Tech
Bitcoin Plummets From All-Time High; Tech Drags Down Indexes
Equity Indexes Wrap: Mag Seven (Minus Nvidia) Weighs on Indexes; Discount Retailers, Energy Gain
March 05, 2024 04:13 PM EST
The Dow
Walmart (WMT) gained 1.2% after competitor Target reported better-than-expected earnings.
Intel (INTC) led the index lower, falling 5.4%. It was followed by tech peers Salesforce (CRM), down 5%, and Microsoft (MSFT), down 3%. Amazon (AMZN) shed 2%.
Apple (AAPL) fell 2.8% after a report suggested iPhone sales in China fell 24% year-over-year in the first six weeks of the year.
The S&P 500
Target (TGT) soared 12% after its quarterly earnings topped Wall Street estimates.
Dialysis provider DaVita (DVA) gained 7.1% after data showed Novo Nordisk’s (NVO) Ozempic was a less effective treatment for kidney disease than analysts had expected.
Regional bank stocks advanced. Citizens Financial Group (CFG) rose 5.2%, Zions Bancorp (ZION) advanced 4.5%, and Comerica (CMA) gained 3.8%.
Nvidia (NVDA) was the only stock in the Magnificent Seven to rise on Tuesday. It rallied the last 30 minutes of the session to close 0.9% higher.
Albemarle (ALB) plummeted 17.9% after it announced a $1.75 billion depositary shares offering as it seeks to weather a prolonged slump in lithium demand and prices.
Meta Platforms (META) slipped 1.5% amid widespread Facebook, Instagram, and Threads outages.
Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) ticked down 0.1% after the Commerce Department said the chip maker would still need a license to sell to China a semiconductor that was specially designed to meet U.S. export controls.
The Nasdaq 100
Energy stocks advanced as investors shunned growth in favor of value. Baker Hughes (BKR) added 2.5% and Diamondback Energy (FANG) rose 0.7%.
Dollar Tree (DLTR) gained 1.8% after Guggenheim raised its price target to $170 from $155 and reiterated its buy rating.
The index’s highest-flying tech stocks were some of its largest losers on Tuesday. MongoDB (MDB), up more than 80% in the past year, fell 7.7% while CrowdStrike Holdings (CRWD), which has seen its share price more than double in the last 12 months, tumbled 5.2%.
Tesla (TSLA) fell 3.9% after a suspected arson forced it to halt production at its Berlin factory.
Starbucks (SBUX) dipped in the market sell-off even though a coalition of unions representing its workers withdrew its board nominees, citing progress in negotiations.
GitLab Stock Plunges After Issuing Disappointing FY Earnings Guidance
March 05, 2024 03:30 PM EST
GitLab (GTLB) shares plunged Tuesday after the software infrastructure company disappointed investors with weak full-year earnings guidance.
The San Francisco-based company, which operates an open-source repository development platform for coders, said it expects full-year fiscal 2025 adjusted earnings of between 19 and 23 cents per share, with the high end of that forecast coming in significantly below Wall Street’s modeling of 35 cents a share.
For the fiscal 2024 fourth quarter, ending Jan. 31, the company disclosed adjusted earnings of 15 cents per share on revenue of $163.8 million, surpassing analysts’ expectations of 8 cents a share on sales of $157.9 million.
Source: TradingView.com.
GitLab shares have carved out a textbook inverse head and shoulders pattern over the past 18 months—a chart formation that often signals a market bottom. However, the price looks set to break down below the pattern’s neckline after the company’s disappointing earnings outlook.
Investors should keep an eye on the $57.50 level, which may find support from a trendline connecting the formation’s head and right shoulder. A close below the right shoulder would invalidate the pattern and could lead to a retest of the stock’s record low at $26.24 set in May last year.
GitLab shares were down 20.5% at $59.21 with about half an hour left in the session.
Albemarle Tumbles on $1.75 Billion Depositary Shares Offering
March 05, 2024 02:43 PM EST
Shares of lithium miner Albemarle (ALB) plummeted Tuesday after the company said it would sell $1.75 billion of depositary shares in a public offering as it seeks to weather a prolonged slump in lithium prices.
Each depositary share will represent a 1/20th interest in a share of preferred stock, and holders of the depositary shares will be entitled to a proportional interest in the rights of preferred stockholders. The terms of the listing also give the offering’s underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional $262.5 million of depositary shares.
Albemarle said it would use the proceeds for general business purposes, which could include funding the construction and expansion of operations in Australia and China.
