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Management

Tech

ASST

Asset Entities, Executive Tweets: Ready to watch our amazing #Ai demo of our #MiQb Ai platform Special #DeadpoolAndWolverine #AiAvii  Catch it quick with limited number of scans for an exclusive T-shirt 
#ASST EMEA

ByteDance&#8216;s TikTok, Meta Platforms Inc&#8216;s (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/META#NASDAQ">META</a>) Instagram Reels and Alphabet Inc&#8216;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>) YouTube Shorts are the three largest <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/entertainment/22/12/30065546/gen-z-users-want-short-form-content-spend-4-hours-on-social-media-daily-like-superheroes-wh">short-form video platforms</a>.
The META Analyst: Needham analyst Laura Martin reiterated an Underperform rating for Meta in a note published Friday. 
Martin also compared Meta&#8217;s Instagram Reels platform to industry competitors and reached valuations for each:
<ul>
<li>TikTok, $218 billion.</li>
<li>Instagram Reels, $203 billion.</li>
<li>YouTube Shorts t $206 billion.</li>
</ul>
Martin reached the figures by multiplying revenue, monthly active users and engagement by valuation multiples and averaging the three. 
TikTok excels at revenue generation and engagement while Reels has the most monthly users. Shorts has a high user engagement similar to TikTok.
Monetization Takeaways: Per a survey of businesses advertising on the platforms, Instagram Reels is the most successful at driving sales followed by Shorts. TikTok is in third.
TikTok has the most advertising formats with Instagram/Facebook Reels in second and Shorts in third.
Ad buyers identify young demographics, interactive features and virality potential as positives in advertising on TikTok. Negatives include the advertising learning curve and a <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/asia/24/05/38567569/tiktok-ban-is-the-us-government-taking-a-page-from-chinas-censorship-book">potential U.S. government ban</a>.
Ad buyers like that Reels has the widest demographic base of users and more precise targeting and analytics as advantages. Advertisers feel like the ads are less interactive on Reels than TikTok. They remain concerned that advertising is too expensive given that nearly all advertisers use Meta.
Shorts has a diverse user base and easy targeting and analytics tools. Additionally, Shorts is integrated well with the entire YouTube ecosystem. Shorts is seemingly less popular among users.
User Feedback Takeaways: Users perceive TikTok as being the original short-form video platform and Reels and Shorts as being &#8220;imitations.&#8221; Users also like TikTok&#8217;s catered algorithm and frenetic pace compared to Reels and Shorts. 
Now Read:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/earnings/24/07/39981542/us-stocks-look-to-end-week-on-high-note-as-nvidia-leads-mega-caps-higher-in-premarket-ahead-of-key-">US Stocks Look To End Week On High Note As Nvidia Leads Mega-Caps Higher In Premarket Ahead Of Key Inflation Data</a></li>
</ul>
Image: Shutterstock

GOOG

GOOGL

TikTok Vs. Reels Vs. Shorts: Analyst Sizes Up Short-Form Video Platforms On Valuation And Monetization

Gentex (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/gntx#NASDAQ">GNTX</a>) reported $572.93 million in revenue for the quarter ended June 2024, representing a year-over-year decline of 1.8%. EPS of $0.37 for the same period compares to $0.47 a year ago.
The reported revenue compares to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $623.28 million, representing a surprise of -8.08%. The company delivered an EPS surprise of -28.85%, with the consensus EPS estimate being $0.52.
While investors closely watch year-over-year changes in headline numbers -- revenue and earnings -- and how they compare to Wall Street expectations to determine their next course of action, some key metrics always provide a better insight into a company&#39;s underlying performance.
Since these metrics play a crucial role in driving the top- and bottom-line numbers, comparing them with the year-ago numbers and what analysts estimated about them helps investors better project a stock&#39;s price performance.
Here is how Gentex performed in the just reported quarter in terms of the metrics most widely monitored and projected by Wall Street analysts:
<ul>
<li>Auto-Dimming Mirror Shipments - Total Auto-Dimming Mirror Units: 12,184 thousand versus 13,728.19 thousand estimated by two analysts on average.</li>
<li>Auto-Dimming Mirror Shipments - Total Interior Mirrors: 7,535 thousand versus the two-analyst average estimate of 8,605.58 thousand.</li>
<li>Auto-Dimming Mirror Shipments - Total Exterior Mirrors: 4,649 thousand versus 5,122.61 thousand estimated by two analysts on average.</li>
<li>Auto-Dimming Mirror Shipments - North American Interior Mirrors: 2,346 thousand compared to the 2,655.78 thousand average estimate based on two analysts.</li>
<li>Auto-Dimming Mirror Shipments - Total International Mirror Units: 8,133 thousand compared to the 9,193.09 thousand average estimate based on two analysts.</li>
<li>Auto-Dimming Mirror Shipments - Total North American Mirror Units: 4,051 thousand compared to the 4,535.11 thousand average estimate based on two analysts.</li>
<li>Auto-Dimming Mirror Shipments - International Interior Mirrors: 5,189 thousand compared to the 5,949.81 thousand average estimate based on two analysts.</li>
<li>Auto-Dimming Mirror Shipments - International Exterior Mirrors: 2,944 thousand compared to the 3,243.28 thousand average estimate based on two analysts.</li>
<li>Auto-Dimming Mirror Shipments - North American Exterior Mirrors: 1,705 thousand compared to the 1,879.33 thousand average estimate based on two analysts.</li>
<li>Revenue- Other: $13.60 million versus the three-analyst average estimate of $9.78 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +44.7%.</li>
<li>Revenue- Automotive Products: $559.30 million versus $621.51 million estimated by three analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a -2.6% change.</li>
</ul>
Shares of Gentex have returned -2.5% over the past month versus the Zacks S&amp;P 500 composite&#39;s -1.2% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), indicating that it could perform in line with the broader market in the near term.
<a href="https://www.zacks.com/stock/news/2309899/here-s-what-key-metrics-tell-us-about-gentex-gntx-q2-earnings?cid=CS-BENZ-FT-fundamental_analysis|nfm-2309899">To read this article on Zacks.com click here.</a>

