DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Top tech analyst Mahaney has 2 buys and a short going into first-quarter earnings
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Alex Harring | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Evercore ISI is gearing up for first-quarter tech earnings by making short-term, bullish calls and a tactical bearish recommendation. Well-known technology analyst Mark Mahaney said underperformance in first quarter earnings is less likely given the negative revisions already seen across the tech sector in recent quarters. 1-ranked analyst for five years, named two two of his favorite tech names going into first quarter earnings, and one stock to bet against. Wall Street's consensus for Meta's first-quarter revenue is reasonable while the second quarter's is beatable, Mahaney argued. While industry checks were in line with forecasts through the beginning of March, demand appears to have cooled later in the quarter, Mahaney said.

☆ Club meeting recap: Jim Cramer says industrial giant Honeywell is a buy
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Kevin Stankiewicz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Every weekday the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer holds a "Morning Meeting" livestream at 10:20 a.m. Stocks fall, despite softer inflation Stocks gave up early gains Wednesday after having initially climbed on fresh data showing inflation cooled in March . Stick with Meta Meta Platforms (META) is still a terrific stock to own, Jim said Wednesday. As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade. THE ABOVE INVESTING CLUB INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY , TOGETHER WITH OUR DISCLAIMER .

☆ Walmart's plan to abruptly close 4 Chicago stores slammed as 'unethical' and 'unceremoniously abandoning these neighborhoods'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Ben Tobin | Dominick Reuter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Walmart announced this week that it is closing four stores in Chicago in a matter of days. Elected officials said that the decision to close the stores "worsens food deserts" in the area. In a rare press release on April 11 announcing store closures, Walmart said bluntly that these stores "have not been profitable since we opened the first one nearly 17 years ago." "Walmart's decision to close four stores in predominantly Black and Brown communities not only worsens food deserts, but will also increase grocery costs for families." The four Walmart stores closing in Chicago

☆ Exclusive: The University of California has invested billions in venture capital firms since 2000 and it has lost hundreds of millions so far. Here's why.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Ben Bergman | Darius Rafieyan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Insider obtained UC Investments' returns through a Public Records Act request. Unlike many other financial institutions, VC funds are not required to show their return on investment in startups. UC Investments, which has been managed by Jagdeep Singh Bachher since 2014, declined to comment. Though selling early produced an initial windfall, UC Investments could have ultimately missed out on substantial gains from these VC funds. By comparison, UC Investments earned a 8.3% return for its investment in public markets.

☆ Here are all of the Republican elected officials backing Trump's 2024 campaign
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( Bryan Metzger | Oma Seddiq | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Michael Burgess — the Texas congressman endorsed Trump in March after being named to the former president's campaign's Texas leadership team. Eli Crane — the Arizona freshman tweeted his support for Trump's 2024 bid the night of his announcement. Barry Moore — the Alabama congressman endorsed Trump in a radio interview in December, citing the former president's "experience level." 3 House Republican endorsed Trump days before his widely expected 2024 announcement in November. Roger Williams — the Texas congressman endorsed Trump in March after being named to the former president's campaign's Texas leadership team.

Below are several charts setting out how ESG funds have held up so far this year. Reuters GraphicsTECH REBOUNDESG equity funds enjoyed a quarter of net inflows, even after the March withdrawals, beating non-ESG equity funds, which lost money. ESG funds have historically owned bank shares because of their relatively lower carbon emissions, Boakye said, although versus traditional funds their exposure to banks is generally lower. Across the quarter ESG bond funds managed to attract more cash than they lost. Reuters GraphicsOUTPERFORMINGThanks to the rebound in tech shares and other sectors shunned in 2022, ESG equity funds outperformed traditional funds during the quarter.

