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☆ U.S. economy grew at a 2.8% pace in the second quarter, much more than expected
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-25 | by ( Jeff Cox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Real gross domestic product , a measure of all the goods and services produced during the April-through-June period, increased at a 2.8% annualized pace adjusted for seasonality and inflation. Economists surveyed by Dow Jones had been looking for growth of 2.1% following a 1.4% increase in the first quarter. Economic activity in the U.S. was considerably stronger than expected during the second quarter, according to an initial estimate Thursday from the Commerce Department. The so-called chain-weighted price index, which takes into account changes in consumer behavior, increased 2.3% for the quarter, below the 2.6% estimate. There also is pressure in the housing market: Sales are declining while home prices continue to climb, putting pressure on first-time homebuyers.

Persons: Dow Jones Organizations: Commerce Department, Stock, Federal Reserve, Fed, Philadelphia Federal Locations: U.S

☆ These stocks set to report earnings next week have a record of beating expectations
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-25 | by ( Hakyung Kim | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

A third of the S & P 500 companies are set to report earnings next week. As the busiest week of earnings season approaches, here are some companies that have historically posted a beat and rallied afterward. Amazon , Apple , Merck and Exxon Mobil are among the companies slated to release their quarterly results. With this in mind, Bespoke Investment Group screened for companies reporting next week whose quarterly earnings have managed to beat consensus analyst estimates at least 75% of the time. Additionally, the stocks in the screener all have gained on average 1.5% the day of or following their earnings release.

Persons: Oppenheimer, Meta's, Steve Madden Organizations: Apple, Merck, Exxon Mobil, Investment, Meta, Nasdaq, Mastercard, Bank of America Locations: China, Wednesday's

☆ German budget 'not ambitious enough to breathe life into the German economy,' economist says
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-25 | 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 EmailGerman budget 'not ambitious enough to breathe life into the German economy,' economist saysClemens Fuest, president of IFO, discusses the latest German business climate index and the outlook for the country's economy.

Persons: Clemens Fuest, IFO

☆ Stock futures rise slightly as investors prepare for Fed’s preferred inflation gauge: Live updates
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-25 | by ( Pia Singh | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Stock futures rose modestly on Thursday evening as the major averages head for weekly losses and investors anticipated a reading of the Federal Reserve's preferred inflation gauge. Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average advanced 42 points, or just over 0.1%. S&P 500 futures and Nasdaq 100 futures climbed about 0.1% each. The activity seemed to be part of a broader rotation into small caps and more cyclical areas of the market. ET, traders will watch for the June reading of the personal consumption expenditures report, an inflation reading that's preferred by central bank policymakers.

Persons: Kamala Harris, Dexcom, Adam Turnquist, Dow, Dow Jones Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, Federal, Dow Jones Industrial, Nasdaq, Dow, Bristol Myers Squibb, Colgate, Palmolive, 3M Locations: New York City, Stock, Michigan

☆ We're in a 'buffalo' market, Bank of America says. Here's what that means for investors
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-25 | by ( Lorie Konish | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Experts say those stock moves and shuffling sectors are common during a bull market. But Bank of America is calling today's conditions something else — a buffalo market — which is still in the bull family. But unlike the bull market, it may get tired after a strong runup. "It might roam, it might wander in the summer months," said Marci McGregor, head of portfolio strategy at Merrill and Bank of America Private Bank. The firm's outlook sees markets finishing higher this year, based on factors including earnings, the investment cycle, financial conditions, interest rates and generative artificial intelligence.

Persons: Marci McGregor, McGregor Organizations: Financial, Bank of America, Merrill, Bank of America Private Bank Locations: New York City

☆ AI turned Big Tech stocks around. But a huge sell-off shows investors are wary of the insane spending.
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-25 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Big Tech appears to be tipping into troubled territory again. Read previewIn 2022, US tech companies grappled with falling demand after aggressive expansions during the pandemic, prompting a rout in tech stocks. This concentration makes the effect of any major decline in Big Tech stocks even more pronounced. All eyes on the rest of Big TechOther Big Tech companies, including Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, and Meta, report quarterly earnings next week. As for Big Tech, it appears to be a case of being safe rather than being sorry — because they can afford to.