Earnings

Markets

Analyst Ratings

Trading Ideas

GNTX

Here's What Key Metrics Tell Us About Gentex Q2 Earnings

Premier Financial (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/pfc#NASDAQ">PFC</a>) came out with quarterly earnings of $0.45 per share, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.50 per share. This compares to earnings of $0.68 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items.
This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of -10%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this holding company for First Federal Bank of the Midwest would post earnings of $0.48 per share when it actually produced earnings of $0.50, delivering a surprise of 4.17%.
Over the last four quarters, the company has surpassed consensus EPS estimates two times.
Premier Financial, which belongs to the Zacks Banks - Northeast industry, posted revenues of $61.3 million for the quarter ended June 2024, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 3%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $107.34 million. The company has topped consensus revenue estimates just once over the last four quarters.
The sustainability of the stock&#39;s immediate price movement based on the recently-released numbers and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management&#39;s commentary on the earnings call.
Premier Financial shares have added about 5.7% since the beginning of the year versus the S&amp;P 500&#39;s gain of 13.2%.
What&#39;s Next for Premier Financial?
While Premier Financial has underperformed the market so far this year, the question that comes to investors&#39; minds is: what&#39;s next for the stock?
There are no easy answers to this key question, but one reliable measure that can help investors address this is the company&#39;s earnings outlook. Not only does this include current consensus earnings expectations for the coming quarter(s), but also how these expectations have changed lately.
Empirical research shows a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions. Investors can track such revisions by themselves or rely on a tried-and-tested rating tool like the Zacks Rank, which has an impressive track record of harnessing the power of earnings estimate revisions.
Ahead of this earnings release, the estimate revisions trend for Premier Financial: mixed. While the magnitude and direction of estimate revisions could change following the company&#39;s just-released earnings report, the current status translates into a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) for the stock. So, the shares are expected to perform in line with the market in the near future.
It will be interesting to see how estimates for the coming quarters and current fiscal year change in the days ahead. The current consensus EPS estimate is $0.52 on $64.55 million in revenues for the coming quarter and $2.03 on $255.5 million in revenues for the current fiscal year.
Investors should be mindful of the fact that the outlook for the industry can have a material impact on the performance of the stock as well. In terms of the Zacks Industry Rank, Banks - Northeast is currently in the top 15% of the 250 plus Zacks industries. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperform the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1.
Another stock from the same industry, Camden National (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/cac#NASDAQ">CAC</a>), has yet to report results for the quarter ended June 2024. The results are expected to be released on July 30.
This bank is expected to post quarterly earnings of $0.71 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of -16.5%. The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has remained unchanged over the last 30 days.
Camden National&#39;s revenues are expected to be $41.64 million, down 2.7% from the year-ago quarter.
<a href="https://www.zacks.com/stock/news/2309919/premier-financial-pfc-q2-earnings-and-revenues-miss-estimates?cid=CS-BENZ-FT-tale_of_the_tape|yseop_template_4-2309919">To read this article on Zacks.com click here.</a>

Earnings Misses

Small Cap

Premier Financial Q2 Earnings and Revenues Miss Estimates

On Nov. 19, New York City will host <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/fintech-awards">Benzinga's Fintech Deal Day &amp; Awards</a>, drawing top names in financial technology for a day of networking, discussions, and recognition. With the July 31 deadline for fee-free nominations fast approaching, companies across the industry are preparing to showcase their latest advancements and compete for prestigious awards.
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Final Days for Fee-Free Nominations</h3>
Fintech companies have until July 31 to submit their nominations for the Benzinga Fintech Awards without an application fee. The awards feature over <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/benzinga-announces-fintech-deal-day--awards-event-on-november-19-2024-in-nyc-302205755.html?tc=eml_cleartime">25 categories </a>that recognize significant achievements in areas such as digital banking, blockchain technology, cryptocurrency, insurtech, and regtech. This fee waiver encourages a broad range of entries and ensures diverse representation from across the industry.
To participate, review the list of award categories to find the best fit for your nominee. Prepare and submit your nomination by Sept. 29, at 11:59 PM EST.
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Top Minds in Fintech Share Knowledge</h3>
Attendees will have the chance to network with over 1,000 leaders from the capital markets. The event will feature a series of discussions on crucial topics such as digital banking, blockchain, cryptocurrency, insurtech, and regtech. Previous winners of these prestigious awards include industry stalwarts like Alpaca, Apex Fintech Solutions, CashApp, and MoneyLion, showcasing the event&#8217;s high standards and broad reach. 
Jason Raznick, co-founder &amp; CEO of Benzinga, will take the stage to address attendees. "$100M of deals to be done at this event. Don&#8217;t be the only person missing out!" Raznick said, highlighting the event&#8217;s potential for creating valuable business connections and opportunities.
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Two Bird, One Stone</h3>
In an innovative twist, the Fintech Deal Day &amp; Awards will coincide with <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/events/digital-assets/">Benzinga's Future of Digital Assets event.</a> This dual-event format allows participants to gain comprehensive insights from both the fintech and digital assets. Renowned speakers such as Grant Cardone, Kevin O&#8217;Leary, Raoul Pal, and Anthony Scaramucci are expected to share their perspectives on the current and future state of financial technology and digital assets.
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Why Attend?</h3>
The Benzinga Fintech Deal Day &amp; Awards has promised to offer a blend of networking, learning, and recognition. For companies, it is a chance to showcase their contributions to the fintech industry and connect with potential partners and investors. The event&#8217;s comprehensive agenda ensures that participants gain valuable insights and foster relationships that could drive future success.
With limited spaces available, early registration is essential. Attendees can look forward to a day filled with opportunities to engage with industry leaders, partake in insightful discussions, and celebrate the innovations shaping the future of fintech. For more information and to secure your tickets, visit the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/fintech-awards">Benzinga Fintech Awards</a>.
Read Next:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/sports-betting/24/07/39989579/6-stocks-going-for-gold-during-2024-summer-olympics-biggest-event-in-company-history">6 Stocks Going For Gold During 2024 Summer Olympics: &#8216;Biggest Event&#8217; In Company History</a></li>
</ul>
Photo courtesy: Shutterstock

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

Cryptocurrency

Fintech news covering the emerging Financial Technology services sector

Fintech

Events

Fintech Innovators To Gather At Benzinga's Deal Day & Awards In NYC: '$100M Of Deals To Be Done'

