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☆ Bitcoin just hit a 2-month low and posted its worst week of the year. Here's what analysts say happens next.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-13 | by ( Tanaya Macheel | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The largest crypto asset by market cap lost 11.25% for the week, its worst since November, according to Coin Metrics. Coin Metrics measures a week in crypto, which trades 24 hours a day, from the 4:00 p.m. "Bitcoin has switched between the narrative of a risk asset and the narrative of a flight to safety asset. BTC.CM= 5D mountain Bitcoin (BTC) this week For the past few days, bitcoin has ended down to flat. Bitcoin is still up 59% for the year, but down about 7% for the quarter so far, according to Coin Metrics.

☆ Morgan Stanley's Slimmon says it's dangerous to be too defensive, names top 'offensive' stock picks
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Weizhen Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

"I do not see much upside in the market near-term," Slimmon, senior portfolio manager at the firm, said in notes sent to CNBC on Tuesday. Stocks to buy Slimmon said it's time to buy some "offensive" stocks. Offensive stocks are those that tend to do well when the market goes up, while defensive sectors are the sectors that outperform when the market goes down. "So I think it's very dangerous to own just very defensive stocks … I think you want some offensive in your portfolio," Slimmon told CNBC's " Squawk Box Asia " on Tuesday. Near-term opportunity Slimmon said there's one area he sees as a near-term opportunity: China.

☆ Amazon, Microsoft and Alphabet deliver slower cloud growth. Here's how AI could reverse that trend
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Paulina Likos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

As more and more businesses of all sizes continue their digital transformations, Amazon, Microsoft and Alphabet aim to be there to provide cloud solutions. However, those gains quickly evaporated as the post-earnings call got underway and Wall Street learned of slowing cloud growth in April , the first month of Q2. The company is now using AI as a tool to accelerate cloud growth and gain share. The Club's take: Microsoft demonstrated impressive cloud growth given the difficult macroeconomic backdrop for the quarter. We hope to see a reacceleration in cloud growth along with profitability momentum.

☆ Here are Thursday's biggest analyst calls: Apple, Meta, Amazon, Ford, Activision Blizzard & more
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Here are Thursday's biggest calls on Wall Street: Bernstein reiterates Apple as market perform Bernstein said it remains "torn" on Apple heading into earnings next week. Morgan Stanley reiterates Meta as overweight Morgan Stanley raised its price target on the AI beneficiary to $300 per share from $250 after the company's earnings report Wednesday. " Morgan Stanley reiterates Ford as overweight Morgan Stanley said it's standing by its overweight rating heading into earnings next week. Citi reiterates Amazon as buy Citi said it's bullish on the e-commerce giant heading into earnings on Thursday after the bell. Morgan Stanley reiterates Nvidia as overweight Morgan Stanley said the stock is one of the firm's top picks heading into earnings in May.

☆ Meta needs to see top-line reacceleration, says Truist's Youssef Squali
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | 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 EmailMeta needs to see top-line reacceleration, says Truist's Youssef SqualiYoussef Squali, Truist Securities global head of internet and media research, joins 'The Exchange' to discuss Meta's upcoming Q2 earnings report, Meta's plans to monetize reels, and Google's loss of market share to Microsoft.

With Apple' s quarterly earnings announcement fast approaching, Morgan Stanley says there's a smart way to trade the tech giant's shares. If Apple beats estimates for the prior quarter but guides flat to down for the June quarter, shares typically remain flat. Woodring expects "largely in-line" results for the prior quarter when Apple announces its earnings on May 4. Morgan Stanley remains overweight on Apple shares and has a $180 price target, which implies shares gaining almost 9% from where they closed Monday. An easing foreign exchange environment and an uptick in iPhone shipments and revenue growth for the 2024 fiscal year are further reasons to remain upbeat on shares, Woodring said.

