Check out the companies making headlines before the bell: CrowdStrike — Shares of CrowdStrike were up nearly 2% after CEO George Kurtz said more than 97% of Window sensors were back online after last week’s global IT outage. However, the stock is on pace for a 17% week-to-date decline. Semiconductor stocks — Nvidia , Broadcom , Advanced Micro Devices , Qualcomm and Micron Technology all advanced more than 2% as the chipmaker space tried to recover some of this week’s lost ground. Deckers Outdoors — The footwear stock soared 12% after Deckers reported a fiscal first-quarter earnings and revenue beat. Deckers’ earnings came out to $4.52 per share on revenue of $825 million, while analysts surveyed by LSEG had only forecast earnings per share of $3.48 on $808 million in revenue. Dexcom — The medical device stock plummeted more than 36% after the company posted a second-quarter revenue miss. Dexcom also lowered its fiscal full-year revenue guidance. Boston Beer — The alcohol stock slipped 2% after Boston Beer posted second-quarter earnings per share of $4.39, while analysts polled by LSEG had expected $5.02. The company’s $579 million in revenue was also lower than the consensus estimate of $597 million. Coursera — The online course provider stock surged 26% after Coursera posted second-quarter revenue of $170 million, which exceeded the $164 million analysts had expected, according to LSEG. However, Coursera reported a per-share loss of 15 cents, while analysts had forecast earnings of 1 cent per share. Mohawk Industries — Shares of the flooring manufacturer jumped 14% after the company announced a quarterly beat on both the top and bottom lines. In addition, Mohawk announced that it would be undertaking additional cost-cutting efforts to generate annualized savings of $100 million. 3M — The industrials giant added nearly 7% after posting second-quarter adjusted earnings of $1.93 and adjusted revenue of $6.02 billion. This exceeded the adjusted earnings of $1.68 on revenue of $5.88 billion analysts were looking for, per LSEG. Bristol Myers Squibb — The pharmaceutical stock jumped 4% after a stronger-than-expected report for the second quarter. Bristol Myers Squibb reported $2.07 in adjusted earnings per share on $12.20 billion of revenue. Analysts surveyed by LSEG were looking for $1.63 per share on $11.55 billion. Revenue rose 9% year over year. Norfolk Southern — The railroad operator advanced nearly 8% after posting second-quarter earnings per share of $3.06, while analysts polled by LSEG had sought earnings of $2.86 per share. The company’s revenue of $3.04 billion was in line with expectations. WW International — The Weight Watchers parent lost 5.3% on the back of a Morgan Stanley downgrade to equal weight from overweight. Morgan Stanley said medications used for treating obesity are a long-term headwind on the core business. Charter Communications — Shares gained 9% after the telecommunications company reported second-quarter adjusted EBITDA of $5.67 billion, higher than the FactSet estimate of $5.48 billion. Charter’s $13.69 billion revenue also exceeded the $13.59 billion analysts had expected. Coinbase — Shares of the cryptocurrency platform jumped 4%, following bitcoin prices higher. The flagship currency was last up about 4%, following a retreat in the prior day. — CNBC’s Alex Harring, Sarah Min and Jesse Pound contributed reporting.
After last month’s excitement over stimulus plans, Chinese stocks now face mounting challenges as earnings have yet to pick up and heightened U.S. trade tensions loom. “Stock picking remains important with [the] headwind of tariffs, a weaker currency and persistent deflation,” Morgan Stanley chief China equity strategist Laura Wang and a team said in a report Thursday. For investment options, she referred to the firm’s survey of China stocks the investment bank’s analysts already cover. The firm screened for stocks that could outperform depending on which of three scenarios unfolded. Only the bear case accounted for significant U.S. tariffs and restrictions. The base and bull cases assumed the status quo in U.S.-China relations. The bear case also expects 1 trillion yuan, or $140 billion, in fiscal stimulus a year and MSCI China earnings per share growth of 3% this year and 5% next year. Morgan Stanley’s basket of bear case stocks only includes overweight-rated names with a dividend yield above 4% this year. They also have free cash flow yield above 4% from 2023 to 2025 and market capitalization above $2 billion, among other factors. The companies must not be on Morgan Stanley’s lists of stocks at a disadvantage from Republican policy and supply chain diversification. The only consumer name that made the list was Tingyi , a Hong Kong-listed company that owns instant noodles brand Master Kong. The company is also PepsiCo ‘s exclusive manufacturer and seller in China. Tingyi’s net profit in beverages rose nearly 26% in the first half of 2024 compared to a year ago, while that of instant noodles rose 5.4%. Morgan Stanley expects Tingyi’s earnings per share to grow 12% this year and 11% in 2025. Other Chinese companies that made Morgan Stanley’s bear case basket included two state-owned energy stocks: drilling company China Oilfield Services and Cosco Shipping Energy Transportation , which specializes in shipping oil and natural gas. Both stocks are listed in Hong Kong, as is the only industrials name on the bear case list, Sinotruk . The truck manufacturer is also state owned. Morgan Stanley expects China Oilfield Services can grow earnings per share by 41% this year and 33% next