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☆ The restaurant stocks that are killing it in this market have one thing in common
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-12 | by ( Jim Cramer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +17 min

When a company performs well and I interview its CEO on CNBC, I consider the stock's performance before fashioning my questions. Maybe the company had been poorly run and the guest is a new CEO who is turning it around. Once Wood picks a stock, that company can do no wrong, which is code for she can do no wrong. And take it from me, an old Mexican restaurant veteran, it travels better than any other restaurant chain. We should have just bought Dutch Bros. (See here for a full list of the stocks in Jim Cramer's Charitable Trust.)

Persons: Albert Manifold, Rather, That's, Chris Gibson, Jensen Huang, Huang, Gibson, Cathie Wood, Wood, that's, Brinker, Chipotle, Chipotle execs, Taco Bell, isn't, Yum, McDonald's, Laxman Narasimhan, Howard Schultz, let's, Narasimhan, Joe, Locker, Jim Cramer's, Jim Cramer, Jim, Al Drago Organizations: CNBC, Pharmaceuticals, Nvidia, ARK, Gallup, Darden, Diageo, Brands, KFC, Taco, Taco Bell, Texas, Starbucks, Management, Bros, Dutch Bros, Jim Cramer's Charitable, Starbucks Corp, Health, Education, Labor, Bloomberg, Getty Locations: United States, U.S, Dublin, Ireland, Europe, Texas, Olive, East, Israel, Washington , DC

☆ Wall Street expects rate hikes are off the table for now. Next week’s inflation data will test that thesis
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-10 | by ( Sarah Min | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Stocks have been churning higher lately after Fed Chair Jerome Powell indicated rate hikes are likely off the table , a position that investors expect is a bullish event for equities. A strong earnings season, as well as some cooler labor data , also have investors more optimistic in this year's outlook. On Friday, all three major averages are on pace for a winning week, with the 30-stock index up by more than 2%. The market reaction Inflation data has been crucially important this year for investors. Export Price Index (April) 8:30 a.m. Housing Starts (April) 8:30 a.m.

Persons: Jerome Powell, Mike Dickson, Stocks, Dickson, Jeff Buchbinder, Buchbinder, Strategas, Jason De Sena Trennert, Ken Mahoney, Mahoney, Charles Schwab, Price Organizations: Federal Reserve, Dow Jones, Treasury, Horizon Investments, Nasdaq, UBS, Investments, ICE, Fed, LPL, Asset Management, Walmart, Deere, Retail, Cisco, Price, Housing, Philadelphia Fed, Manufacturing, Materials Locations: NAHB

☆ A port-in-the-storm trade if the consumer continues to get pinched by rates and inflation
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-09 | by ( Michael Khouw | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The consumer, making up 70% of the U.S. economy, is being hit by higher interest rates and sticky inflation. Consumer spending, also known as personal consumption expenditures (PCE), typically represents about two-thirds of the U.S. GDP. While that is attributed to easing consumer demand for EVs, dealer inventories of ICE vehicles have recovered significantly since the pandemic. Away from consumer discretionary and towards consumer staples. The Consumer Staples Select Sector ETF (XLP) is trading 21 times trailing earnings and about 19.6 times forward earnings estimates versus 25.7 times trailing and 22.83 times forward for the Consumer Discretionary Select Sector Index.

Persons: there's, Tesla, Power Organizations: Starbucks, Investors, PPI, CPI, Federal Locations: U.S

☆ Wheat prices have surged to 8-month highs amid global conflict and extreme weather
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-09 | by ( Jennifer Sor | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Wheat prices have surged over the past month, climbing to their highest level since August. Higher wheat prices could stoke inflation, which is already running hotter than expected in the US. AdvertisementWheat prices have soared to their highest level in eight months thanks to a series of disruptions stemming from geopolitical conflict and extreme weather events. Russia has attacked key grain hubs in Ukraine, which caused wheat prices to skyrocket in 2023. Higher wheat prices could stoke inflation, which has clocked in hotter-than-expected in the US for the last three months.

