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☆ Bank of America analyzed more than 1,000 stocks for 2024 and pinpointed the top 31 small- and mid-cap picks with average upside of 30%
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Laila Maidan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Wall Street doesn't expect the stock market to perform very well this year. Investors should look for value and find specific winners in 2024 rather than bet on the entire market. Bank of America found stocks that should benefit from Fed rate cuts and expand their margins. Then again, the broader stock market isn't expected to do much better either. Mid-caps trail closely behind at a 5% to 6% discount, but small-caps trade at a tantalizing 16% discount.

Persons: Dave Sekara Organizations: Bank of America, Morningstar, Business

☆ Trade Tracker: Stephanie Link sells Alphabet and buys more Amazon
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailTrade Tracker: Stephanie Link sells Alphabet and buys more AmazonStephanie Link, CIO at Hightower, joins CNBC's 'Halftime Report' to break down her latest trades. Jason Snipe and Joe Terranova join the mega-cap debate.

Persons: Stephanie Link, Hightower, Jason Snipe, Joe Terranova

☆ Amazon shares are running into stiff resistance ahead of earnings, according to the charts
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Todd Gordon | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Amazon (AMZN) is set to report earnings this Thursday after the bell with the stock on a roll and expectations high. However, there are signs that the impressive run may be headed for overhead resistance, according to the charts. Further, there are signs within the consumer discretionary sector that recent underperformance compared to the rest of the 'growth trade' may persist. The consumer discretionary space has been showing signs of weakness relative to the other growth/offensive sectors like technology and communications that continue to power ahead. If so, the sub-mega cap companies in consumer discretionary may have their work cut out for them.

Persons: It's, XLY, Gordon, AMZN Organizations: Edge, Netflix Locations: AMZN, TSLA, Tesla

☆ Trump allies ramp up attacks on Taylor Swift ahead of Super Bowl
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Taylor Swift performs during The Eras Tour at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood Monday, Aug. 7, 2023. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)Taylor Swift endorsed President Joe Biden's winning 2020 campaign — and while she hasn't backed Biden's reelection bid yet, allies of former President Donald Trump are already getting ready for it. Those attacks have ramped up ahead of the Super Bowl, which Swift is expected to try to attend to cheer on her boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. Vivek Ramaswamy, a Republican former presidential candidate who has endorsed Trump, wondered aloud on X whether an "artificially culturally propped-up couple" would endorse Biden after the Super Bowl. Swift was already a mega-celebrity when she endorsed Biden in 2020.

Persons: Taylor Swift, Allen J, Joe Biden's, —, Donald Trump, Swift, Travis Kelce, Vivek Ramaswamy, Trump, Biden, Ramaswamy, Alina Habba, Habba, Jesse Watters, it's Organizations: Los Angeles Times, Getty, Kansas City Chiefs, Republican, Biden, Fox News, Pentagon, Democratic, Trump Locations: Inglewood, U.S

☆ I worked on cruise ships for 6 years. Here are the 5 best and 5 worst rooms to book for your trip.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Sharon Waugh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Here are what I consider to be the best and worst staterooms to book on a cruise. BEST ROOMS TO BOOK ON A CRUISEOcean-view rooms are only worth it if the windows aren't obstructed. Obstructed ocean-view roomsPartially obstructed ocean-view staterooms have a window that's usually at least a little blocked by a lifeboat. Although many people book these rooms because they're slightly cheaper than ocean-view rooms, the view ends up being more obstructed than expected most of the time. Adjoining rooms with other partiesSome cruise ships have adjoining staterooms with an internal door separating the two neighboring cabins.

Persons: Sharon Waugh, Drake, staterooms, I've, It's, Debbie Ann Powell, Shutterstock Staterooms, Extroverts Organizations: Norwegian Cruise Line, Royal, Cruises, NCL, Port, Disabilities Locations: Norwegian, Royal Caribbean, staterooms

☆ Premarket stocks: Blue chips are crumbling. Here’s why
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

New York CNN —Blue chip stocks have long been synonymous with stability and reliability. Named for the most valuable poker chips, these stocks supposedly represent the crème de la crème of the corporate world, companies like Disney, General Motors and Verizon. Known for their strong financial foundations, longevity, and a healthy flow of dividends, blue chip stocks have long been the go-to for investors seeking steady returns. Their values have surged so high that they’ve been buoying the broader market even as many blue chips have struggled. The problem is that despite being included in blue chip ETF indexes, companies like Nvidia and Tesla aren’t truly blue chip stocks, George Pearkes, an analyst at Bespoke, told CNN.