Persons: —, Michael Strobaek, Lombard Odier, Strobaek, Katherine Tangalakis, Jim Reid, Reid, Anthropic, Lombard Odier's Strobaek, Sundar Pichai Organizations: Tech, Service, Nasdaq, Business, Lombard, Big, Bloomberg, Google, Big Tech, Apple, Microsoft, Meta, Deutsche Bank, Amazon Locations: Swiss, Big Tech

☆ Bank of America's biggest clients are selling individual stocks and plowing money into ETFs in these 7 sectors instead
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-25 | by ( Christine Ji | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

AdvertisementETF enthusiasmInstead of single stocks, clients across the board are putting their money into ETFs. Bank of AmericaEven though clients sold off individual small-cap stocks, they're not shying away from that size segment of the market at all. Clients invested more money in small-cap ETFs than large-cap ones, providing small-caps with the biggest boost since May of this year. Similarly, while individual tech stocks experienced a sell-off, tech ETFs saw the largest capital inflow out of all sectors last week. Small-cap ETFs include Vanguard Small-Cap Index (VSCIX) and Invesco S&P SmallCap 600 Revenue ETF (RWJ).

Persons: —, Jill Carey, Goldman Sachs Organizations: Service, Bank of America's, Bank of America, Equity, Business, JPMorgan, Citigroup, Big Tech, Health, Bank of America Investors, Communication, Fidelity MSCI Information Tech, NYSE Technology, Vanguard Infomation Technology, Vanguard

☆ This JPMorgan ETF has beaten the S&P 500 five years in a row. Here’s how
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-25 | by ( Ganesh Rao | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

However, one exchange-traded fund (ETF) has done just that, beating the S & P 500 index for five consecutive years. The JPMorgan US Research Enhanced Index Equity ETF has beaten the benchmark every year since 2019 and is also outperforming in 2024. However, it wasn't until 2018 that JPMorgan decided to marry this time-tested strategy with the increasingly popular ETF structure. For instance, JPMorgan's ETF is overweight Microsoft shares by 45 basis points compared to the weighting for the stock in the iShares Core S & P 500 ETF. This extensive coverage forms the backbone of the REI strategy, according to Grassi.

Persons: Piera Elisa Grassi, Raffaele Zingone, Grassi, REI, Berkshire, we've Organizations: JPMorgan US, Equity, London Stock Exchange, Borsa Italiana, Deutsche Borse, Six Swiss Exchange, JPMorgan Asset Management, JPMorgan, JPMorgan Global, Vanguard, Berkshire Hathaway, GE Aerospace, Asset Management, CNBC Locations: United States, U.S, Grassi, iShares

☆ Takeaways from latest GDP report showing US economy is making history
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-25 | by ( Bryan Mena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Separate data on spending shows that American shoppers are still shopping. That measure strengthened in the second quarter, rising to a 2.9% rate compared to 2.6% seen earlier this year. Generally, one risk that comes with an economy that’s expanding robustly is that price pressures can either get stuck or heat up. Businesses are still spending, but less on thisBusinesses invested much more in the second quarter than in the first three months of the year. The measure for that — known as “nonresidential fixed investment” — rose to a 5.2% rate in the second quarter, up from 4.4% in the first quarter.

Persons: That’s, pare, ”, Jamie Cox, ” Scott Helfstein, ” Oren Klachkin Organizations: Washington CNN, Gross, Commerce Department, Federal Reserve, PCE, Harris Financial Group, “, Nationwide

☆ Why the market's smallest stocks will surge 15% in August, according to Fundstrat's Tom Lee
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-25 | by ( Filip De Mott | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The small-cap-heavy Russell 2000 will jump 15% or more in August, Fundstrat's Tom Lee told CNBC. Expectations of a Trump White house are also helping drive small-cap buying, Lee added. Fundstrat's Tom Lee told CNBC that the small-cap-focused Russell 2000 is likely to gain 15% or more through August, if history is any guide. Lee says the market's certainty in upcoming interest-rate cuts — expected to commence in September — is helping drive the small-cap rally. "The nine times it did that since 1979, when you were in a bear market, we were up 100% — one month, three months, six months, 12 months later," he said.

Persons: Russell, Fundstrat's Tom Lee, Lee, —, It's, He's, Donald Trump Organizations: CNBC, Trump, Service, tanking, Barclays

Mortgage rates haven't moved much in recent days, with average 30-year mortgage rates sticking around 6.51% so far this week, according to Zillow data. See more mortgage rates on Zillow Real Estate on ZillowMortgage CalculatorUse our free mortgage calculator to see how today's mortgage rates will affect your monthly and long-term payments. 15-Year Fixed Mortgage RatesAverage 15-year mortgage rates were 6.05% this week, according to Freddie Mac data, which is a 12-basis-point decrease from the previous week. As inflation comes down and the Federal Reserve is able to start cutting the federal funds rate, mortgage rates should fall further as well. Now that the Fed has paused hiking rates, mortgage rates have come down a bit.

