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With elevated inflation and rising interest rates hurting consumer spending, those businesses have cut their ad budgets for fear of a lower return on their investment. Snapchat's daily active user base continued to grow consistently throughout this turbulent period, reaching an all-time high of 406 million in the recent third quarter of 2023 (ended Sept. 30). But it's also helping advertisers use AR ads; a business can now take a photo of a product and Snap's technology will render an AR-based version users can try on virtually with their smartphone camera.

While the Fed has cooled inflation significantly, a reminder that “higher for longer” still looms may speak to the case for active bond ETFs as a solution. Even Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s warning that markets had been “premature” thinking about rate cuts may have seemed more like signaling than an earnest message. See more: "T. Rowe Price’s Active ETF Suite Hits $2 Billion AUM" Whatever the signals sent by the Fed and tight economic news, investors may want cover in case cuts are delayed.

Despite its robust fundamentals and dominance in online transactions, its share price has stubbornly resisted the rising tide of the sector, trailing the XLK by a noteworthy 31.7% year-to-date. While cloud computing and software-as-a-service companies thrived on the increased digital adoption during the pandemic, PayPal faced headwinds from inflationary pressures and economic uncertainty. As Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS) analysts aptly noted, this potential for increased digital ad spending could propel PayPal's share price towards their optimistic target of $118, representing a substantial climb from current levels.

It has also been battling higher levels of "shrink" (that is, theft or loss of goods) this year, with the issue being so bad that Dollar Tree has contemplated not carrying certain items in its stores. And while earnings were down 21% this past quarter, the company could be in much better shape next year, particularly if inflation continues to cool and demand from low-income shoppers strengthens. By reaching a broader group of consumers, Dollar Tree may be in better shape to generate more growth as economic conditions improve.

This strategy is inherent in the American Century Diversified Municipal Bond ETF (TAXF), which seeks to provide consistent tax-free income by employing an active, research-driven process that draws from across the muni bond universe and adjusts exposure depending on prevailing market conditions. With regard to its low-cost appeal, TAXF features an expense ratio of 29 basis points. Fixed income investors have been feasting on higher yields as the Federal Reserve has been tightening monetary policy to try to temper inflation.

The upswing came after the U.S. Federal Reserve kept benchmark interest rates unchanged for the third consecutive time due to easing inflation. This company is expected to post quarterly earnings of $0.61 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of +35.6%. The New Gold Rush: How Lithium Batteries Will Make Millionaires As the electric vehicle revolution expands, investors have a chance to target huge gains.

With macroeconomic data indicating cooling inflation and the “soft landing” of the U.S. economy, market participants now don’t see any interest rate hike later this month. It’s credited with a “watershed medical breakthrough” and is developing a bustling pipeline of other projects that could make a world of difference for patients suffering from diseases involving the liver, lungs, and blood. It could rival or surpass other recent Stocks Set to Double like Boston Beer Company which shot up +143.0% in little more than 9 months and NVIDIA which boomed +175.9% in one year.

Thus, on a yearly basis, retail sales increased more than the CPI rate of 3.1%, a tell-tale sign that consumers have the wherewithal to spend banking on a strong labor market. The drop in gas station sales was offset by an uptick of 1.6% at bars and eateries, a 1.3% increase at sporting goods outlets, and a 1% gain at online retailers such as Amazon Inc. AMZN. The Federal Reserve’s less aggressive monetary policy, coupled with the offline and online deals, is expected to entice consumers to spend more on nonobligatory items and benefit retailers.

Offshore Norway, which published the new forecast based on a survey of its members, had previously predicted 2024 oil and gas investments would amount to 194.3 billion crowns. The rise was the result of new developments, increased scope of ongoing projects as well as inflation and a weak currency, the group said. Significant oil and gas companies in Norway include Equinor EQNR.OL, Aker BP AKRBP.OL, Vaar VAR.OL, Conocophillips COP.N and Shell SHEL.L.

With macroeconomic data indicating cooling inflation and the “soft landing” of the U.S. economy, market participants now don’t see any interest rate hike later this month. It’s credited with a “watershed medical breakthrough” and is developing a bustling pipeline of other projects that could make a world of difference for patients suffering from diseases involving the liver, lungs, and blood. It could rival or surpass other recent Stocks Set to Double like Boston Beer Company which shot up +143.0% in little more than 9 months and NVIDIA which boomed +175.9% in one year.

Starting with investment banking (IB), both global M&A activity and initial public offerings (IPOs) have declined since last year following the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the Federal Reserve's ultra-aggressive rate hikes to control “sticky” inflation. Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan noted “The M&A deals are coming a little faster.” The company will outperform the industry on IB fees in the quarter. While global M&A activities are gaining traction, high rates for longer periods and a tougher regulatory environment are expected to make a fast rebound challenging.

* SPDR Gold TrustGLD, the world's largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund, said its holdings fell 0.23% to 878.54 tons on Monday from 880.55 tons on Friday. Dec 12 (Reuters) - Gold prices edged higher on Tuesday after hitting a three-week low in the last session, as the dollar eased, while investors awaited key U.S. inflation data and major central bank policy meetings for interest rate clues. * The Federal Open Market Committee's two-day monetary policy meeting will end on Wednesday with its interest rate decision and the release of its summary economic projections.

CVIE’s largest country exposure is Japan and the fund also includes a significant combined allocation to various Eurozone economies – both of which are meaningful traits ahead of 2024. “When the hawks turn dovish, and as inflation falls to within touching distance, it is reasonable to assume that the ECB will start to cut rates,” noted deVere Group CEO Nigel Green. On average, its profitability has been consistently higher than the MSCI ACWI ex USA Value Index, and it has tended to incur less of the market’s risk,” notes Morningstar analyst Daniel Sotiroff.

