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☆ S&P 500 futures are little changed as traders look ahead to key inflation data, Fed meeting: Live updates
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-11 | by ( Sarah Min | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

S&P 500 futures were little changed Sunday night as traders looked ahead to the latest inflation data and the Federal Reserve policy meeting this week. S&P 500 futures added 0.14%. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures rose by 19 points, or 0.06%, while Nasdaq 100 futures advanced 0.27%. Investors are coming off a positive week for markets, with the S&P 500 posting its fourth straight week of gains, and brushing its highest point since August. Investors will also be watching for Tuesday's consumer price index, as well as monitoring the Federal Open Market Committee meeting.

Persons: Dow, there's, Tom Lee Organizations: Federal Reserve, Dow Jones Industrial, Nasdaq, Investors

☆ Goldman Sachs raises year-end S&P 500 target to 4,500, anticipating 5% upside
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( Darla Mercado | Cfp | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Goldman Sachs is boosting its year-end target on the S & P 500 to 4,500, citing a broadening rally that goes beyond the largest tech names. The new target represents about 5% upside from current levels on the broad-market index and is an increase from Goldman's previous target of 4,000. The S & P 500 is up nearly 12% this year. Though a handful of Big Tech stocks — namely Apple , Microsoft , Alphabet , Amazon , Nvidia , Meta and Tesla — are some of the highest fliers in the S & P 500 this year, other sectors are perking up . Check out CNBC's Market Strategist Survey here to see Wall Street's latest year-end targets.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, David Kostin, Kostin, Tesla, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: Big Tech, Apple, Microsoft, Nvidia, Meta

Cranes unload shipping containers from a vessel at the Port of Fremantle in Perth, Australia, on Monday, Aug. 26, 2013. Asia-Pacific markets are set to fall as Wall Street saw a pause in its market rally and the broad market index fluctuated near its highest closing levels since August 2022. China's exports fell further than than expected and Australia's central bank defied market expectations by delivering a 25 basis-point hike. South Korea's Kospi inched down 0.23% in early trade, while the Kosdaq saw a larger loss at 0.43%. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index is also set to fall after a brief rally on Wednesday, with futures at 19,116 compared to the HSI's close of 19,252.

Organizations: Port, Nikkei, Reuters, Bank of Locations: Fremantle, Perth, Australia, Asia, Pacific, Japan, Bank of India

☆ Stock futures are little changed on Wednesday night as rally hesitates: Live updates
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Darla Mercado | Cfp | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Stock futures were flat on Wednesday evening, as investors await the next market catalyst. Futures linked to the S&P 500 ticked lower by 0.04%, while Nasdaq 100 futures inched down by 0.09%. Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 17 points or 0.05%. During the regular session Wednesday, the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq Composite appeared to take a breather from their recent rally. "It's widely expected they will pause, but it's really going to be important what their guidance is and what the [consumer price index] number on Tuesday will be and the [producer price index]."

Persons: Matthew Furlong, Ryan Cohen, Dow, Barbara Doran, it's, Jeff Cox Organizations: Nasdaq, Dow Jones, GameStop, Fed, BD8 Capital Partners, Federal

☆ Prepare for more stock-market jitters after the debt-ceiling deal, Morgan Stanley warns
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( George Glover | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The debt-ceiling deal could drive up stock-market uncertainty, according to Morgan Stanley. Investors should brace themselves for a rise in uncertainty in the aftermath of the 11th-hour debt-ceiling compromise, according to Morgan Stanley. Morgan Stanley's Tirupattur said the Treasury would also likely issue a flurry of bills in a bid to raise more cash once a debt-ceiling deal has been voted through Congress. Investors snapping up these short-term bonds could "drain liquidity in the system" for stocks and other assets, Tirupattur wrote. Read more: Wall Street is bracing for stock market chaos as the debt-ceiling face-off drags on

Tech stocks have been having a breakout year after a difficult end to 2022. While many tech stocks have surged year to date, some are trading cheaper than their peers. The S & P 500 tech sector is the best performer year to date, jumping about 33% in 2023. Hewlett Packard Enterprise is the cheapest tech stock on the list. The company is trading at a relative P/E ratio of just 0.27 compared to the broad market tech sector.

