Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1 (NASDAQ: QQQ)

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To maintain the correspondence between the composition and weights of the securities in the trust (the securities) and the stocks in the NASDAQ-100 Index, the adviser adjusts the securities from time to time to conform to periodic changes in the identity and/or relative weights of index securities. The composition and weighting of the securities portion of a portfolio deposit are also adjusted to conform to changes in the index.

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Las acciones preferentes de dos semanas de antigüedad emitidas por Michael Saylor, de Strategy Inc (NASDAQ:MSTR), han sido siete veces más líquidas, superando a sus competidores en un 19 %. Sin embargo, según un análisis, el “rendimiento es muy alto”.

Acciones preferentes de Strategy (MSTR): más líquidas y con alto rendimiento

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Goldman Sachs estimates that a proposed 10%<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/startups/25/02/43690898/trade-war-2-0-why-trumps-tariff-plans-could-be-worse-than-2018"> U.S. oil tariff</a> could lead to a $10 billion annual loss for foreign producers, posing a significant threat to Canadian and Latin American heavy crude suppliers that depend on U.S. refiners.
What Happened: The proposed tariff stems from the reliance of Canadian and Latin American heavy crude on U.S. refiners, given their limited alternative buyers and processing options. 
President Donald Trump is now considering a 25% tariff on Mexican crude and a 10% levy on Canadian crude starting in March, after delaying his initial proposal. Despite this, Goldman Sachs anticipates that the U.S. will remain the dominant market for heavy crude due to its advanced refining infrastructure and cost efficiency.
Analysts also estimate that light oil prices would need to increase by 50 cents per barrel for medium crude from the Middle East to become more appealing to Asian refiners. This shift is driven by U.S. Gulf Coast refiners favoring domestic light crude over imported medium grades.
It projects that U.S. consumers could face an annual tariff burden of $22 billion, while the government stands to generate $20 billion in revenue. Meanwhile, refiners and traders could gain $12 billion by leveraging discounted U.S. light crude and foreign heavy crude in premium coastal markets.
SEE ALSO:<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/25/02/43805107/vivek-ramaswamy-foresees-bitcoin-as-a-more-common-corporate-treasury-holding-as-era-of-easy-money-ends" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">&nbsp;Vivek Ramaswamy Foresees Bitcoin As A ‘More Common' Corporate Treasury Holding As Era Of Easy Money Ends</a> 
Why It Matters: Trump&#8217;s proposed oil tariffs are part of a broader strategy to reshape global trade. Earlier in the week, he announced plans to impose a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/43805852/trump-shakes-global-trade-with-25-auto-chip-and-pharma-tariffs-announcement-asian-stocks-pare-their-five-day-rally">25% tariff on auto imports, alongside chips and pharmaceuticals</a>, causing a stir in international trade. This move is expected to take effect in April.
The President also&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/25/02/43899444/trump-moves-to-impose-tariffs-on-countries-with-digital-taxes-defending-apple-amazon-meta-google-and-other-us-tech-giants">ordered his trade chief to reopen investigations into digital service taxes</a>&nbsp;imposed on U.S. tech firms, a move that could result in new tariffs on affected countries. These actions are part of Trump&#8217;s efforts to address what he calls an unfair trade balance with other nations.
Trump&#8217;s tariff plans have sparked a debate about their potential impact on the stock market. A recent&nbsp;<a href="https://in.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/25/02/43827291/exclusive-will-trumps-tariffs-hurt-or-help-stock-market-59-say-this">Benzinga poll</a>&nbsp;showed that 59% of respondents believe that Trump&#8217;s tariffs could hurt the stock market.
Meanwhile, the SPDR S&amp;P 500 ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SPY#NYSE">SPY</a>) and the Dow Jones Industrial Average both tumbled 1.7% on Friday, recording their steepest single-day losses since Dec. 18. At the same time Invesco QQQ Trust (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QQQ#NASDAQ">QQQ</a>) ended 2.07% lower, according to data from <a href="http://pro.benzinga.com/">Benzinga Pro.</a>
<ul>
<li>READ MORE:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/25/02/43805175/elon-musks-tesla-prepares-for-india-expansion-engineer-confirms-hiring-push-we-are-looking-for-motivated-talent-to-help-us" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Elon Musk's Tesla Prepares For India Expansion, Engineer Confirms Hiring Push: ‘We Are Looking For Motivated Talent To Help Us…'</a></li>
</ul>
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Photo courtesy: Shutterstock

Trump's 10% Oil Tariff Could Deal $10 Billion Annual Blow To Canada And Other Foreign Producers, Goldman Sachs Warns

Goldman Sachs expert Scott Rubner has cautioned that Wall Street stocks may face a downturn, citing growing instability in the options market as a key factor behind his prediction.
What Happened: According to a note from Scott Rubner, the stock market could come under pressure as nearly $2.7 trillion in U.S. stock market derivatives approach expiration, reported by Reuters on Friday. If these contracts remain unexercised, heightened volatility may follow.
Rubner also highlighted additional factors that could slow stock buying, including the impending annual tax payments by U.S. retail traders and the seasonal decline in retirement fund contributions to mutual and exchange-traded funds in March.
SEE ALSO:<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/25/02/43805107/vivek-ramaswamy-foresees-bitcoin-as-a-more-common-corporate-treasury-holding-as-era-of-easy-money-ends" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> Vivek Ramaswamy Foresees Bitcoin As A ‘More Common' Corporate Treasury Holding As Era Of Easy Money Ends</a>
Approximately $2.7 trillion in equity options were set to expire on Friday, covering bets on the S&amp;P 500, U.S. exchange-traded funds, and individual stocks. According to a Goldman Sachs note, banks and intermediaries holding over $9 billion in hedges for these trades have helped stabilize market volatility.
Dan Izzo, founder of hedge fund BLKBRD Asset Management and a former bank trader, explained that if investors fail to renew their options bets, intermediaries will be forced to unwind their hedges. This creates significant short-term pressure. The bigger risk is if &#8220;no one willing to buy that impact, we could see it trigger a larger sell off,&#8221; Izzo warned.
Why It Matters: Although the S&amp;P 500 and European stock markets reached record highs on Tuesday, they have since retreated. The decline is partly driven by President Donald Trump&#8216;s <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/43805852/trump-shakes-global-trade-with-25-auto-chip-and-pharma-tariffs-announcement-asian-stocks-pare-their-five-day-rally">tariff warning on pharmaceuticals, semiconductor </a>chips, and wood, fueling trade war concerns and rattling investors.
The tariffs imposed by the Trump administration raised concerns for many giants including Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAPL#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>), and Nvidia Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>), among others. 
In a poll conducted by Benzinga,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/25/02/43827658/exclusive-apple-nvidia-tesla-or-boeing-which-company-faces-the-biggest-risk-from-trumps-china-tariffs-35-say-this-stock" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">35% of the respondents&nbsp;</a>believed that Apple would see maximum impact from Trump's tariffs due to its reliance on Chinese supply chains. Most respondents also feel that these plans could provoke retaliation from other nations. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/25/02/43839627/apple-may-hike-iphone-prices-by-9-due-to-trumps-tariffs-says-bank-of-america" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Analysts at the Bank of America</a>&nbsp;securities have suggested that Apple may need to increase iPhone prices by 9% to counter the tariffs.
Meanwhile, the SPDR S&amp;P 500 ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SPY#NYSE">SPY</a>) and the Dow Jones Industrial Average both tumbled 1.7% on Friday, recording their steepest single-day losses since Dec. 18. At the same time Invesco QQQ Trust (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QQQ#NASDAQ">QQQ</a>) ended 2.07% lower, according to data from <a href="http://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard">Benzinga Pro.</a>
<ul>
<li>READ MORE:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/25/02/43805175/elon-musks-tesla-prepares-for-india-expansion-engineer-confirms-hiring-push-we-are-looking-for-motivated-talent-to-help-us" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Elon Musk's Tesla Prepares For India Expansion, Engineer Confirms Hiring Push: ‘We Are Looking For Motivated Talent To Help Us…'</a></li>
</ul>
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Photo courtesy: Shutterstock