Weak economic data and inflation slowing down over the last few weeks have raised hope among investors that the Fed might have finally concluded its rate-hike cycle. The Fed’s favorite inflation metric, PCE, also showed signs of slowing down last week, and third-quarter GDP was revised upward to lift investor mood. It’s credited with a “watershed medical breakthrough” and is developing a bustling pipeline of other projects that could make a world of difference for patients suffering from diseases involving the liver, lungs, and blood.

Dec 11 (Reuters) - Futures tied to Canada's resources-heavy main stock index fell on Monday, tracking a decline in commodity prices, while investors await a raft of economic data and decisions from major central banks during the week. More inflation data out of the United States, including November consumer prices, would be on the watchlist ahead of the Fed's rate decision. Among individual stocks to look out for, TD Securities downgraded Orla Mining OLA.TO to "hold" from "buy".

Firstly, the Federal Reserve's decision to hike interest rates to combat inflation resulted in higher borrowing costs for solar companies. For example, Morgan Stanley analysts have taken a positive stance by upgrading First Solar FSLR to an "Overweight" rating and increasing its price target. They believe that First Solar offers an attractive risk-reward profile, mainly due to its solid backlog and position in the thin-film module manufacturing sector, as quoted on Yahoo Finance.

Factors to Note Favorable net price realization and consumer demand have been offering respite to Campbell Soup amid cost inflation and volume declines. It’s credited with a “watershed medical breakthrough” and is developing a bustling pipeline of other projects that could make a world of difference for patients suffering from diseases involving the liver, lungs, and blood. It could rival or surpass other recent Stocks Set to Double like Boston Beer Company which shot up +143.0% in little more than 9 months and NVIDIA which boomed +175.9% in one year.

The S&P 500 is up 19.4% for the year, while the Nasdaq Composite has jumped by 36.3%, partially driven by excitement over new artificial intelligence (AI) technologies and a reversal of a sharp sell-off in tech stocks in 2022. Most prognosticators now expect the Federal Reserve to begin lowering interest rates next year, which should offer some support to growth stocks that had been hard hit by the Fed's campaign to rein in inflation. Real estate stocks, in general, have been hit hard by the Fed's interest-rate hikes, which caused mortgage rates to soar, cooling down the housing market.

We've seen macro headwinds, like higher interest rates and inflation, as well as stiff competition, lead Tesla to implement numerous price cuts for its vehicles this year. High expectations Whether autonomy happens or not, it's still easy to believe that Tesla will post strong revenue and earnings growth, even if these numbers rise at a slower clip than in the past. If Tesla is successful at finally introducing its full self-driving capabilities to market, an innovative breakthrough that has been delayed multiple times, then the optionality and upside potential is truly massive.

Positive economic data, moderating inflation levels and the European Central Bank (ECB) finally adopting a dovish stance paint a rosy picture for investments in the EU. Ankit Gheedia, head ofhead of equity strategy at BNP Paribas, as quoted on CNBC, had the same belief as Maximilian Uleer, forecasting Europe securities to surpass U.S. performance the next year. The European Central Bank countered expectations of imminent interest rate cuts by focusing on fears of price pressures remaining strong.

With several macroeconomic data pointing toward cooling inflation and the “soft landing” of the U.S. economy, market participants now see relatively very low chance of a hike in interest rates this month. It’s credited with a “watershed medical breakthrough” and is developing a bustling pipeline of other projects that could make a world of difference for patients suffering from diseases involving the liver, lungs, and blood. It could rival or surpass other recent Stocks Set to Double like Boston Beer Company which shot up +143.0% in little more than 9 months and NVIDIA which boomed +175.9% in one year.

Weak economic data and inflation slowing down over the last few weeks have raised hope among investors that the Fed might have finally concluded its rate-hike cycle. The Fed’s favorite inflation metric, PCE, also showed signs of slowing down last week, and third-quarter GDP was revised upward to lift investor mood. It’s credited with a “watershed medical breakthrough” and is developing a bustling pipeline of other projects that could make a world of difference for patients suffering from diseases involving the liver, lungs, and blood.

By Mohd Edrees Dec 22 (Reuters) - Dubai stocks closed higher on Friday ahead of U.S. inflation data that is expected to validate bets on rate cuts in 2024, while Abu Dhabi shares fell. Oil prices - a key catalyst to the Gulf's financial markets - rose on Friday as persistent tensions in the Red Sea deepened energy supply concerns. Among the winner, real estate developer Union Properties UPRO.DU rose 1.8% after the firm's board approved a deal with a national bank to settle company and its subsidiaries' debt.

But stocks have gained strength in recent times, thanks to the likelihood of a pause in interest rate hikes by the Federal Reserve amid inflation showing signs of cooling down, while the U.S. economy remains buoyant. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. It’s credited with a “watershed medical breakthrough” and is developing a bustling pipeline of other projects that could make a world of difference for patients suffering from diseases involving the liver, lungs, and blood.

Investors have been thrilled to see signs of slowing inflation and strong economic growth, and are responding to the good news by pushing the index higher. Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO) shares are down 8%, in fact, making the beverage giant the sixth worst-performing stock out of the 30-member index. Profitability ticked up to 30% of sales last quarter, thanks to the combination of higher selling prices, rising volume, and cost cuts.

