U.S. stocks were mixed Monday as investors returned from a holiday weekend and geared up for another busy week of corporate earnings results.
The S&P 500 edged up to steady after last week’s losses. The Dow and Nasdaq each also rose slightly. Treasury yields advanced, with the yield on the benchmark 10-year note holding above 2.8{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996}. U.S. West Texas intermediate crude oil futures rose and extended last week’s gains.
For equity investors, earnings season will remain in focus this week as a number of major companies including United Airlines (UAL), American Express (AXP), Netflix (NFLX) and Tesla (TSLA) each report their latest quarterly results. These will come on the heels of last week’s mixed big bank earnings, with a number of firms including Morgan Stanley, JPMorgan Chase and Goldman Sachs topping some major metrics while warning of near-term uncertainty due to inflation and the ongoing Russia-Ukraine crisis.
So far, about 7{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} of S&P 500 index components have reported actual Q1 results and 77{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} of these have topped Wall Street’s earnings per share (EPS) estimates, matching the five-year average percentage of beats, according to data from FactSet. Heading into this week, the estimated earnings growth rate for the S&P 500 stood at at 5.1{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996}. If maintained, this would mark the lowest earnings growth rate for the index since the fourth quarter of 2020.
Some strategists have also suggested investors brace for weaker profit growth this quarterly reporting season, as companies grapple with decades-high rates of inflation, lingering supply chain challenges and geopolitical turmoil.
“I do think that we’re potentially in for a tough earning season, only because when people gave guidance [last quarter], the input costs have clearly gotten worse than they expected,” Rhys Williams, Spouting Rock Asset Management chief strategist, told Yahoo Finance Live. Williams added that many companies last issued guidance before the Russia first invaded Ukraine in late February and further stirred up disruptions to supply chains and global markets.
“So you have further increases in costs. And then at the same time, the consumer has gotten a little rockier in the month of March. So I expect that there will be some revenue misses,” Williams added. “That’s probably a sign that there’ll be somewhat negative earnings surprises, certainly much more than compared to the last four or five quarters, where the earnings news has been just fantastic.”
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9:31 a.m. ET: Stocks open slightly higher
Here’s where markets were trading just after the opening bell Monday morning:
S&P 500 (^GSPC): +5.15 (+0.12{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996}) to 4,397.74
Dow (^DJI): +85.27 (+0.25{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996}) to 34,536.50
Nasdaq (^IXIC): -0.16 (-0.00{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996}) to 13,350.64
Crude (CL=F): +$1.46 (+1.37{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996}) to $108.41 a barrel
Gold (GC=F): +$21.60 (+1.09{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996}) to $1,996.50 per ounce
10-year Treasury (^TNX): +0.8 bps to yield 2.816{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996}
—
9:20 a.m. ET: Bank of America profit tops estimates
First-quarter consumer banking revenue grew 9{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996}, reaching $8.8 billion for the quarter ending in March. Overall, revenue net of interest expense came in at $23.23 billion, or about in-line with consensus estimates, according to Bloomberg-compiled data. And net interest income rose 13{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} to $11.6 billion, which was “supported by strong loan and deposit growth,” Chief Financial Officer Alastair Borthwick said in a statement.
Sales and trading revenue overall came in at $4.7 billion, according to Bank of America, which while down by 7{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} over last year, exceeded estimates for $4.3 billion. Equities sales and trading revenue alone grew 9.5{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} to reach a quarterly record of $2 billion.
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7:17 a.m. ET: Stock futures fall, extending last week’s losses
Here’s where stocks were trading Monday morning:
S&P 500 futures (ES=F): -15.25 points (-0.35{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996}) to 4,372.25
Dow futures (YM=F): -69 points (-0.2{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996}) to 34,289.00
Nasdaq futures (NQ=F): -62.75 points (-0.45{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996}) to 13,831.00
Crude (CL=F): -$0.48 (-0.45{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996}) to $106.47 a barrel
Gold (GC=F): +$18.00 (+0.91{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996}) to $1,992.90 per ounce
10-year Treasury (^TNX): +2.9 bps to yield 2.837{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996}
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – APRIL 12: Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange during afternoon trading on April 12, 2022 in New York City. Data released this morning showed that inflation rose 8.5 percent in March, the highest annual increase since December 1981, amid energy prices soaring due to Russia’s war in Ukraine. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
The brand for McDonald’s is noticed on a restaurant in Arlington, Virginia, January 27, 2022.
Joshua Roberts | Reuters
It seems inflation, the spike in oil selling prices and other commodities and geopolitical unrest are influencing just about every business.
Now, the arrival of earnings season delivers a further factor for traders to look at.
Relatively than focusing on the small-expression volatility these situations may well make, traders should to continue to keep a extended-term perspective. Wall Street’s top rated pros are highlighting their favourite stocks for these rocky moments, according to TipRanks, which tracks the greatest-undertaking analysts.
Listed here are 5 shares that have caught analysts’ interest.
As nations weigh armed service investing, there could be much more financial investment into massive facts providers like Palantir (PLTR). The program analytics organization has two segments, government and commercial, and creates one of a kind methods for its prospects.
When its growth has been slower than its friends, Palantir stays rewarding and has been continuing to crank out next-gen improvements, having a “route fewer followed” when compared to the common Massive Tech names. At minimum, this is in accordance with Brian White’s latest report for Monness, Crespi, Hardt & Co. (See Palantir’s Possibility Evaluation on TipRanks)
White initiated protection on the inventory with a obtain, and he assigned a price tag concentrate on of $20.
The famous that Palantir has “remained steadfast to its core values, fostering a unique society, and establishing distinctive software package.”
The electronic transformation tale is not a new a single, yet White believes quite a few entities are continue to in their early phases of adequately adopting cloud and big info analytics as their leading priorities.
White wrote that PLTR has “strong earnings advancement, a pioneer status in an rising software package classification, the improvement of software program that disrupts current legacy alternatives… and a significant market place option.”
On TipRanks, White maintains a place at No. 178 out of almost 8,000 analysts. His inventory picks have located accomplishment 64{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} of the time, and he has returned an regular of 29.1{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} on each and every.