April 6 (Reuters) - U.S. dividend funds have faced steep outflows this year after strong inflows last year as investors rush to safer money market funds and bank deposits, providing high returns without much risk. According to Refinitiv data, U.S. dividend funds witnessed an outflow of $5.6 billion in the first quarter of this year, the first in 10 quarters. On the other hand, U.S. money market funds secured a massive $391.5 billion inflow in the first quarter, the biggest in three years. "As long as the stability and income generated from money market funds remain attractive relative to stocks, the outflows may continue this year." However, some analysts said dividend funds are still the safer option as they invest in companies with solid balance sheets and healthy cash flows which are likely to be more resilient during an economic slowdown.

☆ Market veteran says we may be 'a long way from a new bull market' and shares what to buy and avoid
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Zavier Ong | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

That puts the index in a technical bull market — widely defined as a gain of at least 20% from a 52-week low. That outperformance is getting investors excited and is prompting talk that a new bull market is in the cards. But market veteran David Dietze said he believes the stock market is getting ahead of itself. "Others have trouble calling a market movement a new bull market until the market at least attains its prior all-time high point. How he's positioning For starters, he said, investors should remain invested in the stock market, despite the appeal of higher-yielding money market funds and short-dated Treasurys.

☆ Here are Thursday's biggest analyst calls: Netflix, Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, FedEx, Pinterest & more
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Raymond James upgrades FedEx to outperform from market perform Raymond James said and "undeniable" positive change is underway at the shipping giant. "We are initiating coverage of XPO, one of the largest less-than-truckload (LTL) carriers, in North America, with an Outperform rating and a $44 target price." "We are initiating coverage of Skyworks Solutions, with a Buy rating and $150 target price. Raymond James upgrades Wells Fargo to strong buy from outperform Raymond James said the banking giant is well positioned in the current environment. Raymond James initiates Pinterest as outperform Raymond James said it sees "steady user growth" for Pinterest.

UnitedHealth shares are well-positioned to have a strong 2023, according to Raymond James. Analyst John Ransom upgraded shares of UnitedHealth to strong buy from outperform. UnitedHealth shares are down 7% in 2023, lagging the S & P 500's 6.8% advance. UNH YTD mountain UNH in 2023 Ransom said that many of the policy overhangs on UnitedHealth, which accounted for his previous downgrade in December, are now past the company. Raymond James sees these measures as "a win for the industry as it buffers the initial impact and buys time for behavior changes.

☆ Here are Wednesday's top analyst calls of the day: Disney, Apple, Amazon, Dutch Bros, Meta & more
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Here are Wednesday's biggest calls on Wall Street: Bank of America reiterates Disney as buy Bank of America said Disney remains "best-in-class." Piper Sandler reiterates Apple as overweight Piper said its survey checks show Apple is still a top pick for teens. Bank of America upgrades Livent to buy from neutral Bank of America said the lithium company's "value proposition" has increased. " Wedbush upgrades Dutch Bros to outperform from neutral Wedbush upgraded the coffee chain and said it sees more upside. Bank of America reiterates Apple as buy Bank of America raised its price target on Apple to $168 per share from $158 and said it sees iPhone trends stabilizing.

☆ J.P.Morgan puts India's HCL on 'negative catalyst watch' ahead of Q4 results
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BENGALURU, April 4 (Reuters) - J.P.Morgan on Tuesday placed Indian IT services provider HCL Technologies Ltd (HCLT.NS) on "negative catalyst watch" ahead of the earnings season, citing the highest near-term risks for the company. The brokerage also expected Infosys to give "soft" guidance due to the uncertain macro environment and the departure of Mohit Joshi, its president and head of banking, financial services and insurance. TCS Chief Executive Officer Rajesh Gopinathan resigned last month, while Joshi was named CEO of Tech Mahindra (TEML.NS). Earlier, J.P.Morgan had said TCS and Infosys have the highest exposure to regional banks in the United States that are gripped by a financial turmoil. Reporting by Nallur Sethuraman in Bengaluru; Editing by Pooja DesaiOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Jim Cramer's top 10 things to watch in the stock market Tuesday: ServiceNow bump, Dimon speaks, DHR cut
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Jim Cramer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Baird upgrades software stock ServiceNow (NOW) to buy from hold, with a price target of $548, up from $475. Raises price target to $140 from $135. Barclays turns on life science tools and diagnostics sector, drops price target for Club favorite Danaher (DHR) to $270 from $290 and expects a "relatively light" first-quarter guide. Norfolk Southern (NSC) upgraded to hold from sell at Morgan Stanley with unchanged price target of $171. As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade.