☆ Here’s the secret sauce that fueled Palo Alto Networks’ beat and raise despite tough times
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-23 | by ( Jeff Marks | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Bottom line Once again, Palo Alto Networks delivered an upside quarter despite uncertainty related to the slowing and more cost-conscious macroeconomic environment. Palo Alto Networks isn't cheap on a classical earnings basis. The fiscal Q3 results clearly show Palo Alto Networks as a preferred partner despite industry headwinds related to elongated sales cycles. PANW YTD mountain Palo Alto Networks (PANW) YTD performance Outlook For Palo Alto Networks' current fiscal 2023 fourth quarter, the company sees rosy times ahead. Signage outside Palo Alto Networks headquarters in Santa Clara, California, U.S., on Thursday, May 13, 2021.

Goldman Sachs believes the current downturn in the energy sector has created attractive opportunities for investors. The energy sector is down 9.4% in 2023, the largest decline among the 11 major S & P 500 sectors. Goldman attributes the energy sector's underperformance to a combination of macroeconomic conditions. Mild winter temperatures drove lower natural gas prices, and Russian oil supplies were s well higher-than-expected. Goldman also picked oil services company Halliburton as an underappreciated energy name.

☆ Analysis: US debt ceiling deal could stall safety flight fueling megacap rally
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( David Randall | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Their rally has been responsible for all of the 8.3% year-to-date gain in the S&P 500 (.SPX) through Wednesday's close, a Deutsche Bank report showed. A recent survey of global fund managers from BofA Global Research showed that 71% believe a deal to raise the debt ceiling will be reached before the X-date. Excitement over artificial intelligence, which has boosted some megacap names this year, is another factor that could support the category. At the same time, the debt ceiling has been only one of of several worries weighing on the market. Paul Christopher, head of global market strategy at Wells Fargo Investment Institute, expects lawmakers will reach an agreement to extend the debt ceiling through September.

The markets are headed toward a positive week and certain stocks stood out from the rest. The S & P 500 and Nasdaq Composite were up 1.5% and 2.9% week to date, respectively. Regional bank stocks were among this week's most notable gainers after a difficult few weeks. Regional bank stocks Comerica and Zions Bancorporation saw the largest gains this week, with shares surging 22.7% and 21.8%, respectively. Semiconductor design company Synopsys ' stock jumped 12.5% week to date and hit a new 52-week high Friday.

"A longer timeframe shows that foreign investors have been net sellers of Japanese equities by a considerable margin. We think long-term investors remain lightly positioned," they wrote last week in a note "Upside risks in Japanese equities". Non-residents sold nearly $4 billion of Chinese stocks in April, according to the Institute of International Finance, the first outflow in six months. Bank of America's monthly fund manager surveys show that "long" Chinese equities was the most crowded global trade in January. That has been scaled back significantly and investors have reduced their net overweight position in Chinese stocks, but they are still comfortably net overweight.

☆ US single-family homebuilding, permits rise in April
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Lucia Mutikani | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Summary Single-family housing starts rise 1.6% in AprilSingle-family building permits increase 3.1%Overall housing starts climb 2.2%; permits fall 1.5%WASHINGTON, May 17 (Reuters) - U.S. single-family homebuilding increased in April, but data for the prior month was revised sharply lower, suggesting that the housing market slump was far from over even as some segments show signs of stabilizing. The rise in single-family housing starts last month reported by the Commerce Department on Wednesday was concentrated in the West, with the rest of the three regions reporting big declines. Single-family housing starts, which account for the bulk of homebuilding, rose 1.6% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 846,000 units last month. Single-family housing starts plunged 28.1% on a year-on-year basis in April. The single-family homebuilding backlog increased 4.5% to 139,000 units, while the completions rate for this segment dropped 6.5% to a rate of 971,000 units.