WesBanco (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/wsbc#NASDAQ">WSBC</a>) came out with quarterly earnings of $0.49 per share, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.54 per share. This compares to earnings of $0.71 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items.
This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of -9.26%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this holding company for WesBanco Bank would post earnings of $0.56 per share when it actually produced earnings of $0.56, delivering no surprise.
Over the last four quarters, the company has not been able to surpass consensus EPS estimates.
WesBanco, which belongs to the Zacks Banks - Southeast industry, posted revenues of $149.16 million for the quarter ended June 2024, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 0.51%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $154.66 million. The company has topped consensus revenue estimates three times over the last four quarters.
The sustainability of the stock&#39;s immediate price movement based on the recently-released numbers and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management&#39;s commentary on the earnings call.
WesBanco shares have added about 9.3% since the beginning of the year versus the S&amp;P 500&#39;s gain of 13.2%.
What&#39;s Next for WesBanco?
While WesBanco has underperformed the market so far this year, the question that comes to investors&#39; minds is: what&#39;s next for the stock?
There are no easy answers to this key question, but one reliable measure that can help investors address this is the company&#39;s earnings outlook. Not only does this include current consensus earnings expectations for the coming quarter(s), but also how these expectations have changed lately.
Empirical research shows a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions. Investors can track such revisions by themselves or rely on a tried-and-tested rating tool like the Zacks Rank, which has an impressive track record of harnessing the power of earnings estimate revisions.
Ahead of this earnings release, the estimate revisions trend for WesBanco: unfavorable. While the magnitude and direction of estimate revisions could change following the company&#39;s just-released earnings report, the current status translates into a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell) for the stock. So, the shares are expected to underperform the market in the near future.
It will be interesting to see how estimates for the coming quarters and current fiscal year change in the days ahead. The current consensus EPS estimate is $0.54 on $151.55 million in revenues for the coming quarter and $2.21 on $596.1 million in revenues for the current fiscal year.
Investors should be mindful of the fact that the outlook for the industry can have a material impact on the performance of the stock as well. In terms of the Zacks Industry Rank, Banks - Southeast is currently in the top 37% of the 250 plus Zacks industries. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperform the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1.
One other stock from the same industry, United Bancorporation of Alabama, Inc. (OTC: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ubab#OTC">UBAB</a>), is yet to report results for the quarter ended June 2024.
This company is expected to post quarterly earnings of $1.78 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of -11.9%. The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has remained unchanged over the last 30 days.
United Bancorporation of Alabama, Inc.&#39;s revenues are expected to be $18.39 million, up 1.8% from the year-ago quarter.
<a href="https://www.zacks.com/stock/news/2309850/wesbanco-wsbc-q2-earnings-miss-estimates?cid=CS-BENZ-FT-tale_of_the_tape|yseop_template_4-2309850">To read this article on Zacks.com click here.</a>

UBAB

WSBC

WesBanco Q2 Earnings Miss Estimates

First Hawaiian (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/fhb#NASDAQ">FHB</a>) came out with quarterly earnings of $0.48 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.42 per share. This compares to earnings of $0.49 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items.
This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of 14.29%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this bank holding company would post earnings of $0.42 per share when it actually produced earnings of $0.42, delivering no surprise.
Over the last four quarters, the company has surpassed consensus EPS estimates two times.
First Hawaiian, which belongs to the Zacks Banks - West industry, posted revenues of $204.62 million for the quarter ended June 2024, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 0.83%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $207.29 million. The company has topped consensus revenue estimates four times over the last four quarters.
The sustainability of the stock&#39;s immediate price movement based on the recently-released numbers and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management&#39;s commentary on the earnings call.
First Hawaiian shares have added about 9.9% since the beginning of the year versus the S&amp;P 500&#39;s gain of 13.2%.
What&#39;s Next for First Hawaiian?
While First Hawaiian has underperformed the market so far this year, the question that comes to investors&#39; minds is: what&#39;s next for the stock?
There are no easy answers to this key question, but one reliable measure that can help investors address this is the company&#39;s earnings outlook. Not only does this include current consensus earnings expectations for the coming quarter(s), but also how these expectations have changed lately.
Empirical research shows a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions. Investors can track such revisions by themselves or rely on a tried-and-tested rating tool like the Zacks Rank, which has an impressive track record of harnessing the power of earnings estimate revisions.
Ahead of this earnings release, the estimate revisions trend for First Hawaiian: unfavorable. While the magnitude and direction of estimate revisions could change following the company&#39;s just-released earnings report, the current status translates into a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell) for the stock. So, the shares are expected to underperform the market in the near future.
It will be interesting to see how estimates for the coming quarters and current fiscal year change in the days ahead. The current consensus EPS estimate is $0.43 on $206.08 million in revenues for the coming quarter and $1.71 on $821.87 million in revenues for the current fiscal year.
Investors should be mindful of the fact that the outlook for the industry can have a material impact on the performance of the stock as well. In terms of the Zacks Industry Rank, Banks - West is currently in the top 37% of the 250 plus Zacks industries. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperform the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1.
Central Pacific Financial (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/cpf#NYSE">CPF</a>), another stock in the same industry, has yet to report results for the quarter ended June 2024. The results are expected to be released on July 31.
This operator of Central Pacific Bank is expected to post quarterly earnings of $0.48 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of -9.4%. The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has remained unchanged over the last 30 days.
Central Pacific Financial&#39;s revenues are expected to be $61.74 million, down 2.3% from the year-ago quarter.
<a href="https://www.zacks.com/stock/news/2309852/first-hawaiian-fhb-beats-q2-earnings-and-revenue-estimates?cid=CS-BENZ-FT-tale_of_the_tape|yseop_template_4-2309852">To read this article on Zacks.com click here.</a>

Earnings Beats

First Hawaiian Beats Q2 Earnings and Revenue Estimates

INDA

Yellen Said UN Does Not Have Expertise On Global Tax Issues, Brings In Too Many Countries; Said  Pillar 1 Talks On Digital Taxes Have Made A Lot Of Progress But India, China, Australia Remain Holdouts

