information on how we choose the best gold IRAs.) Best gold IRA companies Best for cost transparency Birch Gold Group Learn More Initial Purchase Requirements Minimum initial purchase requirement of $10,000 Account Minimums Minimum account balance of $10,000 Fees Account Set Up Fee: $50 Storage/Insurance: $100 Management Fees: $100 Terms apply. Pros On new accounts of more than $50,000, Birch Gold will pay first year’s fees. A+ Better Business Bureau rating AAA Business Consumer Alliance rating Easy to locate fees Offers account transfers from a Traditional IRA, Roth IRA, eligible 401(k) and more Cons Flat fees aren't as friendly to smaller investors Asset transfers can take up to three weeks to complete Learn More View More Who’s this for? Birch Gold Group gold IRAs are ideal for people who want upfront transparency about some of the costs associated with an account. Birch states on its website the recommended minimum for investing and lays out the fees associated with your account creation and maintenance. Standout benefits: Birch Gold Group offers a range of precious metal products, helpful educational resources for investors as well as high ratings from the BBB and BCA. [ Jump to more details ] Best for large deposits GoldCo Learn More Initial Purchase Requirements Minimum purchase requirement of $25,000 Account Minimums Minimum account balance of $25,000 Fees Account set-up fee of $50 Annual account administration fee of $80 Storage fees of $100 or $150 depending on storage type Terms apply. Pros Live chat Rated A+ by the Better Business Bureau Rated Triple A by the Business Consumer Alliance Highest buy-back price guarantee Charges flat rates for storage fees and maintenance Offers a free Wealth Protection Kit in addition to articles and market insights Cons $25,000 minimum investment Only offers gold and silver Learn More View More Who’s this for? GoldCo is an all-around solid gold IRA option with the highest ratings from both the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and the Business Consumer Alliance (BCA) of the companies we reviewed. GoldCo allows rollovers from several types of accounts including 401(k), 403(b), TSP, savings or IRA accounts. However, its initial purchase requirement is on the higher end. Standout benefits: GoldCo offers customers a "Highest BuyBack Guarantee," which promises to buy back your metals at the highest price when it's time. In addition to customer support over the phone, it also offers a live chat service to help with any of your gold IRA questions. New customers can receive up to 5% to 10% back in free silver when meeting certain purchase minimums. [ Jump to more details ] Best for low purchase requirement Rosland Capital Learn More Initial purchase requirements Minimum purchase requirement of $2,000 Account minimums Minimum account balance of $2,000 Fees $50 one-time set-up fee Annual $100 Maintenance fee Storage Fees of $100 or $150 per year, depending on the type of storage chosen Terms apply. Pros Offers separate secure storage for your gold Flat rate fees Rated A+ by the Better Business Bureau Rated AAA by the Business Consumer Alliance Cons Lack of investing resources Website is older and can feel more cluttered Learn More View More Who’s this for? Rosland Capital's gold IRA account is ideal for those who are looking to invest a lower amount of money in their initial purchase. Unlike some other companies that require upwards of $10,000 for the initial purchase, Rosland Capital only requires a $2,000 minimum purchase. Standout benefits: Rosland Capital meets the highest standards set in place by the BBB and BCA and offers different storage options for your gold, with each IRA-holder's gold kept in separate, secure storage. Plus, through June 30, 2024, new customers can get $1,000 in free gold per $20,000 in qualifying purchases, up to $300,000 in purchases (up to $15,000 in free products). [ Jump to more details ] Best for experienced investors American Hartford Gold Learn More Initial Purchase Requirements Minimum purchase requirement of $10,000 Account Minimums Minimum account balance of $10,000 Fees Annual IRA fee of $75 for accounts valued at $100,000 or less, $125 for accounts valued at $100,001 or more Storage fee varies with the depository but typically is a flat $100 annual storage fee in most cases Terms apply. Pros A+ Better Business Bureau rating Orders are shipped free of charge Offers a free Gold & Silver Information Guide No initial fee for account setup Cons Lack of educational resources on their site AA Business Consumer Alliance rating (AAA is the best) The website feels slightly dated and straightforward Learn More View More Who’s this for? American Hartford Gold is geared toward more experienced investors as its website doesn't have as many resources or educational aspects as some others. In addition, it has tiered fees so for accounts valued at $100,000 or less you'll only pay $75 in annual fees, but for accounts valued at $100,001 or more, you'll pay $125. This is a significant percentage increase in fees, so it's important to know exactly how much you should be keeping in your IRA and to monitor the fees properly. Standout benefits: American Hartford carries an A+ rating from the BBB and an AA rating from the BCA which is one step down from their highest ranking. American Hartford will also allow you to easily rollover an existing IRA to an IRA backed with gold which bypasses the need to make another additional deposit. [ Jump to more details ] Best for