U.S. stock index futures slipped on Thursday as shares of most megacap growth stocks took a beating after dour quarterly results from Meta Platforms, ahead of more economic data in the week that could influence the Federal Reserve's monetary policy.
Market Snapshot
At 7:50 a.m. ET, Dow e-minis were down 208 points, or 0.54%, S&P 500 e-minis were down 31.25 points, or 0.61%, and Nasdaq 100 e-minis were down 168.25 points, or 0.95%.
Pre-Market Movers
Meta (META) - Meta Platforms reported first-quarter earnings and revenue that topped expectations but guidance that missed forecasts, sending shares of the parent of Facebook and Instagram down 14.8%. Meta said it sees second-quarter revenue of between $36.5 billion and $39 billion; the midpoint of the range was just shy of consensus of $38.2 billion. Meta projected capital expenditures of between $35 billion and $40 billion this year, above its previous range of $30 billion to $37 billion, on higher artificial-intelligence-related spending.
IBM (IBM) - International Business Machines (IBM) reached a deal to buy the cloud-software company HashiCorp for $35 a share in cash, or about $6.4 billion. It also reported first-quarter revenue of $14.47 billion, up 1% or 3% adjusted for currency, but just below Wall Street estimates of $14.53 billion. Adjusted earnings were $1.68 a share, higher than consensus of $1.60. Free cash flow at IBM was $1.9 billion, up $600 million from the year-earlier. IBM shares were down 8.6% in premarket trading. HashiCorp jumped 4.4% to $32.78.
Southwest Airlines (LUV) - Southwest Airlines declined 8.1% as the carrier reported a wider-than-expected loss and said it now expects to receive just 20 Boeing 737 MAX planes in 2024, down from a previous forecast of 46 jets and its initial estimate of 85.
American Airlines (AAL) - American Airlines rose 5.4%. The airline reported a wider-than-expected loss in the first quarter but issued second-quarter guidance that topped forecasts.
Caterpillar (CAT) - Caterpillar was declining 4% after first-quarter revenue missed estimates on lower sales volumes. Operating profit margins improved to 22.2% in the first quarter from 21.1% a year earlier.
Merck (MRK) - Shares of Merck were up 2.1% after the drug maker reported first-quarter earnings that beat analysts’ expectations and raised its full-year sales and profit outlook. Cancer drug Keytruda saw sales increase 20% to $6.9 billion.
Royal Caribbean (RCL) - Royal Caribbean jumped 4.1% after the cruise operator beat first-quarter earnings expectations and hiked its full-year profit guidance.
Ford (F) - Ford Motor‘s first-quarter adjusted earnings of 49 cents a share beat analysts’ estimates and shares of the auto maker were rising 1.8%. Ford reported an operating profit in the period of $2.8 billion on sales of $42.8 billion, while Wall Street was anticipating operating profit of $2.5 billion on sales of $42.9 billion.
Impinj (PI) - Impinj surged 10% after the internet-of-things chip company posted first-quarter adjusted earnings and revenue that beat Wall Street estimates and said it expects second-quarter revenue of between $96 million and $99 million, higher than estimates of $79 million.
Earnings reports are expected after the closing bell Thursday from Microsoft, Alphabet, T-Mobile, Intel, and Snap.
Microsoft (MSFT) - Microsoft is forecast by analysts to report fiscal third-quarter earnings of $2.82 a share on revenue of $60.9 billion. The focus for investors in Microsoft’s report likely will be on the cloud and the company’s push to make money from artificial intelligence. The stock was falling 2% ahead of its report scheduled for after the close of trading Thursday.
Alphabet (GOOGL) - Google parent Alphabet, meanwhile, is expected by Wall Street to report first-quarter earnings of $1.51 a share on revenue of $78.7 billion, up 13% from a year earlier. Alphabet shares were down 2.8% in premarket trading.
Market News
Meta Shares Sink on Higher AI Spending, Light Revenue Forecast
Meta Platforms disappointed investors on Wednesday with forecasts of higher expenses and lighter-than-expected revenue, knocking nearly $200 billion off its stock market value and raising fears the surging cost of AI is outpacing its benefits.
Meta said it expects April-June revenue in the range of $36.5 billion-$39 billion, with a midpoint of $37.8 billion, compared with analysts' estimates of $38.3 billion, according to LSEG data.
The company raised its forecast for expenses this year to support investments in new AI products and the computing infrastructure needed to support them, adding that it expected spending would continue to increase next year.
It raised its 2024 total expense forecast to $96 billion-$99 billion, from $94 billion-$99 billion. It also expects 2024 capital expenditure to fall within a range of $30 billion-$40 billion, up from its earlier forecast of $35 billion-$37 billion, it said.
Biden Signs TikTok "Ban" Bill Into Law, Starting the Clock for ByteDance to Divest It
President Joe Biden signed a foreign aid package that includes a bill that would ban TikTok if China-based parent company ByteDance fails to divest the app within a year.
The divest-or-ban bill is now law, starting the clock for ByteDance to make its move. The company has an initial nine months to sort out a deal, though the president could extend that another three months if he sees progress.
TikTok spokesperson Alex Haurek said in a statement that the company plans to challenge the law in the courts, which could ultimately extend the timeline should the courts delay enforcement pending a resolution. There also remains the question of how China will respond and whether it would let ByteDance sell TikTok and, most importantly, its coveted algorithm that keeps users coming back to the app.