If inflation and recession fears made the lives of Americans more difficult, you wouldn’t have known based on the results of companies like Visa. Having worked in several industries from e-commerce to translation to education and utilizing his MBA from George Washington University, he brings a diverse set of skills through which he filters his writing. The #1 AI Investment Might Be This Company You’ve Never Heard Of The Rich Use This Income Secret (NOT Dividends) Far More Than Regular Investors The post The 7 Best Dow Stocks to Buy as America’s GDP Growth Soars appeared first on InvestorPlace.

Shares of software observability star Datadog (NASDAQ: DDOG) soared 43.1% in November, according to data from S&P Global Market Intelligence. In addition, a couple of lower-than-expected inflation reports helped bring interest rates down, aiding the fortunes of a high-growth technology stocks. As a reminder, last quarter, we discussed a cohort of customers who began optimizing about a year ago, and we said that they appeared to stabilize their usage growth at the end of Q2.

Last week, Bloomberg reported that social media company Reddit was holding talks with potential investors for an initial public offering (IPO) next year. However, things changed when the Federal Reserve announced it would raise interest rates to fight off inflationary pressures, resulting in volatile stock markets that had many IPO candidates retreating to the sidelines. Inflationary pressures have retreated from their high in 2022, and many are optimistic that the Fed can achieve a "soft landing" or bring down inflation without inducing a recession.

Roku's rambunctious revenue growth slowed during the inflation crisis because advertisers preferred to conserve their cash until people were ready to spend money again. Leaning on a robust balance sheet with $2 billion of cash equivalents and zero long-term debt, Roku took some calculated risks to grow its user base during a period of economic instability. This stock gives you the best of both worlds -- a top-notch dividend policy with a rare monthly payout philosophy, plus high-octane revenue growth even in a challenging economy.

With inflation moderating, the U.S. economy rocking along, and the Federal Reserve predicting interest rate cuts on the way, the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust could be poised for another year of delivering solid gains. This ETF attempts to track the performance of the MSCI EAFE index that includes large-cap, mid-cap, and small-cap stocks in Europe, Australia, Asia, and the Far East. Charles Schwab analysts recently wrote, "Stocks with low price-to-cash flow ratios -- more heavily represented in the MSCI EAFE Index -- may continue to outperform in 2024."

To that point, a more dovish Fed is starting to allude to the notion that inflation will be easier on consumers going forward and a few Zacks Retail and Wholesale sector stocks are standing out. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research Bottom Line Rising earnings estimates are a reminder that the impressive price performances of these retail stocks should continue as 2024 approaches. The expansive growth of Casey’s General Stores, Deckers Outdoor, and PDD Holdings continues to support this as well making them strong investment options for 2023 and beyond.

Axcelis Technologies (NASDAQ:ACLS) – Axcelis manufactures dry strips, ion implantation, and other processing equipment used in the fabrication of semiconductor chips. ACLS stock’s average price target implies a consensus upside of 29.8%. The prospects for the technology sector are shaping well as the economy enters 2024 with cooling inflation, forecasts of several interest rate cuts, and improved consumer spending.

O/R Meanwhile, U.S. consumer prices unexpectedly rose in November asinflation pushed higher, offering evidence that the Federal Reserve was unlikely to pivot to interest rate cuts early next year. While the last mile of progress towards 2% may still take some time and see bumps along the way, it seems clear that price pressures are abating," said Madison Faller, global investment strategist at J.P. Morgan Private Bank. Cogeco CommunicationsCCA.TO fell 4.6% after Rogers Communications RCIb.TO sold its stake in the company to Canada's second-largest pension fund Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec.

Newell Brands NWL has been well-placed to improve its performance with actions like restructuring efforts, accelerating productivity and efficiency, stringent cost-cutting plans, and leveraging e-commerce capabilities. Headwinds in the Path The ongoing challenges from the macroeconomic environment and elevated levels of core inflation, which have led to muted demand for discretionary and durable products, cannot be ignored. Inter Parfums, engaged in the manufacturing, distribution and marketing of a wide range of fragrances and related products, has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 45.7%, on average.

The S&P 500 hit a new high for the year lately after the November jobs report and University of Michigan consumer survey data indicated a resilient economy and cooling inflation, triggering bets on a so-called soft-landing scenario. Decent U.S. GDP growth, a less-hawkish Fed, upbeat holiday season sales, cheaper valuation and potential M&A activities should drive small-cap stocks higher in 2024. This means that equities can be converted to cash quickly.In fact, trading in higher average daily volumes keeps the bid/ask spread tight and does not lead to extra cost for investors.

“But high inflation and interest rates are making vehicle purchases difficult for everyday people, meaning it’s hard for EV makers to win their business. So, to answer the second question, the BYD announcement should be beneficial to helping reignite AWS’ revenue growth back into the mid-to-high 20% range. The #1 AI Investment Might Be This Company You’ve Never Heard Of The Rich Use This Income Secret (NOT Dividends) Far More Than Regular Investors The post AMZN Stock Forecast: How AWS-BYD Partnership Could Fuel Amazon’s Growth appeared first on InvestorPlace.

And with the Dow poised to continue its winning streak in the near term, it makes all the sense to invest in sturdy blue-chip players like Intel INTC, 3M MMM and NIKE NKE as of now. In 2022, the 30-stock benchmark tanked 8.8%, its biggest yearly drop since 2008, as the Fed embarked on its aggressive monetary policy to curb stubbornly high inflation. NKE has a Zacks Rank #2.

While the Fed has cooled inflation significantly, a reminder that “higher for longer” still looms may speak to the case for active bond ETFs as a solution. Even Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s warning that markets had been “premature” thinking about rate cuts may have seemed more like signaling than an earnest message. See more: "T. Rowe Price’s Active ETF Suite Hits $2 Billion AUM" Whatever the signals sent by the Fed and tight economic news, investors may want cover in case cuts are delayed.

