U.S. stock futures rose on Friday following Thursday&#8217;s sell-off. Futures of all benchmark indices advanced in premarket trading, except the small-cap gauge Russell 2000.



Nvidia Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>) fell over 8% on Thursday, dragging the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 down despite the strong quarter as its gross margins fell sequentially, caused by the ramp-up in the production of its Blackwell chips.



Meanwhile, President Donald Trump escalated tariff threats against Mexico and Canada, saying that it will go into effect as scheduled on March 4, in a social media post. He further threatened additional tariffs on China, following his pledge to impose 25% tariffs on the EU.



Investors await Friday&#8217;s personal consumption expenditure inflation data amid uncertainty over interest rate cuts as it is the Federal Reserve&#8217;s preferred inflation gauge.



The 10-year Treasury yield stood at 4.25%, while the two-year yield was at 4.05%. According <a href="https://www.cmegroup.com/markets/interest-rates/cme-fedwatch-tool.html">to</a> the CME Group's FedWatch tool, there is a 94.5% chance that the Federal Reserve will keep interest rates unchanged for the March meeting.



<figure class="wp-block-table is-style-stripes"><table style="overflow:auto; height: 90px; display: block;"><tbody><tr><td>Futures</td><td>Change (+/-)</td></tr><tr><td>Nasdaq 100</td><td>0.27%</td></tr><tr><td>S&amp;P 500</td><td>0.30%</td></tr><tr><td>Dow Jones</td><td>0.27%</td></tr><tr><td>Russell 2000</td><td>-0.06%</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



The SPDR S&amp;P 500 ETF Trust (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SPY#NYSE">SPY</a>) and Invesco QQQ Trust ETF (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QQQ#NASDAQ">QQQ</a>), which track the S&amp;P 500 index and Nasdaq 100 index, respectively, rose in premarket on Friday. SPY was up 0.35% to $587.09, and QQQ advanced 0.28% to $501.67, according to <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard">Benzinga Pro</a> data.



Cues From The Last Session



Most sectors in the S&amp;P 500 ended lower Thursday, with technology and communication services leading the decline. However, financial and energy stocks bucked the trend.



The Nasdaq Composite dropped over 500 points, dragged down by Nvidia&#8217;s 8% plunge after its Q4 earnings.



Dell Technologies Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DELL#NYSE">DELL</a>) declined after missing revenue estimates, whereas, SoundHound AI Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SOUN#NASDAQ">SOUN</a>) rose in after-hours after beating analyst expectations. Rocket Lab USA Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/RKLB#NASDAQ">RKLB</a>) shares dropped after a weak first-quarter guidance.



Economic data showed a slight upward revision to fourth quarter GDP according to its second reading released on Thursday. Also, initial jobless claims rose by 22,000 from the previous week to 242,000, the most in over two months and above market expectations of 221,000.



<figure class="wp-block-table is-style-stripes"><table style="overflow:auto; height: 90px; display: block;"><tbody><tr><td>Index</td><td>Performance (+/-)</td><td>Value</td></tr><tr><td>Nasdaq Composite</td><td>-2.78%</td><td>18,544.42</td></tr><tr><td>S&amp;P 500</td><td>-1.59%</td><td>5,861.57</td></tr><tr><td>Dow Jones</td><td>-0.45%</td><td>43,239.50 </td></tr><tr><td>Russell 2000</td><td>-1.59%</td><td>2,139.66</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



Insights From Analysts



Ryan Detrick, the chief market strategist at Carson Research highlighted that the first quarter of a post-election year tends to be &#8220;quite weak&#8221;. &#8220;This choppy start to 2025 isn&#8217;t abnormal. Don&#8217;t panic,&#8221; he added.



<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">As we&#39;ve noted many times, the first quarter of a post-election year tends to be quite weak. This choppy start to 2025 isn&#39;t abnormal. Don&#39;t panic. <a href="https://t.co/5tQjYeqd6G">pic.twitter.com/5tQjYeqd6G</a>&mdash; Ryan Detrick, CMT (@RyanDetrick) <a href="https://twitter.com/RyanDetrick/status/1895314476557312425?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 28, 2025</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



He also continued reiterating his February seasonality stance via his X posts. He highlighted that junk corporate bonds, also called high-yield bonds, were up the past five days as the S&amp;P 500 was down over 4%.



&#8220;If the end was near like they keep telling us this wouldn&#8217;t be the case. Remain calm, this is simply seasonal late February shenanigans,&#8221; he 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">The S&amp;P 500 is down 4% the past five days. High yield bonds are UP the past five days. If the end was near like they keep telling us this wouldn&#39;t be the case. Remain calm, this is simply seasonal late February shenanigans. <a href="https://t.co/FF2TtFJGz5">pic.twitter.com/FF2TtFJGz5</a>&mdash; Ryan Detrick, CMT (@RyanDetrick) <a href="https://twitter.com/RyanDetrick/status/1895318792634606066?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 28, 2025</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



Furthermore, he dismissed the validity of price-to-earnings ratio, saying that there was no &#8220;correlation between P/E multiples and what stocks will do a year later.&#8221;



George Smith, portfolio strategist at LPL Financial highlighted his take on investor sentiment by analyzing survey data from the American Association of Individual Investors and Bank of America Global Fund Manager Survey.



AAII&#8217;s latest sentiment survey reveals significantly bearish sentiment among individual investors for the fourth consecutive week, with the bull-bear spread at a 10-year high. This extreme bearishness, viewed through a contrarian lens, could be a positive signal for stocks, said Smith.



However, the BofA Global Fund Manager Survey presents a more mixed picture, with professional investors cautiously optimistic about the economy but concerned about overvalued U.S. equities. Overall, these surveys suggest a relatively neutral market outlook, aligning with LPL Research&#8217;s neutral stance on equities due to a balance of positive and negative factors, explained Smith.



See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/how-to-trade-futures">How to Trade Futures </a>



Upcoming Economic Data



Here&#8217;s what investors will keep on Friday:



<ul>
<li>January's personal income, spending, core and headline PCE index, advanced U.S. trade balance in goods, retail and wholesale inventories will be out by 8:30 a.m., ET.</li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li>Richmond Fed President Tom Barkin will speak at 8:30 a.m., ET as well.</li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li>February's Chicago business barometer data will be released at 9:45 a.m., ET.</li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li>Chicago Fed President Austan Goolsbee will speak at 10:15 p.m., ET.</li>
</ul>



Stocks In Focus:



<ul>
<li>Owens &amp; Minor Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/OMI#NYSE">OMI</a>) rose 0.78% in the premarket on Friday ahead of its earnings, which will be released before the opening bell. Analysts expect it to report earnings of 52 cents per share on the revenue of $2.69 billion.</li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li>Chart Industries Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GTLS#NYSE">GTLS</a>) declined 0.14% as Wall Street expects it to report quarterly earnings of $3.15 per share on revenue of $1.17 billion before the opening bell.</li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li>Integral Ad Science Holding Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/IAS#NASDAQ">IAS</a>) fell 1.55% ahead of its earnings, which will be released before the opening bell. Analysts expect it to report earnings of 25 cents per share on the revenue of $148.83 million.</li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li>HP Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/HPQ#NYSE">HPQ</a>) was 3.41% lower despite meeting EPS and revenue estimates as it guided for lower than expected second-quarter adjusted EPS between 75 to 85 cents.</li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li>Dell Technologies Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DELL#NYSE">DELL</a>) dropped 2.06% as it missed the revenue expectations amid a mixed quarter.</li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li>SoundHound AI Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SOUN#NASDAQ">SOUN</a>) jumped 5.86% after posting a strong quarter and issuing a positive guidance for the next fiscal year.</li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li>Rocket Lab USA Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/RKLB#NASDAQ">RKLB</a>) slumped 10.99% as it reported a weaker than expected first quarter guidance.</li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li>Rapid Micro Biosystems Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/RPID#NASDAQ">RPID</a>) climbed 40.48% as it signed a 5-year global distribution deal with MilliporeSigma.</li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li>Virpax Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/VRPX#NASDAQ">VRPX</a>) surged 39.04% as it reported positive human study results for its Molecular Envelope Technology, a key component in its Envelta and NobrXiol products, with no moderate to severe adverse events.</li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li>Powell Max Ltd. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PMAX#NASDAQ">PMAX</a>) zoomed 77.05% as it announced that it will acquire Miracle Media Production from Vision Access Enterprises and M Digital Partners Company. The acquisition is expected to enhance Powell Max&#8217;s services and create synergies.</li>
</ul>



Commodities, Gold And Global Equity Markets:



Crude oil futures were trading lower in the early New York session by 1.11% to hover around $69.57 per barrel.



The gold spot index was down by 0.53% to $2,861.73 per ounce. Its last record high was at $2,956.37. The Dollar Index was up 0.12% at the 107.373 level.



Asian markets fell on Friday, including Japan's Nikkei 225, China's CSI 300, Australia's ASX 200, India's S&amp;P BSE Sensex, South Korea's Kospi, and Hong Kong's Hang Seng index. European markets were also mostly lower in trade.



Read Next:



<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/44035798/dell-technologies-projects-15-billion-ai-server-revenue-for-fy26-raises-dividend-18-amid-a-mixed-quarter">Dell Technologies Projects $15 Billion AI Server Revenue For FY26, Raises Dividend By 18% Amid A Mixed Quarter</a></li>
</ul>



Photo courtesy: Shutterstock

Equities

Government

Market Summary

News

Futures

Treasuries

Economics

Pre-Market Outlook

Markets

Analyst Ratings

DELL

GTLS

NVDA

PMAX

RKLB

RPID

SOUN

VRPX

US Stocks Likely To Open Higher Following A Sell-Off, 'This Choppy Start To 2025 Isn't Abnormal. Don't Panic,' Says Expert Highlighting Seasonal Weakness In The First Quarter After Elections

Bitcoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/btc/usd">BTC</a>) continues to tumble, falling as low as $78,433 in early Friday morning hours amid a record streak of <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/best-spot-bitcoin-etfs">spot Bitcoin ETF</a> outflows.