Electronic innovations have assisted McDonald’s (MCD) make drive-thru procedures more productive, streamline shipping and delivery capabilities, and drive brand name loyalty by means of its benefits software. The multinational cafe is perfectly poised to continue on delivering returns to shareholders.
Ivan Feinseth of Tigress Money Associates observed that “MCD’s expansion initiatives, including AI-dependent voice buying, digital advertising and marketing, new delivery partnerships, supply chain administration, and ongoing innovation, will carry on to push prolonged-phrase business traits and market share gains.”
Feinseth rated the inventory a purchase, and he declared a selling price concentrate on of $314 per share.
McDonald’s modern partnership with IBM (IBM) is predicted to combine AI tech into its generate-via section, significantly improving upon shopper encounter and allowing for increased buying costs. As for its McDonald’s Application, the increased loyalty system lets details to be awarded to clients for their buys, thus materializing in repeat visits.
The speedy-foodstuff corporation claimed sturdy quarterly benefits in January, printing its optimum at any time total-yr U.S. equivalent retail outlet product sales, driven by a “stellar overall performance by the McRib alongside with solid need for its crispy rooster sandwich,” according to Feinseth.
The analyst anticipates McDonald’s will proceed delivering dividends and repurchasing shares. (See McDonald’s Corp. Dividend Data on TipRanks)
Out of much more than 8,000 monetary analysts, Feinseth is rated as No. 75. He retains a 66{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} results rate, coupled with an common return of 29.5{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} on each individual decide on.
Tesla (TSLA) not long ago kicked off the opening of its Austin manufacturing facility. The plant has been a prolonged-time coming for several buyers, and it really is predicted by CEO Elon Musk to grow to be the flagship creation web-site of its numerous automobiles, together with the considerably-predicted Cybertruck.
Domestically, the firm is lightyears in advance of its opposition, which have been getting it relatively hard to get their functions up and jogging efficiently, in accordance to Dan Ives of Wedbush Securities. He also expects the Austin and Berlin factories to generate Tesla to deliver 2 million autos by the stop of this calendar year. For context, which is 100{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} much more than the EV maker did in 2021. Austin will represent a person quarter of this amount of money.
Ives reiterated his buy rating on the inventory, and he maintained his $1,400 price goal.
Describing it as a “high course problem of demand outstripping provide,” Ives mentioned that orders for Tesla Design Ys are backlogged by about a 50 {21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} a 12 months. When this is something that presents the corporation with a distinct visibility of its future income, it is not capable to capitalize appropriately if it can not fill the orders. Additional, customers will go elsewhere if they are unable to get their new automobiles. (See Tesla Web-site Traits on TipRanks)
Last but not least, the Berlin plant is intended to select up all of the European deliveries, which until finally not too long ago the Shanghai factory experienced been generating. This program of shipping and delivery autos all around the globe was unsustainable at best and is anticipated to wind down as Berlin ramps up.
Ives is rated No. 332 out of virtually 8,000 specialist analysts. He is accurate when selecting stocks 59{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} of the time, and he has returned an regular of 23.2{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} on just about every rating.
CrowdStrike
CrowdStrike (CRWD) is standing out in the cybersecurity business, as the business has been executing nicely on its pipeline and setting up solid purchaser retention ranges.
Jonathan Ruykhaver of Baird just lately claimed on the stock, indicating that “cloud-native architecture, one clever agent, serious-time cloud scale AI, integrated platform, and scalability [are] vital improvements that produce solid competitive moat and limitations to entry.”
Ruykhaver rated the stock a invest in and bullishly elevated his cost goal to $275 from $225.
Stating that CrowdStrike has “no shortage of progress options,” the analyst cited the cybersecurity firm’s execution concerning its merchandise modules manufactured offered to customers. He famous that CRWD has enhanced its sheer sum of modules by above 100{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} given that it went general public.
This large assortment of offerings presents a sticky ecosystem for its buyers, a paramount quality in these types of a aggressive market. (See CrowdStrike Hedge Fund Action on TipRanks)
Ruykhaver specified that “FalconXDR, Cloud Options, Fusion and log administration” have pushed advancement and led CrowdStrike to a aggressive situation between its peers.
Out of just about 8,000 analysts, Ruykhaver ranks as No. 8. He has been productive when rating stocks 81{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} of the time, and he retains an ordinary return amount of 57.1{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996}.
Chewy
Chewy (CHWY) caught a tailwind from the pandemic as persons adopted pets and turned to the online retailer for provides.
Nevertheless, the pandemic and its traits have largely died down around the very last couple of months, and Chewy’s valuation consequently took a strike. Inspite of this, Doug Anmuth of JPMorgan does not believe that the stock’s main organization is any considerably less interesting. In his report, the analyst believes it to be the “premier pure-play pet retailer in the U.S.,” in a “escalating and very appealing classification that is early in the shift on the net.”
Anmuth rated the inventory a obtain and presented a rate focus on of $55.
He foresees expansion for the business in its pharmacy phase, and room for growth internationally. Energetic shopper progress is anticipated by the analyst to ramp up via the conclude of the calendar year and into 2023. Until then, he tasks 16{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} profits development for the latest fiscal year. (See Chewy Inventory Charts on TipRanks)
Irrespective of these bullish elements, around-term problems continue to mount for Chewy. Inflationary pressures and supply chain constraints continue being unsure and hard to manage. No retailer would like to have its products and solutions unavailable, primarily when its prospects could shop somewhere else.
Gross margins are nevertheless anticipated to expand, “nicely beyond the 25-28{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} array w/elevate from new initiatives together with clean & prepared food stuff, health and fitness & wellness like insurance policies, & advertising and marketing, which need to kick in far more in 2023,” Anmuth noted.
Anmuth is ranked as No. 273 out of pretty much 8,000 expert analysts in TipRanks’ databases. He has a accomplishment level of 54{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996}, and he returns an regular of 26.6{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} on his ratings.
U.S. stocks fell Thursday to cap another losing week on Wall Street as investors digested a flurry of bank earnings and reeled from more red-hot CPI numbers.
The S&P 500 and tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite each settled at four-week lows, recording declines of 1.2{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} and 2.2{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996}, respectively. The Dow Jones Industrial Average retreated from a slight advance earlier in the session to close 0.3{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} lower. Meanwhile, Treasury yields climbed higher, with the 10-year benchmark marking its biggest one-week jump to hit 2.8{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996}, the highest level since December 2018.
