DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Key inflation data in the week ahead will offer clues to future Fed rate moves and the market's path
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-11 | by ( Zev Fima | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Looking forward The January consumer price index (CPI) , which calculates the average change over time in prices that shoppers pay for goods and services, is slated for Tuesday. Economists and investors will use the number to gauge the odds of a soft landing or hard landing for the economy. The producer price index (PPI) for January, which calculates the change in selling prices received by producers of goods and services, is out on Thursday. As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade. Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust's portfolio.

☆ The AI craze has sent some stocks soaring up to 300%. This list of over 74 stocks across 5 categories features the top picks from the sector's leading fund managers.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Laila Maidan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

These 74 stocks are picked by AI ETF managers. What she believes is unique about her fund is its heavy focus on quantum computing technology, making up 41.22% of the fund. While big data is used for different technologies, it enables AI to work with massive data sets in its machine-learning process. TipRanks, a financial technology website that uses AI to analyze financial data, created a stock list for what they deem are the best AI stocks based on popularity. TipRanks' list of nine of the best AI stocks have large market caps and are likely to remain relevant for a long time.

☆ China ban would slow, not halt, Western solar push
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( Lisa Jucca | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Beijing may ban the export of technology used to make solar panels, an industry which China dominates by controlling at least 75% of its global supply chain. The ban would not, however, extend to China’s solar panels themselves, protecting an export market worth $40 billion in the first 10 months of 2022, sector data shows. Losing access to Chinese solar technology, such as furnaces for melting silicon, would not be an insurmountable problem for the West. A ban would nonetheless hurt a Western push to boost domestic solar panel manufacturing. Export restrictions would include technologies used to produce large-size solar panel silicon wafers, black silicon and ultra-efficient silicon ingots, according to Chinese media reports.

☆ U.S., India partnership targets arms and AI to compete with China
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Trevor Hunnicutt | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON, Jan 31 (Reuters) - The White House is launching a partnership with India on Tuesday that President Joe Biden hopes will help the countries compete against China on military equipment, semiconductors and artificial intelligence (AI). Yet the White House faces an uphill battle on each front, including U.S. restrictions on military technology transfer and visas for immigrant workers, along with India's longstanding dependence on Moscow for military hardware, issues it hopes to now address. But Washington has held its tongue, nudging the country on Russia while condoning India's more hawkish stance on China. General Electric Co (GE.N), meanwhile, is asking the U.S. government for permission to produce jet engines with India that would power aircraft operated and produced by India, according to the White House, which says a review is underway. Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt; Editing by Chris Sanders, Josie Kao and Himani SarkarOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ U.S. stops provision of licences for export to China's Huawei - FT
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Jan 30 (Reuters) - The Biden administration has stopped providing U.S. companies with licences to export to Chinese telecom equipment firm Huawei, the Financial Times reported on Monday, citing people familiar with the matter. The U.S. commerce department had notified some companies that it would no longer grant the licences, the report said. This potentially implies a move towards total ban on the sale of American technology to Huawei. The commerce department, Huawei and chip equipment maker Applied Materials (AMAT.O) did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment. In 2019, the Trump administration imposed a trade ban on Huawei, citing national security concerns, which barred the company from using Alphabet Inc's (GOOGL.O) Android for its new smartphones, among other critical U.S.-origin technologies.

☆ Intel's 'historic collapse' triggers selloff in chip stocks
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Aditya Soni | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The company predicted a surprise loss for the first quarter and its revenue forecast was $3 billion below estimates as it also struggled with slowing growth in the data center business. "No words can portray or explain the historic collapse of Intel," said Rosenblatt Securities' Hans Mosesmann, who was among the 21 analysts who cut their price targets on the stock. The company has steadily been losing market share to rivals like AMD, which has used contract chipmakers such as Taiwan-based TSMC (2330.TW) to make chips that outpace its technology. "AMD's Genoa and Bergamo (data center) chips have a strong price-performance advantage compared to Intel's Sapphire Rapids processors, which should drive further AMD share gains," said Matt Wegner, analyst at YipitData. With capital expenditure estimated to be around $20 billion in 2023, analysts say the company should consider cutting its dividend.

