Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE:BRK.A) – Berkshire Hathaway reduced its stake in Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL), selling 10 million shares, while holding over 905 million. It also increased its position in Chevron (NYSE:CVX), reduced it in HP (NYSE:HPQ), and Paramount Global (NASDAQ:PARA). The company kept investors guessing on what could be a major new investment by Warren Buffett.
Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA), Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL) – Nvidia briefly surpassed Alphabet on Wednesday to become the third most valuable U.S. company after Amazon. The high demand for AI chips boosted its market value to $1.825 trillion. Wall Street is eagerly awaiting the quarterly report next week. Nvidia shares are down 0.5% in Thursday’s pre-market.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (NYSE:TSM) – TSMC saw its market capitalization jump by about $42 billion on Wednesday, driven by investor bets on chip demand. This increase led the company to surpass Visa Inc. (NYSE:V), becoming the 12th most valuable globally. Enthusiasm was fueled by increased sales in January and optimistic growth outlooks, especially in the wake of OpenAI‘s ChatGPT release. TSMC anticipates a recovery in smartphone and computing demand, while analysts point to the growing need for cutting-edge chips. The company recently discussed AI chip supply challenges with Nvidia. TSMC shares are up 1.1% in Thursday’s pre-market.
Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) – Bridgewater Associates significantly increased its stake in Nvidia, raising it by 458% at the end of last year, while also expanding its exposure to other leading technology companies. The firm founded by Ray Dalio disclosed these changes in financial filings.
Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL) – Google will offer an automated version of ChromeOS for Windows devices, potentially reducing PC discards after Windows 10 support ends. ChromeOS Flex will maintain security updates, allowing users to extend their devices’ lifespan.
Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) – Microsoft stated that state hackers from Russia, China, and Iran are using OpenAI technology, backed by the company, to enhance their tactics. Microsoft revealed this usage, implementing a ban against these groups as concerns over AI abuses increase.
Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) – On Wednesday, Meta added Broadcom‘s CEO, Hock Tan, to its board of directors. Broadcom (NASDAQ:AVGO) is a key partner of Meta in its data center projects and chip development, crucial for fast data movement and processing for AI systems.
Nokia (NYSE:NOK) – Nokia launched “MX Workmate,” an AI tool for industrial workers, generating alerts about machine failures and suggesting production improvements. Using AI language models, it aims to help interpret complex data. Full implementation may take up to a year and a half, as testing and adjustments continue.
Sony Group (NYSE:SONY) and Honda Motor (NYSE:HMC) – A joint venture between Sony Group and Honda Motor will launch three electric vehicle models by the middle of this decade. An SUV will be released in 2027, followed by a compact in 2028 or later, after a sedan in 2025, aiming to compete with Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA).
Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) – Pfizer agreed to pay $93 million to settle antitrust charges from drug distributors. The settlement, still subject to judge approval, comes after a decade of litigation over allegations of conspiracy with Ranbaxy.
GSK (NYSE:GSK) – GSK completed the acquisition of Aiolos Bio, a biotech company focused on respiratory and inflammatory diseases. The initial payment was $1 billion, with up to an additional $400 million in success milestones.
Catalent (NYSE:CTLT) – Catalent cut its workforce by about 300 employees as part of its ongoing restructuring, incurring expenses of approximately $12 million. The company, which beat revenue estimates, recently accepted a purchase offer from Novo Nordisk (NYSE:NVO).
Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) – Morgan Stanley plans to cut hundreds of jobs in its wealth management unit, representing less than 1% of the staff. This move reflects the ongoing cost reduction efforts amid economic uncertainty.
Barclays (NYSE:BCS) – Barclays is considering a bid for Societe Generale to expand its wealth management division. SocGen started an auction for its Kleinwort Hambros unit, valued at up to £700 million, as part of its strategic overhaul. In other news, Barclays’ vice-president, Nazia Lawrence, is suing the British bank for approximately 230,000 pounds, claiming racial, religious, and sexual discrimination. Legal documents reveal her disappointment with the unequal treatment compared to white colleagues.
KKR and Company (NYSE:KKR) – KKR & Co agreed to acquire a stake in Cotiviti from Veritas Capital. Financial details were not disclosed, but the deal will strengthen KKR’s healthcare portfolio.
Doordash (NYSE:DASH) – George Soros‘ investment fund acquired new stakes in low-cost U.S. airlines, including JetBlue (NASDAQ:JBLU), Spirit Airlines (NYSE:SAVE), and Sun Country Airlines (NASDAQ:SNCY), while increasing its bets on Doordash (NYSE:DASH). It also sold stakes in Arm Holdings (NASDAQ:ARM) and Broadcom (NASDAQ:AVGO).
Shell (NYSE:SHEL) – Shell may drop out of the bidding for an offshore wind farm in Norway due to profitability doubts. Challenging conditions and market uncertainty raise concerns. The company is considering alternatives like floating wind turbines.
BHP Group (NYSE:BHP) – BHP, the world’s largest miner, expects losses of $5.7 billion due to the Samarco dam breach in Brazil and the restructuring of its nickel business in Australia. Its upcoming half-year results should reflect profit stability, driven by high iron ore prices.
Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT) – Biden plans to request fewer F-35 fighters in the next federal budget, affecting Lockheed Martin. About 70 aircraft are expected to be ordered for 2025, down from the 83 forecasted. Lockheed recorded 98 deliveries in 2023, compared to 141 in 2022. Shares are stable in Thursday’s pre-market after falling 2.4% on Wednesday.