educational resources American Bullion Learn More Initial Purchase Requirements $10,000 Account Minimums $10,000 Fees $25 set-up fee. $160 annual account fee. Terms apply. Pros Free Storage and no custodian account fees for the first year on accounts of $50,000 or more Offers free investment guides and other educational resources Stored in the Delaware Depository and monitored 24/7, 365 days a year A+ Better Business Bureau rating AAA Business Consumer Alliance rating Cons Only available to contact through phone and email, no live chat option Learn More View More Who’s this for? American Bullion offers gold IRAs geared toward those looking for educational resources on precious metals. It offers materials on precious metal investing information, IRA educational aspects, pension plan information and a free gold guide available for download Standout benefits: American Bullion has a team of experts who can provide you with the facts needed to make an informed decision with the ownership of your precious metals. You can also potentially roll over some more non-traditional existing accounts such as a 403(b), 457(b) Deferred Compensation Plan, Pension Plan and more. [ Jump to more details ] Best for customer service Monetary Gold Learn More Initial Purchase Requirements The minimum investment to open a Gold IRA is $5,000-$10,000 depending on the custodian you choose Account Minimums $5,000-$10,000 depending on the custodian you choose Fees Annual Storage & Insurance fee is $100 for up to $100,000 of gold and $1 for every $1000 of gold after $100,000 Terms apply. Pros A+ Better Business Bureau rating AAA Business Consumer Alliance rating Offers free shipping and 24/7 client assistance Cons Minimal educational resources and out-of-date news Fees will rise as you invest more money Learn More View More Who's this for? Monetary Gold is a top choice for inventors looking for an extra level of customer service. Outside of its standard operating hours, its website mentions 24/7 client concierge services and offers a chat option. It received an A+ rating from the BBB and an AAA rating from the BCA, as well as high ratings on various consumer review websites. Standout benefits: The company offers a retirement calculator to help you better navigate the rules and regulations provided by the IRS and other agencies. [ Jump to more details ] More on our top gold IRA companies Birch Gold Group Birch Gold Group has been in business since 2003 and boasts stellar ratings by both the BBB and BCA. It is a great choice for investors who value transparent pricing as its website makes its fees especially easy to locate and understand. Initial Purchase Requirement $10,000 Fees One-time account setup fee of $50 Annual storage and insurance fee of $100 Annual management fee of $100 Other perks and drawbacks While Birch Gold Group's annual fees are on the higher end, Birch Gold Group will pay the first year's fees for clients who are willing to transfer over $50,000 to its precious metal IRA. Birch Gold Group also guarantees flat fees and that you will never pay more than $200 in annual fees regardless of the size of your account. [ Return to summary ] GoldCo GoldCo IRAs lean towards investors who are willing to contribute larger sums due to its $25,000 initial purchase requirement. It is a reputable company with an A+ BBB rating and AAA BCA rating. In addition to gold, it allows you to diversify your investments with other precious metals, such as silver, platinum and palladium Initial Purchase Requirement $25,000 Fees One-time account setup fee of $50 Annual account fee of $80 Storage fees ranging from $100 to $150 Other perks and drawbacks GoldCo only charges flat-rate fees meaning that your expenditure pertaining to fees will not change regardless of your account balance. The $100 storage fee is when your gold is pooled together with other customers, and the $150 is when you opt for your gold to be stored separately in an individual vault. When it's time to withdraw from your account, you can take your distributions either as a cash payment or in the form of precious metals. While GoldCo can't guarantee future results, it does promise to buy back your metals at the highest price. [ Return to summary ] Rosland Capital Rosland Capital provides one of the lowest initial purchase requirements of only $2,000 which is a great option for those who might not want to contribute as much as other gold IRA services require. This allows for a more flexible gold IRA at a lower amount that can be expanded upon down the line. Initial Purchase Requirement $2,000 Fees A one-time account set-up fee of $50 Annual maintenance fee of $100 Storage Fees of $100 or $150 per year, depending on the type of storage chosen. Other perks and drawbacks Rosland Capital offers high ratings from the BBB and BCA as well as a detailed six-step procedure for how to get started with your gold IRA through its services. It also stands out for offering new customers a valuable welcome bonus. However, it lacks slightly in its educational resources compared to other available options. [ Return to summary ] American Hartford Gold American Hartford Gold is an interesting option for more experienced investors not only due to the higher initial investment required of $10,000 as opposed to the $2,000 required by Rosland Capital but also due to the more streamlined approach to its website. While they do offer a free 2024 information guide, its overall informational offerings are less robust than others. Initial Purchase