Finance
BA, VST, MTCH and more
Published
9 months agoon

Check out the companies making headlines in midday trading: Pinterest — Shares tumbled more than 14% after the social media company’s forward guidance came in below estimates. The company issued third-quarter revenue guidance in a range between $885 million and $900 million, below the $908.6 million consensus estimate analysts polled by FactSet were forecasting. Second-quarter earnings and revenue topped expectations, however, according to LSEG. Vistra — The stock soared nearly 15% after the Texas-based power company announced that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has approved its request to continue operating the Comanche Peak Nuclear Power Plant. The license renewal extends Vistra’s operations of the 2,400-megawatt plant through 2053. Match Group — Shares of the Tinder dating app owner moved more than 13% higher after the company posted second-quarter revenue of $864 million. That is above the $856.5 million estimate that analysts polled by FactSet had expected. Match also said it plans to exit live-streaming services in its dating apps and sunset Hyperconnect’s live-streaming app “Hakuna,” which provides services mainly in Japan and Korea. Advanced Micro Devices — Shares gained more than 4% following the chipmaker’s earnings and revenue beat for the second quarter. AMD posted adjusted earnings of 69 cents per share on revenue of $5.84 billion. Analysts surveyed by LSEG were expecting 68 cents per share on revenue of $5.72 billion. Nvidia and Qualcomm shares rallied in sympathy around 13% and more than 8%, respectively, following the results. Arista Networks — Shares of Arista Networks popped more than 11% after the networking company posted second-quarter results that topped Wall Street’s estimates on the top and bottom lines. The company reported adjusted earnings of $2.10 per share on $1.69 billion in revenue. Skyworks Solutions — The semiconductor stock plunged more than 3% after its fiscal third-quarter adjusted earnings of $1.21 failed to top the Street’s expectations. On the other hand, its revenue of $906 million exceeded analyst consensus of $900 million, according to LSEG. Upstart — The stock rallied more than 7% after Mizuho double upgraded it to outperform from underperform. Citing improving risk for borrowers and an increasing likelihood of lower interest rates as catalysts, analyst Dan Dolev sees shares rising 19% from Tuesday’s close. DuPont de Nemours — Shares rose around 4% following the company’s second-quarter results that beat Wall Street’s expectations. DuPont posted earnings of 97 cents per share, excluding items, on $3.17 billion in revenue. Analysts surveyed by LSEG had expected 85 cents in earnings per share on revenue of $3.05 billion. The chemical maker also raised its full-year forecast for earnings and revenue. Humana — Shares fell more than 10% after the health insurer posted full-year guidance that fell short of expectations. Humana expects earnings of $16 per share for the year, versus the $16.34 per share expected from analysts polled by FactSet. Starbucks — The coffee chain rose more than 2% despite reporting weaker-than-expected sales for the fiscal third quarter. Starbucks reported that revenue dipped to $9.11 billion, below the $9.24 billion expected by analysts. The company did meet expectations with adjusted earnings of 93 cents per share. AutoNation — The car dealer stock popped more than 6% despite revenue missing Wall Street expectations. AutoNation posted $6.48 billion in the quarter, under the $6.72 billion consensus forecast of analysts polled by LSEG. Kraft Heinz — Shares jumped around 4% after the ketchup maker posted better-than-expected second-quarter adjusted earnings. Revenue, however, came in below expectations at $6.48 billion, compared to the $6.55 billion analysts polled by FactSet had expected. Marriott International — The hotel stock fell nearly 5% after the company reported second-quarter revenue that missed expectations. Marriott reported $6.44 billion, which was below the $6.47 billion analysts polled by FactSet had expected. The company also posted weaker-than-expected guidance on adjusted earnings for the third quarter, forecasting a range of $2.27 to $2.33 per share. Analysts polled by FactSet expected $2.38 in earnings per share. Bunge — The food stock moved more than 8% lower after the company posted second-quarter results that missed analysts’ expectations. Bunge reported adjusted earnings of $1.73 per share on revenue of $13.24 billion. Analysts polled by FactSet had expected $1.83 in earnings per share on $14.3 billion in revenue. Constellation Energy — Shares rose more than 12% following results from the mid-Atlantic grid operator PJM’s capacity auction. The operator cleared a total of 17.5 gigawatts from Constellation between 2025 and 2026. Boeing — The aerospace company jumped 2% after it named Robert “Kelly” Ortberg to replace CEO Dave Calhoun. Ortberg previously helmed aerospace supplier Rockwell Collins, which is now known as Collins Aerospace. He begins his new role on Aug. 8. — CNBC’s Alex Harring, Samantha Subin, Lisa Kailai Han, Hakyung Kim, Jesse Pound and Michelle Fox contributed reporting.
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Finance
These are 3 big things we’re watching in the stock market this week
Published
10 hours agoon
April 27, 2025
A security guard works outside the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) before the Federal Reserve announcement in New York City, U.S., September 18, 2024.
Andrew Kelly | Reuters
The stock market bounce last week showed once again just how dependent Wall Street has become on the whims of the White House.

