Check out the companies making headlines in premarket trading: CrowdStrike — Shares slipped 5% after CNBC reported that Delta Airlines has retained legal counsel to pursue damages from both CrowdStrike and Microsoft after a software update led to mass flight interruptions in July. Woodward — The aerospace and industrial equipment company slipped more than 11% after fiscal third-quarter revenue missed Wall Street estimates. Woodward posted revenue of $847.7 million in the quarter, while analysts polled by FactSet forecast $853.3 million. F5 Inc . — Shares surged nearly 14% after the software company reported a top- and bottom-line beat in the fiscal third quarter. F5 posted adjusted earnings of $3.36 per share, compared to an LSEG estimate of $2.97 per share. Revenue of $695 million was also higher than the $686 million expected. Amkor Technology — The semiconductor packaging company edged more than 6% lower after Amkor’s third-quarter outlook missed Wall Street estimates. Amkor expects earnings per share in the range of 42 cents to 56 cents in the fourth quarter, while analysts surveyed by FactSet had forecast 64 cents per share. Merck — Shares were down more than 1% after the pharma giant issued weaker-than-expected earnings guidance for the full year. The company sees its full-year bottom line in a range of $7.94 per share to $8.04 per share. That missed a FactSet estimate of $8.16 per share and was below a previous company forecast. Lattice Semiconductor — Shares dove 15.9% after second-quarter earnings and current-quarter revenue guidance came in below expectations. Lattice earned 23 cents per share, excluding items, on $124 million in revenue during the second quarter, while analysts polled by LSEG anticipated 24 cents in earnings per share and $130 million in revenue. Bank of America downgraded shares to underperform from neutral, citing cooling prospects for growth and little visibility. Pfizer — Shares gained 1.4% after the drugmaker posted a second-quarter earnings and revenue beat . Pfizer also raised its full-year outlook. It now expects adjusted earnings per share of $2.45 to $2.65 for the fiscal year and revenue between $59.5 billion and $62.5 billion. Varonis Systems — Shares of the data security company surged 10% after Varonis Systems posted second-quarter results that exceeded expectations and issued stronger-than-expected current-quarter guidance. Adjusted earnings of 5 cents per share topped the loss of 2 cents per share forecast by analysts polled by FactSet. Revenue of $130.3 million came in above the $124.8 million consensus estimate. Symbotic — Shares of the automation company fell more than 19% after weak guidance for the fiscal fourth quarter. Symbotic said it expects revenue between $455 million and $475 million in its fiscal fourth quarter, compared to a FactSet consensus of $516.9 million. The company also reported $491.9 million in revenue for its fiscal third quarter, which was above a Wall Street forecast of $464.6 million. Howmet Aerospace — The aerospace manufacturer climbed 8% after posting second-quarter adjusted earnings of 67 cents per share, higher than the 60 cents analysts polled by FactSet had expected. The firm’s revenue of $1.88 billion also exceeded the estimated $1.83 billion. Additionally, Howmet increased its quarterly dividend to 8 cents per share from 5 cents per share, to be payable Aug. 26. Corning — Shares dropped 5.5%. The company, known for developing the Gorilla Glass used for iPhones, reported second-quarter earnings per share of 47 cents, slightly above the 46 cents expected from analysts polled by LSEG. Earnings guidance, however, was about in line with analysts’ expectations. Archer-Daniels-Midland — Shares fell 2% after the agricultural products maker reported adjusted second-quarter earnings of $1.03 a share, far below the $1.22 consensus analyst estimate via LSEG. ADM’s revenue for the period also missed expectations. JetBlue — Shares jumped 4% after the airline said adjusted earnings per share was 8 cents for the second quarter. Analysts had expected a loss. Revenue was slightly better than expected in the period. PayPal — Shares jumped 4% after the payments company said second-quarter adjusted earnings per share was $1.19, far ahead of the 99 cents per share expected by analysts polled by FactSet. PayPal also raised its 2024 outlook and upped its share buyback plan. Procter & Gamble — Shares fell 3% after the consumer products giant reported second-quarter revenue of $20.53 billion, below the $20.74 billion expected by analysts surveyed by LSEG. P & G’s adjusted earnings of $1.40 a share for the period was higher than the $1.37 a share expected by analysts, according to LSEG. Leidos — The stock popped more than 7% on the back of better-than-expected second-quarter results. Leidos, which provides IT services for the U.S. Pentagon, earned $2.63 per share, excluding items, on revenue of $4.13 billion. Analysts polled by StreetAccount expected a profit of $2.27 per share on revenue of $4.06 billion. The company also raised its full-year earnings guidance. Zebra Technologies — Shares of the tracker and computer printing technology manufacturer gained 3% after the company reported second-quarter results that beat expectations. Zebra earned $3.18 per share, excluding certain items, on revenue of $1.22 billion. Analysts expected a profit of $2.80 per share on revenue of $1.18 billion, according to StreetAccount. The company also increased its full-year earnings guidance. — CNBC’s Michelle Fox, Hakyung Kim, Lisa Kailai Han, Alex Harring, Jesse Pound, Fred Imbert and John Melloy 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.