The Nasdaq slipped on Monday afternoon after briefly surpassing its record closing high from November 2021, while the Dow rose modestly ahead of two U.S. inflation reports this week that could influence Federal Reserve policy.
Market Snapshot
The S&P 500 lost 4.77 points, or 0.09%, to end at 5,021.84 points, while the Nasdaq Composite lost 48.12 points, or 0.3%, to 15,942.55. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 125.69 points, or 0.33%, to 38,797.38.
Market Movers
Activist investor Carl Icahn on Monday reported a 9.91% stake in Jetblue Airways Corp, according to a filing. Shares of JetBlue were up about 17% in extended trading.
Arm shares soared 29% on Monday, extending last week's rally as investors continue to applaud the chipmaker's better-than-expected third-quarter earnings and its position in the artificial intelligence boom.
Diamondback Energy announced Monday it was merging with Permian rival Endeavor Energy Resources in a deal that would create an oil-and-gas giant worth more than $50 billion. The transaction was valued at about $26 billion, including Endeavor’s net debt. Shares in Diamondback were up 9.4%.
Big Lots sank 28% to $3.86 following a report from Bloomberg that said the discount retailer was seeking new financing as deals with dwindling liquidity. Big Lots has been reaching out to bankers and investors to assess market willingness to provide a new loan, Bloomberg reported, citing people with knowledge of the company’s efforts. Analysts at Loop Capital downgraded the stock to Sell from Hold.
CymaBay Therapeutics reached a deal to be acquired by Gilead Sciences for $32.50 a share. CymaBay shares were rising 25% to $32.21. Gilead rose 1.1%.
VF Corp. rose 14% after Reuters reported that activist investor Engaged Capital, which is pushing for board seats and changes at the seller of North Face coats and Vans sneakers, has the backing of a member of VF Corp.’s founding family.
Monday.com, the project and task management software company, reported fourth-quarter adjusted earnings that beat analysts’ estimates as revenue in the period rose 35% from a year earlier to $202.6 million. The company’s revenue outlook for the first quarter, however, disappointed and the stock fell 10%.
Joby Aviation rose 6.4% after the company reached a deal to launch air taxi services in the United Arab Emirates by early 2026.
Rocket Lab rose 8.8% to $4.72. Citi reinstated coverage on the stock with a Buy rating and price target of $6 “with a Buy rating “following recent capital markets transactions and a major award by the U.S. government.”
Rivian Automotive was down 2.1% to $16.33 after shares of the electric-vehicle company were downgraded to Hold from Buy at Barclays and the price target was reduced to $16 from $25.
Trimble, which sells precision measurement technology, rose 4.2%. The company reported fourth-quarter earnings and sales that topped Wall Street estimates. The company said it expects revenue in 2024 of $3.57 billion to $3.67 billion, down from $3.8 billion a year earlier and below analysts’ expectations of $3.84 billion.
XPO Inc. fell 2.6% to $117.68 after shares of the transportation company were downgraded by Morgan Stanley to Underweight from Equal Weight while the price target was increased to $80 from $75.
Market News
US January deficit drops sharply as receipts grow, tax refunds fall
The U.S. federal budget deficit fell sharply in January to $22 billion as receipts hit a record for that month, partly because tax refunds fell after the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) cleared a backlog of pandemic-delayed tax returns, the Treasury Department said on Monday.
The deficit last month was $17 billion, or 43%, less than the $39 billion deficit in January 2023. Outlays for the month grew 3% to $499 billion, while receipts jumped 7% to $477 billion.
Jeff Bezos will save over $600 million in taxes by moving to Miami
Jeff Bezos’ $2 billion stock sale last week came with an added perk: no state taxes.
Last year, Bezos announced on Instagram that he was leaving Seattle after nearly 30 years to move to Miami. He said the move was to be closer to his parents and his rocket launches at Blue Origin. The timing also suggested another reason: taxes.