US index futures are falling in Tuesday’s pre-market, with investors digesting European indicators waiting for American inflation, which will be released tomorrow and should give clues about the Federal Reserve’s next steps.
At 7:01 AM, Dow Jones futures (DOWI:DJI) fell 46 points, or 0.13%. S&P 500 futures were down 0.14% and Nasdaq-100 futures were down 0.19%. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note was at 4.29%.
On Tuesday’s United States economic agenda, investors await the auction of ten-year Treasuries. Yesterday, the American government invested US$44 billion in the three-year event, with a cut rate of 4.66%. At 4:30 pm, API releases the weekly oil stock report, which is expected to fall by 2 million barrels.
In September, the ZEW investor confidence index in Germany exceeded expectations, registering a drop of 11.4 points, compared to the forecast of 15 points. In the euro zone, the indicator had a smaller drop than expected, of 8.20 points.
In the UK, the unemployment rate for July was 4.30%, as predicted. This value was higher than in June, indicating an increase in unemployment amid an economy pressured by inflation.
Meanwhile, European markets await the interest rate decision by the European Central Bank (ECB) on Thursday. Despite rising inflation, the rate is likely to remain at 4.25% per year.
Asian markets had mixed results, reflecting new measures in China after the financial regulator downplayed the risks of insurers investing in shares. Country Garden, a leading private Chinese construction company, has been granted permission to defer payments on six bonds, sending its shares up more than 10%. This decision comes as investors watch the Chinese government’s recent interventions in the real estate sector.
In the commodities market, West Texas Intermediate crude oil for October rose 0.84% to US$88.02 per barrel. Brent oil for November rose 0.71% to US$91.28 per barrel. Iron ore with a concentration of 62% rose 1.96% to US$ 117.61.
At Monday’s close, stock markets posted gains as investors awaited crucial economic information from the Federal Reserve. The Dow Jones rose 87.13 points or 0.25% to 34,663.72 points. The S&P 500 rose 29.97 points or 0.67% to 4,487.46. The Nasdaq Composite jumped 156.37 points or 1.14% to 13,917.89.
A recent NY Fed survey indicated that US inflation expectations remained stable in August, but there was an increase in economic concerns. This study negatively impacted expectations of future interest rates. Stocks in Asia also revealed developments that led to a depreciation of the dollar. The Chinese Central Bank, PBOC, set a level for the Yuan above market forecasts. Comments from Kazuo Ueda, president of the Japanese Central Bank, led to speculation about a possible increase in interest rates.
On Tuesday’s corporate earnings front, investors are watching Cognyte’s (NASDAQ:CGNT) report. After the market closes, results from Edgio (NASDAQ:EGIO), InnovAge (NASDAQ:INNV), Farmer Bros (NASDAQ:FARM), Mama’s Creations (NASDAQ:MAMA), among others, will be awaited.
Wall Street Corporate Highlights for Today
Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) – For the first time, the launched iPhone will be available immediately, made in India. Apple intends to make the Indian iPhone 15 available at global launch. This highlights India’s productive growth and Apple’s diversification outside of China. The iPhone 15 promises to be the most significant update in three years, with improvements to the camera system and a 3-nanometer processor in the Pro models. This innovation aims to boost sales that were falling.
Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) – Qualcomm on Monday announced a deal to supply 5G chips to Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) by 2026, strengthening the existing relationship. This suggests that Apple won’t be releasing its own modem anytime soon. Qualcomm and Apple shares rose 4% and 0.5% on Monday, respectively. The previous agreement between the companies ends this year.
Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) – Microsoft shares have underperformed tech peers in recent weeks. However, Citi Research predicts improvement in the coming months due to the stabilization of the PC market, advancements in Azure and growth in artificial intelligence. Citi maintained its Buy rating on Microsoft, citing “a rich catalytic path ahead” through the end of the year.
Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) – Amazon shares closed at their highest in a year, rising 3.5% on Monday. UBS analyst Lloyd Walmsley sees potential for growth in the company’s retail margins. Additionally, the recent partnership with Shopify (NYSE:SHOP) and changes to the Seller Fulfilled Prime program are viewed positively. Amazon shares are up 70% so far this year, outperforming the S&P 500 index.
Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN), Occidental Petroleum (NYSE:OXY) – Amazon is financing an Occidental Petroleum project to capture carbon from the air, offsetting emissions from its fleet. The company will purchase 250,000 metric tons of carbon removal from Oxy over 10 years. The initiative is part of Amazon’s efforts to achieve zero carbon emissions by 2040.
Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL) – Alphabet registered a 0.4% drop in Tuesday’s pre-market as the anticipated antitrust case begins in Washington, where the Department of Justice accuses Google of an illegal monopoly in the search market online. The trial is expected to last until mid-November.