Albemarle, one of the world’s largest lithium miners, has struggled with lower lithium prices over the last year amid a slowdown in demand for electric vehicles, which often contain lithium-ion batteries. Prices began plunging in November 2022 as EV demand flagged under the weight of higher interest rates, leading carmakers to scale back their EV ambitions.
On Tuesday, lithium carbonate traded in China at about 108,500 yuan ($15,076) per metric ton, down about 70% from a year ago. And experts see few signs of improvement. Goldman Sachs analysts on Tuesday forecast lithium prices would fall 25% in the next 12 months, suggesting they see lithium slipping as low as $10,000.
SoFi Slumps on Plan To Sell Up To $862.5 Million in Convertible Bonds
March 05, 2024 01:34 PM EST
Shares of SoFi Technologies (SOFI) tumbled 13% Tuesday, after the online financial services provider said it was planning to sell up to $862.5 million in convertible bonds.
Convertible bonds are a fixed-income corporate debt security that pay interest but can also be converted into a predetermined number of common stock or equity shares. SoFi’s share price drop reflects the potential dilution to existing shareholders if the bonds are converted into stock, although SoFi said it will use part of the proceeds to pay for capped call transactions to limit that dilution.
Essentially, it means SoFi will be buying a form of call options on its own stock.
SoFi said it would be offering $750 million in convertible senior notes due in March 2029. In addition, initial investors will have the option to purchase another $112.5 million within a period of 13 days from when the notes are first issued.
SoFi shares were down 14.3% at $7.35 Tuesday afternoon, and are about 26% lower this year.
Dialysis Stocks Soar After Ozempic Kidney Disease Data Disappoints
March 05, 2024 12:50 PM EST
Shares of dialysis companies surged Tuesday after Novo Nordisk (NVO) reported results from a trial of Ozempic as a kidney disease treatment that fell short of some analysts’ expectations.
Novo Nordisk said on Tuesday that Ozempic reduced kidney disease progression and the odds of cardiovascular or kidney death by 24%. The trial, called FLOW, compared outcomes for 3,533 people with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease, who were either given 1 mg injections of Ozempic or a placebo. The trial was ended last October, a year ahead of schedule after preliminary data demonstrated the drug’s efficacy.
The results add to a growing body of evidence that GLP-1 agonists, like Novo’s Ozempic and Wegovy and Eli Lilly’s (LLY) Mounjaro, have uses beyond diabetes treatment and weight loss. In August, Novo published data showing Wegovy reduced patients’ risk of major cardiovascular events by 20%.
The results, however, weren’t quite what analysts and investors were expecting. Novo Nordisk shares were down more than 2.7% Tuesday afternoon, while dialysis providers soared. DaVita (DVA) climbed 7% to $134, while Fresenius Medical Care (FMS) rose more than 11% to nearly $21.
Apple Stock Slips as China iPhone Sales Plunge 24% in First Six Weeks of Year
March 05, 2024 12:18 PM EST
Apple’s (AAPL) sales of iPhones in China, its biggest overseas market, fell by 24% over the first six weeks of this year, according to market research firm Counterpoint.
The data follows Apple’s disclosure last month that its Greater China sales during the fiscal first quarter fell 13%.
The iPhone maker’s market share in China fell to 16% in the first weeks of 2024, falling to fourth place from second place in 2023, when it had a 19% share. Chinese retail giants JD.com, TMall, and Pinduoduo are offering steep discounts on Apple’s iPhone 15 just five months after launch to generate demand.
Apple shares were down 2.7% midday Tuesday. They have lost about 11% of their value so far this year.
Tesla Stock Slides as Arson Halts Production at Berlin Plant
March 05, 2024 10:46 AM EST
Tesla (TSLA) shares slid in early trading on Tuesday after the electric vehicle maker was forced to halt production at its Berlin factory following an arson attack on a nearby electricity pylon.
The fire, which occurred in a field near Tesla’s Gigafactory Berlin-Brandenburg in Grünheide, cut off power to the plant and the surrounding area. The factory was evacuated and workers were sent home.
The attack comes amid local opposition to Tesla’s efforts to expand the factory, its only assembly plant in Europe. Tesla last July filed applications with local authorities to expand the plant, with plans to add a battery testing center and water treatment facilities. Tesla hopes the plant will eventually produce 1 million cars a year, about double its current output.
But it has run into resistance from locals and environmental activists. Late last month, Grünheide residents voted against Tesla’s planned expansion in a non-binding vote. And last week nearly 100 activists set up camp in a forest near the factory that Tesla intends to fell as part of its expansion.