What Happened: According to <a href="https://sosovalue.com/assets/etf/us-btc-spot">data</a> from SoSoValue, U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs have seen $3.2 billion in net outflows over an eight-day period, matching the longest negative streak since their debut. 



This trend has resulted in a monthly net outflow of $3.65 billion for February, with only four days of net inflows recorded this month. 



The largest single-day outflow occurred on Tuesday, with a record $1.14 billion leaving these funds. 



BlackRock&#8217;s (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/IBIT#NASDAQ">IBIT</a>), the largest Bitcoin ETF by net assets, experienced its most significant outflow of <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/44003905/bitcoin-steadies-around-86500-as-spot-etf-see-another-750-million-outflows-on-wednesday">$418 million on Wednesday</a>.



Thursday&#8217;s outflows moderated to $275.8 million, though potential easing of selling pressure was not reflected in the price of Bitcoin, which is trading around $80,345, down 6.9% at the time of writing. 



The entire crypto market capitalization has contracted by 8.7% to $2.76 trillion in the past day amid broader market concerns following President Trump&#8217;s aggressive tariff policies.



<figure class="wp-block-table"><table style="overflow:auto; height: 90px; display: block;"><tbody><tr><td>Cryptocurrency</td><td>Price&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</td><td>Gains +/-</td></tr><tr><td>Bitcoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/btc/usd">BTC</a>)</td><td> $80,345</td><td>-6.9%</td></tr><tr><td>Ethereum (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/eth/usd">ETH</a>)</td><td> $2,131</td><td>-9.3%</td></tr><tr><td>XRP (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/xrp/usd">XRP</a>)</td><td> $2.03</td><td>-8.8%</td></tr><tr><td>Dogecoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/doge/usd">DOGE</a>)</td><td> $0.1864</td><td>-10.8%</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



What Experts Are Saying: Augustine Fan, Head of Insights at SignalPlus, <a href="https://www.theblock.co/post/343924/bitcoin-dips-below-80000-and-eth-tests-2100-amid-trump-tariff-concerns?utm_source=rss&amp;utm_medium=rss">told</a> The Block that &#8220;renewed tariff concerns, slowing economy and overstretched positioning&#8221; are catalysts driving the decline. 



President Trump&#8217;s announcement of <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/trumps-tarrifs-impact-on-us-dollar-and-currency-trading">new tariffs</a> on imports from Canada, Mexico and China has exacerbated investor concerns, leading to a sell-off in both equities and cryptocurrencies.



The market downturn has pushed the Crypto Fear &amp; Greed Index to &#8220;extreme fear&#8221; levels, with a score of 10, the lowest since the 2022 collapse of Terra-Luna and Three Arrows Capital. 



This pessimism persists despite the Trump administration&#8217;s efforts to implement <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/25/01/43177482/trump-signs-executive-order-on-crypto-bitcoin-reserve-to-be-evaluated">pro-crypto policies</a> and <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/25/02/43836911/trump-reiterates-resolve-to-make-us-the-crypto-capital-critic-labels-idea-of-bitcoin-reserve-legislation-absurd">regulatory reforms</a>.



Analysts are divided on whether Bitcoin has reached a bottom. 



<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/movers/25/02/44031605/bitcoin-ethereum-lose-dogecoin-gains-amid-trumps-tariff-war-moves-has-btc-hit-a-bottom-yet">CryptoQuant suggests oversold conditions</a> based on the NVT Golden Cross indicator, while others warn of potential further declines. 



The coming days will be crucial in determining whether the market can stabilize and potentially recover from this significant correction.



Read Next:&nbsp;



<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/education/25/02/44029165/if-you-invested-1000-in-bitcoin-when-changpeng-cz-zhao-predicted-btc-would-crash-from-101k-to-85k-heres-how-much-youd-have-today">If You Invested $1,000 In Bitcoin When Changpeng &#8216;CZ&#8217; Zhao Predicted BTC Would Crash From $101K to $85K, Here&#8217;s How Much You&#8217;d Have Today</a></li>
</ul>



Image: Shutterstock

Cryptocurrency

$BTC

$DOGE

$ETH

$SOL

$XRP

IBIT

Bitcoin Plummets Below $80,000, Ethereum, XRP, Dogecoin Get Hammered As Crypto Crash Continues

Shares of Nvidia Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>) have fallen 13.13% in 2025, wiping approximately $375 billion in investor wealth despite strong fourth quarter earnings. While some analysts say that this could be because of the company&#8217;s outlook on &#8220;gross margins,&#8221; others believe that these concerns are &#8220;misplaced&#8221;.



What Happened: The chipmaker led by Jensen Huang dropped 8.48% to $120.15 apiece on Thursday following the fourth quarter earnings on Wednesday in after-hours. While the technology giant beat estimates on all fronts, its Blackwell AI chips recorded a staggering $11 billion in first-quarter sales alone—the fastest in the company's history.



However, the market reaction wasn&#8217;t upbeat because of a &#8220;sequential dip in its gross profit margins, heightened competition, persisting customer concentration, and stratospheric expectations,&#8221; said Subho Moulik, the founder and CEO of fintech platform Appreciate. 



&#8220;Nvidia earnings were excellent and the concern about margins is misplaced,&#8221; said Nigam Arora and Dr Natasha Arora from The Arora Report in their note.



Calling it a &#8220;winner&#8217;s curse,&#8221; Moulik said that Nvidia's near-flawless track record has set exceptionally &#8220;high investor expectations&#8221;. With rapidly evolving AI sector and looming macroeconomic uncertainties, &#8220;the margin for error is razor-thin,&#8221; he added.



In 2025, the stock has underperformed the market and pulled the tech-heavy Nasdaq down with it.



<figure class="wp-block-table is-style-stripes"><table style="overflow:auto; height: 90px; display: block;"><tbody><tr><td>Stock / ETF / Index</td><td>YTD Performance</td><td>Six Month Performance</td><td>One Year Performance</td></tr><tr><td>Nvidia Corp.</td><td>-13.13%</td><td>11.25%</td><td>54.71%</td></tr><tr><td>Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1 (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QQQ#NASDAQ">QQQ</a>)</td><td>-1.95%</td><td>8.33%</td><td>14.93%</td></tr><tr><td>Nasdaq 100 Index</td><td>-2.02%</td><td>8.40%</td><td>14.97%</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



&#8220;From an investment perspective, it remains a buy on dip, particularly with its next-gen Blackwell chips posting amazing numbers and protect Nvidia's medium-term runway,&#8221; said Moulik.



According to Arora Report, &#8220;The real issue facing NVDA as a stock is that it is in the formidable stage,&#8221; which according to the note is the fifth stage of a long trade. The <a href="https://thearorareport.com/ppp-long-trade-ppp">note explained</a> that a stock witnesses a &#8220;crowded trade,&#8221; when it enters the fifth stage after logging in the highest alpha in the fourth stage of a long trade.



See Also:<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/market-summary/25/02/43998226/jensen-huangs-nvidia-fuels-ai-factory-boom-revenue-growth-in-data-center-business-dominates-peers-with-a-staggering-3460-growth-over-5-years"> Jensen Huang&#8217;s Nvidia Fuels &#8216;AI Factory&#8217; Boom: Revenue Growth In Data Center Business Dominates Peers With A Staggering 3460% Growth Over 5 Years</a>



Why It Matters: The fourth quarter gross margins fell 71%, barely meeting estimates but down from 73.5% last quarter. But analysts believe that the fall in margins was expected because of the Blackwell production ramp up. The adjusted gross margins aren't going to improve soon, with the management expecting it to remain in the low 70s, said Moulik. 



Additionally, DeepSeek has challenged U.S. AI exceptionalism, potentially reshaping the chip market as its model prompts more players to replicate it, casting doubt on future AI chip volume and value growth, added Moulik.



Price Action: Shares of Nvidia were 0.93% higher in premarket on Friday, whereas QQQ advanced 0.36%.



<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/NVDA/analyst-ratings">Benzinga tracks 41 analysts</a> with an average price target of $176.13 for the stock, reflecting a &#8220;buy&#8221; rating. Estimates range widely from $120 to $220. Recent ratings from DA Davidson, Cantor Fitzgerald, and Benchmark average $175, suggesting a potential 44.15% upside.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="386" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/28064607/NVDA-new-new-ANR-1024x386.png" alt="" class="wp-image-803459" srcset="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/28064607/NVDA-new-new-ANR-1024x386.png 1024w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/28064607/NVDA-new-new-ANR-300x113.png 300w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/28064607/NVDA-new-new-ANR-768x290.png 768w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/28064607/NVDA-new-new-ANR.png 1060w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



Read Next:



<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/44035798/dell-technologies-projects-15-billion-ai-server-revenue-for-fy26-raises-dividend-18-amid-a-mixed-quarter">Dell Technologies Projects $15 Billion AI Server Revenue For FY26, Raises Dividend By 18% Amid A Mixed Quarter</a></li>
</ul>



Photo courtesy: Shutterstock

Earnings

Nvidia Wipes $375 Billion Of Investor Wealth In 2025: 'Margin Of Error Razor Thin,' Says Analyst Reiterating 'Buy On Dips' Call

Tesla Inc.&#8217;s (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSLA#NASDAQ">TSLA</a>) Cybertruck vehicles are reportedly piling outside the company&#8217;s gigafactory in Texas and collecting dust, forcing the company to resort to aggressive discounting.



What Happened: According to a report <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/peterlyon/2025/02/27/thousands-of-tesla-cybertrucks-gather-dust-even-with-6000-discount/">by</a> Forbes, the company&#8217;s inventory for the trucks is piling up owing to lower-than-expected sales.



Tesla&#8217;s inventory in the U.S. still has model year 2024 vehicles in addition to model year 2025 ones. The company is now offering discounts up to $6000 on model year 2024 foundation series Cybertrucks and $4000 on non-foundation series Cybertrucks in its inventory.