The company has seen growth slow over the last year amid macroeconomic issues, like inflation hurting consumer spending, but the stock's low valuation is too cheap to pass up. Investors are concerned about the outlook for eating out if the economy falls into a recession, not to mention the potential for competition to slow Toast's momentum in winning new customers. Chewy should see faster growth in net income over the long term as it continues to expand geographically and leverage its fixed costs on distribution centers.

This mainly reflects the downtrend in volumes, which is bearing the brunt of a demand decline, as customer spending remains muted amid inflationary pressures and high-interest rates. Demand in North America has weakened owing to muted domestic spending amid inflationary pressures and higher interest rates. Despite the odds, Crown Holdings’ focus on cost-rationalization measures, improving operational execution and capital discipline will help it sail through this uncertainty.

The Federal Reserve left interest rates unchanged in its current range of 5.25-5.50% for the third straight time as inflation has continued to show signs of a steady decline over the past year after reaching a 40-year high. Beginning first-quarter 2023, CMCSA changed its presentation of segment operating results around its two primary businesses, Connectivity & Platforms and Content & Experiences. SKX has distribution networks and joint venture partners in Asia and the Middle East, and wholly-owned subsidiaries in Canada, Japan, throughout Europe and Latin America.

The Federal Reserve left interest rates unchanged in its current range of 5.25-5.50% for the third straight time as inflation has continued to show signs of a steady decline over the past year after reaching a 40-year high. Beginning first-quarter 2023, CMCSA changed its presentation of segment operating results around its two primary businesses, Connectivity & Platforms and Content & Experiences. SKX has distribution networks and joint venture partners in Asia and the Middle East, and wholly-owned subsidiaries in Canada, Japan, throughout Europe and Latin America.

Along with the healthy operating fundamentals of the Sunbelt markets and a robust development pipeline, the prospects of its redevelopment program and progress in technology measures are likely to drive margin expansion. As of Sep 30, 2023, MAA had a strong balance sheet with $1.4 billion in combined cash and capacity available under its unsecured revolving credit facility and a historically low Net Debt/Adjusted EBITDAre ratio of 3.4. Although the company’s robust development and redevelopment pipeline is encouraging for long-term growth, supply-chain constraints and inflationary pressure could lead to cost overruns and lease-up concerns.

Before we dive into how investors and analysts have reacted as of late, let's take a quick look at the most recent earnings report in order to get a better handle on the important drivers. The reported figure decreased by 18.5% from the year-ago quarter owing to lower net sales, partially offset by share repurchases. A commodity price deflation of 9.1% of net sales and a decline of 1.6% due to one fewer selling day were partially offset by contributions from acquisitions of 2.9%.

Indeed, with interest rates and inflation both falling sharply, while the economy is continuing to grow significantly, Wood’s growth names should perform well in the current environment. Last quarter, PACB’s sales jumped 72% versus the same period a year earlier to $55.7 million, as it sold an impressive total of 52 Revio systems. The #1 AI Investment Might Be This Company You’ve Never Heard Of The Rich Use This Income Secret (NOT Dividends) Far More Than Regular Investors The post The 3 Best Cathie Wood Stocks to Buy in December appeared first on InvestorPlace.

Cooling inflation data and strong Salesforce earnings, coupled with the optimism that the Fed is done with rate hikes, drove the index. Currently, DIA has a Zacks ETF Rank #1 (Strong Buy), with a Medium risk outlook, suggesting that the outperformance could continue in the months ahead. With unrelenting demand, soaring 2022 earnings estimates, and $1.5 billion for repurchasing shares, retail investors could jump in at any time.

The company has seen growth slow over the last year amid macroeconomic issues, like inflation hurting consumer spending, but the stock's low valuation is too cheap to pass up. Investors are concerned about the outlook for eating out if the economy falls into a recession, not to mention the potential for competition to slow Toast's momentum in winning new customers. Chewy should see faster growth in net income over the long term as it continues to expand geographically and leverage its fixed costs on distribution centers.

With macroeconomic data indicating cooling inflation and the “soft landing” of the U.S. economy, market participants now don’t see any interest rate hike later this month. It’s credited with a “watershed medical breakthrough” and is developing a bustling pipeline of other projects that could make a world of difference for patients suffering from diseases involving the liver, lungs, and blood. It could rival or surpass other recent Stocks Set to Double like Boston Beer Company which shot up +143.0% in little more than 9 months and NVIDIA which boomed +175.9% in one year.

Dec 12 (Reuters) - Futures tied to Canada's resources-heavy main stock index were marginally higher on Tuesday, tracking a rise in metal prices, while investors awaited the latest U.S. inflation data to gauge the Federal Reserve's interest rate trajectory. ET, which comes a day before the U.S. central bank is set to announce its decision on monetary policy, with consensus tiled towards the Fed keeps its rate steady. Among individual stocks to look out for, brokerage RBC upgraded Canada's largest insurer Manulife Financial MFC.TO to "outperform" from "sector perform".

By Shristi Achar A and Johann M Cherian Dec 12 (Reuters) - Wall Street's main indexes slipped on Tuesday following inflation data that was in line with estimates ahead of the U.S. Federal Reserve's policy decision later in the week, while losses in energy stocks also weighed. Among megacap stocks, Google-parent Alphabet GOOGL.O lost 1.1%, after "Fortnite" maker Epic Games prevailed in its high-profile antitrust trial over the company. Amgen AMGN.O rose 0.8%, limiting losses on the blue-chip Dow, after RBC Capital Markets upgraded the drugmaker's shares to "outperform" from "sector perform".