Alibaba (NYSE:BABA) – Alibaba’s new CEO Eddie Wu emphasized “user first” and “AI guidance” as strategic focuses in an internal letter. Wu will promote young employees to maintain a startup mentality. He will also lead Alibaba’s cloud computing unit, targeting an IPO in 2024. The unit is crucial to the company’s AI strategy.
Oracle (NYSE:ORCL) – Oracle projected revenue below Wall Street expectations due to reduced enterprise cloud spending, resulting in a 9.14% decline in Tuesday’s premarket. As the company faces competition from giants like Amazon and Microsoft, growth in AI adoption could boost its cloud business. First-quarter revenue was $12.45 billion, slightly below estimates of $12.47 billion. Excluding items, it earned $1.19 per share, compared to estimates of $1.15.
Overstock.com (NASDAQ:OSTK) – Angela Hsu, chief marketing officer at Overstock.com, resigned on September 6. President Dave Nielsen will assume his duties while the company searches for a replacement. Hsu will become a consultant, and her departure is not due to internal disagreements.
Casey’s General Stores (NASDAQ:CASY) – Casey’s General Stores reported first-quarter results that beat estimates. Net profit was $169.2 million, with same-store sales growing 5.4%. CEO Darren Rebelez attributed the success to the company’s new pizzas. The company also plans to acquire 125 stores, including 63 from EG Group.
Avantax Inc (NASDAQ:AVTA) – Cetera Holdings will acquire Avantax for about $1.2 billion. Avantax shareholders will receive $26 per share, a 30% premium to the recent price. Mike Durbin, CEO of Cetera, valued Avantax’s tax expertise. The acquisition reinforces the trend of consolidation in the wealth management sector. Cetera will maintain Avantax as an independent unit and is backed by private equity firm Genstar Capital Partners.
Magellan Midstream Parters (NYSE:MMP), Oneok Inc (NYSE:OKE) – Oneok is expected to buy Magellan Midstream for US$19 billion after support from consultancies Glass Lewis and Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS). Voting will take place on September 21st. Tax concerns for Magellan holders have arisen, but Magellan defends the benefits of the transaction.
WestRock (NYSE:WRK) – WestRock rose 6.6% in Tuesday’s pre-market after signing an acquisition agreement with Dublin-based Smurfit Kappa, forming a paper and packaging company valued at around $20 billion. Under the deal, WestRock shareholders will receive one new share of Smurfit WestRock and $5 in cash, for a total of $43.51 per share. After the merger, Smurfit Kappa shareholders will own 50.4% of the combined company, while WestRock will own the remainder. Shares in Smurfit Kappa (LSE:SKG) in London fell 9.4%.
Bank of America (NYSE:BAC) – Investment banking fees fell 30% to 35% in the third quarter compared to the previous year. However, Bank of America expects to surpass that average, with fees approaching $1 billion, said CFO Alastair Borthwick. Analysts believe this could put pressure on the bank’s profit estimate. In the previous quarter, BofA recorded fees of US$1.2 billion, increasing the profit of its banking unit.
Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) – The Dutch financial regulator revealed that Goldman Sachs had a short position in Philips (NYSE:PHG), offsetting a previously announced position. This occurred during a review of Exor NV’s acquisition of 15% of Philips. There are discussions about the need for new guidelines for rapid acquisitions in listed companies. In other news, Ericka Leslie has been named by Goldman Sachs as head of global banking and markets, leaving just two women in the executive group. Diversity in executive positions on Wall Street is still a challenge, with few women in prominent positions. Leslie will replace Will Bousquette, who will take on another division.
JPMorgan Chase (NYSE:JPM) – Jamie Dimon, CEO of JPMorgan Chase, criticized stricter regulatory proposals in the US, considering them an obstacle to economic growth. At a conference in New York, Dimon expressed disappointment and called for transparency from regulators. Furthermore, he expressed caution regarding the Chinese market and the global economy, citing future uncertainties and risks.
HSBC Holdings (NYSE:HSBC) – HSBC will increase mortgage rates in Hong Kong due to rising interest rates, rising from 3.625% to up to 4.125% from 18 September. This negatively impacted the shares of local real estate developers.
Nubank (NYSE:NU) – Nubank shares in the US jumped on Monday after JPMorgan reclassified the company from “Neutral” to “Overweight”. JPMorgan indicated in a statement that it sees Nubank expanding its market share in Brazil in the coming years and considers the current moment as a good entry opportunity, after a recent share devaluation.
KKR and Company (NYSE:KKR) – USI Insurance announced that KKR will invest more than $1 billion, becoming the main shareholder. KKR and USI will acquire USI shares from the CDPQ fund and other investors. CDPQ and KKR purchased USI in 2017 for $4.3 billion.
Globalfoundries (NASDAQ:GFS) – Globalfoundries has opened a US$4 billion manufacturing facility in Singapore, expanding its global production. This facility will produce 450,000 300mm wafers annually by 2026 and generate 1,000 jobs. This expansion aims to meet the growing demand for chips, especially with partners such as Qualcomm and Apple.
