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☆ Amazon stock climbs 8.3% after biggest profit beat since 2020. How the pros are playing it
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( Christina Falso | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailAmazon stock climbs 8.3% after biggest profit beat since 2020. How the pros are playing itBrad Erickson of RBC Capital Markets, John Blackledge of Cowen, Steve Weiss of Short Hills Capital, Brenda Vingiello of Sand Hill Global Advisors, Jim Lebenthal of Cerity Partners and Shannon Saccocia Neuberger Berman Private Wealth discussed Amazon after the company reported much higher than expected quarterly results and its largest profit beat since the fourth quarter of 2020.

Persons: Brad Erickson, John Blackledge, Cowen, Steve Weiss, Brenda Vingiello, Jim Lebenthal, Shannon Saccocia Neuberger Berman Organizations: RBC Capital Markets, Short Hills Capital, Global Advisors, Cerity Partners, Wealth Locations: Sand

☆ Reels, ads, and cost-cutting boost Meta stock to 17-month high. How the pros are playing it
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( Christina Falso | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailReels, ads, and cost-cutting boost Meta stock to 17-month high. How the pros are playing itJim Cramer, Brad Erickson of RBC Capital Markets, Barton Crockett of Rosenblatt Securities, Ron Josey of Citi, Rob Sechan of NewEdge Wealth, Josh Brown of Ritholtz Wealth Management and Karen Firestone of Aureus Asset Management discussed Meta after the company beat 2Q earnings and revenue estimates, and the stock hit levels not seen since early 2022.

Persons: Jim Cramer, Brad Erickson, Barton Crockett, Ron Josey, Rob Sechan, Josh Brown, Karen Firestone Organizations: RBC Capital Markets, Rosenblatt Securities, Citi, Ritholtz Wealth Management, Aureus Asset Management

☆ Meta to report second-quarter earnings after the bell
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Jonathan Vanian | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Meta will report second-quarter earnings after market close on Wednesday. Here are the key numbers to watch:Earnings: $2.91 per share expected, according to Refinitiv$2.91 per share expected, according to Refinitiv Revenue: $31.12 billion expected, according to Refinitiv$31.12 billion expected, according to Refinitiv Daily Active Users (DAUs): 2.04 billion expected, according to StreetAccount. 2.04 billion expected, according to StreetAccount. Monthly Active Users (MAUs): 3 billion expected, according to StreetAccount. 3 billion expected, according to StreetAccount.

Persons: Mark Zuckerberg, Meta, Mark, Meta's, William Blair, Brad Erickson Organizations: Meta, Inc, Refinitiv Revenue, RBC Capital Markets, CNBC, Company Locations: San Jose , California, Ukraine

Carvana's recent rally may be reaching its end, according to Piper Sandler. The company's shares rose more than 20% this week after Carvana announced better-than-expected second quarter results and an agreement to restructure approximately $5.2 billion in debt on Wednesday. However, Piper Sandler's long-term outlook on the company's share in the used vehicle market remains unchanged. Analyst Alexander Potter downgraded shares to neutral from overweight. "Chasing the stock higher would necessitate an upward revision to CVNA's long-term used vehicle market share expectations, which we do not believe recent results substantiate," Potter added.

Persons: Piper Sandler, Carvana, Piper Sandler's, Alexander Potter, Potter, RBC's Brad Erickson, —, Michael Bloom

☆ RBC downgrades Carvana, says sell the car retailer even after its recent earnings beat
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( Sarah Min | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

RBC Capital Markets thinks it's time to sell Carvana even after its recent earnings beat. Analyst Brad Erickson downgraded Carvana to underperform from sector perform, saying any upside from the online auto retailer's better-than-expected second-quarter results is more than priced in. "CVNA's better Q2 results, debt restructuring & newly enabled access to equity capital reduced liquidity risks once again — a big positive for the stock. CVNA 1D mountain Carvana shares 1-day The downgrade comes after the company's earnings results Wednesday topped estimates on the top and bottom lines. Carvana reported a loss of 55 cents per share, lower than $1.15 per share expected by analysts polled by Refinitiv.

Persons: Brad Erickson, Carvana, Erickson, Carvana's, —, we'd, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: RBC Capital Markets, Refinitiv . Revenue Locations: underperform, Wednesday's

☆ DeSantis campaign urges patience for breakout moment with eye toward first debate
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Steve Contorno | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

CNN —Facing a long summer of running from behind former President Donald Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is for now resisting calls to dramatically change course in his presidential campaign, instead targeting the first debate in late August as his opportunity to alter the trajectory of the race. DeSantis’ campaign has already surpassed the donor threshold requirement of 40,000 unique donors and appears on track to meet the polling threshold as well. DeSantis’ political team expects his activity in the coming weeks may look subdued compared to other candidates who may need an attention-grabbing moment to attract donors and support to meet the debate requirements. “People want to support Ron but don’t like this kind of stupid stuff,” the fundraiser told CNN.

