AstraZeneca PLC ADRhedged HSBC Holdings plc ADRhedged (BATS: HSBH)

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AstraZeneca PLC ADRhedged HSBC Holdings plc ADRhedged

As the largest publicly traded dedicated non-operator, NOG has a large pipeline of acquisition opportunities and the Company frequently sends expressions of interest to acquire assets or businesses in order to evaluate and conduct due diligence on potential opportunities. Many of these requests to conduct diligence are rejected. The Company is not currently engaged in formal negotiations to acquire Granite Ridge.

News

Reported Friday, NOG Addressed Speculation On Granite Ridge Acquisition, Confirms No Formal Negotiations

With U.S. stock futures trading higher this morning on Monday, some of the stocks that may grab investor focus today are as follows:
<ul>
<li>Wall Street expects Limoneira Company (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/LMNR#NASDAQ">LMNR</a>) to report a quarterly loss at 7 cents per share on revenue of <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/LMNR/earnings">$42.45 million after</a> the closing bell, according to data from <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard">Benzinga Pro</a>. Limoneira shares gained 2% to $26.83 in after-hours trading.</li>
<li>Qualcomm Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QCOM#NASDAQ">QCOM</a>) bagged a key win in its legal battle against semiconductor design company Arm Holdings Plc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ARM#NASDAQ">ARM</a>). A federal jury in Delaware ruled that Qualcomm did not violate its licensing agreement with Arm, clearing a hurdle for the San Diego, California-<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/12/42633922/qualcomm-bags-win-in-chips-licensing-trial-against-arm-but-the-battle-is-not-over-yet">headquartered chipmaker</a>. Qualcomm shares gained 1.9% to $155.72 in the after-hours trading session.</li>
<li>Analysts expect Anavex Life Sciences Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AVXL#NASDAQ">AVXL</a>) to post a quarterly loss at 16 cents per share before the opening bell. Anavex Life Sciences shares gained 0.2% to $8.65 in the after-hours trading session.</li>
</ul>
Check out our <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/premarket/">premarket coverage here</a>
<ul>
<li>Brenmiller Energy Ltd. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BNRG#NASDAQ">BNRG</a>) shares rose sharply in after-hours trading on Friday after the company said it was awarded ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certification. Brenmiller Energy shares surged 12% to $0.8440 in the after-hours trading session.</li>
<li>Analysts expect Bridgeline Digital Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BLIN#NASDAQ">BLIN</a>) to post a quarterly loss at 5 cents per share on revenue of $3.87 million after the closing bell. Bridgeline Digital shares fell 0.7% to $1.48 in after-hours trading.</li>
</ul>
Check This Out:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/24/12/42616196/jim-cramer-likes-walmart-recommends-buying-this-very-very-good-financial-stock">Jim Cramer Likes Walmart, Recommends Buying This &#8216;Very, Very Good&#8217; Financial Stock</a></li>
</ul>
Photo courtesy: Shutterstock

Earnings

Pre-Market Outlook

Markets

Trading Ideas

AVXL

BLIN

BNRG

LMNR

QCOM

Qualcomm, Limoneira And 3 Stocks To Watch Heading Into Monday

SGML

Reported Friday, Sigma Lithium Secures Unanimous Approval For Triple Environmental License At Barreiro Mine