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Top Analyst Warns Of Looming Stock Market Correction As S&P 500 Records Biggest Single Day Loss Since December: 'We Could See It Trigger A Larger Sell Off'

All three major U.S. stock indices are down Friday as traders reacted to several sets of fresh data that raised concerns about<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/43877634/us-stocks-fluctuate-in-preopen-volatility-doesnt-equal-financial-loss-unless-you-sell-says-expert"> the economic outlook.&nbsp;</a>
The University of Michigan consumer sentiment index fell to 64.7 in January, a decline of 10% and a steeper drop than expected. The 5-year inflation outlook in the survey is the highest since 1995 at 3.5% 
Existing home sales sank by 4.9% to a seasonally adjusted rate of 4.08 million in January, the sharpest decline in seven months, according to Trading Economics.&nbsp;
Read Next: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/market-summary/25/02/43884153/us-services-drop-sharply-darkening-picture-of-high-prices-uncertainty-economist-says">US Services Drop Sharply: &#8216;Darkening Picture&#8217; Of High Prices, Uncertainty, Economist Says</a>
February's flash S&amp;P Global PMIs released <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/market-summary/25/02/43884153/us-services-drop-sharply-darkening-picture-of-high-prices-uncertainty-economist-says">Friday morning </a>revealed a sharp, unexpected drop in services and raised concerns about the health of the private sector.&nbsp;
"The upbeat mood seen among US businesses at the start of the year has evaporated, replaced with a darkening picture of heightened uncertainty, stalling business activity and rising prices," said Chris Williamson, chief business economist at S&amp;P Global Market Intelligence.&nbsp;
Natural gas futures rose another 4.5% Friday to $4.3/MMBtu, hitting a 25-month high as cold weather increased heating demand and disrupted production. The United States Natural Gas Fund LP (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/UNG#NYSE">UNG</a>), tracking the daily price movements of natural gas futures contracts, climbed 3.2%.&nbsp;
Bitcoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/btc/usd">BTC</a>) was volatile as crypto markets reacted to a $1.4 billion Ethereum (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/eth/usd">ETH</a>) hack targeting Bybit&#8217;s cold wallet, <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/25/02/43886224/bybit-founder-confirms-1-4-billion-ethereum-hack-blames-masked-transaction">one of the largest</a> security breaches in recent history.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Friday's Performance In Major US Indices, ETFs</h2>
<figure class="wp-block-table"> 
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Major Indices</td>
<td>Price</td>
<td>1 day % chg.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Nasdaq 100</td>
<td>19,753.44</td>
<td>-1.05%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>S&amp;P 500</td>
<td>6,069.73</td>
<td>-0.78%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Dow Jones</td>
<td>43,739.57</td>
<td>-0.99%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Russell 2000</td>
<td>2,231.48</td>
<td>-1.34%</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</figure>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Friday's Stock Movers:&nbsp;</h2>
Shares of UnitedHealth Group Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/UNH#NYSE">UNH</a>) slumped nearly 9% after the Wall Street Journal reported the Department of Justice launched an investigation into the company&#8217;s Medicare billing practices.
Stocks reacting to company earnings reports included:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>Solaris Energy Infrastructure, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SEI#NYSE">SEI</a>) </li>
<li>Iamgold Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/IAG#NYSE">IAG</a>) </li>
<li>Celsius Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CELH#NASDAQ">CELH</a>) </li>
<li>Glaukos Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GKOS#NYSE">GKOS</a>) </li>
<li>MercadoLibre, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MELI#NASDAQ">MELI</a>) </li>
<li>The RealReal, Inc. (NASADQ:REAL) </li>
<li>Nu Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NU#NYSE">NU</a>)</li>
<li>Globant S.A. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GLOB#NYSE">GLOB</a>) </li>
<li>Block, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XYZ#NYSE">XYZ</a>) </li>
<li>Rivian Automotive, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/RIVN#NASDAQ">RIVN</a>) </li>
</ul>
Companies reporting on Monday included:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>Domino&#8217;s Pizza Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DPZ#NASDAQ">DPZ</a>) </li>
<li>Zoom Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ZM#NASDAQ">ZM</a>) </li>
<li>Diamondback Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/FANG#NASDAQ">FANG</a>) </li>
<li>Kosmos Energy Ltd. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/KOS#NYSE">KOS</a>) </li>
<li>Summit Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SMMT#NASDAQ">SMMT</a>) </li>
<li>Hovnanian Enterprises, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/HOV#NYSE">HOV</a>) </li>
</ul>
Read Next:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/43836832/trump-administration-orders-sweeping-pentagon-cuts-defense-sector-stocks-on-watch"> Trump Administration Orders Sweeping Pentagon Cuts: Palantir, Lockheed Martin, General Dynamics Among Stocks On Watch</a></li>
</ul>
Image created using artificial intelligence via Midjourney.

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Consumer Sentiment Drops 10%, UnitedHealth Under Investigation: What's Driving Markets Friday?

February's flash S&amp;P Global PMIs released Friday morning revealed a sharp, unexpected drop in services and raised concerns about the health of the private sector<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/43877634/us-stocks-fluctuate-in-preopen-volatility-doesnt-equal-financial-loss-unless-you-sell-says-expert"> in the United States.&nbsp;</a>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Services PMI Falls Sharply</h2>
Services PMI: The S&amp;P Global Flash U.S. Services PMI Business Activity Index fell to 49.7 in February 2025 from 52.9 in January, sharply below expectations of 53 points. February's data marks the first contraction in the services sector activity in over two years, according to data from Trading Economics.  
Firms reported worsening new order growth to nearly stagnant levels due to uncertainty surrounding the Trump administration's spending cuts and potential pro-inflationary policies. 
U.S. Services PMI is expected to be 52 points by the end of the first quarter, according to Trading Economics global macro models and analysts expectations.
Read Next:<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/43836832/trump-administration-orders-sweeping-pentagon-cuts-defense-sector-stocks-on-watch"> Trump Administration Orders Sweeping Pentagon Cuts: Palantir, Lockheed Martin, General Dynamics Among Stocks On Watch</a>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Manufacturing PMI Edges Higher</h2>
Manufacturing PMI: The U.S. Manufacturing PMI increased to 51.6 points in February, up from 51.2 points in January and above expectations of 51.5.&nbsp;
February data shows a continuing recovery in the manufacturing sector and marks the highest reading since June 2024. Factory output grew for a second month in a row and at the fastest pace in nearly a year.&nbsp;&nbsp;
U.S. Manufacturing PMI is expected to be 51 points by the end of the current quarter, according to Trading Economics global macro models and analysts expectations.&nbsp;
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Composite PMI Shows Slowest Growth Since 2023</h2>
Composite PMI: The Composite PMI Index, which combines services and manufacturing data, dropped sharply to 50.4 points in February, down from 52.7 points in January. It marks the slowest pace of private-sector expansion since September 2023, driven by February's drop in services output.&nbsp;
New order growth dropped and employment slipped while cost inflation grew and selling prices marked their slowest increase since late 2024.&nbsp;
"The upbeat mood seen among U.S. businesses at the start of the year has evaporated, replaced with a darkening picture of heightened uncertainty, stalling business activity and rising prices," said Chris Williamson, chief business economist at S&amp;P Global Market Intelligence.  
Markets React: All three major U.S. indices are red Friday with the SPDR S&amp;P 500 ETF Trust (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SPY#NYSE">SPY</a>) down 0.49% and the Invesco QQQ Trust (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QQQ#NASDAQ">QQQ</a>), tracking the Nasdaq 100, down 0.37%.&nbsp;
The Invesco DB USD Index Bullish Fund ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/UUP#NYSE">UUP</a>), which tracks the U.S. dollar index, is up 0.38% at $29.09 at the time of publication Friday.&nbsp;
Read Next:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/43703014/robert-f-kennedy-confirmed-as-trump-secretary-of-health">Robert F. Kennedy, Vaccine Skeptic, Confirmed As Trump&#8217;s Secretary Of Health: Health Care Stocks To Watch</a></li>
</ul>
Image: Shutterstock

