Homebuying activity has slowed in areas affected by inclement weather, but in warmer locations, buyers and sellers are active due to mortgage rates remaining in the high-6% range. Median home-sale prices and asking prices have both experienced the largest increase since October 2022, with low inventory and buyers' increased purchasing power contributing to the rise.
Dow Jones futures were little changed as Tesla tumbled after missing fourth-quarter views and warning of lower growth, while other companies such as ServiceNow, Lam Research, United Rentals, IBM, and CSX Corp. released their results.
The schedule includes various shows on different Fox channels, including Fox Business Channel, Fox News Channel, and Fox News Radio, with topics ranging from finance shows to news reports, and there are also live streams available on Fox News Channel.
Despite Wall Street's excitement and claims of a revival, the IPO market activity in early 2024 shows no significant difference from the past two years, which were the slowest since the 2008 financial crisis, indicating that analysts may be overly exuberant; however, there are some long-term trends worth noting, including startups waiting longer to go public, alternative exit strategies like acquisitions, and an increasing share of U.S. IPOs coming from foreign companies.
Tesla's stock has fallen by 6% after its latest earnings report, and investors are concerned about the company's growth prospects and declining profits, despite potential in autonomous vehicle technology.
Microsoft has reached a valuation of over $3 trillion, driven by its investment in AI projects and becoming the second company to achieve this milestone after Apple.
Nvidia's market capitalization soared to a record $1.52 trillion as the AI investing frenzy and the company's domination of the GPU market contributed to its stellar performance.
Large-cap tech stocks continue to rise, widening their lead over the broader market, but investors remain skeptical as a handful of tech-centered stocks are responsible for most of the returns in the S&P 500, reminiscent of the dot-com era boom and bust.
The stock market's rise in the year leading up to a presidential election is a common trend, and while it is positive news for President Joe Biden, it does not guarantee his re-election; however, this gives Donald Trump an opportunity to claim credit for the stock market's performance while criticizing wealth inequality and predicting a crash if he is not reinstalled in the White House.
China's luxury goods market experienced a strong rebound in 2023, recording 12% year-on-year growth, but challenges such as a decline in consumer sentiment and increased overseas shopping limited its recovery, according to a report by Bain & Company. China's domestic sales of luxury goods increased by 36% in 2021, reaching nearly 471 billion yuan, but uncertainties remain regarding the speed of consumer confidence recovery and the evolution of overseas luxury shopping. Despite economic concerns, China is still considered a leading luxury market, with expectations that Chinese luxury consumption will reach 35-40% of the world's total by 2030.
The S&P 500 has entered a new bull market, and investors are advised to invest carefully, consider new investments, keep a clear head, and maintain a long-term outlook to take advantage of the market surge.
Markets are closely monitoring the impact of a robust GDP report, earnings releases, economic data, and an ECB rate decision.
Despite a significant drop in value, streaming company Roku is expected to outperform the stock market in the coming years due to strong account growth, favorable industry trends, and a robust advertising business, making it a potential bargain for investors.
The S&P 500 and technology stocks continue to reach new highs, with Microsoft becoming the second company after Apple to surpass a $3 billion market cap, while Tesla's underwhelming earnings and outlook caused a significant drop in its stock. There are concerns whether this surge in the market, fueled by technology stocks and the rise of artificial intelligence, is leading to a bubble similar to the Dot Com bubble of the late 1990s. Additionally, strong U.S. business activity and positive economic data have pushed expectations for Federal Reserve cuts to May.
Despite the recent strong performance of the S&P 500, individual stocks have been struggling, but in a strong bull market, PayPal, Realty Income, and Green Thumb Industries could be among the biggest winners.
The European Central Bank (ECB) is expected to leave interest rates unchanged, but investors are looking for any hints on when borrowing costs will start to come down; Germany's 10-year bond yield rose to its highest level since early December ahead of the decision.
Asian shares were mostly lower on Friday despite upbeat news on the U.S. economy, with Japan's benchmark falling after inflation data showed a faster-than-expected slowdown, relieving pressure on the Bank of Japan to tighten its ultra-lax monetary policy.
The U.S. Federal Reserve is expected to maintain current interest rate levels in their upcoming meeting, but markets still anticipate a rate cut in March; Fed officials are becoming more confident in achieving sustainable inflation and may lower rates this year if inflation remains stable.
Market attention is shifting to the European Central Bank (ECB) policy announcements after a day of subdued trading activity amid mixed PMI data releases, while the US economic docket will feature key data such as the fourth-quarter GDP growth estimate and Durable Goods Orders for December.
China's Lunar New Year travel surge is expected to boost the economy, but economists warn that the property market and support for private firms are crucial for sustainable growth in 2024.
European markets are expected to open lower as investors await the European Central Bank's monetary policy decision, with potential rate cuts forecasted for April. However, the healthcare and biotech sectors are being hailed as areas to watch by analysts. UBS has also identified several sectors and stocks as good plays this year amidst a projected weak stagnation in Europe.
The performance of individual stocks based on market cap has been disparate this year, with larger companies tending to have stronger year-to-date returns compared to smaller ones.
European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde is expected to push back against expectations for quick interest rate cuts, emphasizing the need for more evidence that inflation has been tamed and cautioning that decisions will be based on the latest economic figures rather than longer-term promises.