☆ Intel's 'historic collapse' sparks selloff in chip stocks
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"No words can portray or explain the historic collapse of Intel," said Hans Mosesmann, analyst at Rosenblatt Securities, who was among the 16 analysts who cut their price targets on the stock. "AMD's Genoa and Bergamo chips have a strong price-performance advantage compared to Intel's Sapphire Rapids processors, which should drive further AMD share gains," said Matt Wegner, analyst at YipitData. Intel's results are also expected to sharply reduce the cash flow available to the company at a time when the CEO is trying to revive the business by expanding contract manufacturing and building new factories in the United States and Europe. "It is now clear why Intel needs to cut so much cost as the company's original plans prove to be fantasy," Bernstein analysts said. Reporting by Aditya Soni, Nivedita Balu and Chavi Mehta in Bengaluru; Editing by Krishna Chandra EluriOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Factbox: What is a chip making tool?
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WHAT ARE CHIP-MAKING TOOLS? A single chip factory can contain 1,000 or more tools, each tuned to a different step in the process. The biggest and most sophisticated lithography machines require three Boeing 747s to carry them in sections and can cost as much as $160 million. The raft of measures, if effective, could hobble China's chip manufacturing industry by forcing American and foreign companies that use U.S. technology to cut off support for some of China's leading factories and chip designers. But to be effective, the United States needs the Netherlands and Japan to jump on board with similar restrictions.

☆ Venture capitalists’ pain could be humanity’s gain
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Pete Sweeney | Thomson Reuters | Asia Economics Editor Pete Sweeney Joined Reuters Breakingviews In Hong Kong In September Previously He Served As Reuters' Chief Correspondent For China Economy | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A record $630 billion poured into venture capital investments that year. Now, as interest rate hikes tear into alternative assets, money going into innovation is being reallocated. Global VC funding fell to $329 billion in the nine months to September 2022, per a report from CBInsights, down 27% year-on-year. The liquidity crunch exposed governance flaws, dumb ideas and solutions looking for problems: metaverses, non-fungible images of bored apes, flying cars. Designing microscopic robots to fight disease and biochemical computers to outperform silicon chips entails higher upfront costs and longer commercialisation cycles than the consumer app plays many Silicon Valley backers are accustomed to.

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves premarket: Foot Locker, JD.com, Gap and others
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Peter Schacknow | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Check out the companies making headlines before the bell:Foot Locker (FL) – Foot Locker shares soared 14% in the premarket after beating top and bottom line estimates for its latest quarter. JD.com (JD) – The China-based e-commerce company reported better-than-expected quarterly results as Covid-related lockdowns in China prompted more consumers to shop online. JD.com shares jumped 5.2% in premarket trading. Gap (GPS) – Gap shares rallied 5.1% in premarket trading after an unexpected return to profitability and better-than-expected sales. Williams-Sonoma reported better-than-expected sales and profit for its latest quarter.

☆ What Cramer is watching Friday — Fed plays good cop, bad cop and off-price retailers shine
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Jim Cramer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Rival Ross Stores (ROST) gets multiple price target increases. Citi raises BJ's Wholesale (BJ) price target to $83 per share from $81 after earnings beat. Multiple price target raises on Club Bullpen name Palo Alto Networks (PANW). Barclays raises Applied Materials (AMAT) price target to $90 per share $80 but keeps neutral rating. Piper Sandler starts DraftKings (DKNG) with an overweight (buy) rating and a $21-per-share price target, which implies about 40% upside from Thursday's close.

St. Louis Fed President James Bullard said on Thursday the U.S. central bank needed to keep raising interest rates given that its tightening so far "had only limited effects on observed inflation". The comments, coming on the heels of strong retail sales data, dampened hopes of the Fed toning down its hawkish approach following softer-than-expected inflation reports. They are getting more comfortable with a generally higher interest rate regime," said Paul Nolte, portfolio manager at Kingsview Asset Management in Chicago. ET, Dow e-minis were up 224 points, or 0.67%, S&P 500 e-minis were up 35.5 points, or 0.9%, and Nasdaq 100 e-minis were up 118.25 points, or 1.01%. Applied Materials Inc (AMAT.O) gained 4.0% after the chip tools maker forecast first-quarter revenue above estimates, on hopes of easing supply chain constraints.

