Learning archive

Morning Bid: China AI rally rouses trade war-weary markets
  • February 6, 2025

Morning Bid: China AI rally rouses trade war-weary markets

An action-packed week in the markets is heading for a more subdued finish as traders await U.S. payrolls data, although the lingering threat of a trade war kept investors hesitant about placing major bets. Investors are betting the artificial intelligence advance of home-grown startup DeepSeek will lead to a boom in the sector, while for now mostly shrugging off the trade war saga that kicked off at the start of the week. U.S. President Donald Trump imposed and then suspended tariffs on Mexico and Canada early this week but his duties on Chinese goods went ahead.

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US job market likely began the year strong, but faces cloudier future
  • February 6, 2025

US job market likely began the year strong, but faces cloudier future

The U.S. labor market probably started 2025 the way it spent most of last year: Generating decent, but unspectacular, job growth. When the Labor Department releases January employment numbers Friday, they’re likely to show that companies, government agencies and nonprofits added 170,000 jobs last month, according to a survey of economists by the data firm FactSet. The unemployment rate is expected to remain low at 4.1%.

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3 Restaurant Stocks in the Doghouse
  • February 6, 2025

3 Restaurant Stocks in the Doghouse

From fast food to fine dining, restaurants play a vital societal role. It also feels like demand is strong as consumers always seem to be chasing the next hot place or viral fast food creation on social media (the Bloomin' Onion? That's FIVE BIG BOOMS!). No surprise the industry has returned 24.6% over the past six months, beating the S&P 500 by 7.7 percentage points.

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3 Internet Stocks Primed for Growth
  • February 6, 2025

3 Internet Stocks Primed for Growth

By breaking down physical barriers, consumer internet businesses are reshaping how people shop, connect, learn, and play. These themes have enabled rapid growth for the industry, which has posted a 50.4% gain over the past six months compared to 16.9% for the S&P 500.

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3 Consumer Stocks to Walk Away From
  • February 6, 2025

3 Consumer Stocks to Walk Away From

The performance of consumer discretionary businesses is closely linked to economic cycles. This volatility leads to big swings in stock prices that have worked in their favor recently - over the past six months, the industry has returned 22.7% and beat the S&P 500 by 5.8 percentage points.

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3 Semiconductor Stocks Primed for Growth
  • February 6, 2025

3 Semiconductor Stocks Primed for Growth

Semiconductors are the core infrastructure powering the Information Age. Still, they’re subject to swings in the broader economy because customers often stockpile chips ahead of demand. Some investors seem to be debating where we are in the cycle as the industry’s six-month return of 8.5% has fallen short of the S&P 500’s 16.9% rise.

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1 Software Stock with All-Star Potential and 2 to Ghost
  • February 6, 2025

1 Software Stock with All-Star Potential and 2 to Ghost

Software is rapidly reducing operating expenses for businesses. Companies bringing it to life have been rewarded with explosive earnings growth, and the upward trend shows no signs of stopping as the industry has posted a 42.2% gain over the past six months, beating the S&P 500 by 25.3 percentage points.

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IMF warns Japan of spillovers from rising foreign market volatility
  • February 6, 2025

IMF warns Japan of spillovers from rising foreign market volatility

Japan should be on alert for any spillover effects from rising foreign market volatility that could affect liquidity conditions for its financial institutions, the International Monetary Fund said on Friday. The IMF also said the country needed to be vigilant about monitoring any fallout from the Bank of Japan's interest rate rises, such as an increase in the government's debt-servicing costs and a possible jump in corporate bankruptcies. "As interest rates rise, the cost of servicing the large public debt is expected to double by 2030, putting a premium on a robust debt management strategy," the IMF said in a statement released after its consultation with Japanese policymakers.

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Matthews (NASDAQ:MATW) Misses Q4 Revenue Estimates
  • February 6, 2025

Matthews (NASDAQ:MATW) Misses Q4 Revenue Estimates

Diversified solutions provider Matthews International (NASDAQ:MATW) missed Wall Street’s revenue expectations in Q4 CY2024, with sales falling 10.7% year on year to $401.8 million. Its non-GAAP profit of $0.14 per share was 37.8% below analysts’ consensus estimates.

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