The Cybertruck is one of Tesla&#8217;s more premium offerings. The vehicle starts at $79,990 for the base all-wheel drive variant and at $99,990 for the more premium Cyberbeast variant.



According to data from automotive research firm Kelley Blue Book, the Cybertruck was Tesla&#8217;s third best-selling vehicle in the U.S. in 2024, after its mass-market offerings Model 3 and Model Y. The company sold&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/01/42967593/cybertruck-sales-rise-in-2024-weighed-down-on-tesla-model-s-deliveries-in-us-shows-data" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">38,965 units in the 12 months through the end of December</a>, significantly higher than the number of Model S or Model X sold in the country but less than the expected delivery volume for the vehicle. 



Tesla CEO Elon Musk previously said that the company is eyeing a production rate of <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/12/42262279/a-year-after-teslas-first-cybertruck-deliveries-the-truck-has-a-long-way-to-go-to-meet-musks-goals">250,000 Cybertrucks a year</a> in 2025. The number seems unlikely given the weak demand.



Analyst Take: Researcher&nbsp;Troy Teslike, who tracks Tesla&#8217;s production and delivery numbers,&nbsp;expects the EV giant to sell just 21,000 Cybertrucks in 2025, lower than the sales of the stainless steel truck in 2024.



"The order backlog is gone. Tesla ended 2024 with 10,600 unsold Cybertrucks because of too much production and low demand," the researcher said earlier this month while also dismissing the possibility of a cheaper Cybertruck variant launch this year.



"A cheaper Cybertruck this year is unlikely because the Cybertruck is not profitable. A cheaper version would make things worse," he said.



Tesla started delivering the Cybertruck in the U.S. four years after unveiling it in November 2023. The company sold only its limited edition foundation series initially, priced nearly $20,000 more than the non-foundation series of the truck. The non-foundation series Cybertucks started to be sold only in the fourth quarter of 2024.



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/25/02/44000938/stellantis-executive-chairman-speaks-out-against-tariffs-on-vehicles-made-in-mexico-canada-real-opportunity-is-4m-cars-that-are-sold-in-america-that-dont-have-any-us-content" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Stellantis Executive Chairman Speaks Out Against Tariffs On Vehicles Made In Mexico, Canada: ‘Real Opportunity Is… 4M Cars That Are Sold In America That Don&#8217;t Have Any US Content&#8217;</a></li>
</ul>



Photo courtesy: Shutterstock

Tech

TSLA

Tesla Cybertruck Inventory Swells Despite Discounts, Falling Short of Elon Musk's Vision

In Friday&#8217;s pre-market trading, Strategy (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSTR#NASDAQ">MSTR</a>) saw a 3.18% dip in its stock, following a 7% decrease in Bitcoin&#8216;s (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/btc/usd">BTC</a>) value over the past day, according to <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/25/02/43936143/mstr-stock-falls-over-5-in-tuesday-pre-market-whats-going-on">Benzinga Pro</a>.



What Happened: The shares of Strategy, which recently&nbsp;added nearly $2 billion worth&nbsp;of Bitcoin to its portfolio, fell during today&#8217;s pre-market session after Bitcoin declined 7% over the past 24 hours and nearly 20% over the past seven days. The cryptocurrency slipped below $80,000, marking nearly a 25% fall from its all-time high. 



Despite the company&#8217;s aggressive Bitcoin accumulation strategy significantly boosting its stock market capitalization, critics question the long-term viability of this approach. Peter Schiff, a prominent economist and market commentator, criticized the company&#8217;s debt-fueled bitcoin purchases, pointing out the company&#8217;s declining share price and the shrinking Net Asset Value premium.



SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/government/regulations/25/02/44006332/nvidia-faces-new-ai-chip-challenge-as-huawei-gains-ground-in-china-despite-us-sanctions">Nvidia Faces New AI Chip Challenge As Huawei Gains Ground In China Despite US Sanctions</a>



Why It Matters: Bitcoin&#8217;s recent decline has sparked debates among traders about the end of the bull market. Crypto chart analyst Ali Martinez noted that <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/25/02/44016927/bitcoin-drops-below-85000-what-does-technical-analysis-say">Bitcoin has entered</a> oversold conditions for the first time since August 2024, a period followed by a 33% rebound. This sparks concern for Strategy, which has a Bitcoin holding worth nearly $ 43 billion, making it a major corporate holder of the cryptocurrency.



Strategy stock plunged nearly 50% from its all-time high of $473.83 on Nov. 21. On Monday, Barclays lowered their target price on MSTR from $515.00 to $421.00 and set an &#8220;overweight&#8221; rating on the stock.



Last week, Strategy's co-founder Michael Saylor met with the SEC's Crypto Task Force to discuss potential regulatory reforms while protecting crypto holders&#8217;&nbsp;rights. He also presented his&nbsp;strategic Bitcoin reserve plan to&nbsp;the SEC, aiming to generate&nbsp;between $16 billion to $81&nbsp;trillion in wealth for the&nbsp;U.S. Treasury. 



<ul>
<li>READ MORE: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/movers/25/02/44031605/bitcoin-ethereum-lose-dogecoin-gains-amid-trumps-tariff-war-moves-has-btc-hit-a-bottom-yet">Bitcoin, Ethereum Lose, Dogecoin Gains Amid Trump&#8217;s Tariff War Moves: Has BTC Hit A Bottom Yet?</a></li>
</ul>



Image via Shutterstock



Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

MSTR

MSTR Stock Falls Over 3% In Friday Pre-Market: What's Going On?

The CNN Money Fear and Greed index showed further decline in the overall market sentiment, while the index remained in the &#8220;Extreme Fear&#8221; zone on Thursday.



U.S. stocks settled lower on Thursday, with the Nasdaq Composite dipping more than 500 points during the session.



Nvidia Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>) shares plunged more than 8% on Thursday after the company released fourth-quarter results.



On the economic data front, the second estimate released Thursday by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis revised fourth quarter 2024 real GDP up by less than 0.1 percentage point, due mainly to higher-than-expected increases in government spending and exports.



Thursday&#8217;s data also showed initial jobless claims rose by 22,000 from the previous week to 242,000, the most in over two months and above market expectations of 221,000, indicating further softening of the job market.



Most sectors on the S&amp;P 500 closed on a negative note, with information technology, communication services and information technology stocks recording the biggest losses on Tuesday. However, financial and energy stocks bucked the overall market trend, closing the session higher.



The Dow Jones closed lower by around 194 points to 43,239.50 on Thursday. The S&amp;P 500 fell 1.59% to 5,861.57, while the Nasdaq Composite fell 2.78% at 18,544.42 during Thursday's session.



Investors are awaiting earnings results from Global Partners LP (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GLP#NYSE">GLP</a>), Owens &amp; Minor Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/OMI#NYSE">OMI</a>) and Chart Industries Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GTLS#NYSE">GTLS</a>) today.



What is CNN Business Fear &amp; Greed Index?



At a current reading of 18.4, the index remained in the &#8220;Extreme Fear&#8221; zone on Thursday, versus a prior reading of 21.3.



The Fear &amp; Greed Index is a measure of the current market sentiment. It is based on the premise that higher fear exerts pressure on stock prices, while higher greed has the opposite effect. The index is calculated based on seven equal-weighted indicators. The index ranges from 0 to 100, where 0 represents maximum fear and 100 signals maximum greediness.



Read Next: 



<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/44018351/top-3-utilities-stocks-you-may-want-to-dump-in-february">Top 3 Utilities Stocks You May Want To Dump In February</a></li>
</ul>



Photo courtesy: Shutterstock

Trading Ideas

Nasdaq Tumbles Over 500 Points As Nvidia Plunges Post Q4 Results: Investor Sentiment Declines Further, Greed Index Remains In 'Extreme Fear' Zone

OpenAI has launched GPT-4.5, its largest and most advanced chat model to date, <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/43970279/alibaba-and-deepseek-intensify-ai-showdown-challenging-openai-and-nvidias-market-dominance">amid growing competition from rivals</a> like xAI&#8216;s Grok 3 and DeepSeek.



What Happened: The company is rolling out the model first to ChatGPT Pro subscribers paying $200 monthly, with plans to extend access to Plus, Team, Enterprise, and Edu users over the coming weeks. This staggered approach reflects OpenAI&#8217;s strategy to manage ongoing GPU shortages and high demand.



The model was trained on Microsoft Corp.&#8216;s (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>) Azure AI supercomputers and represents a significant shift toward scaling unsupervised learning.



<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">Today we're releasing a research preview of GPT-4.5—our largest and best model for chat yet. Rolling out now to all ChatGPT Pro users, followed by Plus and Team users next week, then Enterprise and Edu users the following week. <a href="https://t.co/br5win5OEB">pic.twitter.com/br5win5OEB</a>&mdash; OpenAI (@OpenAI) <a href="https://twitter.com/OpenAI/status/1895219591070261266?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 27, 2025</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



&#8220;GPT-4.5 is ready!&#8221; OpenAI CEO Sam Altman announced on X. &#8220;It is the first model that feels like talking to a thoughtful person to me. I have had several moments where I&#8217;ve sat back in my chair and been astonished at getting actually good advice from an AI.&#8221;



<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">GPT-4.5 is ready! good news: it is the first model that feels like talking to a thoughtful person to me. i have had several moments where i&#39;ve sat back in my chair and been astonished at getting actually good advice from an AI. bad news: it is a giant, expensive model. we…&mdash; Sam Altman (@sama) <a href="https://twitter.com/sama/status/1895203654103351462?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 27, 2025</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



Altman acknowledged supply constraints affecting the rollout: &#8220;We really wanted to launch it to plus and pro at the same time, but we&#8217;ve been growing a lot and are out of GPUs. We will add tens of thousands of GPUs next week and roll it out to the plus tier then.&#8221;



According to OpenAI&#8217;s blog <a href="https://openai.com/index/introducing-gpt-4-5/">post</a>, GPT-4.5 represents a significant advancement in scaling unsupervised learning, resulting in a broader knowledge base, improved intent understanding, and enhanced emotional intelligence. The model shows reduced hallucination rates compared to previous versions, with SimpleQA accuracy reaching 62.5% versus GPT-4&#8217;s 38.2%.