The majority of U.S. market indexes finished lower for the second straight week as war in Eastern Europe, inflationary pressures and anticipation for more combative measures by the Federal Reserve to tame rising price levels continued to weigh on sentiment.
“There’s a lot of fear and anticipation as we’re moving into this period of higher interest rates,” Portia Capital Management owner and president Michelle Connell told Yahoo Finance Live. “We’re just not quite sure how much the Fed’s going to dial those up. There’s a lot of uncertainty.”
Social media giant Twitter (TWTR) was again in focus on Thursday after Tesla CEO Elon Musk offered to buy the platform for $54.20 per share, or about $41 billion in cash. In a bid for the company outlined in a new SEC filing, Musk said Twitter must go private in order to make effective changes. Shares of Twitter were down 1.5{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} to $45.18 a piece at Thursday’s close.
Investors digested quarterly results from banking heavyweights Wells Fargo (WFC), Goldman Sachs (GS), Morgan Stanley (MS), and Citigroup (C) that reflected a lackluster start to 2022, with profits mostly down across the board after a boom year for the industry last year when it benefited from record dealmaking activity and a financial boost from releasing reserves set aside for potential pandemic loan losses.
The initial batch of reports preface a milder quarter for earnings growth than previous periods. However, earnings are expected to be a bright spot for investors who much of this year so far have grappled with sharp market swings tied to worsening geopolitical risk, inflationary pressures and fears monetary tightening may prompt an economic contraction as the Federal Reserve sets out on its rate hiking plans.
Analysts have tempered their expectations on first quarter earnings, lowering bottom-up EPS forecasts in aggregate for Q1 by 0.7{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} from $52.21 to $51.83, according to data from FactSet. On the other hand, EPS forecasts for the second quarter are up by 1.6{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} from $55.16{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} to $56.07, by 2.4{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} from $57.82 to $59.23 for the third quarter, by 3.9{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} from $58.31 to $60.59 for the fourth quarter and by 2.0{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} from $223.43 to $227.80 for 2022 overall.
Economists at Bank of America in a note out this week also predicted a resilient earnings quarter despite grim macroeconomic headlines throughout the period.
“Leading signals and early reporters suggest a high likelihood of an EPS beat in Q1,” BofA said, adding the financial institution expects a 4{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} beat, or $53.50 vs. consensus $51.54. However, the bank warned analyst expectations for record margins in the coming quarters were “too high.”
“History suggests that oil shocks spawn weaker consumption with a three-to-four quarter lag, indicating a 2H slowdown,” the note said.
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4:00 p.m. ET: Stocks extended losses to cap another week in the red
Here’s how the major indexes closed out the holiday-shortened week:
S&P 500 (^GSPC): -53.98 (-1.21{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996}) to 4,392.61
Dow (^DJI): -113.75 (-0.33{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996}) to 34,450.84
Nasdaq (^IXIC): -292.51 (-2.14{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996}) to 13,351.08
Crude (CL=F): +$1.88 (+1.80{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996}) to $106.13 a barrel
Gold (GC=F): -$9.40 (-0.47{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996}) to $1,975.30 per ounce
10-year Treasury (^TNX): +14.1 bps to yield 2.8280{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996}
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11:30 a.m. ET: Consumers are slightly more optimistic in early April
U.S. consumer sentiment unexpectedly bounced back in early April from a decade low, lifted by a positive outlook for wage growth amid a strong labor market and a decline in gasoline prices curbing some inflation worries.
The University of Michigan’s Consumer Sentiment Index climbed to 65.7 on a preliminary basis this month from a final reading of 59.4 in March, the lowest since 2011. Economists surveyed by Bloomberg expected a reading of 59.
The improved outlook was boosted by a 29.4{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} jump in the economic view for the year ahead and a 17.2{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} increase in personal financial expectations, according to survey Director Richard Curtin.
“A strong labor market bolstered wage expectations among consumers under age 45 to 5.3{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} – the largest expected gain in more than three decades, since April 1990,” he noted in a statement.
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10:25 a.m. ET: Mortgage rates hit 5{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} to mark highest level in more than a decade
The rate on the 30-year fixed mortgage jumped to 5{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} from 4.72{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} last week, according to Freddie Mac. A year ago at this time, the 30-year borrowing cost averaged 3.04{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996}.
In the last five weeks alone, the rate has climbed 1.24 percentage points and is 1.89 points higher than at the end of 2021.
“This week, mortgage rates averaged five percent for the first time in over a decade,” said Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s Chief Economist. “As Americans contend with historically high inflation, the combination of rising mortgage rates, elevated home prices and tight inventory are making the pursuit of homeownership the most expensive in a generation.”
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9:30 a.m. ET: Stocks flat as investors digest bank earnings
Here were the main moves at markets at the start of Thursday’s trading session:
S&P 500 (^GSPC): +4.82 (+0.11{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996}) to 4,451.41
Dow (^DJI): +141.03 (+0.41{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996}) to 34,705.62
Nasdaq (^IXIC): -12.24 (-0.09{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996}) to 13,631.35
Crude (CL=F): -$1.53 (-1.47{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996}) to $102.72 a barrel
Gold (GC=F): -$4.20 (-0.21{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996}) to $1,980.50 per ounce
10-year Treasury (^TNX): +3.3 bps to yield 2.7200{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996}
American consumers continued spending in March even amid inflationary pressures that led to a surge in the costs of food, gasoline and other basics.
U.S. retail sales rose 0.5{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} after logging a revised 0.8{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} jump from January to February. Wage gains, solid hiring and more money in banking accounts have fueled spending.
January’s increase of 4.9{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} was the biggest jump in spending since March 2021 when American households received a final federal stimulus check of $1,400.
The Commerce Department reported general merchandise stores saw business up 5.4{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996}, while sales at clothing stores jumped 2.6{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996}. Online sales rose 6.4{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} and restaurant sales climbed 1{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996}.
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8:45 a.m. ET: Another 185,000 Americans filed new claims last week
Applications for unemployment insurance rose slightly more than expected in the latest weekly data but held near a 54-year low set earlier this month.