☆ Here are Tuesday's biggest analyst calls: Apple, Amazon, Boeing, Chipotle, Rivian, Etsy, Exxon & more
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Here are Tuesday's biggest calls on Wall Street: Piper Sandler reiterates Apple as overweight Piper said iPhone share remains at near record levels for Apple. Bank of America reiterates Endeavor as buy Bank of America said it's bullish on Endeavor's plan to merge WWE and UFC. Piper Sandler upgrades Etsy to overweight from neutral Piper said it sees "continued share gains" for the e-commerce company. Deutsche Bank reiterates Citizens Financial and PNC as buy Deutsche said it's cautious on bank stocks overall, but that it likes Citizens and PNC as top picks. Bank of America reiterates Analog Devices as buy Bank of America said Analog Devices has "best-in-class" free-cash flow returns.

☆ Morgan Stanley just revealed its best long-term stock picks in Europe
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Zavier Ong | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Despite their underperformance in recent years, " quality" stocks have been persistent outperformers within European stock markets for decades, according to research from Morgan Stanley . The bank has revealed its "35 for 2025" list, featuring the bank's 35 best long-term picks in Europe. Notwithstanding recent price moves, quality stocks also look reasonably valued, with average relative valuations for the MSCI Europe Quality index below their 10-year average," Morgan Stanley's analysts, led by Giorgio Magagnotti, wrote in a note on Mar. British alcoholic beverage maker Diageo also makes an appearance, with Morgan Stanley confident of Diageo's ability to deliver "superior" growth. Within the semiconductor space, ASML is Morgan Stanley's top pick.

☆ This construction stock could gain more than 20% as inflation pressures recede, Goldman Sachs says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Alex Harring | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Vulcan Materials shares should see a better year as inflation cools, according to Goldman Sachs. Analyst Jerry Revich upgraded the construction stock to buy from neutral. And unit profitability, which he said is a key stock price driver, should accelerate as inflation stabilizes but prices remain elevated. While private construction spending is tied to the U.S. banking sector, he said aggregate volumes are down around 10% compared with the same period a year ago. And public construction spending should be strong, he said, as pent up demand from Covid years turn to contracts, he said.

☆ HSBC spinoff: Bank's top execs face tense shareholders in Hong Kong calling for a breakup
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Michelle Toh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Quinn addressed those complaints head-on Monday, saying “our profits in Hong Kong and the UK are no longer being dragged down by underperformance elsewhere. Mark Tucker, chairman of HSBC, left, and Peter Wong, chairman of the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, departing following the bank's shareholders meeting in Hong Kong on Monday. They argue that if the lender cordoned off its activities in Asia, it would no longer have to expose Hong Kong shareholders to requests in other jurisdictions. Christine Fong, a district council member in Hong Kong, said she represented about 500 small shareholders who had been affected by the dividend cancellation. An HSBC bank branch in Hong Kong last July.

☆ JPMorgan says this retailer is a buy as it nears an 'inflection point'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Alex Harring | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Analyst Matthew Boss upgraded the retail stock to overweight from neutral and increased his price target by $1 to $29. His price target implies the stock will rally 65.8% over the next year from where shares ended Friday's session. He said the retailer should be able to see multiyear EBITDA margins in the low double digits due to five "self-help" growth vectors. Boss said the stock has an attractive risk-to-reward ratio and is at an attractive entry point following recent underperformance. Macy's trades at around two times its 2024 EBITDA, he said, which places it around 50% below the average of stocks in the department stores/mall-based specialty category.