See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/social-media/25/02/43997193/jeff-bezos-washington-post-overhaul-draws-oligarch-remark-from-bernie-sanders-elon-musk-calls-amazon-founder-a-bravo">Jeff Bezos&#8217; Washington Post Overhaul Draws &#8216;Oligarch&#8217; Remark From Bernie Sanders — Elon Musk Says &#8216;Bravo&#8217; To Amazon Founder</a>



Why It Matters: Human testers preferred GPT-4.5 over GPT-4o in multiple categories, with the model winning 63.2% of professional queries and 56.8% of creative intelligence queries.



Unlike OpenAI&#8217;s reasoning-focused models like o1 and o3-mini, GPT-4.5 doesn&#8217;t incorporate &#8220;thinking before responding&#8221; capabilities. Instead, it focuses on text-based interactions without multimodal features like Voice Mode, video, and screensharing.



&#8220;This isn&#8217;t a reasoning model and won&#8217;t crush benchmarks,&#8221; Altman noted. &#8220;It&#8217;s a different kind of intelligence and there&#8217;s a magic to it I haven&#8217;t felt before.&#8221;



The model is available to developers through OpenAI&#8217;s API suite, though the company warned its compute-intensive nature makes it more expensive than GPT-4o.



Read Next: 



<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/25/02/44031320/mark-zuckerbergs-meta-wants-to-do-an-ai-app-but-sam-altman-wants-to-pull-a-reverse-uno-card-maybe-well-do-a-social-app">Mark Zuckerberg&#8217;s Meta Wants To Do An AI App But Sam Altman Wants To Pull A &#8216;Reverse Uno&#8217; Card: &#8216;Maybe We&#8217;ll Do A Social App&#8217;</a></li>
</ul>



Image Via Shutterstock



Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

MSFT

Sam Altman Calls It 'Magic' As OpenAI Rolls Out GPT-4.5: 'Feels Like Talking To A Thoughtful Person To Me'

Leading cryptocurrencies continued their downward march on Thursday as President Donald Trump&#8217;s tariff plan worsened investors&#8217; fears.



<figure class="wp-block-table"><table style="overflow:auto; height: 90px; display: block;"><tbody><tr><td>Cryptocurrency</td><td>Gains +/-</td><td>Price (Recorded at 7:45 p.m. ET)</td></tr><tr><td>Bitcoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/btc/usd">BTC</a>)</td><td>-0.16%</td><td>$84,442.44</td></tr><tr><td>Ethereum (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/eth/usd">ETH</a>) &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</td><td>-1.17%</td><td>$2,305.90</td></tr><tr><td>Dogecoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/doge/usd">DOGE</a>)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</td><td>+1.68%</td><td>$0.2058</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



What Happened: Bitcoin rose to $87,000 early in the morning, igniting hopes of a revival, only to fall back to the $83,000 zone by the evening.



The apex cryptocurrency has dropped 16.97% since the month began, on track for its worst February since 2014.&nbsp;



Ethereum too plunged to an intraday low of $2,230.45 after lifting above $2,300 earlier in the day. The second-largest cryptocurrency was headed toward its worst February performance.



Over $390 million was liquidated from the cryptocurrency market in the last 24 hours, with $303 million in long positions wiped out.



Bitcoin's Open Interest dropped 4.62% in the last 24 hours. About 58% of Bitcoin futures traders were positioned short, according to the Long/Short Ratio, suggesting a bearish mood.



The Crypto Fear and Greed Index was at a multi-year low, with the current value of 16 last seen during the 2022 bear market.



Top Gainers (24-Hours)



<figure class="wp-block-table"><table style="overflow:auto; height: 90px; display: block;"><tbody><tr><td>Cryptocurrency</td><td>Gains +/-</td><td>Price (Recorded at 7:45 p.m. ET)</td></tr><tr><td>Berachain (BERA)</td><td>+12.27%</td><td>$8.18</td></tr><tr><td>Maker (MKR)</td><td>+9.11%</td><td>$1.762.60</td></tr><tr><td>Stacks (STX)</td><td>+5.25%</td><td>$0.8261</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



The global cryptocurrency market capitalization stood at $2.81 trillion, contracting 0.10% in the last 24 hours.



Stocks were back in the red on Thursday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 193.62 points, or 0.45%, to close at 43,239.50. The S&amp;P 500 slid 1.59% to end at 5,861.57, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite dipped 2.78% to close the session at 18,544.42.



The sell-offs were triggered after <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/global/25/02/44010093/trumps-plan-for-canada-mexico-china-tariffs-to-start-march-4-could-shake-stock-market">Trump outlined a tariff plan</a> against Canada, Mexico, and China, threatening to harm key sectors like automotive, food and beverage, oil, and consumer goods.



See More: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/best-crypto-scanners">Best Cryptocurrency Scanners</a>



Analyst Notes: Popular on-chain analytics firm CryptoQuant noted that the NVT Golden Cross was below -2.4, suggesting oversold conditions and a possible market bottom.



"Given these oversold conditions, if a rebound occurs, the 111-day moving average (DMA) at $96.895 may act as resistance during any potential price increase," the analyst added.



The NVT ratio is a metric that compares a cryptocurrency's market capitalization to its on-chain transaction volume. It can be seen as the equivalent of the price-to-earnings ratio.



<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">NVT Golden Cross and Market Conditions "An NVT value below -1.6 indicates a possible market bottom, pointing to oversold conditions. Currently, the NVT value is below -2.4." – By <a href="https://twitter.com/tugbachain?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@tugbachain</a> Full analysis &#x1f447;<a href="https://t.co/VuIHzc6liT">https://t.co/VuIHzc6liT</a> <a href="https://t.co/eTXIrwjOo7">pic.twitter.com/eTXIrwjOo7</a>&mdash; CryptoQuant.com (@cryptoquant_com) <a href="https://twitter.com/cryptoquant_com/status/1895215351836926052?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 27, 2025</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



Widely followed cryptocurrency commentator Ali Martinez painted a bearish forecast, citing the Moving Average Convergence Divergence indicator.&nbsp;



"Every time the MACD has a bearish crossover on the weekly chart, BTC has historically seen an average 40% correction. The MACD just flashed another bearish crossover," Martinez analyzed.



<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">Every time the MACD has a bearish crossover on the weekly chart, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bitcoin?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Bitcoin</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%24BTC&amp;src=ctag&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">$BTC</a> has historically seen an average 40% correction. The MACD just flashed another bearish crossover! <a href="https://t.co/c5gyIMh757">pic.twitter.com/c5gyIMh757</a>&mdash; Ali (@ali_charts) <a href="https://twitter.com/ali_charts/status/1895264653443305962?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 28, 2025</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



Photo by Avi Rozen on Shutterstock



Read Next:    



<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/education/25/02/44029165/if-you-invested-1000-in-bitcoin-when-changpeng-cz-zhao-predicted-btc-would-crash-from-101k-to-85k-heres-how-much-youd-have-today">If You Invested $1,000 In Bitcoin When Changpeng &#8216;CZ&#8217; Zhao Predicted BTC Would Crash From $101K to $85K, Here&#8217;s How Much You&#8217;d Have Today</a></li>
</ul>

Movers

Bitcoin, Ethereum Lose, Dogecoin Gains Amid Trump's Tariff War Moves: Has BTC Hit A Bottom Yet?

On Thursday, Cathie Wood&#8217;s Ark Invest made a significant trade involving Spotify Technology SA (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SPOT#NYSE">SPOT</a>).



The SPOT Trade



Ark Invest&#8217;s decision to trade Spotify&#8217;s shares comes amidst a turbulent time for the music streaming giant. Spotify has recently faced stiff competition from Alphabet Inc.&#8217;s (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>) (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>) YouTube, which announced that it has <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/43998792/youtube-surpasses-spotify-with-1-billion-monthly-podcast-users-ceo-pledges-enhanced-monetization-for-creators">surpassed Spotify&#8217;s monthly active podcast users</a>, reaching over 1 billion. 



Spotify&#8217;s CEO, Daniel Ek, has been in a four-year battle with Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAPL#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>), accusing the tech giant of flouting the European Union&#8217;s Big Tech rules. Ek has called for the EU to penalize Apple for its <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/government/regulations/25/02/43983837/spotify-ceo-wants-eu-to-penalize-apple-for-defying-regulations">alleged defiance of the EU&#8217;s Digital Markets Act</a>.



Ark Invest made a significant trade involving Spotify&#8217;s shares. The Wood-led firm sold 6,629 shares through ARK Next Generation Internet ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ARKW#NYSE">ARKW</a>). Given Spotify&#8217;s closing price of $590.76 on Thursday, February 27, 2025, the trade&#8217;s value was $3.9 million.



Other Key Trades:



<ul>
<li>Deere &amp; Co. (DE): Ark Invest&#8217;s ARKK fund bought 7,654 shares.</li>



<li>Iridium Communications Inc. (IRDM): Ark Invest&#8217;s ARKK fund purchased 87,903 shares.</li>



<li>Salesforce Inc. (CRM): Bought 15,345 stocks through ARKW.</li>



<li>Accolade Inc. (ACCD): Sold 2,500 shares from ARKG.</li>
</ul>



Image via Shutterstock



Read Next:



<ul>
<li> <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/44018351/top-3-utilities-stocks-you-may-want-to-dump-in-february">Top 3 Utilities Stocks You May Want To Dump In February</a></li>
</ul>



This story was generated using <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/benzinga-neuro">Benzinga Neuro</a> and edited by <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/shivdeep-dhaliwal" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Shivdeep Dhaliwal</a>

AAPL

ARKW

GOOG

GOOGL

SPOT

Cathie Wood Sells Off Spotify Stock As YouTube Clamors For Podcast Crown

SoundHound AI Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SOUN#NASDAQ">SOUN</a>) reported fourth-quarter financial results after the market close on Thursday. Here&#8217;s a rundown <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/pressreleases/25/02/b44024866/soundhound-ai-reports-record-fourth-quarter-revenue-up-101-exceeding-34-5-million-raises-full-year">of the report</a>.