Requirement $10,000 Fees Annual fee of $75 for accounts valued at $100,000 or less, $125 for accounts valued at $100,001 or more $100 annual storage fee in most cases Other perks and drawbacks One of the major differences that we see between American Hartford and other offerings is its fee system. Often we see a flat rate fee for management of a gold IRA, but in this case, the fee increases for accounts with a higher value which is something to keep in mind if you anticipate contributing a significant amount to your gold IRA. As for setup fees, they aren't guaranteed but may vary depending on the custodian and other individualized choices. American Hartford also comes with an A+ and AA rating from the BBB and the BCA respectively and is ranked 423rd on Inc's Fastest-Growing Private Companies of 2023 with 1,369% growth over the past 3 years. [ Return to summary ] American Bullion American Bullion was founded in 2009 and is another trusted gold IRA provider that stands out for its educational resources available to investors. Initial Purchase Requirement While there is no official requirement, American Bullion recommends a minimum rollover amount of $10,000 to compensate for fees associated with the process Fees A one-time set-up fee of $25 Annual account fee of $160 Other perks and drawbacks American Bullion's annual account fee is on the higher end compared to some other options. That being said, there are fewer other fees and American Bullion will waive the first year's storage and custodian fees for those who create, transfer, or roll over accounts with a value of $50,000 or more. American Bullion has the highest rating from both the BBB and BCA and offers a free gold IRA buyers guide for those looking for more information. Customer support is available via phone and email, but unlike some competitors, not chat. [ Return to summary ] Monetary Gold Founded in 2000, Monetary Gold is a trusted choice for superior customer support, with high marks from the BBB, AAA and other consumer review websites. Like some other gold IRA providers, it partners with the Delaware Depository Service Company (DDSC) for storage, but its fee structure is unique compared to other offerings. Initial Purchase Requirement $5,000 to $10,000, depending on the custodian you choose Fees Annual storage and insurance fee is $100 for up to $100,000 of gold and $1 for every $1,000 of gold thereafter Other perks and drawbacks Monetary Gold works swiftly in terms of account setup, only taking 48 to 72 hours to open after processing begins. It offers free workshops and consultations with an advisor as well as some modest investing resources such as retirement calculators, price charts and market news. However, certain resources can be hard to find on its website and some content we came across was significantly out-of-date. [ Return to summary ] Compare investing resources How to choose a gold IRA Determining what types of products you intend to buy is a good starting place as not all sites will offer every kind of IRA-approved precious metals. While gold coins and bars are a popular option, it's also important to note that storage costs will be higher with physical gold as well as other physical metal investments. It's also important to consider your goals for this investment. Are you looking for long-term growth, or are you aiming for short-term stability from fluctuating markets? This will not only impact your decision on how much you are planning to invest, but where and what you're investing in as well. What makes a gold IRA different than a traditional IRA? Investing specifically in a gold IRA account could help you further prepare yourself for retirement while also being able to invest your money into precious metals. Gold IRAs follow the same contribution limits as traditional IRAs, $7,000 for 2024, or, if you're 50 or older, $8,000. That being said, gold IRAs do come with some of their own rules and regulations around what types of gold can belong in your IRA amongst other requirements. Under the precious metals IRA rules, you must work with a custodian — a financial institution responsible for the assets in your gold IRA. In addition, there are a few other stipulations, such as that the precious metals must also have a certain purity requirement, be produced by an approved refinery and be in their original packaging. Gold IRAs are often referred to as "precious metal" IRAs as well due to the fact that you can own more than gold; you can invest in gold, silver, platinum as well as palladium. Not every precious metal IRA provider is going to offer the same variety of metals, which is an important consideration when investing. Other types of IRAs to consider There are a few other very common types of IRAs, with the most common being a traditional IRA or a Roth IRA. While they won't let you directly invest in physical precious metals, depending on your needs, they might work as well. A traditional IRA allows you to delay your taxes on any contributions made to your IRA account until you withdraw the money down the line. This type of IRA is typically most effective if you anticipate being in a lower tax bracket when you retire, thus paying less when you withdraw the money than you would have before in addition to benefiting from any interest gained. A Roth IRA works in a similar way but instead of waiting to pay taxes on withdrawals, you pay tax upfront and not in the future when you take out the money. These are often more effective for people who are younger in their