Fund manager Stephen Yiu of Blue Whale Growth Fund has forecasted that&nbsp;Broadcom Inc.&nbsp;(NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AVGO#NASDAQ">AVGO</a>) will yield substantial returns for investors by 2025, potentially surpassing AI chip heavyweight&nbsp;Nvidia Corporation&nbsp;(NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>).
What Happened: Yiu said that tech giants like Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>), Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMZN#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>), Google LLC (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>), and Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/META#NASDAQ">META</a>) are looking to broaden their AI chip supplier base. Despite their substantial purchases of Nvidia&#8217;s GPUs, these companies are now also creating their own custom chips for AI applications, CNBC<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2024/12/23/-the-next-nvidia-broadcom-is-the-ai-chip-stock-to-own-in-2025-investor-says.html"> reported</a> on Monday.
Yiu sees Broadcom as&nbsp;the next Nvidia in terms&nbsp;of potential outperformance, thanks to its strong partnerships with major tech firms. 
&#8220;Nvidia's&nbsp;GPUs are very powerful, but&nbsp;at the same time also&nbsp;very expensive,&#8221; Yiu noted. &#8220;From&nbsp;Microsoft's perspective, you don't want&nbsp;to become overly dependent on&nbsp;one single supplier.&#8221;
See Also:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/12/42624559/warren-buffett-says-a-surge-in-people-doing-big-dumb-things-is-tied-to-historically-easy-access-to-other-peoples-money?itm_source=parsely-api" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Warren Buffett Says A Surge In People Doing &#8216;Big Dumb Things&#8217; Is Tied To Historically Easy Access To Other People&#8217;s Money</a>
Broadcom&#8217;s year to date returns have climbed 103.42% this year, as of Monday pre-market hours, according to <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com">Benzinga Pro</a>. It hit a market cap of over $1 trillion after announcing that its AI revenue&nbsp;tripled to $12.2 billion in&nbsp;2024. The company is working&nbsp;with three major cloud computing&nbsp;customers, Meta, Alphabet, and ByteDance, to develop custom AI chips.
Despite still holding an investment in Nvidia, Yiu has significantly cut it from nearly 10% of his fund's portfolio. He views Broadcom as a more attractive investment opportunity due to its smaller size. 
&#8220;For&nbsp;a $1 trillion company to&nbsp;grow 50% to become $1.5&nbsp;trillion is reasonable. But for&nbsp;Nvidia to do that, they&nbsp;would need to add another&nbsp;$1.5 trillion, which is a&nbsp;very big number,&#8221; he elaborated.
Why It Matters: Broadcom&#8217;s CEO Hock Tan has <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/movers/24/12/42613368/broadcom-expects-decade-long-ai-chip-boom-as-big-tech-invest-billions">expressed strong confidence</a> in the sustainability of the AI boom. Big tech companies like Google, Meta, and ByteDance are investing heavily in designing custom processors to accelerate the training and deployment of AI systems. Even OpenAI and Apple have partnered with Broadcom to develop their AI server chips, diversifying their exposure to Nvidia.
Kurv Investment Management&#8217;s CEO Howard Chan recently mentioned that chipmakers like <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/24/12/42600155/exclusive-nvidia-broadcom-tipped-to-dominate-ai-compute-wave-by-kurv-ceo">Nvidia and Broadcom </a>are leading the AI wave. He noted that demand is outstripping supply in this sector, benefiting chipmakers and cloud computing service providers.
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), known for her active stock market investments as a member of Congress, disclosed in June that she had <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/09/40692177/whats-going-on-with-broadcom-shares-today" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">acquired call options on Broadcom. </a>These options, adjusted to a strike price of $80 after a 10-for-1 stock split, are set to expire in June 2025.
Pelosi, a widely followed Congressional trader, has drawn <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/09/40692177/whats-going-on-with-broadcom-shares-today">significant attention to her stock holdings,</a> inspiring dedicated Pelosi portfolio trackers. 
Read Next:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/24/12/42628397/bitcoin-ethereum-xrp-dogecoin-recover-from-days-losses-if-this-is-the-christmas-sell-off-and-the-top-so-be-it-trader-says?itm_source=parsely-api" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, Dogecoin Recover From Day&#8217;s Losses: &#8216;If This Is The Christmas Sell Off And The Top, So Be It,&#8217; Trader Says</a></li>
</ul>
Image via Shutterstock

Tech

General

AMZN

AVGO

GOOGL

MSFT

NVDA

Is This Nancy Pelosi's Stock Pick Set To Overtake Nvidia? AI Chip Race To Heat Up By 2025 As Meta And Microsoft Look Beyond Jensen Huang's Chip Maker, Says Expert

<h3>Companies Reporting Before The Bell</h3>
• Anavex Life Sciences (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AVXL#NASDAQ">AVXL</a>) is expected to report earnings for its fourth quarter. 
<h3>Companies Reporting After The Bell</h3>
• Bridgeline Digital (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BLIN#NASDAQ">BLIN</a>) is estimated to report quarterly loss at $0.01 per share on revenue of $3.87 million. 
• Limoneira (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/LMNR#NASDAQ">LMNR</a>) is expected to report quarterly loss at $0.07 per share on revenue of $42.45 million. 
This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and reviewed by an editor.

