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☆ Hot on the trail of cherry blossoms — peak times for 2024
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-02 | by ( Forrest Brown | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Editor’s note: Sign up for Unlocking the World, CNN Travel’s weekly newsletter. CNN —In travel news this week: Circling the calendar for peak cherry blossoms, a very rare peek at post-pandemic North Korea and the insightful confessions of a Vegas habitué. While peak bloom can still be up in the air, the dates for the National Cherry Blossom Festival are solidly locked down: March 20-April 14. Meanwhile, Japanese forecasters are out with their own cherry blossom, or sakura, predictions. 02:06 - Source: CNNIn the best of times, a visit to communist North Korea was a rarity.

Persons: Brandon Griggs, He’s, Willy Wonka Organizations: CNN, Washington , D.C, Bloom Watch, National Cherry Blossom, –, Air Albania, AAA Locations: Korea, Netherlands, France, Washington ,, Japan, Wharf, Kochi, Tokyo, wintry Sapporo, Dubai, Atlanta, Air, London, India, United States, North Korea, Russia, Pyongyang, Masikryong, North, Las Vegas, Sin

☆ Ride the bull market wave with these top stocks in March, Morgan Stanley says
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-02 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Analysts at Morgan Stanley have named a slate of stocks to buy as March gets underway. The firm said investors should bet on the market's momentum by scooping up shares of undervalued companies. They include HashiCorp , Rivian Automotive , Dell Technologies, Sun Country Airlines and Huntington Bancshares. The stock is down 26% over the last 12 months, but the firm said investors should buy the dip. HashiCorp Analyst Sanjit Singh upgraded the cloud-computing infrastructure company to overweight from equal weight earlier this week.

Persons: Morgan Stanley, scooping, Ravi Shanker, Shanker, Sanjit Singh, Singh, Adam Jonas, —, Jonas, Rivian, Dell, …, Huntington, HBAN Organizations: CNBC, Rivian Automotive, Dell Technologies, Sun Country Airlines, Huntington, Amazon, Rivian, Airlines Locations: Huntington Bancshares

☆ Here are Friday's biggest analyst calls: Nvidia, Apple, Dell, Netflix, Micron, Broadcom, Eli Lilly, New York Community Bancorp & more
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-01 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

"We are initiating coverage of Evolent Health with an Outperform rating and $45 price target." Goldman Sachs downgrades Estee Lauder to neutral from buy Goldman downgraded the stock and said it's under "sizeable pressure." "We are upgrading Annexon (ANNX shares) to Overweight from Neutral and establishing a December 2024 price target of $11." Bank of America reiterates Eli Lilly as buy Bank of America raised its price target on the stock to $1000 per share from $800. "Following 4Q23 earnings we are upgrading GoodRx from Neutral to Overweight and increasing our December 2024 price target from $7 to $10."

Persons: Davidson, Campbell, Morgan Stanley, JD, TD Cowen, Parker, Dell, Goldman Sachs, Goldman, Louise Singlehurst, Tom Ford, Jefferies, Root, AVGO's, Stephens, Vita Coco, COCO, Piper downgrades, Piper, Redburn, Oppenheimer, Daiwa, Morgan Stanley downgrades Flywire, Goldman Sachs downgrades Estee Lauder, Estee Lauder, Dwight, Wells, Eli Lilly, Lilly, D.A Organizations: Apple, Vulcan, Merck, Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Bank of America, Broadcom, York Community Bancorp, Netflix, Micron, Mizuho, MU, Citi, EV, Health, Nvidia, Dwight, Hewlett Packard Enterprises, JPMorgan, biosciences, " Bank of America Locations: York, Davidson, Oshkosh, Minneapolis , MN