Residents and activists have also expressed concern about the factory’s water consumption and its potential to contaminate the region’s groundwater.
Tesla shares were down about 4.7% at $179.38 as of 10:45 a.m. ET Tuesday. They have lost nearly 28% of their value so far this year.
Target Stock Surges on Q4 Earnings Beat
March 05, 2024 10:12 AM EST
Target (TGT) shares surged in early trading Tuesday as the company posted stronger-than-expected earnings for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2023.
The retail giant reported net income of $1.38 billion, up 57.8% from the fourth quarter of 2022 and well above Target’s own guidance and analyst estimates compiled by Visible Alpha. Earnings per share (EPS) at $2.98 also surpassed estimates as revenue rose 1.7% from a year ago to $31.9 billion, beating projections.
The company said that the higher profit came in part as a result of lower costs and improved inventory management, and outlined plans to introduce a new membership program as part of its Target Circle rewards program.
Shares of Target were up 12.2% at $168.87 Tuesday morning. They’ve gained close to 18% so far this year.
Stocks Making the Biggest Moves Premarket
March 05, 2024 09:18 AM EST
Gains:
- Target Corp. (TGT): Shares of the retailer jumped 8% after it reported fiscal fourth-quarter earnings of $2.98 a share, beating Wall Street’s consensus estimate of $2.41.
- Coinbase Global Inc. (COIN): Shares of the cryptocurrency exchange gained 2% as the price of Bitcoin rose above $68,000 to trade just shy of an all-time high.
- Newmont Corp. (NEM): Shares of the gold miner ticked up 1% as the price of gold continued to climb after hitting a record high yesterday.
Losses:
- Gitlab Inc. (GTLB): Shares of the coding collaboration platform tumbled 22% after it forecast full-year fiscal 2025 earnings of between 19 and 23 cents per share, far less than the 35 cents per share analysts were expecting.
- Tesla Inc. (TSLA): Shares of the electric vehicle maker fell about 3% after it stopped production at its plant outside Berlin amid a suspected arson attack that cut off power to the factory.
- Apple Inc. (AAPL): Shares of the tech giant slid about 2% amid reports iPhone sales in China were 24% lower in the first six weeks of the year than in 2023.
Stock Futures Slip in Premarket Trading
March 05, 2024 08:41 AM EST
Futures contracts connected to the Dow Jones Industrial Average were down about 0.3% in early trading on Tuesday.
S&P 500 futures were also off about 0.3%.
Nasdaq 100 futures traded 0.5% lower about an hour before markets opened.
Tech
Hollywood.ai by FAME King Sheeraz Hasan Promulgates a Complete Ecosystem that Unites Web3, Cryptography, AI and Entertainment for Spectacular Global Tech Innovation
The one and only FAME King Sheeraz Hasan is launching Hollywood.ai, a revolutionary platform designed to integrate the cutting-edge realms of Web3, cryptocurrency, AI, finance and entertainment. This revolutionary initiative is set to create a seamless, interactive and intuitive ecosystem where the world’s leading technology luminaries can collaborate on innovations, ultimately redefining the future of digital interaction.
Hollywood.ai represents the convergence of the most complex technologies of all time. Fusing Web3 principles, cryptocurrency utilities, AI advances, and financial machinery, Sheeraz’s platform aims to become the nucleus for innovation and modernization. It provides a high-tech environment where technology and creativity collide harmoniously, paving the way for new paths in the digital economy.
A defining feature of Hollywood.ai is the integration of cryptocurrency into the AI ecosystem, transforming AI into a tokenized asset with full cryptographic utility. Sheeraz’s novel approach presents new avenues to leverage the myriad capabilities of AI in the financial realm, unlocking unprecedented opportunities for developers and users alike. Through the amalgamation of AI and cryptocurrency, Hollywood.ai is paving the way for an incredibly interconnected digital space unlike anything seen before.
The platform’s design emphasizes the undeniable symbiosis between various technology sectors. Under Sheeraz’s careful orchestration, Web3 technologies facilitate decentralized collaboration, while AI tools offer enhanced potential for data analytics, content creation, and audience engagement. Additionally, the inclusion of financial innovations ensures rapid mobility of both monetization and investments, providing a holistic environment that meets the ever-evolving demands of the technology and entertainment segments.