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US Services Drop Sharply: 'Darkening Picture' Of High Prices, Uncertainty, Economist Says

WIIM

Major indexes are lower following a decline in US consumer sentiment. Recent weak guidance from Walmart may be continuing to add to consumer and economic concerns.

U.S. stock futures were flat and swung between gains and losses on Friday following Thursday&#8217;s decline. The S&amp;P 500 futures were trading a little below the flatline whereas other indices were in green.
Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BABA#NASDAQ">BABA</a>) shares jumped 14.56% in Hong Kong on Friday after exceeding the street&#8217;s expectations on Thursday. Other Chinese tech companies also rallied.
Gold neared the $3000 per ounce mark amid President Donald Trump and Elon Musk&#8216;s <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/commodities/25/02/43875860/trump-plans-fort-knox-gold-inspection-as-prices-soar-past-2940if-the-gold-isnt-there">remarks</a> to visit the Forth Knox for the inspection of precious bullion reserves.
The 10-year Treasury yield stood at 4.49%, while the two-year yield was at 4.26%. According to the CME Group's FedWatch <a href="https://www.cmegroup.com/markets/interest-rates/cme-fedwatch-tool.html">tool</a>, there is a 97.5% chance that the Federal Reserve will keep interest rates unchanged for the March meeting. 
<figure class="wp-block-table is-style-stripes"> 
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Futures</td>
<td>Change (+/-)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Nasdaq 100</td>
<td>0.08%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>S&amp;P 500</td>
<td>-0.01%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Dow Jones</td>
<td>0.09%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Russell 2000</td>
<td>0.25%</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, fell in premarket on Thursday. SPY was up 0.049% to $610.68, and QQQ advanced 0.12% to $537.88, according to <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard">Benzinga Pro</a> data.
Cues From The Last Session
Sectors drove U.S. stock <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/earnings/25/02/43875808/dow-tumbles-450-points-as-walmart-shares-plunge-investor-sentiment-declines-fear-greed-index-in-neutral-zone">declines</a> Thursday, with financials, consumer discretionary, and staples leading losses. Conversely, the energy and real estate sectors gained. 
Jobless claims for the week ending Feb. 15 rose to 219,000, above the 215,000 estimate, and the Philadelphia Fed Manufacturing Index sharply declined to 18.1
Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/WMT#NASDAQ">WMT</a>) shares plunged 6.53% despite beating expectations as the retail giant&#8217;s growth forecast for the fiscal year 2026 was below the consensus.
<figure class="wp-block-table is-style-stripes"> 
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Index</td>
<td>Performance (+/-)</td>
<td>Value</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Nasdaq Composite</td>
<td>-0.47%</td>
<td>19,962.36</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>S&amp;P 500</td>
<td>-0.43%</td>
<td>6,117.52</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Dow Jones</td>
<td>-1.01%</td>
<td>44,176.65 </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Russell 2000</td>
<td>-0.91% </td>
<td>2,261.74</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</figure>
Insights From Analysts
&#8220;Volatility doesn't equal a permanent financial loss unless you sell,&#8221; said Peter Mallouk, in an X post.
CEO at Creative Planning, Mallouk shared a chart in an X post showing that the S&amp;P 500 index has fallen 58% in 1930, 49% in 2008, and 34% in 2020, but despite these sharp declines it has returned an average of 10% per year since 1928.
<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 has returned an average of 10% per year since 1928 and has done so despite an average intra-year drawdown of 16%, and often drawdowns that are much worse. The lesson? Volatility doesn't equal a permanent financial loss unless you sell. <a href="https://t.co/3aroEwPmoX">pic.twitter.com/3aroEwPmoX</a>
&mdash; Peter Mallouk (@PeterMallouk) <a href="https://twitter.com/PeterMallouk/status/1892232172372996226?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 19, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
</figure>
Ryan Detrick, the chief market strategist at Carson Research highlighted that the second half of February is usually riskier for the S&amp;P 500 returns. He mapped the data from 1950 to 2024, which showed that on average, the index has declined consistently after peaking on Feb. 15.
<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">You are here. <a href="https://t.co/kNomjDgH4h">pic.twitter.com/kNomjDgH4h</a>
&mdash; Ryan Detrick, CMT (@RyanDetrick) <a href="https://twitter.com/RyanDetrick/status/1892615024536907893?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 20, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
</figure>
Highlighting the fixed income opportunities, Scott Wren, the senior global market strategist at Wells Fargo said that investors should move money out of short-term instruments and into higher-yielding investment-grade fixed income further out on the maturity spectrum.
&#8220;We have conviction around our year-end target range of 4.50% – 5.00% for the U.S. 10-year Treasury note, and on that basis, we see attractive fixed-income opportunities for investors,&#8221; he said.
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 an eye on Friday:
<ul>
<li>February&#8217;s S&amp;P flash U.S. services PMI and manufacturing PMI will be out by 9:45 a.m., ET.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>The final consumer sentiment data for February and existing home sales data for January will be out by 10:00 a.m., ET.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Fed Vice Chairman Philip Jefferson will speak again and San Francisco Fed President Mary Daly will also speak for the second time this week at 11:30 a.m., ET.</li>
</ul>
Stocks In Focus:
<ul>
<li>Telephone and Data Systems Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TDS#NYSE">TDS</a>) was up 0.18% in the premarket on Friday ahead of its earnings, which will be released before the opening bell. Analysts expect it to report a quarterly loss of 28 cents per share on the revenue of $1.25 billion.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Vipshop Holdings Ltd. ADR (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/VIPS#NYSE">VIPS</a>) jumped 10.19% as Wall Street expects it to report quarterly earnings of 82 cents per share on revenue of $4.77 billion before the opening bell.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Brady Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BRC#NYSE">BRC</a>) was 0.09% higher ahead of its earnings, which will be released before the opening bell. Analysts expect it to report quarterly earnings of $1.03 per share on revenue of $359.11 million.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>United States Cellular Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/USM#NYSE">USM</a>) advanced 2.89% as Wall Street expects it to report a quarterly loss of 5 cents per share on the revenue of $965.87 million after the closing bell.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Dropbox Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DBX#NASDAQ">DBX</a>) plunged 10.29% despite reporting better-than-expected earnings as its total annual recurring revenue decreased by $4.8 million quarter-over-quarter.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Celsius Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CELH#NASDAQ">CELH</a>) zoomed 32.28% after reporting a record 2024 revenue of $1.36 billion due to high demand for its functional beverages and acquired Alani Nu for $1.65 billion to expand its brand portfolio.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>COPT Defense Properties (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CDP#NYSE">CDP</a>) rallied by 30.94% as it increased its quarterly dividend by 3.4% to $0.305 per share for Q1 2025, payable April 16th to shareholders. This equates to an annualized dividend of $1.22 per share.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Soluna Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SLNH#NASDAQ">SLNH</a>) rose 1.38% and Bit Digital Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BTBT#NASDAQ">BTBT</a>) advanced 1.02% as the companies expanded their partnership with a new 12-month, 5.5 MW hosting contract at Project Dorothy, Texas, bringing their total hosted capacity to over 12 MW.</li>
</ul>
Commodities, Gold And Global Equity Markets:
Crude oil futures were trading lower in the early New York session by 0.90% to hover around $71.83 per barrel.
The gold spot index was down by 0.31% to $2,929.69 per ounce after hitting a fresh record of $2,949.87. The Dollar Index was up 0.26% at 106.651 level.
Asian markets ended mostly higher on Friday. Except for Australia's ASX 200, and India's S&amp;P BSE Sensex index, all indices including, China's CSI 300, South Korea's Kospi, Hong Kong's Hang Seng, and Japan's Nikkei 225 index rose. European markets were mixed in trade.
Read Next:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/government/regulations/25/02/43875557/donald-trump-airs-fort-knox-inspection-as-gold-edges-closer-to-3000-it-is-an-essential-component-of-portfolio-says-expert">Gold Is An &#8216;Essential Component&#8217; Of Portfolio, Says Expert As It Nears $3000 While Trump, Musk Suggest Fort Knox Inspection Amid The Surge</a></li>
</ul>
Photo courtesy: Shutterstock

