LIVE Trump Treasury secretary nominee Scott Bessent's confirmation hearing Euronext - Delayed Quote • EUR (NV18V.NX) Follow Compare 18.92 -0.78 (-3.96%) As of December 6 at 6:30:00 PM GMT+1. Market Open. Related News Morgan Stanley and BofA report robust Q4 earnings Big Bank earnings are rolling out this week, with Morgan Stanley (MS) and Bank of America (BAC) more than doubling in quarter four after a spike in dealmaking. Mac Syke, Gabelli Funds portfolio manager, joins Morning Brief to discuss earnings season and the banks’ surge in quarter four. Syke discusses the favorable environment for banks today. "We now have a normalized curve, so instead of the inversion [there is] a pretty normalized real rate," he explains. "We have regulations that are going to be easier, so that boosts M&A." Syke also adds that the "consumer activity has been very good." Additionally, Syke points to how Bank of America's trading underperformed compared to rivals but says repricing of legacy investments is "going forward over the next several years" to boost net interest income. Watch the video above to hear Syke's full insights on how these factors are shaping the future of Big Bank earnings. To watch more expert insights and analysis on the latest market action, check out more Morning Brief here. This post was written by Josh Lynch Target raising Q4 sales forecast on record holiday sales Target (TGT) is raising its fourth quarter sales forecast as the retailer reports record-high sales figures from its Black Friday and Cyber Monday promotions. The stock is under pressure on Thursday morning, with Wall Street attributing it to the chain's EPS (earnings per share) guidance below current expectations. Seana Smith and Brad Smith report more on this headline and what it means for the broader retail sector. Catch Yahoo Finance's latest reporting on December's key retail sales data. To watch more expert insights and analysis on the latest market action, check out more Morning Brief here. This post was written by Luke Carberry Mogan. Bessent hearing, Bank of America, retail sales: What to Watch Market Domination Overtime anchors Julie Hyman and Josh Lipton outline critical market events to watch for tomorrow, Thursday, January 16. Treasury Secretary nominee Scott Bessent will face the Senate for his confirmation hearing at 10:30 a.m. eastern time, continuing the series of Cabinet confirmation proceedings for President-elect Donald Trump's administration. The financial sector is in focus with Bank of America (BAC), Morgan Stanley (MS), and US Bancorp (USB) scheduled to report earnings. Additionally, chip giant Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSM) and healthcare leader UnitedHealth Group (UNH) will also release their quarterly reports. Investors will also receive December's retail sales report, providing insights into consumer spending patterns and overall economic health. 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 Moderna price target drops, fintech Outperform, FDA hits tobacco Yahoo Finance's Brad Smith reviews Wednesday's trending stocks on Wealth. Moderna's (MRNA) price target slashed to $38 from $70 by Morgan Stanley (MS), implying an 11% potential upside based on its last closing price. Analysts cite lowered 2025 revenue outlook and vaccine market competition. Fintech leaders SoFi (SOFI) and Affirm (AFRM) have been initiated by William Blair in research coverage, and are currently both rated Outperform. Tobacco stocks, such as British American Tobacco (BTI), Imperial Brands (IMBBY), and Philip Morris (PM), are under pressure after US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announces a proposal to cap nicotine levels in cigarettes. To watch more expert insights and analysis on the latest market action, check out more Wealth here. This post was written by Josh Lynch Why UnitedHealth (UNH) Stock Is Retreating This Morning Health insurer UnitedHealth (UNH) is sinking 4% today after the company reported lower-than-expected fourth-quarter revenue this morning. Moreover, the company’s medical costs rose significantly faster than the premiums which it received. More About UNH’s Q4 Results The company’s Q4 sales climbed 6.4% versus the same period a year earlier to $100.8 billion, but that was […] Why Target Stock Tanked on Thursday Morning Shares of Target (NYSE: TGT) were sliding in Thursday morning trading after the retailer disappointed Wall Street with its updated guidance for fiscal Q4. Finance, Wall Street analysts had, on average, been expecting Target to earn $2.65 per share. This means Target will probably "miss earnings" when its official report comes out in March. U.S. Bancorp Crashes 6.6%--What's Behind the Stock