Persons: Lawrence Yun, Freddie Mac Organizations: National Association of Realtors, Zillow, Federal Reserve, Fed Locations: Chevron

☆ Stock market today: Nasdaq suffers worst day since 2022 as weak earnings spark steep sell-off
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-24 | by ( Jennifer Sor | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

US stocks dropped Wednesday, with the Nasdaq seeing its steepest single-day loss since 2022. AdvertisementUS stocks dropped on Wednesday, led by a steep sell-off in the tech sector after the first batch of mega-cap earnings disappointed investors. Tesla shares dropped 12% after the carmaker missed earnings estimates and logged a big drop in auto revenue. AdvertisementOther mega-cap tech stocks also tumbled in Wednesday's session as investor sentiment soured. Investors are waiting on more mega-cap tech earnings, with Meta, Apple, and Amazon set to report their financials next week.

Persons: — Organizations: Nasdaq, Service, Dow Jones Industrial, YouTube, Nvidia, Meta, Tech, Apple, Here's Locations: Tech

☆ Mortgage demand drops, as homebuyers wait for lower rates
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-24 | by ( Diana Olick | In Dianaolick | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Mortgage interest rates eased very slightly last week, but not enough to get today's potential homebuyers off the fence. Homebuyers are also likely waiting for interest rates to drop further. While mortgage rates don't follow the Fed exactly (they follow loosely the yield on the 10-year Treasury), rates will come down if investors believe inflation is easing. "We'd probably want to see mortgage rates come down 100 basis points, so I think if we had a five handle, even in the high fives, I think the market could see more momentum." Rates today are very slightly lower than they were last year at this time.

Persons: Joel Kan, Ivy Zelman, Kan Organizations: Mortgage, Association, Federal Reserve Locations: Hawthorn Woods , Illinois

☆ 9 stocks to buy as historically cheap small caps rally during a risky earnings season: Bank of America
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-24 | by ( James Faris | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

US small caps hadn't been down that long since the painful stretch from mid-2007 to early 2011. While smaller stocks languished, large-cap companies dominated, due in part to enthusiasm about their exposure to artificial intelligence. Bank of AmericaThis valuation discrepancy is no secret, so Bank of America believes the market rally will broaden beyond the mega-cap leaders as investors shift toward smaller stocks. Earnings expectations for small caps have tumbled in the last several months, Hall said, noting that analysts are no longer pricing in positive profit growth. "Guidance has still generally been weaker than average for small caps."

Persons: —, Jill Carey Hall, Russell, Hall, they'll, haven't, It's, everyone's Organizations: Service, Bank of America's, Business, Bank, America, Bank of America, Federal Reserve, —

☆ Gold prices climb as investors focus on U.S. economic data
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-24 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Gold prices inched higher on Wednesday, with investors awaiting U.S. economic data that could influence the Federal Reserve's rate-cut timeline. Gold prices inched higher on Wednesday, with investors awaiting U.S. economic data that could influence the Federal Reserve's rate-cut timeline. Bullion prices scaled an all-time high of $2,483.60 last week amid rising bets of rate cuts. Spot gold may break resistance at $2,417 and bounce further to $2,432, according to Reuters technical analyst Wang Tao. "Growth estimates in photovoltaic panel usage have been markedly revised higher, resulting in silver demand draws far exceeding supply.

Persons: Tim Waterer, KCM, Wang Tao Organizations: ANZ, Management Locations: India

☆ Tesla keeps touting future plans. But without specific details, investors aren't buying it.
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-24 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

In today's big story, we're looking at another Tesla earnings report that was light on details about big future plans . The approach worked well last quarter when Tesla's earnings report was even worse than expected . However, big-picture plans without concrete details fell flat for investors this time around. It's Tesla's silver lining amid the EV market slowdown. But as beneficial as competitors were to Tesla this quarter, others seem to be gearing up for battle.