careers and in a lower tax bracket currently, then when they end up earning significantly more towards the end of their career, they aren't paying their current tax rate on the money they take out. Both of these IRA options allow you to invest in gold and other metals, but just not physically. You can invest in gold stocks and ETFs as well as the stocks of gold mining or processing companies. While oftentimes this is significantly easier than the process of investing in physical gold, you don't necessarily get the benefits people are looking for from physical gold such as the inherent intrinsic value as well as the protection from economic downturns. FAQs What is a gold IRA? A gold IRA is a specialized individual retirement account (IRA) that allows investors to hold gold and other precious metals in an IRS-approved retirement investment. While a gold IRA must be kept separate from traditional retirement accounts, many of the regulations like contribution limits remain the same. What does a gold IRA do? A gold IRA acts very similarly to a traditional IRA account but allows the individual to purchase gold and other metals as opposed to just more common assets such as stocks or bonds. Can I buy physical gold for my IRA? It is possible to buy physical gold coins and bars for your IRA provided they meet the IRS standard for precious metals. In addition, it is highly recommended by the IRS that you do not store your gold at home with many complex laws to enforce this procedure. What are the requirements for metals in a retirement account? Since precious metals are considered collectibles, they must meet special requirements to be allowed in IRA accounts. You can purchase IRA-approved gold bullion coins and bars with a fineness of .995 or higher, including American Eagles and other select coins. Other precious metals also have minimum purity requirements as well. Is a gold IRA tax-free? A gold IRA follows similar rules and regulations to a traditional IRA including not being taxed when you contribute, and being taxed when you take a distribution including the 10% penalty if withdrawn before 59 and one half years old. Bottom line A gold IRA is a great option for those who wish to be able to own physical precious metals as part of their retirement plan. Precious metals IRAs have various initial purchase requirements as well as other fees and purchasing options, so it's important to select the one with the options that fit your needs the best. Subscribe to the CNBC Select Newsletter! Money matters — so make the most of it. Get expert tips, strategies, news and everything else you need to maximize your money, right to your inbox. Sign up here. Why trust CNBC Select? At CNBC Select, our mission is to provide our readers with high-quality service journalism and comprehensive consumer advice so they can make informed decisions with their money. Every IRA review is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of financial products. While CNBC Select earns a commission from affiliate partners on many offers and links, we create all our content without input from our commercial team or any outside third parties, and we pride ourselves on our journalistic standards and ethics. See our methodology for more information on how we choose the best gold IRAs. Our methodology To determine which gold individual retirement accounts (IRAs) are the best for investors, CNBC Select analyzed and compared gold IRAs offered by numerous companies. We narrowed down our ranking by only considering those that have a Better Business Bureau (BBB) rating of A or better, a Business Consumer Alliance (BCA) rating of double A or higher and a maximum initial purchase requirement of $25,000 or less. We also compared each IRA on the following features: Account fees: Each gold IRA option's fees were taken into consideration and accounts with little transparency or unnecessary fees were not considered. Each gold IRA option's fees were taken into consideration and accounts with little transparency or unnecessary fees were not considered. A hub of educational resources: We opted for gold IRAs with various levels of educational resources to help you educate yourself about investing in precious metals. We opted for gold IRAs with various levels of educational resources to help you educate yourself about investing in precious metals. Ease-of-use: Whether accessing your gold IRA via your laptop at home or on your smartphone while on the go, it's important to have an easy user experience. We tested each site for user experience as well as the availability of information. Whether accessing your gold IRA via your laptop at home or on your smartphone while on the go, it's important to have an easy user experience. We tested each site for user experience as well as the availability of information. Customer support: Every gold IRA on our list provides customer service available via telephone, email or secure online messaging. After reviewing the above features, we sorted our recommendations by what type of investor is the best fit. Your earnings in a gold IRA depend on any associated fees, the contributions you make to your account and the fluctuations of the market. Catch up on CNBC Select's in-depth coverage of credit cards, banking and money, and follow us on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to stay up to date. Editorial Note: Opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Select editorial staff’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any third party.