"We have entered back into what we call a Goldilocks scenario, a situation of rising earnings and falling inflation," said Steve Chappell, global head of trading systems development for VectorVest. Meanwhile, Micron TechnologyMU.O forecast quarterly revenue above market estimates, and its shares jumped 7.2% on signs of a memory chip recovery in 2024 after one of the most significant downturns in years. U.S. electric vehicle makers like Tesla TSLA.O and Lucid Group <LCID.O> rose 2.0% and 2.8%, respectively, after a report said the United States was considering tariff hikes on Chinese EV manufacturers.

The market’s recent breadth expansion is bullish as sectors like financials, health care, and industrials rally strongly from oversold levels. Core CPI, which strips out the more volatile food and energy components, rose at a 4% annual pace, matching the increase in October. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research Another established homebuilder that has widely outperformed this year is Toll Brothers TOL.

CVIE’s largest country exposure is Japan and the fund also includes a significant combined allocation to various Eurozone economies – both of which are meaningful traits ahead of 2024. “When the hawks turn dovish, and as inflation falls to within touching distance, it is reasonable to assume that the ECB will start to cut rates,” noted deVere Group CEO Nigel Green. On average, its profitability has been consistently higher than the MSCI ACWI ex USA Value Index, and it has tended to incur less of the market’s risk,” notes Morningstar analyst Daniel Sotiroff.

Dec 5 (Reuters) - Automotive parts retailer AutoZone AZO.N on Tuesday posted a better-than-expected 10% rise in quarterly profit as demand for its Do-It-Yourself (DIY) kits benefited from more people maintaining their existing vehicles instead of buying new ones. The new-car market is on a nascent recovery path after months of supply chain issues and lackluster consumer spending prompted by high interest rates and inflation. "The record-high average U.S. vehicle age (now 12.5 years) should continue to act as a strong growth tailwind (for AutoZone)," CFRA analyst Garrett Nelson said on Monday.

This stock rally is showing real strength, and the Street is now taking seriously the possibility of a ‘soft landing’ case, with inflation falling to the Fed’s target rate of 2% in the coming year. We view the current stock valuation as an attractive entry-point given Arrowhead’s progress in developing pulmonary-based RNAi therapies, establishing a potential first-mover advantage in large markets. Analyst Neel Mitra covers OKE stock for Bank of America, and in his view, the Magellan transaction and the new assets it brings to Oneok’s network are the key points that should interest investors.

The perceived safety of these investments, their size, competitive advantages and the potential of emerging technologies like artificial intelligence have been the key factors driving their performances. The Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, in the latest meeting, hinted at a major policy shift as inflation is easing and the economy is holding up better. Due to their compounding effect, investors can enjoy higher returns in a short period, provided the trend remains a friend.

Tighter financial and credit conditions for households and businesses are likely to weigh on economic activity, hiring, and inflation.” Hence, banks are likely to continue facing a tough operating backdrop in the next couple of quarters. Concerns related to rising deposit costs and weakening credit quality (largely in commercial real estate) hurt banks’ financials. The New Gold Rush: How Lithium Batteries Will Make Millionaires As the electric vehicle revolution expands, investors have a chance to target huge gains.

Here are highlights from Friday’s Analyst Blog: Recession Fears Fade on Dwindling Inflation: 5 Top Picks The Fed’s much-hyped soft landing of the U.S. economy seems to be a reality now. PLTR provides Palantir Gotham, a software platform that enables users to identify patterns hidden deep within datasets, ranging from signals intelligence sources to reports from confidential informants. It’s credited with a “watershed medical breakthrough” and is developing a bustling pipeline of other projects that could make a world of difference for patients suffering from diseases involving the liver, lungs, and blood.

Elevated inflation increases the odds of stocks and bonds moving in correlation, according to Andrew Beer, co-founder and managing member of DBi and co-PM of the iMGP DBi Managed Futures Strategy ETF (DBMF). The iMGP DBi Managed Futures Strategy ETF (DBMF) is actively managed and uses long and short positions within futures contracts primarily, as well as forward contracts. By offering the hedge fund strategy in an ETF wrapper, DBMF can generate “fee alpha” through significant savings in fees compared to a 2/20 hedge fund fee structure.

Tandem Diabetes Care, Inc. TNDM is well-poised for growth in the coming quarters due to its series of innovative product offerings, which continue to generate remarkable enthusiasm. Moreover, the t:slim X2 with Control-IQ technology continues to stand out as the number-one rated automated insulin delivery system, as evidenced by third-party research and the company’s internal customer satisfaction surveys. The resulting effects of these macroeconomic factors, along with high inflation, have led to the disruption of the company’s relationship with suppliers, third-party manufacturers, healthcare providers, distributors and overall customers.

Investors Remain Upbeat Despite Hawkish Fed Officials Wall Street continues to ride on the rate-cut rally that has seen it close out seven consecutive winning weeks. Market participants remain hopeful that there will be multiple rate cuts in 2024 starting in March, even as they keep a cautious watch on crucial data coming in this week. It's about how long do we need monetary policy to remain restrictive in order to be assured that inflation is on that sustainable and timely path back to 2%," Mester told the FT in an interview.

Shares of software observability star Datadog (NASDAQ: DDOG) soared 43.1% in November, according to data from S&P Global Market Intelligence. In addition, a couple of lower-than-expected inflation reports helped bring interest rates down, aiding the fortunes of a high-growth technology stocks. As a reminder, last quarter, we discussed a cohort of customers who began optimizing about a year ago, and we said that they appeared to stabilize their usage growth at the end of Q2.