Have you been paying attention to shares of Universal Health Services (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/uhs#NYSE">UHS</a>)? Shares have been on the move with the stock up 7% over the past month. The stock hit a new 52-week high of $207.7 in the previous session. Universal Health Services has gained 34.5% since the start of the year compared to the 6.6% move for the Zacks Medical sector and the 31.5% return for the Zacks Medical - Hospital industry.
What&#39;s Driving the Outperformance?
The stock has a great record of positive earnings surprises, as it hasn&#39;t missed our earnings consensus estimate in any of the last four quarters. In its last earnings report on July 24, 2024, Universal Health Services reported EPS of $4.31 versus consensus estimate of $3.37.
For the current fiscal year, Universal Health Services is expected to post earnings of $13.83 per share on $15.57 billion in revenues. This represents a 31.21% change in EPS on a 9.01% change in revenues. For the next fiscal year, the company is expected to earn $15.07 per share on $16.28 billion in revenues. This represents a year-over-year change of 8.95% and 4.58%, respectively.
Valuation Metrics
Universal Health Services may be at a 52-week high right now, but what might the future hold for the stock? A key aspect of this question is taking a look at valuation metrics in order to determine if the company is due for a pullback from this level.
On this front, we can look at the Zacks Style Scores, as they provide investors with an additional way to sort through stocks (beyond looking at the Zacks Rank of a security). These styles are represented by grades running from A to F in the categories of Value, Growth, and Momentum, while there is a combined VGM Score as well. Investors should consider the style scores a valuable tool that can help you to pick the most appropriate Zacks Rank stocks based on their individual investment style.
Universal Health Services has a Value Score of A. The stock&#39;s Growth and Momentum Scores are A and B, respectively, giving the company a VGM Score of A.
In terms of its value breakdown, the stock currently trades at 14.8X current fiscal year EPS estimates, which is not in-line with the peer industry average of 16.3X. On a trailing cash flow basis, the stock currently trades at 10.5X versus its peer group&#39;s average of 10.9X. Additionally, the stock has a PEG ratio of 0.97. This isn&#39;t enough to put the company in the top echelon of all stocks we cover from a value perspective.
Zacks Rank
We also need to consider the stock&#39;s Zacks Rank, as this supersedes any trend on the style score front. Fortunately, Universal Health Services currently has a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy) thanks to rising earnings estimates.
Since we recommend that investors select stocks carrying Zacks Rank of 1 (Strong Buy) or 2 (Buy) and Style Scores of A or B, it looks as if Universal Health Services fits the bill. Thus, it seems as though Universal Health Services shares could still be poised for more gains ahead.
How Does UHS Stack Up to the Competition?
Shares of UHS have been soaring, and the company still appears to be a decent choice, but what about the rest of the industry? One industry peer that looks good is Tenet Healthcare Corporation (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/thc#NYSE">THC</a>). THC has a Zacks Rank of # 1 (Strong Buy) and a Value Score of A, a Growth Score of C, and a Momentum Score of A.
Earnings were strong last quarter. Tenet Healthcare Corporation beat our consensus estimate by 22.22%, and for the current fiscal year, THC is expected to post earnings of $9.14 per share on revenue of $20.25 billion.
Shares of Tenet Healthcare Corporation have gained 8.3% over the past month, and currently trade at a forward P/E of 16.37X and a P/CF of 9.24X.
The Medical - Hospital industry is in the top 2% of all the industries we have in our universe, so it looks like there are some nice tailwinds for UHS and THC, even beyond their own solid fundamental situation.
<a href="https://www.zacks.com/stock/news/2309851/universal-health-services-inc-uhs-hit-a-52-week-high-can-the-run-continue?cid=CS-BENZ-FT-52_week_high-2309851">To read this article on Zacks.com click here.</a>

Health Care

General

Universal Health Services, Inc. Hit a 52 Week High, Can the Run Continue?

Treasury Secretary Yellen Said Opposes Shifting Global Tax Agreement Negotiations To Un From OECD In Reuters Interview

For investors seeking momentum, Invesco S&amp;P SmallCap Value with Momentum ETF (ARCA:XSVM) is probably on the radar. The fund just hit a 52-week high and is up 28% from its 52-week low price of $44.86/share.
But are more gains in store for this ETF? Let&#39;s take a quick look at the fund and the near-term outlook on it to get a better idea of where it might be headed:
<h3>XSVM in Focus</h3>
Invesco S&amp;P SmallCap Value with Momentum ETF offers exposure to the companies having the highest &quot;value scores&quot; and &quot;momentum scores.&quot; It has key holdings in financials, consumer discretionary, industrials and energy sectors. The product charges 36 bps in annual fees.
<h3>Why the Move?</h3>
The small-cap corner segment of the broader stock market has been an area to watch lately, given robust GDP growth data. The world&#39;s biggest economy&#39;s growth accelerated in the second quarter, primarily driven by solid consumer spending and higher business investment. GDP picked up 2.8% annually, higher than 2% growth expected by economists surveyed by Bloomberg and 1.4% in the first quarter.
Small-cap stocks generally lead the way higher on improving American economic health as these are closely tied to the U.S. economy and generate most of their revenues from the domestic market.
<h3>More Gains Ahead?</h3>
Currently, XSVM has a Zacks ETF Rank #3 (Hold). Therefore, it is hard to get a handle on its future returns one way or the other. However, many of the segments that make up this ETF have a strong Zacks Industry Rank. So, there is definitely some promise for those who want to ride this surging ETF a little further.
<a href="https://www.zacks.com/stock/news/2309863/small-cap-etf-xsvm-hits-new-52-week-high?cid=CS-BENZ-FT-etf_news_and_commentary-2309863">To read this article on Zacks.com click here.</a>