Q4 Earnings: SoundHound reported fourth-quarter revenue of $34.54 million, beating the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/calendars/earnings" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">consensus estimate</a> of $33.69 million. The company reported an adjusted loss of five cents per share, beating analyst estimates for a loss of 10 cents per share, according to <a href="http://pro.benzinga.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Pro</a>.



Total revenue was up 101% on a year-over-year basis. The company reported an adjusted EBITDA loss of $16.8 million. SoundHound ended the quarter with $198 million in cash and cash equivalents.



&#8220;We had a breakthrough year, expanding our leadership position in voice and conversational AI through major customer wins, expanded partnerships, groundbreaking generative AI innovation, and strategic acquisitions,&#8221; said&nbsp;Keyvan Mohajer, co-founder and CEO of SoundHound AI.



&#8220;As we move into the era of Agentic AI, we are uniquely positioned to capitalize on this evolving category. Together with our existing broad portfolio of voice-enabled AI solutions we can deliver even greater commercial impact.&#8221;



See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/25/02/44019376/salesforces-shares-drop-on-missed-fy-guidance-analyst-recommends-focus-on-bookings">Salesforce&#8217;s Shares Drop On Missed FY Guidance, Analyst Recommends Focus On Bookings</a>



Guidance: SoundHound raised its full-year 2025 revenue outlook to a range of $157 million to $177 million, up from a prior range of $155 million to $175 million.



SoundHound executives will further discuss the quarter on a conference call with investors and analysts at 5 p.m. ET.



SOUN Price Action: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/SOUN" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">SoundHound AI shares</a> were up 12.49% after hours, trading at $10.39 at the time of publication Thursday, according to <a href="http://pro.benzinga.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Pro</a>.



Photo: Shutterstock.

Guidance

SoundHound AI Q4 Earnings: Revenue Beat, EPS Beat, Raised Guidance Heading Into 'Era Of Agentic AI'

Rocket Lab USA Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/RKLB#NASDAQ">RKLB</a>) reported fourth-quarter financial results after the market close on Thursday. Here&#8217;s a look at the key metrics <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/pressreleases/25/02/b44025344/rocket-lab-announces-full-year-fourth-quarter-2024-financial-results-posts-record-revenue-represen">from the quarter</a>.



Q4 Earnings: Rocket Lab reported fourth-quarter revenue of $132.39 million, beating the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/calendars/earnings" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">consensus estimate</a>&nbsp;of $130.58 million. The end-to-end space company reported a fourth-quarter loss of 10 cents per share, in line with analyst estimates, according to&nbsp;<a href="http://pro.benzinga.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Pro</a>.



Total revenue was up 121% on a year-over-year basis. The company said it achieved a record 16 Electron launches in 2024, up 60% year-over-year. 



Rocket Lab ended the quarter with approximately $271 million in cash and cash equivalents, up from $162.5 million in the prior year&#8217;s quarter.



&#8220;2024 was a record-setting year for Rocket Lab, with our highest annual revenue ever posted of $436.2 million and a record Q4 2024 revenue of $132.4 million — a 382% increase compared to fourth quarter 2021, our first full quarter following our debut on the Nasdaq as a publicly-traded company,&#8221; said Peter Beck, founder and CEO of Rocket Lab.



&#8220;We rounded out the year with significant advancement across the Neutron program ahead of a planned debut launch in the second half of 2025. The Company&#8217;s strong performance across launch and space systems is foundational to Rocket Lab&#8217;s momentum toward delivering its own satellite service as a truly end-to-end space company.&#8221;



Check This Out: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/25/02/44018649/spacex-rocket-launches-intuitive-machines-athena-lander-details">SpaceX Rocket Launches Intuitive Machines&#8217; Athena Lander: Details</a>



Outlook:&nbsp;Rocket Lab expects first-quarter revenue to be in the range of $117 million to $123 million versus estimates of $135.67 million. The company anticipates an adjusted EBITDA loss of $33 million to $35 million in the first quarter.



Rocket Lab executives will further discuss the quarter on a conference call with analysts and investors at 5 p.m. ET.



What Else: Rocket Lab also made a series of announcements in separate press releases after the market close on Thursday. 



The company announced a new satellite called &#8220;Flatellite&#8221; tailored for large constellations, the signing of a multi-launch agreement with Institute for Q-shu Pioneers of Space and new details about its &#8220;Return On Investment&#8221; ocean landing platform designed for its reusable Neutron rocket.



Neutron is currently slated to make its first launch in the second half of 2025. 



RKLB Price Action: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/RKLB" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Rocket Lab shares</a> were down 7.47% after hours, trading at $18.35 at the time of publication Thursday, according to <a href="http://pro.benzinga.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Pro</a>.



Photo: courtesy of Rocket Lab.

SPACE

After-Hours Center

Rocket Lab Q4 Earnings: Revenue Beat, EPS Beat, New Satellite Product, Multi-Launch Agreement, Shares Slide On Soft Guidance

Louis Navellier, the growth investor behind Navellier &amp; Associates, joined Benzinga&#8217;s <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/premarket-prep">PreMarket Playbook</a> Thursday morning to discuss American exceptionalism in equity pricing, growth stocks and economic indicators <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/25/02/43949339/consumer-confidence-plummets-in-february-sharp-decline-marks-third-consecutive-monthly-drop">impacting the markets</a>.



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<iframe loading="lazy" title="Louis Navellier is Founder, Chairman of the Board, CIO and CCO of Navellier &amp; Associates" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/uPSCQ-at1d0?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div></figure>



International Stocks: Navellier says he doesn&#8217;t pay attention to emerging markets.



&#8220;Everybody&#8217;s in a recession except for us,&#8221; Navellier said. &#8220;The growth in Asia is very weak, Thailand just cut their rates this week&#8230; we think China&#8217;s going to be the next Japan with rates at or near zero. They have huge demographic problems in Asia.&#8221;



The investor also noted weakness in Europe, particularly in the United Kingdom, France and Germany, which have experienced recessions.



Navellier says the United States&#8217; food and energy independence is a significant advantage. He noted President Donald Trump&#8216;s efforts to onshore industries currently <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/global/25/02/44010093/trumps-plan-for-canada-mexico-china-tariffs-to-start-march-4-could-shake-stock-market" target="_blank" rel="noopener">operating in other countries</a>. He also said states competing on business growth provide a unique framework for American success.



Growth Stocks: Navellier does not think that growth stocks are overvalued at their current valuations.



&#8220;I don&#8217;t mind paying a premium for NVIDIA [Corp] (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NASDAQ#NASDAQ">NASDAQ</a>), which is a monopoly. If you look at Super Micro Computer Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SMCI#NASDAQ">SMCI</a>), it&#8217;s trading at a single-digit forecast of PE ratio. My average small-cap stock is only trading at 4.9 times next year&#8217;s estimated earnings. There&#8217;s not a valuation problem.&#8221;



Economic Indicators: Consumer confidence fell in February for the second straight month, perhaps a concerning sign for the U.S. economy. While Navellier has previously noted the February reading as a <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/etfs/broad-u-s-equity-etfs/25/02/43955914/market-could-enter-a-real-correction-expert-warns">reason for concern</a>, the investor says the concerns over sentiment may be weather-related.



Navellier also noted positive manufacturing indicators and global news developments as reasons for positivity in the near future.



Also Read:



<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/market-summary/25/02/44015237/pending-home-sales-crash-to-record-low-jobless-claims-soar-wall-street-reacts">Pending Home Sales Crash To Record Low, Jobless Claims Soar: Wall Street Reacts</a></li>
</ul>



Photo: Shutterstock

Asia

Emerging Markets

Exclusives

Interview

SMCI

NASDAQ

Navellier Dismisses Emerging Markets: 'Everybody's In A Recession Except For Us'

The Federal Reserve is expected to maintain its current interest rate policy for the foreseeable future, according to Cleveland Fed President Beth Hammack, as policymakers continue to evaluate inflation trends and labor market conditions. Hammack emphasized patience on Thursday, stating that while progress has been made, inflation is not yet on track to consistently meet the 2% target.



What Happened: The Federal Reserve, following its latest policy discussions, signaled that interest rates are likely to remain unchanged for an extended period. 



Hammack underscored that while the job market remains strong, inflation&#8217;s decline has been uneven, justifying a cautious approach before considering rate cuts, Reuters reports. &#8220;We have made good progress, but 2% inflation is not in sight just yet,&#8221; she said. The central bank&#8217;s benchmark rate currently stands between 4.25% and 4.5%.



Also Read: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/25/02/44015322/nvidia-analyst-sees-significant-upside-for-stock-with-favorable-riskreward">Nvidia Analyst Sees &#8216;Significant Upside&#8217; For Stock With Favorable Risk/Reward</a>



Hammack, who joined the Fed in August 2024, also suggested that monetary policy may already be near a neutral stance. &#8220;Policy does not strike me as being meaningfully restrictive; or, put differently, we may be close to a neutral setting already,&#8221; she noted.



While some policymakers believe inflation will gradually decline, she cautioned that economic uncertainties, including potential inflationary risks from trade and immigration policies, remain a concern, according to Reuters.



Why It Matters: The Fed&#8217;s stance on interest rates impacts borrowing costs, investment decisions, and overall economic stability. Despite the recent cooling of inflation, concerns remain about potential upward pressure stemming from geopolitical risks and policy shifts. 



According to the minutes from the Federal Open Market Committee's (FOMC) January meeting, officials remain divided on how quickly rate cuts should be implemented. Policymakers stress the need for more data before <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/43829352/fomc-minutes">making any adjustments.</a>



Read Next:



<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/market-summary/25/02/44015237/pending-home-sales-crash-to-record-low-jobless-claims-soar-wall-street-reacts">Pending Home Sales Crash To Record Low, Jobless Claims Soar: Wall Street Reacts</a></li>
</ul>



Image created using artificial intelligence via Midjourney.