The Labor Department’s latest weekly jobless claims report showed 185,000 claims were filed in the week ended April 9, coming in just above the 170,000 economists surveyed by Bloomberg had expected.
The prior week’s new claims fell to the lowest level since 1968 at 167,000. That compares to the average of about 218,000 new claims filed per week throughout 2019 before the pandemic.
Given the surge and then decline in jobless claims, the Labor Department has also now reconfigured the way it adjusts the weekly data to account for seasonal factors. Starting last week, the Labor Department returned to using “multiplicative” seasonal adjustment factors for the data. For much of the pandemic, the department had been using “additive” seasonal adjustments that help smooth out large swings in the weekly numbers.
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8:15 a.m. ET: Citi profit drops 46{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} due to loan loss provisions and slower dealmaking
Citigroup (C) logged a 46{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} plunge in first-quarter profit as it took a hit on provisions for Russia-related losses, a slump in underwriting fees and higher expenses.
The banking powerhouse added $1.9 billion to its reserves in the quarter to prepare for losses from direct exposures to Russia and the economic impact of its war in Ukraine. Citi is the most global of the U.S. banks. The move pushed credit costs to $755 million, a contrast from the $2.1 billion benefit one year ago when it freed up loss reserves built up during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Citi reduced its exposure to Russia to $7.8 billion, from $9.8 billion in December, also lowering its worst-case-scenario loss estimate to no more than $3 billion, down from the nearly $5 billion estimated last month.
Meanwhile, net income fell to $4.30 billion, or $2.02 per share from $7.94 billion, or $3.62 per share, a year earlier.
Shares of Citigroup were up 3{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} in pre-market trading.
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8:03 a.m. ET: Goldman Sachs reports 42{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} fall in first-quarter profit
Goldman Sachs (GS) saw first-quarter profit halve during the first quarter on a slowdown in capital markets activity from levels in the same period last year that weighed on the bank’s investment banking business.
Profit applicable to common shareholders fell to $3.83 billion, or $10.76 per share, in the quarter ended March 31, from $6.71 billion, or $18.60 per share, a year ago.
Total net revenue fell to $12.93 billion in the quarter, down nearly 27{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} from last year.
“It was a turbulent quarter dominated by the devastating invasion of Ukraine,” CEO David Solomon said in a statement. “The rapidly evolving market environment had a significant effect on client activity as risk intermediation came to the fore and equity issuance came to a near standstill. Despite the environment, our results in the quarter show we continued to effectively support our clients.”
Goldman Sachs shares were up 1.3{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} in pre-market trading.
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7:52 a.m. ET: Morgan Stanley first-quarter profit slumps 11{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} on lower trading revenues
Morgan Stanley (MS) reported an 11{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} drop in its first-quarter profit following a slump in equity underwriting revenue from last year’s highs. The company, however, saw a jump in advisory revenues driven by higher levels of completed M&A transactions.
The mega bank recorded net revenues of $14.8 billion for the first quarter ended March 31, compared to $15.7 billion a year ago. Net income was $3.7 billion, or $2.02 per share, down from $4.1 billion, or $2.19 per diluted share the same period a year ago.
“The Firm delivered a strong ROTCE of 20{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} in the face of market volatility and economic uncertainty, demonstrating the resilience of our global diversified business,” Morgan Stanley CEO James Gorman said in a statement.
“Institutional Securities navigated volatility on behalf of clients extraordinarily well, Wealth Management’s margin proved resilient and the business added $142 billion net new assets in the quarter, and Investment Management benefited from its diversification,” he said said.
Shares of Morgan Stanley were up 2.3{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} in pre-market trading.
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7:30 a.m. ET: Wells Fargo shares drop after bank reports 21{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} quarterly drop in profit
Wells Fargo (WFC) reported a nearly 21{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} drop in first-quarter profit after rising inflation and interest rates, as well as geopolitical turmoil from Russia’s war in Ukraine put a dent in its core business during the period.
The fourth-largest U.S. lender posted a profit of $3.67 billion, or 88 cents per share, for the three months ended March 31, compared to $4.64 billion, or $1.02 per share, over the same quarter last year.
“Our internal indicators continue to point towards the strength of our customers’ financial position, but the Federal Reserve has made it clear that it will take actions necessary to reduce inflation and this will certainly reduce economic growth,” Chief Executive Charlie Scharf said.
“In addition, the war in Ukraine adds additional risk to the downside.”
Wells Fargo shares were down 3.4{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} in pre-market trading as of 7:30 a.m. ET.
—
7:17 a.m. ET: Stock futures little changed as major bank reports trickle in
Here’s where future markets were trading before Thursday’s opening bell:
S&P 500 futures (ES=F): -0.50 points (-0.01{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996}) to 4,441.75
Dow futures (YM=F): +68.00 points (+0.20{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996}) to 34,550.00
Nasdaq futures (NQ=F): +2.75 points (+0.02{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996}) to 14,224.25
Crude (CL=F): -$1.20 (-1.15{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996}) to $103.05 a barrel
Gold (GC=F): -$6.90 (-0.35{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996}) to $1,977.80 per ounce
10-year Treasury (^TNX): +6.7 bps to yield 2.7800{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996}
—
7:05 a.m. ET: Elon Musk offers to buy Twitter, discloses plans to take company private
Tesla (TSLA) CEO Elon Musk has offered to buy Twitter (TWTR) for $54.20 per share, or about $41 billion in cash, a new SEC filing on Thursday showed. Musk said the social media company he has often criticized must go private in order to make effective changes.
Musk’s offer price represents a 38{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} premium to Twitter’s April 1 close, the last trading day before the billionaire revealed he purchased a 9.2{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} stake in the company.
“I invested in Twitter as I believe in its potential to be the platform for free speech around the globe, and I believe free speech is a societal imperative for a functioning democracy,” Musk wrote in a letter to Twitter Chairman Bret Taylor, as disclosed in the filing. “However, since making my investment I now realize the company will neither thrive nor serve this societal imperative in its current form. Twitter needs to be transformed as a private company.”
“My offer is my best and final offer and if it is not accepted, I would need to reconsider my position as a shareholder,” he added. “Twitter has extraordinary potential. I will unlock it.”