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/10/15/whitney-wolfe-herd-i-grew-bumble-with-crazy-hacks-marketing-tactics.html

NVR

NVR, Inc.

Bumble CEO: Here are the 'crazy hacks' I used to grow my app into a $1.9 billion company—one of them cost only $20

In dating app Bumble's early days, CEO and founder Whitney Wolfe Herd realized something: Twitter and Instagram were two of the most popular apps out there, but she never saw advertisements for them. She wanted to make her dating app as ubiquitous as the social media giants, and the idea of not spending money appealed to her. Bumble had a "modest budget" at the time, Wolfe Herd said in a MasterClass course released on Thursday. Instead of traditional marketing campaigns, Wolfe Herd put together a series of "crazy hacks" to drum up interest in her Austin, Texas-based startup, she said. In one of them, she went to a cookie shop and paid the bakers $20 to adorn yellow-frosted cookies with a white Bumble logo. Then, she took the box to a nearby college sorority. Other gifts to sorority girls — given in exchange for downloading and sharing the app with friends — included balloons, koozies and yellow Hanky Panky undergarments, Fortune reported in 2016. Wolfe Herd used a similar tactic with college fraternities, dropping off pizza with branded bumblebee stickers slapped onto the cardboard boxes. "We did not have countless marketing dollars ... we actually had to be really scrappy," she said. "Lo and behold, you have several sorority women download it, several fraternity men download it, and then they started matching. And that's when the snowball effect really started." Bumble launched in December 2014 with $10 million in funding from Badoo co-founder Andrey Andreev, Forbes reported. Most of that money seemingly didn't go toward marketing — instead, when Wolfe Herd noticed signs outside local college lecture halls banning social media platforms in class, she hung additional signs, adding Bumble to the list. "No one knew what Bumble was yet, so when we associated ourselves with these products ... we inserted ourselves into the assumption that that would be the app that they would want to use in class," she said. "All of a sudden, those downloads started going up." For Wolfe Herd, the momentum was validating. She'd been rejected by previous investors, who thought the app — on which women initiate conversations with their matches — went against social norms and wouldn't be adopted, she said last year at the Aspen Ideas Festival in Aspen, Colorado. "I just retrained my brain from Day 1: Every time I got a hurtful email or tweet or some investor telling me [the idea for Bumble] was stupid, I just got really excited about it," said Wolfe Herd. "People generally don't know how to see things that don't exist yet, so you just have to believe in yourself." Seven years after launching the app, Wolfe Herd became the youngest female founder in history to take a company public. Bumble Inc., which now owns a group of apps including Bumble and Badoo, has a current market capitalization of $1.91 billion. DON'T MISS: Want to be smarter and more successful with your money, work & life? Sign up for our new newsletter! Want to earn more and land your dream job? Join the free CNBC Make It: Your Money virtual event on Oct. 17 at 1 p.m. ET to learn how to level up your interview and negotiating skills, build your ideal career, boost your income and grow your wealth. Register for free today.

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/10/19/heres-the-no-1-skill-successful-people-have-says-arnold-schwarzenegger-most-people-arent-so-lucky.html

NVR

NVR, Inc.