U.S. brands are rapidly losing their appeal in China as locals increasingly prefer competitive homegrown players, especially as economic growth slows, according to a TD Cowen survey released Thursday. While overall preference for Western brands dropped to 9%, down from 14% last year, certain American companies face higher risks than others, the report said, citing in-person interviews of 2,000 consumers with varied income levels in larger Chinese cities. TD Cowen partnered with an unnamed Beijing-based advisory firm to conduct the survey in February 2025, following a similar study in May 2024. The analysts see Apple ranking among the better-positioned brands in China. But they warned that several other American companies face high regional risks despite management optimism. China’s top leaders on Friday acknowledged the growing effect of trade tensions, and pledged targeted measures for struggling businesses. The official readout stopped short of a full-on stimulus announcement. “This year’s survey was conducted before the US-China trade war intensified, though threats were on the horizon,” the TD Cowen analysts said. “Add this factor to the equation, and it’s easy to see why uncertainty will remain elevated and households are likely to remain cautious going forward.” The survey found income expectations declined, with the share of respondents expecting a decline in pay over the next 12 months rising to 10% from 6%. In particular, Chinese consumers plan to spend less on a beauty items over the next six months, the survey showed, while increasing their preference for Chinese brands. U.S. cosmetics giant Estée Lauder retained first place in terms of highest awareness among Western beauty brands in China, but preference among consumers dropped to 19.6% of respondents, down from 24.3% last year. That contrasted with increases in respondents expressing a preference for the second and third market players Lancome and Chanel, respectively. In the quarter that ended Dec. 31, Estée Lauder said its Asia Pacific net sales fell 11%, due partly to “subdued consumer sentiment in mainland China, Korea and Hong Kong.” Asia Pacific accounted for 32% of overall sales in the quarter. In the lucrative sportswear category, Nike “lost meaningful preference in every category” versus last year, while local competitors Li-Ning and Anta saw gains, the survey found. TD Cowen’s analysis showed that among U.S. sportswear brands facing the most earnings risk relative to consensus expectations, Nike has the highest China sales exposure at 15%. “The China market is one characterized as a growth opportunity for sport according to Nike management in its recent fiscal Q3:25 earnings call in March 2025,” the analysts said, “but that the macro offers an increasingly challenging operating environment.” It’s not necessarily about slower growth or nationalism. While the survey found a 4-percentage-point drop in preference for foreign apparel and footwear brands, it also showed a 3-percentage-point increase in the inclination to buy the “best” product regardless of origin. “The implied perception here is that Western brands are offering less in the way of best product or value,” the TD Cowen analysts said. Starbucks similarly is running into fierce local competition while trying to maintain prices one-third or more above that of competitor Luckin Coffee, the report said. The survey found that the U.S. coffee giant “lags peers in terms of value and quality perception improvement.” Other coffee brands such as Manner, Tim’s, Cotti, %Arabica and M Stand have also expanded recently in China. Starbucks’ same-store sales in China fell 6% year on year in the quarter that ended Dec. 29, bringing the region’s share of total revenue to just under 8%. More worrisome is that a highly anticipated coffee boom in China may not materialize. “We note daily and weekly frequency of purchase among coffee drinkers are decreasing, suggesting the coffee habit seen in the U.S. is not taking hold in China,” the analysts said. They noted a new ownership structure for Starbucks‘ China business would be positive for the stock given the lack of near-term catalysts. TD Cowen rates Starbucks a buy, but has hold ratings on Nike and Estée Lauder.
Finance
Apple iPhone assembly in India won’t cushion China tariffs: Moffett
Published
1 day agoon
April 26, 2025

Leading analyst Craig Moffett suggests any plans to move U.S. iPhone assembly to India is unrealistic.
Moffett, ranked as a top analyst multiple times by Institutional Investor, sent a memo to clients on Friday after the Financial Times reported Apple was aiming to shift production toward India from China by the end of next year.
He’s questioning how a move could bring down costs tied to tariffs because the iPhone components would still be made in China.
“You have a tremendous menu of problems created by tariffs, and moving to India doesn’t solve all the problems. Now granted, it helps to some degree,” the MoffettNathanson partner and senior managing director told CNBC’s “Fast Money” on Friday. “I would question how that’s going to work.”
Moffett contends it’s not so easy to diversify to India — telling clients Apple’s supply chain would still be anchored in China and would likely face resistance.
“The bottom line is a global trade war is a two-front battle, impacting costs and sales. Moving assembly to India might (and we emphasize might) help with the former. The latter may ultimately be the bigger issue,” he wrote to clients.
Moffett cut his Apple price target on Monday to $141 from $184 a share. It implies a 33% drop from Friday’s close. The price target is also the Street low, according to FactSet.
“I don’t think of myself as the biggest Apple bear,” he said. “I think quite highly of Apple. My concern about Apple has been the valuation more than the company.”
Moffett has had a “sell” rating on Apple since Jan. 7. Since then, the company’s shares are down about 14%.
“None of this is because Apple is a bad company. They still have a great balance sheet [and] a great consumer franchise,” he said. “It’s just the reality of there are no good answers when you are a product company, and your products are going to be significantly tariffed, and you’re heading into a market that is likely to have at least some deceleration in consumer demand because of the macro economy.”
Moffett notes Apple also isn’t getting help from its carriers to cushion the blow of tariffs.
“You also have the demand destruction that’s created by potentially higher prices. Remember, you had AT&T, Verizon and T. Mobile all this week come out and say we’re not going to underwrite the additional cost of tariff [on] handsets,” he added. “The consumer is going to have to pay for that. So, you’re going to have some demand destruction that’s going to show up in even longer holding periods and slower upgrade rates — all of which probably trims estimates next year’s consensus.”
According to Moffett, the backlash against Apple in China over U.S. tariffs will also hurt iPhone sales.
“It’s a very real problem,” Moffett said. “Volumes are really going to the Huaweis and the Vivos and the local competitors in China rather than to Apple.”
Apple stock is coming off a winning week — up more than 6%. It comes ahead of the iPhone maker’s quarterly earnings report due next Thursday after the market close.
To get more personalized investment strategies, join us for our next “Fast Money” Live event on Thursday, June 5, at the Nasdaq in Times Square.

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