Yahoo Finance

Technology is back!!! Okay, it never really went away. But a few popular names did fall 20% to 50% in about seven weeks, from March 7 until April 19. That occurred after some monster moves higher for more than four months, starting in late October. Over the past 18 days, and especially over the past 10 days, the Technology sector has been on fire. And the recovery took place ahead of earnings reports from Applied Materials (AMAT) after the close today and Nvidia's EPS report next Wednesday (also after the close).

International Game Technology plc designs, manufactures, and markets electronic gaming equipment. Its IGT Global Solutions division designs and markets lottery systems to lotteries worldwide. In April 2015, International Game Technology was acquired by Italian gaming company GTECH S.p.A. in a transaction valued at $6.4 billion. In December 2020, the company announced the sale of its Italian gaming business. With a market capitalization of $4.0 billion, IGT shares are generally considered mid-cap growth.

At midday Wednesday, the major benchmarks were broadly higher amid a softer consumer inflation print for April and lower bond yields. The Consumer Price Index rose 0.3% in April, lower than the 0.4% consensus and matching the prior month's 0.3% increase. The year-over-year figure came in at 3.4%, in line with the consensus. Shelter inflation remained elevated in April, rising 5.5% on an annual basis, with higher interest rates making housing less affordable. Prices for gas and insurance also remained on the high side from the prior month, while consumers got some relief from falling prices for new and used cars as well as household furnishings. After three consecutive monthly consumer inflation readings above expectations, the April report is a reprieve, although the Federal Reserve has said it will be looking for a consistent trend toward the 2% annualized level before lowering interest rates. Elsewhere, the Department of Commerce reported that retail sales in April were flat with the prior month, below the 0.4% consensus and the prior month's 0.6% pace. Pulling out auto and gas sales, the figure actually declined 0.1%. Some of the culprits were non-store retailers and sporting goods/hobby stores, which saw declines around 1%. The report continues a recent string of softer economic reports, including less job creation in April, with consumers now moderating spending a bit.

Light & Wonder is principally an electronic gaming machine manufacturer, selling machines to pubs, clubs, and casinos. The firm is licensed in most jurisdictions allowing gambling globally. Light & Wonder is one of the three largest players in the space along with International Game Technology and Aristocrat Leisure. SciPlay, about one fourth of revenue, develops and distributes casual mobile games, principally in the social casino niche. The more nascent iGaming business sits between these two businesses, providing digital content and capabilities to real-money gaming providers.