Invesco BulletShares 2029 Corporate Bond ETF (NASDAQ: BSCT)

Latest news for Invesco BulletShares 2029 Corporate Bond ETF (NASDAQ:BSCT)

The Fund generally will invest at least 80 percent of its total assets in securities that comprise the Underlying Index. Strictly in accordance with its guidelines and mandated procedures, Invesco Indexing LLC (the Index Provider) compiles and maintains the Underlying Index. The Underlying Index seeks to measure the performance of a portfolio of U.S. dollar-denominated investment grade corporate bonds with maturities or, in some cases, effective maturities in the year 2029 (collectively, 2029 Bonds). Certain bonds in which the Fund may invest may contain embedded issuer call options. An embedded issuer call option means that the bonds issuer has the right to redeem a bond prior to its designated maturity date. 

Invesco BulletShares 2029 Corporate Bond ETF

EV giant Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSLA#NASDAQ">TSLA</a>) is currently offering discounts of up to $2,000 on new non-foundation series Cybertrucks listed in its U.S. inventory.
What Happened: Tesla&#8217;s website now shows multiple new non-Foundation series Cybertrucks listed with as much as a $2000 discount. The discount on demo vehicles goes up to $3,510.
A new non-foundation series Cybertruck All-Wheel Drive variant starts at $78,390 on the inventory website and a demo vehicle with 961 miles on the odometer at $77,360. 
The offers are significantly higher on the more premium Cyberbeast variant. While a demo Cyberbeast with 1,138 miles on the odometer starts at $96,480, a new vehicle starts at $97,990. 
Why It Matters: The Cybertruck is one of Tesla&#8217;s more premium offerings. The vehicle starts at $79,990 for the base all-wheel drive variant and at $99,990 for the more premium Cyberbeast variant. 
According to data from automotive research firm Kelley Blue Book, the Cybertruck was Tesla&#8217;s third best-selling vehicle in the U.S. in 2024, after its mass-market offerings Model 3 and Model Y. 
The company sold <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/01/42967593/cybertruck-sales-rise-in-2024-weighed-down-on-tesla-model-s-deliveries-in-us-shows-data">38,965 units in the 12 months through the end of December</a>, significantly higher than the number of Model S or Model X sold in the country. 
Until recently, Tesla listed <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/01/42891397/non-foundation-series-cheaper-cybertrucks-join-tesla-inventory">only foundation series Cybertrucks</a> in its inventory. The foundation series refers to a limited and pricier edition of the Cybertruck with laser-etched foundation series badges and premium accessories.
Tesla made only the foundation series Cybertrucks for the first few months of deliveries. In October, Tesla started selling the regular version of Cybertruck priced about $20,000 lower than the foundation series.
Check out more of Benzinga&#8217;s Future Of Mobility coverage by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/mobility" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">following this link.</a>
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</ul>
Photo courtesy: Shutterstock