"Initially when that (Bullard commentary) came out, you saw the market sell off and then there was some discussion about was he being over-reactive?" Equities had seen strong gains last week after a softer-than-expected inflation report boosted hopes of smaller rate hikes from the Fed. Most of the 11 major S&P 500 sectors advanced, with defensive utilities (.SPLRCU) and real estate (.SPLRCR) leading gains, up about 1% each. The S&P index recorded six new 52-week highs and no new low, while the Nasdaq recorded 34 new highs and 60 new lows. Reporting by Shubham Batra, Ankika Biswas and Amruta Khandekar in Bengaluru; Editing by Shounak Dasgupta and Vinay DwivediOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Applied Materials forecasts strong Q1 revenue on easing supply chain woes
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Nov 17 (Reuters) - Chip tools maker Applied Materials Inc (AMAT.O) forecast first-quarter revenue above market estimates on Thursday, on hopes that easing supply chain constraints will help it meet pent up demand from chipmakers ramping up production. Shares of the Santa Clara, California-based company rose nearly 3% in trading after the bell. The company posted revenue of $6.75 billion for the fourth quarter ended Oct. 30, compared to analysts' average expectation of $6.45 billion, according to Refinitiv IBES data. The company forecast current-quarter revenue of $6.70 billion, plus or minus $400 million, compared with analysts' average estimate of $6.45 billion. Applied said the outlook includes expected impact of recently announced U.S. export regulations and ongoing supply chain challenges.

REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File PhotoSummarySummary Companies October retail sales rise more than expectedTarget's dull outlook weighs on retailersMicron's supply cut triggers chip selloffIndexes: Dow up 0.05%, S&P down 0.51%, Nasdaq down 1.10%Nov 16 (Reuters) - The S&P 500 and Nasdaq fell on Wednesday as a grim outlook from Target spurred fresh concerns for retailers heading into the crucial holiday season, while Micron's supply cut triggered a selloff in the chip sector. Target Corp (TGT.N) tumbled as much as 17% in early trading as a pullback in consumer spending despite heavy discounting cut its third-quarter profit by half. Despite the sales warning from Target, data showed U.S. retail sales increased more than expected in October, boosted by purchases of motor vehicles and suggesting that consumer spending remained stable. Declining issues outnumbered advancers for a 1.73-to-1 ratio on the NYSE and for a 2.23-to-1 ratio on the Nasdaq. The S&P index recorded three new 52-week highs and two new lows, while the Nasdaq recorded 50 new highs and 104 new lows.

☆ All eyes on the consumer ahead of Black Friday and the holidays
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-13 | by ( Paul R. La Monica | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Beyond a slew of retail earnings reports, the government will report retail sales figures for October on Wednesday. But the most recent Consumer Price Index figures for October provided some relief for shoppers…and Wall Street. Consumer spending rose 1.4% during the third quarter, according to the government’s most recent gross domestic product (GDP) report. A report on housing starts and building permits data for October will come out towards the end of this week. When Home Depot reported its most recent earnings in August, it noted that customers didn’t make as many purchases as they did a year ago.

☆ Inflation cools and markets soar, led by tech stocks: How we're making sense of this big week
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( Zev Fima | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Markets closed higher for the week after a stellar rally Thursday that saw Big Tech stocks soar on the back of weaker-than-expected consumer price index (CPI) data for October. The S & P 500 closed up more than 5% for the week, its best week since June. Meanwhile, Club holding Amazon (AMZN) is reportedly conducting a broad cost-cutting review , according to The Wall Street Journal. But we think more data is needed before the Fed is able to tone down its hawkish commentary on rates. As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade.

☆ Our guide to semiconductor companies and how their chips run our everyday lives
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( Zev Fima | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +17 min

Semiconductor companies are also in the news a lot lately, whether it's the U.S. government cracking down on chip exports to China or innovations in connected cars and artificial intelligence. Since these companies don't need to invest in expensive fabrication facilities, they can run a more agile asset-light business model. Memory : The two main categories of memory chips are NAND and DRAM. Examples include those used for 5G, WiFi, Bluetooth, radiofrequency chips, near field communication chips (NFC), application-specific integrated circuit chips (ASICs), and so on. These chips are made by companies like Qualcomm, Marvell Technology, Broadcom (AVGO), ON Semiconductor, NXP Semiconductor (NXPI), and others.

☆ Lam Research warns of up to $2.5 bln revenue hit from U.S. curbs on China exports
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Oct 19 (Reuters) - Chip-making technology provider Lam Research Corp (LRCX.O) on Wednesday warned of a $2 billion to $2.5 billion revenue hit in 2023 from U.S. curbs on exports of high-end technology shipments to China. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterLam Research, which gets 30% of its business from China, is the latest company to flag a hit from the sales restrictions. read moreLam Research also reported strong first-quarter earnings on Wednesday and gave an upbeat revenue forecast for the current period. The company expects second-quarter revenue between $4.80 billion and $5.40 billion, the midpoint of which is higher than the $4.91 billion estimated by analysts, according to Refinitiv data. Shares of Lam Research had initially risen 4% in extended trading on the earnings report but pared most of the gains after the revenue warning.