Persons: Donald Trump, Ron DeSantis, doesn’t, Trump, it’s, DeSantis, “, Fox’s Maria Bartiromo, Privately, Chris Christie, “ That’s, ”, Erick Erickson, Erickson, Steve Cortes, I’ll, ” Cortes, ” DeSantis, Phillip Huffines, Biden, ” Huffines, he’s, ” Erickson, Jeff Angelo, ” Angelo, Casey, DeSantis ”, Joe Biden, Caitlyn Jenner, Tomi Lahren, Ron Organizations: CNN, Florida Gov, GOP, Trump, New, New Jersey Gov, Summit, PAC, Republicans, Biden, Republican, Twitter, Miss, “ Locations: Florida, South Florida, New Jersey, Iowa, Trump . Iowa, New Hampshire, Texas, Dallas, Ohio, Wisconsin

☆ A portfolio manager at a $179 billion asset manager breaks down how he picks stocks that can endure a volatile economy — and shares 6 of his favorite names to buy
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( Lisa Kailai Han | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Portfolio manager Elias Erickson focuses on finding stocks that can withstand market fluctuations. With the bull market still flourishing, current stock market conditions are a far cry from where they began the year. Coming off last October's market lows, a series of macroeconomic factors have given equities plenty of whiplash this year. "We're trying to buy businesses that will be adaptable to a variety of different macroeconomic environments," Erickson explained to Insider in an interview. Constellation Software, a Canadian-based acquirer of vertical market software, also makes up one of Erickson's largest positions.

Persons: Elias Erickson, Roger Altman, Paul Krugman, Elias Erickson isn't, Erickson, That's, Hermès, they've, Sartorius Organizations: SAP, Constellation Software, Constellation, Mastercard Locations: Canadian, Lonza

Companies Carvana Co FollowJune 9 (Reuters) - Shares of used-car retailer Carvana Co (CVNA.N) tumbled 12.5% in afternoon trading on Friday, as analysts suspect that the debt-laden company's upbeat second-quarter profit forecast is a 'one-time' upside. Carvana, known for its car-vending machines, said it sold or securitized loans worth about $2 billion as of June 8, compared with $1.3 billion sold or securitized as of May 4. Analysts also echoed worries about Carvana's plans to profitably return to growth given the existing debt load. Last month, Carvana said it expects to post a profit in the current-quarter and planned to further bring down excess used-car inventory. "Volume is still decreasing year-over-year," Carvana chief Ernest C. Garcia said in a conference on Thursday.

Persons: Michael Baker, Davidson, Carvana, Brad Erickson, Ernest C, Garcia, Priyamvada, Shinjini Organizations: Carvana, RBC, Thomson Locations: receivables, 4Q22, 1Q23, Bengaluru

☆ Meta vs. TikTok: How they're each using AI to attract advertisers and which one is winning
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Paulina Likos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +14 min

The aim was a similar short-form video service to become more competitive in the space and slow down ad share losses. "This is a key leading indicator for monetization, and any incremental results from AI-driven targeting and measurement would accelerate the market share shift." In a digital advertising market where growth is limited, the battle for market share gains is critical. TikTok's AI strategy TikTok has seen a quick rise in viewership by virtue of predictive AI for content recommendation. TikTok advertisers can place ads through the platform's TikTok Ads Manager , offering automatic audience targeting and measurement tools.

Persons: TikTok, Debra Aho Williamson, Instagram, Aho Williamson, Rohit Kulkarni, Roth MKM, Kulkarni, Roth MKM Kulkarni, Oppenheimer, That's, Brad Erickson, Meta, Erickson, Meta's, Mark Zuckerberg's, Roth, Joe Biden, it's, we're, Jim Cramer's, Jim Cramer, Jim, Rafael Henrique, Lightrocket Organizations: Facebook, TikTok, Meta, Insider Intelligence, Apple, CNBC, JMP Securities, RBC Capital, Citi, —, Oracle, Getty Locations: Beijing, Instagram, U.S, Montana

☆ How artificial intelligence could threaten major industries and business models
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-26 | by ( Samantha Subin | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +11 min

Meanwhile, limits on applicable copyright rules make it simpler to train AI tools. Nevertheless, accuracy issues with AI tools, Redburn said, could boost the use case for Pearson. Copyright issues are another major obstacle for music companies. Some potential copyright violations include replicating an artist's likeness or voice, and that could weaken the catalog value for many music companies, analysts said. Similarly, Deutsche Bank analyst Matthew Niknam highlighted in a recent note AI presents more opportunities than risks and offers "underappreciated upside tailwinds" for Five9.