News

Tech

TSLA

Tesla Offers Discounts Up To $2,000 On New Inventory Cybertrucks

A bill proposing a&nbsp;strategic&nbsp;Bitcoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/btc/usd">BTC</a>) reserve&nbsp;was introduced in Oklahoma on Wednesday amid a growing nationwide trend of states looking to capitalize on the apex cryptocurrency&#8217;s return potential. 
What Happened: The proposed legislation, known as House Bill 1203 or&nbsp;the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve Act,&nbsp;was <a href="https://www.okhouse.gov/posts/news-20250115_1">introduced </a>in the Oklahoma House of Representatives&nbsp;by Rep. Cody Maynard.
The bill would allow Oklahoma&#8217;s&nbsp;pension funds and state savings&nbsp;accounts to allocate a portion&nbsp;of their assets to Bitcoin, deemed a &#8220;hedge against inflation.
The State Treasurer could invest funds in any digital asset that has averaged $500 billion in market capitalization over the previous calendar year. Currently, only Bitcoin, valued at $1.97 trillion, satisfies this requirement.
Maynard stated that the assets would be managed responsibly to meet the demands of fund managers, generate reliable returns for residents, and protect purchasing power from inflationary pressures.
"Bitcoin represents freedom from bureaucrats printing away our purchasing power," the representative added. "It is the ultimate store of value for those who believe in financial freedom and sound money principles."
See Also:<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/12/42735744/pharma-bro-martin-shkreli-predicts-doom-for-michael-saylors-microstrategy-as-stock-dips-below-300-in-after-hours-trading"> </a><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/government/regulations/25/01/42994641/italys-largest-bank-leaps-into-bitcoin-trading-with-1-million-test-investment-but-ceo-says-he-doesnt-invest-in-btc-personally">Italy&#8217;s Largest Bank Leaps Into Bitcoin Trading With $1 Million &#8216;Test&#8217; Investment But CEO Says He Doesn&#8217;t Invest In BTC Personally</a>
Why It Matters: Oklahoma was not alone in this initiative. Several states have similar legislation pending, aiming&nbsp;to establish Bitcoin as a&nbsp;strategic reserve.
In November 2024,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/24/11/41986427/pennsylvania-introduces-bitcoin-strategic-reserve-act-to-invest-up-to-700-million-in-btc">Pennsylvania</a>&nbsp;introduced the Pennsylvania Bitcoin Strategic Reserve Act, which would authorize the state&#8217;s treasury to invest up to 10% of its $7 billion reserves into Bitcoin. 
A month later,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/12/42476809/texas-joins-crypto-movement-introduces-bill-to-set-up-bitcoin-reserve">Texas</a>&nbsp;introduced a similar bill, the Texas Strategic Bitcoin Reserve Act, proposing the establishment of a special fund in the state treasury to hold Bitcoin as a financial asset for a minimum period of five years. 
Similarly, Ohio, North Dakota, and New Hampshire have introduced Bitcoin reserve bills.
Dennis Porter, founder of the Bitcoin advocacy group&nbsp;Satoshi Action Fund, which is helping formulate these bills, said that they were at the halfway mark to the goal of getting 12 states to introduce Bitcoin reserve legislation.
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"> 
<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">Oklahoma becomes the 6th state to introduce ‘Strategic Bitcoin Reserve' policy enabling the state to buy Bitcoin once passed into law. That means we are now half way to our goal of achieving 12 states to introduce SBR bills. Promises made. Promises kept. &#x1f1fa;&#x1f1f8; <a href="https://t.co/Pukr6s1Cpc">https://t.co/Pukr6s1Cpc</a>
&mdash; Dennis Porter (@Dennis_Porter_) <a href="https://twitter.com/Dennis_Porter_/status/1879598591666475347?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 15, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
</figure>
These moves by various states reflect a growing recognition of Bitcoin as a secure state asset and a hedge against inflation, aligning with Donald Trump&#8217;s <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/24/12/42434184/a-tech-renaissance-could-offer-enticing-opportunities-in-direxions-qqqu-qqqd-etfs">pledge to establish a national Bitcoin stockpile</a>.
Price Action:  At the time of writing, Bitcoin was exchanging hands at $99,745.63, up 2.77% in the last 24 hours, according to <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard?_gl=1&#x2A;380nj0&#x2A;_ga&#x2A;MTEyOTAyOTcxMy4xNzEzMzY0NTYy&#x2A;_ga_V7ZK73W7N0&#x2A;MTcxNDk4MzIzMi42LjEuMTcxNDk4OTE0Ni4wLjAuMA.." target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">data from Benzinga Pro</a>.
Image via Shutterstock
Read Next:&nbsp;
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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/01/42993521/michael-saylors-microstrategy-not-alone-in-bitcoin-acquisition-says-bitwise-chief-investment-officer-its-a-bona-fide-megatrend">Michael Saylor&#8217;s MicroStrategy Not Alone In Bitcoin Acquisition, Says Bitwise Chief Investment Officer: &#8216;It&#8217;s A Bona Fide Megatrend&#8217;</a></li>
</ul>
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/benzinga-neuro" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Neuro</a>&nbsp;and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/apis?utm_source=benzinga.com&amp;utm_campaign=article-bottom" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank"></a>

Coverage of Bitcoin, Etherum, Ripple and all the latest digital currencies.