ETFs

XSVM

Small-Cap ETF Hits New 52-Week High

Wedbush analyst Tom Nikic reiterated an Outperform rating on Skechers U.S.A., Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SKX#NYSE">SKX</a>), <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/SKX/analyst-ratings" rel="noreferrer noopener">raising the price forecast to $79 from $76.&nbsp;&nbsp;</a>
Skechers reported quarterly earnings of 91 cents per share, which missed the analyst consensus estimate of 94 cents by 3.19%. The company reported quarterly sales of $2.16 billion.
According to the analyst, the company saw strength in U.S. wholesale, Europe DTC, and gross margins, resulting in raised FY sales/EPS guidance.
In addition, the quarter would have been more robust if not for a pushout of revenue to the third quarter.
Also Read: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/earnings/24/07/39972642/skechers-reports-q2-results-heres-the-details" rel="noreferrer noopener">Skechers Reports Q2 Results: Here&#8217;s The Details</a>
On the flip side, U.S. DTC and China slowed meaningfully, Nikic cautioned. All in all, the analyst sees favorable risk/reward here.
The analyst raised FY24/25 EPS forecasts to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/calendars/guidance" rel="noreferrer noopener">$4.16/ $4.92 (from $4.06/$4.75).</a>
According to the analyst, the domestic wholesale channel benefited not only from easy comparisons but also from strong consumer response to Slip-Ins and other new products.
However, U.S. DTC trends continued to slow, growing just 1% YoY against the year&#8217;s toughest compare (+29%), owing to slowing foot traffic in stores, though digital traffic improved.
The analyst adds that the company&#8217;s 2H guidance embeds modest expectations in U.S. DTC.
Price Action: SKX shares are trading higher by 1.90% to $64.92 at last check Friday.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Photo via Wikimedia Commons
Read Next:
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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/24/07/39990138/general-motors-cruise-aims-to-resume-driverless-rides-this-year-report" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">General Motors&#8217; Cruise Aims To Resume Driverless Rides This Year: Report</a></li>
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Analyst Color

Equities

Price Target

Reiteration

Analyst Bumps Up Skechers Price Forecast, Cites Strong Wholesale and European Growth Despite Earnings Miss

U.S. stocks traded higher toward the end of trading, with the S&amp;P 500 gaining more than 1% on Friday.
The Dow traded up 1.66% to 40,598.17 while the NASDAQ rose 1.07% to 17,365.04. The S&amp;P 500 also rose, gaining, 1.17% to 5,462.66.
Check This Out: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/24/07/39984123/jim-cramer-is-mystified-by-five-below-predicts-crowdstrike-is-going-to-bottom-here"> Jim Cramer Is &#8216;Mystified&#8217; By Five Below, Predicts CrowdStrike &#8216;Is Going To Bottom Here&#8217;</a>
Leading and Lagging Sectors Industrials shares jumped by 2% on Wednesday.
In trading on Wednesday, energy shares rose by just 0.6%.
Top Headline
3M Company (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MMM#NYSE">MMM</a>) shares jumped around 21% on Friday after the company posted better-than-expected second-quarter financial results and raised its FY24 EPS outlook.
The company reported second-quarter net sales of $6.255 billion, a slight decline of 0.5% year-over-year. Adjusted net sales totaled $6.019 billion, up 1.1% YoY, beating the consensus of $5.878 billion. Adjusted EPS was $1.93, up from $1.39 in the prior-year quarter, beating the consensus of $1.68.
For fiscal 2024, 3M continues to see adjusted total sales growth of (0.25%) to +1.75% and, on an organic basis, flat to +2%. MMM now expects adjusted EPS of $7.00 – $7.30 (prior $6.80 – $7.30) versus the $7.17 consensus.
Equities Trading UP &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>Windtree Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/WINT#NASDAQ">WINT</a>) shares shot up 107% to $6.85 after the company filed a request for the withdrawal of its registration statement on a Form S-1.</li>
<li>Shares of BurgerFi International, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BFI#NASDAQ">BFI</a>) got a boost, surging 144% to $0.5191 after the company announced it reached a legal settlement agreement with Lion Point Capital. The company agreed to pay $1,350,000 and issue Lion Point 300,000 of preferred stock.</li>
<li>Coursera, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/COUR#NYSE">COUR</a>) shares were also up, gaining 45% to $10.77 after the company beat second-quarter earnings estimates.</li>
</ul>
Equities Trading DOWN
<ul>
<li>NovaBay Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NBY#NYSE">NBY</a>) shares dropped 64% to $0.70 after the company reported pricing of $3.5 million underwritten public offering.</li>
<li>Shares of DexCom, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DXCM#NASDAQ">DXCM</a>) were down 42% to $62.50 after the company reported worse-than-expected second-quarter revenue results and issued weak FY24 revenue guidance.</li>
<li>Nature&#8217;s Miracle Holding Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NMHI#NASDAQ">NMHI</a>) was down, falling 47% to $0.2087 after the company announced pricing of $1.2 million public offering.</li>
</ul>
Also Check This Out: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/24/07/39984459/top-3-risk-off-stocks-that-are-set-to-fly-in-july">Top 3 Risk Off Stocks That Are Set To Fly In July</a>
Commodities In commodity news, oil traded down 1.1% to $77.41 while gold traded up 1.2% at $2,381.50.
Silver traded up 0.1% to $28.00 on Friday, while copper fell 0.3% to $4.1145.
Euro zone
European shares were higher today. The eurozone's STOXX 600 gained 0.83%, Germany's DAX rose 0.65% and France's CAC 40 rose 1.22%. Spain's IBEX 35 Index rose 0.18%, while London's FTSE 100 rose 1.21%.
Median expectations for inflation over the next 12 months for the Eurozone came in unchanged at 2.8% for June. Spanish unemployment rate declined to 11.27% during the second quarter. The consumer confidence indicator in France climbed to 90.8 in July compared to a revised reading of 89.7 in the prior month.
Asia Pacific Markets
Asian markets closed mostly higher on Friday, with Japan's Nikkei 225 falling 0.53%, Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index gaining 0.1%, China's Shanghai Composite Index gaining 0.14% and India's S&amp;P BSE Sensex jumping 1.62%.
Foreign exchange reserves held by the Reserve Bank of India rose to $670.9 billion as of July 19. The index of coincident economic indicators in Japan rose to 117.1 in May versus a flash reading of 116.5.
Economics
<ul>
<li>The headline Personal Consumption Expenditure (PCE) price index fell to 2.5% year-on-year in June, as expected.</li>
<li>Personal spending in the U.S. rose 0.3% from the prior month in June, while personal income increased by 0.2% to $23.948 trillion in June.</li>
<li>The University of Michigan consumer sentiment was revised higher to 66.4 in July compared to a preliminary level of 66.</li>
<li>The total number of active U.S. oil rigs climbed by 5 to 482 rigs this week, Baker Hughes Inc reported</li>
</ul>
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Eurozone