Here's the No. 1 skill successful people have, says Arnold Schwarzenegger: 'Most people aren't so lucky'

When it comes down to it, people are resources. But it's only when you learn to soak up what those people tell you — not just let it go in one ear, out the other — that you truly begin to make yourself useful to others and become a resource yourself. Being curious and being a good listener are a big part of how to effectively utilize your relationship with other people in pursuit of your goals. In the gym, if I saw someone trying a new training technique that didn't make sense to me, I would ask them about it because maybe it would help me. When I saw the great bodybuilder Vince Gironda do the side-lying triceps extension at his gym, for instance, I admit I thought it looked like a little Mickey Mouse with the tiny dumbbell he was using. Don't miss: 45-year-old millionaire shares his 4 'cheat codes' to help skyrocket your wealth But instead of dismissing it entirely because Vince didn't come from a heavy lifting background, I tried it. I did 40 sets during my next arms workout, which I had learned was the best way to see how a new movement impacts my body, and my outside triceps shook the whole next day. The exercise was so effective, I had to ask Vince about it: How did you come up with this exercise? Why does this work better than other similar movements? How should I best incorporate it into a workout? My questions served multiple purposes. The answers, if they made sense, would alleviate any of my doubts or concerns. By being curious, I showed humility and made myself an ally to Vince, which made it more likely that he might share other valuable training techniques. But most important of all, asking good "how" and "why" questions about something you're interested in increases the chances of information sticking in your brain and connecting with other related bits of information — making all of it more useful to you when it's time to put it all to work in service of others. That's why I loved being governor more than any job I ever had. It was an opportunity to soak up all this information about the way our society runs while being in a position to use that information to help millions of people. I was learning nonstop. The more I learned, and the more questions I asked of the people who were teaching me, the more I understood how things were connected and the better leader I became. Of course, I was lucky. As a governor, even if I wasn't naturally curious, I could make people explain things about the way the state worked until it made sense to me, no matter how long it took. Most people aren't so lucky. They don't have the power to make others explain the world to them. They have to try to figure it out for themselves, which can be very intimidating and very discouraging without support. This, I believe, is one of the reasons so many people feel stuck in their lives. They live in a world they don't fully understand. The world is what it is, and they are who they are, and it's just something they have to accept and deal with. Maybe they were born into a life in which others were rich and they were poor, or others were tall or smart of physically gifted and they were the opposite of those things — and no one explained to them that while there are some circumstances you can't change, there are others that you can change by being curious and by being a sponge, and then using the knowledge you gain to craft a vision for yourself. Arnold Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-born bodybuilder, actor, businessman, philanthropist, bestselling author, and politician. He served as the thirty-eighth governor of California. Excerpt from "BE USEFUL: Seven Tools for Life" by Arnold Schwarzenegger, published on October 10th, 2023 by Penguin Press, an imprint of Penguin Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. Copyright(c) 2023 by Fitness Publications, Inc. Don't miss: Want to be smarter and more successful with your money, work & life? Sign up for our new newsletter here

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/09/19/signs-of-a-narcissist-and-exactly-how-to-respond-according-to-harvard-trained-expert.html

NVR

NVR, Inc.

This is the best way to handle a conversational narcissist, says behavioral scientist and Harvard-trained coach