Federal Reserve

Fed's Hammack: '2% Inflation Is Not In Sight'

The&nbsp;Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has dismissed multiple lawsuits that had been put in place by the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/personal-finance/25/02/43752458/russell-vought-orders-pause-on-all-cfpb-activity-critics-say-this-gives-corporations-the-green-light-to-scam-families">agency&#8217;s former director</a>.



What To Know: The CFPB on Thursday&nbsp;issued four notices of voluntary dismissal for cases involving Capital One Financial Corp (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/COF#NYSE">COF</a>), Berkshire Hathaway Inc&#8217;s (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BRK#NYSE">BRK</a>) (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BRK#NYSE">BRK</a>) Vanderbilt Mortgage &amp; Finance, Rocket Companies Inc&#8217;s (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/RKT#NYSE">RKT</a>) Rocket Homes Real Estate and loan servicer Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency, according to <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2025/02/27/cfpb-drops-capital-one-rocket-mortgage-affiliate-lawsuits.html">CNBC</a>. 



The notices of voluntary dismissal were released in legal filings Thursday morning and come amid a shakeup at the agency sparked by Elon Musk&#8217;s Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE.



The report indicates that DOGE&#8217;s government efficiency initiative has led to the closing of the CFPB&#8217;s headquarters in Washington, and the dismissal of around 200 agency employees.



Check This Out: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/personal-finance/25/02/44009020/ron-paul-responds-to-elon-musks-doge-invite-id-love-to-help-bring-sanity-back-warns-of-big-threat-to-retirement-funds-and-401ks">Ron Paul Responds To Elon Musk&#8217;s DOGE Invite: &#8216;I&#8217;d Love to Help Bring Sanity Back!&#8217; — Warns Of Big &#8216;Threat&#8217; To Retirement Funds And 401(k)s</a>



The enforcement shift also aligns with a change in directors after Russell Vought took over for former director Rohit Chopra earlier this month. 



Under Chopra, the CFPB accused Capital One of withholding more than $2 billion in interest; argued that Vanderbilt ignored affordability signs; accused Rocket of providing illegal payments to real estate agents; and targeted the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency&#8217;s loan collection process.



&#8220;The Plaintiff, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, dismisses with prejudice this action against all Defendants," the agency reportedly said in the Capital One case dismissal. 



CNBC reported that the agency used similar language in the other cases.



Shares of Capital One, Berkshire Hathaway and Rocket Companies all moved higher following the dismissals.



At the time of publication, <a href="http://pro.benzinga.com">Benzinga Pro</a> shows.



<ul>
<li><a href="http://benzinga.com/quote/cof">Capital One shares</a> up 1.34% at $199.41</li>



<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/brk-b">Berkshire shares</a> up 2.06% at $504.30 and </li>



<li><a href="http://benzinga.com/quote/rkt">Rocket Companies</a> shares 0.34% at $13.13.</li>
</ul>



Read Next:



<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/market-summary/25/02/44018084/trumps-tariffs-potential-stagflation-whats-driving-markets-thursday">Trump&#8217;s Tariffs, Potential &#8216;Stagflation&#8217;: What&#8217;s Driving Markets Thursday?</a></li>
</ul>



Photo: Shutterstock.

Legal

Capital One, Berkshire Hathaway, Rocket Companies Shares Move Higher After CFPB Drops Lawsuits

The S&amp;P 500 and Nasdaq both slipped into the red, reversing early gains on Thursday, while the Dow Jones remained in positive territory in midday trading. NVIDIA Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>) led the tech sector lower after the company posted its smallest revenue beat in <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/25/02/44015322/nvidia-analyst-sees-significant-upside-for-stock-with-favorable-riskreward">years on Wednesday.</a>



Wall Street digested a slew of new <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/market-summary/25/02/44015237/pending-home-sales-crash-to-record-low-jobless-claims-soar-wall-street-reacts">economic data </a>including soaring jobless claims and pending home sales dropping to the lowest level on record in January. The second estimate of the fourth quarter 2024 real GDP showed signs of rising inflation with the personal consumption expenditures price index for the quarter revised up 0.1 percentage point, and core PCE revised up 0.2 percentage points. 



Read Next: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/25/02/43949800/tesla-competes-against-chinese-rivals-with-one-hand-tied-behind-its-back-analyst">Tesla Competes Against Chinese Rivals &#8216;With One Hand Tied Behind Its Back&#8217;: Analyst</a>



Economist Mohamed A. El-Erian pointed to the GDP revisions, rising jobless claims and drop in pending home sales as signs of potential trouble ahead.&nbsp;



"Once again, today&#8217;s U.S. economic data have somewhat of a scent of stagflation to them, adding to concerns that the global economy&#8217;s only reliable engine of growth risks playing a game of economic Twister with a foot on stagnation and a hand on inflation," El-Erian wrote in a social<a href="https://x.com/elerianm/status/1895142925786358101"> media post</a>.  



President Donald Trump confirmed Thursday that 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada will go<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/global/25/02/44010093/trumps-plan-for-canada-mexico-china-tariffs-to-start-march-4-could-shake-stock-market"> into effect </a>on March 4. He added that imports from China will also see an additional 10% tariff on March 4, fueling fears that his tariff policies could lead to slower growth and higher inflation.&nbsp;



Bitcoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/btc/usd">BTC</a>) traded below the $85,000 level and the yield on the U.S. 10-year Treasury note rose slightly to 4.29%. 



<h1 class="wp-block-heading">Thursday's Performance In Major U.S. Indices, ETFs</h1>



<figure class="wp-block-table"><table style="overflow:auto; height: 90px; display: block;"><tbody><tr><td>Major Indices</td><td>Price</td><td>1 day % chg.</td></tr><tr><td>Nasdaq 100</td><td>18,951.46</td><td>-0.65%</td></tr><tr><td>S&amp;P 500</td><td>5,952.10</td><td>-0.07%</td></tr><tr><td>Dow Jones</td><td>43,695.32</td><td>0.60%</td></tr><tr><td>Russell 2000</td><td>2,163.19</td><td>0.50%</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



According to Benzinga Pro data:



<ul>
<li>The SPDR S&amp;P 500 ETF Trust (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SPY#NYSE">SPY</a>) was down 0.3% to $592.78.</li>



<li>The SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DIA#NYSE">DIA</a>) climbed 0.4% at $436.08.</li>



<li>The tech-heavy Invesco QQQ Trust Series (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QQQ#NASDAQ">QQQ</a>) dipped 0.91% to $509.88.</li>



<li>The iShares Russell 2000 ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/IWM#NYSE">IWM</a>) eased 0.53% to $214.54.</li>



<li>The Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XLY#NYSE">XLY</a>) was down 0.39% to $214.85.</li>



<li>The Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XLE#NYSE">XLE</a>) rose 1.1% to $90.11.</li>
</ul>



<h1 class="wp-block-heading">Thursday's Stock Movers </h1>



Salesforce, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CRM#NYSE">CRM</a>) shares dipped Thursday after the<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/earnings/25/02/43991325/salesforce-shares-sink-after-q4-revenues-miss-estimates-weak-fy26-guidance-details"> company reported</a> worse-than-expected fourth-quarter sales results and issued FY26 and Q1 guidance below expectations. 



Stocks reacting to company earnings reports included:&nbsp;



<ul>
<li>NVIDIA Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>) </li>



<li>IonQ, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/IONQ#NYSE">IONQ</a>) </li>



<li>MARA Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MARA#NASDAQ">MARA</a>) </li>



<li>Salesforce, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CRM#NYSE">CRM</a>) </li>



<li>Snowflake, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SNOW#NYSE">SNOW</a>)</li>



<li>eBay, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/EBAY#NASDAQ">EBAY</a>) </li>



<li>C3.ai, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AI#NYSE">AI</a>) </li>



<li>Joby Aviation, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/JOBY#NYSE">JOBY</a>) </li>



<li>Virgin Galactic Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SPCE#NYSE">SPCE</a>) </li>



<li>Beyond Meat, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BYND#NASDAQ">BYND</a>)</li>
</ul>



Companies reporting after Thursday's closing bell include:&nbsp;



<ul>
<li>Rocket Lab USA, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/RKLB#NASDAQ">RKLB</a>) </li>



<li>SoundHound AI, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SOUN#NASDAQ">SOUN</a>) </li>



<li>Dell Technologies Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DELL#NYSE">DELL</a>) </li>



<li>Duolingo, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DUOL#NYSE">DUOL</a>) </li>



<li>Sunrun Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/RUN#NASDAQ">RUN</a>) </li>



<li>Archer Aviation Inc.  (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ACHR#NYSE">ACHR</a>) </li>



<li>Talen Energy Corporation (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TLN#NASDAQ">TLN</a>) </li>



<li>Clover Health Investments, Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CLOV#NASDAQ">CLOV</a>) </li>



<li>Edison International (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/EIX#NYSE">EIX</a>)</li>
</ul>



Read Next:<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/econ-s/25/02/43977811/mortgage-rates-drop-to-lowest-levels-since-december-but-housing-market-remains-largely-stuck"> </a>



<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/econ-s/25/02/43977811/mortgage-rates-drop-to-lowest-levels-since-december-but-housing-market-remains-largely-stuck">Mortgage Rates Drop To Lowest Levels Since December, But Housing Market Remains &#8216;Largely Stuck&#8217;&nbsp;</a></li>
</ul>



Photo: Shutterstock

Large Cap

Sector ETFs

Bonds

Broad U.S. Equity ETFs

ETFs

General

ACHR

BYND

CLOV

DUOL

EBAY

IONQ

JOBY

MARA

SNOW

SPCE

Trump's Tariffs, Potential 'Stagflation': What's Driving Markets Thursday?