Persons: — Organizations: stoke, Service, Bloomberg Locations: Chicago, Europe, Ukraine, Russia, Australia

☆ U.S. consumer is facing intense inflationary pressure, says Lidl U.S. CEO Joel Rampoldt
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-09 | 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 EmailU.S. consumer is facing intense inflationary pressure, says Lidl U.S. CEO Joel RampoldtJoel Rampoldt, Lidl U.S. CEO, joins CNBC's 'The Exchange' to share outlooks on customer behavior, how Lidl is countering price pressure with lean operations, and more.

Persons: Joel Rampoldt Joel Rampoldt Organizations: Lidl U.S Locations: Lidl

☆ Buy now pay later more positive than 'phantom debt' suggests, says Bankrate's Ted Rossman
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-08 | 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 EmailBuy now pay later more positive than 'phantom debt' suggests, says Bankrate's Ted RossmanTed Rossman, Bankrate Senior Industry Analyst, joins 'Fast Money' to talk the buy now pay later space and whether the U.S. consumer should be worried about 'phantom debt'.

Persons: Ted Rossman Ted Rossman Locations: Bankrate, U.S

☆ Gold slips as dollar firms, traders brood on rate cut timing
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-08 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Spot gold was down 0.1% at $2,311.07 per ounce as of 0235 GMT. The dollar index rose 0.1%, making greenback-priced gold more expensive for other currency holders. If the upcoming reports show scary inflation, then the Fed can't cut rates and it will pressure gold, he added. Bullion is used as a hedge against inflation, but higher rates reduce the appeal of holding the non-yielding asset. Markets are currently seeing a 65% chance of a U.S. rate cut in September, as per CME's FedWatch Tool.

Persons: Ilya Spivak, Neel Kashkari, Spivak Organizations: University of, Minneapolis Locations: U.S, China's, China

☆ TransUnion CEO Chris Cartwright says consumer appetite for credit is still high
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-07 | 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 EmailTransUnion CEO Chris Cartwright says consumer appetite for credit is still highChris Cartwright, TransUnion CEO, joins 'Closing Bell Overtime' to talk the U.S. consumer and credit market.

Persons: Chris Cartwright, TransUnion

☆ Ahead of retail earnings, here's what we know about the consumer so far
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-07 | by ( Robert Hum | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

There are signs that the U.S. consumer is still spending, especially on experiences. But stubbornly high prices are squeezing consumers with lower incomes, pressuring everyday purchases and corporate profits. Broadly speaking, credit card companies like American Express, Visa and MasterCard have described spending trends as "relatively strong," "relatively stable," and even "healthy." Priceline parent Booking Holdings told analysts there are no signs consumers are taking shorter vacations or trading down in their hotel choices. McDonald's added that "the consumer is certainly being very discriminating in how they spend their dollar."

Persons: Brandon Bell, Morgan Stanley's Michael Wilson, Morgan Stanley, Mike Stocker, Stanley Black, Decker, —, Anton Pinsky, Beata Zawrzel, Laxman Narasimhan, Shack, Domino's, Pavlo Gonchar Organizations: Getty, Home Depot, Walmart, American Express, Visa, MasterCard, PayPal, Booking Holdings, Las, Port, Tribune, Service, Consumers, Whirlpool, Corp, Starbucks Corp, Nurphoto, Lightrocket Locations: Austin , Texas, U.S, Las Vegas, Port of Miami, Krakow, Poland, Russia, Ukraine

☆ Tourism in China surges during May Day holiday but travelers turn frugal
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Hong Kong CNN —China has reported a surge in tourism during the just concluded Labor Day holiday, but travelers cut back on their spending, in a sign that consumption in world’s second largest economy remains sluggish. That was 28% more than the number of trips taken during the Labor Day holiday period in 2019, which lasted only four days. This year’s Labor Day tourism revenue was 166.89 billion yuan ($23.6 billion), only 13.5% higher than the 2019 level. Passengers at Nanjing Railway Station in East China's Jiangsu province on May 5, the last day of the Labor Day holiday. On Monday, a private sector survey showed that the Caixin/S&P Global services PMI fell to 52.5 in April from 52.7 in the previous month.

Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Labor, Tourists, Ministry of Culture, Tourism, Passengers, Nanjing Railway, PMI, TD Securities, P Global, National Bureau, Statistics Locations: China, Hong Kong, Nanjing, East China's Jiangsu

☆ Three things investors probably don’t know, but should
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Arone spoke with Before the Bell to outline three things about markets right now “that investors should know, but probably don’t.”1. You write that investors might be surprised to hear that small- and mid-cap stocks have outperformed large-cap stocks over the past five months. Why do you think that’s surprising, and what does it say about markets? Most investors think that the S&P 500 has been outperforming everything else, largely dragged up by the performance of the Magnificent 7 (Amazon, Tesla, Alphabet, Meta, Apple, Microsoft and Nvidia). The big beneficiaries of that, I think, would be a surprise for most investors — those mid-cap stocks and small-cap stocks.

Persons: ”, Michael Arone, Arone, That’s, that’s, Jerome Powell, I’m, Warren Buffett, Berkshire Hathaway, Charlie Munger, Buffett, Greg Abel, Ajit Jain, Munger’s, Read, Parija Kavilanz Organizations: New, New York CNN, Wall, Federal Reserve, Bell, Apple, Microsoft, Nvidia, Treasury, Fed, Berkshire Hathaway, Oracle, Ikea Locations: New York, Berkshire, Woodstock, Nebraska, Omaha

☆ Wall Street Cruel Summer: Stock Market Crash, Inflation Ends Vacation
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-05 | by ( Linette Lopez | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Inflation canceled that, and now it's almost certain that Wall Street's summer is canceled, too. That means Wall Street's fantasies of decamping to the Hamptons for the summer have shattered. You can see why this tug-of-war will keep Wall Street on its toes and off Georgica Beach. There is a certain set on Wall Street that does not get to "rosé all day" on Hamptons summer water when currencies trade that way. The simplicity that Wall Street hoped for is one of the few options that's no longer on the table.

Persons: —, Justin Simon, decamping, Jerome Powell, opportunistically, Jamie Dimon, Torsten Slok, Slok, Powell, we'd, David Lefkowitz, dory, McDonald's, Silas Myers, Wall, Zuck, Simon, they're, it's Organizations: Federal Reserve, Jasper Capital, Nasdaq, Hamptons, JPMorgan, Fed, Pepsi, Mar Vista Investments, Wall, Nvidia, Tesla, Microsoft, Meta, Apple, EU Locations: Georgica, Japan

☆ Welcome to ‘the Tepid Twenties’? The US economy’s strength won’t be enough to boost global growth
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-05 | by ( Bryan Mena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Invigorating growth is critical: When the economy expands, it improves standards of living, promotes innovation and makes households wealthier. Economic growth in Spain and France was stronger than expected last year. But the US is outperforming mainly for one key reason: Robust productivity growth. Productivity growth came in well below expectations in the first three months of the year, according to Labor Department data released last week. A “course correction” isn’t an even stronger US economy: Economic policymakers around the world need to address a range of key issues.

Persons: ” Kristalina Georgieva, ” Georgieva, ” Stephen Gallagher, Gallagher, “, ”, Hande Atay Alam, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Israel Katz, John Williams, Neel Kashkari, Lisa Cook, Krispy Kreme, John’s, Austan Goolsbee Organizations: Washington CNN, Monetary, IMF, European Central Bank, Labor Department, Societe Generale, CNN, Reuters, Palantir Technologies, Tyson Foods, Marriott Worldwide, New York Fed, Disney, UBS, Duke Energy, Suncor, Bros, Minneapolis, Toyota, Uber, Anheuser, Busch InBev, Airbnb, Fox Corporation, News Corporation, Duolingo, Icahn Enterprises, New York Times Company, AMC Entertainment, Honda, Warner Bros Discovery, Warner Music Group, Hyatt, Hilton, Bank of England, US Labor Department, United Kingdom’s, National Statistics, University of Michigan, . Chicago Fed, China’s National Bureau of Statistics Locations: Europe, China, United States, Spain, France, Russia, Ukraine, Turkey, Israel, Gaza, Olesya, “ Turkey, Lyft, TripAdvisor

☆ Retailers jacked up prices and squeezed consumers. They might have just blinked
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-05 | by ( Parija Bhatnagar | Parija Kavilanz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

“There’s just less dollars for consumers to spend.”The challenge for retailers now is to shake consumers out of that frugal mindset. Retail spending has increased in seven of the past 10 months through March. “If you want to convince consumers to spend you have to give them a reason to do so. Lower prices are a clear opportunity to drive people into the store or online.”It’s a lever that Walmart, he said, has pulled forever. Clothing chain H&M told analysts during its most recent earnings call that it, too, would lower prices.