Cryptocurrency

Markets

$BTC

The Trump Effect? Oklahoma Joins Growing List Of States Proposing Bitcoin As Strategic Reserve Asset

Jack Dorsey&#8216;s popular Cash App digital wallet developer Block Inc (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SQ#NYSE">SQ</a>) is expected to deliver a strong fourth quarter given its business&#8217;s general resilience and operational excellence discipline, says <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/bofa-securities">BofA Securities</a>.
The BofA Analyst: Analyst, Jason Kupferberg, maintained its &#8216;buy&#8217; rating with a price objective of $115 apiece, representing a 39.62% increase from its current price levels.
The Analyst Takeaways: Identifying its top-line growth and profitability along with its potential to contribute to the U.S.-centric re-acceleration story to the best large-caps companies, BofA analyst, Kupferberg, says it is &#8220;underappreciated&#8221; by the market.
BofA remains bullish on its dual-sided ecosystem which consists of Square, which provides technology solutions for hardware and software, and the payment application Cash App. The analyst adds that Block doesn&#8217;t have the &#8220;legacy tech&#8221; overhang as compared to some of its peers.
The Rule of 40, which is a financial metric that assesses the health of a Software-as-a-Service company is expected to be achieved by 2026, reflecting enhanced profitability focus. The rule states that the company&#8217;s gross profit growth and adjusted operating income margin should add up to at least 40%. 
Expected to report its fourth-quarter earnings on Feb. 2, BofA thinks the company&#8217;s consensus estimates are well calibrated.
Gross payment volume (GPV), an important metric to measure the payment company&#8217;s performance, is expected to grow by 8.5% to 9.1% in the fourth quarter according to BofA and consensus street estimates.
&#8220;However, given shares have outperformed since Q3 earnings, this could limit the potential for Q4 to be a significant positive catalyst,&#8221; stated the note, dated Jan. 15.
For the first quarter of the upcoming fiscal, BofA sees some GPV headwinds from the Los Angeles wildfires and likely competition from the longer February in 2024, considering the leap year.
Additionally, the company has agreed to pay $80 million to settle allegations that violated anti-money laundering laws. This could impact the first quarter as well. According to a press release, regulators in 48 states found that it failed to adequately verify customers, report suspicious activity, and implement proper controls for high-risk accounts.
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/25/01/42999475/amd-shares-hint-at-a-reversal-as-charts-show-bullish-stick-sandwich-following-a-double-downgrade-from-hsbc">AMD Shares Hint At A Reversal As Charts Show Bullish Stick Sandwich Following A Double Downgrade From HSBC</a> 
Price Action: Block's stock closed at $84.79 on Wednesday, reflecting a 2.88% increase. In after-hours trading, the stock rose by 1.07%. Over the past year, Block has experienced a notable growth of 30.13%.
The stock's 52-week range is between $99.26 and $55. With a market capitalization of $46,134 million, Block&#8217;s forward price-to-earnings ratio of 18.248 is lower as compared to the industry average of 81.740 and it has a relative strength index of 44.89, according to data from <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard">Benzinga Pro</a>.
Block has a consensus price target of $91.57, according to the 46 analysts <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/SQ/analyst-ratings">tracked by Benzinga</a>. The high target is $120, and the low is $46. Recent ratings by Citigroup, Keefe, Bruyette &amp; Woods, and Raymond James suggest a $107.67 target, implying a 25.63% upside.
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/SQ/analyst-ratings"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="948" height="358" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/16013900/SQ-ANR.png" alt="" class="wp-image-735979" srcset="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/16013900/SQ-ANR.png 948w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/16013900/SQ-ANR-300x113.png 300w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/16013900/SQ-ANR-768x290.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 948px) 100vw, 948px" /></a></figure>
Image via Shutterstock
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</ul>

Analyst Color

Equities

Market Summary

Reiteration

Analyst Ratings

General

Jack Dorsey's Block Eyes Over 39% Upside: BofA Says US-Centric Re-Acceleration Story Will Drive The Stock

