By: Ira EpsteinThis week is focused on 2-day testimony by Fed Chairman Powell. We will get his views on interest rates. Gold market still in an uptrend, but nearing 18-DMA at $1386.70Read More
There is now a very small section of traders and investors who believe that interest rates may not be cut in end July FOMC meet. Federal Reserve chairman's testimony will clarify on the interest rate cycle. In my view interest rates will be cut this month by 0.25% or something lower as a token and thereafter it can be long pause. Incoming US economic data releases will also determine the interes...Read More
The Nasdaq and S&P kept their heads above water, thoughThe Dow spent the entire session in negative territory, pressured by sharp losses for newly downgraded Post-it maker 3M (MMM), ending lower for a third straight day. Anxiety continued to build ahead of Fed Chair Jerome Powell's appearance in front of the House Financial Services Committee tomorrow, while the minutes from the Fed's June meeting...Read More
J.P. Morgan Securities downgraded the shares to "underweight"The hotel name Ryman Hospitality Properties Inc (NYSE:RHP) is eyeing its worst day since December, down 3.6% at $77.79, on a downgrade from J.P. Morgan Securities. The analyst -- which said they're exercising caution on U.S. lodging companies, given the industry's recent trends and share performance -- cut their rating to "underweight" f...Read More
Cohu said U.S. restrictions on Huawei is hurting its customers' businessCohu, Inc. (NASDAQ:COHU) stock hit a two-year low of $13.86 earlier, and was last seen down 5% at $14.31. The California-based semiconductor testing firm said last night that recent U.S. restrictions on Chinese tech firm Huawei is hurting its customers' business, and the company will implement a temporary salary reduction prog...Read More
Netflix analysts are cheering season 3 of "Stranger Things"U.S. stocks are pacing for a third straight day in the red. In the meantime, Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX) is gaining on "Stranger Things" buzz, chipmaker Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMD) has jumped after a bull note, and cosmetics concern e.l.f. Beauty Inc (NYSE:ELF) just got upgraded. Below we'll briefly dig into the shares of NFL...Read More
Gold futures rose Tuesday to top $1,400 an ounce, as investors awaited Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell's testimony to Congress which could offer clues about the prospects for interest rate cuts in coming months. Powell delivered remarks on recent stress tests for banks at a conference in Boston Tuesday without commenting on monetary policy, but the week's main event was expected to be his...Read More
"The negative catalysts have mostly played out," Raymond James saidSquare Inc (NYSE:SQ) shares are in rally mode today, thanks to some upbeat analyst attention. Raymond James upgraded SQ stock to "market perform" from "underperform," saying "the negative catalysts have mostly played out." As such, Square shares were last seen 6.4% higher at $78.11, and option bulls are betting on more upside.SQ st...Read More
A huge number of options players are buying Infosys puts before this Friday's earnings reportIndia-based tech concern Infosys Ltd (NYSE:INFY) is set to report its first-quarter earnings before the open this Friday, July 12, and options traders are already flocking to the stock. Over 4,300 puts have crossed the tape, which is 257 times what's typically seen at this point. While calls are trailing...Read More
Traders will dissect Powell's comments for rate-cut cluesThe Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI) is barreling toward itsthird straight loss, as Wall Street's risk-off mentality endures. Fed Chair Jerome Powell's scheduled testimony in front of the House Financial Services Committee begins tomorrow, where clues about interest rate policy ahead of this month's Fed meeting will be eagerly digested. I...Read More
Shorts may be hedging their bearish bets with call optionsBed Bath & Beyond Inc. (NASDAQ:BBBY) has been relatively quiet on the charts over the past month, per the stock's 30-day historical volatility of 30.6% -- in the tame 22nd annual percentile. However, that could all change once the retailer steps into the earnings confessional after the close tomorrow, July 10, considering BBBY stock has a h...Read More
DRI has been climbing the charts over the long termOlive Garden parent Darden Restaurants, Inc. (NYSE:DRI) has been a long-term winner on the charts, and is already up 24% year-to-date. Although the stock suffered an initial post-earnings dip in late June, the stock quickly recovered with help from the rising 10-month moving average. The equity then broke out above a trendline connecting lower hig...Read More
The president is expected to shake up the dialysis marketDialysis concern DaVita Inc (NYSE:DVA) is the worst stock on the S&P 500 Index (SPX) this morning, after Politico said President Donald Trump will announce a shake-up to the kidney care market tomorrow. More specifically, the administration wants to encourage more at-home dialysis treatments and revamp the payment model, sources said. As suc...Read More
Dress like a cow, get free foodAs we talked about in a recent Schaeffer's Stock Market Podcast, restaurant stocks have been extremely strong this year, with names like Starbucks (SBUX), McDonald's (MCD), and Chipotle (CMG) hitting fresh highs. But as many media profiles have noted in recent months, one of America's fastest growing restaurant chains (subscription required) isn't even on the public...Read More
The firm's C-Scan performed well in a final studyBiotech stock Check-Cap Ltd (NASDAQ:CHEK) rallied out of the gate this morning, after the firm announced positive final results for its C-Scan test, used to detect precancerous polyps in patients at risk for colon cancer. CHEK stock surged as high as $2.57 earlier, and was last seen up 6% at $2.31. In fact, the equity is set for its first close atop...Read More
The ratings so far have ranged from neutral to bullishEven after online pet supplies retailer Chewy Inc (NYSE:CHWY) logged an eye-opening trading debut on June 14, industry standards require analysts from underwriting firms to wait 25 days until initiating coverage. That quiet period is now over, and a host of analysts have already come forward with ratings.No fewer than nine brokerages initiat...Read More
The brokerage firm cited an "unquantifiable risk" for the blue chipRBC downgraded 3M Co (NYSE:MMM) to "sector perform" from "outperform," and slashed its price target by $31 to $176. The brokerage firm called several guidance cuts in recent quarters "unsettling," and tapped legal issues surrounding PFAS contamination as an "unquantifiable risk."This skepticism toward 3M stock is shared by other me...Read More
Ball's in your court, Mr. Bezos and Mr. MuskSocial Capital Hedosophia Holdings Corp (NYSE:IPOA), a so-called special purchase acquisition company (SPAC) co-founded bytech investor Chamath Palihapitiya, announced that it's merging with Richard Branson's space tourism company Virgin Galactic to bring the latter to public markets. Indeed, the SPAC was originally created to help private companies byp...Read More
All eyes are on Fed Chair Jerome Powell's speech this Wednesday Dow futures are signaling another droptoday, as Wall Street exercises caution ahead of Fed Chair Jerome Powell's Wednesday testimony, with hopes of a rate cut weakened by last week's strong jobs data. In addition, 3M Company (MMM) stock is weighing on the Dow, following an analyst downgrade, and Cisco Systems (CSCO) is lower on big M&...Read More
Assets under management among gold-backed exchange-traded funds in June saw their biggest monthly percentage climb since 2012, as prices for the yellow metal touched their highest levels in six years, according to a report from the World Gold Council released Tuesday. Global assets under management (AUM) rose 15% to $115 billion last month as "all regions experienced inflows," the report said. Nor...Read More