Wall Street is digesting a slew of economic data Thursday following updates on pending home sales, jobless claims and fourth quarter GDP estimates. Here's a look at the data and how the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/econ-s/25/02/44007082/q4-gdp-holds-at-2-3-after-minor-revision-in-second-estimate">markets are reacting. </a>



GDP: The second estimate released Thursday by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis revised fourth quarter 2024 real GDP up by less than 0.1 percentage point, due mainly to higher-than-expected increases in government spending and exports. 



There were signs of rising inflation in the GDP data, including upward revisions to price indexes closely monitored by the Federal Reserve.&nbsp;



The personal consumption expenditures price index for the quarter indicated a 2.4% gain, revised up 0.1 percentage point, and a 2.7% gain, revised up 0.2 percentage points, when excluding food and energy.



Read Next:<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/econ-s/25/02/43977811/mortgage-rates-drop-to-lowest-levels-since-december-but-housing-market-remains-largely-stuck"> Mortgage Rates Drop To Lowest Levels Since December, But Housing Market Remains &#8216;Largely Stuck&#8217;&nbsp;</a>



The revisions come as President Donald Trump promises <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/global/25/02/44010093/trumps-plan-for-canada-mexico-china-tariffs-to-start-march-4-could-shake-stock-market">heavier tariffs</a> on a variety of trade partners, fueling fears that the policies could lead to lower growth and higher inflation.&nbsp;



&#8220;The immediate policy changes from the new administration (immigration enforcement and tariffs) are likely to weigh on growth while providing little relief on inflation,&#8221; Morgan Stanley analyst Mike Wilson wrote in a note to clients on Monday, as <a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/news/gdp-us-economy-grows-at-23-annualized-pace-in-fourth-quarter-matching-estimates-133216310.html">reported by</a> Yahoo Finance.&nbsp;



Jobless Claims: Thursday's data also showed initial jobless claims rose by 22,000 from the previous week to 242,000, the most in over two months and above market expectations of 221,000, indicating further softening of the job market.&nbsp;



However, recurring jobless claims dipped by 5,000 to 1,862,000 in the second week of February, below market expectations of 1,870,000, as tracked by Trading Economics.&nbsp;



"This report showed a healthy gain, but not the first ripples of what likely will be a major wave of unemployment claims, both from layoffs in the federal workforce and at companies such as Starbucks and Southwest," wrote Robert Frick, corporate economist at Navy Federal Credit Union, <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2025/02/27/weekly-jobless-claims-jump-to-242000-more-than-expected-in-latest-sign-of-economic-softening.html">per</a> CNBC.&nbsp;



Pending Home Sales: Pending home sales fell 4.6% in January 2025 to the lowest level on record as mortgage rates held above 7% for the entire month.&nbsp;



&#8220;It is unclear if the coldest January in 25 years contributed to fewer buyers in the market, and if so, expect greater sales activity in upcoming months. However, it&#8217;s evident that elevated home prices and higher mortgage rates strained affordability," NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun said.&nbsp;



Markets React: The three major U.S. indices are mixed on Thursday with the Dow Jones trading higher and the SPDR S&amp;P 500 ETF Trust (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SPY#NYSE">SPY</a>), tracking the S&amp;P 500, down 0.15% at $593.53. The Invesco QQQ Trust (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QQQ#NASDAQ">QQQ</a>), tracking the Nasdaq 100 index, was down 0.79% at $510.52 at the time of publication Thursday. 



Read Next:



<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/government/regulations/25/02/43903335/financial-crime-weekly-1-4-billion-ethereum-stolen-in-largest-crypto-hack-ever-sec-creates-cyber-and-emerging-technologies-unit">Financial Crime Weekly: $1.4 Billion Ethereum Stolen In Largest Crypto Hack Ever, SEC Creates Cyber And Emerging Technologies Unit</a></li>
</ul>



Photo: Shutterstock

Econ #s

Real Estate

Pending Home Sales Crash To Record Low, Jobless Claims Soar: Wall Street Reacts

NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>) analysts see strong Blackwell demand and improved guidance, brushing off several concerns for the semiconductor company after its <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/earnings/25/02/43991607/nvidia-q4-earnings-highlights-revenue-beat-eps-beat-demand-for-blackwell-is-amazing">fourth-quarter financial results.</a>



The Nvidia Analysts: 



<ul>
<li>JPMorgan analyst Harlan Sur reiterated an Overweight rating on Nvidia with a $170 price target.</li>



<li>Rosenblatt analyst Kevin Cassidy reiterated a Buy rating with a $220 price target.</li>



<li>Needham analyst Quinn Bolton maintained a Buy rating with a $160 price target.</li>



<li>KeyBanc analyst John Vinh maintained an Overweight rating with a $190 price target.</li>
</ul>



JPMorgan on NVDA: Fourth quarter financials reflected solid results with guidance showing continued demand that outstrips supply, Sur said in a new investor note.



The analyst said Blackwell shipments are expected to ramp higher through the year based on management commentary.



"Demand for Blackwell is very strong and will continue to outstrip supply for several quarters. We believe the team did a good job on addressing AI model innovations like DeepSeek," Sur said.



Sur said Nvidia did a good job executing across all segments. The analyst said the first half of the year is typically seasonally weaker than the second half, but strong demand for PC gaming, data center and automotive could offset seasonal weakness.



"We anticipate significant upside in the shares, driving our Overweight rating."



Read Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/11/41888032/nvidia-ceo-jensen-huang-said-nvidia-has-no-long-term-strategy-how-this-philosophy-is-similar-to-his-reason-to-not-wear-a-watch">Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang Doesn&#8217;t Wear A Watch After A Gardner Taught Him The Secret Of Time</a>



Rosenblatt on NVDA: The semiconductor company reported a strong beat and raise in the fourth quarter, Cassidy said in a new investor note.



The analyst said the improved guidance comes with better-than-expected Blackwell shipments of $11 billion versus prior guidance of "several billion."



"While investors may nitpick the magnitude of the beat, gross margin pressure, and temporary Networking weakness, we view these as near-term fluctuations," Cassidy said.



The analyst said GTC in mid-March now serves as the next catalyst for Nvidia stock.



"We anticipate updates on NVIDIA's technology roadmap and new AI inference use cases to drive further excitement."



Cassidy said non-GAAP gross margins of 73.5% were in line with estimates, and the decline comes as the company transitions to higher-cost systems within the Data Center business segment.



The analyst raised estimates for revenue and earnings per share for the first quarter, fiscal 2026 and fiscal 2027 after the financial results.



Needham on NVDA: Blackwell is ramping at a record pace and could push aside supply chain noise, Bolton said in a new investor note.



"Initial Blackwell revenue is well above expectations," Bolton said.



The analyst said the strong Blackwell demand comes a quarter after overheating rumors and on the heels of DeepSeek concerns for the sector.



"We aren't surprised to see supply chain impacts, which are coming across better than feared in our view."



Bolton said Nvidia stock is a buy, thanks to its attractive valuation and favorable risk/reward profile.



KeyBanc on NVDA: Fourth quarter results and guidance were solid for Nvidia, Vinh said in a new investor note.



The analyst said Nvidia brushed off concerns from DeepSeek during the quarter. Management said DeepSeek could be a net positive for the demand side with learning demand for compute higher than pre-training.



"Given recently released earnings and guidance, we're encouraged by these results and are fine-tuning ests." Vinh said.



Vinh noted that Nvidia has sought to diversify with growth in high-performance computing, automotive and data center, segments that "should drive meaningful growth over the next few years.



"We see limited competitive risks and expect NVDA to continue to dominate one of the fastest growing workloads in cloud and enterprise."



NVDA Price Action: Nvidia stock is down 4% to $126.00 on Thursday versus a 52-week trading range of $75.61 to $153.13. Nvidia stock is down 8.7% year-to-date in 2025 with shares up 60.5% over the last year.



Read Next: 



<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/management/24/10/41294313/does-jensen-huang-check-nvidia-stock-price-daily">Does Jensen Huang Check Nvidia Stock Price Daily?</a></li>
</ul>



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Nvidia Analyst Sees 'Significant Upside' For Stock With Favorable Risk/Reward

President Donald Trump's plan to place tariffs on Mexico and Canada and a higher tariff on China will take place on March 4, a move that could impact multiple sectors and cause worry <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/global/25/02/43442219/why-beer-tequila-avocados-cars-iphone-prices-could-rise-trumps-tariffs-on-canada-mexico-china-to-hurt-several-sectors">for American consumers.</a>



 What Happened: Trump's <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/25/02/43965690/trumps-proposed-tariffs-could-deal-12-billion-blow-to-us-restaurants-industry-warns">proposed tariffs </a>on Canada and Mexico were paused on Feb. 3 for one month after agreements were reached with both nations over border security controls and efforts to improve trade relations.



Those pauses are now set to be lifted with Trump saying the 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada will go into effect on March 4, with China to get an additional 10% tariff on March 4 as well.



Trump had <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/global/25/02/43926015/trump-confirms-tariffs-on-canada-mexico-will-take-effect-as-planned">said earlier this week</a> that the tariffs were still planned to go into effect, an item he confirmed in a Truth Social <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114076153524132682">post </a>Thursday morning.



"Drugs are still pouring into our Country from Mexico and Canada at very high and unacceptable levels. A large percentage of these Drugs, much of them in the form of Fentanyl, are made in, and supplied by, China," Trump said in his post.



The president alleges that more than 100,000 people died last year due to these drugs, with millions dying in the last two decades.



"We cannot allow this scourge to continue to harm the USA, and therefore, until it stops, or is seriously limited, the proposed TARIFFS scheduled to go into effect on MARCH FOURTH will, indeed, go into effect, as scheduled. China will likewise be charged and additional 10% Tariff on that date," he wrote.



Trump also said the April Second Reciprocal Tariff date will remain in "full force and effect," which follows a study being done on trade balances with countries worldwide.