Apple Inc.&#8217;s (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAPL#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>) manufacturing costs for its latest iPhone lineup show promising trends for margins, according to a new Bank of America analysis.
The teardown study reveals significant cost reductions in Pro models while highlighting the company&#8217;s strategic pricing approach across its product range.
The Apple Analyst: Bank of America analyst Wamsi Mohan maintains a &#8220;Buy&#8221; rating on Apple with a price target of $256, implying an upside of nearly 8% from Wednesday&#8217;s closing price.
The Apple Thesis: BofA&#8217;s teardown analysis reveals significant manufacturing cost improvements for iPhone 16 Pro models, while base models see increased costs.
The analyst highlights that the iPhone 16 Pro Max&#8217;s manufacturing costs are 5% lower than its predecessor, contributing approximately 320 basis points to gross margins. When adjusting for memory costs, the year-over-year savings increase to 8%.
&#8220;At Apple&#8217;s scale, these add up to meaningful savings of $3.7bn for 250mn iPhones that can be a tailwind of &gt;100 bps of product GMs when fully ramped,&#8221; noted the analysis.
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/01/43019833/elon-musk-buying-tiktok-could-hurt-tesla-warns-gary-black-but-dan-ives-thinks-it-makes-sense">Elon Musk Buying TikTok Could Hurt Tesla Stock, Warns Gary Black — But Wedbush&#8217;s Dan Ives Thinks It Makes Sense</a>
Key Findings:
<ul>
<li>Main electronic assemblies make up 50% of iPhone 16 Pro Max manufacturing costs, up from 47% in the iPhone 15 Pro Max.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Base iPhone 16 shows a 10% increase in manufacturing costs compared to iPhone 15, primarily due to AI processing and camera improvements. When adjusted for memory costs, this increase narrows to 6%.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Potential savings of at least $10 per iPhone from insourcing the baseband modem from Qualcomm Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QCOM#NASDAQ">QCOM</a>).</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Vertical integration efforts could drive further margin improvements. The company spends approximately $250 on integrated circuits per iPhone 16 Pro Max, creating opportunities for cost savings through component insourcing.</li>
</ul>
Why It Matters: The findings support BofA&#8217;s broader thesis on Apple&#8217;s margin resilience. The bank expects strong iPhone upgrade cycles in fiscal 2025 and 2026, driven by hardware requirements for generative AI features.
Apple&#8217;s gross margins have been trending higher in the last several years, supported by both services mix and iPhone margin stability despite increased functionality.
Trading at $237.87, Apple shares have gained nearly 30% over the past year. Apple is set to announce its first-quarter 2025 earnings on Jan. 30. In October last year, the company reported fiscal <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/earnings/24/10/41666494/apple-q4-earnings-revenue-beat-eps-beat-installed-base-hits-new-highs-iphone-sales-rise-as-apple-in">fourth-quarter revenue</a> of $94.9 billion, surpassing analysts&#8217; expectations of $94.56 billion.
Price Action: Apple&#8217;s stock gained 1.97% on Wednesday, closing at $237.87. In after-hours trading, it edged up another 0.31%, reaching $238.60, according to <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard">Benzinga Pro data</a>.
Apple&#8217;s consensus price target stands at $245.17, based on evaluations from 30 analysts, with Wedbush setting the highest target of $325 on Dec. 26. The latest ratings from MoffettNathanson, Bernstein, and BofA Securities point to an average target of $234.67, implying a potential downside of 1.65%.
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/AAPL/analyst-ratings"><img decoding="async" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/16002414/Screenshot-2025-01-16-at-10.54.09%E2%80%AFAM-1024x376.png" alt="" class="wp-image-735922" /></a></figure>
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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/01/43018848/those-are-air-bubbles-the-time-steve-jobs-rejected-the-first-ipod-prototype-and-pushed-apple-engineers-to-think-smaller" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Steve Jobs Dropped The First iPod Prototype In A Fish Tank And It Wasn't To Test If It Was Waterproof</a></li>
</ul>
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/benzinga-neuro" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Neuro</a>&nbsp;and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

AAPL

QCOM

Apple Stock Has Moved Up 4.2% Since iPhone 16 Launched, Analyst Says It Has Another 8% Upside As Manufacturing Cost Decline Bolsters Cupertino's Margins