year, while Cosco Shipping Energy Transportation can see its earnings rise 33% this year, before slowing to 16% growth next year. Sinotruk earnings can grow 18% this year and 17% next year, according to Morgan Stanley estimates. MSCI China constituents are on track for their 13th straight quarter of earnings misses, despite recent improvements in economic data, Morgan Stanley’s Wang said. “We expect further earnings downward revisions amid lingering deflationary pressure and geopolitical uncertainties until more policy clarity emerges.” Asia equity fund managers have modestly increased their exposure to China since September’s stimulus announcements, Morningstar strategist Claire Liang said in a phone interview Friday. “But many managers have said whether this rally can continue will depend on whether the policies can see real results,” Liang said in Mandarin, which was translated by CNBC. Beyond stabilizing the economy, she said the managers are looking for whether corporate earnings can recover. China’s October data release on Friday underscored a slow economic recovery despite the latest barrage of stimulus announcements. Industrial production missed forecasts. Fixed asset investment grew more slowly than forecast as the drop in real estate investment steepened, albeit with new home sales narrowing their decline. Only retail sales beat expectations with 4.8% growth . For China’s export-heavy economy, the risk of U.S. tariffs has only risen over the past two weeks as the Republican Party has taken control of the U.S. Congress and President-elect Donald Trump has filled his cabinet with China hawks. Morgan Stanley’s U.S. policy team expects Trump to impose tariffs soon after he takes office, and potentially hit Europe and Mexico along with China imports. While China is better positioned than six years ago to stave off the effects of targeted tariffs, the analysts said global duties on U.S. imports would hit China as much as targeted tariffs did in 2018.
Elon Musk at the tenth Breakthrough Prize ceremony held at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on April 13, 2024 in Los Angeles, California.
The Hollywood Reporter | The Hollywood Reporter | Getty Images
On Saturday, Elon Musk shared who he is endorsing for Treasury secretary on X, a cabinet position President-elect Donald Trump has yet to announce his preference to fill.
Musk wrote that Howard Lutnick, Trump-Vance transition co-chair and CEO and chairman of Cantor Fitzgerald, BGC Group and Newmark Group chairman, will “actually enact change.”
Lutnick and Key Square Group founder and CEO Scott Bessent are reportedly top picks to run the Treasury Department.
Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, also included his thoughts on Bessent in his post on X.
“My view fwiw is that Bessent is a business-as-usual choice,” he wrote.
“Business-as-usual is driving America bankrupt so we need change one way or another,” he added.
Musk also stated it would be “interesting to hear more people weigh in on this for @realDonaldTrump to consider feedback.”
Howard Lutnick, chairman and chief executive officer of Cantor Fitzgerald LP, left, and Elon Musk, chief executive officer of Tesla Inc., during a campaign event with former US President Donald Trump, not pictured, at Madison Square Garden in New York, US, on Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024.
Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images
In a statement to Politico, Trump transition spokesperson Karoline Leavitt made it clear that the president-elect has not made any decisions regarding the position of Treasury secretary.
“President-elect Trump is making decisions on who will serve in his second administration,” Leavitt said in a statement. “Those decisions will be announced when they are made.”
Both Lutnick and Bessent have close ties to Trump. Lutnick and Trump have known each other for decades, and the CEO has even hosted a fundraiser for the president-elect.
The Wall Street Journal also reported that Lutnick has already been helping Trump review candidates for cabinet positions in his administration.
On the other hand, Bessent was a key economic advisor to the president-elect during his 2024 campaign. Bessent also received an endorsement from Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, according to Semafor.
“He’s from South Carolina, I know him well, he’s highly qualified,” Graham said.
Money manager John Davi is positioning for challenges tied to President-elect Donald Trump’s tariff agenda.
Davi said he worries the new administration’s policies could be “very inflationary,” so he thinks it is important to choose investments carefully.
“Small-cap industrials make more sense than large-cap industrials,” the Astoria Portfolio Advisors CEO told CNBC’s “ETF Edge” this week.
Davi, who is also the firm’s chief investment officer, expects the red sweep will help push a pro-growth, pro-domestic policy agenda forward that will benefit small caps.
It appears Wall Street agrees so far. Since the presidential election, the Russell 2000 index, which tracks small-cap stocks, is up around 4% as of Friday’s close.
Davi, whose firm has $1.9 billion in assets under management, also likes staying domestic despite the tariff risks.
“We’re overweight the U.S. I think that’s the right playbook in the next few years until the midterms,” added Davi. “We have two years of where he [Trump] can control a lot of the narrative.”
But Davi plans to stay away from fixed income due to challenges tied to the growing budget deficit.
“Be careful if you own bonds for sure,” said Davi.