U.S. stock futures edged higher Thursday.
U.S. jobless claims rise 6,000 to 260,000 in week of July 30.
Market Snapshot
At 8:00 a.m. ET, Dow e-minis were up 12 points, or 0.04%, S&P 500 e-minis were up 2.25 points, or 0.05%, and Nasdaq 100 e-minis were up 10 points, or 0.08%.
Pre-Market Movers
Alibaba – Shares of the China-based e-commerce giant jumped 4% in premarket trading after better-than-expected quarterly results. That came despite flat revenue growth for the first time ever, due to Covid-19-related lockdowns in China.
Cigna – The insurance company reported better-than-expected profit and revenue for the second quarter and raised its full-year outlook. Cigna was helped by lower costs resulting from a slow rebound in non-urgent medical procedures. Cigna rose 2.6% in premarket trading.
Restaurant Brands – The parent of Popeyes, Tim Hortons and Burger King beat top- and bottom-line estimates for its latest quarter, with comparable restaurant sales also rising more than expected. Restaurant Brands added 1.8% in premarket action.
Paramount Global – Paramount fell 4% in the premarket despite better-than-expected quarterly results, which got a boost from the success of “Top Gun: Maverick.” Paramount did note that it spent more on its direct-to-consumer services during the quarter, with its flagship Paramount+ streaming service gaining 4.9 million subscribers.
Shake Shack – The restaurant chain’s shares slid 5.7% in the premarket despite avoiding an expected loss with a breakeven quarter on an adjusted basis. Shake Shake’s revenue missed Wall Street forecast, and the company said June sales were below its expectations after April and May sales came in as expected.
Booking Holdings – The parent of Priceline and other travel services reported better-than-expected quarterly profit, but revenue missed forecasts and the company said travel difficulties like flight cancellations cut into its July growth. Booking Holdings fell 3.1% in the premarket.
Clorox – Clorox shares slid 5.9% in premarket trading as higher costs offset price hikes for the company’s consumer products in its latest quarter. Revenue fell slightly below estimates, though earnings did match Wall Street forecasts.
Toyota Motor – The automaker’s shares fell 3.5% in premarket action after it reported a 42% drop in profit from a year ago for its latest quarter. Toyota was impacted by supply chain issues and rising costs, which prevented it from producing as many cars as it had intended.
Market News
Bank of England Raises Key Rate By 50 Basis Points to 1.75%
As expected, the Bank of England raised its benchmark interest rate by 50 basis points on Thursday to 1.75% from 1.25%, representing its largest hike in 27 years as it seeks to tamp down inflationary pressures.
Like other major central banks, the policymakers are emphasizing their determination to bring inflation down to their goal in the medium term. In the BOE's case, that goal is 2% inflation.
Lilly Quarterly Results Miss Estimates
Eli Lilly reported quarterly earnings of $1.25 per share which missed the analyst consensus estimate of $1.69 by 26.04 percent. This is a 33.16 percent decrease over earnings of $1.87 per share from the same period last year.
The company reported quarterly sales of $6.49 billion which missed the analyst consensus estimate of $6.70 billion by 3.16 percent. This is a 3.74 percent decrease over sales of $6.74 billion the same period last year.
Li Ka-shing’s CK to Sell AMTD Stake After Unit Soars 14,000%
Billionaire Li Ka-shing’s CK Group is selling its remaining stake in AMTD Group Co., the parent of the financial firm whose shares soared more than 14,000% after listing less than three weeks ago.
CK currently holds less than 4% of AMTD Group, according to a statement Thursday. It’s not invested in AMTD Digital Inc., the company whose market cap has surpassed that of most financial giants.
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