Standard & Poor's 500 Index

What the markets have long been fearing has finally come true, at least in part. The S&P 500 (SPY) (SPX) hit a record high on January 26, 2018. Since then, the index has fallen ~8% as of February 6, 2018.

Dynegy Inc. (DYN), NRG Energy Inc. (NRG), and Calpine Corporation (CPN) were among the top four losers in the utility sector for the second successive week.

Apple continues its bond sale trend in 2017 Earlier in this series, we discussed how IBM had continued its trend of share buybacks, and how the IT (Information Technology) sector continued to be the top spender among industries. In early February 2017, Apple (APPL) raised $10 billion in debt. The Financial Times, citing Dealogic estimates, stated […]

Since the beginning of 2018, Shake Shack stock has fallen 4.9%.

In the first quarter, Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG) posted adjusted EPS (earnings per share) of $2.13 on revenue of $1.2 billion.

Philip Morris International (PM) announced its 3Q17 earnings on October 19. The company posted adjusted EPS (earnings per share) of $1.27 on revenues of $7.47 billion.

Whiting Petroleum (WLL) stock rose 5.3% in the week ending December 29 from the previous week. However, the stock fell ~47.6% by the end of 2017.

Carlyle Group posted economic net income of $0.02 in 4Q16 on February 8, which was lower than the analyst estimate of $0.41.

Despite COG’s recent negative stock market movement, the fact that it was able to hold its own and sustain significant levels of production should ensure that it maintains relatively high stock market returns.

US power companies distribute a high percentage of their income to shareholders as dividends. Total returns are a better parameter to evaluate the sector’s performance.

Costco Wholesale (COST) reported stronger-than-expected fiscal 1Q18 results, surpassing analysts’ expectations for both sales and EPS (earnings per share).

On January 3, 2017, Shake Shack was trading at $16.70, which represents an increase of 7.8% from its previous day’s closing price.

Shake Shack (SHAK) is scheduled to announce its 4Q17 earnings after the market closes on February 15, 2018.

US equities declined in 1Q15. GDP dropped by 0.7% in the first quarter against the expectation of 0.2% growth.

With DuPont stock continuing to rise, it’s trading 8.1% above its 100-day moving average of $72.10. The movement indicates the stock’s upward trend.

Among the US steel and iron ore peers, Nucor (NUE) is trading at the highest forward multiple of 7.7x.

Wall Street analysts’ views on Salesforce stock Earlier in this series, we discussed how growing competition in the cloud space could halt Salesforce (CRM) double-digit revenue growth. We also discussed the company’s initiatives to overcome this. Salesforce is a prominent player in the software space, along with Microsoft (MSFT), Oracle (ORCL), IBM (IBM), and SAP (SAP). […]

McDonald’s (MCD) is scheduled to announce its 4Q17 earnings before the market opens on January 30, 2018.

In 2Q17, Cleveland-Cliffs (CLF) achieved 4% growth year-over-year in US volumes to 4.3 million tons.

If the Trump administration moves forward on the proposed infrastructure investments, it could boost US steel demand.

In times of escalating geopolitical or economic concerns, gold often acts as a safe-haven asset. This year, however, gold’s safe-haven appeal seems to be somewhat tarnished.

Mondelēz International (MDLZ) has been streamlining its business and reducing costs to improve its profitability.

Last week was mixed for steel stocks—they followed different trajectories. With gains of 6.6%, AK Steel (AKS) was the biggest gainer.

Cleveland-Cliffs’ (CLF) new management has always been keen on exiting the volatile seaborne iron ore business as soon as possible.

Last week started on a positive note for most steel stocks, with most seeing upward price action on Monday. But sentiments were mostly negative after that.

Yum! Brands (YUM) is scheduled to announce its 4Q17 earnings before the market opens on February 8, 2018. The company’s stock price was trading at $82.63 at the close of trading on February 2.

Clorox (CLX) reported better-than-expected second-quarter earnings on February 4.

Constellation Brands’ (STZ) 12-month forward PE (price-to-earnings) ratio fell 1.4% to 24.0x on October 5, 2017, the day the company announced its fiscal 2Q18 results.

Since December 2015, the ISE Cyber Security Index (HACK) has beaten the S&P 500 Index (SPX) by 10.54 percentage points. Cybersecurity stock is expected to grow rapidly.

Church & Dwight (CHD) stock fell ~6% on Friday, April 20, 2018, after being downgraded by Deutsche Bank to “hold” from “buy.”

The FOMC’s (Federal Open Market Committee) meeting is scheduled for December 12–13. So far, the Fed has raised rates twice this year.

As of November 2014, Bloomin’ Brands’ (BLMN) year-to-date (or YTD) return was -7.6%. BLMN operates casual dining restaurants. It competes with companies like EAT and TXRH.