Earnings

Pre-Market Outlook

BABA

BTBT

SLNH

VIPS

US Stocks Likely To Open Mixed: 'Volatility Doesn't Equal ...Financial Loss Unless You Sell,' Says Expert

The Invesco QQQ Trust (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QQQ#NASDAQ">QQQ</a>) is one of the most <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/QQQ">popular exchange-traded funds</a> in the world, giving customers exposure to the tech-heavy Nasdaq-100 index. It has over $341 billion in assets under management as of this writing
What happened: Launched in 1999, the ETF holdings are dominated by the "Magnificent 7" tech titans like Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAPL#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>), Nvidia Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>), Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>), and so on, making it an enticing bet for long-term return.&nbsp;
Exactly a year ago, the ETF traded at $425.71 per share. So, if you had invested $1,000, you could have bought about 2.34 shares of QQQ.
The stock closed at $537.23 during the last trading session, meaning the original investment would have turned $1261.96, reflecting a gain of 26.19% in a year.
See Also:<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/12/42735744/pharma-bro-martin-shkreli-predicts-doom-for-michael-saylors-microstrategy-as-stock-dips-below-300-in-after-hours-trading"> </a><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/25/02/43826697/bitcoin-early-in-bull-market-can-compete-with-gold-etfs-blockstream-ceo-says">Bitcoin &#8216;Early In Bull Market,&#8217; Can Compete With Gold ETFs, Blockstream CEO Says</a>
Now suppose you were persuaded by the growing hoopla around the world's largest cryptocurrency, Bitcoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/btc/usd">BTC</a>), at the time, and chose to gain exposure through the newly launched BlackRock&#8217;s iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/IBIT#NASDAQ">IBIT</a>).
An investment of $1,000 when IBIT traded at $29.08 a piece a year ago would have fetched you 34.38 shares. At Thursday's closing price of $56.04, this investment would be worth $1927.09, marking a 92% jump.&nbsp;
Clearly, investing in a Bitcoin ETF would have resulted in significantly higher returns than QQQ.
IBIT smashed industry records in its debut, accumulating <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/12/42737368/blackrocks-bitcoin-fund-breaks-records-with-historic-etf-launchwill-it-surpass-the-worlds-biggest-gold-etf-in-january">a record $50 billion in </a>AUM within the first year. Currently, the fund has over $56 billion in AUM.
Price Action: Shares of IBIT closed 2.54% lower at $56.04 during Thursday&#8217;s regular trading session, according to <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard?_gl=1&#x2A;380nj0&#x2A;_ga&#x2A;MTEyOTAyOTcxMy4xNzEzMzY0NTYy&#x2A;_ga_V7ZK73W7N0&#x2A;MTcxNDk4MzIzMi42LjEuMTcxNDk4OTE0Ni4wLjAuMA.." target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">data from Benzinga Pro</a>. The QQQ ETF closed down 0.42% to 537.23.
Image via Shutterstock
Read Next:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/25/02/43825637/donald-trump-says-us-is-successfully-negotiating-with-russia-over-ukraine-but-polymarket-traders-arent-convinced">Donald Trump Says US Is &#8216;Successfully Negotiating With Russia&#8217; Over Ukraine, But Polymarket Traders Aren&#8217;t Convinced</a></li>
</ul>

IBIT

MSFT

BlackRock's Bitcoin ETF Or Invesco QQQ, Which $1,000 Investment Made A Year Ago Would Have Netted You More Profit?

As the precious metal nears the $3000 per ounce mark, all focus shifts to gold. As this expert highlights that the yellow metal is a portfolio &#8220;essential,&#8221; he adds that &#8220;fiscal dominance&#8221; could be a trigger for its divergence from inverse correlation with real yields.
What Happened: Despite trading flat at $2,930.62 per ounce, down 0.31% as of the publication of this article, gold has been testing the $3,000 level after hitting fresh records.
The metal&#8217;s 52-week range lies between $2,015.55 and the latest record high of $2,954.97.
Gold has given similar returns to the S&amp;P 500 index since 2020 while having a lower volatility, explains Jurrien Timmer, the director of global macro at Fidelity Investments. &#8220;Gold remains an essential component of a diversified portfolio in a regime in which bonds might remain impaired,&#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">Gold has been a big winner for the past few years, keeping up and even beating equities. It's quite a performance for an asset that often gets lamented for not providing a cash flow. Since 2020, gold has produced almost the same return as the S&amp;P 500 while having a lower… <a href="https://t.co/khS02bvDbJ">pic.twitter.com/khS02bvDbJ</a>
&mdash; Jurrien Timmer (@TimmerFidelity) <a href="https://twitter.com/TimmerFidelity/status/1892606891789811996?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 20, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
</figure>
Timmer also noted gold&#8217;s traditional inverse correlation with real yields has broken down recently. He said that likely due to &#8220;fiscal dominance&#8221; and geopolitical factors like central bank gold purchases.
<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">Gold is now testing the $3,000 level as the global money supply is perking up again and real yields are coming down. Valuing gold has been a challenge these past few years, breaking their age old pattern of mimicking the inverse of real yields. The chart below shows a steady… <a href="https://t.co/MWYi5TV6Wa">pic.twitter.com/MWYi5TV6Wa</a>
&mdash; Jurrien Timmer (@TimmerFidelity) <a href="https://twitter.com/TimmerFidelity/status/1892632560163029319?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 20, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
</figure>
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/43839198/reduce-deficits-and-debt-full-stop-says-this-economist-as-trump-mulls-doge-dividend-by-giving-away-20-of-its-savings-to-public">&#8216;Reduce Deficits And Debt… Full Stop,&#8217; Says Craig Shapiro As Trump Mulls &#8216;DOGE Dividend&#8217; By Giving Away 20% Of Its Savings To Public</a>
Why It Matters: Meanwhile, during the ongoing four-day 2025 Conservative Political Action Conference, Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSLA#NASDAQ">TSLA</a>) CEO Elon Musk addressed the gold at Fort Knox and said, &#8220;It&#8217;s the public&#8217;s gold. It&#8217;s your gold. I think you have a right to see it.&#8221;
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/43847433/trump-approval-rating-declines-in-february-unpopular-domestic-and-foreign-policy-ideas">President</a> Donald Trump added during his speech, &#8220;We&#8217;re going to open the doors and inspect Fort Knox,&#8221; He continued, &#8220;I don&#8217;t want to open it and find the cupboards are empty,&#8221;
According to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, an audit is conducted annually and confirms that all the gold is accounted for and present, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/fort-knox-gold-reserves-elon-musk-338bebb56885c142feaa0ff383c9ba37">reported</a> AP. 
Since 1937, Fort Knox has secured U.S. gold. It now also functions as the Army&#8217;s human resources command and the site of its largest yearly training.
Price Action: 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, fell on Thursday. SPY was 0.42% lower at $610.38, and QQQ was also down 0.42% to $537.23, according to <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard">Benzinga Pro</a> data.
Read Next:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/43844926/quantum-computing-stocks-rgti-qubt-ionq-qbts-cheer-microsofts-majorana-1-launch-satya-nadella-calls-it-a-physics-and-fabrication-breakthrough">Quantum Computing Stocks RGTI, QUBT, IONQ, QBTS Cheer Microsoft&#8217;s &#8216;Majorana 1&#8217; Launch: Satya Nadella Calls It A &#8216;Physics And Fabrication Breakthrough&#8217;</a></li>
</ul>
Photo courtesy: Shutterstock