Commodities

Intraday Update

COUR

DXCM

NMHI

WINT

S&P 500 Gains Over 1%; 3M Shares Jump After Q2 Results

Financial giants have made a conspicuous bullish move on JD.com. Our analysis of options history for JD.com (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/JD#NASDAQ">JD</a>) revealed 12 unusual trades.
Delving into the details, we found 50% of traders were bullish, while 41% showed bearish tendencies. Out of all the trades we spotted, 3 were puts, with a value of $209,543, and 9 were calls, valued at $453,242.
<h3>Projected Price Targets</h3>
After evaluating the trading volumes and Open Interest, it's evident that the major market movers are focusing on a price band between $20.0 and $36.0 for JD.com, spanning the last three months.
<h3>Analyzing Volume &amp; Open Interest</h3>
Examining the volume and open interest provides crucial insights into stock research. This information is key in gauging liquidity and interest levels for JD.com's options at certain strike prices. Below, we present a snapshot of the trends in volume and open interest for calls and puts across JD.com's significant trades, within a strike price range of $20.0 to $36.0, over the past month.
<h3>JD.com 30-Day Option Volume &amp; Interest Snapshot</h3>
<img src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2024/1722018663_0.png" alt="Options Call Chart" />
<h3>Noteworthy Options Activity:</h3>

<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Symbol</th>
<th>PUT/CALL</th>
<th>Trade Type</th>
<th>Sentiment</th>
<th>Exp. Date</th>
<th>Ask</th>
<th>Bid</th>
<th>Price</th>
<th>Strike Price</th>
<th>Total Trade Price</th>
<th>Open Interest</th>
<th>Volume</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>JD</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>01/17/25</td>
<td>$9.85</td>
<td>$9.55</td>
<td>$9.85</td>
<td>$36.00</td>
<td>$139.8K</td>
<td>323</td>
<td>151</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>JD</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>12/18/26</td>
<td>$8.35</td>
<td>$7.85</td>
<td>$7.95</td>
<td>$25.00</td>
<td>$74.6K</td>
<td>127</td>
<td>90</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>JD</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>12/20/24</td>
<td>$7.15</td>
<td>$7.1</td>
<td>$7.1</td>
<td>$20.00</td>
<td>$71.0K</td>
<td>4.1K</td>
<td>0</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>JD</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>08/09/24</td>
<td>$0.68</td>
<td>$0.64</td>
<td>$0.68</td>
<td>$27.00</td>
<td>$67.8K</td>
<td>515</td>
<td>1.0K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>JD</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>01/17/25</td>
<td>$7.55</td>
<td>$7.3</td>
<td>$7.48</td>
<td>$20.00</td>
<td>$44.8K</td>
<td>11.3K</td>
<td>7</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

<h3>About JD.com</h3>
JD.com Inc is a leading e-commerce platform with its 2022 China GMV being similar to Pinduoduo (GMV not reported), on our estimate, but still lower than Alibaba. it offers a wide selection of authentic products with speedy and reliable delivery. The company has built its own nationwide fulfilment infrastructure and last-mile delivery network, staffed by its own employees, which supports both its online direct sales, its online marketplace and omnichannel businesses.
<h3>Current Position of JD.com</h3>
<ul>
<li>Currently trading with a volume of 2,219,202, the JD's price is up by 0.91%, now at $26.57. </li>
<li>RSI readings suggest the stock is currently may be approaching overbought.</li>
<li>Anticipated earnings release is in 19 days.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Professional Analyst Ratings for JD.com</h3>
1 market experts have recently issued ratings for this stock, with a consensus target price of $40.0.
<ul>
<li>An analyst from Barclays persists with their Overweight rating on JD.com, maintaining a target price of $40. </li>
</ul>
Options trading presents higher risks and potential rewards. Astute traders manage these risks by continually educating themselves, adapting their strategies, monitoring multiple indicators, and keeping a close eye on market movements. Stay informed about the latest JD.com options trades with real-time alerts from <a href="https://benzinga.grsm.io/register174">Benzinga Pro</a>.

Options

Spotlight on JD.com: Analyzing the Surge in Options Activity

Whales with a lot of money to spend have taken a noticeably bearish stance on Freeport-McMoRan.
Looking at options history for Freeport-McMoRan (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/FCX#NYSE">FCX</a>) we detected 22 trades.
If we consider the specifics of each trade, it is accurate to state that 31% of the investors opened trades with bullish expectations and 59% with bearish.
From the overall spotted trades, 13 are puts, for a total amount of $1,037,123 and 9, calls, for a total amount of $434,778.
<h3>Expected Price Movements</h3>
After evaluating the trading volumes and Open Interest, it's evident that the major market movers are focusing on a price band between $30.0 and $50.0 for Freeport-McMoRan, spanning the last three months.
<h3>Analyzing Volume &amp; Open Interest</h3>
Assessing the volume and open interest is a strategic step in options trading. These metrics shed light on the liquidity and investor interest in Freeport-McMoRan's options at specified strike prices. The forthcoming data visualizes the fluctuation in volume and open interest for both calls and puts, linked to Freeport-McMoRan's substantial trades, within a strike price spectrum from $30.0 to $50.0 over the preceding 30 days.
<h3>Freeport-McMoRan Call and Put Volume: 30-Day Overview</h3>
<img src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2024/1722018658_0.png" alt="Options Call Chart" />
<h3>Significant Options Trades Detected:</h3>

<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Symbol</th>
<th>PUT/CALL</th>
<th>Trade Type</th>
<th>Sentiment</th>
<th>Exp. Date</th>
<th>Ask</th>
<th>Bid</th>
<th>Price</th>
<th>Strike Price</th>
<th>Total Trade Price</th>
<th>Open Interest</th>
<th>Volume</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>FCX</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>06/20/25</td>
<td>$3.4</td>
<td>$3.25</td>
<td>$3.39</td>
<td>$40.00</td>
<td>$508.5K</td>
<td>9.7K</td>
<td>1.5K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>FCX</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>01/17/25</td>
<td>$15.4</td>
<td>$14.15</td>
<td>$14.3</td>
<td>$32.00</td>
<td>$97.2K</td>
<td>5.6K</td>
<td>69</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>FCX</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>NEUTRAL</td>
<td>03/21/25</td>
<td>$4.9</td>
<td>$4.85</td>
<td>$4.85</td>
<td>$45.00</td>
<td>$82.3K</td>
<td>2.6K</td>
<td>170</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>FCX</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>01/16/26</td>
<td>$5.55</td>
<td>$5.45</td>
<td>$5.45</td>
<td>$42.00</td>
<td>$81.7K</td>
<td>1.9K</td>
<td>250</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>FCX</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>11/15/24</td>
<td>$6.8</td>
<td>$6.7</td>
<td>$6.8</td>
<td>$40.00</td>
<td>$81.6K</td>
<td>649</td>
<td>255</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