Earnings Scheduled For December 23, 2024

WHLM

Reported Friday, Wilhelmina International Confirms Nasdaq Delisting, Last Trading Day Expected December 31, 2024

GLDG

Reported Friday, GoldMining Renews At-The-Market Program For Up To $50M In Common Shares

Macro Economic Events

Econ #s

Economics

U.K. Gross Domestic Product (YoY) For Q3 0.9% Vs. 1.0% Est.; 0.7% Prior

U.K. Gross Domestic Product (QoQ) For Q3 0.0% Vs. 0.1% Est.; 0.4% (Revised) Prior

U.K. Current Account For Q3 -18.1B Vs. -22.9B Est.; 24.0B (Revised) Prior

U.K. Business Investment (QoQ) For Q3 1.9% Vs. 1.2% Est.; 1.8% (Revised) Prior

The<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/how-to-invest-in-the-sp-500"> S&amp;P 500 </a>is flashing a rare technical warning signal that hasn&#8217;t been seen since the Jimmy Carter administration, with declining stocks dominating market action for 14 consecutive days through Thursday.
What Happened: &#8220;Market tops have to start somewhere, and many begin with breadth divergences,&#8221; warns Ed Clissold, chief U.S. strategist at NDR, noting this marks the longest decline streak since Oct. 15, 1978, Business Insider <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/stock-market-outlook-risk-signal-breadth-sp500-investor-sentiment-returns-2024-12">reported</a> on Monday. 
The troubling market breadth comes as the benchmark index trades just 4% below its record high, masking deeper problems beneath the surface. The equal-weighted S&amp;P 500, which better reflects the typical stock&#8217;s performance, has already fallen 7% from its peak.
Historical data paints a concerning picture for investors. After similar breadth declines since 1972, the S&amp;P 500 has averaged just 0.1% returns over the following six months – significantly below the typical 4.5% gain seen during all periods.
The market faces a critical test heading into the traditionally bullish year-end period. &#8220;A lack of a <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/12/42627985/which-magnificent-7-stock-will-gain-the-most-in-a-santa-claus-rally-28-select">Santa Claus Rally</a> would be concerning not only from a seasonal perspective, but it would allow breadth divergences to deepen,&#8221; Clissold cautioned.
Adding to the worries, NDR&#8217;s sentiment indicators show investors have maintained extreme optimism since September, marking the seventh-longest stretch of excessive bullishness since 1995. This optimism, combined with the Federal Reserve&#8217;s recent hawkish stance on 2025 interest rate cuts, has pushed the market toward its worst weekly performance since March 2023.
&#8220;If the stock market cannot rectify recent breadth divergences in the next few weeks, it would suggest our concerns about a more difficult 2025 could come to fruition,&#8221; Clissold concluded.
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/movers/24/12/42639832/bitcoin-ethereum-dogecoin-lose-sheen-ahead-of-holidays-but-top-analyst-points-to-this-indicator-says-btc-will-hit-a-top-above-168k">Bitcoin, Ethereum, Dogecoin Lose Sheen Ahead Of Holidays But Top Analyst Points To This Indicator, Says BTC Will Hit A Top Above $168K</a>
Why It Matters: The term &#8220;Santa Claus rally&#8221; was coined by Yale Hirsch in 1972 in the &#8220;Stock Trader&#8217;s Almanac.&#8221; It refers to the tendency for <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/education/24/12/42625025/santa-claus-rally-in-2024-poll-shows-investors-split-on-end-of-year-returns-57-say-this">stock prices to rise </a>during the final five trading days of the year and the first two trading days of the following year. This period often sees higher prices due to factors such as year-end portfolio rebalancing, positive holiday sales reports, and optimism for the year ahead, all of which can contribute to strong returns for major stock market indexes.
When Benzinga asked if readers expect a Santa Clause rally, 57% responded that they expect one.
The S&amp;P 500 warning comes even as the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/12/42627688/dow-surges-over-600-points-gold-jumps-1-5">index surged over</a> 1.5% to 5,956.61 on Friday.
The conflicting signals come as the benchmark index approaches what could be its <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/12/42430296/carson-researchs-50-year-study-suggests-that-the-26-months-old-bull-market-is-far-from-over">best election year</a> performance ever, having already notched 56 new all-time highs in 2024, according to Carson Research&#8217;s chief market strategist Ryan Detrick.
Price Action: Meanwhile, on Friday, the Dow traded up 1.55% to 43,000.53 while the NASDAQ rose 1.65% to 19,693.06. The S&amp;P 500 also rose, gaining, 1.53% to 5,956.61. SPDR S&amp;P 500 ETF Trust (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SPY#NYSE">SPY</a>) which closely monitors the S&amp;P 500 closed 1.20% higher and Invesco QQQ Trust (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QQQ#NASDAQ">QQQ</a>) closed 0.87% higher, as per <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com">Benzinga Pro</a>.
Read Also: 
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/movers/24/12/42639832/bitcoin-ethereum-dogecoin-lose-sheen-ahead-of-holidays-but-top-analyst-points-to-this-indicator-says-btc-will-hit-a-top-above-168k">Crypto Analyst: ‘2025 Will Continue To Be a Great Year for Bitcoin'</a></li>
</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 Shutterstock