Solar-solutions company Nextracker is a market leader in both technology and share, according to Bank of America. Analyst Julien Dumoulin-Smith upgraded Nextracker to buy from neutral. Dumoulin-Smith also raised his price target for the company's shares to $40 from $36, implying 23% upside from Tuesday's close price. He raised his estimates as he anticipates Nextracker receiving credits from the Inflation Reduction Act. NXT 3M mountain Nextracker stock More specifically, Dumoulin-Smith said that Nextracker is on track for an upward trajectory in 2023 as project deliveries accelerate.

☆ Citi says it's time to buy Bumble, predicts stock could rally more than 20% as dating app captures market share
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( Samantha Subin | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

It's time for investors to consider scooping up shares of Bumble , Citi says. Analyst Ygal Arounian initiated coverage of the dating app maker with a buy rating, saying in a Friday note that it offers one of the best growth rates within the Wall Street firm's Internet sphere. Bumble shares have fallen 8% this year, following a roughly 38% pullback in 2022. Despite the drop in shares, Arounian placed a $24 price target on the dating stock, implying nearly 24% upside from Thursday's close. Arounian also views Bumble's "women first" messaging and push toward younger audiences as additional positives for the stock going forward.

☆ Dollar towers on lingering effects of Powell's testimony
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( Rae Wee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

In the second day of his testimony to Congress on Wednesday, Powell reaffirmed his hawkish message, though struck a cautious note that debate on the scale and path of future rate hikes was still underway and would be data-dependent. As a result, the U.S. dollar index , which measures the greenback against a basket of six peers, slipped 0.02% to 105.61. Conversely, the Bank of Canada on Wednesday left its key overnight interest rate on hold at 4.50%, becoming the first major central bank to suspend its monetary tightening campaign. The Canadian dollar stood at 1.3808 per U.S. dollar on Thursday, after having weakened to a more than four-month low in the previous session following the decision. Elsewhere, the kiwi rose 0.03% to $0.6107, having slumped to a near four-month low in the previous session.

☆ Goldman warns that higher Fed rates could lead to sharp sell-off in stocks
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( Jeff Cox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A more aggressive Federal Reserve when it comes to interest rate hikes could mean trouble for stocks and other assets, according to Goldman Sachs. Fed Chairman Jerome Powell shook Wall Street this week when he said, during separate appearances on Capitol Hill, that he expects the central bank to push rates higher than previously thought. Hotter inflation data means the Fed still has work to do, Powell said in his semiannual testimony on monetary policy. While Goldman thinks it's a "close call" that the Fed is still more likely to approve a 0.25-point hike , the firm is making room now for a higher trajectory for rates. Markets Thursday morning were pricing in a nearly 81% probability of a 50-basis point, or 0.5 percentage point, rate hike at the meeting, according to CME data.

☆ 'Bond King' Jeffrey Gundlach warns of jumbo rate hikes because the US economy is too hot
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Zahra Tayeb | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Billionaire investor Jeffrey Gundlach says the Fed is "very likely" to raise interest rates by 50 basis points at its next meeting. The "Bond King" pointed to a strong US economy that could trigger an acceleration in inflation again. That would mark a reacceleration of monetary tightening in the US, from February's increase of 25 basis points that was the smallest since early 2022. According to Gundlach, the fed funds rate has tracked the 2-year Treasury yield over the years. "If it comes in at or above expectations, I think it's a lock that the Fed's going to go with 50 basis points at a minimum."

☆ Morgan Stanley economists say Powell opened the door to a return of half-point rate hikes
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( Patti Domm | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Morgan Stanley economists said Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell signaled a potential return to a half-point rate hike at central bank's March meeting, depending on the strength of incoming economic data. Powell spoke before the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Tuesday morning in the first of two days of Congressional testimony. The economists said Powell opened the door to raising rates by a half percentage point on March 22 even though Fed officials have previously suggested that policymakers could continue with quarter-point hikes. "Upside surprises to Friday's payroll report could drive a faster and longer tightening cycle," the Morgan Stanley economists added. The Fed raised its target fed funds rate range by a quarter point on Feb. 1, after a half-point hike in December and four 75 basis point hikes prior to that.