☆ U.S. single-family housing starts rise in April; March revised down
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, May 17 (Reuters) - U.S. single-family homebuilding increased in April, but data for the prior month was revised sharply lower, suggesting that the embattled housing market was struggling to find a floor, despite a retreat in mortgage rates. Single-family housing starts, which account for the bulk of homebuilding, rose 1.6% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 846,000 units last month, the Commerce Department said on Wednesday. Data for March was revised down to show single-family homebuilding falling to a rate of 833,000 units instead of increasing to a pace of 861,000 units as previously reported. A survey on Tuesday showed the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market index increased in May to the midpoint mark of 50 for the first time since July 2022 as a dearth of previously owned homes supported new construction. The housing market has taken the biggest hit from the Federal Reserve's fastest monetary policy tightening campaign since the 1980s to tame inflation.

☆ New home construction rose in April after a dip in March
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Anna Bahney | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

However, housing starts, a measure of new home construction, were down 22.3% from a year ago, according to data released Wednesday by the Census Bureau. After surging in February following five consecutive months of falling, housing starts fell in March. Single‐family housing starts in April rose 1.6% from the revised March figure, at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 833,000. Building permits, which track the number of new housing units granted permits, fell in April after also dropping in March. Building permits were down in the Northeast and Midwest, but climbed in the South and West.

Some stocks in the S & P 500 are cheaper compared to the sector they are in. Forward P/E allows a trader to evaluate a given company's stock price relative to its projected future earnings. AT & T 's forward P/E compared to the communications services sector average is a significant discount at 0.4 times. Meanwhile, Walgreens ' stock also has a forward P/E significantly cheaper than the average in the consumer staples sector of the market. General Motors has a forward P/E of 0.2 times earnings compared to the consumer discretionary sector.

☆ US consumer spending appears solid early in second quarter
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Lucia Mutikani | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Retail sales excluding automobiles, gasoline, building materials and food services rebounded 0.7% last month, the Commerce Department said. Data for March was revised slightly down to show these so-called core retail sales slipping 0.4% instead of 0.3% as previously reported. Core retail sales correspond most closely with the consumer spending component of gross domestic product. Economists estimated that core retail sales adjusted for inflation rose by about 0.6% in April. Sales at food services and drinking places, the only services category in the retail sales report, rose 0.6%.

☆ Retail Sales to Show Americans’ Appetite to Spend in April
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Gwynn Guilford | Sarah Nassauer | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

This week’s U.S. retail-sales data will provide the latest update on inflation and the economy. New data on existing home sales, the housing-market index and housing starts will also be released. Photo: Saul Loeb/Agence France-Presse/Getty ImagesApril’s retail-sales report will show consumers’ willingness to spend at stores and restaurants and online as easing inflation returns some spending power to shoppers. Consumers cut retail spending for the second straight month in March, pulling back on purchases of furniture, appliances and gasoline. But a solid labor market last month kept wage growth elevated while inflation cooled to its slowest pace in two years—which could in turn help boost consumer spending, the primary driver of economic growth.

☆ Stocks Close Higher With Debt-Ceiling Talks in Focus
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Hannah Miao | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

This week’s U.S. retail-sales data will provide the latest update on inflation and the economy. New data on existing home sales, the housing market index and housing starts will also be released. Photo: Saul Loeb/Agence France-Presse/Getty ImagesU.S. stocks edged higher Monday as investors monitored debt-ceiling negotiations, coming off two consecutive losing weeks for the S&P 500. The Dow Jones Industrial Average ticked up 0.1%, or nearly 50 points. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite rose 0.7%.