Analyst Color

'A Lack Of A Santa Claus Rally Would Be Concerning,' Says Analyst As S&P 500 Breadth Hits Lowest Since Jimmy Carter Era

ICL Appoints Elad Aharonson As President And CEO, Effective March 13, 2025

Rate decision supports investments in battery storage, transmission infrastructure and maintenance to improve reliability for customers.

Reported Friday, PGE Receives Approval For 2025 Rates, Supporting Critical Investments In Battery Storage And Grid Modernization

Reported Saturday, EHang Partners With Changan Automobile To Redefine Personal Transportation Through Innovative Flying Cars

RKLB

Reported Saturday, Rocket Lab Concludes 2024 With 16th Mission, Delivering Synspective Satellite And Celebrating Unprecedented Launch Cadence

Tesla Inc.&#8217;s (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSLA#NASDAQ">TSLA</a>) deliveries would be impacted if the U.S. were to <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/global/24/11/41998381/tesla-earnings-will-be-hit-hardest-if-7500-ev-credit-is-cut-warns-gary-black-citing-80-dependence-on-ev-sales-please-do-the-math">cancel the up to $7,500 tax credit</a> currently available on the purchase of electric vehicles in the country, according to researcher Troy Teslike.
What Happened: Tesla researcher Teslike noted that the cancelation of a 5000 euro ecological bonus for electric vehicles in France as well as the cancelation of a €4,500 environmental bonus in Germany led to EV sales of the company dropping in the regions.
Cancelation of a $7500 tax credit on the purchase of EVs could similarly cause a fall in sales for the company in the U.S., Teslike said. 
<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">Here are two data points on what could happen when the $7,500 Federal Tax Credit in the US is canceled: • In France, the €5,000 Ecological Bonus for electric vehicles was canceled a year ago on December 14, 2023. Tesla&#39;s year-to-date sales from January to November are down by…
&mdash; Troy Teslike (@TroyTeslike) <a href="https://twitter.com/TroyTeslike/status/1870368929773731876?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 21, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
</figure>
In November, Reuters reported that President-elect Donald Trump&#8216;s transition team is planning to kill $7,500 tax credit available on EV purchases. The report also noted that Tesla representatives expressed support for ending the subsidy to the team.
"In my view, we should end all government subsidies, including those for EVs, oil and gas," Tesla CEO Elon Musk then said.
Why It Matters: During Tesla&#8217;s second-quarter earnings in late July, Musk also said that the impact of the elimination of subsidies&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/07/39934750/trump-presidency-and-ira-cut-would-be-devastating-for-competitors-says-elon-musk-long-term-probably" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">would only be slight for Tesla</a>&nbsp;but devastating for its competitors. The elimination of EV subsidies would probably help Tesla in the long term, he added.
However, not all are <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/24/11/42005034/elon-musk-backs-calls-for-end-to-ev-subsidies-but-former-tesla-exec-warns-of-massive-drop-in-manufacturing-investments-if-trump-follows-through">as hopeful as Musk</a>. The Future Fund&nbsp;Managing Partner&nbsp;Gary Black said in November that the killing of the consumer tax credit will have a <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/global/24/11/41999238/ross-gerber-blasts-teslas-support-for-ending-ev-tax-credit-as-insanity-amid-reported-policy-shift-under-trump-administration">negative impact on Tesla's EPS</a> similar to the one experienced by the company when it resorted to price cuts to increase delivery volume in 2023.&nbsp;
Teslike then also said that the loss of tax credit would only make Tesla lose its market to gas cars from luxury car brands.
"Tesla competes with gas cars from BMW, Mercedes, Porsche, and Audi. Therefore, without the tax credit, Teslas will effectively be $7,500 more expensive compared to those cars,"&nbsp;Teslike then said. 
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>
Read Next:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/24/12/42640472/tesla-exec-bemoans-cost-of-sending-letter-to-owners-affected-by-ev-giants-recent-recall-of-nearly-700000-vehicles">Tesla Exec Bemoans Cost Of Sending Letter To Owners Affected By EV Giant&#8217;s Recent Recall Of Nearly 700,000 Vehicles</a></li>
</ul>
Photo courtesy: Tesla