☆ Dell shares have best day since return to stock market in 2018
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-01 | by ( Alex Koller | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Dell is having its best day since founder Michael Dell brought the company back to the stock market in 2018. Shares of the PC and server manufacturer surged 30% on Friday to $121.88, after the company posted fiscal fourth-quarter results that beat estimates. For the latest quarter, Dell reported revenue of $22.32 billion, down 11% from the year-ago quarter but eclipsing the $22.16 billion analysts were expecting, according to LSEG, formerly known as Refinitiv. "The strength of AI server orders, backlog, pipeline, and expanding CSP/enterprise customer base show DELL's AI story is early days and gaining momentum," they wrote. Wells Fargo, citing Dell's AI strength and dividend increase, hiked its price target to $140 and maintained an overweight rating, while Citi increased its target price to $125 and reiterated a buy rating.

Persons: Dell, Michael Dell, It's, Morgan Stanley, Wells Fargo, — CNBC's Michael Bloom, Ashley Capoot Organizations: Dell, Citi

☆ Why the hottest commodity of 2024 could be in for a rude awakening
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-01 | by ( Lisa Kailai Han | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Cocoa prices rose to a red-hot sizzle this Valentine's Day — but they could soon be due for a reckoning, according to Citi. Cocoa futures finished 25.5% higher in February, cinching their biggest monthly gain since November 2001, when they rose 31.66%. Cocoa supply might increase on one side of the equation, but Doshi cautioned that demand might also be weighed down by consumption risks. Even against this backdrop, Doshi highlighted that it might take some time before cocoa prices completely retreat off their record highs. "Our base case remains that cocoa terminal prices will enter a bear market by end-2024, off a historically rich nominal price area."

Persons: Aakash, Doshi, haven't, Chocolate, Hershey, — CNBC's Michael Bloom, Gina Francolla Organizations: Citi, Wall Street, Nestle Locations: …

☆ This dividend strategy is swapping out a chip stock winner for Starbucks. Here's why
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-01 | by ( Jesse Pound | In Jesse-Pound | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Dividend-focused investors should look to switch out a hot chip stock for a slumping consumer play after the latest market rally, according to Morgan Stanley Wealth Management. Coffee chain Starbucks is joining the model portfolio, while red-hot Broadcom is on the way out. Starbucks has been battling rising labor costs in the U.S. and weak demand in China, a key international market. The addition of Starbucks helps bolster the consumer discretionary part of the Morgan Stanley Wealth Management model portfolio. The dividend yield for AVGO is 1.6% even after the company announced a dividend hike in December.

Persons: Morgan, Daniel Skelly, Skelly, SBUX, Laxman Narasimhan, Narasimhan, it's, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: Morgan Stanley Wealth Management, Broadcom, Starbucks, Morgan Locations: U.S, China

☆ Fed Chair Powell and jobs data take center stage next week as Wall Street weighs interest rate outlook
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-01 | by ( Sarah Min | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Next week, the first full trading week of March, macroeconomic concerns will take center stage for investors. Next week, the Fed chief is largely anticipated to stick to the same talking points in testifying before Congress. In fact, the February jobs report, due out next Friday, is expected to show a moderation in payroll gains. Hourly Earnings preliminary (February) 8:30 a.m. Average Workweek preliminary (February) 8:30 a.m. Manufacturing Payrolls (February) 8:30 a.m. Nonfarm Payrolls (February) 8:30 a.m. Private Nonfarm Payrolls (February) 8:30 a.m. Unemployment Rate (February) — CNBC's Michael Bloom, Jeff Cox and Yun Li contributed to this report.

