Stocks stumbled yesterday amid renewed interest rate concerns, though they finished off their intraday lows. They’re climbing a bit this morning, while gold, silver, Treasuries, and the dollar are churning around the flatline. Crude oil is a bit higher.
The earnings flood is continuing, with drug stocks like Eli Lilly and Co. (LLY), tech names like Palantir Technologies (PLTR), and oil giants like BP (BP) among the companies reporting in the last 24 hours. LLY shares are rising on positive weight loss and diabetes drug sales, while PLTR shares are surging on AI-driven revenue gains. BP is up modestly thanks to a pledge from the oil and gas giant to return money to shareholders in the form of buybacks and dividends.
LLY, PLTR, BP (1-Yr. % Change)
Stock markets in China and Hong Kong have shed a stunning $7 trillion in value since 2021. But overnight, Chinese stocks rallied sharply – with the CSI 1000 gauge that tracks smaller-capitalization names rising the most since 2008.
The catalyst? News that President Xi Jinping would meet with officials from the China Securities Regulatory Commission about efforts to stabilize markets. That has investors and traders hopeful of large-scale stimulus and support measures, as opposed to the piecemeal efforts we’ve seen so far.
Finally, pure Electric Vehicles (EVs) have gotten most of the press on the automotive front lately. But demand for hybrids is perking up, too, thanks to concerns about charging station availability and the high cost of EVs. Toyota Motor (TM) is one big beneficiary because of its hybrid-heavy lineup. The company just projected $30.3 billion in net profit for the current fiscal year, helping push its shares to a record high even as EV-levered competitors like General Motors (GM) have languished.
