BREAKING Fed cuts interest rates by a quarter point in final 2024 decision Taiwan - Delayed Quote • TWD (061484.TW) Follow Compare 1.8400 -0.1700 (-8.46%) At close: 1:13:35 PM GMT+8 Related News The antitrust hurdles Nissan, Honda may face on merger talks Nissan (NSANY, 7201.T) shares surged, while Honda (HMC, 7267.T) stock is under pressure as the market reacts to a potential merger between the two Japanese automakers. Former Federal Trade Commission (FTC) commissioner Mozelle Thompson joins Madison Mills to discuss what antitrust hurdles a possible merger would face. "Each country where these companies operate has an antitrust regulator, and they're going to look closely at how this affects their local market," Thompson says, adding, "For example, in the US, Honda and Nissan both have manufacturing plants in the US." If the two companies were to merge, it would create the world's third-largest automaker. "One of the challenges here is that we don't know exactly what [a potential merger is] going to look like yet. There's been talk about a holding company, there's been talk about collaboration agreements on EVs," Thompson highlights The former FTC commissioner says to satisfy antitrust concerns, the companies would need to show that a Honda and Nissan merger wouldn't stifle competition. He says they could do so by "arguing that Nissan has a troubled outlook and therefore needs some sort of merger in order to stay competitive in the marketplace." Another argument that could appease antitrust regulators is to "show that if to the extent that EVs are going to become a larger part of the American auto buying public market, that this will make them more competitive and make the anti-China growth bigger and better and stronger," Thompson notes. To watch more expert insights and analysis on the latest market action, check out more Catalysts here. This post was written by Naomi Buchanan. Micron to report Q1 earnings. Here's what to expect. Micron (MU) is set to report its fiscal first quarter earnings after Wednesday's market close. Investors are closely watching the company's artificial intelligence memory business, which has become a critical component of its revenue strategy, to assess its continued growth potential. Catalysts host Madison Mills and Josh Schafer analyze the details, discussing the current outlook and market expectations for the semiconductor company. To watch more expert insights and analysis on the latest market action, check out more Catalysts here. This post was written by Angel Smith Fed decision, Micron earnings, housing data: What to Watch Hosts Julie Hyman and Josh Lipton detail the top market news to watch for tomorrow, Wednesday, December 18. Investors are focused on the Federal Reserve as the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) Meeting concludes tomorrow. The central bank is set to announce its interest rate decision at 2 p.m. ET, and market participants are expecting a potential 25-basis-point cut to interest rates. On the earnings front, Wall Street will scrutinize quarterly reports from Micron Technology (MU), Lennar (LEN), General Mills (GIS), and Birkenstock (BIRK). Additionally, monthly Housing Starts and Building Permits data will provide crucial insights into the current state of the housing market. To watch more expert insights and analysis on the latest market action, check out more Market Domination Overtime here. This post was written by Angel Smith Trump weighs eliminating EV tax credit. What it means for the auto industry. According to a new Reuters report, President-elect Donald Trump is expected to eliminate the electric vehicle (EV) tax credit. His administration is also considering rolling back investments in EV infrastructure, including charging stations and battery development. AutoGuide Editorial Director Greg Migliore joins Wealth! to analyze these potential changes. Migliore suggests that eliminating the EV tax credit could cause EV demand to "take a hit" as increased costs shift to consumers. He predicts this policy change might boost demand for hybrid and traditional gas-powered vehicles. When asked about automakers best positioned to weather these potential changes, Migliore identifies General Motors (GM), Ford (F), Hyundai (HYMTF), Toyota (TM), and Honda (HMC). He points to their diverse vehicle lineups spanning both EVs and conventional gas-powered options across various price points. To watch more expert insights and analysis on the latest market action, check out more Wealth here. This post was written by Angel Smith Why Viking Therapeutics (VKTX), HEICO Corporation (HEI), and ABM Industries (ABM) Stocks Are Plunging Today? The shares of Viking Therapeutics (NASDAQ:VKTX), HEICO Corporation (NYSE:HEI), and ABM Industries (NYSE:ABM) are all sinking sharply today. Viking Therapeutics (NASDAQ:VKTX) has developed an