<h3>About Freeport-McMoRan</h3>
Freeport-McMoRan Inc is an international mining company. It has organized its mining operations into four primary divisions: North America copper mines, South America mining, Indonesia mining and Molybdenum mines. Its reportable segments include the Morenci, Cerro Verde and Grasberg (Indonesia mining) copper mines, the Rod &amp; Refining operations and Atlantic Copper Smelting and Refining. It derives key revenue from the sale of Copper.
Following our analysis of the options activities associated with Freeport-McMoRan, we pivot to a closer look at the company's own performance.
<h3>Current Position of Freeport-McMoRan</h3>
<ul>
<li>With a volume of 6,291,596, the price of FCX is up 0.79% at $44.88. </li>
<li>RSI indicators hint that the underlying stock may be approaching oversold.</li>
<li>Next earnings are expected to be released in 83 days.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Expert Opinions on Freeport-McMoRan</h3>
A total of 3 professional analysts have given their take on this stock in the last 30 days, setting an average price target of $57.0.
<ul>
<li>Consistent in their evaluation, an analyst from Raymond James keeps a Outperform rating on Freeport-McMoRan with a target price of $53. </li>
<li>An analyst from Scotiabank persists with their Sector Outperform rating on Freeport-McMoRan, maintaining a target price of $58. </li>
<li>In a cautious move, an analyst from RBC Capital downgraded its rating to Sector Perform, setting a price target of $60. </li>
</ul>
Options are a riskier asset compared to just trading the stock, but they have higher profit potential. Serious options traders manage this risk by educating themselves daily, scaling in and out of trades, following more than one indicator, and following the markets closely.
If you want to stay updated on the latest options trades for Freeport-McMoRan, <a href="https://benzinga.grsm.io/register174">Benzinga Pro</a> gives you real-time options trades alerts.

Decoding Freeport-McMoRan's Options Activity: What's the Big Picture?

Investors with a lot of money to spend have taken a bullish stance on Mastercard (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MA#NYSE">MA</a>).
And retail traders should know.
We noticed this today when the positions showed up on publicly available options history that we track here at Benzinga.
Whether these are institutions or just wealthy individuals, we don't know. But when something this big happens with MA, it often means somebody knows something is about to happen.
Today, Benzinga's options scanner spotted 8 options trades for Mastercard.
This isn't normal.
The overall sentiment of these big-money traders is split between 37% bullish and 12%, bearish.
Out of all of the options we uncovered, there was 1 put, for a total amount of $169,440, and 7, calls, for a total amount of $424,743.
<h3>Projected Price Targets</h3>
Based on the trading activity, it appears that the significant investors are aiming for a price territory stretching from $400.0 to $500.0 for Mastercard over the recent three months. 
<h3>Volume &amp; Open Interest Development</h3>
Looking at the volume and open interest is a powerful move while trading options. This data can help you track the liquidity and interest for Mastercard's options for a given strike price. Below, we can observe the evolution of the volume and open interest of calls and puts, respectively, for all of Mastercard's whale trades within a strike price range from $400.0 to $500.0 in the last 30 days. 
<h3>Mastercard Option Activity Analysis: Last 30 Days</h3>
<img src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2024/1722018653_0.png" alt="Options Call Chart" />
<h3>Significant Options Trades Detected:</h3>

<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Symbol</th>
<th>PUT/CALL</th>
<th>Trade Type</th>
<th>Sentiment</th>
<th>Exp. Date</th>
<th>Ask</th>
<th>Bid</th>
<th>Price</th>
<th>Strike Price</th>
<th>Total Trade Price</th>
<th>Open Interest</th>
<th style="text-align: right;">Volume</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>MA</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>10/18/24</td>
<td>$4.95</td>
<td>$4.7</td>
<td>$4.8</td>
<td>$400.00</td>
<td>$169.4K</td>
<td>237</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">364</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>MA</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>01/16/26</td>
<td>$34.1</td>
<td>$33.15</td>
<td>$33.99</td>
<td>$500.00</td>
<td>$149.5K</td>
<td>258</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">85</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>MA</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>01/16/26</td>
<td>$33.95</td>
<td>$32.95</td>
<td>$33.82</td>
<td>$500.00</td>
<td>$101.6K</td>
<td>258</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">41</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>MA</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>NEUTRAL</td>
<td>08/23/24</td>
<td>$13.45</td>
<td>$12.45</td>
<td>$12.95</td>
<td>$440.00</td>
<td>$51.8K</td>
<td>7</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">40</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>MA</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>01/16/26</td>
<td>$41.8</td>
<td>$41.3</td>
<td>$41.3</td>
<td>$480.00</td>
<td>$33.0K</td>
<td>1.0K</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">8</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

<h3>About Mastercard</h3>
Mastercard is the second-largest payment processor in the world, having processed close to over $9 trillion in volume during 2023. Mastercard operates in over 200 countries and processes transactions in over 150 currencies.
Following our analysis of the options activities associated with Mastercard, we pivot to a closer look at the company's own performance.
<h3>Where Is Mastercard Standing Right Now?</h3>
<ul>
<li>Currently trading with a volume of 1,091,632, the MA's price is up by 2.28%, now at $439.39. </li>
<li>RSI readings suggest the stock is currently is currently neutral between overbought and oversold.</li>
<li>Anticipated earnings release is in 5 days.</li>
</ul>
<h3>What Analysts Are Saying About Mastercard</h3>
Over the past month, 2 industry analysts have shared their insights on this stock, proposing an average target price of $490.0.
<ul>
<li>An analyst from JP Morgan has decided to maintain their Overweight rating on Mastercard, which currently sits at a price target of $500. </li>
<li>An analyst from B of A Securities downgraded its action to Neutral with a price target of $480. </li>
</ul>
Options are a riskier asset compared to just trading the stock, but they have higher profit potential. Serious options traders manage this risk by educating themselves daily, scaling in and out of trades, following more than one indicator, and following the markets closely.
If you want to stay updated on the latest options trades for Mastercard, <a href="https://benzinga.grsm.io/register174">Benzinga Pro</a> gives you real-time options trades alerts.