Persons: Sarah Wyeth, ”, Chad Lusk, Alvarez, ” Wyeth, “ There’s, they’re, Zak Stambor, Stambor, Joe Raedle, ” Stambor, “, ” Jesper Brodin, ” Brodin, ” Michaels, ” Ashley Buchanan, Michaels, Lars Daniel Ervér, Frida, Chuck, – CNN’s Bryan Mena Organizations: New, New York CNN —, Ikea, Shoppers, “ Retailers, CNN, Walmart, Ingka, “, Cheese, Stambor Locations: New York, Hallandale Beach , Florida

☆ Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz says the US economy is on solid footing — but warns any one of these 4 major risks could spoil the expansion
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-04 | by ( William Edwards | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The US economic expansion should continue in the months ahead, assuming there are no major external shocks, according to Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz. Consumer spending, which makes up about two-thirds of the US economy, is still positive, and job gains have been robust. AdvertisementDespite his generally upbeat outlook, however, Stiglitz is concerned about a number of risks. 4 economic risks to watchThe first is that economic slowdowns happening elsewhere could seep into the US. Congress could shut down again, we might not get some of the necessary bills that we need to continue government," Stiglitz said.

Persons: Joseph Stiglitz, we've, Stiglitz, Brent, Mike Johnson, Trump, Putin Organizations: Service, Columbia University, Conference, Business, Republican Locations: Europe, China, Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, Iran, Ukraine, Russia, Taiwan, Eastern Europe

☆ Cramer: Why Apple's Vision Pro could contribute to earnings sooner than expected
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-03 | by ( Kevin Stankiewicz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Apple did not disclose revenue for the Vision Pro, the company's first new major device since the Apple Watch debuted in 2015. The Vision Pro is generally considered a higher-quality product than rival devices, with its sharper resolution as one key advantage. Jim, however, said the Vision Pro could be a positive contributor to Apple's earnings much sooner than others expect, as enterprise adoption drives more sales. Lowe's is using Vision Pro for immersive kitchen design, while Porsche is using it for "real-time team collaboration for racing," Cook said. He said Friday that Apple's developer conference in June — where more details on its AI strategy are widely expected — will also highlight new software programs written for the Vision Pro.

Persons: Tim Cook, Cook, Jim Cramer, Jim, Nvidia's, Jensen Huang, Jim Cramer's, Angela Weiss Organizations: Vision, Apple, Club, Nvidia, Apple Watch, Wall, Meta, CNBC, Dutch, KLM, Porsche, AFP, Getty Locations: Nvidia's, —, New York City

☆ Interest rates and the AI-fueled rally remain top of mind for stock investors in the week ahead
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-03 | by ( Alex Harring | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

The Fed and economic policy were top of mind this week given the central bank's Wednesday decision to yet again leave interest rates unchanged , as it has since last summer. This week included the conclusion of April's trading month, which marked the first down month of the year for all three major market averages. Indeed, some recent earnings reports have raised doubts about the economy, with brands from McDonald's and Starbucks evidencing signs of strain among consumers. While no new inflation numbers are scheduled for release next week, investors will see reports on March wholesale inventories, March consumer credit and May consumer sentiment from the University of Michigan. AI trade Though interest rates took center stage this week, investors also continued monitoring companies tied to the artificial intelligence boom amid the stocks' recent choppiness.

