U.S. stocks ended higher on Wednesday on optimism that the Federal Reserve may be done raising interest rates and that the economy is still resilient.
Economic reports on jobless claims, durable goods, and consumer sentiment seemed to suggest the economy is easing but may stay strong enough to avoid recession.
Data showed the number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits fell more than expected last week.
Market Snapshot
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 184.74 points, or 0.53%, to 35,273.03, the S&P 500 gained 18.43 points, or 0.41%, at 4,556.62 and the Nasdaq Composite added 65.88 points, or 0.46%, at 14,265.86.
Market Movers
Nvidia (NVDA) - Nvidia reported third-quarter adjusted earnings of $4.02 a share, easily topping analysts’ forecasts of $3.37, while revenue of $18.1 billion set a record. Data center revenue in the period rose 279% from a year earlier to $14.5 billion. For the fourth quarter, Nvidia issued a revenue forecast range with $20 billion at the midpoint, above the consensus of $18 billion. Chief Financial Officer Colette Kress said on a conference call that Nvidia’s sales to China and other destinations affected by the U.S. government’s export restrictions were expected to “decline significantly” in the fourth quarter, but the “decline will be more than offset by strong growth in other regions.” Shares of the chip maker fell 2.5%.
Tesla (TSLA)- Tesla's U.S. website now shows discounts of almost $3,000 for some Model Y electric vehicles in its inventory. A long-range Y that lists for $56,490 can now be purchased for $53,670. Smaller discounts are available too. Some Ys listed for $50,430 can be purchased for $50,430. Investors might not love that. The shares dropped 2.9%.
According to Goldman Sachs Group's latest hedge fund trend report, Tesla remained the most popular short position as of Oct. 31. Hedge funds tracked by Goldman had short positions worth nearly $19 billion in the stock, according to the investment bank's numbers.
Microsoft (MSFT) - Microsoft shares rose 1.3% after the announcement that Sam Altman would be returning to OpenAI as chief executive. Microsoft is the largest investor in OpenAI. Altman was fired by the previous board of OpenAI last Friday, causing the majority of OpenAI’s employees to threaten to resign. That left Microsoft scrambling to contain the fallout by offering to hire OpenAI’s staff. Microsoft had announced it was hiring Altman to lead a new advanced AI research team.
Deere (DE) - Deere reported fiscal fourth-quarter earnings that beat analysts’ estimates but the agricultural equipment maker issued an outlook for fiscal 2024 that was below expectations. The stock dropped 3.1%.
Travel stocks - Travel stocks such as United Airlines (UAL), American Airlines (AAL), and Carnival (CCL) were rising on the day before Thanksgiving, which is one of the busiest travel days of the year. United was up 0.9%, American gained 1.5%, and Carnival rose 1.9%.
HP Inc. (HPQ) - HP was up 2.8% after the personal computer and printer maker’s earnings report continued to show the effects of weak demand, but the company said it sees a turnaround coming in the year ahead.
Autodesk (ADSK) - Autodesk‘s third-quarter earnings and revenue beat analyst estimates, and the software company raised its forecast for the fiscal year ending in January. Autodesk said it sees revenue rising 9% to between $5.45 billion and $5.465 billion, boosting the range from a previous forecast of $5.405 billion to $5.455 billion. Guidance for billings was unchanged, with the company targeting a range of $5.075 billion to $5.175 billion. Shares fell 6.9%.
Urban Outfitters (URBN) - Urban Outfitters reported third-quarter earnings and sales that topped expectations. But the retailer noted during its conference call it was seeing a “slight moderation in demand” that started early last month. The company also was less optimistic about its namesake Urban Outfitters stores. The stock fell 12.4%.
Guess (GES) - Third-quarter adjusted earnings at Guess were lower than expected and the retailer cut its fiscal-year profit and revenue outlooks. The stock fell 12.3%.
Nordstrom (JWN) - Nordstrom posted third-quarter adjusted profit of 25 cents a share, beating analysts’ forecasts of 12 cents. Chief Executive Erik Nordstrom said the retail company was headed into the holiday shopping season in “a favorable inventory position” but was seeing “continued uncertainty and softening consumer spend.” Nordstrom fell 4.6%.
Virgin Galactic (SPCE) - Virgin Galactic was downgraded to Underweight from Equal Weight at Morgan Stanley and the price target was reduced to $1.75 from $4. Shares of the space tourism company declined 6.6% to $1.99.
Market News
Vehicle Explodes at Niagara Falls, Forcing US-Canada Border Closings
A vehicle exploded on Wednesday on the Rainbow Bridge linking Canada with the United States at Niagara Falls, prompting authorities to close that border crossing and the three others between western New York and southern Ontario, officials said.
The vehicle's driver and a passenger were killed in the explosion, and one U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer was injured, a person with knowledge of the situation told Reuters.
Investigators ruled out a bomb as the cause, but the possibility of terrorism had yet to be discounted because circumstances of the incident remained undetermined, according to the source, who asked to remain anonymous in order to discuss the matter.
Sam Altman to Return As CEO of OpenAI
Sam Altman will return as CEO of OpenAI, overcoming an attempted boardroom coup that sent the company into chaos over the past several days. Former president Greg Brockman, who quit in protest of Altman’s firing, will return as well.
The company said in a statement late Tuesday that it has an “agreement in principle” for Altman to return alongside a new board composed of Bret Taylor, Larry Summers, and Adam D’Angelo. D’Angelo is a holdover from the previous board that initially fired Altman on Friday. He remains on this new board to give the previous board some representation, we’re told.
People familiar with the negotiations say that the main job of this small initial board is to vet and appoint an expanded board of up to nine people that will reset the governance of OpenAI. Microsoft, which has committed to investing billions in the company, wants to have a seat on that expanded board, as does Altman himself. During a press tour this week, CEO Satya Nadella said the company didn’t want any more “surprises.”
Broadcom Closes $69 Billion VMware Deal After China Approval
Broadcom on Wednesday closed its $69 billion acquisition of cloud-computing firm VMware after receiving regulatory approval in last major market China and ending a months-long saga.
The deal, one of the biggest globally when announced in May 2022, was the latest in CEO Hock Tan's efforts to boost the chipmaker's software business.
However, the transaction faced tough regulatory scrutiny across the world and the companies had delayed the closing date three times.