Persons: GOOGL, Goldman Sachs, Dan Rosensweig, Chegg, Brad Erickson, Hayden Brown, Brown, BTIG, Chegg's, Pearson, Redburn, Morgan Stanley, Brent Thill, Thill, Douglas Mitchelson, Rosenblatt, Barton Crockett, Morgan Stanley's Omar Sheikh, Ygal, Nat Schindler, Wix, Jefferies, Oppenheimer, Timothy Horan, Matthew Niknam, Meta Marshall, Marshall, Michael Bloom Organizations: Wall Street, Microsoft, Nvidia, Goldman, Chegg, Companies, Freelance, Upwork, RBC Capital, Pearson, Bank of America, UBS, Jefferies, Industry Music, Spotify, Credit, Warner, Warner Music Group, Universal Music Group, Citi, NICE, Deutsche Bank Locations: Nice

☆ Opinion | Trump’s Lesson for the Media and Ron DeSantis
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-13 | by ( Ross Douthat | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Two groups can learn something from the experience: first, network producers and executives thinking about how to conduct interviews and host debates with Trump; second, rival Republican presidential candidates trying to envision a path to beating him. What the TV professionals should learn is that they have two choices in dealing with another Trump primary campaign. In part, as Ramesh Ponnuru suggests, that means drilling into Trump’s presidential record on conservative terms rather than liberal ones — asking about, for instance, the failure to complete the border wall or the surge in crime in the last year of his administration. The utility of this last line of questioning is also something that Trump’s prospective rivals, Ron DeSantis especially, can draw out of the CNN experience, since they can tee up those kinds of conservative-friendly challenges if the media does not. But the most basic lesson to be drawn by Republican politicians from watching Trump’s town hall is the importance, for any would-be Trumpian successor, of demonstrating that you too can engage with the mainstream press and come away a winner.

☆ Lyft rattles Wall Street as margins suffer in race with Uber
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Aditya Soni | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

May 5 (Reuters) - Lyft Inc shares (LYFT.O) tumbled nearly 20% on Friday as the ride-hailing company's strategy to claw back market share from rival Uber (UBER.N) with lower fares stoked concerns about a hit to its profit margins. At least 16 analysts slashed their price targets on a stock that has widely underperformed the market this year. The company's market capitalization was set to decline by nearly $800 million to about $3.3 billion, a far cry from the over $24 billion valuation it commanded in its 2019 stock market listing. "This looks like an Everest-like uphill battle ahead for Lyft in our opinion," said Dan Ives of Wedbush Securities. Lyft shares underperform Uber'sReporting by Aditya Soni; Editing by Saumyadeb ChakrabartyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Bond investors fearing recession, boost safety bets ahead of FOMC
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Gertrude Chavez-Dreyfuss | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Going long duration reflects expectations U.S. yields will fall because the Fed will be forced to cut rates. During the Fed's aggressive rate-hike phase last year, investors shortened their duration exposure. In terms of price action, U.S. 5-year yields dropped 67 bps since March, suggesting increased demand from investors. U.S. Treasuries rallied in March, pushing yields lower, as the market sought safety during the banking crisis. U.S. two-year yields, which reflect rate expectations, fell nearly 60 bps in March, the largest monthly fall since December 2007.

☆ We're bullish on Meta's core business, says RBC Capital Markets' Brad Erickson
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

In this videoShare Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailWe're bullish on Meta's core business, says RBC Capital Markets' Brad EricksonBrad Erickson, RBC Capital Markets internet services senior analyst, joins 'Squawk Box' to discuss Meta's first quarter earnings results, which came in better than expectations.

☆ Analysts see even more gains ahead for Meta Platforms after latest earnings report
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Brian Evans | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Analysts liked what they saw from Meta Platform 's latest earnings report. The company projects revenue between $29.5 billion and $32 billion, while analysts expected sales of $29.5 billion, per Refinitiv. Goldman's Eric Sheridan also hiked his price target to $300, noting Meta maintained its momentum from the fourth quarter of 2022. Meanwhile, Bank of America's Justin Post noted that Meta's revenue recovery can drive the next leg higher for the stock. He also hiked his price target on Meta shares to $305 from $270, implying upside of 45.6%.

Microsoft shares rallied 7.2% following upbeat quarterly earnings and sales, including of robust artificial intelligence products. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (.DJI) fell 228.96 points, or 0.68%, to 33,301.87; and the S&P 500 (.SPX) lost 15.64 points, or 0.38%, at 4,055.99. The S&P 500 technology index (.SPLRCT) was the sole gainer among the benchmark's 11 major industry sectors, adding 1.7%. Of the 163 S&P 500 companies that reported first-quarter profit through Wednesday morning, 79.8% topped analysts' expectations, as per Refinitiv IBES data. It helped push the S&P 500 bank index (.SPXBK) down 1.4% on the day.