Persons: they're, Jerome Powell, Larry Tentarelli, David Donabedian, Sam Stovall, There's, Stovall, Tom Hainlin, Tentarelli, CFRA's Stovall, Lyft, Cabot, Aramark, Tempur Sealy, Nikola, Walt Disney, Sally Beauty, Warby Parker, Krispy Kreme, Papa John's Organizations: Federal Reserve, Treasury, Nasdaq, Dow Jones, CIBC Private Wealth, Dow, CFRA, Citigroup, Bank of America, U.S, Bank Wealth Management, University of Michigan, Nvidia, Disney, Spirit Airlines, Tyson Foods, Pharmaceuticals, Lucid, Palantir Technologies, Simon Property, Tech, Lab, Goodyear Tire, Noble Corp, Vornado Realty, Coty, BellRing, Consumer, UBS, BP, Nintendo, Bloomin, Duke Energy, Rockwell Automation, Ferrari, NRG Energy, Electronic Arts, Cirrus, Adaptive Biotech, Arista Networks, Dutch Bros, Holdings, Virgin Galactic, IAC, Rivian Automotive, Brighthouse, Occidental Petroleum, Assurant, Kinross Gold, Labs, Diamond, Reddit, Anheuser, Busch InBev, Embraer, Health, United Parks & Resorts, Emerson Electric, Brookfield , New York Times, Food, Reynolds Consumer Products, Teva Pharma, Uber Technologies, Dine Brands, Liberty Broadband, Fox Corp, Cushman &, Liberty Media, Arm Holdings, Kodiak Gas Services, Solaredge Technologies, AMC Entertainment, Cheesecake, News Corp, Toyota Motors, Fair, US Foods, Hyatt Hotels, Warner Bros, Hilton, Warner Music Group, Unity Software, Insurance, Gen, Honda, AMC Networks Locations: Central, McDonald's, Expeditors, Occidental, Angi, Brookfield , New, Ambev, Cushman & Wakefield, Michigan

☆ China's automakers must adapt quickly or lose out on the EV boom in the face of regulatory scrutiny abroad and competition at home
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-03 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

The automaker is the joint venture partner of Honda and Toyota in China, and has an electric car brand called Aion. Expanding outside ChinaLike other automakers in China, GAC is also turning overseas. China's overseas car sales surged last year, putting the country on par with Japan as the world's largest exporter of cars. Dyer expects that to drive overseas demand for Chinese electric cars. Chinese consumers placed almost twice as much importance on tech features compared with U.S. consumers, Dyer said, citing AlixPartners' survey.

Persons: Evelyn Cheng, Tesla, Feng Xingya, Feng, Wei Haigang, Wei, Stephen Dyer AlixPartners, There's, Stephen Dyer, AlixPartners, Dyer, BYD, Nio, CATL, Zhong Shi Organizations: CNBC, GAC, Labor, Huawei, Honda, Toyota, China Passenger Car Association, EU, U.S, Factories, Greater China Business U.S, Ministry of Commerce, Tech, Volkswagen, SAIC Motor, Battery, China Automobile Dealers Association, Automotive, Robotics, Lotus Technology, Geely Locations: Beijing, Evelyn Cheng BEIJING, China, East, Mexico, Japan, Malaysia, Thailand, Egypt, Brazil, Turkey, Amsterdam, Greater China, Asia, U.S, Europe

☆ 5 indicators that show the US economy is still firing on all cylinders despite slowing GDP
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Matthew Fox | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The US economy is still firing on all cylinders despite slowing GDP growth in the first quarter. "The workhorse of the US economy remains the consumer, and there's really not much sign of a slowdown," Varghese said. AdvertisementThe US economy is firing on all cylinders despite a slowdown in first-quarter GDP growth, according to Carson Group global macro strategist Sonu Varghese. These are the five indicators that give Varghese confidence that the US consumer, and therefore the US economy, remains on solid footing. Income growth is outpacing inflationDespite elevated inflation, wage growth continues to outpace inflation growth, and that's ultimately a boon for consumers.

Persons: Sonu Varghese, there's, Varghese, that's, That's, " Varghese, here's Organizations: Carson, Carson Group

☆ We're buying 2 unfairly punished stocks and 1 on an analyst call
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Morgan Chittum | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Every weekday the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer holds a "Morning Meeting" livestream at 10:20 a.m. "That's a win for stocks," Jim Cramer said 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 ABOVE INVESTING CLUB INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY , TOGETHER WITH OUR DISCLAIMER .

Persons: Jim Cramer, Jerome Powell, should've, Jim, — Stanley Black, Decker, Linde, TJX, Jim Cramer's Organizations: CNBC, Federal, Fed, Coterra Energy, Apple, UBS, TJX Companies, LIN Locations: China, TJX, HomeGoods

☆ Sell in May and go away? Think again
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Krystal Hur | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

New York CNN —It’s “sell in May and go away” season. All three major indexes broke five-month winning streaks as hotter-than-expected inflation data stoked fears that interest rate cuts will come later than forecast. The central bank kept interest rates on hold at a 23-year high at its policy meeting. Persistent inflation has kept long-anticipated rate cuts on the backburner. Tesla “has let our entire charging org go,” William Navarro Jameson, strategic charging programs lead at Tesla, wrote on X.

