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☆ Carvana shares spike 30% as used car retailer posts record first quarter
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( Michael Wayland | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Vehicles are seen on display at a Carvana dealership in Austin, Texas, on Feb. 20, 2023. Shares of Carvana popped more than 30% during after-hours trading Wednesday after the automaker reported record quarterly results and turned a profit during the first quarter. It also posted an all-time-best adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization of $235 million, up from a $24 million loss a year earlier. Carvana's adjusted profit margin for the quarter was 7.7%. They had climbed roughly 67% so far this year before the company reported its first-quarter results.

Persons: Carvana, Ernie Garcia III, Garcia, Mark Jenkins Organizations: Wednesday Locations: Austin , Texas

☆ Shares of two big online education stocks tank more than 10% as students use ChatGPT
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Michelle Fox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

As a result, Jefferies downgraded the stock to underperform from hold and lowered its price target to $4 from $7, suggesting 2% downside from Monday's close. Both stocks sank by more than 10% on Tuesday after issuing disappointing guidance in part because of students using AI tools such as ChatGPT. The rapid rise of artificial intelligence appears to be taking a toll on the shares of online education companies Chegg and Coursera . After Chegg's most recent results, Morgan Stanley lowered its price target to $6.50 from $7 and maintained its underweight rating. He maintained his neutral rating and cut his price target to $8 from $9.

Persons: James, Brent Thill, Jefferies, Chegg, Daniel L, Rosensweig, Nathan Schultz, Thill, ChatGPT, Morgan Stanley, Josh Baer, Schultz, Bryan Smilek, Coursera Organizations: LSEG, JPMorgan, StreetAccount Locations: Shepherdsville , Kentucky

☆ Goldman names 'stable growers' to buy as higher rates put brakes on 2024 rally
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-29 | by ( Yun Li | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

"Stocks with stable growth typically perform best alongside decelerating economic growth." In this economic climate, Goldman is advising clients to buy stocks offering stable growth. The Wall Street bank screened Russell 1000 stocks for those with the most stable growth in earnings before taxes, depreciation and amortization on a quarterly basis over the past 10 years. "Should the outlook for earnings growth deteriorate, the recent stretch of quality outperformance will likely continue and also expand to include stocks with stable growth," Goldman said. Industrial companies such as Waste Management and Fastenal also made the list, as well as consumer discretionary names Domino's Pizza and AutoZone .

Persons: Goldman Sachs, David Kostin, Goldman, Fastenal Organizations: Federal Reserve, Russell, PepsiCo, Colgate, Palmolive, Waste Management

☆ Buy this 'dirt-cheap,' top-rated dividend stock with a 4% yield, Morningstar says
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-29 | by ( Weizhen Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

There's one dividend stock that Morningstar says is "deeply undervalued" right now and which it's bullish on for the long term. "Yet we're bullish on this undervalued stock for the long term. Goldstein noted that FMC's products lean toward insecticides, which generate over half of its revenue. According to FactSet, FMC has an indicated annual dividend yield of 4% for 2024. "FMC stock looks deeply undervalued, trading at half of what we think it's worth," Goldstein added.

Persons: Morningstar, Seth Goldstein, Goldstein, Morningstar's, Dave Sekera Organizations: Morningstar, FMC Locations: FactSet

Snap shares surged 28% on Friday after the company surprised Wall Street by showing a profit and reported sales and user numbers that exceeded analysts' estimates. The company reported adjusted earnings per share of 3 cents, while analysts were expecting a 5-cent loss. Snap said adjusted EBITDA "exceeded our expectations" and was primarily driven by operating expense discipline, as well as accelerating revenue growth. Snap reported more than 9 million Snapchat+ subscribers for the period. For the second quarter, Snap expects to report revenue between $1.23 billion and $1.26 billion, up from the $1.22 billion expected by analysts, according to StreetAccount.