Persons: Jerome Powell, Powell, Shannon Saccocia, Kim Forrest, Webull, Michael Hartnett, CNBC's Yun Li, Melissa Brown, Brown, Wealth's Saccocia, Saccocia, Nonfarm Payrolls, —, Michael Bloom, Jeff Cox, Yun Li Organizations: Federal, Fed, Capitol, Nasdaq, Dow Jones, FactSet, Barclays, Bokeh Capital Partners, Labor Department, Bitcoin, BofA Global Research, Apple, Nvidia, Ross Stores, Costco Wholesale, Kroger, . Semiconductor, Broadcom, PMI, PMI Services, Services PMI, Ross, Target, ADP, Labor, Consumer Credit Locations: U.S, REITs, Japan

☆ 'Exciting idea': Fund manager loves this pharma stock — and analysts see more upside ahead
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-29 | by ( Amala Balakrishner | In Amala-Balakrishner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

But one firm in the wider ecosystem that's perhaps lesser known stands out to fund manager Freddie Lait, which is McKesson Corp — the U.S. pharmaceuticals distribution company. Calling the company an "exciting idea," Lait noted that the 100-year-old business is "very defensive and very diversified." Lait manages over $750 million collectively between two funds — the Latitude Horizon Fund and the Latitude Global Fund . Of the 19 analysts covering the stock, 14 give it a buy or overweight rating, while three have hold ratings and one has a sell rating. The average price target on the stock is $550.25, according to FactSet data, giving it potential upside of 6%.

Persons: Eli Lilly, Freddie Lait, Lait, —, That's, … It's, McKesson, MCK, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: Novo Nordisk, Latitude Investment Management, CNBC, U.S, Cardinal Health, McKesson Corp, JPMorgan, Rite Aid, receivables, Leerink Partners, pharma

☆ Here are Thursday's biggest analyst calls: Tesla, Apple, Microsoft, Delta, Disney, Snowflake, Okta, Salesforce & more
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-29 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +10 min

Goldman Sachs reiterates Salesforce as buy Goldman said it's standing by its buy rating following the company's robust earnings report on Wednesday. "Multiple high-profile catalysts should double revs by FY28 & support an Outperform rating with a $54 PT." "We initiate coverage of Gates Industrial (GTES) with a Buy rating and $21 price target. The more aggressive stance follows a near week long sell-off in COLD shares following 4Q results and initial 2024 guidance." Goldman Sachs reiterates Microsoft as buy Goldman said it's standing by its buy rating after a meeting with Microsoft investor relations.

Persons: Jefferies, Roth, Roth MKM, Morgan Stanley downgrades Snowflake, Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, Salesforce, Goldman, it's, TD Cowen downgrades Macy's, Telsey, TD Cowen, Wells, Needham, " Jefferies, Tesla, Coupang, Baird, Cantor Fitzgerald, Cantor, Gates, Piper Sandler, Piper, Raymond James, William Blair, Gordon Haskett downgrades, Haskett, Frank Slootman's Organizations: Jefferies, Barrick Gold, NEM, UBS, Apple, Mar, Bitdeer Technologies, BTC, Citi, United Airlines, Delta, Delta Air Lines Inc, DAL, Deere & Company, American Airlines Citi, Catalyst Watch, Reliance, Star India, JV, UBS downgrades Republic Services, Downside, RBC, Xenia Hotels, Resorts, Deutsche Bank, Deutsche, Products, Gates, NTR, LXU, UW, Bank of America, underperform Bank of America, Realty Trust, Fidelity, Korn, Microsoft, Macquarie Locations: U.S, China, American's, DIS's, Xenia, Federal, Korea

☆ Snowflake shares drop 20% on CEO's retirement, weak guidance
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-29 | by ( Alex Koller | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Snowflake said its first-quarter product revenue will total between $745 million and $750 million, compared to analysts' estimates of $759 million, per StreetAccount. The company said adjusted operation margin in the first quarter will be 3%, below the 7.2% analysts expected. mitigate C-suite uncertainty," the analysts wrote to investors in a Thursday memo. The company shut down its product and was acquired by Snowflake for $185 million last year. Before Slootman's tenure, Snowflake was helmed by former Microsoft executive Bob Muglia until his sudden ousting in April 2019.