Persons: Stocks, Jerome Powell, ”, Alex McGrath, Larry Tentarelli, Bryan Mena, it’s, Read, Tesla, Tesla “, ” William Navarro Jameson, Lane Chaplin, Hanna Ziady, Peter Valdes Organizations: CNN Business, Bell, New York CNN, The, Dow Jones, Nasdaq, Wednesday, Traders, Blue, Carson Group, Research, Federal Reserve, Fed, Motors, Ford, Tesla Locations: New York

☆ Bank of America says this shoe stock is an inflation winner and you should buy it before earnings
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Pia Singh | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Footwear company Crocs has strong momentum, making it a solid play for investors ahead of earnings out next week, according to Bank of America. Analyst Christopher Nardone reiterated his buy rating and $150 price target, saying the stock is a winner in a "price-sensitive consumer environment." Nardone expects Crocs' international business, which accounts for 40% of its total sales, to be "the driver of outsized growth" for the quarter and full year. He forecasted total Crocs sales growth of 8% in the first quarter and 6% in the full year. "Nearer term, we think the market will be most focused on signs of improvement in both DTC and margins," for Heydude, Nardone said.

Persons: Crocs, Christopher Nardone, It's, Nardone, Terence Reilly's, Stanley, Steve Madden Organizations: Bank of America Locations: Asia, China, India

☆ A contrarian stock market indicator is on the verge of flashing a 'buy' signal, Bank of America says
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( Jennifer Sor | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Stocks are edging closer to a "buy" signal, according to BofA's contrarian market indicator. AdvertisementA contrarian indicator in the stock market is edging closer to a "buy" signal, according to Bank of America. The bank's Sell Side Indicator, a contrarian stock market gauge that flashes a bullish signal when investor sentiment is bearish, and vice versa, is now closer to a "buy" signal than a "sell" signal, strategists said in a note on Wednesday. The lower reading is a bullish sign for stocks, as the indicator is now just 3.3 percentage points away from flashing a "buy" reading, strategists said. Advertisement"The SSI has been a reliable contrarian indicator - in other words, it has been bullish when Wall Street was extremely bearish, and vice versa," the bank wrote.

Persons: —, Stagflation Organizations: Service, Bank of America, SSI

☆ McDonald's and other big brands warn that low-income consumers are starting to crack
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Alex Harring | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Some of America's best-known corporations are saying their consumers are being pinched by inflation as prices continue rising. "Consumers continue[d] to be even more discriminating with every dollar that they spend as they faced elevated prices in their day-to-day spending." The consumer price index — a broad basket of goods and services — rose at an annual rate of 3.5% in March compared with the same month a year ago. And that tenacious 3.5% annual growth is souring economic sentiment: Even after a period of runaway inflation, prices don't actually fall. That's a problem for McDonald's and a host of other firms serving customers who are feeling sticker shock.

Persons: Chris Kempczinski Organizations: Federal Reserve, Consumers, Conference Board, Fed

☆ Amazon reports earnings after the bell. Here's what Wall Street is watching
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Jesse Pound | In Jesse-Pound | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Amazon 's earnings report on Tuesday evening will give investors insight into two of the biggest stories on Wall Street — the resilient U.S. consumer and the artificial intelligence boom. Wall Street is generally optimistic about Amazon, as more than 90% of analysts have a buy or strong buy rating on the stock, according to LSEG. Several other tech companies, including Alphabet , have already reported strong advertising numbers for the first quarter. "We increase our Amazon advertising outlook following the impressive 2H23 performance and encouraging industry checks. On a ~55% margin, Advertising [earnings before interest and taxes] moves from $26B in FY23 to $41B in FY26," MoffettNathanson analyst Michael Morton said in an April 22 note.

Persons: Stephen Ju, Brian Pitz, Pitz, Michael Morton, Amazon's, Morton, MoffettNathanson, Ju, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: Amazon, Services, AWS, UBS, prem, BMO

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