With elevated inflation and rising interest rates hurting consumer spending, those businesses have cut their ad budgets for fear of a lower return on their investment. Snapchat's daily active user base continued to grow consistently throughout this turbulent period, reaching an all-time high of 406 million in the recent third quarter of 2023 (ended Sept. 30). But it's also helping advertisers use AR ads; a business can now take a photo of a product and Snap's technology will render an AR-based version users can try on virtually with their smartphone camera.

On Friday, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said "the risks of under- and over-tightening are becoming more balanced," but the U.S. central bank is not thinking about lowering rates right now. Additionally, the U.S. inflation data on Dec. 1 revealed indications of declining demand in the world's biggest economy, adding credence to the belief that the Fed's campaign of interest rate hikes was coming to an end. Heavyweight miners .AXMM added to the gains by rising 2.2%, their highest level since Aug. 4, with sector major BHP Group BHP.AX up 2.2%, while Rio Tinto RIO.AX advanced 1.9%.

Rosenbluth: I ticker dropped IBUY and ONLN earlier but there's also the Global X E-commerce ETF (EBIZ). Todd Rosenbluth, VettaFi Head of Research: I'm going to defer to Roxanna Islam and Jane Edmondson, who have both covered consumer and online trends in recent days/weeks with great content. Consumers have been facing a lot of economic headwinds like inflation, high interest rates, student loan repayments, dwindling savings, and slower job and wage growth — and yet they’ve continued to spend.

Inflation is a recurring event, avian flu is just part of the business environment, a struggling product category is nothing new, and a difficult geographic market is a normal variance. With a historically high 3.5% dividend yield, Hormel continues to look attractive if you can sit tight while management muddles through the long list of fairly normal headwinds. Most notably, higher interest rates increase the cost of capital, which puts pressure on the returns the company earns on its property investments.

Bond Index slumped 13%, send broad fixed income strategies and exchange traded funds to some of their worst annual performances on record. Owing to the higher quality profile of these bonds relative to those born in junk territory, fallen angels often outperform traditional high-yield corporate debt and do so with less volatility. “Despite inflation being more elevated than the previous decade, yields – both real and nominal – on higher quality bonds now stand at their highest levels in 15 years.

By Shivangi Lahiri Dec 12 (Reuters) - Australian shares ended higher on Tuesday, led by gains in domestic financial stocks, as investors awaited crucial economic data scheduled for later in the week. Investor sentiment remained capped as traders looked forward to U.S. inflation data due later in the day, seeking insights into the trajectory of future rate hikes. Local energy stocks .AXEJ pared earlier losses to close up 0.2%, tracking rising oil prices ahead of interest rate decisions.

The company posted repeated sales declines in its gaming segment throughout the year as spikes in inflation caused shoppers to pull back on console and PC component purchases. The company's meteoric stock rise in the first half of the year made it significantly overvalued compared to its earnings, with investors seemingly unwilling to buy until it can match its current valuation. Multiple impressive quarters of growth brought back some value in Nvidia's stock, but it remains more expensive than alternative ways to invest in AI and tech in general.

The prospects for the technology sector are shaping well as the economy enters 2024 with cooling inflation, forecasts of several interest rate cuts, and improved consumer spending. To top this, the ongoing artificial intelligence (AI) race continues to push tech firms to innovate new products, which appears to be promising for the expansion of the industry. Also, it has a Smart Score of “Perfect 10.” Smartsheet (NYSE:SMAR) – The company designs and develops a cloud-based platform for work management.

The Federal Reserve left interest rates unchanged in its current range of 5.25-5.50% for the third straight time as inflation has continued to show signs of a steady decline over the past year after reaching a 40-year high. Beginning first-quarter 2023, CMCSA changed its presentation of segment operating results around its two primary businesses, Connectivity & Platforms and Content & Experiences. SKX has distribution networks and joint venture partners in Asia and the Middle East, and wholly-owned subsidiaries in Canada, Japan, throughout Europe and Latin America.

Vail Resorts, Inc. MTN reported dismal first-quarter fiscal 2024 results, with earnings and revenues missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate. The company’s performance was impacted by cost inflation, lower demand for summer mountain travel and weather-related challenges. The upside was primarily driven by positive weather conditions in the Grand Teton region and increases in owned hotel room revenues and ancillary product sales.

By Roshan Thomas Dec 19 (Reuters) - Australian shares settled higher on Tuesday, driven by gains in commodity stocks, as investor appetite for risk improved after the country's central bank noted signs of easing inflation. The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 .AXJO rose 0.8% to 7,489.1, its highest close since Feb. 9, also tracking a Wall Street rally as traders awaited a slew of U.S. data, including the November core personal consumption expenditure index report on Friday. Energy stocks .AXEJ rose 1%, as oil prices extended gains with Red Sea attacks disrupting global supply chains.

Both the indexes briefly pared their gains after the ECB pushed back against bets on imminent cuts to interest rates by reaffirming borrowing costs would remain at record highs despite lower inflation expectations. "Market's still reacting to a surprising dovish shift from the Fed, while the ECB was relatively hawkish due to lack of indication of even considering cuts," said Patrick Armstrong, chief investment officer at Plurimi Wealth. "The Fed has overtaken the ECB to be the markets' favourite for which major central bank will cut first," said Stuart Cole, chief macro economist at Equiti Capital.

Sticky inflation and high borrowing costs have forced firms to cut back on expenditure, hurting companies like Oracle that depend on enterprise spending. Some better-ranked stocks from the broader technology sector are CrowdStrike CRWD, GoDaddy GDDY and Logitech International LOGI, each carrying a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) at present. GDDY's earnings beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in two of the trailing four quarters, missed the same on one occasion and matched in the remaining one, the average negative surprise being 0.6%.