☆ Taiwan touts $900 mln in new business from Silicon Valley meetings
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Taiwan Economy Minister Wang Mei-hua speaks during an interview with Reuters in Taipei, Taiwan, September 30, 2021. REUTERS/Ann WangTAIPEI, Oct 15 (Reuters) - Taiwan's economy minister has drummed up new business worth T$30 billion ($940 million) in meetings with top executives at four major tech firms in California's Silicon Valley, the ministry said on Saturday. Taiwan is a major semiconductor producer, home to the world's largest contract chip maker, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp (2330.TW), , and supplies most the world's major tech firms. "The visits are expected to bring back U.S. research and development investment and orders in Taiwan worth more than T$30 billion," it said, without elaborating. Wang said on Tuesday that if Taiwan remains safe, global supply chains of vital semiconductors would also be secure.

☆ What Cramer is watching Friday — Wells Fargo crushes it, bond yields sink on flat retail sales
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-14 | by ( Jim Cramer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Club holding Wells Fargo (WFC): net interest margin (NIM) in the third quarter 2.83% versus 2.68% expected. Revenue $19.51 billion versus $18.81 billion. Net interest income (NII) in Q3 $12.1 billion versus $11.6 billion expected. Guidance for Q4 NII $12.9 billion versus $12.42 billion expected. Q3 net interest income reported: $17.52 billion versus consensus $16.92 billion.

☆ Cramer’s week ahead: Take any chance to sell stocks during a busy week of earnings
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-14 | by ( Krystal Hur | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

CNBC's Jim Cramer on Friday advised investors to take any chance to sell stocks next week as the busy earnings season continues. Monday: Bank of AmericaQ3 2022 earnings release at 6:45 a.m. Tuesday: Goldman Sachs, Johnson & Johnson, NetflixGoldman SachsQ3 2022 earnings release at 7:30 a.m. Johnson & JohnsonQ3 2022 earnings release between 6:25 and 6:40 a.m. Friday: VerizonQ3 2022 earnings release at 7:30 a.m.

☆ What Cramer is watching Thursday — hot inflation slams stocks, sends bond yields soaring
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( Jim Cramer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Goldman Sachs starts Club holding Linde (LIN) with a buy rating and a $338 per share price target. This is an industrial secular grower and there are only a handful including Honeywell (HON), which is also a Club stock. But keeps outperform (buy) rating and $195 per share price target. Credit Suisse cuts Club holding Apple (AAPL) price target to $190 per share from $201. Citi downgrades American Express (AXP) to sell from neutral, cuts price target to $130 per share from $159.

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves premarket: Delta, Walgreens, Applied Materials and others
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( Peter Schacknow | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Walgreens (WBA) – Walgreens rallied 6.8% in the premarket after the drugstore operator reported better-than-expected quarterly profit and revenue. Applied Materials (AMAT) – Applied Materials lowered its current-quarter revenue outlook, with the chip manufacturing equipment maker saying it would be negatively impacted by new U.S. regulations restricting exports to China. Applied Materials lost 2% in premarket action. Digital World Acquisition (DWAC) – Digital World Acquisition surged 11.2% in the premarket after Google approved Truth Social – the social media platform backed by former President Donald Trump – for inclusion in its app store. Dish Network (DISH) – Dish gained 1% in premarket action after blank-check firm CONX Corp. said it was in talks to buy Dish's retail wireless unit Boost Mobile.

☆ Analysis: China faces its "Sputnik" moment as US export curbs deal a blow to its chip ambitions
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

The measures are set to undermine China's efforts to develop its own chip industry aimed at reducing its reliance on foreign-made chips. These are the questions," says Marco Mezger, a consultant in Taiwan who tracks the global memory chip sector. Washington is also scrambling to tackle unintended consequences of its new export curbs, people familiar with the matter said. Hours before the new restriction took effect, South Korea's SK Hynix (000660.KS) said it got U.S. authorization to receive goods for its chip production facilities in China without additional licensing imposed by the new rules. Yet business at toolmaking firms servicing Chinese customers has already slowed dramatically, leaving their staff with little work to do but creating an opening for Chinese equipment makers seeking to catch up with western rivals, sources said.

Search resuls for: "AMAT"

25 mentions found