Market Whales and Their Recent Bets on Mastercard Options

Antero Resources (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AR#NYSE">AR</a>) has outperformed the market over the past 5 years by 32.95% on an annualized basis producing an average annual return of 45.58%. Currently, Antero Resources has a market capitalization of $9.23 billion. 
Buying $100 In AR: If an investor had bought $100 of AR stock 5 years ago, it would be worth $734.90 today based on a price of $29.69 for AR at the time of writing.
<h3>Antero Resources's Performance Over Last 5 Years</h3>
<img src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2024/1722018636_0.png" alt="comp_fig" />
Finally -- what's the point of all this? The key insight to take from this article is to note how much of a difference compounded returns can make in your cash growth over a period of time.
This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and reviewed by an editor.

Here's How Much You Would Have Made Owning Antero Resources Stock In The Last 5 Years

Dell Technologies (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DELL#NYSE">DELL</a>) has outperformed the market over the past 5 years by 18.71% on an annualized basis producing an average annual return of 31.34%. Currently, Dell Technologies has a market capitalization of $80.02 billion. 
Buying $1000 In DELL: If an investor had bought $1000 of DELL stock 5 years ago, it would be worth $3,996.66 today based on a price of $113.14 for DELL at the time of writing.
<h3>Dell Technologies's Performance Over Last 5 Years</h3>
<img src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2024/1722018631_0.png" alt="comp_fig" />
Finally -- what's the point of all this? The key insight to take from this article is to note how much of a difference compounded returns can make in your cash growth over a period of time.
This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and reviewed by an editor.

DELL

Here's How Much $1000 Invested In Dell Technologies 5 Years Ago Would Be Worth Today

Universal Music Group NV&#8216;s (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/UMGNF#OTC">UMGNF</a>) shares dropped 23% on Thursday following the announcement of disappointing results in its streaming <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/universal-music-group">and subscription segments.</a>
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Subscription Revenue Growth Slows Down Significantly</h3>
In the second quarter, UMG&#8217;s subscription revenue growth slowed to 6.9% year-over-year, excluding foreign exchange (FX) effects, a notable drop from the 12.5% growth in the first quarter. This fell short of Bloomberg&#8217;s consensus estimate of 11% growth. 
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/entertainment/24/03/37425498/universal-music-group-announces-major-layoffs-amid-271m-strategic-overhaul">Universal Music Group Announces Major Layoffs Amid $271M Strategic Overhaul</a>
The streaming revenue also saw a significant decline, falling 3.9% ex-FX, a stark contrast to the 10.3% growth recorded in Q1, Yahoo Finance <a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/news/universal-music-group-stock-plunges-20-after-streaming-subscription-revenue-disappoints-154149611.html">reported.</a>
UMG attributed this downturn to a &#8220;deceleration in growth at key advertising-based platform partners as well as shortfalls on certain platforms related to the timing of deal renewals.&#8221;
The company&#8217;s recent struggles with social media platforms have also been a contributing factor. 
In May, UMG ended its partnership with Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/META#NASDAQ">META</a>), which had been licensing premium music videos for Facebook. Management acknowledged that the offering was &#8220;less popular with Facebook&#8217;s user base than other music products.&#8221;
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Licensing Disputes And Market Adjustments Hit UMG Hard</h3>
Additionally, UMG&#8217;s <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/entertainment/24/03/37428368/universal-music-pulls-4-million-songs-from-tiktok-tells-artists-they-simply-do-not-value-yo">high-profile dispute with TikTok </a>over a new licensing agreement resulted in a month&#8217;s worth of lost revenue before the issue was resolved. Citi analyst Thomas Singlehurst downgraded UMG&#8217;s shares from Buy to Neutral, citing the stock volatility&#8217;s potential to &#8220;weigh on sentiment&#8221; in the near term.
UMG&#8217;s vice president and CFO, Boyd Muir, discussed the subscription growth slowdown during the earnings call, attributing it partly to the timing of price increases from its partners, including Spotify Technology SA (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SPOT#NYSE">SPOT</a>), Amazon.com Inc&#8216;s Amazon Music, and Apple Inc&#8216;s Apple Music. These price hikes have historically boosted UMG&#8217;s subscription revenue but have coincided with a slowdown in subscriber growth on some platforms.
&#8220;The other factor impacting our subscription revenue growth this quarter is the slowdown in subscriber growth at certain platforms, which is occurring while the overall subscription marketplace continues to experience significant growth in subscribers globally,&#8221; Muir explained. 
He noted that while Spotify, YouTube, and many regional and local platforms have maintained healthy growth in subscribers, other large partners have struggled to drive global adoption, resulting in fewer new subscriber additions.
Despite these challenges, Muir emphasized that UMG is &#8220;engaged with all of our key partners&#8221; in discussions about product innovation. He highlighted Spotify&#8217;s comments about its upcoming &#8220;super premium&#8221; offering, which Spotify believes consumers are eagerly anticipating. 
&#8220;Our research and analysis indicate that as many as 20% of the current subscriber base could upgrade to a super-premium tier at a meaningfully higher price point for a compelling product configuration, one which offers enhanced features and exclusive access to content,&#8221; Muir added.
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Merchandising And Total Revenue Show Bright Spots</h3>
On a positive note, UMG reported strong growth in its merchandising division, with revenue jumping 44% in Q2, driven by artists like Taylor Swift.
Other top sellers in the first half of 2024 included Morgan Wallen, Noah Kahan, Billie Eilish, and Ariana Grande. Total revenue rose for the 12th consecutive quarter to 2.93 billion euros ($3.18 billion), representing roughly 9% year-over-year growth, surpassing consensus estimates. 
Adjusted EBITDA also increased more than 11% from the prior-year period (excluding FX) to 649 million euros, or $705 million.
Price Action: Shares of UMG were down 3.3% to $23.21 at the time of publication Friday, according to<a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard"> Benzinga Pro.</a>
Read Next: 
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