Nevertheless, it was a tough year for solar stocks in 2023, as a strapped U.S. consumer grappled with inflation, and higher interest rates created a tougher lending environment for growth-fueled companies. With this in mind, First Solar (FSLR) is one top-rated name in the clean energy group that remains well-positioned to benefit from an improving macro environment going into the year ahead. As a result, the CME FedWatch tool is currently pricing in about 97% odds that the Fed's benchmark rate will be at least 25 basis points lower by the time the June 2024 meeting wraps up.

The market’s recent breadth expansion is bullish as sectors like financials, health care, and industrials rally strongly from oversold levels. Core CPI, which strips out the more volatile food and energy components, rose at a 4% annual pace, matching the increase in October. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research Another established homebuilder that has widely outperformed this year is Toll Brothers TOL.

Heightened geopolitical risk, a still aggressively postured Fed, and slowly moderating inflation keep investors and markets on edge in the last month of 2023. Meanwhile, Vanguard’s Roger Aliaga-Diaz, global head of portfolio construction, recently told Reuters that its anticipating a mild recession next year. This can offer noteworthy tax advantages, and the fund’s managers also may engage in tax-loss harvesting opportunities throughout the year on the put options.

The S&P 500 hit a new high for the year last week after the November jobs report and University of Michigan consumer survey data indicated a resilient economy and cooling inflation, triggering bets on a so-called soft-landing scenario. The unemployment rate in the United States declined to 3.7% in November 2023 from 3.9% in the previous month, marking the lowest level since July and firmly under market expectations that it would remain unchanged at 3.9%. This growth was driven by increasing legalization and public acceptance, marking a shift from a temporary surge to a stable, long-term market segment.

And when we analyze the state of the economy with a sustained deceleration in inflation, better-than-expected corporate earnings, and a resilient U.S. consumer, there’s plenty of reasons to suspect that the momentum can continue. A buoyant U.S. consumer along with a bullish artificial intelligence theme have helped push tech stocks like AAPL back near previous highs. Discover 5 special companies that look to gain the most from construction and repair to roads, bridges, and buildings, plus cargo hauling and energy transformation on an almost unimaginable scale.

Alongside, retail gasoline prices in the United States have slumped to their lowest since January, indicating a notable shift just before the holiday season's surge in shopping and travel, as quoted on CNBC. This price drop could boost the demand and profitability of the transportation sector, especially ahead of the holiday season which sees considerable leisure travel. A slide in oil prices and moderate rebound in economic activity should work wonders for gold miners’ operating margins.

Shares in copper miner Freeport-McMoRan (NYSE: FCX) rose 10.5% in November, according to data provided by S&P Global Market Intelligence. While that might not seem a significant move, management outlines that a $0.10 change in the price of copper impacts $425 million in its earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) in 2024/2025. As such, the decline in market interest rates over the last month (following some better news on the inflation front) has encouraged investors to raise expectations for economic growth.

Buoyed by steadily deceasing inflation and a simultaneous reduction in the magnitude and number of interest rate hike by the Fed, the technology sector has witnessed an astonishing rally in 2023. According to CME’s FedWatch tool, traders are currently associating nearly 100% probability that the central bank will keep the benchmark lending rate unchanged at the range of 5.25-5.5% in the December FOMC meeting. The datacenter end-market business is likely to benefit from the growing demand for generative AI and large language models using GPUs based on NVIDIA Hopper and Ampere architectures.

As Timothy Ramsey of Goldman Sachs Asset Management noted, "stocks may exhibit more volatility going forward as investors grapple with multiple headwinds, including stickier inflation, supply chain realignment, geopolitical tension, deglobalization and energy insecurity." "Global markets will experience greater volatility in 2024 as the Federal Reserve cuts benchmark interest rates fewer times than many investors are pricing in, strategists at the BlackRock Investment Institute said at a panel discussion on Tuesday (Dec. 5)," Reuters reported. One way to combat the angst caused by market uncertainty is to employ alternative strategies that can help mute volatility.

Investing in stocks across multiple sectors will help generate passive income while also enjoying capital gains. Yes, its delivery numbers are dropping, and it had to resort to price cuts during high inflationary periods but the company remains in the best position. On the date of publication, Vandita Jadeja did not hold (either directly or indirectly) any positions in the securities mentioned in this article.

With the benefit of a lower valuation, Enphase was able to regain some ground in November as inflation came down, and as its CEO purchased a significant number of shares on the open market. Enphase also posted an earnings miss and even worse-than-feared guidance at the end of October, as distributors looked to de-stock their inventory on weak demand. On the other hand, it's possible Enphase will never garner a low multiple, at least anytime soon, as it's a technology and profit leader in an industry thought to have strong long-term growth prospects -- that being residential solar.

Notably, the core Personal Consumption Expenditures Index, the Fed's preferred inflation measure, showed a reading of 3.5% for October, down from 3.7% in September and 4.3% in June. But the space has staged a rebound lately and is getting a lift from M&A activities.Novel drug launches, low rates, cheaper valuations and easy access to funds should buoy the zone in 2024. Moreover, utilities are generally seen as stable, income-generating investments, making them attractive in a low-rate environment (read: Forget Retail, Buy These 3 Sector ETFs This Holiday Season).