☆ Homebuilder sentiment pulls out of negative territory for the first time in nearly a year
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Diana Olick | In Dianaolick | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

It's the fifth straight month of gains and the first reading of builder sentiment since July that wasn't negative, which would be a reading below 50. With mortgage rates now double what they were a year and a half ago, some potential sellers may be reluctant to trade to another home at a higher rate. Homebuilders also drew more buyers by offering incentives, like buying down mortgage rates. Sentiment in the Midwest rose 2 points to 39. In the South, it increased 3 points to 52, and in the West moved 3 points higher to 41.

☆ How to invest in the S&P 500 — a guide to the funds that mimic the influential index's makeup and moves
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Martin Daks | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +17 min

After tracking the S&P 500 from 1965 to 2021, Berkshire Hathaway found the compound annual gain in the S&P 500 was 10.5%. In the case of S&P 500 index funds, the stocks are those of the companies listed in the S&P 500. With 500+ stocks in their portfolio, S&P 500 funds are especially diversified, their securities representing a range of industries. With 500+ stocks in their portfolio, S&P 500 funds are especially diversified, their securities representing a range of industries. The diversified, passive approach of S&P 500 funds — like most index funds — means an investor's downside is generally limited.

☆ Stock futures slip on Sunday night after S&P 500 and Dow post two straight weekly losses: Live updates
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-14 | by ( Sarah Min | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) during morning trading on February 01, 2023 in New York City. U.S. stock futures fell slightly on Sunday night following back-to-back weekly losses for the Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500. Dow futures fell by 70 points, or about 0.2%. S&P 500 futures and Nasdaq 100 futures dipped 0.21% and 0.27%, respectively. On Monday, investors are watching for the May data for the Empire State Index, which will show how New York State manufacturers feel about the economy.

☆ Investors may be crowding too much into defensive stocks amid market jitters
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-13 | by ( Fred Imbert | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The S & P 500 posted its second straight weekly decline, falling 0.3% this week. Given this backdrop, investors have turned to several consumer staples — traditionally seen as defensive stocks — to shore up their portfolios. Mondelez , PepsiCo and Molson Coors — all staples — are the most overbought S & P 500 names through Friday's session. Shares of Mondelez have rallied more than 16% year to date, easily outperforming the S & P 500's 7.4% advance. Estee Lauder is the most oversold S & P 500 stock.

Solar panel manufacturer First Solar emerged as this week's biggest gainer, with shares surging 26.3% as of Friday morning. Approximately 41% of analysts covering the stock rate it a buy, according to FactSet. To be sure, the stock is already 2.6% above analysts' consensus price target. More than half of analysts covering Albemarle rate it a buy, according to FactSet data. The stock is up approximately 15% in 2023, and analysts estimate additional 6% growth, based on the average price target.

☆ Good news for markets next week. Everyone agrees the debt ceiling 'X-date' is not here yet
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-12 | by ( Scott Schnipper | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Good news for markets next week: no default, no credit agency downgrade, no apocalypse. Worrying 2011 precedent Recent history tells investors that stocks will move more violently during a debt ceiling standoff. Retail sales update Debt negotiations aside, investors get updates next week on the state of American consumer spending when April retail sales are reported Tuesday alongside earnings from Home Depot. Deutsche Bank estimates that April retail sales expanded month over month by 0.7%, the market consensus. Credit Suisse is less optimistic, forecasting that April retail sales grew by 0.6%, but, excluding vehicles, were unchanged.

☆ Millionaire who stopped working at 30: This 'underestimated' risk can derail your retirement plans
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Ryan Ermey | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

How climate change could hurt your bottom lineSabatier isn't alone in expressing concern that climate change could hurt returns in the coming years. "It's mainstream enough that Janet Yellen came out and said climate is the biggest risk to the financial system. The Biden White House has said that people are severely underestimating the future risk and impact of the climate on financial markets," he says. Some investing strategies seek to mitigate climate risk by investing in companies that score highly on sustainability metrics. Still, those are unlikely to solve the potentially broad threat climate change poses to markets, says Sabatier.

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