U.S. index futures started the week in positive territory on
Monday, after the three major indices recorded seven consecutive
weeks of gains.
At 5:10 AM, Dow Jones futures (DOWI:DJI) rose 64 points, or
0.17%. S&P 500 futures rose 0.21%, and Nasdaq-100 futures rose
0.12%. The yield on 10-year Treasury bonds was at 3.898%.
In the commodities market, January West Texas Intermediate crude
oil fell 0.57% to $71.02 per barrel. Brent crude oil for February
fell 0.51%, near $76.16 per barrel. Iron ore with a 62%
concentration grade, traded on the Dalian exchange, fell 1.59%, to
$130.11 per ton.
On the economic agenda, investors are waiting, at 10:00 AM, for
the December homebuilders’ confidence index to be published by the
NAHB.
Most European markets are down today, reversing earlier gains
stimulated by potential interest rate cuts in the U.S. in 2024.
Isabel Schnabel and Philip Lane from the ECB will speak today.
Asian stock markets showed a mixed trend, with a predominance of
negative outcomes. The Shanghai and Tokyo exchanges recorded
declines, reflecting investor caution, while Seoul stood out with a
slight advance. The major indices closed as follows: China’s
Shanghai SE fell 0.40%, Japan’s Nikkei decreased 0.64%, Hong Kong’s
Hang Seng Index fell 0.97%, while South Korea’s Kospi modestly rose
by 0.13%, and Australia’s ASX 200 closed down 0.22%.
U.S. stocks had a median performance on Friday. The Dow Jones
set a new record, rising 0.15%, while the S&P 500 was virtually
unchanged and the Nasdaq rose 0.35%. Wall Street digested comments
from John Williams of the Fed on monetary policy, while U.S.
industrial production saw a modest recovery. The housing and
utilities sectors showed weaknesses, while software advanced.
Looking ahead to Monday’s corporate earnings, investors will be
focused on the reports from Oracle (NYSE:ORCL),
Casey’s (NASDAQ:CASY), Blue Bird
(NASDAQ:BLBD), and Inotiv (NASDAQ:NOTV).
Wall Street Corporate Highlights for Today
Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) – More agencies and
state-backed companies in China are instructing employees not to
use iPhones and foreign devices at work, as part of the
government’s efforts to reduce dependence on foreign technologies
and promote local products.
Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA), Broadcom
(NASDAQ:AVGO), AMD (NASDAQ:AMD) – Nvidia ranks
fifth on the list of most valuable companies in the U.S., with a
market capitalization of $1.2 trillion. Broadcom climbed 16
positions in 2023 and broke into the top 10 for the first time,
ranking 10th with a valuation of $527.7 billion. The rise of chip
companies reflects the sector’s prominence due to demand for
artificial intelligence. AMD rose 48 positions and now ranks 30th
in terms of market capitalization, valued at $223.9 billion.
International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) –
IBM plans to acquire StreamSets and webMethods platforms from
Software AG for $2.33 billion to strengthen its artificial
intelligence and hybrid cloud offerings. The transaction is
expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2024, subject to
regulatory approvals.
Arm Holdings (NASDAQ:ARM) – Arm Holdings laid
off more than 70 software engineers in China, following the
semiconductor industry’s trend. The company is restructuring its
resources to focus on supporting local developers while facing
challenges related to technology exports and internal disputes.
Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) – Disney and Reliance
are considering a merger of their media units in India, but the
deal would likely face antitrust scrutiny due to the creation of a
duopoly that could exert anti-competitive power in the Indian media
and entertainment market.
Roku (NASDAQ:ROKU) – Roku’s stock fell 2% in
Monday’s pre-market trading to $94.04, following analysts at
Seaport Research downgrading the media streaming company’s rating
from “Neutral” to “Sell,” setting a target price of $75. This
downgrade follows a similar action on Friday by analysts at
MoffettNathanson, who stated that Roku’s shares had risen too
quickly. On Friday, Roku’s stock had already fallen 6.8%, despite
having risen 136% over the course of this year.
Anheuser-Busch Inbev (NYSE:BUD) – The Teamsters
union announced that 99% of its members voted in favor of
authorizing a strike at Anheuser-Busch breweries in the U.S. They
are seeking a new agreement that includes better wages, job
protection, and health and retirement benefits for their 5,000
members at the company’s 12 breweries. The current agreement ends
on February 29, 2024.
Unilever (NYSE:UL) – Unilever will sell its
beauty and personal care division, Elida Beauty, to private equity
firm Yellow Wood Partners. The deal, whose financial terms were not
disclosed, includes brands like Q-Tips and Brut, generating $1.02
billion in revenue in 2022. Unilever tried to sell Elida in 2021
but resumed the process in September. The sale is part of
Unilever’s strategy to focus on its top 30 brands and reduce
exposure in non-essential segments.