Persons: Jordan Strauss, Chelsea Jia Feng, Elon, Katherine Tangalakis, Hannah Getahun, that's, —, Musk, Toby Melville, BI's Nora Naughton, It's, BI's Jordan Hart, Sundar Pichai, Waymo, Jenny Chang, Rodriguez, Wall, Keith Lerner, Ed Yardeni, Michael M, Tyler Le, Jensen Huang, Rebecca Zisser, Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Dan DeFrancesco, Jordan Parker Erb, Hallam Bullock, Annie Smith, Amanda Yen Organizations: Business, Chelsea, AP, Tesla, Getty, BI Supply, Nvidia, Big Tech, Hollywood, AWS, Microsoft, Paramount, Digital, Google, IBM, Ford Motors, Samsung, Galaxy, The Locations: Waymo, San Francisco, Phoenix, New York, Paris, London

☆ ServiceNow raises annual subscription revenue forecast on robust demand; COO resigning after government contract complaint
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-24 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

ServiceNow raised its full-year subscription revenue forecast on Wednesday as its enterprise customers adopt artificial intelligence-enabled cloud-based software. A burgeoning demand for workflow automation and the company's continued efforts in generative AI helped ServiceNow drive growth. The company projected full-year subscription revenue between $10.575 billion and $10.585 billion, above analysts' estimate of $10.565 billion, according to LSEG data. It had previously projected between $10.560 billion and $10.575 billion for full-year subscription revenue. On an adjusted basis, the company earned $3.13 per share during the quarter, compared with estimates of a profit of $2.84 per share.

Persons: ServiceNow, CJ Desai Organizations: U.S . Army Locations: Prodapt

☆ Grayscale's $9 billion head start in ethereum is at risk as big investors launch ETFs
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-24 | by ( Mackenzie Sigalos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

With the SEC clearing the path for ETFs, Grayscale will have a boatload of rivals, and investors can go hunting for the lowest fees. Large financial firms, including Fidelity Investments, Franklin Templeton, BlackRock and Invesco, are already on the market with their own spot ether ETFs. In their first day of trading on Tuesday, spot ether ETFs collectively saw over $1 billion in volume, with JPMorgan analysts estimating net sales of $104 million. While money poured into the new offerings, the Grayscale Ethereum Trust (ETHE) saw redemptions of $485 million. watch nowIn the bitcoin ETF market, Grayscale has been struggling to handle the flood of competition.

Persons: Jakub Porzycki, Barry Silbert's, Franklin Templeton, Morningstar's Bryan Armour, Grayscale's David LaValle, LaValle Organizations: Nurphoto, U.S, Digital Currency Group, SEC, Fidelity Investments, BlackRock, JPMorgan, CNBC Locations: Invesco, U.S

☆ Jim Cramer examines Wednesday's brutal tech sell-off
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-24 | by ( Julie Coleman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

CNBC's Jim Cramer looked at what might have spurred Wednesday's Big Tech sell-offs, reviewing why investors may have been disappointed with earnings from Alphabet and Tesla . Cramer was impressed with the strength in the company's search business, as well as its Google Cloud revenue, which topped estimates at $10.35 billion. But Cramer said CEO Elon Musk "told a great story of self-driving technology, sorely needed energy production, not to mention humanoid robots." Cramer suggested both Alphabet and Tesla might not have declined if the market wasn't in the midst of a broader rotation out of tech. Cramer also examined stocks that have been seeing gains on the S&P 600 — the S&P's small cap index — as investors sell the mega caps.

Persons: CNBC's Jim Cramer, it's, Tesla, Cramer, Elon Musk Organizations: Big Tech, Nasdaq, Google, ATI, Ensign Group, SPS Commerce, Mueller

☆ Wages have outpaced inflation since 2020 but many consumers still feel burdened by prices
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-24 | by ( John Towfighi | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewAmerican consumers have been frustrated by high prices over past years, but there's some good news: wages have outpaced inflation since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Since 2020, average hourly wages for most US workers have risen faster than the consumer price index, meaning income has maintained its purchasing power against rising prices. While wage gains have outpaced inflation, it can be difficult for consumers to feel the growth, and plenty of people still miss the "good old days" of lower prices. Since spring 2023, year-over-year wage growth for production and nonsupervisory workers has consistently been above inflation. While US consumers adjust to higher prices, strong wage growth should help ease affordability concerns, Krugman wrote.