Gold Is An 'Essential Component' Of Portfolio, Says Expert As It Nears $3000 While Trump, Musk Suggest Fort Knox Inspection Amid The Surge

Stocks tumbled Thursday, with all major indices in the red, one day after the S&amp;P 500 notched another all-time high in Wednesday&#8217;s trading session. Investors are weighing uncertainty surrounding tariff policies and disappointing guidance from Walmart while digesting new<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/forex/25/02/43843332/global-markets-mixed-dollar-dips-as-traders-react-to-trumps-tariff-plans-global-markets-today-while-us-slept"> initial jobless claims data.</a>
Mega-retailer Walmart, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/WMT#NYSE">WMT</a>)&#8217;s shares dropped after the company issued fiscal 2026 guidance below analyst expectations, despite fourth-quarter results beating expectations.
Retail investor darling Palantir Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PLTR#NASDAQ">PLTR</a>) added to Wednesday&#8217;s declines <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/43849289/whats-going-on-with-palantir-stock-thursday">following a report </a>that the Trump administration told the Pentagon to prepare for sweeping budget cuts and CEO Alex Karp filed a new trading plan to sell up to $1.2 billion shares.
Read Next:<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/43836832/trump-administration-orders-sweeping-pentagon-cuts-defense-sector-stocks-on-watch"> Trump Administration Orders Sweeping Pentagon Cuts: Palantir, Lockheed Martin, General Dynamics Among Stocks On Watch</a>
Initial jobless claims rose by 5,000 to 219,000, above expectations of 215,000, while continuing claims rose to 186,900 in the first week of February.
WTI crude oil futures rose above $72 per barrel on Thursday, extending its streak of gains to four days as supply concerns outweighed a rise in U.S. stockpiles, according to TradingEconomics. 
Bitcoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/btc/usd">BTC</a>) rose 1.09% to $97,695. The yield on the 10-year US Treasury note pulled back slightly to 4.5%.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Thursday's Performance In Major US Indices, ETFs</h2>
<figure class="wp-block-table"> 
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Major Indices</td>
<td>Price</td>
<td>1 day % chg.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Nasdaq 100</td>
<td>19,911.27</td>
<td>-0.72%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>S&amp;P 500</td>
<td>6,101.27 </td>
<td>-0.7%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Dow Jones</td>
<td>44,036.44</td>
<td>-1.32%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Russell 2000</td>
<td>2,252.49</td>
<td>-1.31%</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>) fell 0.67% to $608.82. </li>
<li>The SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DIA#NYSE">DIA</a>) was down 1.26% at $441.02</li>
<li>The tech-heavy Invesco QQQ Trust Series (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QQQ#NASDAQ">QQQ</a>) slipped 0.7% to $535.72. </li>
<li>The iShares Russell 2000 ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/IWM#NYSE">IWM</a>) was down 1.17% to $223.79. </li>
<li>The Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XLY#NYSE">XLY</a>) fell 1.39% to $223.10.</li>
<li>The Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XLE#NYSE">XLE</a>)&nbsp;rose 0.6% to $92.57. </li>
</ul>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Thursday's Stock Movers:&nbsp;</h2>
Cruise stocks Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/RCL#NYSE">RCL</a>), Carnival Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CCL#NYSE">CCL</a>) and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NCHL#NYSE">NCHL</a>) tumbled, leading consumer discretionary stocks lower. The SPDR Select Sector Fund &#8211; Consumer Discretionary (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XLY#NYSE">XLY</a>) fell 1.44%. 
Stocks reacting to company earnings reports included:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>Carvana Co. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CVNA#NYSE">CVNA</a>)&nbsp;</li>
<li>Vale S.A. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/VALE#NYSE">VALE</a>)&nbsp;</li>
<li>B2Gold Corp. (AMEX:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BTG#AMEX">BTG</a>)</li>
<li>Exact Sciences Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/EXAS#NASDAQ">EXAS</a>)</li>
<li>Alamos Gold Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AGI#NYSE">AGI</a>)</li>
<li>Walmart, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/WMT#NYSE">WMT</a>) </li>
<li>Taseko Mines, Ltd. (AMEX:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TGB#AMEX">TGB</a>)&nbsp;</li>
<li>Shake Shack, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SHAK#NYSE">SHAK</a>) </li>
<li>Materialise NV (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MTLS#NASDAQ">MTLS</a>) </li>
<li>Hasbro, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/HAS#NASDAQ">HAS</a>) </li>
<li>Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BABA#NYSE">BABA</a>) </li>
<li>Jumia Technologies AG (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/JMIA#NYSE">JMIA</a>) </li>
<li>Birkenstock Holding Plc (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BIRK#NYSE">BIRK</a>) </li>
<li>Sabre Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SABR#NASDAQ">SABR</a>) </li>
<li>Ardelyx, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ARDX#NASDAQ">ARDX</a>) </li>
</ul>
Companies reporting after Thursday's closing bell include:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>Celsius Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CELH#NASDAQ">CELH</a>) </li>
<li>Dropbox, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DBX#NASDAQ">DBX</a>) </li>
<li>Iamgold Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/IAG#NYSE">IAG</a>) </li>
<li>The RealReal, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/REAL#NASDAQ">REAL</a>) </li>
<li>Nu Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NU#NYSE">NU</a>) </li>
<li>Consolidated Edison, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ED#NYSE">ED</a>) </li>
<li>Rivian Automotive, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/RIVN#NASDAQ">RIVN</a>) </li>
<li>Block, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XYZ#NYSE">XYZ</a>) </li>
<li>Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BKNG#NASDAQ">BKNG</a>) </li>
<li>MercadoLibre, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MELI#NASDAQ">MELI</a>) </li>
</ul>
Read Next: 
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/43703014/robert-f-kennedy-confirmed-as-trump-secretary-of-health">Robert F. Kennedy, Vaccine Skeptic, Confirmed As Trump&#8217;s Secretary Of Health: Health Care Stocks To Watch</a></li>
</ul>
Image: Shutterstock.