☆ Dow drops 574 points as Fed chief Powell opens the door to steeper rate hikes
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( Jason Ma | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

US stocks tumbled on Tuesday after Fed chief Jerome Powell opened the door to bigger rate hikes. Markets now see a 50-basis-point increase as likely at this month's Fed meeting. That would mark a reacceleration in the pace of tightening from last month's hike of 25 basis points. "If the totality of the data were to indicate that faster tightening is warranted, we would be prepared to increase the pace of rate hikes." That would mark a reacceleration in the pace of tightening, after the last hike of 25 basis points in February.

The news: Morgan Stanley said Alphabet, Amazon (AMZN) and Meta are among the stocks that are best positioned to capture long-term gains from maturing artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities. AI has the ability to "accelerate digital transformation, change consumer behavior and drive more durable multi-year digital growth," Morgan Stanley analysts wrote in a research note this week. Moreover, this "AI Effect" could create a $780 billion online advertising opportunity, with "GOOGL and META as the largest beneficiaries," according to Morgan Stanley. The Club take: The Morgan Stanley note is further validation of just how real the generative AI opportunity is. So, it's encouraging to see Morgan Stanley paint a positive picture about Apple in the near-to-medium term.

☆ Morgan Stanley sees Apple rallying more than 20%, says investors should look past near-term headwinds
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Alex Harring | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Investors should look beyond Apple 's near-term challenges to see strong catalysts on the horizon, according to Morgan Stanley. Near-term challenges include weakening consumer electronics spending trends, a challenging economic backdrop, headwinds from foreign currencies, iPhone production shortages and remaining Covid restrictions, Woodring said. But Woodring said investors should look past what could be a tough short-term, instead focusing on incoming tailwinds. New iPhones should be down 9% in fiscal 2023 — the biggest year-over-year drop since 2019 — due to supply shortages and sliding demand. He said those price increases could be seen in products such as Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple One and international apps.

☆ Wall Street loves Alibaba right now. Here's what to expect from the tech giant's earnings
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Zavier Ong | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Since the turn of the year, more and more Wall Street banks have turned bullish on the Chinese tech sector, with Alibaba emerging as a favorite stock. The Chinese tech giant, which spans e-commerce, technology and internet segments, is due to report its earnings for the December quarter on Thursday. The bank has named Alibaba its "top pick" in the Chinese tech sector for the first time in three years. Morgan Stanley has a base-case price target of $150 on Alibaba, and a bull-case price target of $200. "We believe the 2-year long earnings downward revision cycle has likely bottomed," Goldman said, giving Alibaba a price target of $138.

☆ Travel demand is hot, but some prices may cool: These are the stocks for spring break and beyond
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( Michelle Fox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Last week, Hilton Worldwide CEO Chris Nassetta said, "The demand trends here and now are really strong." In the home-rental space, Airbnb also said it was seeing continued strong demand at the start of 2023. China's reopening from its Covid lockdown is also helping propel travel demand, as well as the tick up in business travel, she said. "The trends have been really strong since January," he said. Airlines like Delta, American Airlines and United Airlines cited strong travel demand and higher fares for fueling their strong fourth-quarter earnings — as well as for forecasts for this year.

☆ How big hedge funds would trade sticky inflation
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Nell Mackenzie | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

LONDON, Feb 16 (Reuters) - Hedge funds, pinning little hope on central banks' attempts to cool inflation, are spotting ways to profit from climbing interest rates. Five prominent hedge funds shared five ideas using five different asset classes to profit from inflation so pugnacious it might force the Federal Reserve to keep interest rates higher for longer. Lancaster favours a trade selling long-term borrowing costs against shorter-term ones, on the view that the spread between them will decline. "Concern now for markets is that reacceleration of the economy will lead to higher terminal rates," said Lancaster. Buying U.S. long-dated natural gas futures for these reasons and also, he added, "in an inflationary cost/wage environment looks compelling."