Twitter shares surged 13{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} in pre-market trading.
—
6:10 p.m. ET Wednesday: Futures open flat as Wall Street looks ahead to more bank earnings
Here were the main moves in markets heading into overnight futures trading Wednesday:
S&P 500 futures (ES=F): -4.00 points (-0.09{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996}) to 4,438.25
Dow futures (YM=F): -21.00 points (-0.06{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996}) to 34,461.00
Nasdaq futures (NQ=F): -7.50 points (-0.05{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996}) to 14,214.00
Crude (CL=F): -$0.23 (-0.22{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996}) to $104.02 a barrel
Gold (GC=F): -$3.90 (-0.20{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996}) to $1,980.80 per ounce
10-year Treasury (^TNX): +6.7 bps to yield 2.7800{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996}
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – APRIL 12: American flags are seen waving on the New York Stock Exchange on April 12, 2022 in New York City. Data released this morning showed that inflation rose 8.5 percent in March, the highest annual increase since December 1981, amid energy prices soaring due to Russia’s war in Ukraine. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
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Alexandra Semenova is a reporter for Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter @alexandraandnyc
Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance
In a 1st for the tech huge, Google submitted a shopper defense lawsuit to shield the vulnerable and unsuspecting from what it named a “nefarious” scheme: the sale of cute, but imaginary, puppies.
The lawsuit, filed Monday in U.S. District Court in San Jose, Calif., promises that Nche Noel Ntse, a Cameroon man, defrauded would-be puppy dog potential buyers utilizing a vary of Google companies, like Gmail accounts, Google Voice numbers and ads, How News Today.
Mr. Ntse lured his victims with “adorable” and “alluring” photos of purebred puppies, with each other with “compelling testimonials from supposedly contented customers” that exploited the high demand from customers for puppies in the United States throughout the coronavirus pandemic, in accordance to court docket files.
Google claims it spent extra than $75,000 to “investigate and remediate” Mr. Ntse’s pursuits, and is suing him for financial damages, citing hurt to the company’s romantic relationship with its customers and destruction to its track record.
“It looks like a particularly egregious abuse of our goods,” Michael Trinh, a attorney for Google, stated by telephone on Monday, How News Today.
The company suggests it stops 100 million destructive email messages from achieving users each day, but Mr. Trinh said he hoped the go well with would go additional, making an instance of Mr. Ntse. Google resolved not to pursue criminal rates in the scenario for the reason that it considered civil litigation would be a speedier remedy, Mr. Trinh added. “It’s an ongoing battle.”
The circumstance is Google’s very first purchaser security lawsuit, José Castañeda, a spokesman for the corporation, stated. He included that primarily based on the sprawling network of web sites operate by Mr. Ntse, Google believed that the victims dropped far more than $1 million in whole.
Google’s lawful motion comes following the pandemic prompted a surge in demand for pets, as properly as an maximize in techniques capitalizing off that need.
Previous calendar year, individuals reported getting rid of extra than $5.8 billion to fraud, an enhance of far more than 70 p.c from 2020, according to details from the Federal Trade Fee. On-line searching frauds in unique skyrocketed through the pandemic, according to the Superior Small business Bureau. The team estimates that in 2021, pet-linked fraud accounted for 35 percent of these types of studies, How News Today.
Google initial became knowledgeable of Mr. Ntse’s activities close to September 2021 after acquiring a report of abuse from AARP, an advocacy team for older Individuals.
According to the report, a human being dwelling in South Carolina seeking a pet contacted Mr. Ntse by electronic mail soon after going to a web site he operated, now defunct. Immediately after corresponding with Mr. Ntse by electronic mail and text, the individual afterwards sent him $700 in electronic gift cards, the report stated, incorporating, “Victim 1 never obtained the pet.”
According to the scenario summons, Mr. Ntse is centered in Douala, a port metropolis of more than two million folks in Cameroon. He ran other web-sites, including a single that purported to sell marijuana and prescription opiate cough syrup, the lawsuit says.
“When you go to invest in a pup, you don’t anticipate a felony to be on the other conclusion,” reported Paul Brady, who runs PetScams.com, which tracks and reviews internet websites that falsely assert to offer animals.
Scammers, normally found outdoors of the United States, submit pics and videos of puppies at low prices and request upfront on the internet payments and in some cases further invented costs, like animal quarantine or shipping charges.
These techniques have “exploded” in the past two decades, Mr. Brady mentioned, as scammers capitalized on people’s loneliness and took edge of lockdowns that restricted their capability to travel significantly from property to acquire a dog.
“People are sitting on your own, and they want the company of an animal,” he included, recalling a notably shocking incident in which a person lady spent $25,000 making an attempt to obtain a Pomeranian puppy dog.
One human being sent the accused scammer $700 and “never gained the puppy dog,” according to a report.Credit history…United States District Court docket Northern District of California
For Rael Raskovich, 28, the expertise of staying cheated by an on the web pet scheme was devastating.
About a yr back Ms. Raskovich, who functions in the mortgage business, had just moved to South Carolina and was hoping to purchase her initially pet: a Golden Retriever.
She explored her solutions, eventually filling out an on the web form, now defunct, that incorporated in depth issues about her programs to treatment for the animal, she stated, which led her to feel that the approach was reputable.
She wired a $700 deposit to the vendor, who despatched her a movie of what she imagined was her shortly-to-be dog. She purchased toys and a pet bed, How News Today.
Then, she mentioned, the seller claimed to require an extra $1,300 for a coronavirus vaccination for the pet dog and an air-conditioned delivery crate. Ms. Raskovich claimed she was told to hope a simply call from Delta Air Strains, which the vendor claimed would be transporting the animal — but when she referred to as to ensure, the airline informed her it does not ship animals.
“Then I was like, ‘OK, this unquestionably isn’t legit,’” she reported, including that she lower off interaction. The identity of the seller was never established.
“You get completely ready for this new addition in your life,” Ms. Raskovich reported. “It sucks.”
U.S. stocks gained on Wednesday as investors monitored a series of closely watched earnings reports and further digested a hot print on inflation in the U.S.