Have you ever talked to someone who, every time you shared something, would twist the interaction around to make it all about them? You may have encountered a "conversational narcissist." The term, coined by sociologist Charles Derber, describes a person who often dominates the conversation, with little regard for the viewpoints of others. Hogging a conversation could reflect inflated self-esteem or even deep-rooted insecurities, and it can be draining to be on the other end. Don't miss: If you answer these 10 questions correctly, you have higher emotional intelligence than most people As a behavioral scientist and Harvard trained leadership coach, here's exactly how I spot a conversational narcissist — and the best way to respond. 1. They don't ask you questions. You ask someone a question and they happily dive into a monologue about all that's happening in their life. When they're finished, rather than reciprocating, they move on to a new topic. How to respond: Gently steer the conversation back to a more balanced dialogue. Use a technique called "conversational threading" to pick up on keywords or topics that they mentioned and incorporate them into your response. For example, "That sounds like an action-packed weekend. Mine was similar …" This creates a natural segue for you to re-enter the conversation. 2. They're oblivious to their excessive chattiness. You're talking to someone who is so passionate about what they're speaking about that they seldom pause to gauge your reactions. You end up feeling like a convenient audience member for their latest monologue. How to respond: Use tactful lines like, "I have a few thoughts on that, too," or, "I'd love to share some of my own experiences." This is an assertive but polite way steer the conversation towards a more mutual exchange. If that doesn't work, prepare an exit strategy. It could be a pre-scheduled phone call or a meeting you need to get to that conveniently cuts the conversation short. 3. They always bring it back to their own interests. The moment the conversation veers away from them, they find a way to redirect it. You share your excitement about an upcoming holiday to Spain, for example, but without fail, they bring up the trip they took to Italy three years ago. How to respond: You could use the "I need advice" technique, which involves asking a direct question and prompts the other person to stay on topic. For example, "It sounds like you had a great time in Italy. Do you have any travel tips for me to keep in mind as I prepare for Spain?" Or, use the "acknowledge and segue" approach: "That sounds great! What I was trying to share about my own situation is …" 4. They constantly talk down to you. A friend or colleague uses patronizing or condescending language — it may be unintentional, but sometimes that can be hard to gauge — and it feels like they want you to see that they are the most knowledgeable person in a room. How to respond: Set clear boundaries and resist the urge to respond defensively. You could say, "I'm happy to continue this conversation as long as we keep it respectful." If you're in a group setting, you could facilitate someone else to enter the conversation with something like, "Jess has experience in this area, too, right? What are your thoughts on it?" 5. They repeatedly one-up you.

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/09/12/nxp-shares-drop-after-executives-outline-post-qualcomm-path.html

NXPI

NXP Semiconductors

NXP shares drop after executives outline post-Qualcomm path

Microprocessors sit on a circuit board at the NXP Semiconductors pavilion at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain. Shares of Dutch chipmaker NXP Semiconductors fell 4.4 percent on Tuesday after executives outlined their strategy after the collapse this year of a proposed merger with Qualcomm but said they did not expect to raise gross margins to the level of rivals like Intel . Chief Executive Rick Clemmer and other executives said NXP wants to retain its leading position in supplying automotive chips and grow sales by 5 percent to 7 percent a year between now and the end of 2021, which the company said is about 50 percent more than the estimated growth rate of the chip industry. NXP also aims to boost its gross margins from the current level of about 53 percent to 55 percent by the end of 2019 and to as much as 57 percent by the end of 2021, while possibly selling off low-growth or low-margin businesses, the executives said at an investor and analyst day held in New York on Tuesday. Those measures, along with a new 25 cent quarterly dividend and a $5 billion share repurchase program, are NXP's first major signals about its plans since its proposed $44 billion merger with Qualcomm ended in July. Qualcomm, unable to secure approval from Chinese regulators amid trade tensions between the United States and China, dropped its bid for NXP. During the nearly two years the deal was pending, NXP did not hold quarterly conference calls with analysts and investors. Tore Svanberg, a managing director with Stifel equity research, said it would take a long time for the company to regain momentum lost during the merger. "We also do not believe a bigger buyback and the initiation of a dividend payment is enough to restore investor confidence," Svanberg said. Analysts have pressed the company on whether it can raise gross margins above 60 percent, like Texas Instruments or Intel. But Clemmer told Reuters in a telephone interview that those margins are not necessary to meet NXP's growth and cash return goals. Clemmer said NXP's growth opportunities in cars are immediate and tangible - such as for radar systems that help cars stay in their lane and are fast becoming standard - compared with the fully autonomous vehicles that rivals like Nvidia are pursing. "The car companies are now beginning to work with semiconductors companies (like NXP) directly. We see a lot more work with the car companies," he said. NXP's shares closed down 4.4 percent at $89.57 on Nasdaq.