Persons: Tesla, ”, Henry Allen, George Pearkes, Mark Zuckerberg, Zuckerberg, Linda Yaccarino, Evan Spiegel, Jason Citron, Read, Brian Fung, Joe Biden, Frank Pallone Organizations: CNN Business, Bell, New York CNN, Disney, General Motors, Verizon, Nvidia, Apple, Microsoft, Meta, Investment, Nasdaq, Big Tech, Deutsche Bank, Tesla, Target, Pfizer, Nike, Charter Communications, CNN, Tech, —, House Democrats, New, New Hampshire voters, YouMail, House Energy, Commerce Locations: New York, DC, —, New Hampshire

☆ Mega-cap earnings on deck: Here's what you need to know
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailMega-cap earnings on deck: Here's what you need to knowCNBC's Deirdre Bosa reports on what to expect from big tech earnings this season.

Persons: Deirdre Bosa

☆ Take a look at how the market hinges on solid earnings from the 'Magnificent 7' this quarter
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Sarah Min | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Six of the Magnificent Seven companies — Alphabet , Apple , Amazon.com , Meta Platforms , Microsoft and Nvidia — are set to be the top six companies driving year-over-year earnings growth in the fourth quarter, Butters noted. Without them, earnings in the other 494 other S & P 500 companies are set to have fallen by 10.5%. And, taken as a whole, S & P 500 earnings are tracking to have eased 1.4% in the quarter. "Are companies in the 'Magnificent 7' ... expected to drive earnings higher for the S & P 500 for the fourth quarter?" In the first quarter of 2024, Alphabet, Amazon, Meta Platforms and Nvidia are projected to report year-over-year earnings growth of almost 80%.

Persons: John Butters, Butters, Dave Sekera, Sekera, FactSet's John Butters Organizations: FactSet, Microsoft, Nvidia, Apple, Morningstar Research Services Locations: U.S

☆ All eyes are on mega-caps as the sector is set to report earnings
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailAll eyes are on mega-caps as the sector is set to report earningsCNBC’s Deirdre Bosa joins 'Power Lunch' to discuss the 'Super Six' as the group is set to report earnings.

Persons: Deirdre Bosa

☆ Big week for the Magnificent 7
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailBig week for the Magnificent 7Joe Terranova, senior managing director at Virtus Investment Partners, joins CNBC's "Halftime Report" to explain why he's willing to pay a premium for Microsoft, Google, and other mega-cap tech.

Persons: Joe Terranova Organizations: Virtus Investment Partners, Microsoft, Google

☆ We could have a new member of the $2 trillion market cap club this week
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Samantha Subin | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

On Monday, Alphabet closed at a market capitalization of $1.91 trillion, less than $100 billion away from a $2 trillion market cap and trailing Microsoft and Apple with market capitalizations last at $3.03 trillion and $2.91 trillion, respectively. Beyond Alphabet Alphabet is close to entering the $2 trillion club, but other prominent mega-cap tech companies are making progress, too. Amazon's market cap finished Monday at $1.64 trillion. The managing partner also sees Meta Platforms as a future $2 trillion market cap candidate. The maker of sophisticated graphics processing units reached a $1 trillion market cap for the first time only in 2023, when it climbed almost 240%.