☆ Analysts like Airbnb's latest earnings but still see risks for the short-term rental stock
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Hakyung Kim | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Airbnb 's latest quarterly earnings outperformed expectations, but most analysts are still concerned about the stock going forward. Several analysts covering the stock reiterated their neutral or sell ratings on Airbnb a day after the company reported its calendar fourth-quarter results, citing ongoing risks for the short-term rental name. The analyst has a price target of $160 per share, implying upside of 32.3%. JPMorgan's Doug Anmuth also reiterated a neutral rating on the stock, noting that online travel is growing more competitive. Sheridan raised his price target on the stock to $98 per share from $87.

☆ This under-the-radar cloud stock could surge 60% and reach profitability next year, Bank of America says in double upgrade
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( Sarah Min | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Take another look at Fastly as the cloud computing firm doubles down on its key strengths, Bank of America said. Analyst Tal Liani double upgraded the stock to buy from underperform, and raised his price objective, saying Fastly could reach profitability by next year on the back of its core technology and new management team. FSLY 1D mountain Fastly shares 1-day Fastly debuted on the New York Stock Exchange in 2019 , along with other technology companies such as Lyft, Pinterest, Uber and Zoom. Fastly shares spiked about 20% during Monday trading. The analyst expects that Fastly management could execute on a turnaround strategy based on the company's core strengths.

☆ Bank of America reveals the most undervalued stocks on Wall Street, including this motorcycle giant
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-11 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

CNBC Pro combed through top Bank of America research to find the most undervalued stocks on Wall Street. The firm says its base case is that the already "undervalued" stock can re-rate from current levels. In addition, Harley's management team is executing well with electric vehicle motorcycles on the horizon and burgeoning international growth opportunities. The says it sees "asymmetrical upside potential" meaning that when peers in the sector go up, KKR shares could go even higher. Remain Buy for undervalued growth and pipeline with two launches worth 5bn euros peak in 23E.

☆ Asia markets to rise while U.S. jobs report hints at room for more hikes, Adani saga continues
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( Jihye Lee | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

For now, it's a quarter point [hike]. In the futures market, traders were betting on an end rate, or terminal rate near 5%. The market is pricing in a 25 basis point hike for March. A basis point equals 0.01 of a percentage point. But Jeffery said the futures market is now pricing in more of a chance for a quarter point hike in May as well.

☆ UBS says seek income as market upside is over and names 10 attractive dividend payers
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( Alex Harring | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Here's 10 that made the list: AT & T made the list with a dividend yield of 5.5%. UBS has a buy rating on the telecommunications stock with a price target of $24, implying 10.7% upside over Thursday's close. Also rated a buy, UBS raised its price target by $2 in January to $56. American Electric Power , meanwhile, has a 3.6% dividend yield. UBS has a buy rating and a $113 price target, meaning the utility could rally 19.5% from Thursday's close.

☆ Here are Wednesday's biggest analyst calls: Apple, Amazon, Target, AMD, Exxon, Snap, Nike & more
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Morgan Stanley reiterates PayPal as overweight Morgan Stanley said it's standing by shares of PayPal but that Apple Pay is a formidable competitor for the company. Morgan Stanley initiates Rocket Pharmaceuticals as overweight Morgan Stanley said in its initiation of Rocket Pharmaceuticals that it likes the company's pipeline. Morgan Stanley reiterates Amazon as overweight Morgan Stanley said it's bullish on Amazon's Buy with Prime service for merchants. Morgan Stanley reiterates Walmart as overweight Morgan Stanley said growth remains strong for the Walmart's subscription service, Walmart+. " Morgan Stanley reiterates McDonald's as overweight Morgan Stanley said the fast food giant is well positioned for 2023 after it reported strong earnings on Tuesday.

☆ Semiconductor giant ASML sees 2023 sales surge; says China revenue to be steady despite U.S. chip restrictions
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

U.S. chip curbs have left companies, including ASML, scrambling to figure out what the rules mean in practice. For the fourth quarter of 2022, ASML's net sales rose more than 29% to 6.4 billion euros ($7 billion), it said Wednesday. For the full year, net sales came in at 21.1 billion euros, a more than 13% year-on-year rise. ASML forecast its net sales for 2023 to grow over 25% compared to 2022. And then we see the effect of this in the business of our customers," ASML CEO Peter Wennink told CNBC.

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