Stocks to Bounce | Fed Hikes, Wall Street Sinks | Tepper Says Cash Not Bad
Category: Trade
(CNBC) – U.S. stock futures were drifting after Wednesday’s sell-off on the Fed’s fourth interest rate hike of the year and projections for two more next year. The Dow closed off 351 points, erasing a 380-point gain prior to the Fed decision.
* David Tepper: Fed is done supporting stock prices, so cash is ‘not so bad’ as an investment now
* Cramer: The Dow could have ‘easily’ been down 1,000 points
The numbers were decidedly ugly heading into Thursday’s trading: The Dow closed at a 13-month low; the S&P 500 at a 15-month low, with 60 percent of the index now in a bear market. The Dow and S&P 500 are having their worst month since February 2009.
* US stocks are in for more pain: ‘The market is in no man’s land’
Stocks in Europe and Asia were also suffering in the wake of the Fed’s rate hike, led to the downside by a nearly 3 percent loss in Japan’s Nikkei overnight. Oil prices, both the U.S. and international crude benchmarks, were tanking more than 3 percent on demand concerns. (CNBC)
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* Morgan Stanley says it’s ‘outright bullish’ on Asian markets
* Saudi Arabia is reportedly cutting oil output by more than expected
Two reports on the economy are due out at 8:30 a.m. ET. Initial jobless claims are expected to rise by 9,000 to 215,000 for the week ending Dec. 7, while the Philadelphia Fed manufacturing index is seen rising to 15 for December from November’s 12.9 reading. (CNBC)
Earnings out before today’s opening bell include results from Dow component Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA), along with BlackBerry (BB), Carnival (CCL), and Conagra Brands (CAG). Dow component Nike (NKE) issues quarterly numbers after the bell. (CNBC)
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* Walgreens beats Wall Street estimates on top and bottom lines
* Walgreens to tackle health-care costs with Alphabet’s Verily
IN THE NEWS TODAY
Russian President Vladimir Putin, at his annual media press conference today, warned the threat of a nuclear war should not be discounted and criticized the U.S. move to withdraw from an international nuclear treaty.
* Shares of Rusal jump over 20% after the US lifts sanctions on the Russia aluminum giant
The U.S. Senate has approved funds for several federal agencies to keep them operating through Feb. 8 without the $5 billion to build President Trump’s wall on the U.S.-Mexico border. The House is expected vote ahead of the midnight Friday shutdown deadline.
Tobacco giant Altria (MO), the maker of Marlboros, invested $12.8 billion in Juul, taking a 35 percent stake in the e-cigarette upstart. The deal marks a turning point for Juul, which had positioned itself as an enemy of Big Tobacco.
Beer giant Anheuser Busch Inbev (BUD) and Canada’s pot company Tilray (TLRY) announced a partnership to research non-alcohol drinks containing marijuana ingredients THC, the psychoactive compound, as well as CBD, the non-active chemical.
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A Tesla caught fire Tuesday in a business parking lot in Los Gatos, according to Santa Clara County, California officials. No injuries were reported. The vehicle was not involved in a collision nor was there work being done on it, said the local fire department.
STOCKS TO WATCH
BlackBerry (BB) beat estimates by 3 cents a share, with adjusted quarterly profit of 5 cents per share. Revenue beat estimates, as well. An improvement in automotive services revenue was among the factors helping the bottom line. Shares were soaring in the premarket.
Pier 1 Imports (PIR) Chief Executive Officer Alasdair James has resigned. The home furnishings retailer has appointed board member and former Popeyes CEO Cheryl Bachelder as interim CEO, and also said it is examining strategic alternatives including a possible sale.
Newell Brands (NWL) is moving higher after an SEC filing showed that investor Carl Icahn increased his stake in the household products maker to 9.89 percent from the previously reported 8.1 percent stake.
Herman Miller (MLHR) reported adjusted quarterly profit of 75 cents per share, 3 cents above estimates, while the office furniture maker’s revenue also came in above Wall Street forecasts. The company is also forecasting better-than-expected earnings for the current quarter.
Rite Aid (RAD) reported adjusted quarterly profit of one cent per share, beating the Street consensus of a break-even quarter. The drug store chain’s revenue was in line with estimates. Rite Aid also announced an extension of its drug supply agreement with McKesson (MCK).
Humana (HUM) was upgraded to “overweight” from “neutral” at JPMorgan Chase, which cites a number of factors including valuation. The health insurer’s stock has fallen about eight percent over the past month.
PPG Industries (PPG) was upgraded to “outperform” from “sector perform” at RBC Capital Markets, which said the involvement of activist investor Trian in the paint and coatings maker is a positive factor.
WATERCOOLER
37-year-old Courtney Schlaud won $500,000 on CNBC’s “Deal or No Deal.” She said, “Because of the show, I’m in grad school for social work and excited to have that opportunity.” Schlaud’s big win came in an episode that first aired last week.