Persons: Paul Meeks, Meeks, Merrill Lynch, bode, Gene Munster, Dan Ives, Ives, they're, Deepwater's Munster, Wedbush's Ives, Jensen Organizations: Microsoft, Apple, Merrill, Merrill Lynch Investment, Deepwater Asset Management, Amazon Web Services, Munster, Nvidia Locations: U.S

☆ Stocks are the 'asset class of choice' as markets are now used to bad news, strategist says
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Traders work on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., January 29, 2024. One is energy prices — will the trouble in the Middle East be a transmission into higher energy prices, or the war in Eastern Europe? Not really, if you look at how energy prices have developed," he told CNBC's "Squawk Box Europe" on Tuesday. watch nowHe added that markets had "gotten used to trouble in geopolitics" over the last five years, so the impact on asset prices of any further bad news would be somewhat limited. Wittmann acknowledged that risk, but remains bullish about broader upside potential in stocks.

Persons: Brendan Mcdermid, Beat Wittmann, Wittmann, CNBC's Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, Porta Advisors, Federal Reserve, Fed Locations: New York City, U.S, Eastern Europe, Covid, Suez, Israel, Ukraine

☆ Microsoft gets a price target hike after posting a great quarter driven by AI
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Jeff Marks | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Microsoft reported strong fiscal second-quarter results Tuesday, boosted by the strength of AI. Cloud unit Azure was better than expected thanks to organizations running AI applications on its cloud. That's double from last quarter as Azure AI customers grew to 53,000 from more than 18,000 last quarter. What's fascinating about Azure AI is that over one-third of its customers are completely new to Azure, according to Microsoft, highlighting the importance every organization has in understanding its AI strategy. Microsoft guided Productivity and Business Processes revenues to $19.3 billion to $19.6 billion, ahead of the consensus of $19.45 billion.

Persons: Satya Nadella, Jim Cramer's, Jim Cramer, Jim, David Paul Morris Organizations: Microsoft, Revenue, LSEG, Nvidia, AMD, Productivity, LinkedIn, Activision Blizzard, Windows, Activision, CNBC, CES, Bloomberg, Getty Locations: Las Vegas

☆ Nasdaq 100 futures slide, Alphabet shares drop after results: Live updates
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Hakyung Kim | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Futures tied to the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 fell Tuesday night after a pair of mega-cap tech companies posted their quarterly results. Futures tied to the S&P 500 were down 0.4%, while Dow Jones Industrial Average futures traded near the flatline. In after-hours trading, shares of Alphabet dropped 5.3%, while Microsoft shed 0.3% after the tech giants posted quarterly earnings. The fed funds futures market has priced in a nearly 98% probability that the central bank will leave rates unchanged, according to the CME FedWatch tool. Chipmaker Qualcomm is scheduled to announce its quarterly earnings after the close.

Persons: Sam Stovall, —, Stovall, Dow, Jerome Powell's Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, Nasdaq, Federal, Dow Jones Industrial, Microsoft, Fed, Dow, Boeing, Qualcomm Locations: New York City, U.S

NEW YORK (AP) — After initially staying out of the 2024 presidential race, billionaire hedge fund manager Ken Griffin has thrown his support behind Nikki Haley as she takes on Donald Trump for the Republican presidential nomination. Griffin made two contributions in December and January to a super PAC backing Haley's campaign totaling $5 million, according to Zia Ahmed, a spokesman for Griffin’s Citadel hedge fund. The second donation was made in early January, before the Iowa caucuses in which Haley finished third behind Trump and Florida Gov. “It's a narrower road than it was eight weeks ago,” Griffin said earlier Tuesday of Haley's path to becoming the nominee. Griffin was initially expected to support DeSantis, having praised him before he jumped into the race last year.

Persons: —, Ken Griffin, Nikki Haley, Donald Trump, Griffin, Zia Ahmed, Haley, Ron DeSantis, “, ” Griffin, ” Organizations: Republican, Citadel, Trump, Florida Gov, United Nations, “, U.S . House, Disney Locations: Iowa, Miami, New Hampshire, South Carolina, America, Florida

☆ Amazon and Roomba maker call off acquisition deal, iRobot lays off staff instead
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Jennifer Korn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Amazon and iRobot, the maker of the popular Roomba vacuum, mutually called off their estimated $1.7 billion acquisition deal Monday, citing numerous regulatory hurdles. Amazon (AMZN), which was up about 0.5% in noon trading, will pay iRobot a previously agreed-upon $94 million cancellation fee. IRobot said the restructuring plan, impacting around 350 employees, is intended to save the company up to $150 million. In November, the European Commission said the deal could hamper competition in the robot vacuum sector. Earlier this month, the Wall Street Journal reported that the European Commission planned to block the deal.