Illumina (NASDAQ:ILMN) – Illumina plans to
divest Grail, a cancer diagnostic testing manufacturer, after
facing regulatory challenges and pressure from investors, including
Carl Icahn. The divestiture will occur through sale to third
parties or a capital market transaction, with completion expected
by the second quarter of 2024.
DocuSign (NASDAQ:DOCU) – DocuSign, an
electronic signature company, is considering a sale with strategic
or private equity buyers. The discussions are in the early stages,
and a leveraged buyout deal, potentially larger than the $12.5
billion for Qualtrics (NASDAQ:XM), is being explored. DocuSign’s
shares fell 1% in Monday’s pre-market trading after rising 12% on
Friday.
Uber (NYSE:UBER), Jabil
(NYSE:JBL), Builders FirstSource (NYSE:BLDR) –
Shares of Uber Technologies, Jabil, and Builders FirstSource are
scheduled to debut in the S&P 500 on Monday.
UBS (NYSE:UBS) – UBS CEO Sergio Ermotti
expressed doubts about central banks’ control over inflation,
despite recent statements by the Federal Reserve about lower
interest rates. He emphasized the importance of agility in the face
of economic uncertainties and mentioned that UBS will cut 3,000
jobs in Switzerland following the acquisition of Credit Suisse.
JPMorgan Chase (NYSE:JPM) – JPMorgan Chase
plans to make changes in senior leadership to help potential
successors gain experience. The succession of CEO Jamie Dimon
remains uncertain, with Jennifer Piepszak and Marianne Lake among
the potential candidates. The changes may include new assignments
before one of them takes full command.
Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) – Goldman Sachs
predicts that the S&P 500 will reach 5,100 points by the end of
2024, citing the dovish tone of the Federal Reserve and improved
financial conditions as supporting factors. They also highlight
that the 5% earnings growth forecast for 2024 may be overly
pessimistic due to favorable financial conditions. Additionally,
Goldman Sachs downgraded its 2024 Brent oil forecast to $70-$90 per
barrel, citing robust U.S. production. They anticipate a peak of
$85 per barrel in June 2024 and an average of $81/$80 in 2024/2025.
U.S. non-OPEC supply and other U.S. production factors influence
this revision. OPEC will continue to control supply, and factors
such as recovery in China and the U.S. will limit the downside risk
in prices. Moreover, Goldman Sachs intends to expand its credit
business in India, targeting the country’s wealthy diaspora and
seeking opportunities in a growing economy, planning to widen its
loan range and obtain a license to expand currency trading.
Wells Fargo (NYSE:WFC) – Wells Fargo,
subsidiaries of Sun Life Financial, and investment firm P10 agreed
to pay a total of $5.5 million to resolve the allegation that they
inflated the cost of community development projects in Oregon,
aiming to increase benefits from a state tax credit program. The
companies did not admit wrongdoing but agreed to the settlement
agreements.
Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) – Morgan Stanley is
seeking to sell a $350 million loan made to Saudi Arabia’s Public
Investment Fund (PIF). The sale is part of the bank’s efforts to
reduce its exposure to corporate loans and follows the trend of
reducing capital-intensive assets as interest rates rise.
BlackRock (NYSE:BLK) – The U.S. House Judiciary
Committee subpoenaed BlackRock and State Street
(NYSE:STT) to provide documents related to the investigation into
whether ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) investment
practices violate antitrust laws. Both companies will cooperate
with the committee, which had previously subpoenaed Vanguard.
Additionally, BlackRock will invest up to $400 million in
Dubai-based decarbonization company Positive Zero through a
diversified infrastructure fund. The investment aims to support
energy transition projects in Gulf countries and help meet COP28
renewable energy targets.
Robinhood Markets (NASDAQ:HOOD) – Robinhood is
attracting customers from other brokerages and seeks to expand its
investor base beyond beginners. Since October 23, it has received
approximately $1.1 billion in account transfers, offering a 1%
match for transferred accounts.
Coinbase (NASDAQ:COIN) – The U.S. SEC rejected
a petition by Coinbase to establish new rules in the digital asset
sector, claiming that existing regulations apply to cryptocurrency.
Coinbase will contest the decision in court.
KKR and Company (NYSE:KKR) – KKR announced that
its credit funds have acquired a $7.2 billion recreational vehicle
(RV) loan portfolio from BMO Bank National Association. The
transaction aligns with KKR’s strategy of investing in private
credits backed by diverse assets.
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