Bonds

ARDX

BIRK

BKNG

CVNA

EXAS

JMIA

MTLS

NCHL

NCLH

PLTR

SABR

SHAK

VALE

Select Sector SPDR-Consumer Discretionary

Palantir Rally Loses Steam, Walmart Outlook Disappoints: What's Driving Markets Thursday?

Editor's Note: This article has been updated to clarify that Elliott Investment Management purchased convertible senior notes of Wolfspeed and MicroStrategy.
Elliott Investment Management made several portfolio moves in the fourth quarter, closing multiple options positions and shaking up the activist firm&#8217;s <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/25/02/43811538/5-top-tech-stocks-hedge-funds-have-been-bullish-on-in-q4-hint-its-not-nvidia">technology exposure</a>.
According to a new&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1791786/000101359425000294/xslForm13F_X02/primary_doc.xml" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">13-F</a>&nbsp;filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Elliott added the following new positions in the fourth quarter:
<ul>
<li>Wolfspeed Inc (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/WOLF#NYSE">WOLF</a>) 0.25% and 1.875% convertible senior notes</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>NVIDIA Corp (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>) put options</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>SPDR Select Sector Fund Industrial (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XLI#NYSE">XLI</a>) put options</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>SPDR S&amp;P Oil &amp; Gas Exploration &amp; Production (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XOP#NYSE">XOP</a>) put options</li>
</ul>
Here's a look at all of the positions Elliott added to during the fourth quarter:
<ul>
<li>Invesco QQQ Trust (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QQQ#NASDAQ">QQQ</a>) increased by 369%</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>MicroStrategy Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSTR#NASDAQ">MSTR</a>) increased convertible senior notes by 200%</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>CorMedix Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CRMD#NASDAQ">CRMD</a>) increased by 85%</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>HDFC Bank Limited (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/HDB#NYSE">HDB</a>) increased by 6%</li>
</ul>
Here&#8217;s a look at all of the positions Elliott closed during the fourth quarter:
<ul>
<li>Catalent Inc (CTLC) </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Cardinal Health Inc (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CAH#NYSE">CAH</a>)</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Unity Software Inc (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/U#NYSE">U</a>)</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>BILL Holdings Inc (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BILL#NYSE">BILL</a>)</li>
</ul>
Elliott closed out of calls in several names including Arm Holdings, American Airlines and Alaska Air Group. The firm also closed multiple put positions including Equinix, Hyatt Hotels and Host Hotels.
Here's a look at all of the positions Elliott trimmed during the fourth quarter:
<ul>
<li>ICON Plc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ICLR#NASDAQ">ICLR</a>) decreased by 62%</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>RingCentral Inc (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/RING#NYSE">RING</a>) decreased by 55%</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>NRG Energy Inc (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NRG#NYSE">NRG</a>) decreased by 50%</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Confluent Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CFLT#NASDAQ">CFLT</a>) decreased by 37%</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Southwest Airlines Co (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/LUV#NYSE">LUV</a>) decreased by 2%</li>
</ul>
The above information does not include call or put options that were added to or trimmed&nbsp;during the quarter.
This information was gathered using comparison tools from&nbsp;<a href="https://13f.info/13f/000101359425000294/compare/000101359424000968" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">13f.info</a>.
Read Next:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/25/02/43811538/5-top-tech-stocks-hedge-funds-have-been-bullish-on-in-q4-hint-its-not-nvidia">5 Top Tech Stocks Hedge Funds Have Been Bullish On In Q4 (Hint: It&#8217;s Not Nvidia)</a></li>
</ul>
This illustration was generated using artificial intelligence via Midjourney.

Hedge Funds

BILL

CFLT

CRMD

ICLR

RING

WOLF

Elliott Investment Management Bets Against Nvidia In Q4 (CORRECTED)

Major indexes are lower following a weak financial outlook from Walmart, which has caused economic concerns.

As the Chairman and CEO of Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>), Satya Nadella announced the world's first-of-a-kind quantum chip &#8211; Majorana 1, quantum computing stocks jumped with the euphoria surrounding the discovery.
What Happened: Even as skeptics raised questions on the usage of the word "breakthrough," Nadella in a podcast with Dwarkesh Patel reiterated that this was a "physics and fabrication breakthrough" and not a "quantum computing breakthrough".
Describing a new phase of matter that was used to conduct information in the new chip, Nadella in an X post said, "We've created an entirely new state of matter, unlocked by a new class of materials, topoconductors, that enable a fundamental leap in computing."
He termed this discovery as the "the transistor moment of quantum computing," in the podcast.
<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">A couple reflections on the quantum computing breakthrough we just announced&#8230; Most of us grew up learning there are three main types of matter that matter: solid, liquid, and gas. Today, that changed. After a nearly 20 year pursuit, we've created an entirely new state of… <a href="https://t.co/Vp4sxMHNjc">pic.twitter.com/Vp4sxMHNjc</a>
&mdash; Satya Nadella (@satyanadella) <a href="https://twitter.com/satyanadella/status/1892242895094313420?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 19, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
</figure>
Following this, the quantum computing stocks edged higher on Wednesday. The stocks were also trading higher in the premarket on Thursday. On a year-to-date basis, these stocks had underperformed the benchmarks.
<figure class="wp-block-table is-style-stripes"> 
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Stocks</td>
<td>Wednesday&#8217;s Performance</td>
<td>Thursday&#8217;s Pre-Market Performance</td>
<td>YTD Performance</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Rigetti Computing Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/RGTI#NASDAQ">RGTI</a>)</td>
<td>4.58%</td>
<td>11.06%</td>
<td>-44.85%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Quantum Computing Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QUBT#NASDAQ">QUBT</a>)</td>
<td>7.86%</td>
<td>9.80%</td>
<td>-57.57%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>D-Wave Quantum Inc (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QBTS#NYSE">QBTS</a>)</td>
<td>8.28%</td>
<td>9.48%</td>
<td>-31.95%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>IonQ Inc (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/IONQ#NYSE">IONQ</a>)</td>
<td>0.59%</td>
<td>4.51%</td>
<td>-20.79%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Defiance Quantum ETF (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QTUM#NASDAQ">QTUM</a>)</td>
<td>0.18%</td>
<td>0.73%</td>
<td>3.57%</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</figure>
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/43839198/reduce-deficits-and-debt-full-stop-says-this-economist-as-trump-mulls-doge-dividend-by-giving-away-20-of-its-savings-to-public">&#8216;Reduce Deficits And Debt… Full Stop,&#8217; Says Craig Shapiro As Trump Mulls &#8216;DOGE Dividend&#8217; By Giving Away 20% Of Its Savings To Public</a>
Why It Matters: Investor and businessman Martin Shkreli criticized IonQ and Rigetti Computing&#8217;s stock valuations, claiming quantum computing isn&#8217;t commercially viable.
He suggested Microsoft&#8217;s new ‘Majorana 1' chip, despite its &#8220;breakthrough&#8221; claims, could hurt its market positions. Shkreli also alleged attempts to suppress the publication of Microsoft&#8217;s quantum research.
<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">There was a fairly vicious battle to disqualify the Microsoft quantum paper from publication. The word &#39;breakthrough&#39; should be used very carefully. <a href="https://t.co/pDHiRcsh4w">pic.twitter.com/pDHiRcsh4w</a>
&mdash; Martin Shkreli (@MartinShkreli) <a href="https://twitter.com/MartinShkreli/status/1892384299329958344?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 20, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
</figure>
Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>) (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>) backed Google&#8217;s Willow chip which was announced on Dec. 9, 2024. It achieved a quantum memory milestone, solving a problem in minutes that would take a supercomputer longer than the universe&#8217;s age. Despite this, high error rates still limited its practical quantum memory applications.
Nadella, on the other hand, in the conversation with Patel also said "We have also got some fantastic breakthroughs on error correction."
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/43839505/occidental-petroleum-achieves-near-term-debt-reduction-target-7-months-early-in-q4-continuing-this-momentum-management-sets-12-billion-target-for-q1">Warren Buffett&#8217;s Favorite Energy Stock Occidental Petroleum Achieves Near-Term Debt Reduction Target 7 Months Early In Q4: Management Sets $1.2 Billion Target For Q1</a>
Price Action: MSFT rose 1.25% on Wednesday, contrasting with a slight 0.028% uptick in the Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1 (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QQQ#NASDAQ">QQQ</a>), which tracks the Nasdaq 100 index.
In premarket on Thursday, it was up 0.38% whereas QQQ was down 0.20%. MSFT remains 0.91% lower on a year-to-date basis and only 2.97% up over the year.
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/MSFT/analyst-ratings">Benzinga tracks 31 analysts</a> with an average price target of $509.23 for the stock, reflecting a &#8220;buy&#8221; rating. Estimates range widely from $425 to $600. Recent ratings from UBS, DA Davidson, and RBC Capital average $478.33, suggesting a potential 14.80% upside.
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/MSFT/analyst-ratings"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="388" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/20070830/MSFT-stock-ANR-1024x388.png" alt="" class="wp-image-790724" srcset="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/20070830/MSFT-stock-ANR-1024x388.png 1024w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/20070830/MSFT-stock-ANR-300x114.png 300w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/20070830/MSFT-stock-ANR-768x291.png 768w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/20070830/MSFT-stock-ANR.png 1069w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a></figure>
Read Next:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/43841233/carvanas-brain-sebastian-says-ceo-as-he-vows-aggressive-ai-initiatives-to-process-very-deep-data">Carvana&#8217;s Online Chatbot Sebastian &#8216;Represents The Brain We&#8217;re Building,&#8217; Says CEO As Used Car Retailer Posts 50% Sales Growth In Q4</a></li>
</ul>
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Photo courtesy: Shutterstock