Persons: iRobot, Colin Angle, Glen Weinstein, IRobot, “, ” Andrew Miller, iRobot’s, ” David Zapolsky, Lina Khan, ”, Meta Organizations: CNN, European, Federal Trade, European Union, European Commission, Wall Street Journal, Amazon, Federal Trade Commission, Commission, Amazon . Tech, Adobe, EU, UK, Nvidia, UK’s Competition, Markets Authority, Activision Blizzard, CMA Locations: Europe

☆ Mega-cap earnings: Here's what to expect
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailMega-cap earnings: Here's what to expectJoe Terranova, Steve Weiss and Bill Baruch weigh in on big tech valuations ahead of this week's earnings.

Persons: Joe Terranova, Steve Weiss, Bill Baruch

☆ S&P 500 futures are little changed as investors parse latest earnings reports: Live updates
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Alex Harring | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

S&P 500 futures are near flat Monday night as investors analyzed the latest corporate earnings with the Federal Reserve policy meeting on the horizon. These moves follow a winning day on Wall Street that brought the Dow and S&P 500 to their sixth record closes of the year. Monday marked the start of a busy week for corporate earnings, with 19% of companies in the S&P 500 set to report. Of the nearly one-quarter of S&P 500 members that have already reported, about 72% exceeded Wall Street expectations, according to FactSet. Elsewhere on Tuesday, investors will follow Microsoft and Alphabet , two of the mega-cap technology names set to report earnings this week.

Persons: Keith Buchanan, We've Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, Federal Reserve, Nasdaq, Dow Jones Industrial, Whirlpool, Dow, Globalt Investments, U.S . Treasury Department, Federal, Microsoft, Apple, General Motors, UPS, Starbucks Locations: New York City, U.S

☆ The stock market rally is showing signs of exhaustion, according to multiple chart analysts
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Sarah Min | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Several chart analysts are worried stocks are showing signs of exhaustion after their recent rally. Even there, however, we started to see some cracks last week as upside exhaustion also showed itself," Krinsky added. JC O'Hara, chief market technician at Roth MKM, wrote: "This persistence of gains is rare, and we are seeing signs that leadership is feeling exhaustion." However, when we view the chart, we find early signs of bullish exhaustion," O'Hara wrote. "From a trading basis, lethargic internal behavior suggests the bull cycle is due for a breather," Wald wrote on Saturday.

Persons: Jonathan Krinsky, Krinsky, JC O'Hara, Roth MKM, O'Hara, Rob Ginsberg, Ginsberg, SMH, that's, Oppenheimer's Ari Wald, Russell, Wald Organizations: Reserve, Microsoft, Nasdaq, Bears, Wolfe Research, VanEck Semiconductor

☆ What to expect when tech behemoth Apple reports quarterly earnings this week
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Morgan Chittum | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Every weekday the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer holds a "Morning Meeting" livestream at 10:20 a.m. Investors shouldn't be surprised if Apple earnings aren't stellar, Jim said. As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade. THE ABOVE INVESTING CLUB INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY , TOGETHER WITH OUR DISCLAIMER . NO FIDUCIARY OBLIGATION OR DUTY EXISTS, OR IS CREATED, BY VIRTUE OF YOUR RECEIPT OF ANY INFORMATION PROVIDED IN CONNECTION WITH THE INVESTING CLUB.

Persons: Jim Cramer, shouldn't, Jim, Abbott, Jim Cramer's, ABT Organizations: CNBC, Dow, Nasdaq, Big Tech, Club, Microsoft, Apple, Federal, Abbott, GLP Locations: MSFT

☆ Apple analysts are starting to get a bit worried ahead of earnings this week
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Samantha Subin | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Some Wall Street firms are sounding the alarm on Apple heading into the iPhone maker's earnings after the bell Thursday. Some analysts are bracing for soft iPhone numbers and a potential guide down in March's forecast. AAPL YTD mountain Apple shares year to date Apple's earnings report comes as the technology giant lags its mega-cap peers and the overall market. Apple shares are flat on the year, while the S & P 500 is up 2.5% in that time. Despite these fears, the firm remains bullish on the stock over the long run, sticking with its buy rating.