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/03/16/missed-nvidia-gravy-train-these-plays-could-see-big-earnings-growth.html

NXPI

NXP Semiconductors

Missed the Nvidia gravy train? These alternatives are expected to see huge earnings growth going forward

There's a host of stocks that can still benefit from the artificial intelligence craze besides Nvidia , according to analysts. Nvidia's annual GTC Conference , dubbed "AI Woodstock" by Bank of America, on Monday will feature a keynote speech from CEO Jensen Huang and allow for the high-flying chipmaker to spotlight its latest products and announce what's ahead. Shares of Nvidia have skyrocketed nearly 80% so far this year, but the company has had a volatile week as some traders took in profits ahead of the conference. As investors look for AI plays beyond Nvidia, CNBC Pro used FactSet data to screen for stocks in the technology and semiconductor space that should see significant earnings growth in the future. Here's the criteria we used for the selection below: S & P 1500 tech sector Market capitalization of $1 billion or more Expected 2024 earnings per share growth of more than 35% Expected 2025 EPS growth of 10% or more Advanced Micro Devices , also a global semiconductor name like Nvidia, remains an AI darling among investors. The stock, which has jumped roughly 30% year to date, added 2.1% on Friday. Analysts anticipate year-over-year earnings per share for 2024 will grow by 39.5% and advance by 48.7% in 2025. Citi recently named AMD among its "most favored names" in semiconductors, which it thinks should continue trading at a premium despite worries about high valuations for the stocks. Citi analyst Christopher Danely wrote in a note that "clients are excited about the AI opportunity for Nvidia and AMD, equipment names on positive capex revisions and various CHIPS act subsidies, and NXP on their resilient auto exposure." Seagate Technology , a data storage company, also made the cut. Shares are up 43% over the past year, but have added less than 1% in 2024. Analysts forecast EPS growth of 262% for 2024 compared to the previous year. Evercore ISI initiated coverage of Seagate on Feb. 27 with an outperform rating and $110 price target, saying the stock is well positioned to benefit from the cyclical recovery with hyperscalers and that the company could see margin expansion as Heat Assisted Magnetic Recording, or HAMR, technology scales up. Fabless chipmaker SiTime also came up on the screen. It's been a rocky 2024 for the stock, which is off 31% year to date. However, analysts have high expectations for EPS growth, forecasting a year-over-year jump of 224.4% in 2024. Last month, SiTime reported a beat on fourth-quarter revenue and earnings expectations, per FactSet. Management said on the company's earnings call that sequential growth is expected throughout 2024, with the second half of the year being stronger than the first. SiTime's data center business drove significant growth in its communications and enterprise segment, the company added. Other stocks that can expect to see huge earnings growth moving forward include Super Micro Computer , audio and imaging technologies developer Dolby Laboratories and Ultra Clean Holdings .

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/06/14/china-regulators-approve-qualcomm-nxp.html

NXPI

NXP Semiconductors

Following reports of a deal, Qualcomm-NXP are said to still be waiting for a China nod: Sources

Qualcomm Inc. CEO Steve Mollenkopf speaks during a keynote address at CES 2017 on January 6, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. China is yet to approve U.S. chipmaker Qualcomm's proposed $44 billion acquisition of NXP Semiconductors , three people close to the talks said, dismissing an earlier media report that said Beijing had already greenlit the deal. Chinese clearance would remove a long-running roadblock to the deal that has become entangled with broader trade tensions between the United States and China. The acquisition has already got a nod from eight of the nine required global regulators, with China being the only hold-out. Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported on Friday morning that China had given its go-ahead to the deal, citing people with knowledge of the matter, driving up shares of the U.S. firm in extended trade. But Reuters sources, who are close to the Qualcomm-NXP deal, said they were not aware of any Chinese approval. One of them said planned U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods expected to be unveiled later in the day could impact the process. Qualcomm did not have an immediate comment on Friday, while NXP did not respond to a request for comment. China's State Administration for Market Regulation, the regulator which reviews merger deals, did not immediately respond to a faxed request for comment. Qualcomm met with regulators in Beijing last month in a bid to secure a clearance, but sources at the time said an approval would depend on the progress of broader bilateral talks and the U.S. government lifting a crippling supplier ban on telecoms equipment maker ZTE. Washington and Beijing have struck a deal to help ZTE back into business. However, trade talks remain in the balance with U.S. President Donald Trump expected to unveil "pretty significant" tariffs on Chinese goods on Friday. Analysts said a Chinese approval would be significant as it would remove the last major barrier to the NXP deal, which is seen as key for Qualcomm to diversify its business and make a push into new areas like smart cars. Qualcomm initially announced its bid for Dutch semiconductor company NXP in October 2016.