Tech

GOOG

GOOGL

IONQ

QBTS

QTUM

QUBT

RGTI

Quantum Computing Stocks RGTI, QUBT, IONQ, QBTS Cheer Microsoft's 'Majorana 1' Launch: Satya Nadella Calls It A 'Physics And Fabrication Breakthrough'

U.S. stock futures fell on Thursday after another session of scaling fresh records on Wednesday. Futures of all four benchmark indices declined in the premarket.
Wednesday's Federal Reserve minutes showed officials favored pausing rate cuts, citing potential inflation from Trump&#8217;s tariffs and deportations. However, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced an 8% reduction in military spending over the next five years, which led to the fall in Palantir Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PLTR#NASDAQ">PLTR</a>) stock.
The 10-year Treasury yield stood at 4.52%, while the two-year yield was at 4.26%. According to the CME Group's FedWatch <a href="https://www.cmegroup.com/markets/interest-rates/cme-fedwatch-tool.html">tool</a>, there is a 97.5% chance that the Federal Reserve will keep interest rates unchanged for the March meeting. 
<figure class="wp-block-table is-style-stripes"> 
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Futures</td>
<td>Change (+/-)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Nasdaq 100</td>
<td>-0.16%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>S&amp;P 500</td>
<td>-0.15%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Dow Jones</td>
<td>-0.10%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Russell 2000</td>
<td>-0.22%</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, fell in premarket on Thursday. SPY declined 0.15% to $612.03, and QQQ was down 0.16% to $538.64, according to <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard">Benzinga Pro</a> data.
Cues From The Last Session
Only Financials and Materials declined among all the 11 sectors, whereas Health Care, Consumer Staples, Energy, Utilities, and Real Estate sectors led gains.
January&#8217;s Fed minutes revealed officials felt they could pause rate adjustments, needing more inflation progress and time to assess the economy.
Last week saw positive momentum across equity markets. The S&amp;P 500 was approximately up 1.5%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.6%, and the Nasdaq Composite gained 2.6% last week.
<figure class="wp-block-table is-style-stripes"> 
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Index</td>
<td>Performance (+/-)</td>
<td>Value</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Nasdaq Composite</td>
<td>0.075%</td>
<td>20,056.25 </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>S&amp;P 500</td>
<td>0.24%</td>
<td>6,144.15</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Dow Jones</td>
<td>0.16%</td>
<td>44,627.59</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Russell 2000</td>
<td>-0.34%</td>
<td>2,282.46</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</figure>
Insights From Analysts
Highlighting the back-to-back all-time highs scaled by the S&amp;P 5000, Kevin Gordon, director, and senior investment strategist at Schwab said, &#8220;The last two all-time highs for the S&amp;P 500 have happened without major help from the Magnificent Seven."
&#8220;That group&#8217;s last all-time high was in mid-December.&#8221;
Talking about the upcoming Walmart Inc. earnings, Alex Coffey, senior trading and derivatives strategist at Schwab said, &#8220;Walmart&#8217;s strong grocery and consumer staples mix allows consumers to trade down."
&#8220;Tariffs could hit margins, but groceries and staples could give Walmart some resiliency against competitors,&#8221; he added.
Charlie Bilello, the chief market strategist at Creative Planning highlighted that U.S. stocks have outperformed international stocks for over 16 years but this year, the international stocks were up 7.2% as compared to a 4.0% gain for the S&amp;P 500.
<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">US stocks have outperformed International stocks for over 16 years, by far the longest run of outperformance in history. So far this year, we&#39;re seeing the opposite, with International stocks up 7.2% vs. a 4.0% gain for the S&amp;P 500. Video: <a href="https://t.co/gl3vzKh3W0">https://t.co/gl3vzKh3W0</a> <a href="https://t.co/zAvUsKKnKW">pic.twitter.com/zAvUsKKnKW</a>
&mdash; Charlie Bilello (@charliebilello) <a href="https://twitter.com/charliebilello/status/1891895455732334902?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
</figure>
The fourth quarter corporate earnings season shows the mega-cap tech companies driving the AI buildout are largely sticking with their AI capex, even after the DeepSeek news, BlackRock said in their weekly note.
"In the U.S., where AI is shaping up to be a key driver of new power demand, estimates of the scale of the nation's total power needs are huge and growing," it added.
Extreme heat driving air conditioning use, electrification of buildings and vehicles, and AI buildout could drive power demands, according to analysts at BlackRock.
"We see soaring power demand driving bouts of market volatility. We get active to find investment opportunities – like in utilities, grids and electrical equipment supply chains – and value selectivity as performance dispersion grows," the note stated.
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 Thursday:
<ul>
<li>Initial jobless claims till Feb. 15 will be announced and the Philadelphia Fed manufacturing survey for Feb will be out by 8:30 a.m., ET.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Chicago Fed President Austan Goolsbee will be speaking at 09:35 a.m., ET.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>January&#8217;s leading economic indicators will be released at 10:00 a.m., ET.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Vice Chairman for Supervision Michael Barr will speak again at 2:30 p.m., ET.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Fed Governor Adriana Kugler will be speaking at 5:00 p.m., ET.</li>
</ul>
Stocks In Focus:
<ul>
<li>Walmart Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/WMT#NYSE">WMT</a>) declined 0.49% in premarket on Thursday ahead of its earnings, which will be released before the opening bell. Analysts expect it to report quarterly earnings of 64 cents per share on revenue of $180.25 billion.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Block Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XYZ#NYSE">XYZ</a>) fell 0.024% as Wall Street expects it to report quarterly earnings of 86 cents per share on revenue of $6.25 billion. before the opening bell.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Southern Co. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SO#NYSE">SO</a>) was up 0.012% ahead of its earnings, which will be released during market hours. Analysts expect it to report quarterly earnings of 51 cents per share on revenue of $5.9 billion.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Rivian Automotive Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/RIVN#NASDAQ">RIVN</a>) fell 0.72% as Wall Street expects it to report revenue of $1.4 billion after the closing bell.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Xos Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XOS#NASDAQ">XOS</a>) jumped 27.08% after announcing that its Xos Hub, a mobile EV charger, is now on the GSA Schedule, simplifying federal agency procurement via GSA Advantage.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Microvision Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MVIS#NASDAQ">MVIS</a>) rallied 16.57% before partner Luxoft&#8217;s CES 2025 product reveal. Luxoft is a DXC Technology Co. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DXC#NYSE">DXC</a>) subsidiary.</li>
</ul>
Commodities, Gold And Global Equity Markets:
Crude oil futures were trading higher in the early New York session by 0.26% to hover around $72.29 per barrel.
The gold spot index was up by 0.63% to $2,951.94 per ounce after hitting a fresh record of $2,954.89. The Dollar Index was down 0.27% at 106.88 level.
Asian markets ended lower on Thursday. All indices including, China's CSI 300, South Korea's Kospi, Australia's ASX 200, Hong Kong's Hang Seng, and Japan's Nikkei 225 index fell. European markets were mixed in trade.
Read Next:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/43839198/reduce-deficits-and-debt-full-stop-says-this-economist-as-trump-mulls-doge-dividend-by-giving-away-20-of-its-savings-to-public">&#8216;Reduce Deficits And Debt… Full Stop,&#8217; Says Craig Shapiro As Trump Mulls &#8216;DOGE Dividend&#8217; By Giving Away 20% Of Its Savings To Public</a></li>
</ul>
Photo courtesy: Shutterstock