Ecopetrol (NYSE:EC) – The Colombian government is considering making the participation of the state-owned company Ecopetrol mandatory in all offshore wind projects. The proposal is being consulted with companies interested in Colombia’s first offshore wind energy auction. The review aims to reinforce energy self-sufficiency and move away from dependence on fossil fuels. Ecopetrol’s involvement would minimize risks in new projects, despite its participation being potentially minimal. The bidding round is delayed due to regulatory and leadership changes at the Ministry of Mines and Energy.
AerCap Holdings NV (NYSE:AER), General Electric (NYSE:GE) – The General Electric unit plans to sell a $2.44 billion stake in AerCap Holdings. The sale involves 40.7 million shares at US$59 each. The offering increased from the 32.4 million shares initially announced, following GE’s earlier sale of 18 million shares.
Jetblue (NASDAQ:JBLU) – JetBlue has agreed to sell all of Spirit Airlines’ assets at Boston and Newark airports to Allegiant (NASDAQ:ALGT) to gain approval for the acquisition of Spirit (NYSE:SAVE). This deal faced opposition, with the Department of Justice and other state prosecutors claiming it would harm consumers.
Boeing (NYSE:BA) – VietJet announced that it will receive 12 737 MAX jets from Boeing in 2023, part of an order for 200 planes. Initial delivery will be to its subsidiary in Thailand. Additionally, VietJet entered into a $550 million financing agreement with Carlyle Aviation Partners.
RTX Corp (NYSE:RTX) – Shares of RTX Corp, parent company of Pratt & Whitney, fell after charging $3 billion and announcing possible groundings of Airbus jets to check rare faults. After discovering a defect in engine components, RTX expanded inspections, affecting up to 700 Airbus A320neo engines between 2023 and 2026. This could ground up to 650 jets in 2024.
United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) – UPS revealed a new five-year contract for 340,000 U.S. workers, increasing wage and benefit costs by 3.3% annually. The agreement, valid until July 2028, will have an additional US$500 million impact on costs in 2023.
Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) – Tesla and its suppliers plan to invest US$15 billion in a factory in Mexico, tripling the initially announced amount. CEO Elon Musk had revealed plans for a gigafactory in Nuevo León, aiming to expand Tesla’s global presence.
Charter Communications (NASDAQ:CHTR), Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) – Walt Disney and Charter Communications have agreed to bring Disney networks, including ESPN, back to Spectrum cable, hours before NFL “Monday Night Football.” This deal aims to combat the cord-cutting trend and expand Disney streaming. The previous dispute deprived 15 million Spectrum subscribers of sporting events. The new deal offers ad-supported Disney+ to Spectrum subscribers and maintains essential cable revenue for Disney.
DraftKings (NASDAQ:DKNG) – DraftKings has apologized for launching a 9/11-themed sports betting promotion. The offer involved teams from New York and was titled “Never Forget”, coinciding with the 22nd anniversary of the 2001 terrorist attacks. Critics considered the act insensitive.
Nike (NYSE:NKE) – Investors are asking Nike to pay textile workers in Cambodia and Thailand who would have lost wages due to Covid-19. They want Nike to pay $2.2 million to more than 4,000 workers. Nike denies the allegations, saying it has no ties to the factories since 2006. Pressure is mounting ahead of Nike’s annual shareholder meeting, with a focus on supply chain scrutiny.
Acelyrin (NASDAQ:SLRN) – Los Angeles pharmaceutical company Acelyrin fell 55.2% in premarket Tuesday after announcing that in week 16 of a Phase 2b/3 trial, its drug candidate for skin treatment did not reach statistical significance.
AstraZeneca (NASDAQ:AZN) – After a drop in AstraZeneca shares on Monday and rumors about the departure of CEO Pascal Soriot, the company responded that it does not comment on market rumors, reinforcing regulatory obligations to announce significant impacts on shares. Additionally, AstraZeneca released data from the FLAURA2 trial that combined the Tagrisso drug with chemotherapy to treat lung cancer, setting a higher standard for rival Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ). The results indicated a 38% reduction in the risk of disease progression when adding chemotherapy.
Moderna (NASDAQ:MRNA) – Moderna revealed on Monday a partnership with German company Immatics to advance the development of cancer vaccines. As part of the deal, Moderna will pay Immatics $120 million up front.
26 Capital Acquisition Corp (NASDAQ:ADER) – A Delaware judge’s ruling exposed fraud at SPAC 26 Capital Acquisition Corp. SPAC sponsor Jason Ader and consultant Alex Eiseman conspired in a secret deal benefiting the SPAC. Casino owner Universal Entertainment Corp. called off the merger. Ader and Eiseman deny wrongdoing. SEC has proposed rules for SPAC sponsors to avoid such conflicts.