anti-obesity drug, while HEICO Corporation (NYSE:HEI) sells components for airplanes and ABM Industries (NYSE:ABM) Industries provides various functions for offices, such as janitorial and parking services. Viking Therapeutics (NASDAQ:VKTX), whose shares […] Nvidia Leads U.S. Semiconductor Stocks in 2024 AI-Driven Growth As the year comes to a close, the semiconductor space is on a high. What's Going On With Viking Therapeutics Stock On Wednesday? On Wednesday, Merck & Co Inc (NYSE:MRK) and Hansoh Pharma, a Chinese biopharmaceutical company, entered into an exclusive global license agreement for HS-10535, an investigational preclinical oral small molecule GLP-1 receptor agonist. Under the agreement, Hansoh Pharma has granted Merck an exclusive global license to develop, manufacture, and commercialize HS-10535. Hansoh Pharma will receive an upfront payment of $112 million and is eligible to receive up to $1.9 billion in milestone payments BNPL lender Sezzle plunges as short-seller Hindenburg Research takes aim (Reuters) -Buy now, pay later firm Sezzle's shares plunged on Wednesday after Hindenburg Research disclosed a short position, citing risky lending practices alongside a decline in customers and merchants. "Filings show Sezzle borrows at a 12.65% interest rate to lend to extremely high-risk consumers whose credit is so bad that they are unable to access traditional credit cards," the short seller said. Hindenburg, which was behind an over $100 billion market rout in India's Adani Group and had also taken aim at Jack Dorsey-led Block, alleged Sezzle was rapidly losing customers and merchants. These Stocks Are Moving the Most Today: Tesla, Nvidia, Honda, Nissan, Micron, Jabil, Worthington, Netgear, and More Tesla stock slips after closing at another record high, Nvidia shares bounce back, and Honda and Nissan confirm they are exploring a merger or other future collaboration. Micron reports quarterly earnings Wednesday. Nissan and Honda Discuss Potential Merger to Form World's Third-Largest Automaker Market Reacts as Foxconn Shows Interest in Acquiring Stake in Nissan Amid Merger Talks Sezzle down 11% after Hindenburg says short on stock Investing.com -- Shares of Sezzle Inc (NASDAQ:SEZL) tumbled 15% on Wednesday after short-seller Hindenburg Research disclosed it was short on the “Buy Now, Pay Later” company, accusing it of risky lending practices and misleading investors. Nissan and Honda's Game-Changing Merger: A $54 Billion Power Play in the EV Revolution Japan's auto giants join forces to take on Tesla, BYD, and the electrification race. Here’s Why Snap (SNAP) Slipped in Q3 RiverPark Advisors, an investment advisory firm and sponsor of the RiverPark family of mutual funds, released its “RiverPark Large Growth Fund” third quarter 2024 investor letter. A copy of the letter can be downloaded here. During the third quarter, the markets performed strongly with the Russell 1000 Growth Index (RLG) and the S&P 500 index returning 3.19% […] Nissan Stock Jumps as Investors Eye Possibility of Honda Deal Honda and Nissan have acknowledged the possibility of a merger, driving an active trading session in Tokyo for the Japanese auto makers. Quantum Computing Skyrockets 2,140%: NASA's Secret Weapon for Next-Gen Imaging NASA taps Quantum Computing's Dirac-3 to solve imaging challenges, fueling a 2,140% stock surge this year Viking Plummets After Merck Inks A $2.01 Billion Obesity Deal — With Someone Else Merck threw its hat into the obesity race on Wednesday, inking a deal worth up to $2.01 billion with Hansoh Pharma for its weight-loss drug. Sam Altman Nuclear Startup Continues Hot 2024 With 12-Gigawatt Data Center Deal Oklo — the nuclear power startup backed by OpenAI head Sam Altman — announced Wednesday it has signed an agreement to provide as much as 12 gigawatts of energy to Switch, an AI provider and data center operator. The advanced nuclear technology company said Wednesday the deal is to supply 12 gigawatts worth of nuclear projects to Switch through 2044. Oklo currently expects its first Aurora powerhouse nuclear reactor to be operational by 2027. Honda and Nissan Might Merge. It’s a Risky, Yet Sensible, Bet. Honda Motor and Nissan Motor are considering a merger or other partnership Wednesday, according to a recent report. There are some very good reasons seemingly stable car companies are taking what appear to be radical steps. Nissan’s U.S.-listed American depositary receipts were up 15% in early trading, while the was down about 0.1%, and the was up 0.2%. Merck Licenses a Weight-Loss Pill. It’s Bad News for Obesity Biotechs. The low-risk approach by the drug giant is a sign of the extent of Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk’s dominance in the weight-loss market. Honda, Nissan in Merger Talks A tie-up could be the only way for both companies to survive the current market.