The S&P 500 jumped by more than 1{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996}, ending a three-day losing streak. The Nasdaq Composite outperformed and rose 2{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} as technology shares jumped and Treasury yields pulled back across the curve.
Investors received a number of quarterly reports from some major U.S. companies and stock index components early Wednesday morning. These included JPMorgan Chase (JPM) — the largest U.S. bank by assets — along with Delta Air Lines (DAL) and Bed, Bath & Beyond (BBBY).
JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon offered a cautiously upbeat view of the U.S. economy in the bank’s earnings release on Wednesday. Dimon noted that he remained “optimistic on the economy, at least for the short term,” but still sees “significant geopolitical and economic challenges ahead due to high inflation, supply chain issues and the war in Ukraine.” And the bank also built up its credit reserves by a net $902 million, “largely due to higher probabilities of downside risk,” Dimon said.
Meanwhile, Delta Air Lines, one of the major airlines at the center of the reopening trade, suggested business would pick up further in the current quarter even as first-quarter results showed another loss, as the airline grappled with the omicron variant wave earlier this year. The carrier returned to profitability in the month of March, Delta noted, and noted that revenue is expected to reach between 92{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} and 97{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} of pre-pandemic levels during the current quarter ended in June.
This early set of earnings reports helped set the tone for what is expected to ultimately be a much milder quarter for earnings growth than in recent periods. As companies grapple with rising labor, raw material and transportation costs and lap last year’s initial reopening-fueled jump in activity, many on Wall Street are looking for narrower margins than in recent quarters, even as sales hold up strongly amid elevated consumer demand and rising prices. Across the S&P 500, companies in aggregate are expected to report year-over-year earnings growth of just 4.5{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996}, which if realized, would mark the slowest rate since the fourth quarter of 2020, according to FactSet.
“This earnings season becomes one of the most important earnings seasons because it’s going to give you a lot of insight into which companies … have that durable demand, which companies have that pricing power,” Kristen Bitterly, Citi head of global wealth investments, told Yahoo Finance Live on Tuesday.
“Even in decades like the 1970s, when we had extreme inflation, large-cap quality U.S. equity shares were able to double their share price over that period,” she added. “So that’s the pocket of the market where we’re confidently either staying invested or getting invested.”
And indeed, inflation has remained a primary concern for investors, threatening to weigh further on both consumers’ wallets and corporate profits. The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ March Consumer Price Index (CPI) showed inflation rose at the fastest rate since late 1981 last month, jumping by a slightly faster-than-expected 8.5{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} over last year.
However, some economists suggested the report was not all bad news, and showed some tentative signs of a peak in the rate of price increases.
“The CPI report I think actually has a little bit more good news in it than it appears right on the surface … there’re a number of things in here that suggests that we’re starting to see inflation peak, and it will roll over in the next few months,” Tom Simmons, Jefferies fixed income money market economist, told Yahoo Finance Live on Tuesday. “[It’s] important to keep in mind that CPI, for March, the reference period here was right after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. So really, it’s capturing the most acute period of gasoline price increases. And we’ve seen them already starting to soften in the market a little bit in the few weeks since.”
“The other thing is that services ex-energy — and if you strip out the airline component — that was actually a little bit softer as well than the last few months,” he added. “Housing actually came in a little bit softer in the last few months as well, and goods ex-energy also are coming in a little bit softer as well. So you know, the consumer has been pretty well able to weather the storm here with inflation.”
—
4:05 p.m. ET: Stocks close higher, Nasdaq gains 2{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996}
Here’s where stocks closed out Wednesday’s session:
S&P 500 (^GSPC): +49.14 (+1.12{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996}) to 4,46.59
Dow (^DJI): +344.23 (+1.01{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996}) to 34,564.59
Nasdaq (^IXIC): +272.02 (+2.03{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996}) to 13,643.59
Crude (CL=F): +$3.62 (+3.6{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996}) to $104.22 a barrel
Gold (GC=F): +$5.10 (+0.26{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996}) to $1,981.20 per ounce
10-year Treasury (^TNX): -3 bps to yield 2.697{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996}
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1:03 p.m. ET: Bed Bath & Beyond shares turn positive despite surprise quarterly loss
Shares of Bed Bath & Beyond (BBBY) gained intraday on Wednesday, shaking off early losses of as much as 12{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} after the retailer posted an unexpected loss for its fiscal fourth quarter and missed sales expectations.
Adjusted losses were 92 cents a share, whereas Wall Street analysts were looking for earnings of 13 cents a share during the holiday shopping season. Comparable sales were also down 12{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996}, or more than the 8.3{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} drop anticipated, based on Bloomberg consensus data.
“We are disappointed that our sales and gross margin performance does not reflect our team’s hard work and execution against both strategic and transformation efforts in 2021,” the company’s CEO Mark Tritton said in the quarterly report’s press release.
“Macroeconomic factors, such as the disruption of the global supply chain, the Omicron variant, as well as the geopolitical turbulence weighing on consumer confidence, have uncovered more vulnerabilities than we could have foreseen at this stage of our transformation, as we completely rebuild the foundation of our business,” he added.
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11:21 a.m. ET: Peloton shares gain after activist investor Blackwells Capital calls for sale
“Peloton is a strategically valuable asset that is attractive to many potential acquirers,” according to Blackwells Capital’s slide deck. “An insightful and capable operator would be willing to pay a premium beyond conventional cost and revenue synergies for the opportunity to ‘Reimagine Peloton’ as a dramatically different business than it is today.”
Jason Aintabi, chief investment officer of Blackwells, also doubled down on his criticism of Peloton’s former CEO John Foley, who remains on the board as executive chairman.
“Peloton will continue to be poorly valued for as long as a close-knit group of insiders, who have proven themselves incapable of creating value, continue to wield voting power far in excess of their economic interest,” Aintabi said in a statement. “No shareholder should want Mr. Foley to still sit atop the management pyramid or control the Board through his super voting-stock. He lost his entitlement to both positions when he destroyed $40 billion of shareholder wealth in less than a year.”
