In This Article:
The major indexes were broadly higher near noon, rebounding from yesterday’s declines as investors weigh concerns about persistent inflation against hopes for a more accommodative stance from the Federal Reserve, which is slated to make a policy announcement later on Wednesday. Though the Fed is anticipated to maintain a steady hand on interest rates, market participants are awaiting news on whether the central bank maintains its outlook for two rate cuts this year.
Light Up your Portfolio with Spark:
-
Easily identify stocks' risks and opportunities.
-
Discover stocks' market position with detailed competitor analyses.
Looking to commodities, gold prices are largely flat, while oil prices are up fractionally as traders assess global supply dynamics and the potential economic fallout from prolonged trade disruptions.
Get caught up quickly on the top news and calls moving stocks with these five Top Five lists.
1. STOCK NEWS:
-
Starboard Value is launching a proxy battle at Autodesk (ADSK)
-
General Mills (GIS) reported mixed Q3 results and provided FY25 guidance
-
Williams-Sonoma (WSM) reported better-than-expected Q4 earnings and revenue and increased its quarterly dividend
-
Signet Jewelers (SIG) reported upbeat Q4 results and provided guidance for Q1 and FY26
-
The Trump administration confirmed approval for Venture Global (VG) LNG exports from its CP2 project
2. WALL STREET CALLS:
-
Tesla (TSLA) upgraded to Overweight ahead of “material catalysts” at Cantor Fitzgerald
-
Oppenheimer (GS), Jefferies (JEF) and Carlyle (CG) to Perform on a delay in the expected M&A rebound
-
Compass Point upgraded Affirm (AFRM) following the Walmart (WMT) loss selloff in shares
-
Daiwa downgraded XPeng (XPEV) to Hold citing a “stretched” valuation
3. AROUND THE WEB:
-
Citi (C) has cut the bonuses of 250 of its top employees under a program that tied their pay to a turnaround effort aimed at boosting shareholder return and fixing compliance shortcomings, FT says
-
Oracle (ORCL) recently met with top aids at the White House to discuss how the company, which processes and serves TikTok user data, intends to work with the video app, NY Times reports
-
Samsung (SSNLF) is looking to drive growth after failing to ride an AI boom, making it one of the worst-performing tech stocks in 2024, Reuters says
-
Germany’s Federal Court of Justice has ruled against Apple’s (AAPL) appeal opposing a 2023 regulatory assessment that opens Apple up to stricter controls in the country, Reuters reports
-
Boeing (BA) CFO sees March 787 deliveries similar to February, Bloomberg reports