Plunge? Unimpressed earnings, rising costs, and credit concerns send investors running--can the bank bounce back? Morgan Stanley shuffles rating on software Investing.com -- Morgan Stanley analysts revised ratings and price target on software companies, as brokerage see GenAI offering a large opportunity but also posing risks. Atlassian Corp Plc (NASDAQ:TEAM) emerged as a top pick for 2025, while Datadog (NASDAQ:DDOG) and Confluent faced rating cuts due to near-term challenges. Bank of America Crushes Q4 Earnings -- Investment Banking Fees Skyrocket 44% Record-Breaking Growth Positions BofA for a Massive 2025 Run TSMC stock rises more than 5% after record net profit driven by AI chip demand Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company’s (TSM) U.S.-listed shares rose by more than 6% at the market open on Thursday morning. Symbotic Stock Pops on New Robotics Partnership With Walmart Shares of robotics company Symbotic jumped Thursday morning after the company announced an expanded partnership with Walmart that includes Symbotic buying Walmart's robotics business, and Walmart funding development of new automation programs. Morgan Stanley Fourth-Quarter Results Top Views Amid Investment Banking Gains Morgan Stanley (MS) reported better-than-expected fourth-quarter results on Thursday, buoyed by its Target’s Guidance Hike Fails to Offset Wall Street Concerns (Bloomberg) -- Target Corp. raised its sales guidance following a better-than-expected holiday season, but the boost wasn’t big enough to ease investors’ concerns about profitability.Most Read from BloombergThese Homes Withstood the LA Fires. Architects Explain WhyChicago Agency Pitches $1.5 Billion Plan to Fix Transit WoesAs E-Bikes Boom in NYC, Some Call for More RegulationsChurches, Cinemas — and Moon Artifacts — Top List of Endangered MonumentsNYPD Reforms Car Chase Policy Amid Rising Crashe TSMC’s Upbeat Outlook Fuels Hopes for 2025 AI Spending (Bloomberg) -- Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. projected quarterly sales and capital expenditure ahead of analysts’ estimates, fueling hopes that spending on AI hardware should remain resilient in 2025.Most Read from BloombergThese Homes Withstood the LA Fires. Architects Explain WhyChicago Agency Pitches $1.5 Billion Plan to Fix Transit WoesAs E-Bikes Boom in NYC, Some Call for More RegulationsChurches, Cinemas — and Moon Artifacts — Top List of Endangered MonumentsNYPD Reforms Car Chase 2 Artificial Intelligence (AI) Stocks With Seemingly Impenetrable Moats That Can Have Their Palantir Moment in 2025 Artificial intelligence (AI) is already transforming many industries, but not all tech companies will benefit equally. The competitive moats established by Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOG) (NASDAQ: GOOGL) and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (NYSE: TSM) could be significant as AI grows, resulting in impressive gains similar to how AI darling Palantir Technologies has benefited recently. There are no guarantees that these two companies will see their share prices rise by more than 800% like Palantir's have over the past two years, but their competitive positions are certainly setting them up for success. Target shares slide on maintained earnings guidance, possible January deceleration Investing.com -- Target (NYSE:TGT) shares fell more than 3% Thursday as the retailer maintained its fourth-quarter earnings per share (EPS) guidance. While comparable sales saw an increase, the impact of discounts and promotions appears to have weighed on margins. Symbotic to Acquire Walmart’s Robotics Business. The Stock Charges Higher. Walmart selects Symbotic to develop a solution to automate the retailer’s accelerated pickup and delivery centers. These Stocks Are Moving the Most Today: TSMC, Bank of America, Morgan Stanley, UnitedHealth, Target, Symbotic, and More Fourth-quarter net profit of Taiwan Semiconductor jumps 57%, UnitedHealth falls after revenue misses estimates, and profits at Bank of America and Morgan Stanley beat analysts’ expectations. Bank of America's Q4 Earnings Beat on Robust IB & Trading, Higher NII A robust IB & trading performance, NII growth and higher loan balance aid BAC's Q4 earnings, while the rise in adjusted expenses and provisions act as spoilsports. Bitcoin Price Closes In on $100,000 Again. How the Crypto Could Get There. Moves in digital coins were largely driven by macroeconomic developments. Coming in cooler than expected, the data looked to increase odds of the Federal Reserve cutting interest rates several times this year. Any signs that interest rates are coming down more quickly than previously expected would likely boost Bitcoin prices even further.