Kroger (NYSE:KR), Albertsons (NYSE:ACI) – Colorado’s attorney general filed a lawsuit to block Kroger‘s $25 billion acquisition of Albertsons, claiming consumer harm. Kroger plans to divest stores to calm antitrust concerns. This lawsuit is the second challenging the merger.
Hershey (NYSE:HSY) – Chocolate manufacturers Hershey and Cadbury are planning price increases to offset record cocoa costs, facing a consumer demand drop due to inflation. Prices are rising, prompting manufacturers to launch new products to stimulate demand.
Earnings
Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:CSCO) – The stock values of technology companies declined by 5.6% in Thursday’s pre-market following the release of quarterly results. Cisco reported earnings of $0.87 per share on $12.79 billion in revenue, against the consensus estimates from LSEG of $0.84 per share in revenue of $12.71 billion. The net profit dropped to $2.63 billion, or 65 cents per share, from $2.77 billion, or 67 cents per share, in the same quarter of the previous year, while revenue fell 6% year over year. Additionally, Cisco unveiled a restructuring plan that would result in the elimination of 5% of jobs.
Applovin (NASDAQ:APP) – The technology company’s shares increased by more than 17% in pre-market trading after presenting impressive results for the fourth quarter and providing promising projections for the future. Applovin recorded a profit of 49 cents per share on revenue of $953 million. Analysts surveyed by LSEG had forecasted a profit per share of 35 cents with revenue of $928 million.
Twilio (NYSE:TWLO) – The value of the customer engagement company’s shares decreased by 11.4% in pre-market trading. For the current quarter, Twilio announced revenue projections that fell short of the financial market’s expectations, predicting a range between $1.025 billion and $1.035 billion. Analysts surveyed by LSEG were expecting revenues of $1.049 billion. Additionally, the number of active customers also fell short of StreetAccount’s estimates, totaling 305,000 instead of the expected 311,000.
Fastly (NYSE:FSLY) – Shares of the cloud services company fell about 24.8% in pre-market trading due to indicators of a slowdown in sales growth. Fastly‘s revenue in the fourth quarter totaled $138 million, below Wall Street’s expectations of $140 million as reported by LSEG. Furthermore, the company forecasted a slowdown in revenue for the current quarter.
JFrog (NASDAQ:FROG) – The software company’s shares rose 21.3% in pre-market trading after its fourth-quarter report revealed better-than-anticipated results. JFrog recorded an adjusted earnings per share of 19 cents on revenue of $97 million. Analysts surveyed by LSEG had estimated earnings per share of 12 cents with revenue of $93 million.
Informatica (NYSE:INFA) – The business technology company released fourth-quarter results that exceeded expectations. Informatica announced an adjusted profit of 32 cents per share on revenue of $445 million. Analysts surveyed by LSEG had predicted earnings of 30 cents per share on revenue of $432 million.
Equinix (NASDAQ:EQIX) – Equinix projected adjusted core earnings for the fiscal year 2024 between $4.09 billion and $4.17 billion, surpassing the expectations of $4.05 billion. The estimated revenue for the first quarter is between $2.13 billion and $2.15 billion, compared to estimates of $2.14 billion.
NerdWallet (NASDAQ:NRDS) – NerdWallet reported a loss of 3 cents per share in the fourth quarter, while analysts had anticipated a positive profit of 10 cents per share, as indicated by LSEG.
Occidental Petroleum (NYSE:OXY) – Occidental Petroleum exceeded estimates for fourth-quarter earnings, presenting its best quarterly result in three years and reducing expenses. OXY projected a marginal increase in oil and gas production to 1.25 million barrels per day (boepd) this year. The adjusted profit was $0.74 per share, surpassing the estimates of $0.71 per share.
Albermarle (NYSE:ALB) – The lithium manufacturer’s stock value decreased by 3.4% following the release of the quarterly report. Albermarle‘s net sales fell 10% in the fourth quarter compared to the previous year, and the company recorded a net loss due to a pre-tax charge and a tax valuation charge in China.
Tripadvisor (NASDAQ:TRIP) – In the last quarter, Tripadvisor announced an adjusted profit of 38 cents per share and revenue of $390 million. Analysts surveyed by LSEG had predicted earnings of 22 cents per share and revenue of $374 million.
Stellantis (NYSE:STLA) – Stellantis warned of a challenging year ahead after a 10% drop in operating profit in the second half of 2023, attributed to strikes and pressures in the global automotive market. The results exceeded expectations, but the outlook for 2024 is vague. Stellantis‘ adjusted operating profit fell to 10.2 billion euros. The margin dropped to 11.2%. Adjusted operating profit in North America fell 16% to 5.271 billion euros, with a margin of 13%.
Ventas (NYSE:VTR) – Ventas reported a 4.1% increase in its fourth-quarter FFO, reaching 76 cents per share. For 2024, the company forecasts a normalized FFO between $3.07 and $3.18 per share, below analysts’ estimates of $3.21 per share.
Coinbase Global (NASDAQ:COIN) – Coinbase Global shares rose 4.8% in pre-market trading ahead of the cryptocurrency trading platform’s fourth-quarter earnings scheduled for after market close. Analysts expect Coinbase to report earnings of 2 cents per share on revenue of $826 million.