Persons: Tim Long, Tesla, Long, David Vogt, Apple, William Power, Baird Organizations: Barclays, Apple, UBS, Mar Locations: China

☆ The top 4 ways big corporations are fueling global wealth inequality: report
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-28 | by ( Katie Balevic | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

Withholding their fair share in taxes. The wealthy business owners and their corporations have engaged in a "sustained and highly effective war on taxation," Oxfam found. Though some of the mega-wealthy have voiced the need for them to pay their fair share, but the disparities are still gaping and calls for a global billionaire tax, which could yield as much as $250 billion annually, have not gained traction. "Corporate taxes are disproportionately borne by the richest, thus the collapse in corporate taxes in recent decades has essentially provided another tax cut for the wealthy," Oxfam's analysis found.

Organizations: Oxfam

☆ The Maldives are known as a luxury vacation destination. But for $100 per day, my husband and I had the trip of a lifetime.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-28 | by ( Geena Truman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

AdvertisementThe key to budget travel in the Maldives is visiting the local islandsWe found visiting local islands to be a beautiful and affordable way to experience the true culture of the Maldives. AdvertisementThe local Maldivian Islands were affordable and beautifulThe local islands were stunning. These excursions proved the waters of the local islands had just as much to offer as the private-island resorts. By staying on the local islands, we got to experience more of the Maldivian cultureBecause we visited the local islands, we got to learn a lot about the local culture. By staying on the local islands, we got to interact with members of the community and learn about their incredible sea-faring history.

Persons: —, Geena Truman, we'd, Truman Organizations: Service, Business, Manta Rays Locations: Maldives, Southeast Asia, Ukulhas, Omadhoo, Maldivian

☆ After Tesla’s dismal quarter, more of the Magnificent Seven face tests next week
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-28 | by ( Krystal Hur | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

That comes as the rest of the “Magnificent Seven” — Nvidia, Microsoft, Meta Platforms, Amazon, Apple and Alphabet — continue climbing higher. Excluding Tesla, the Magnificent Seven is projected to report an aggregate 53.7% fourth-quarter earnings growth from the prior year, according to FactSet. Companies in the S&P 500 index are expected to report a 10.5% earnings decline minus those six firms. The “Magnificent Seven” excluding Tesla has a combined market cap of roughly $12 trillion, according to Bespoke Investment Group data through Wednesday’s close. Her firm owns all of the Magnificent Seven stocks except for Tesla.

Persons: Tesla, Howard Silverblatt, Dow, “ You’re, ”, Saira Malik, Russell, “, Shelby McFaddin, Wall, Joe Mazzola, Charles Schwab Organizations: New, New York CNN — Tech, Nvidia, Microsoft, Meta, Amazon, Apple, Companies, Big Tech, Dow Jones, Investors, Federal Reserve, Dow, Tesla, Investment, Federal, — Locations: New York

☆ Stock futures fall ahead of big tech earnings and Fed meeting decision: Live updates
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-28 | by ( Hakyung Kim | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The Dow Jones and S&P both hit all time highs with the Dow Jones closing over 38,000 points for the first time ever as stocks continue to rise. U.S. stock futures fell across the board Sunday night as Wall Street looked toward several mega-cap tech earnings reports and the Federal Reserve's rate policy decision. Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average declined 86 points, or 0.2%. This week marks the busiest week of the earnings season, with 19% of the S&P 500 reporting earnings. Traders in the fed funds futures market assigned an almost 97% probability the Fed will not cut rates at the upcoming meeting, according to the CME Group.

Persons: Dow Jones, Tesla, Sonu Varghese Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, Dow Jones, Nasdaq, Intel, Microsoft, Apple, Dow, Boeing, Merck, Federal, Traders, CME, Carson Group Locations: New York City, . U.S

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