Sheeraz’s Hollywood.ai is poised to become the premier hub for industry leaders, developers, and creators to support and empower the next generation of digital experiences. This initiative aspires to drive the emergence of new tools, applications, and services that set new standards for advanced engagement and interaction.
Known for making the impossible possible, Sheeraz envisions a future where global audiences actively participate in designing the next A-list stars from scratch. Hollywood.ai will allow users to watch their creations evolve from simple concepts to 3D talents that can act, sing and perform just like human actors.
The Hollywood.ai platform leverages AI technology to deliver personalized fan engagement, real-time sentiment analysis, and informed content creation. By combining cutting-edge AI capabilities with Sheeraz’s deep understanding of celebrity branding, Hollywood.ai gains immense control over public figures.
Undeniably, FAME’s number one strategist Sheeraz Hasan continues to cement his reputation as a pioneer in the fields of FAME and technology. The power and influence of this latest development brings him closer to total world domination.
Tech
Online Broker Futu Offers Cryptocurrency Trading in Hong Kong, With Nvidia and Alibaba Stock as Rewards
Futu Securities International, Hong Kong’s largest online broker, has launched retail cryptocurrency trading in the city, offering shares of Alibaba Holding Group AND Nvidia as a reward in an attempt to attract investors. Futu has begun allowing Hong Kong residents to trade Bitcoin and ether, the world’s two largest cryptocurrencies, directly on the brokerage platform using Hong Kong or U.S. dollars, the company announced Thursday.
The online retail broker said last month that it had received an upgrade to its securities license from the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC), allowing Futu to offer virtual asset trading services to both professional and retail clients in the city.
Futu’s move comes as Hong Kong seeks to boost its attractiveness as a business hub for virtual assets, with the city government launching a series of new cryptocurrency policy initiatives over the past two years, including a mandatory licensing regime for cryptocurrency exchanges.
In addition to offering cryptocurrency trading on its flagship brokerage app, Futu is also seeking a cryptocurrency trading license for its new PantherTrade platform. That platform is among 11 in Hong Kong that are currently “deemed licensed” for cryptocurrency trading, an arrangement that allows them to operate in the city while they await full approval from the SFC.
Hong Kong’s progress in becoming a crypto hub has encountered various challenges, including exit of the major global platforms and relatively low trading activity for cryptocurrency exchange-traded funds offered on local stock exchanges.
Futu is now offering a series of incentives to potential investors, amid a cryptocurrency bull market that has seen the price of bitcoin rise 45 percent this year.
Hong Kong investors who open accounts in August and deposit HK$10,000 (US$1,280) over the next 60 days can receive HK$600 worth of bitcoin, a HK$400 supermarket voucher or a single Chinese stock. e-commerce giant Alibaba. Alibaba owns the South China Morning Post.
By holding 80,000 U.S. dollars for the same period, users can get 1,000 Hong Kong dollars in bitcoin or a share of U.S. artificial intelligence (AI) chip maker Nvidia, whose shares have risen more than 140 percent this year.
A Futu representative said the brokerage firm will also waive cryptocurrency trading fees starting Thursday until further notice.
Futu is the first online brokerage in Hong Kong to allow retail investors to buy cryptocurrency directly on its platform. SFC rules require it to offer this service through a tie-up with a licensed cryptocurrency exchange. Futu is partnering with HashKey Exchange, one of only two licensed exchanges in Hong Kong, according to the representative.
Futu’s local rival Tiger Brokers also said in May that it had begun offering cryptocurrency trading services to professional investors on its platform following a license update. The SFC defines professional investors as those with more than HK$8 million in their investment portfolios or corporate entities with assets exceeding HK$40 million.
Tech
Tech Crash: $2.6 Trillion Market Cap Vanishes as ‘Magnificent 7’ Prices Stumble
A group of seven megacap tech stocks, often called the Magnificent 7, have lost more than $2.6 trillion in value over the past 20 days, or an average of $125 billion per day over the period. In total, these stocks have lost “three times the value of the entire Brazilian stock market.”
This according to the economic news agency Letter from Kobeissiwho noted on the microblogging platform X (formerly known as Twitter) that the Magnificent 7 batch “is worth as much as Nvidia’s entire current market cap in 20 days,” with Nvidia itself having lost $1 trillion from its high.
Source:Letter from Kobeissi on the X
The group, which includes Nvidia, Microsoft, Amazon, Apple, Alphabet, Meta and Tesla, has undergone a significant correction: in the last 20 days Nvidia has lost 23% of its value, or about $800 billion, while Tesla has fallen 19%, losing $164 billion.
Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, Alphabet and Meta all posted losses of between 9% and 15%, losing between $257 billion and $554 billion in market capitalization, wiping out a total of $200 billion more “than every single German stock market tock combined.”
Tech titans, which have outperformed the broader S&P 500 index since the market bottom of 2022, are now facing a reckoning as investors grow increasingly wary about the sustainability of their meteoric rise, with Nvidia taking the lead soaring 110% since the beginning of the year and over 2,300% in the last five years.
Earnings reports from these companies, starting with Microsoft and culminating with Nvidia in late August, will be closely watched for signs of weakness. Their performance could set the tone for broader market sentiment, with implications for everything from cryptocurrency to other high-risk assets.
Their poor performance comes after a leading macroeconomist, Henrik Zeberg, reiterated his forecast of an impending recession that will be preceded by a final wave in key sectors of the market, but which can potentially be the worst the market has seen since 1929the worst bear market in Wall Street history.
In particular, the Hindenburg Omen, a technical indicator designed to identify potential stock market crashes, began flashing just a month after its previous signal, raising concerns about a possible impending stock market downturn.
The indicator compares the percentage of stocks hitting new 52-week highs and lows to a specific threshold. When the number of stocks hitting both extremes exceeds a certain level, the indicator is said to be triggered, suggesting a greater risk of a crash.
Featured Image via Disinfect.
Tech
Trump Fights for Cryptocurrency Vote at Bitcoin Conference
To the Bitcoin Conference 2024 In Nashville, Tennessee, former President Donald Trump delivered a keynote speech.
Trump, the Republican presidential candidate, used the platform to appeal to the tech community and solicit donations for the campaign. During the conference, He said:
I promise the Bitcoin community that the day I take the oath of office, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris’ anti-crypto crusade will be over… If we don’t embrace cryptocurrency and Bitcoin technology, China will, other countries will. They will dominate, and we can’t let China dominate. They are making too much progress as it is.
Trump’s speech focused heavily on cryptocurrency policy, positioning it as a partisan issue. He said that if reelected, he would fire SEC Chairman Gary Gensler on his first day in office, a statement that drew enthusiastic applause from the audience. This statement marked a stark contrast to Gensler’s tenure, which has been characterized by rigorous oversight of the cryptocurrency industry.
The former president outlined several pro-crypto initiatives he would undertake if elected. These include transforming the United States into a global cryptocurrency hub, keeping all government-held Bitcoin as a “national Bitcoin reserve,” establishing a presidential advisory council on Bitcoin and cryptocurrency, and developing power plants to support cryptocurrency mining, emphasizing the use of fossil fuels.
Trump’s current embrace of cryptocurrencies represents a reversal from his stance in 2021, when described Bitcoin as a “scam against the dollar.” He also noted that his campaign has received $25 million in donations since accepting cryptocurrency payments two months ago.
The event featured other political figures, including Republican Senators Tim Scott and Tommy Tuberville, as well as Democratic Representatives Wiley Nickel and Ro Khanna. Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. also spoke at the conference.
Trump’s appearance at Bitcoin 2024 reflects growing support for his campaign from some tech leaders, including Tesla CEO Elon Musk and cryptocurrency entrepreneurs Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss.
While Trump has described the current administration as “anti-crypto,” Democratic Congressman Wiley Nickel said Vice President Kamala Harris is taking a “forward-thinking approach to digital assets and blockchain technology.”
This event underscores the growing political importance of cryptocurrency policy in the upcoming presidential election.
Kamala Harris and Democrats Respond on Cryptocurrencies
In a strategic move to repair strained relations, Vice President Kamala Harris’ team has initiated a dialogue with major cryptocurrency industry players. This outreach aims to restore the Democratic Party’s stance on digital assets and promote a more collaborative approach.
THE Financial Times reports that Harris’s advisors have reached out to representatives from industry leaders like Coinbase, Circle, and Ripple Labs. This move comes as the cryptocurrency community increasingly supports Republican candidate Donald Trump, reflecting growing dissatisfaction with the current administration’s cryptocurrency policies.
THE disclosure follows a letter from Democratic lawmakers and 2024 candidates urging the party to reevaluate its approach to digital assets. Harris’s team stresses that this effort is less about securing campaign contributions and more about engaging in constructive dialogue to develop sensible regulations.
The move is part of a broader strategy to reshape the Democratic Party’s image among business leaders, countering perceptions of an anti-business stance. Harris’ campaign aims to project a “pro-business, responsible business” message.
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