As investors evaluate and recalibrate to get ready for the stock market in 2024, the question on everyone's mind is: Buy now, or wait? The S&P 500 has been flirting with entering a bull market, but with persistent inflation, the corresponding high interest rates, and the subsequent retail crunch, investors haven't been enthusiastic enough about the potential in the new year to push it through. ^SPX data by YCharts One thing to notice is that despite several falls, notably the 2020 crash, the S&P 500 keeps getting back up and rising again.

And over the past year, Coke has achieved strong bottom-line growth thanks to price increases, proving its brand's power and ability to combat inflation. And although its P/E ratio is high right now, it has made meaningful cost cuts and price increases that set the stage for strong bottom-line results once Clorox has fully recovered from the cyberattack. Companies you can count on in 2024 Coke, Clorox, and Target are three stocks ideally suited for investors whose financial goals include generating a steady stream of passive income.

Known for its diversified business portfolio, the company has effectively navigated market fluctuations with aplomb, underpinned by superior sales growth and an expanding product line. Despite the impact of inflation and other macroeconomic headwinds, consumers have preferred affordable, fast food options, which has positioned Restaurant Brands incredibly well to capitalize on this trend. In pivoting from traditional cigarettes to innovative alternatives such as heated tobacco and nicotine pouches, the sin stock is looking to fortify its portfolio effectively.

Offshore Norway, which published the new forecast based on a survey of its members, had previously predicted 2024 oil and gas investments would amount to 194.3 billion crowns. The rise was the result of new developments, increased scope of ongoing projects as well as inflation and a weak currency, the group said. Significant oil and gas companies in Norway include Equinor EQNR.OL, Aker BP AKRBP.OL, Vaar VAR.OL, Conocophillips COP.N and Shell SHEL.L.

If inflation and recession fears made the lives of Americans more difficult, you wouldn’t have known based on the results of companies like Visa. Having worked in several industries from e-commerce to translation to education and utilizing his MBA from George Washington University, he brings a diverse set of skills through which he filters his writing. The #1 AI Investment Might Be This Company You’ve Never Heard Of The Rich Use This Income Secret (NOT Dividends) Far More Than Regular Investors The post The 7 Best Dow Stocks to Buy as America’s GDP Growth Soars appeared first on InvestorPlace.

The significant strategic agreement between Altria and JT Group (announced in October 2022) for the commercialization of heated tobacco stick products in the United States also deserves attention. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research Soft Smokeable Product Volumes The overall cigarette industry has been bearing the brunt of the inflationary environment, which has affected Adult Tobacco Consumers’ (“ATC”) spending patterns. Domestic cigarette shipment volumes tumbled 11.6%, mainly due to the industry’s decline rate and retail share losses, trade inventory movements and calendar differences.

Heightened geopolitical risk, a still aggressively postured Fed, and slowly moderating inflation keep investors and markets on edge in the last month of 2023. Meanwhile, Vanguard’s Roger Aliaga-Diaz, global head of portfolio construction, recently told Reuters that its anticipating a mild recession next year. This can offer noteworthy tax advantages, and the fund’s managers also may engage in tax-loss harvesting opportunities throughout the year on the put options.

Stocks enjoyed more gains today, with all three major indexes rising for a fourth-straight session, as investors unpacked this morning's inflation data. Ahead of tomorrow's interest rate decision from the U.S. Federal Reserve, Wall Street's "fear gauge," the Cboe Volatility Index (VIX) closed at its lowest level since January 2020. 5 Things to Know Today Hedge funds are suing the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) after new rules related to short selling.

The S&P 500 hit a new high for the year last week after the November jobs report and University of Michigan consumer survey data indicated a resilient economy and cooling inflation, triggering bets on a so-called soft-landing scenario. The unemployment rate in the United States declined to 3.7% in November 2023 from 3.9% in the previous month, marking the lowest level since July and firmly under market expectations that it would remain unchanged at 3.9%. This growth was driven by increasing legalization and public acceptance, marking a shift from a temporary surge to a stable, long-term market segment.

Before we dive into how investors and analysts have reacted as of late, let's take a quick look at the most recent earnings report in order to get a better handle on the important drivers. The reported figure decreased by 18.5% from the year-ago quarter owing to lower net sales, partially offset by share repurchases. A commodity price deflation of 9.1% of net sales and a decline of 1.6% due to one fewer selling day were partially offset by contributions from acquisitions of 2.9%.

Inflation indicators also suggested that the tight monetary policy employed by the central bank was taking effect, with headline PPI remaining flat and CPI coming in way below expectations. Of course, the inclination of investors toward quality dividend stocks to secure an income stream amid heightened market volatility contributed to this performance. From 2012 (when our Director of Research, Sheraz Mian assumed responsibility for the portfolio) through November, 2023, the Zacks Top 10 Stocks gained +974.1%, nearly TRIPLING the S&P 500’s +340.1%.

Early Tuesday, the government's Labor Department unveiled November figures for the U.S. Consumer Price Index (CPI), a closely tracked gauge of the costs of key goods (and therefore a yardstick for inflation). Chiefly, if it's stagnant or falling, this -- theoretically, anyway -- reduces the Federal Reserve's eagerness to keep raising its key interest rates. These cryptos all have their merits and boast convincing use cases; however, even some of their dodgy brethren are enjoying leaps in price as the market continues to pile in.

Adds BT comment, detail, updates prices Dec 12 (Reuters) - BT Group BT.L shares fell more than 4% on Tuesday after Britain's telecom regulator proposed a ban on inflation-linked price rises in the middle of customers’ mobile and broadband contracts. BT noted Ofcom's consultation into inflation-linked pricing mechanisms and said it had always followed their guidance. "Currently, we are in the process of reviewing this consultation, and assessing our options which we will submit as part of our response," a BT Group spokesperson said.