The S&P 500 and Dow Jones industrials eked out small gains on Wednesday, while the Nasdaq closed lower for a third straight session as investors awaited the release of Nvidia's earnings that could determine near-term momentum for equities.
After the closing bell, Nvidia shares surged 7% after it forecast fiscal first-quarter revenue above estimates on robust demand for its chips that dominate the market for artificial intelligence (AI).
Market Snapshot
The S&P 500 climbed 0.13% to end the session at 4,981.80 points. The Nasdaq declined 0.32% to 15,580.87 points, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.13% to 38,612.24 points.
Market Movers
Nvidia (NVDA) - Nvidia fell 2.9% as investors prepared for the chip maker’s earnings report that was scheduled for after the closing bell. The stock tumbled 4.4% on Tuesday, losing about $75 billion of market value. It was the stock’s steepest decline since October. Wall Street expected Nvidia to report revenue of $20.4 billion—up nearly 240% from a year earlier—with adjusted earnings of $4.59 a share versus year-earlier profit of 88 cents.
Palo Alto Networks (PANW) - Palo Alto Networks reported fiscal second-quarter adjusted earnings and revenue that topped analysts’ expectations but the stock fell 28.4% after the cybersecurity company cut its fiscal-year revenue outlook. Palo Alto said it expects revenue of between $7.95 billion and $8 billion in the fiscal year, down from a previous estimate of between $8.15 billion and $8.2 billion. CEO Nikesh Arora said the guidance didn’t reflect a change of demand but a strategy shift as Palo Alto looks to become a “platform” within the cybersecurity sector. Cybersecurity peers Zscaler and CrowdStrike fell 14% and 9.7%, respectively.
Amazon (AMZN), Walgreens (WBA) - Amazon.com, the e-commerce and technology giant, will be added to the Dow Jones Industrial Average at the start of trading Monday, replacing Walgreens Boots Alliance. It’s the first change in the blue-chip index since 2020. Walgreens was added to the index in 2018. Amazon rose 0.9% while Walgreens declined 2.5%.
SolarEdge (SEDG) - SolarEdge Technologies dropped 12.2% after the maker of inverters and other solar-power equipment reported a drop of 65% in fourth-quarter revenue and said it expects first-quarter revenue of $175 million to $215 million, a decline of 77% to 81% from a year earlier. “The first half of 2023 included record installations and expectations for continued growth, with a shift in the second half of the year to a weaker market due to higher interest rates and lower power prices, which resulted in an inventory buildup that slowed our shipments,” said CEO Zvi Lando.
Teladoc Health (TDOC) - Teladoc Health tumbled 23.7% after the telehealth provider said it expects first-quarter sales of $630 million to $645 million, below analysts’ forecasts of $673 million. The company said it anticipates a loss in the period of 45 cents to 55 cents a share, wider than expectations that called for a loss of 41 cents.
Toll Brothers (TOL) - Toll Brothers, the luxury home builder, reported fiscal first-quarter earnings that beat analysts’ estimates as revenue jumped 9% to a better-than-expected $1.95 billion. The company delivered 1,927 homes in the period, up 6% and ahead of the 1,864 expected by analysts. Toll shares rose 4%.
Garmin (GRMN) - Garmin rose 8.8%. The navigation company’s fourth-quarter earnings beat analysts’ expectations and it said its board was proposing a dividend hike following the strong report.
International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF) - International Flavors & Fragrances declined 6.4% after the scents and flavors maker issued disappointing sales guidance and slashed its quarterly dividend.
Vertiv Holdings (VRT) - Vertiv Holdings fell 5.6% after the provider of power and cooling equipment for data centers reported fourth-quarter revenue that missed analysts’ estimates and issued first-quarter earnings guidance below forecasts.
RingCentral (RNG) - RingCentral, the cloud-based communications company, issued sales guidance for the fiscal first quarter and fiscal year that was short of analysts’ expectations. The stock, however, was up 2.5%.
Market News
Fed Worried About Cutting Rates Too Soon, Minutes of January Meeting Show
The bulk of policymakers at the Federal Reserve's last meeting were concerned about the risks of cutting interest rates too soon, with broad uncertainty about how long borrowing costs should remain at their current level, according to the minutes of the Jan. 30-31 session.
"Participants highlighted the uncertainty associated with how long a restrictive monetary policy stance would need to be maintained" to return inflation to the U.S. central bank's 2% target, said the minutes, which were released on Wednesday.
Whereas "most participants noted the risks of moving too quickly to ease the stance of policy," only "a couple ... pointed to downside risks to the economy associated with maintaining an overly restrictive stance for too long."
Nvidia Stock Surges As Revenue Forecast Tops Estimates
Chip designer Nvidia shares surged in after-hours trading on Wednesday after the company forecast revenue above estimates, banking on towering demand for its industry-leading artificial-intelligence chips.
Nvidia's fourth-quarter revenue beat estimates by a 7% margin. But for the first three quarters of 2023, Nvidia had reported quarterly revenue that beat analysts' estimates by between 10% and 20%.
The company forecast current-quarter revenue of $24.0 billion, plus or minus 2%. Analysts on average were expecting revenue of $22.17 billion, according to LSEG data.
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