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9:31 a.m. ET: Stocks look for direction
Here were the main moves in markets as of 9:31 a.m. ET:
S&P 500 (^GSPC): -4.23 (-0.10{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996}) to 4,393.22
Dow (^DJI): -32.30 (-0.09{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996}) to 34,188.06
Nasdaq (^IXIC): -9.23 (-0.07{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996}) to 13,362.34
Crude (CL=F): +$1.44 (+1.43{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996}) to $102.04 a barrel
Gold (GC=F): +$5.20 (+0.26{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996}) to $1,981.30 per ounce
10-year Treasury (^TNX): -2.6 bps to yield 2.6990{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996}
—
8:50 a.m. ET: Producer prices hit new high
U.S. producer prices for final demand rose 1.4{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} in March after rising 0.9{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} in February, the Labor Department said on Wednesday. For the full year, PPI jumped 11.2{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} — the biggest gain since the 12-month data was calculated in November 2010. The results superseded estimates of 10.6{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996}, according to Bloomberg consensus.
The latest print suggests inflation will remain elevated as Russia’s war on the Ukraine rages on and pushes prices of oil and other commodities higher.
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7:20 a.m. ET: Stock futures rise amid earnings
Here’s where stocks were trading Wednesday morning:
S&P 500 futures (ES=F): +26.5 points (+0.6{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996}) to 4,419.50
Dow futures (YM=F): +172 points (+0.5{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996}) to 34,311.00
Nasdaq futures (NQ=F): +110.75 points (+0.79{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996}) to 14,055.75
Crude (CL=F): +$1.45 (+1.44{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996}) to $102.05 a barrel
Gold (GC=F): +$4.20 (+0.21{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996}) to $1,980.30 per ounce
10-year Treasury (^TNX): +0.6 bps to yield 2.733{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996}
—
7:03 a.m. ET: JPMorgan posts mixed Q1 results as investment banking revenue slides over last year
JPMorgan Chase posted a mixed first-quarter results, with overall adjusted revenue topping Wall Street’s estimates while some major businesses within the bank showed some softening.
Adjusted revenue of $31.6 billion dropped 4.6{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} over last year but exceeded consensus estimates for $31.4 billion, according to Bloomberg data. Both fixed income and equity sales and trading revenue topped expectations while declining compared to last year, with these coming out to about $5.7 billion and $3.1 billion, respectively. Investment banking revenue, however, sank by a more marked 28{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} and missed estimates, totaling $2.06 billion as equity and debt underwriting activity decreased at the start of this year compared to last.
CEO Jamie Dimon also noted that the banks core lending business remained solid during the quarter.
“Lending strength continued with average firmwide loans up 5{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} while credit losses are still at historically low levels,” Dimon said in the earnings release.
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6:50 a.m. ET: Delta shares rise after airline posts narrower-than-expected Q1 loss, returns to profitability in March
Adjusted losses came out to $1.23 per share for the March quarter, or narrower than the $1.26 per share loss consensus analysts expected, according to Bloomberg data. Adjusted revenue was $8.2 billion, and was 79{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} recovered compared to levels from the comparable quarter in 2019 before the pandemic. Capacity was 83{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} restored relative to the pre-pandemic period, Delta added.
For the current quarter ending in June, Delta said it expects capacity to further rebound to 84{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} of June quarter 2019 levels, with total revenue between 93{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} and 97{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} of levels from that period in 2019.
“With a strong rebound in demand as omicron faded, we returned to profitability in the month of March, producing a solid adjusted operating margin of almost 10{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996},” Delta CEO Ed Bastian said in the company’s earnings release Wednesday morning. “As our brand preference and demand momentum grow, we are successfully recapturing higher fuel prices, driving our outlook for a 12 to 14{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} adjusted operating margin and strong free cash flow in the June quarter.”
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6:10 p.m. ET Tuesday: Stock futures head for a lower open
Here’s where markets were trading Tuesday evening before the opening bell:
S&P 500 futures (ES=F): +4.25 points (+0.1{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996}) to 4,397.25
Dow futures (YM=F): +33 points (+0.1{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996}) to 34,172.00
Nasdaq futures (NQ=F): +17.75 points (+0.13{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996}) to 13,962.75
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – APRIL 12: Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange during afternoon trading on April 12, 2022 in New York City. Data released this morning showed that inflation rose 8.5 percent in March, the highest annual increase since December 1981, amid energy prices soaring due to Russia’s war in Ukraine. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
Value stocks have been in the limelight as interest rates rise and inflation batters the growth market. However, the discussion around value equities is often hijacked by large and popular companies. Research shows that even though private equity is a solid bet for a healthy investment portfolio, the returns of micro-cap value stocks have outperformed it over the past few years. These micro-cap stocks do not command much attention on social media either as tech-based offerings reign supreme on the internet.
Boston Partners, a capital market company, outlines that in a fifteen-year period between 1995 and 2020, the US Private Equity Index soared by around 716{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996}, compared to the 740{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} rise in the CRSP Equal Weighted Microcap Index over the same period. Both indexes outperformed the returns of the benchmark S&P 500 that was 255{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} between 1995-2020. The amount of institutional capital dedicated to around 8,700 micro-cap stocks tracked by Boston Partners has also shrunk since 2008 even as private equity assets witness a surge in inflows.
Institutional investors like hedge funds have a bias towards large cap stocks like Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN), Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT), and Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:FB), but usually do not pay much attention to micro-cap entities. The report by Boston Partners reveals that mutual funds and institutional investors, from both active and passive domains, hold roughly 78{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} of the total holdings in the Russell 2000 but only 40{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} of the non-Russell 2000 microcap universe.
Even though there are many reasons to invest in micro-cap stocks, the price volatility often associated with smaller companies puts off many investors. Many micro-cap stocks in high-growth domains like artificial intelligence, space, and biotech trade on over-the-counter (OTC) markets as well, which limits their access to a broader marketplace in the United States. However, the returns of these firms, evidenced by the 51{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} returns of the Dow Jones Select Micro-Cap Index as of September 2021, is further evidence that these concerns seem out of place given the performance of micro-caps.
These were picked using market capitalizations and growth catalysts. Stocks that have a market capitalization between $50 million and $300 million were preferred for the list. The business fundamentals and analyst ratings of each company are also discussed to provide some additional context.
Data from around 900 elite hedge funds tracked by Insider Monkey was used to identify the number of hedge funds that hold stakes in each company.