Persons: Derek Andersen, Evan Spiegel Organizations: Barker, Revenue, Snapchat, Meta Locations: Santa Monica , California

☆ Comcast beats earnings estimates even as it sheds more broadband subscribers
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Lillian Rizzo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Comcast beat first-quarter earnings expectations on Thursday, as broadband drove revenue even as the company and its peers have seen customer growth slow. Revenue from the domestic broadband customers segment boosted that growth as rates increased, even as Comcast lost 65,000 customers during the quarter. The three businesses now report under the same segment, which collectively saw revenue rise 1.1% to $10.37 billion. The service added 3 million paid subscribers during the quarter, bringing its total number of customers to 34 million. While domestic advertising was flat during the quarter, the company saw its domestic distribution revenue increase, driven by the growth at Peacock.

Persons: NBCUniversal, Peacock, Oppenheimer Organizations: Comcast, LSEG, Revenue, Universal Pictures, CNBC Locations: Peacock, NBCUniversal

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves after hours: Meta, IBM, Chipotle, ServiceNow and more
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-24 | by ( Lisa Kailai Han | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Ford Motor — The automobile stock rose 2% after posting a first-quarter adjusted earnings beat and raising its adjusted free cash flow outlook for 2024. On the other hand, Ford's first-quarter revenue came in below expectations. First-quarter revenue of $14.46 billion missed consensus estimates of $14.55 billion, LSEG said. Chipotle earned $13.37 per share, excluding items, outpacing the $11.68 per share LSEG estimate, as traffic to its restaurants was robust. United Rentals — The equipment rental company added 2.4% after posting a first-quarter adjusted earnings and revenue beat.

Persons: LSEG, Ford's, Ethan Allen, Ethan Allen's, Chipotle, Lam, ServiceNow, —, Christina Cheddar, Berk, Darla Mercado, Scott Schnipper Organizations: Technology, Facebook, Meta, Ford, Machines, IBM, Whirlpool, Research, Lam Research, Revenue, Churchill, United Rentals

☆ IBM to acquire HashiCorp in $6.4 billion deal, reports another revenue miss
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-24 | by ( Jordan Novet | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

On Tuesday, The Wall Street Journal reported that IBM was getting close to acquiring HashiCorp, sending shares upward. In 2021 HashiCorp shares started trading on the Nasdaq. HashiCorp shares moved 4% higher in extended trading following the acquisition announcement. Revenue from software, at $5.90 billion, increased about 6% and was below the $5.96 billion consensus among analysts surveyed by StreetAccount. Notwithstanding the after-hours move, IBM shares are up about 13% so far this year, outperforming the S&P 500 index, which is up 6% over the same period.

Persons: Arvind Krishna, Dave McJannet, Rob Thomas, IBM's, HashiCorp Organizations: Economic, IBM, HashiCorp, Street Journal, Bloomberg, Linux, Nasdaq, LSEG, StreetAccount, Weather Company, Francisco Partners Locations: Davos, Switzerland

☆ Freetrade, Britain's answer to Robinhood, posted its first quarterly profit
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-15 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Freetrade reported adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) of £100,000 ($124,863) in the first quarter of 2024, according to unaudited financial statements shared with CNBC. Freetrade still generated a loss of £8.3 million in 2023, down from the £28.8 million loss it racked up the year before. "We defied difficult market conditions and delivered healthy growth in 2023 while dramatically reducing losses" in 2022, said Adam Dodds, CEO and founder of Freetrade. Net inflows totalled £130 million in the first quarter, too, as retail investor activity grew in response to resurgent markets last year. Equity markets saw serious drops in 2022 as a result of macroeconomic uncertainty and higher interest rates stoked by Russia's full-fledged invasion of Ukraine, which triggered a risk-off trade around the world.

