Zinger Key Points
- Meta's strong Q4 performance was underpinned by advertising strength, AI advancements and shareholder returns.
- Shares of iRobot plunge following the collapse of its $1.7 billion merger deal with Amazon.
Benzinga examined the prospects for many investors' favorite stocks over the last week — here's a look at some of our top stories.
The S&P 500 hit a new record high on Friday, buoyed by impressive tech earnings and a surprisingly strong January jobs report. Over the week, the S&P 500, Nasdaq and Dow all saw gains, marking the fourth consecutive week of increases after a shaky start to the year.
With the robust job growth and with non-farm payrolls jumping to 353,000 in January, Fed Chair Jerome Powell suggested a March interest rate cut is likely off the table, emphasizing the goal of reaching a 2% inflation target. This strong employment growth, exceeding expectations, adds complexity to the Federal Reserve's decisions on interest rates.
Benzinga provides daily reports on the stocks most popular with investors. Here are a few of this past week's most bullish and bearish posts that are worth another look.
The Bulls
"Meta Platforms Analysts Raise Expectations After Q4 Earnings Beat: 'Growth, Profits, Buyback & Dividends All In One'" by Chris Katje, highlights Meta Platforms' META strong Q4 performance and optimistic analyst outlooks, underpinned by significant advertising strength, AI advancements and shareholder returns.
"'DOGE Is Gonna Pop': Crypto Analyst Predicts Dogecoin On The Verge Of A Price Jump" by Mehab Qureshi, reports cryptocurrency analyst Muro forecasting a potential 6% increase in Dogecoin DOGE/USD value, influenced by developments on the X app.
"AMD CEO Highlights Huge AI Opportunity: 'It's Going To Change Everything We Do'" by Adam Eckert, details Advanced Micro Devices Inc. AMD CEO Lisa Su's optimistic outlook on AI's transformative potential, despite the company's stock dip post-Q4 earnings.
For additional bullish calls of the past week, check out the following:
PayPal's Phoenix Moment? What's Fueling The Stock Surge Ahead Of Q4 Results
The Bears
"'Jaw Dropper:' Tesla Analysts, Investors Unpack Fallout From CEO's $55B Pay Plan Collapse While Musk Laments 'Parasitic Load' Of Being A Public Company" by Shanthi Rexaline, delves into the repercussions of a court ruling against Elon Musk's lucrative compensation plan at Tesla, Inc. TSLA, stirring a blend of uncertainty and strategic reevaluation among stakeholders.
"Tech Giants' Market Concentration Echoes Dot-Com Bubble Peak, Analysts Warn" by Piero Cingari, reveals JPMorgan's analysis of current market dynamics resembling the dot-com bubble, with top tech stocks like Apple Inc. AAPL and Amazon.com, Inc. AMZN dominating indices.
"Short Seller Does Victory Lap After Amazon Deal Dies — What Happened To iRobot?" by Natan Ponieman, details iRobot Corporation's IRBT stock plunge and restructuring following the collapse of its merger with Amazon, amid regulatory concerns and a short seller's vindication.
For more bearish takes, be sure to see these posts:
Bloom Energy Is Sapped By Low Visibility, Says Bearish Analyst
Double Trouble For Toyota? 10 Models Grounded In New Suspension Shock After Daihatsu Debacle
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