As of March 28, Coca-Cola and PepsiCo were trading at 12-month forward PE multiples of 22.7x and 22.0x, respectively.

Target is scheduled to announce its third-quarter results on November 20. Analysts expect Target to maintain its growth momentum.

In this series, we’ll look at analysts’ revenue and EPS estimates for Williams-Sonoma over the next four quarters, as well as the company’s guidance and valuation.

Of the 26 analysts covering Tiffany stock, 42.0% rated it a “buy” as of April 3, 2017, while 54.0% rated it a “hold,” and one (4.0%) rated it a “sell.”

At the end of November 28, 2017, Domino’s Pizza (DPZ) was trading at $172.29, a fall of 1.3% from the previous day’s closing price.

On December 26, a Santa Claus rally seems to be in full swing. This effect pushed the S&P 500 (SPX) and Nasdaq Composite Index (COMP) to record highs.

Cleveland-Cliffs (CLF) has come a long way as far as its business mix is concerned.

Most of Cliffs Natural Resources’ (CLF) revenues and earnings are derived from its US steel division. This makes its drivers unique among peers.

In a classic Donald Trump move, the president wrote a letter to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to cancel their planned meeting in Singapore next month.

Chesapeake Energy (CHK) stock rose 2.9% in the week ended December 29, 2017, compared to the previous week ended December 22.

According to a survey by Bank of America Merrill Lynch, 31.0% of respondents see a trade war as the biggest tail risk for the markets, up from 25.0% in May.

Vale’s (VALE) is trading at a forward EV-to-EBITDA (earnings before, interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization) multiple of 6.4x, which reflects a discount of 5% to its last-five-year average multiple.

Newmont Mining (NEM) has 61% “buy” recommendations from the 18 analysts covering the stock.

NEM stock is being covered by 18 Wall Street analysts today, of which 61% recommend a “buy” for the stock, while 39% recommend a “hold.”

The S&P 500 Index, represented by the SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY), rose 0.3% on October 23, nearing the all-time high it saw in July.

As of March 24, 2017, Conagra Brands (CAG) was trading at a 12-month forward PE (price-to-earnings) ratio of 21.9x.

Druckenmiller and Buffett got “trumped” by the President’s economic policies this year. Incidentally, the US economy posted better-than-expected growth.

As per the 13Fs filed for the first quarter, hedge funds still seem to have confidence in gold’s price outlook.

Philip Morris International (PM) is set to announce its 2Q17 earnings before the market opens on July 20, 2017.

Electric vehicles The automotive sector is the second-largest steel consumer after the construction sector. Over the last century, internal combustion vehicles have dominated the automotive landscape (SPY) (SPX). However, EV (electric vehicle) sales are expected to grow multifold in the coming years amid a push by several governments around the world. Steel versus aluminum Steel […]

Whiting Petroleum (WLL) stock fell ~11% in the week ended November 17. The stock seems to have seen extended losses from the week before, when it finalized a one-for-four reverse stock split.

Vale SA’s (VALE) forward EV-to-EBITDA (enterprise value to earnings before, interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization) multiple is trading at close to 7.2x, the highest among its seaborne iron ore peers.

PepsiCo stock fell 0.2% to $106.73 on February 15. This series on PepsiCo’s 4Q16 results will discuss the company’s earnings, revenue, and margins.

One asset class that is still riding on “Trump trade” appears to be US equities —tech stocks, in particular.

Of the 19 analysts covering Newmont Mining (NEM), 53% have issued “buy” recommendations, while 42% have issued “hold” recommendations.

According to Bill Miller, Valeant Pharmaceuticals (VRX) is correctly valued.

Nucor expressed optimism over the Section 232 imports probe that was ordered by the Trump administration earlier this year.

Within the steel space, AK Steel (AKS) registered the poorest performance with a 44.6% loss in 2017. After disappointing 1Q17 results, U.S. Steel (X) recovered to end 2017 with an annual gain of 6.6%.

Cleveland-Cliffs (CLF) achieved revenues of $698.0 million for 3Q17, an increase of 26% year-over-year.

We’ll now look at SRC Energy’s (SRCI) stock performance in 2017 and compare it to the performance of the energy sector, the broader market, and crude and natural gas prices.

Jack in the Box (JACK), which also operates Qdoba Mexican Eats, is set to announce its fiscal 1Q17 results on February 22, 2017, after the market closes.

Cliffs Natural Resources’ (CLF) USIO (US Iron Ore) segment mainly sells iron ore to integrated steel companies in the United States (SPY).

Iamgold’s (IAG) stock price has had a very strong performance in 2017 YTD, significantly outperforming peers and gaining 83% as of September 8, 2017.

Earlier in the series, we discussed the market’s expectations for VMware’s (VMW) fiscal 1Q18 results. Now, let’s take a look at where VMware is positioned in the software space.