☆ Boeing engineers designed a paper airplane that flew almost the entire length of a football field, smashing the world record
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-15 | by ( Sam Tabahriti | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Two Boeing engineers made a paper airplane that flew almost the entire length of a football field. They set a Guinness World Record after their paper airplane flew 289 feet 9 inches. Two Boeing engineers designed a paper airplane that flew almost the entire length of a football field, smashing the world record. They put their final design to the test on December 2, 2022, in Crown Point, Indiana, and broke the world record on the third throw. The previous record for the farthest flight by a paper airplane was 252 feet 7 inches (77 meters) achieved by a trio from Malaysia and South Korea in April 2022.

☆ Paper airplane designed by Boeing engineers breaks world distance record
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Taylor Nicioli | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

The engineers had to pay careful attention to the numerous rules and guidelines set forth by the Guinness World Record Team. I didn’t think we could get useful data from a simulation on a paper airplane. The Guinness paper plane record for duration of flight is currently 29.2 seconds. From origami enthusiasts to aerospace engineersRuble and Jensen began their paper plane engineering careers while in middle school, participating in paper airplane events held at Boeing. For those looking to create their own record-breaking paper plane design, the feat is not impossible, but may take some time (and skill).

RBC Capital Markets anticipates that the next quarter could be choppy for stocks, but the firm shared its list of high-conviction names to navigate the volatility. With these concerns in mind, RBC shared a list of high-conviction stocks that it says are well-positioned to offer upside this quarter. Below are 10 of the names: Alnylam Pharmaceuticals and biotech engineering stock Boston Scientific are new additions to RBC's list of high-conviction names. RBC analyst Shagun Singh said Boston Scientific is "positioned to drive consistent double-digit EPS growth," with upcoming device launches and trial data readouts to act as catalysts. On the energy front, RBC named oil company Diamondback Energy as one of its top picks for the quarter.

☆ Investors should remain cautious amid muted growth and high inflation, says Lisa Erickson
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | 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 EmailInvestors should remain cautious amid muted growth and high inflation, says Lisa EricksonLisa Erickson, U.S. Bank Wealth Management, Senior Vice President and Head of the Public Markets Group, joins CNBC's "Power Lunch" to discuss whether the cost looks clear for bank stocks.

☆ RBC: Buy these 17 future AI winners as the technology begins to transform the world
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-26 | by ( Marley Jay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

RBC says that AI is one of the most transformative developments in tech in the last 20 years. The firm's tech analysts explained which stocks they think will benefit the most from generative AI. They added that in many cases, the "rising tide" of AI will benefit broad swaths of the market. But it's not just the established tech titans that can profit from the advent of AI technology. Those companies are below, along with their tickers and commentary about each provided by the RBC analysts.

☆ America needs immigration reform, or it risks of losing an entire generation of tech workers to countries like Canada, the UK, and Japan
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Emilia David | Paayal Zaveri | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

While the US still attracts talent, workers increasingly go to places like the UK or Canada. With other countries easing immigration for tech workers, the US may find itself lagging. Without change, and fast, experts say this could mean an entire lost generation of tech talent for American tech. "Foreign countries have figured out ways to more aggressively attack top-tier tech talent," Hiba Anver, an immigration attorney with Erickson Immigration Group, told Insider. America's loss is other countries' gainMeanwhile, other countries are making it easier for tech workers like Negandhi and students to immigrate.

☆ Google search is bad and getting worse. Here's how search is evolving in the era of AI.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( Mason Pelt | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

He says Google search is worse than ever, and the company isn't financially incentivized to fix it. Google search is worse than it was three years ago. People use Google search in two waysPeople use Google to either find general information where any credible source is acceptable. Searching, "who is Neil Gaiman," or "list of the endless in the Neil Gaiman series" will likely give searchers the answers they seek. That sentence's chaotic grammatical mess is a window into the Google search results pages.

☆ We asked CPAC attendees what they think 'woke' means. Their answers were all over the place.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-04 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The word "woke" has quickly shot to the forefront of Republican politics in recent years. We asked CPAC attendees what they thought the word means. The word "woke" originally emerged from African American vernacular English, signifying a general awareness of systems of injustice. For Francis, who said he homeschools his own children, the word "woke" invokes the idea of a system of education that's stoking divisions between groups. "Political correctness" appeared to be the most popular short-hand among attendees.

Bill Gates, the cofounder of Microsoft, is thought to have a net worth of about $106 billion. Gates' own father was a high-powered attorney who became a name partner at the law firm K&L Gates. He's cultivated his brand of philanthropy with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, his endeavor with Melinda French Gates, now his ex-wife. (Brock Adams, who went on to become the transportation secretary in the Carter administration, is said to have introduced Gates' parents.) Bill Gates' mother, Mary Gates, came from a line of successful bankers and sat on the boards of important financial and social institutions including the nonprofit United Way.

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