Persons: Snowflake, Frank Slootman, Sridhar Ramaswamy, Slootman, Morgan Stanley, Ramaswamy, Bob Muglia, — CNBC's Michael Bloom, Jonathan Vanian Organizations: Google, Macquarie Equity Research, Microsoft, CNBC PRO Locations: Snowflake

☆ Here are Wednesday's biggest analyst calls: Apple, Nvidia, Salesforce, Dell, Microsoft, Snap, McDonald's & more
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-28 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Morgan Stanley reiterates Apple as overweight Morgan Stanley said it's standing by Apple amid reports the company canceled its car project. Barclays reiterates Microsoft as overweight Barclays says investments made in advertising is a "$50 billion opportunity" for Microsoft. Goldman Sachs reiterates Salesforce as buy Goldman said it sees "upside" heading into Salesforce earnings Wednesday afternoon. Barclays initiates Weatherford as overweight Barclays says the oil services company is a "reborn industry player." Barclays upgrades Ecolab as overweight from equal weight Barclays says it has "strong visibility" for the food safety company.

Persons: Smucker, Stifel, DELL, Morgan Stanley, Apple, it's, NVDA, Goldman Sachs, Goldman, FSLR, Salesforce, Raymond James, Bernstein, Stellantis, Cantor Fitzgerald, Cantor, KBW, it's bullish, Guggenheim, McDonald's, Craig, Hallum Organizations: Apple, Barclays, Microsoft, U.S, " Bank of America, Nvidia, Bank of America, Constellation Energy, JPMorgan, Apollo, JMP, Weatherford, Bright, Holdings Locations: J.M, CY2026, Europe, UK, China, India, CEG

☆ Deutsche Bank's 3-day-a-week return-to-office policy has been met with fierce criticism by staff who say there isn't enough space for everyone
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-28 | by ( Sawdah Bhaimiya | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Deutsche Bank staff have criticized the company's new return-to-office policies. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . "There's enormous resistance among staff," Stephan Szukalski, the head of the labor union DBV, which represents Deutsche Bank staff, told Bloomberg via email. Szukalski, who is also part of the bank's supervisory board, said there isn't enough office space and that staff are already complaining about bottlenecks. The spokesperson told BI: "The bank remains committed to our hybrid working model, which has been received extremely positively by staff.

Persons: —, Christian, Rebecca Short, Stephan Szukalski, Szukalski, EY, Dan Schawbel, Nicholas Bloom Organizations: Deutsche Bank, Staff, Service, Bloomberg, Business, DBV, Google, General Motors, SAP, Stanford Locations: Germany

☆ It's time to buy the dip in nuclear and uranium ETFs, Bank of America says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-28 | by ( Jesse Pound | In Jesse-Pound | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Uranium stocks have cooled off in recent weeks, making this a good time for investors to jump in, according to Bank of America. Many of the biggest uranium stocks like Cameco Corp. are down about 14% in February. Since 2021 clean energy ETFs with heavy exposure to wind and solar power have suffered a sharp bear market ( > 30% losses and $2.4bn outflows), but over the same period investors added $2bn into uranium & nuclear power ETFs," Woodard said. An example of a uranium fund that is seeing such a blip is the Global X Uranium ETF (URA) , which is Woodard's top pick in this space. Another uranium fund that Bank of America is bullish on is VanEck Uranium and Nuclear Energy ETF (NLR) .

Persons: Jared Woodard, Woodard, URA, Canaccord, George Gianarikas, they've, Gianarikas, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: Bank of America, Cameco Corp, Uranium, Nuclear Energy, Public Service Enterprise Group, Uranium Trust Locations: NLR, Canada

☆ Apple dumps electric car to go big into AI. UBS says this is what Tim Cook will unveil this year
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-28 | by ( Samantha Subin | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Apple is probably shutting down its electric car project in favor of some big bets on artificial intelligence, according to UBS. AAPL YTD mountain Apple shares this year The UBS report came after Bloomberg reported on Tuesday that the iPhone maker is reportedly axing its decade-long venture to build an electric vehicle. Among the potential upcoming AI announcements, Vogt is bracing for Apple CEO Tim Cook to debut a new processor in the iPhone 16 supporting AI, and a new AI or large language model feature on the iOS 18 operating system. UBS also anticipated updates to "Siri" and "Messages" that would enable new features, such as summaries of incoming texts. There are some financial downsides to Apple in halting its car venture, Vogt said.