Best Micro-Cap Stocks to Buy According to Hedge Funds
IBEX Limited (NASDAQ:IBEX) provides tech-enabled lifecycle experience solutions. Some of these include IBEX Connect, IBEX Digital, and IBEX CX. The three are customer service, customer acquisition, and customer experience solutions respectively. On February 16, the company posted earnings for the second fiscal quarter of 2022, reporting earnings per share of $0.27 and a revenue of around $132 million, up 12{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} year-on-year. The board of directors of the firm also recently approved a $20 million share repurchase program.
IBEX Limited (NASDAQ:IBEX) also raised guidance numbers for the rest of the fiscal year in the earnings report. The firm now expects organic revenue growth of 10{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} to 12{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} against consensus estimates of 7.3{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996}. Capex guidance was around $35 million.
Among the hedge funds being tracked by Insider Monkey, New York-based investment firm Schonfeld Strategic Advisors is a leading shareholder in IBEX Limited (NASDAQ:IBEX) with 400,000 shares worth more than $5 million.
At the end of the fourth quarter of 2021, 3 hedge funds in the database of Insider Monkey held stakes worth $4 million in IBEX Limited (NASDAQ:IBEX), compared to 4 in the preceding quarter worth $13 million.
Just like Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN), Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT), and Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:FB), IBEX Limited (NASDAQ:IBEX) is one of the stocks that elite investors have on their radar.
Huttig Building Products, Inc. (NASDAQ:HBP) makes and sells building materials and wood products. These include door units, windows, stair parts, roofing, siding, insulation, and other products and services. On March 2, the firm posted earnings for the fourth quarter of 2021, reporting a revenue of more than $230 million, up close to 25{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} compared to the revenue over the same period last year. The company is presently in the process of reviewing strategic alternatives to boost shareholder value.
Jon Vrabely, the CEO of Huttig Building Products, Inc. (NASDAQ:HBP), noted in the earnings call that “continued growth in demand for residential building products, an elevated pricing environment, and a focus on growing strategic product categories” were some of the factors that led to sales growth for the firm during the fourth quarter and the year overall.
At the end of the fourth quarter of 2021, 7 hedge funds in the database of Insider Monkey held stakes worth $40 million in Huttig Building Products, Inc. (NASDAQ:HBP), up from 3 in the preceding quarter worth $15 million.
Among the hedge funds being tracked by Insider Monkey, Connecticut-based investment firm Mill Road Capital Management is a leading shareholder in Huttig Building Products, Inc. (NASDAQ:HBP) with 1.7 million shares worth more than $19 million.
First Western Financial, Inc. (NASDAQ:MYFW) is a Colorado-based financial holding company. Some of the services it provides include wealth management, private banking, personal trust, investment management, mortgage lending, and institutional asset management. The firm operates a total 18 profit centers, mostly spread across Colorado and Arizona. Last year, the company had merged with Teton Financial Services, the parent company of Rocky Mountain Bank. The combined firm had over $7 billion in assets under management at the time.
Scott Wylie, the CEO of First Western Financial, Inc. (NASDAQ:MYFW), noted during the fourth quarter earnings call that the company had increased book value per share by 116{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} since the initial offering in 2018, with around 20{21df340e03e388cc75c411746d1a214f72c176b221768b7ada42b4d751988996} of that increase coming in 2021 alone.
Among the hedge funds being tracked by Insider Monkey, New York-based firm Basswood Capital is a leading shareholder in First Western Financial, Inc. (NASDAQ:MYFW) with 498,053 shares worth more than $15 million.
At the end of the fourth quarter of 2021, 8 hedge funds in the database of Insider Monkey held stakes worth $28 million in First Western Financial, Inc. (NASDAQ:MYFW), up from 5 in the preceding quarter worth $20 million.
Drive Shack Inc. (NYSE:DS) operates as a leisure and entertainment firm. It owns and runs golf resorts that comprise around 55 properties spread across nine states in the country. The stock stands to benefit as virus restrictions are lifted across the globe and people return to entertainment centers. The Puttery segment of the firm is expected to lead this boom as Drive Shack plans to have around 15 of these venues running in 2022. The company is also working to expand through borrowed capital not due till 2035.
On March 11, Drive Shack Inc. (NYSE:DS) posted earnings for the fourth quarter of 2021, beating analyst expectations on earnings per share and revenue by $0.01 and $1 million respectively. At the end of the 2021 fiscal year, the firm had almost $60 million cash in hand.
Among the hedge funds being tracked by Insider Monkey, New York-based investment firm Lansing Management is a leading shareholder in Drive Shack Inc. (NYSE:DS) with 3.2 million shares worth more than $4.6 million.
At the end of the fourth quarter of 2021, 8 hedge funds in the database of Insider Monkey held stakes worth $6 million in Drive Shack Inc. (NYSE:DS), up from 7 in the preceding quarter worth $11 million.
Ikena Oncology, Inc. (NASDAQ:IKNA) operates as a targeted oncology firm. The company focuses on the development of medicines for unmet medical needs. It is presently working on many such projects, including IK-930, an oral small molecule inhibitor of the transcriptional enhanced associate domain, and IK-175, an oral inhibitor of aryl hydrocarbon receptor. On March 17, the firm posted earnings for the fourth quarter of 2021, beating analyst estimates on earnings per share and revenue by $0.59 and $15 million respectively.
On March 17, Credit Suisse analyst Judah Frommer maintained an Outperform rating on Ikena Oncology, Inc. (NASDAQ:IKNA) stock with a price target of $24, highlighting the pipeline progress updates and fourth quarter results in a bullish analysis.
At the end of the fourth quarter of 2021, 8 hedge funds in the database of Insider Monkey held stakes worth $153 million in Ikena Oncology, Inc. (NASDAQ:IKNA), the same as in the preceding quarter worth $208 million.
Among the hedge funds being tracked by Insider Monkey, New York-based investment firm OrbiMed Advisors is a leading shareholder in Ikena Oncology, Inc. (NASDAQ:IKNA) with 2.9 million shares worth more than $36 million.
In addition to Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN), Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT), and Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:FB), Ikena Oncology, Inc. (NASDAQ:IKNA) is one of the stocks that institutional investors are monitoring.