President-elect&nbsp;Donald Trump&nbsp;has nominated&nbsp;Scott Bessent&nbsp;to lead the U.S. Treasury Department, and Bessent has pledged to maintain the dollar&#8217;s status as the world&#8217;s reserve currency. This commitment was made during his prepared testimony.
What Happened: Bessent, who is scheduled to appear&nbsp;before the U.S. Senate Finance&nbsp;Committee on Thursday, emphasized the importance of prioritizing productive investment over &#8220;wasteful spending&#8221; that could lead to inflation. He stressed the need to secure supply chains and carefully use sanctions to meet national security needs, Reuters&nbsp;reported on Wednesday.
&#8220;And critically, we must ensure that the U.S. dollar remains the world&#8217;s reserve currency,&#8221; he said.
Additionally,&nbsp;Bessent, a hedge fund manager, has supported Trump&#8217;s plans for higher tariffs on imports, although he did not mention China specifically in his remarks. Trump has previously threatened significant tariffs on imports from China, Canada, and Mexico.
Bessent also highlighted the necessity for Congress to make permanent the provisions of Trump&#8217;s 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. He warned that failing to do so could result in a historic $4 trillion tax increase. He advocated for &#8220;pro-growth policies&#8221; to reduce the tax burden on American manufacturers, service workers, and seniors.
Bessent comments come at a time when Trump is<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/01/42779917/trump-wont-announce-strategic-bitcoin-reserve-via-executive-order-says-analyst-he-would-likely-buy-btc-in-the-background"> reportedly exploring the possibility</a> of issuing an executive order to create a Strategic Bitcoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/btc/usd">BTC</a>) Reserve (SBR). After providing substantial financial support during the 2024 election, the digital asset industry is <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/24/12/42701446/crypto-industry-anticipates-policy-overhaul-under-trump-administration">gearing up for a major shift in its regulatory landscape</a>. President-elect Trump, once a vocal critic of digital currencies, shifted his stance during his campaign, becoming the first presidential candidate to accept donations in digital assets.
Why It Matters: Bessent&#8217;s nomination comes at a time when the dollar&#8217;s role as the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/01/43019785/trump-treasury-nominee-pledges-to-maintain-dollars-global-reserve-status-outlines-vision-for-new-economic-golden-age">global reserve currency </a>is under scrutiny. His commitment to maintaining this status aligns with his vision for a &#8220;new economic golden age,&#8221; as outlined in his testimony. 
Meanwhile, Bessent&#8217;s <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/25/01/42936887/trumps-treasury-pick-scott-bessent-reveals-up-to-500000-bitcoin-stake-via-blackrocks-etf">financial disclosures reveal</a> a significant stake in the&nbsp;iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF&nbsp;(NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/IBIT#NASDAQ">IBIT</a>), indicating his interest in cryptocurrencies amid expectations of crypto-friendly policies under the incoming Trump administration.
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</ul>
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/benzinga-neuro" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Neuro</a>&nbsp;and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Image via Wikimedia Commons

Macro Economic Events

Economics

IBIT

Trump's Treasury Pick Scott Bessent Urges Dollar Must Remain 'World's Reserve Currency' As President-Elect Reportedly Pushes For Strategic Bitcoin Reserve

Econ #s

Germany Consumer Price Index (YoY) For December 2.6% Vs. 2.6% Est.; 2.2% Prior

Germany Consumer Price Index (MoM) For December 0.5% Vs. 0.4% Est.; -0.2% Prior

U.K. Trade Balance Non-EU For November -7.72B Vs. -7.65B (Revised) Prior

U.K. Trade Balance For November -19.31B Vs. -18.00B Est.; -19.33B (Revised) Prior

U.K. Monthly Gross Domestic Product (GDP) 3M/3M Change For November 0.0% Vs. 0.0% Est.; 0.0% (Revised) Prior

U.K. Manufacturing Production (MoM) For November -0.3% Vs. -0.2% Est.; -0.6% Prior

U.K. Industrial Production (MoM) For November -0.4% Vs. 0.1% Est.; -0.6% Prior

U.K. Gross Domestic Product (MoM) For November 0.1% Vs. 0.2% Est.; -0.1% Prior

IBM (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/IBM#NYSE">IBM</a>) and&nbsp;L'Oréal, the world's leading beauty company, announced a collaboration to leverage <a href="https://www.ibm.com/think/topics/generative-ai">IBM's generative artificial intelligence (GenAI)</a> technology and expertise to uncover new insights in cosmetic formulation data, facilitating L'Oréal's&nbsp;use of sustainable raw materials, for energy and material waste reductions. This unique effort will develop a custom AI foundation model engineered to significantly increase the ability of L'Oréal Research &amp; Innovation teams to reach extra performance and consumer satisfaction in every cosmetic category and every region of the world. The formulation foundation model is believed to be a&nbsp;first-of-its-kind in the industry, redefining AI innovation at the intersection of beauty, chemistry and technology.&nbsp;