TSLA

Tesla Deliveries At Risk If $7,500 EV Tax Credit Ends, Researcher Warns Despite CEO Elon Musk Claiming Otherwise

The Scarborough Energy Project has passed another significant milestone with the final Pluto Train 2 modules arriving at the Pluto LNG facility in Karratha, Western Australia.
The successful completion of the Pluto Train 2 module program advances the Scarborough Energy Project towards the targeted delivery of first LNG in 2026.
Since February 2024, a total of 51 modules, weighing a combined 56,000 metric tonnes, have been shipped to Karratha from the module yard in Batam, Indonesia, where they were built.
Expanding the Pluto LNG facility to include a second LNG processing train provides an efficient way to process gas from the offshore Scarborough field.

Reported Earlier, Woodside's Scarborough LNG Project Reaches New Heights With Delivery Of Final Pluto Train 2 Components

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>) latest advancements in artificial intelligence and quantum computing are helping the tech giant rebuild its reputation and investor confidence.
What Happened: After the release of OpenAI's ChatGPT in late 2022, Google had reportedly <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/22/12/30170477/chatgpt-popularity-reportedly-leads-to-google-declaring-code-red-as-sundar-pichai-increases-involvem-1">declared a "Code Red,"</a>
The company faced criticism for lagging behind rivals like Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>), which partnered with OpenAI to integrate ChatGPT-like capabilities into its products.
However, Google's latest developments have shifted the narrative, <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/3a3f8c9f-90fd-4e2f-94c4-b9977438e911">reported</a> Financial Times.
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/24/12/42378596/openais-chatgpt-makes-headway-in-search-threatening-googles-reign">OpenAI's ChatGPT Makes Headway In Search, Threatening Google's Reign</a>
"Alphabet has been under the microscope since ChatGPT was released," said Tiffany Hsia, a U.S. equity portfolio manager at AllianceBernstein and a Google shareholder. "Gemini 2.0 and the quantum chip give investors renewed confidence that they are one of the leading tech powerhouses."
This year, Google <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/12/42446686/google-introduces-ai-agent-prototype-that-can-browse-the-web">launched</a> Gemini 2.0, Veo 2 and Imagen 3 <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/24/12/42609242/marques-brownlee-breaks-down-how-googles-ai-video-generator-veo2-outpaces-openais-sora">models for video and image</a> generation, along with a <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/12/42404763/pichai-and-musk-dream-big-about-quantum-computing-and-solar-energy-the-most-obvious-path-is-staring-at-our-eyes-literally">quantum computing breakthrough</a> with its Willow chip.
It also unveiled a <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/24/06/39206137/google-accelerates-ai-innovation-jpmorgan-bullish-on-alphabet-as-apple-microsoft-ri">custom AI accelerator chip</a>, the Trillium Tensor Processing Unit, to challenge Nvidia Corporation's (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>) dominance.
Other innovations include Project Mariner, which <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/12/42446686/google-introduces-ai-agent-prototype-that-can-browse-the-web">compiles research reports</a> and acts on behalf of users, and Project Astra, which enables real-time answers across text, video, and audio <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/05/38826439/at-google-io-2024-sundar-pichai-and-team-announces-new-gemini-models-project-astra-ai-fraud-protecti">through smart glasses</a>.
Why It Matters: Google has also faced growing competition and scrutiny. It still dominates the search market with a 90% share, but new players like OpenAI and Anthropic pose a <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/06/39426605/google-amazon-backed-openai-rival-anthropic-unveils-claude-3-5-sonnet-its-most-powerful-ai-yet">credible threat</a>.
The company also faces regulatory hurdles with the U.S. Department of Justice <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/legal/24/11/42053249/google-could-lose-chrome-browser-in-dojs-latest-antitrust-move">seeking to break up</a> Google's ad tech business and is challenging its dominance in search.
Last week, <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/24/12/42635813/google-announces-major-layoffs-as-pichai-stresses-efficiency">Google also cut 10% of its top management</a> positions as part of a multi-year initiative to streamline operations and enhance efficiency.
Despite these challenges, Alphabet Class A and C shares have risen around 38% on a year-to-date basis.
It currently has a market capitalization of $2.351 trillion, making it the fifth most valuable company in the world following Apple, Nvidia, Microsoft and Amazon.
Price Action: Alphabet&#8217;s Class A shares rose by 1.54% on Friday, closing at $191.41, while Class C shares climbed 1.72% to end at $192.96, according to <a href="https://benzinga.grsm.io/lxquj26b2sag">Benzinga Pro data</a>.
The latest analyst updates from JP Morgan, Goldman Sachs, and Baird place an average price target of $215.67 on Alphabet&#8217;s Class A shares, suggesting a potential gain of 11.87%.
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/GOOGL/analyst-ratings"><img decoding="async" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/23014217/Screenshot-2024-12-23-at-12.12.07%E2%80%AFPM-1024x378.png" alt="" class="wp-image-703386" /></a></figure>
Similarly, Oppenheimer, Jefferies, and Pivotal Research have set an average price target of $225 for Class C shares, projecting an upside of 15.9%.
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/benzinga-neuro">Benzinga Neuro</a> and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