Persons: Rafael Henrique, Freetrade, Adam Dodds, who've, Dodds, we've, Russia's Organizations: Getty, CNBC, Freetrade, Equity Locations: Ukraine

☆ BP's EV charging arm cuts jobs, reduces global ambitions: Reuters
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-15 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

EV charging, however, remains one of BP's key growth engines. The changes at BP Pulse are "a step towards ensuring that we can execute our goals with even greater precision and effectiveness". BP Pulse has also stepped away from several bets it made since launching its energy transition strategy under previous group CEO Bernard Looney in 2020. BP last May also shut down its home EV charging business. The company says it expects returns from its EV charging and convenience stores operations to exceed 15% and create $1.5 billion in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization by 2025.

Persons: Murray, Tesla, Bernard Looney, Auchincloss Organizations: BP, Reuters, EV Locations: United States, Britain, Germany, China

☆ These 'all-weather stocks' can thrive in any economy and provide strong long-term returns, according to UBS
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-10 | by ( Brian Evans | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

As inflation concerns remain at the forefront of investors' minds, UBS is eyeing stocks that can find growth no matter the economic cycle. "We define compounders as all-weather stocks that leverage operational excellence and competitive advantages to grow through any phase of the economic cycle," analyst Joseph Parkhill wrote on Tuesday. S & P 500 stocks are trading near all-time high valuations of 20 times price to earnings and 14 times enterprise value/EBITDA, Parkhill said. Here's a look at some of the 17 stocks that UBS is watching. Stocks also on the UBS list include artificial intelligence plays Microsoft and Broadcom .

Persons: Joseph Parkhill, Parkhill, AMZN, Stephen Ju, Jay Sole, Stocks Organizations: UBS, Amazon, Microsoft, Broadcom

☆ Grindr won its first batch of Wall Street initiations. Here's what analysts are saying
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-07 | by ( Alex Harring | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

About a year and a half after going public, Grindr is starting to win Wall Street's praise. Over the past two weeks, three investment firms began coverage of the dating platform focused on LGBTQ+ men. That focus, once something seen as taboo or unappealing in society, is a plus for analysts, who say the qualities typically associated with gay men make them a solid consumer base to cater toward. "While LGBTQ[+] acceptance is rising, Grindr can help gay men meet for a wide range of purposes under a wide range of societal conditions." "Grindr has established itself as the leading LGBTQ+ social dating app through strong brand awareness, despite its relatively nascent tech.

Persons: Grindr, Raymond James, Andrew Marok, Marok, Nicholas Jones, Jones, GRND, LSEG, Bumble, TD Cowen, John Blackledge, Raymond James ' Marok, Blackledge Organizations: U.S

Cash-out refinancing and home equity loans are two of the most popular tools available to access your equity. A cash-out refinance works like this: You apply for a new mortgage loan that's larger than your current one. Interest rates and loan termsBoth cash-out refinances and home equity loans typically come with fixed interest rates, but home equity loan rates tend to be a few points higher. ConsiderationsBefore deciding to use a home equity loan or cash-out refinance, you'll need to take the following costs into account first. Choosing the right optionBoth home equity loans and cash-out refinancing can help you turn equity into cash.

Persons: Cash, You'd, it's, what's, Melissa Cohn, William Raveis, refinance, you'll, Nicole Straub, — Organizations: LTV, William Raveis Mortgage, Discover Locations: foreclosing, —

☆ Five stocks to buy and hold for the long term, according to the pros
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-02 | by ( Amala Balakrishner | In Amala-Balakrishner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

CNBC Pro asked three fund managers for their stock picks to to buy now and hold for the longer term. The average price target for PepsiCo is $186.77, according to FactSet data, giving it potential upside of 6.7%. According to Factset data, of 30 analysts, 18 give the stock a buy or overweight rating while 12 have a hold rating. According to FactSet data, of 18 analysts, 14 give the stock a buy or overweight rating, three have a hold rating and one has a sell rating. The average price target for PDD is $180.12, according to FactSet data, giving it potential upside of 54.9%.