IBM and L'Oréal Partner to Develop AI for Sustainable Cosmetic Formulations

Pan American Silver Corp. &nbsp;achieved its production guidance for 2024, with 21.1 million ounces of silver and 892 thousand ounces of gold produced in 2024. Guidance was also achieved for annual production of zinc, lead and copper.
The full-year ("FY 2024") production results were driven by strong performance in the fourth quarter 2024 ("Q4 2024"):
<ul>
<li>Silver production of 6.0 million ounces in Q4 2024, with the La Colorada mine in Mexico making a significant contribution, producing 1.6 million ounces of silver in the quarter.</li>
<li>Gold production of 224 thousand ounces in Q4 2024, which excludes December production from the La Arena mine in Peru, the sale of which was completed on December 2, 2024, as previously announced by the Company.</li>
</ul>

PAAS

Reported Earlier, Pan American Silver Achieves 2024 Production Targets With 21.1M Ounces Silver And 892K Ounces Gold, Ends Year With $887.3M Cash

Based on the Company's current business outlook, management expects the overall performance for first quarter 2025 to be as follows:
<ul>
<li>Revenue is expected to be between US$25.0 billion and US$25.8 billion;</li>
</ul>
And, based on the exchange rate assumption of 1 US dollar to 32.8 NT dollars,
<ul>
<li>Gross profit margin is expected to be between 57% and 59%;</li>
<li>Operating profit margin is expected to be between 46.5% and 48.5%.</li>
</ul>
The management further expects the 2025 capital budget to be between US$38 billion and US$42 billion.

Guidance

Taiwan Semiconductor Expects Q1 Revenue Of $25.0B-$25.8B Vs $24.97B Est

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said on Wednesday that it has closed its one-year-old probe into General Motors Co.&#8217;s (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GM#NYSE">GM</a>) Cruise robotaxis in light of the company ceasing business operations.
What Happened: The NHTSA commenced a probe into Cruise robotaxis in October 2023 to gauge whether they are exercising caution around pedestrians following reports of two crashes. The regulator said it is aware of five incidents involving a collision between a Cruise vehicle and a pedestrian, three of which caused an injury. The cars were unable to avoid a collision despite attempting to in all five cases, it said.
After the start of the investigation, Cruise in Nov. 2023 issued a recall for a defect in its Automated Driving System (ADS) that affected 950 vehicles.
The regulator, on Wednesday, closed the probe in light of the recall action taken by Cruise. The company has also since stopped business operations and no versions of its automated driving system are operating on public roads, the regulator noted.
Why It Matters: In December, GM said it would <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/movers/24/12/42425386/general-motors-stock-is-rising-after-the-bell-whats-driving-the-action" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">no longer fund</a> Cruise‘s robotaxi development but instead combine the majority-owned unit into its technical teams.
The robotaxi development work needs considerable time and resources to scale, GM reasoned, while adding that the robotaxi market is getting increasingly competitive.
Cruise was a major robotaxi player in the U.S. in the leagues of Alphabet Inc.&#8217;s Waymo until Oct. 2023 when a Cruise robotaxi got involved in an accident in San Francisco. The accident led to increased regulatory scrutiny and the company subsequently suspended all of its operations in the U.S.
In July, the company also said it is abandoning its plans to build the Origin autonomous vehicle and focussing on <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/07/39903020/gms-cruise-abandons-pedal-less-origin-autonomous-vehicle-pivots-to-next-generation-chevrolet-bolt-in" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">using its next-generation Chevrolet Bolt </a>for autonomous driving operations, citing costs and the "regulatory uncertainty" around the Origin pedal-less vehicle.
Hopes re-emerged briefly when Barra said in October that Cruise is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/24/10/41481122/gm-working-hard-to-resume-driverless-cruise-vehicles-by-end-of-year-says-ceo-mary-barra-we-want-" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">looking to return to operating driverless vehicles</a>&nbsp;by the end of the year but the company ceased operations in December. 
Check out more of Benzinga&#8217;s Future Of Mobility coverage by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/mobility" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">following this link.</a>
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NHTSA Closes Safety Probe Into GM Cruise Robotaxis Weeks After It Ceased Operations

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Reported Earlier, Priority Technology Prices Secondary Offering 9,070,643 Common Shares At $7.75/Share.