Alumina prices began the first quarter of 2024 with support due to upcoming refinery cuts and elevated Chinese domestic prices, although downstream aluminum demand remains unchanged; spot liquidity has increased, and the Kwinana alumina refinery in Western Australia has announced a planned curtailment in Q2, while the Atlantic Basin is mostly sheltered from shipping disruptions stemming from an oil terminal explosion in Guinea.
Interest rates for 30-year fixed mortgages are down from over 8% to just over 7%, potentially increasing buyer activity in the competitive Denver housing market, which experienced slower growth in 2023 due to higher rates and a surplus of inventory, while rising rent prices and lack of new developments continue to contribute to the high demand for housing in the city.
Canadian singer Rufus Wainwright is selling his Los Angeles home in Laurel Canyon for $2.2 million, a house where he lived with his husband since 2016; the whimsical residence features original elements such as wood-beamed ceilings, stained-glass windows, and a unique octagon-shaped library.
AUD/USD is experiencing slight losses due to positive US economic data and central bank actions, despite the US Dollar weakening. The upcoming week will feature key US economic data.
Altria's stock price declined slightly in the most recent trading session, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq saw small gains; Altria's shares have not performed as well as the Consumer Staples sector and the S&P 500 over the past month, and there are upcoming financial results for the company that analysts will be closely watching; Altria is currently ranked as a "Sell" and has a lower valuation compared to its industry average; the Tobacco industry is ranked in the top 48% of all industries.
Dow Jones futures were relatively unchanged after hours, along with S&P 500 futures and Nasdaq futures, as Tesla's disappointing earnings results and warnings of lower growth weighed on the market rally, although other companies such as IBM, CSX Corp., and Lam Research released positive results.
Realty Income Corp.'s stock experienced a slight decrease in the most recent trading session, but market participants are eagerly anticipating the company's upcoming financial results and earnings release.
Walmart's stock price has experienced a slight decrease recently, with expectations for a year-over-year decline in earnings, however, the company is still projected to see revenue growth, and positive estimate revisions suggest a favorable business outlook.
Snowflake Inc. experienced a -0.86% decrease in its stock price in the latest trading session, while attention remains on the company's upcoming earnings report.
Caterpillar's stock performance exceeded the S&P 500 but underperformed the Nasdaq, with shares depreciating by 2.3% over the past month, while investors should pay attention to the upcoming earnings release on February 5, 2024, which is anticipated to show a rise in EPS and revenue growth.
Tesla's fourth-quarter earnings fell short of analysts' expectations due to repeated price reductions and squeezed margins, resulting in a 3% drop in after-hours trading.
Political changes in over 70 countries will impact oil markets and renewable energy policies, while natural gas, hydrogen, solar, and wind power will continue to play key roles in the ongoing energy transition. Challenges in offshore wind and coal power sectors persist, but renewable energy growth is expected to continue.
China's central bank has announced stimulus measures to boost lending in an effort to restore investor confidence amidst a stock market decline.
Netflix shares surge by 14% as the company reports strong Q4 earnings and surpasses 13 million subscribers, although some analysts warn of an overblown valuation and potential subscriber headwinds.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.3% after erasing early gains, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq both experienced gains but later faded, with the yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note rising 3 basis points to 4.17%.
Stocks are being boosted by strong tech earnings, but there are concerns about how long this trend can continue and if it will expand to other sectors, as analysts begin to pull back and the effects of rate hikes and slowing economic indicators are felt.
Shake Shack (SHAK) stock received a positive adjustment to its Relative Strength (RS) Rating, going from 79 to 83, indicating strong technical performance.
Netflix shares surged 14% after reporting strong Q4 earnings and surpassing 13 million subscribers, leading to analysts increasing their price targets; however, some caution that subscriber growth may not be sustainable as the company cracks down on password sharing and warn of an overblown valuation.
Microsoft's market cap crossed the $3 trillion mark, making it the second company in history, after Apple, to achieve this milestone, highlighting CEO Satya Nadella's instrumental role in the company's success.
The global heart closure devices market is expected to witness significant growth between 2024 and 2034, driven by emerging trends, technological advancements, and the expanding adoption of minimally invasive procedures, with North America leading the way.
The tech-heavy Nasdaq led the stock market with a 0.9% gain thanks to Netflix's positive earnings report, while the Dow increased 0.1% and the S&P 500 climbed 0.5%.
The North American employment screening services market is projected to experience substantial growth from 2023 to 2028, with a predicted valuation of US$ 4,204.88 million, driven by the increasing demand for efficient and timely selection systems in response to a rise in job applicant volumes.
The Morningstar US Market Index has hit a record high, erasing all the losses incurred in 2022, primarily due to the surge in technology stocks, indicating the significant influence of megacap tech stocks on the market; going forward, the stock market is expected to be different from 2023, with possible pullbacks, outsized returns in various sectors, and opportunities in interest rate-correlated stocks like utilities and real estate.
American retirees over the age of 55, who own 80% of US stocks, pose a significant downside risk to the stock market in the event of a downturn, as their need to readjust their portfolios and sell-off stocks could worsen the market spiral and impact consumer spending.
U.S. stocks started strong with a surge from Netflix's post-earnings performance, but ended mixed after a poorly received Treasury auction; all eyes are now on Tesla's quarterly results.
Shares of Meta Platforms (formerly Facebook) are trading higher, pushing its market cap above $1 trillion for the first time since 2021.
The S&P 500 closed at a record high, led by the tech sector, and BloxCross Global Head of Markets & Strategy Keith Bliss discusses how the tech sector will continue to drive the market rally, with a focus on AI implementation in companies like IBM, which could have a significant impact on the rally.