Persons: David Dietze, PepsiCo Dietze, Dietze, Bud Light, Michael Field, Edenred, Jason Hsu, Hsu, OpenAI, Elon Musk, Sam Altman, Greg Brockman, Altman Organizations: Wealth Management, CNBC Pro, PepsiCo, Coca Cola, Anheuser, Busch, Brussels Stock Exchange, New York Stock Exchange, Euronext Paris Stock Exchange, Microsoft, Rayliant Global Advisors, OpenAI, Nasdaq Locations: Belgian, U.S, South America, Europe, Edenred, China

☆ Investor Tribeca presents Glencore with ideas to raise shareholder value – How it may unfold
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-30 | by ( Kenneth Squire | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +10 min

Tribeca has been a shareholder of Glencore for seven years and has been engaging with management for a year. The company has excellent core asset quality in copper, zinc and coal, as well as a world-leading commodity trading business. Notably, Bluebell Capital Partners agitated for a demerger of Glencore's thermal coal business in 2021. However, in 2023, after acquiring a 77% interest in Teck's steelmaking coal business, Glencore stated its intention to demerge its combined coal and carbon steel businesses. The same can be said for the divestment of the trading business.

Persons: Glencore, David Aylward, Gary Nagle, astutely, Berkshire Hathaway, Ivan Glasenberg, Ken Squire Organizations: Glencore, Tribeca Investment Partners, Tribeca, Financial Times, Australian Securities Exchange, London Stock Exchange, BHP, Rio Tinto, Bluebell Capital Partners, LSE, Rio, NYSE, 13D Locations: Switzerland, Australia, Africa, South America, Sydney, Melbourne, Singapore, London, Tribeca, Glencore, Swiss, Rio, Europe, cyclicality, Berkshire

☆ Home Depot is acquiring specialty distributor SRS for $18.25 billion in huge bet on growing pro sales
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-28 | by ( Melissa Repko | In Melissa-Repko | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Home Depot on Thursday said it is acquiring SRS Distribution in an $18.25 billion deal, the latest and largest sign of its ambitions to drive sales by winning more business from contractors, roofers and other home professionals. The home improvement retailer expects the acquisition to close this fiscal year, which ends in late January. Home Depot already draws half of its business from pros, while the other half comes from do-it-yourself customers. It recently announced it will open four distribution centers that help support sales to pros. The acquisition comes after the home improvement retailer said last month that it expects slower sales trends to continue.

Persons: It's, Ted Decker, Leonard Green, Decker, he's, That's Organizations: Atlanta -, CNBC, Leonard Green & Partners, Berkshire Partners, HD Supply, Resources, Depot Locations: Atlanta, McKinney , Texas, U.S, Mexico, Canada

☆ Cruises are heading to different ports because of the Baltimore bridge collapse, and Carnival says it's only taking a little loss
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-28 | by ( Shubhangi Goel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

One of its cruises, the Carnival Legend, departed on Sunday for a seven-day round trip from the Baltimore port and will return instead to Norfolk. Competitors Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line were up around 3% and 6% respectively at closing. American Cruise Line also frequents the Baltimore port on East Coast itineraries — its American Glory cruise is set to sail next week. The company has over 30 cruises scheduled from the Baltimore port for the rest of 2024. The Baltimore port is the 17th-largest in the US, and the bridge collapse has left six construction workers presumed dead.

Persons: —, Josh Weinstein, Weinstein Organizations: Royal, Cruise, Service, Coast Guard, Royal Caribbean, Cruise Line, Washington Post . Locations: Baltimore, Norfolk , Virginia, Royal Caribbean, Baltimore's, Norfolk, New York, Washington, East

☆ Morgan Stanley upgrades the energy sector, citing ‘compelling valuation'
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-25 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The energy sector is demonstrating strength with a "compelling valuation" that could set stocks up for a comeback after underperforming the broader market since September, according to Morgan Stanley. Morgan Stanley recommends ConocoPhillips , Devon Energy , Occidental Petroleum and Diamondback Energy as ways to play the potential comeback. The energy sector has been the best performer over the past month, but is still lagging the rally that began in October. The S & P 500 energy sector is up more than 11% in 2024, while West Texas Intermediate futures have gained 14%. Earnings revision breadth for energy stocks also appears to have bottomed and is moving in a positive direction, according to Morgan Stanley.