☆ 'Cracks in the foundation': 3 leading Wall Street strategists reveal the overlooked reason why stocks are on shaky ground right now — and how to invest with a downturn looming
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-02 | by ( James Faris | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Instead, they've been propelled by large caps and growth stocks, specifically tech. If not for a small number of mega-cap growth stocks, the S&P 500 wouldn't be staying afloat. Last year investors learned the hard way that narrow markets are dangerous, as tech stocks tumbled during the market selloff. "Breadth has been exceptionally weak as large-cap growth stocks hold up the major averages," Wilson wrote in a late March note. Outside of tech, Lebovitz highlighted traditional defensive sectors like consumer staples and utilities.

☆ In times of crisis these stocks are a 'core holding,' analysts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-01 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

They include: Costco, Estee Lauder, Pacific Premier Bancorp, ON Holding and Phillips 66. Still, with Pacific Premier shares down 23% this year, Tenner said investors should take advantage of the buying opportunity. "Pacific Premier is, in our view, a long-term core holding for institutional investors," Tenner said. ... .We still view PSX as a long-term core holding in energy. PPBI is, in our view, a long-term core holding for institutional investors.

☆ D.E. Shaw spots an opportunity to boost margins at FleetCor – and do so amicably
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-01 | by ( Kenneth Squire | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Business: FleetCor is a business payments company that helps businesses spend less by enabling them to manage their expense-related purchasing and vendor payments processes. Additionally, the company agreed to form an ad hoc strategic review committee to assist the board as it considers various strategic alternatives. Shaw agreed to abide by certain voting and standstill restrictions. FleetCor is a business payments company with four main business lines: fuel, corporate payments, tolls and lodging. Shaw settled for two board seats and the company agreed to undertake a strategic review, including the possible separation of one or more businesses.

☆ Scouten: Big bank stocks and select regionals are flight-to-safety trades in the finanicals sector
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailScouten: Big bank stocks and select regionals are flight-to-safety trades in the finanicals sectorPiper Sandler's Stephen Scouten discusses the financial sector's underperformance this quarter.

But after a two-week storm which had analysts and investors rushing to rework their spreadsheets, the outlook is clouded. And the ructions have left the gap between the ratios of European and U.S. banks at its narrowest since September 2017. Reflecting concerns over the stability of the sector, bank shares are set for an almost 15% monthly drop in March, after five consecutive months of gains. European bank earnings growth expectations'UNLIKELY TO BUY'Other investors see pressure on European bank earnings as they anticipate the euro zone economy will slow down. Also in the calculation mix is the ECB's campaign to raise interest rates to tackle rising inflation, which had previously been a boon for euro zone lenders.

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves midday: Micron, Paramount, McCormick and more
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( Pia Singh | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Check out the companies making headlines in midday trading Tuesday. Micron Technology — The semiconductor stock was down 2.8% ahead of its scheduled second-quarter earnings report after the bell on Tuesday. Paramount — Shares of the media giant gained 3.6% during midday trading on a rating upgrade from Bank of America from neutral to buy. McCormick & Company — The spice maker's stock price jumped about 10% during midday trading after reporting better-than-expected earnings for the first quarter. Walgreens posted revenue of $34.86 billion for the most recent quarter, compared to analysts' estimates of $33.53 billion, according to Refinitiv.

☆ Envestnet names three new directors, ends board fight with Impactive Capital
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( Svea Herbst-Bayliss | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Longtime banking executive Barbara Turner, veteran board member Wendy Lane and Lauren Taylor Wolfe, the co-founder of Impactive Capital, joined the board in the last days. Envestnet, which provides technology and automation software for financial advisors and banks, also said it will suggest that all of its directors stand for election every year. "These appointments were informed by Envestnet's ongoing dialogue with shareholders as we continue to execute on our strategic plan to deliver enhanced value to shareholders," James Fox, Envestnet board chairman, said in a statement. Impactive, founded by veteran investors Taylor Wolfe and Christian Asmar, owns a 7.5% stake in Envestnet and in January nominated four director candidates to the board. Impactive blamed poor profit margins and capital allocation for Envestnet's underperformance and said its management and board directors were overpaid.

Search resuls for: "Underperformance"

25 mentions found