Persons: David Vogt, Vogt, Tim Cook, Siri, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: Apple, UBS, company's, Bloomberg

☆ Cherry-blossom season is one of the best times to visit Japan. Here's how I make the most of it as an American who's lived here for 5 years.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-28 | by ( ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

Pay attention to the sakura forecast. The trees only bloom for a short window, so you don't want to miss it. Cherry blossoms reach full bloom in just a few weeks and only stay in full bloom for about one or two weeks. In order to witness peak blooming, I recommend referring to the sakura forecast calendar from the Japan Meteorological Corporation. The most recent forecast, released on February 22, estimates the peak bloom to be around March 21 in Tokyo and most of mainland Japan and between April 4 and 20 in most of northern Japan.

Persons: Abi One, sakura Organizations: Japan Meteorological Corporation Locations: Tokyo, Japan

☆ Here are Tuesday's biggest analyst calls: Nvidia, Arm, Tesla, Rivian, Netflix, Micron, Roku, Seagate & more
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-27 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Citi reiterates Snowflake as a top pick Citi said Snowflake remains a top pick at the firm. Citi reiterates Micron as buy Citi said concerns about the stock underperformance is overdone and investors should buy the dip in top pick Micron. "We reiterate our Buy rating on Micron and maintain our price target of $95.00, above its historical average given the DRAM upturn and continued upside." "We are initiating coverage of Duolingo with a Buy rating and $222 price target (12x 2025 revenues)." Citi reiterates Nvidia as a top pick Citi said it's staying long shares of Nvidia.

Persons: Morgan Stanley, Rivian, Snowflake, Berenberg, Eli Lilly, Unilever, Edward Jones, Goldman Sachs, Piper Sandler, Piper, Datadog, Yuka Broderick, Janney, Argus, Wells, VZIO, MGY, Bernstein, it's, Evercore, Davidson Organizations: Citi, US pharma, Staples, Fractyl Health, Investor Relations, Strategic Finance, American Eagle Citi, Watch, Micron, UBS, Netflix, SUN, Kroger, Industry, Deutsche Bank, Deutsche, Seaport, Bank of America, Gas, Semiconductors, Nvidia, AMD, Seagate, Bank of, underperform Bank of America, JPMorgan, Comerica, CMA

☆ Goldman's stock strategist says these 'shared favorites' among top investor types typically beat the S&P
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-27 | by ( Sarah Min | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Goldman Sachs anticipates the S & P 500 will rise to 5,200 by the end of the year, the CNBC Market Strategist Survey showed. Instead, some better opportunities may lie in "shared favorites," according to David Kostin, chief U.S. equity strategist at Goldman Sachs. They've outperformed the S & P 500 a majority of the time, 63%, in the months since 2013. Other names Kostin considers shared favorites include Mastercard , Visa and Danaher . "Some of these shared favorites are … less highly valued and that's a perhaps more risk adjusted return opportunity set," Kostin said.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, That's, David Kostin, Kostin, CNBC's, They've, TD Cowen, Morgan Stanley, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: CNBC Market, Mutual Fund, KKR, Mastercard, Visa