Persons: Morgan Stanley, Michael Wilson, Wilson Organizations: Energy, ConocoPhillips, Devon Energy, Occidental Petroleum, Diamondback Energy, West Texas

☆ Top Wall Street analysts like these dividend stocks for portfolio income
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-24 | by ( Tipranks.Com Staff | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Investors seeking some stability in their portfolios may want to consider high-quality dividend stocks, especially those with a track record of steady income payments. Here are three attractive dividend stocks, according to Wall Street's top experts on TipRanks, a platform that ranks analysts based on their past performance. Nonetheless, PepsiCo announced a 7% hike in its annualized dividend to $5.42 per share, effective with the dividend payable in June 2024. On March 18, Morgan Stanley analyst Dara Mohsenian upgraded PepsiCo stock to buy from hold with a price target of $190. (See PepsiCo Stock Buybacks on TipRanks)

Persons: Wall, Enbridge, Robert Kwan, Kwan, TipRanks, Gerard Cassidy, Brian Moynihan, Cassidy, Morgan Stanley, Dara Mohsenian, Mohsenian Organizations: Pepsi, Brooklyn borough New, Enbridge Energy, RBC Capital, East Ohio Gas Company, Ohio Gas, Public Service Company, Dominion Energy, Dominion, Bank of America, PepsiCo, TipRanks Locations: Flatbush, Brooklyn borough, Brooklyn borough New York City, U.S, North Carolina, TipRanks

☆ Wall Street is getting excited about these Chinese stocks — and upgrading three to 'buy'
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-24 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Investment analysts have upgraded at least three U.S.-listed Chinese stocks to buy so far this month. Here are the Chinese stocks that analysts are turning bullish on: Tencent Music Entertainment — Citi upgraded the stock to buy on Wednesday with a price target of $13 a share, up nearly 18% from Tuesday's close. Analysts are also finding more reasons to turn incrementally optimistic about other Chinese stocks. The analysts expect Bilibili can reach its double-digit revenue growth target for the year with the help of new game releases. Deutsche Bank analysts on March 8 also initiated coverage of China's auto sector with five buy-rated stocks: Great Wall Motor, BYD, Seres, Li Auto and JMC.

Persons: Li Auto, Li, Michael Bloom Organizations: Tencent, Entertainment, Citi, Spotify, JPMorgan, Deutsche Bank Locations: U.S, China, Tuesday's

☆ Activist Oasis may turn to a preferred playbook to help build value at Greencore
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-23 | by ( Kenneth Squire | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Business: Greencore Group is an Ireland-based manufacturer of convenience foods. Premier Foods has generated a total return of nearly 300%, while Greencore is down 41.5% in that time. It is hard to believe there is another investor more qualified to create shareholder value at Greencore than Oasis. In addition, at The Restaurant Group and Premier, Oasis pushed for the sale of non-core assets, which is consistent with streamlining operations and creating shareholder value. One Greencore director who Oasis knows well is Alastair Murray, the former CFO and once-interim CEO of Premier Foods.