Persons: —, Sarah Foster, Foster, Paul Krugman, Krugman Organizations: Service, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Business, Michigan Ross, Economic Policy Institute, Federal Reserve, New York Times Locations: jtowfighi@businessinsider.com

☆ Dollar firms as commodities slide and carry unwinds
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-24 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Purchasing managers' index figures will be particularly watched in Europe later in the session to see whether they support bets on two European rate cuts by the end of January. The euro held at $1.0848 in Asia trade and sterling , which could rally if PMIs in Britain surprise to the upside and reduce bets on rate cuts, bought $1.2901. Moves in other pairs were even larger, with the euro dropping 1.3% on the yen overnight and hitting a five-week low of 168.79 yen in Asia. Mexico's high-yielding peso dropped 2% on the yen overnight and the Australian dollar is down almost 6% on the yen in two weeks. The Canadian dollar made a six-week low of C$1.3787 per dollar ahead of a central bank meeting later on Wednesday where markets have priced an 84% chance of a 25 basis point rate cut.

Persons: Jason Wong Organizations: Bank of Japan, U.S ., New Zealand Locations: Europe, Asia, Britain, Japan, Wellington, New Zealand, Australia

☆ A food policy expert is trying a different diet every month this year. Here's why the vegan and Mediterranean diets are his favorites so far.
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-24 | by ( Serafina Kenny | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewA food policy expert who is trying a different diet each month in 2024 told Business Insider that the vegan and Mediterranean diets are his favorite so far. So far this year, Wren has tried veganism, UK-based weight loss company Slimming World, only eating Huel products, intermittent fasting, paleo, and the Mediterranean diet. The Mediterranean diet has been voted the healthiest diet for seven years in a row by the US World News & Report. AdvertisementThe Mediterranean diet also appeared to be best for his mental health, he said in a TikTok video. Importantly, though, Wren was on holiday in Italy in June when he followed the Mediterranean diet.

Persons: —, Gavin Wren, Wren, you've, dietitians, Elena Paravantes, it's, Italy Wren Organizations: Service, Business, US Locations: Italy

☆ Europe's AI-powered Google Translate rival DeepL launches traditional Chinese language in Asia push
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-24 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Traditional Chinese is a written form of Chinese used in Taiwan and Hong Kong. Both locations are key business hubs for technology and finance — a factor that attracted DeepL to launch its latest language in those markets. DeepL, one of Europe's high-profile AI companies valued at $2 billion , sells translation software aimed at businesses rather than everyday consumers. German artificial intelligence translation startup DeepL on Wednesday launched traditional Chinese as a language option as it looks to expand its presence in Asia. With the launch of traditional Chinese, the firm is looking to help some of its international customers more effectively communicate with clients or employees in Taiwan or Hong Kong.

Persons: DeepL, Kutylowski, Mark Zuckerberg's Organizations: Wednesday, CNBC, Google, Microsoft, Ventures Locations: Taiwan, Hong Kong, Asia, The Cologne, Germany, Japan, Korea

☆ 4 bullish signals are pointing to more stock gains ahead, according to Bank of America
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-24 | by ( Matthew Fox | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The stock market rally is likely to continue, says BofA technical analyst Stephen Suttmeier. Suttmeier highlighted four positive signals that suggest a healthy bull market in a note on Tuesday. AdvertisementAs the stock market hits a series of record highs in 2024, there are positive signals suggesting the rally can keep going. That money could serve as fuel for a continued stock market rally, especially if the Federal Reserve cuts interest rates, making the current 5% cash yield less attractive. AdvertisementThe financial conditions index last sparked a major negative divergence towards the end of 2021, when the S&P 500 was rising even as the financial conditions index was declining.

Persons: Stephen Suttmeier, Suttmeier, — Organizations: Service, Bank of America, BAA, Federal Reserve, Bank of America Fed, Chicago Fed

☆ Why an indicator that has foretold almost every recession doesn't seem to be working anymore
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-24 | by ( Jeff Cox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

According to the New York Federal Reserve, which uses the 10-year/three-month curve, a recession should happen about 12 months later. The inversion is not aloneMaking the situation even more complicated is that the yield curve isn't the only indicator showing reason for caution about how long the post-Covid recovery can last. But the rate dynamics have helped companies escape what usually happens in an inverted curve. With an inverted curve hitting their net interest margins, banks may opt to lend less, causing a pullback in consumer spending that can lead to recession. This could provide something of a self-fulfilling prophecy for the yield curve.

Persons: Alex Kent, hasn't, —, there's, it's, Mark Zandi, It's, Joseph LaVorgna, SMBC, Quincy Krosby, We've, Jim Paulsen, Paulsen, That's Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, Bloomberg, Getty, Moody's, New York Federal Reserve, SMBC Nikko Securities, Gross, National Bureau of Economic Research, Commerce Department, LPL, Federal Reserve, Fed Locations: New York, SMBC Nikko, Wells Fargo

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