☆ Here are Monday's biggest analyst calls: Nvidia, Alphabet, Salesforce, Arm, CVS, BJ's, Super Micro & more
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-26 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Morgan Stanley reiterates Target at overweight Morgan Stanley stood by its overweight rating on the department store owner. Morgan Stanley reiterates Salesforce as overweight Morgan Stanley said it likes the setup heading into earnings later this week. Morgan Stanley upgrades HashiCorp to overweight from equal weight Morgan Stanley said the software company has a compelling valuation. Morgan Stanley upgrades AvalonBay to overweight from equal weight Morgan Stanley said apartment REIT stocks like AvalonBay are '"cheap for a reason." Morgan Stanley upgrades Sun Country to overweight from equal weight Morgan Stanley said it likes the airline's business model.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, Goldman, Morgan Stanley, Salesforce, Rosenblatt, Jefferies, Amer, Wells, Jane Fraser, Roth MKM, Roth, TD Cowen, TD, DA Davidson, OW, Fannie Mae, KBW, Freddie, Truist, it's, Piper Sandler, Piper, Bentley Organizations: Nvidia, BMO, Apollo, Amer Sports, Citi, Citigroup, Bank of America, KKR, APO, BJ's Wholesale, D.A, Susquehanna, Energy, HSBC downgrades Moderna, HSBC, Moderna, Google, YouTube, " Bank of America, Omega Healthcare, Sun, DuPont's Mobility, JPMorgan, Navy, Bentley Systems Locations: USD75, Asana, ASAN

☆ Is it too late to buy Nvidia shares? Here's what Wall Street says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-26 | by ( Weizhen Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The bank increased its price target for Nvidia to $820 from $575 in a Feb. 22 note. TD Cowen said in a Feb. 21 note that the company is likely to maintain strong data center growth in the coming years. It raised its price target for Nvidia from $800 to $925. Luria only has a neutral rating for Nvidia, giving it a $410 price target — implying a 47% downside. Bottomline: According to FactSet, analysts covering Nvidia gave it a 93% buy rating, with an average price target of $850.97, implying upside of 8.4%.

Persons: Jeff Pu, CNBC's, TD Cowen, BofA, Gil Luria, D.A, Davidson, Luria, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: Nvidia, Citi, Haitong, Apple, NVIDIA, Microsoft, Google, AMD, Intel Locations: BofA

☆ Can Buffett’s Berkshire make the $1 trillion milestone? Analysts weigh in
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-26 | by ( Sarah Min | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Wall Street analysts have a cautious view on Berkshire Hathaway , though they praised a solid earnings report over the weekend from Warren Buffett 's conglomerate. Berkshire also said its cash rose to a record $167.6 billion, topping its prior high of $157.2 billion held in the previous quarter. Berkshire's stock initally rose in trading on Monday, with both classes hitting all-time highs intraday, and bringing the conglomerate closer to a $1 trillion valuation. BRK.A YTD mountain Berkshire Hathaway Class A However, many Wall Street analysts are wary on Berkshire, with many expecting that the stock is fairly valued as much of the strength is already priced into the stock. Berkshire's solid earnings reflected outperformance in auto insurer Geico, but the results were dinged by lower earnings in utilities and energy.

Persons: Berkshire Hathaway, Warren Buffett, FactSet, Edward Jones, James Shanahan, Keefe, Woods, Meyer Shields, Shields, Brian Meredith, CFRA's Catherine Seifert, Buffett, Michael Bloom Organizations: Berkshire Hathaway, Wall, UBS Locations: Berkshire, Omaha

☆ Berkshire shares jump after big profit gain as Buffett’s conglomerate nears $1 trillion valuation
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-26 | by ( Sarah Min | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The conglomerate held $167.6 billion in cash in the fourth quarter, surpassing the $157.2 billion record the conglomerate held in the prior quarter. Berkshire on Saturday posted fourth-quarter operating earnings of $8.481 billion, about 28% higher than the $6.625 billion from the year-ago period, driven by big gains in its insurance business. Berkshire class B shares jumped 2.3% in premarket trading, set to add to their 17% gain already this year. Berkshire Hathaway shares rose on Monday after Warren Buffett's conglomerate posted strong earnings for the fourth quarter over the weekend. "BRK shares have significantly outperformed financial services peers during 2023, supported by a relatively strong earnings outlook.