Stellantis Reports Q4 2024 Consolidated Shipment Estimates -9% Q4 y-o-y decline in shipments improved vs. -20% in Q3, as inventory reduction actions concluded and new product launches in Europe reduced gaps in the Company's offering related to our generational portfolio transition&nbsp;

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Stellantis Reports 1.395M Units Shipped In Q4 2024, Down 9% Year-Over-Year

French AI startup Mistral has signed a multi-million-euro agreement with Agence France-Presse or AFP.
What Happened: The deal, announced on Thursday, will see over 2,000 AFP articles in six languages incorporated into Mistral&#8217;s chatbot, Le Chat, daily.
Arthur Mensch, co-founder and CEO of Mistral, stressed the importance of such agreements for delivering well-grounded information.
Fabrice Fries, CEO of AFP, underscored the deal as a testament to Mistral&#8217;s dedication to independent, fact-based journalism.
He <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/9200122d-bb4d-4f13-b9db-4991815026b4">told</a> the Financial Times that, unlike similar agreements that companies like OpenAI have struck with other media groups, this is not a one-off settlement for data.
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/01/43019833/elon-musk-buying-tiktok-could-hurt-tesla-warns-gary-black-but-dan-ives-thinks-it-makes-sense">Elon Musk Buying TikTok Could Hurt Tesla Stock, Warns Gary Black — But Wedbush&#8217;s Dan Ives Thinks It Makes Sense</a>
&#8220;&#8216;Free speech' is being weaponized against Europe to a great extent and there is this offensive by Big Tech on European regulation,&#8221; he said, adding, &#8220;Precisely this kind of deal, in the current context, shows that an AI player has bet on independent, fact-based professional journalism.&#8221;
Why It Matters: AFP&#8217;s collaboration with Mistral also aims to offset revenue losses as its fact-checking contract with Meta winds down, the report noted.
AFP generated about €20 million (approximately $20.57 million) in 2024 from tech platforms, including fact-checking and content licensing deals.
Subscribe to the&nbsp;<a href="https://bztechtrends.beehiiv.com/subscribe" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Tech Trends newsletter</a>&nbsp;to get all the latest tech developments delivered to your inbox.
The partnership comes as Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/META#NASDAQ">META</a>) and Elon Musk&#8217;s X, formerly Twitter, have <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/01/42960291/metas-content-moderation-changes-alarm-advertisers-as-zuckerberg-aligns-with-trump-and-musk">reduced content moderation</a> in favor of &#8220;free speech.&#8221;
Earlier this week, Alphabet Inc.'s (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>) (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>) Google also <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/25/01/43014233/google-expands-collaboration-with-associated-press-to-deliver-up-to-date-information-in-gemini-ai-app">expanded its collaboration</a> with the Associated Press to improve its Gemini app.
Last year, <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/06/39293436/microsoft-backed-mistral-ai-sees-valuation-spike-to-6b-after-securing-645m-funding">Mistral secured $645 million</a> in funding, achieving a valuation of $6 billion. This positioned it as Europe&#8217;s leading AI company and the sole start-up on the continent developing large language models to compete with industry giants like OpenAI, Anthropic, and xAI.
Mistral AI was established in April 2023 by ex-engineers from Google DeepMind and Meta. Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>) also has a minor stake in the company.
Photo Courtesy: Shutterstock.com
Check out more of Benzinga's Consumer Tech coverage by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/consumer-tech" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">following this link</a>.
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Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/benzinga-neuro" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Neuro</a>&nbsp;and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

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French AI Startup, Founded By Google And Meta Veterans, Signs Million-Dollar Content Moderation Deal With AFP To Counter Big Tech's Pullback