In the past week:
- GDP growth slowed in the fourth quarter. U.S. consumer confidence plunged to a multi-month low, and durable goods orders declined. Gold stockpiling led to shortages. The Federal Reserve declined to further cut the federal funds rate.
- Chinese AI advancement DeepSeek triggered a tech sell-off. Alibaba also released an AI model. President Trump pushed for a bidding war for TikTok by Microsoft and Oracle.
- Apple topped earnings estimates despite weak iPhone sales. Microsoft’s earnings beat was offset by a weak outlook. Comcast and IBM topped expectations but Tesla did not. Meta posted record revenue but forecast higher costs.
- Starbucks reported weak earnings under its new CEO, and it said it would simplify its menu. Exxon, Novartis, and Southwest Airlines also posted strong results.
- UPS said it would cut its Amazon business. Amazon laid off corporate workers. Nissan also announced layoffs. Sony had leadership changes. Frontier Airlines made another bid for Spirit Airlines.
- A Whole Foods store unionized. Egg prices were projected to rise even higher. Lay’s potato chips were recalled.
Renowned investor Cathie Wood purchased 5 million more shares in innovative aerospace firm Archer Aviation Inc. (NYSE: ACHR) to cap off 2024. She continues to see opportunity in disruptive tech innovation, such as eVTOL aircraft and autonomous robotaxis.
After recent sell-offs, nervous investors may be wondering if semiconductor stocks are still a good bet this year. Wall Street does not seem to have lost faith, and expectations are especially high for Wolfspeed Inc. (NYSE: WOLF) stock.
Vanguard exchange-traded funds (ETFs) could be a solid choice for retired investors looking to play the long game with their portfolios. See which two are worth looking into for smoother (lower volatility) passive income plays to power a retirement fund.
It is a good idea to keep an eye on these stock-split contenders. Splits can signal strength in the market and result in lots of bullish price action. Two notable stock-split contenders for 2025 are Costco Wholesale Corp. (NASDAQ: COST) and Netflix Inc. (NASDAQ: NFLX).
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