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Starbucks Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SBUX#NASDAQ">SBUX</a>) workers have expanded their strike to additional U.S. cities amid stalled wage negotiations during the crucial holiday shopping period, potentially <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/12/42609868/starbucks-workers-plan-strike-in-la-chicago-seattle-on-christmas-eve-amid-holiday-rush">affecting the coffee chain&#8217;s Christmas sales</a>, according to Workers United union.
What Happened: The five-day strike, which began Friday, has spread from initial locations in Los Angeles, Chicago, and Seattle to include stores in New Jersey, New York, Philadelphia, and St. Louis, the union said in a statement Saturday. Workers in Columbus, Ohio, Denver, and Pittsburgh are also participating in the walkout, reported Reuters.
At the heart of the dispute is Workers United&#8217;s proposal for substantial wage increases, including an immediate 64% rise in minimum hourly wages and a 77% increase over a three-year contract period. Starbucks has called these demands &#8220;unsustainable&#8221; and maintains that the strike has not significantly impacted its operations, noting that only a small fraction of its more than 11,000 U.S. locations are affected.
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Why It Matters: The strike comes at a critical time for Starbucks, which employs approximately 200,000 workers across its U.S. operations. While negotiations between the company and the union began in April, with over eight bargaining sessions leading to 30 agreements, key issues regarding wages, staffing, and <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/12/42609868/starbucks-workers-plan-strike-in-la-chicago-seattle-on-christmas-eve-amid-holiday-rush">schedules remain unresolved</a>.
Workers United has warned that the strike could expand to &#8220;hundreds of stores&#8221; by Christmas Eve, potentially disrupting one of the busiest retail periods of the year. 
Despite these labor challenges, Wall Street maintains a generally positive outlook on the company. Wells Fargo analyst Zachary Fadem, who holds an 86% accuracy <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/12/42260312/this-analyst-with-86-accuracy-rate-sees-more-than-12-upside-in-starbucks-here-are-5-stock-picks-for-last-week-from-wall-streets-most-accurate-analysts">rating according to Benzinga</a>, recently maintained an Overweight rating on Starbucks with a price target of $115, suggesting over 12% upside potential.
The current consensus <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/SBUX/analyst-ratings">price target among 28 analysts</a> covering Starbucks stands at $103.85, with estimates ranging from Jefferies&#8217; low of $76 to Evercore ISI Group&#8217;s high of $120.
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Image Via Shutterstcok 
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

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Starbucks Strike Expands To More US Cities As Wage Negotiations Stall During Busy Holiday Season

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