In the last quarter of 2017, bitcoin surged from close to $4,300 to a mind-boggling $19,300 plus during the third week of December 2017.

After a dismal performance for most of 2017, Occidental Petroleum (OXY) stock has recently been mostly in a consistent uptrend.

Southern Company (SO) will release its 3Q15 earnings on October 28, 2015. It’s the fourth largest producer of electricity in the United States and is the holding company of four power utilities.

Raymond James’s upgrade of Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG) on January 19, 2018, appears to have increased investors’ confidence, leading to a rise in Chipotle’s stock price.

On a YTD (year-to-date) basis, Apache (APA) stock has fallen ~36%. The downtrend in Apache’s stock price had been due to lower crude oil prices.

Cisco (CSCO) stock was under pressure in 2019 due to the US-China trade war. Options traders are betting on CSCO’s rise by the middle of March.

Roku shares (ROKU) have had an eventful year! They rose approximately 400% in 2019. However, the stock price fell more than 10% in December.

Options traders are betting that Aurora Cannabis stock will start to rise by the middle of March after some trying times for the company.

Cronos Group (CRON) missed analysts’ EBITDA estimates this year. The bad performance and weakness in the cannabis sector caused the stock to fall by 34.9%

Integrated energy stocks have underperformed the equity market in 2019. We’ll see what 2020 has in store for Chevron, ExxonMobil, Royal Dutch Shell, and BP.

Intel stock closed at $58.95 on December 20, up 1.71% from the previous trading session. This performance lagged the S&P 500’s 0.49% increase on the day.

Apple (AAPL) closed at $279.74 yesterday, falling 0.24% from the previous trading session. This change lagged the S&P 500’s (SPX) 0.04% decrease on the day.

Micron stock closed at $47.93 on Friday, rising 2.81% from the previous trading session. This change lagged the S&P 500’s (SPX) 0.91% increase on the day.

AT&T stock (T) closed trading at $38.10 on December 4, rising 1.44% from the previous trading session, and I’m seeing more upside ahead.

Over the past week, there have been several bullish bets placed on Facebook (FB) stock, suggesting that it could rise higher in the coming weeks and months.

Shares of Alibaba Group Holding Limited (BABA) closed at $200.82 in the latest trading session, marking a 3.14% rise from the previous day.

Marathon Petroleum (MPC) stock has underperformed the equity market and its peers in the current year. MPC’s stock price has risen 2.8% YTD.

Three power companies had positive returns for the week ended January 2, 2015. Returns for Dynegy (DYN) and Calpine (CPN) stood out in a falling US market.

Hawaiian Electric Industries (HE) was the biggest gainer for the week ending December 5, 2014. It surged by 16.3% during the week on news of its merger with NextEra Energy (NEE) and closed the week at $32.78.

This quarter, ExxonMobil (XOM) stock has fallen 2.4%. Let’s try to forecast XOM’s upper and lower price limits until the end of the year.

So far, Chevron’s (CVX) stock price has risen 2.1% in November due to stronger equity markets and higher crude oil prices.

Suncor stock has risen 3.8% this month, the highest among its peers, due to its robust results, higher oil prices, and stronger equity markets.

Apart from Dynegy, Public Service Enterprise Group and First Energy were the top gainers in the US power sector last week.

Hawaiian Electric withstood the fall in the markets. It was up 0.6% for the week ending on January 30, 2015. Hawaiian Electric closed the week at $34.30 per share.

Dynegy Inc. (DYN) saw the biggest drop in share prices for the week ending on January 30, 2015. Its share prices fell by 5.3% in the week.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) (DIA) seems to be touching new highs despite pessimism related to progress in trade talks.

BP stock has been rising in the current quarter. The rise in the stock price is in line with increased crude oil prices and equity markets in the quarter.

In the November 14 trading session, Aurora Cannabis (ACB) stock fell 12.7% from the previous session during after-hours trading.

Some options traders are betting large, bullish bets in favor of Disney stock and Disney+ in particular. Let’s take a closer look at the options.

This month, Shell’s stock returns have been lower than most peers’. The company believes its returns could be vulnerable to macroeconomic conditions.

In the third quarter, some prominent institutions raised their stakes in Tesla stock. Here’s why it’s no surprise that institutions are grabbing the stock.

BP has the highest correlation coefficient of 0.60 with WTI, followed by Shell at 0.57. Meanwhile, ExxonMobil and Chevron have relatively low correlations.

Royal Dutch Shell (RDS.A) and BP’s (BP) earnings fell in the third quarter. While BP’s profits fell 41%, Shell’s earnings fell 15%.

Tesla stock has risen 23% since the company’s October earnings release, bringing trouble for short sellers such as David Einhorn’s Greenlight Capital.