Read Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/global/25/02/43795579/warren-buffett-unfazed-by-trumps-tariff-threats-oracle-of-omaha-bets-on-mexico-beer">Warren Buffett Unfazed By Trump&#8217;s Tariff Threats: Oracle Of Omaha Bets On Mexico, Beer</a>



Why It's Important: Tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China are expected to impact numerous sectors in the U.S., including automotive, food and beverage, beer and spirits, oil and consumer goods.



Benzinga <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/25/02/43827291/exclusive-will-trumps-tariffs-hurt-or-help-stock-market-59-say-this">recently asked</a> if the tariffs could impact stock market indexes like the S&amp;P 500, which is tracked by the&nbsp;SPDR S&amp;P 500 ETF Trust&nbsp;(NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SPY#NYSE">SPY</a>).



&#8220;How will Trump&#8217;s tariffs affect the stock market?&#8221; Benzinga asked.



The results were:



<ul>
<li>Weigh down: 59%</li>



<li>Push higher: 23%</li>



<li>No real impact: 19%</li>
</ul>



The majority of respondents said Trump&#8217;s tariffs will send the stock market lower. The remaining voters were split nearly even between the stock market going higher as the result of tariffs or the tariffs not having a real impact on stock market returns.



Price Action: After initially trading down in premarket, stock indexes have turned positive Thursday. A strong<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/earnings/25/02/43991607/nvidia-q4-earnings-highlights-revenue-beat-eps-beat-demand-for-blackwell-is-amazing"> earnings report from</a> NVIDIA Corporation Wednesday and the stock trading higher Thursday could be offsetting tariff concerns.



The SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DIA#NYSE">DIA</a>) is up 0.2% to $435.03 on Thursday versus a 52-week trading range of $376.15 to $451.54.



The SPDR S&amp;P 500 ETF Trust (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SPY#NYSE">SPY</a>) is up 0.4% to $591.11 on Thursday versus a 52-week trading range of $493.86 to $613.23.



Country themed ETFs of the three nations to be hit with tariffs were down on Thursday.



iShares MSCI Mexico ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/EWW#NYSE">EWW</a>) is down 0.3% to $51.33 Thursday versus a 52-week trading range of $46.43 to $71.11.



iShares MSCI Canada ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/EWC#NYSE">EWC</a>) is down 0.5% to $41.22 Thursday versus a 52-week trading range of $35.74 to $43.33.



iShares MSCI China ETF (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MCHI#NASDAQ">MCHI</a>) is down 0.3% to $55.22 Thursday versus a 52-week trading range of $38.40 to $59.78.



Read Next: 



<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/etfs/broad-u-s-equity-etfs/25/01/43041374/exclusive-how-high-will-sp-500-go-under-donald-trump-in-2025-readers-are-optimistic-26-say-this">EXCLUSIVE: How High Will S&amp;P 500 Go Under Donald Trump In 2025? Readers Are Optimistic, 26% Say This…</a></li>
</ul>



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Trump's Plan For Canada, Mexico, China Tariffs To Start March 4 Could Shake Stock Market

NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>) shares are moving lower Thursday. The stock is reversing amid a possible trader selloff after<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/25/02/43999126/nvidias-q4-revenue-surges-to-393b-nearly-8x-higher-than-five-years-ago-analysts-debate-stocks-next-move"> reporting fourth-quarter financial results</a>.



What To Know: Nvidia posted record revenue of $39.3 billion for the fourth quarter, surpassing the consensus estimate of $38.05 billion, according to <a href="http://pro.benzinga.com">Benzinga Pro</a>. The company&#8217;s top-line results were up 78% year-over-year and 12% sequentially.



Earnings per share came in at 89 cents, versus analyst estimates of 84 cents per share. Nvidia reported 82% earnings growth on a year-over-year basis.



Nvidia's data center segment led the strong growth, generating $35.6 billion in revenue, up 93% year-over-year. Automotive revenue more than doubled to $570 million, while the gaming and AI PC segment saw a decline, reporting $2.5 billion in revenue, down 11% from the prior year.



The company's full fiscal-year revenue reached $130.5 billion, marking a 114% increase year-over-year and setting a new company record.



&#8220;We&#8217;ve successfully ramped up the massive-scale production of Blackwell AI supercomputers, achieving billions of dollars in sales in its first quarter. AI is advancing at light speed as agentic AI and physical AI set the stage for the next wave of AI to revolutionize the largest industries,&#8221; said Jensen Huang, founder and CEO of Nvidia.



See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/global/25/02/44010093/trumps-plan-for-canada-mexico-china-tariffs-to-start-march-4-could-shake-stock-market">Trump&#8217;s Plan For Canada, Mexico, China Tariffs To Start March 4 Could Shake Stock Market</a>



Looking ahead, Nvidia provided first-quarter revenue guidance of $43 billion, plus or minus 2%, versus estimates of $41.75 billion. The company also expects non-GAAP gross margins to reach 71%.



Following Nvidia's quarterly results, several analysts raised price targets. 



Truist Securities increased its target from $204 to $205 while maintaining a <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-stock-ratings">Buy rating</a>. Morgan Stanley raised its target from $152 to $162 with an Overweight rating. BofA Securities lifted its target from $190 to $200 while maintaining a Buy stance. Needham reiterated its Buy rating with a $160 price target and Rosenblatt maintained a Buy and price target of $220.



NVDA Price Action: Despite the positive financial performance and upward price target revisions, Nvidia shares are under pressure on Thursday. Although the stock traded above $135 in early trading, it was down 3.18% at $127.09 at the time of publication, according to <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard?new_user=False&amp;backend=google-oauth2">Benzinga Pro.</a>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><a href="https://bzresearch.myclickfunnels.com/benzinga-pro-content-webinar-registration/?utm_source=BZprocontent022725&amp;t=be2bearmibe3na1"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="521" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/27100656/Screenshot-2025-02-27-at-10.06.27-1024x521.png" alt="" class="wp-image-801775" style="width:535px;height:auto" srcset="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/27100656/Screenshot-2025-02-27-at-10.06.27-1024x521.png 1024w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/27100656/Screenshot-2025-02-27-at-10.06.27-300x153.png 300w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/27100656/Screenshot-2025-02-27-at-10.06.27-768x391.png 768w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/27100656/Screenshot-2025-02-27-at-10.06.27-1536x782.png 1536w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/27100656/Screenshot-2025-02-27-at-10.06.27.png 1550w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a></figure>



Read Next:



<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/econ-s/25/02/44007082/q4-gdp-holds-at-2-3-after-minor-revision-in-second-estimate">Q4 GDP Holds At 2.3% After Minor Revision In Second Estimate</a></li>
</ul>



Image via Shutterstock.

Nvidia Shares Dip Despite Strong Q4 Earnings Beat, Record Revenue: What's Going On?

The second estimate released Thursday by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis revised the real GDP up by less than 0.1 percentage point from the previous month&#8217;s advance estimate. The U.S. economy experienced a slowdown in growth during the fourth quarter of 2024, with real GDP increasing at an annual rate of 2.3%, down from 3.1%<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/25/01/42934513/job-growth-fed-jitters-and-rising-mortgage-rates-this-week-in-economics"> in the third quarter.&nbsp;</a>



The slight upward revision was <a href="https://www.bea.gov/index.php/news/2025/gross-domestic-product-4th-quarter-and-year-2024-second-estimate">due mainly</a> to higher-than-expected increases in government spending and exports, which were partially balanced by lower-than-expected adjustments in consumer spending and investment.



Read Next:<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/25/02/43949800/tesla-competes-against-chinese-rivals-with-one-hand-tied-behind-its-back-analyst"> </a><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/econ-s/25/02/43977811/mortgage-rates-drop-to-lowest-levels-since-december-but-housing-market-remains-largely-stuck">Mortgage Rates Drop To Lowest Levels Since December, But Housing Market Remains &#8216;Largely Stuck&#8217;&nbsp;</a>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Q4 2024 GDP Key Points:</h2>



<ul>
<li>The price index for gross domestic purchases increased 2.3% in the fourth quarter, revised up 0.1 percentage point from the previous estimate. </li>



<li>The personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index increased 2.4%, revised up 0.1 percentage point. </li>



<li>Excluding food and energy prices, the PCE price index increased 2.7%, revised up 0.2 percentage point.</li>
</ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">2024 GDP Key Points:&nbsp;</h2>



<ul>
<li>Real GDP increased 2.8% in 2024 (from the 2023 annual level to the 2024 annual level), as previously estimated.&nbsp;</li>



<li>The increase in real GDP in 2024 reflected increases in consumer spending, investment, government spending and exports.</li>



<li>The price index for gross domestic purchases increased 2.4% in 2024, revised up 0.1 percentage point. </li>



<li>The PCE price index increased 2.5%, as previously estimated.&nbsp;</li>



<li>Excluding food and energy prices, the PCE price index rose 2.8%, also as previously estimated.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Market Reactions</h3>



Futures on U.S. equity indices are moving higher in Thursday's premarket session. Contracts on the blue-chip index were 0.16% higher at 8:50 a.m. in New York.&nbsp;



S&amp;P 500 futures were 0.57% higher, after the SPDR S&amp;P 500 ETF Trust (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SPY#NYSE">SPY</a>) closed 0.05% higher on Wednesday.



The benchmark 10-year yield rose to 4.286%. Gold, as tracked by the SPDR Gold Trust (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GLD#NYSE">GLD</a>), fell 1% to $266.32.&nbsp;



Read Next:<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/government/regulations/25/02/43903335/financial-crime-weekly-1-4-billion-ethereum-stolen-in-largest-crypto-hack-ever-sec-creates-cyber-and-emerging-technologies-unit">&nbsp;</a>



<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/25/02/43949800/tesla-competes-against-chinese-rivals-with-one-hand-tied-behind-its-back-analyst">&nbsp;Tesla Competes Against Chinese Rivals &#8216;With One Hand Tied Behind Its Back&#8217;: Analyst</a></li>
</ul>



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Q4 GDP Holds At 2.3% After Minor Revision In Second Estimate

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