Persons: Berkshire Hathaway, Warren Buffett's, Edward Jones, James Shanahan, Buffett, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: Berkshire Locations: Berkshire, FactSet, Alleghany

☆ Want a Nvidia alternative? These 6 chip suppliers look set to gain big from the AI boom
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-23 | by ( Ganesh Rao | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A number of stocks that supply Nvidia look set to gain from the AI boom, as the U.S. chip giant published another bumper quarter of earnings. Nvidia, which makes chips that are used to train artificial intelligence models, said sales had risen 265% year-on-year to more than $22 billion in its latest quarter . TSMC also makes chips for companies such as Apple and AMD . Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix make "high bandwidth memory" chips used in the latest AI chips. Japanese firm Advantest makes equipment and materials used to test AI chips during manufacturing.

Persons: TSMC, Morgan Stanley, CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: Nvidia, CNBC, Samsung Electronics, Micron Technology, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Apple, AMD, SK Hynix, GPU, Street, BESI, BE Semiconductor Industries, TSMC, Intel, Samsung Locations: U.S, NVDA, Dutch

☆ These stocks are well positioned for when the Federal Reserve starts cutting rates, Barclays says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-23 | by ( Hakyung Kim | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

This would likely push the Federal funds target range to between 4.5% to 4.75% by the end of this year, he said. Take a look at the stocks Barclays thinks are best-positioned for lower rates later this year. Darden Restaurants is one of the consumer names Barclays believes can outperform when the Fed loosens rates. Clothing retailer Gap is another stock Barclays believes will be a rate-cut cycle winner. GPS YTD mountain The Gap shares in 2024 Agribusiness company Bunge also made the cut.

Persons: Terrence Malone, Malone, Jeff Bernstein, Bernstein, Jason Goldberg, Goldberg, Adrienne Yih, Bunge, Ben Theurer, —, Michael Bloom Organizations: Barclays, Darden, Olive Garden, LongHorn, Fifth, Bancorp, Old Navy, Banana, Analysts, Bunge Locations: Olive, Banana Republic

☆ Avoid these overcrowded trades by hedge funds as the rally powers on, according to Morgan Stanley
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-23 | by ( Yun Li | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

As the rally continues, it's wise to avoid overcrowded trades among hedge funds as herd mentality often leads to trouble in the stock market, according to Morgan Stanley. Investors in overcrowded trades could run the risk of getting caught in a losing bet when hedge funds, especially systematic traders, form a herd-like stampede to exit the same trades. Morgan Stanley found that hedge funds were most overweight in the consumer discretionary, industrials, and health-care sectors last quarter. Even though they have been extremely popular, these stocks tend to have outsized share counts that make hedge funds' ownership less significant. Avis Budget Group was the most over-owned stock by hedge funds at the end of 2023 with half of its outstanding float shares owned by the cohort, according to Morgan Stanley.

Persons: Morgan Stanley, Russell, Howard Hughes, Janus Henderson, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: Avis Budget Group, Liberty Media, Liberty Media , New York Times Locations: Wendy's, Liberty Media ,

☆ A 'messy' quarter: What analysts are saying after Rivian's latest quarterly report
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-22 | by ( Brian Evans | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Analysts are growing cautious on Rivian shares as its struggles are worsened by weak electric vehicle demand. RBC has a $15 per share price target, which is roughly 3% below Wednesday's close of $15.39. RIVN 1D mountain Rivian stock. Narayan said legacy automakers are in a better position to navigate the current slowdown in EV demand, and said he expects Rivian stock to "to come under pressure." Langan lowered his price target to $14 per share from $18.

Persons: Rivian, Tom Narayan, expected.It, Narayan, FactSet, Wells, Colin M, Langan, Goldman Sachs, Mark Delaney, Delaney, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: RBC Capital, RBC, Barclays Locations: Wednesday's

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