Persons: Seth Fischer, Greencore, Daniel Wosner, Oasis, Gavin Darby, Darby, Wosner, Wosner's reappointment, Dalton Philips, Catherine Gubbins, Alastair Murray, Murray, Ken Squire Organizations: Greencore, Convenience Foods, Ireland, Oasis Management, Oasis, Premier Foods, Apollo, Premier, Group, 13D Locations: Ireland, United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Austin, Cayman Islands, Asia, Europe

☆ Stocks making the biggest premarket moves: Rivian, Micron, Adobe, Ulta and more
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-15 | by ( Michelle Fox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Check out the companies making the biggest moves in premarket trading: Rivian Automotive — The EV stock added nearly 4% following an upgrade by Piper Sandler to overweight . Adobe — Shares fell 11% a day after the software company issued weak revenue guidance for its current quarter. Ulta Beauty — Shares tumbled 6.5% a day after the beauty retailer issued full-year earnings guidance that came in on the low end of the consensus forecast. Revenue guidance is in the range of $110.5 million and $112.5 million also below the $113.4 million analyst expectation. Revenue guidance also fell short.

Persons: Piper Sandler, Alexander Potter, Ulta, bitcoin, amortization, Zumiez, —, Sarah Min Organizations: Micron Technology, Citi, Micron, Adobe Locations: cryptocurrencies, FactSet

☆ This utility stock is the standout of its sector and it's raising its dividend. Here's what Wall Street says is next
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-15 | by ( Darla Mercado | Cfp | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

The utilities sector is living in the shadows of mega-cap tech, but a power player name is emerging — and it's toting year-to-date gains of more than 40%. Constellation Energy , headquartered in Baltimore, is the top winner in the utilities sector in 2024, with NRG Energy in a distant second place with a 22.7% advance. Indeed, the utilities sector and real estate are the two laggards of the S & P 500 , down about 1% and 3.5% in 2024, respectively. CEG XLU 1Y line Constellation Energy versus the Utilities Select Sector SPDR Fund over the past year Constellation, which currently has a dividend yield of 0.8%, isn't your father's utility. So-called 24/7 carbon-free power involves purchasing electricity generation from the same region where a corporate client will use it.

Persons: it's, CEG, James Thalacker, It's, Daniel Eggers, Sophie Karp, BMO's, Joseph Dominguez, Steve Fleishman, Ross Fowler Organizations: Constellation Energy, NRG Energy, Utilities, SPDR Fund, BMO Capital, Atlantic City Electric, Baltimore Gas and Electric, Delmarva Power, Constellation, Microsoft, Wolfe Research, Republican, UBS Locations: Baltimore, Virginia

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves after hours: Adobe, Ulta and more
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-14 | by ( Alex Harring | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Despite that, Adobe beat analysts' predictions on both lines in its fiscal first quarter and announced a $25 billion share buyback. Ulta — The beauty retailer slipped 5% as full-year earnings expectations came in on the low end of Wall Street's forecast. Ulta said to anticipate between $26 and $27 per share for earnings over the entire year. Smartsheet — The business software provider retreated by 7% as revenue guidance underwhelmed Wall Street. Meanwhile, analysts polled by FactSet forecast $262.3 million in revenue for the quarter and $1.14 billion for the year.

Persons: Ulta, Cardlytics, Zumiez, FactSet, Smartsheet Organizations: Adobe, LSEG, Wall, FactSet

☆ AI could boost these stocks with customer support needs, Barclays says
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-13 | by ( Pia Singh | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

One of the leading emerging use cases for artificial intelligence could be automating customer support requests, according to Barclays. At a time when some investors are beginning to doubt the AI momentum, some companies are now experimenting with AI for customer support and consumer-facing features. These support levels involve escalations from solving simple customer service problems, and can entail trouble-shooting with support technicians and the involvement of engineers, if needed. Lyft stands to be the biggest beneficiary of AI automating customer support requests, assuming that it can move just over a third of its Level 2 and 3 human-based customer service requests to AI. To be sure, it's still early days for companies that could benefit from deploying AI as part of their customer support, Barclays found.

Persons: Ross Sandler, Klarna, Sandler, GoDaddy, Roblox's, it's, We've Organizations: Barclays, Web Services, Google, FactSet

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