Notes
MARKET HIGHLIGHTS
TECH, MEDIA & TELECOM
🔸 Big Tech ( $AAPL, $AMZN, $META, $GOOGL, $MSFT, $NVDA): Lower as China imposes 34% tariffs on U.S. goods in response to U.S. tariffs.
🔸 China stocks ( $BABA, $BIDU, $PDD, $JD, $SINA, $NTES): Trading sharply lower.
🔸 EU vs. "X": Possible $1B fine for disinformation law violations.
🔸 Five9 ( $FIVN): Q1 EPS, revenue in line or better than guidance; 4% workforce reduction.
CONSUMER
🔸 Booking Holdings ( $BKNG): Upgraded to Buy (BTIG), target $5,500.
🔸 Guess ( $GES): Q4 adj. EPS $1.48 (est. $1.40), revenue $932.3M (+4.6% y/y, est. $912.3M). Gross margin 44.1% (vs. 45.4%). 2026 revenue forecast +3.9%-6.2%, EPS $1.32-$1.76 (est. $2.07). Alberto Toni named CFO. Plans to close unprofitable stores.
🔸 Kraft Heinz ( $KHC): Downgraded to Sell (Citigroup), target cut to $27 due to sales growth concerns.
ENERGY, INDUSTRIALS & MATERIALS
🔸 ExxonMobil ( $XOM): Q1 earnings impact: Energy products (-$0.3B to -$0.7B), upstream (liquids/gas: $0.0B to -$0.4B), chemicals (-$0.1B to $0.1B), specialty (-$0.3B to -$0.1B).
🔸 Matador Resources ( $MTDR): Selling Eagle Ford assets, board reviewing stock repurchase.
🔸 Shell ( $SHEL): Selling 16.125% Colonial Enterprises stake to Brookfield (BIP) for $1.45B.
FINANCIALS
🔸 Cboe ( $CBOE): Q1 options volume 1.1B contracts, March ADV 18.8M (record).
🔸 Franklin Resources (BEN): March AUM $1.53T (Feb: $1.57T), $4B net outflows.
🔸 Progressive ( $PGR): Downgraded to Neutral (Bank of America), target cut to $287 from $300.
HEALTHCARE
🔸 LifeCore ( $LFCR): Q3 EPS -$0.47 (est. -$0.15), revs $35.2M (est. $33.23M). FY guidance: revs $126.5M-$130M, adj. EBITDA $19M-$21M.
🔸 Simulations Plus ( $SLP): Q2 adj. EPS $0.31 (est. $0.12), revs $22.4M (est. $21.9M). FY guidance: revs $90M-$93M, adj. EPS $1.07-$1.20 (est. $0.47).
#Upgrades - Oct 10, 2024
$AIG: JPMorgan Upgrades to Overweight from Neutral - PT $89 (from $93)
$AKR: Compass Point Upgrades to Buy from Neutral - PT $27 (from $23)
$BMRC: Daishin Securities Upgrades to Buy from Marketperform - PT $24 (from $21)
$CVS: Barclays Upgrades to Overweight from Equalweight - PT $82 (from $63)
$EAT: BofA Securities Upgrades to Neutral from Underperform - PT $90 (from $63)
$EVGO: UBS Upgrades to Buy from Neutral - PT $8.50 (from $4)
$FTV: JPMorgan Upgrades to Overweight from Neutral - PT $92 (from $90)
$LC: KBW Upgrades to Outperform from Market Perform - PT $15 (from $11.50)
$LHX: Wolfe Research Upgrades to Outperform from Peerperform - PT $300
$LXU: UBS Upgrades to Buy from Neutral - PT $11 (from $9.50)
$MDT: RBC Capital Upgrades to Outperform from Sector Perform - PT $105 (from $98)
$NKE: Truist Securities Upgrades to Buy from Hold - PT $97 (from $83)
$TROX: UBS Upgrades to Buy from Neutral - PT $19 (from $17)
$TRU: Wolfe Research Upgrades to Outperform from Peerperform - PT $130
$XOM: Scotiabank Upgrades to Sector Outperform from Sector Perform - PT $145 (from $129)
#Downgrades - Oct 09, 2024
$ARCB: Wolfe Research Downgrades to Peer Perform from Outperform
$BX: Piper Sandler Downgrades to Neutral from Overweight - PT $149
$CIEN: BNP Paribas Downgrades to Neutral from Outperform - PT $67
$CMC: Wolfe Research Downgrades to Peerperform from Outperform
$DQ: HSBC Downgrades to Hold from Buy - PT $25
$EXPD: Wolfe Research Downgrades to Underperform from Peer Perform - PT $111
$FDS: Redburn-Atlantic Downgrades to Sell from Neutral - PT $380 (from $420)
$LVS: CFRA Downgrades to Hold from Buy - PT $51 (from $55)
$MORN: Redburn-Atlantic Downgrades to Neutral from Buy - PT $340
$VALE: Wolfe Research Downgrades to Underperform from Peer Perform
$XOM: BNP Paribas Downgrades to Underperform from Neutral - PT $105
#Downgrades - Sep 24, 2024
$BIDU: HSBC Downgrades to Hold from Buy - PT $100
$COST: Truist Securities Downgrades to Hold from Buy - PT $873
$CTLT: Baird Downgrades to Neutral from Outperform - PT $63.50
$CUBI: Wedbush Downgrades to Neutral from Outperform - PT $53 (from $79)
$DOYU: HSBC Downgrades to Hold from Buy - PT $6.60
$DRS: BofA Securities Downgrades to Neutral from Buy - PT $30 (from $26)
$EQR: BofA Securities Downgrades to Neutral from Buy - PT $82 (from $78)
$ESS: BofA Securities Downgrades to Neutral from Buy - PT $321 (from $307)
$FCNCA: Wedbush Downgrades to Neutral from Outperform - PT $2,150 (from $2,450)
$FHN: Wedbush Downgrades to Neutral from Outperform - PT $17 (from $20)
$INVH: BofA Securities Downgrades to Neutral from Buy - PT $37 (from $39)
$KVUE: RBC Capital Downgrades to Sector Perform from Outperform - PT $24
$MCK: Baird Downgrades to Neutral from Outperform - PT $531 (from $603)
$MNSO: Jefferies Downgrades to Hold from Buy - PT $14.91
$NTR: Wells Fargo Downgrades to Equal Weight from Overweight - PT $50 (from $62)
$NSP: William Blair Downgrades to Market Perform from Outperform
$PRGO: Jefferies Downgrades to Hold from Buy - PT $30 (from $50)
$REGN: Leerink Partners Downgrades to Market Perform from Outperform - PT $1,077 (from $1,175)
$SBUX: Jefferies Downgrades to Underperform from Hold - PT $76 (from $80)
$TGI: BofA Securities Downgrades to Underperform from Buy - PT $12 (from $17)
$XOM: Redburn-Atlantic Downgrades to Neutral from Buy - PT $120 (from $119)