MVIS

US Stocks Likely To Open Lower After Gaining For 2 Days: Walmart In Focus As Traders Await Retail Giant's Earnings

The possibility of Pentagon budget cuts along with CEO Alex Karp's stock trading plan triggered a <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/25/02/43837935/palantir-plunges-as-alex-karp-plans-123-billion-stock-sale-jim-cramer-urges-palanteers-to-support-the-stock-right-now-as-pentagon-eyes-defense-cuts">plunge</a> of over 10% in Palantir Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PLTR#NASDAQ">PLTR</a>)&#8217;s stock on Wednesday, with Wedbush analyst Dan Ives drawing a comparison of this event to the impact of DeepSeek on Nvidia Corporation (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>).
What Happened: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reportedly ordered Pentagon leaders to plan for 8% annual budget cuts over the next five years, with the current defense budget at $850 billion.
Ives, in an X post compared this to Nvidia's selloff after DeepSeek grabbed the top spot on Apple Inc.&#8217;s (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAP#NASDAQ">AAP</a>) App Store. He said this was "not a headwind," for the stock.
<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">This Palantir sell-off is the bears trying to poke holes yet again in a transformational AI story that is getting stronger by the day. More focus on efficiency for the government between DOGE and DOD budget cuts is bullish for PLTR given where they play in the Beltway &#x1f525;&#x1f3c6;&#x1f402; <a href="https://t.co/JzZfuUUuqa">https://t.co/JzZfuUUuqa</a>
&mdash; Dan Ives (@DivesTech) <a href="https://twitter.com/DivesTech/status/1892434685973639280?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 20, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
</figure>
PLTR deals with providing access to artificial intelligence targeting tools to the government and military contracts.
Additionally, the company informed the SEC that CEO Alex Karp adopted a new <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/25/02/43837935/palantir-plunges-as-alex-karp-plans-123-billion-stock-sale-jim-cramer-urges-palanteers-to-support-the-stock-right-now-as-pentagon-eyes-defense-cuts">Rule 10b5-1</a> trading plan to sell up to 9.98 million shares by Sept. 12, potentially worth $1.23 billion, replacing a larger previous plan.
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/43841233/carvanas-brain-sebastian-says-ceo-as-he-vows-aggressive-ai-initiatives-to-process-very-deep-data">Carvana&#8217;s Online Chatbot Sebastian &#8216;Represents The Brain We&#8217;re Building,&#8217; Says CEO As Used Car Retailer Posts 50% Sales Growth In Q4</a>
Why It Matters: Ives also argued that the Department of Defense's budget cuts and more focus on efficiency are bullish factors for PLTR. He said PLTR will "GAIN" more share of their allocated budget's dollars.
CNBC&#8217;s Jim Cramer also urged investors to &#8220;support the stock,&#8221; via an X post.
<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">Palantir down more than a half dollar. Time for the Palanteers to come in and support the stock right now.
&mdash; Jim Cramer (@jimcramer) <a href="https://twitter.com/jimcramer/status/1892189664989094037?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 19, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
</figure>
Hegseth's <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/43836832/trump-administration-orders-sweeping-pentagon-cuts-defense-sector-stocks-on-watch">order</a> as reported by the Washington Post mandated that proposed cuts shall be drafted by Feb. 24. It mentioned exemptions on nuclear weapon modernization, missile defense, and certain acquisitions like submarines, drones, and munitions. 
Price Action: PLTR fell 10.08% on Wednesday, contrasting with a slight 0.028% uptick in the Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1 (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QQQ#NASDAQ">QQQ</a>), which tracks the Nasdaq 100 index.
In premarket on Thursday, PLTR fell 2.9% whereas QQQ was down 0.27%. PLTR remains up 49.04% on a year-to-date basis and 378.89% over a year.
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/PLTR/analyst-ratings">Benzinga tracks 23 analysts</a> with an average price target of $65.5 for the stock, reflecting a &#8220;sell&#8221; rating. Estimates range widely from $7.5 to $125. Recent ratings from Citigroup, RBC Capital, and UBS average $85, suggesting a potential 22.51% downside.
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/PLTR/analyst-ratings"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="383" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/20044100/PLTR-ANR-new-1024x383.png" alt="" class="wp-image-790507" srcset="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/20044100/PLTR-ANR-new-1024x383.png 1024w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/20044100/PLTR-ANR-new-300x112.png 300w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/20044100/PLTR-ANR-new-768x287.png 768w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/20044100/PLTR-ANR-new.png 1060w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a></figure>
Read Next:
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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/43839505/occidental-petroleum-achieves-near-term-debt-reduction-target-7-months-early-in-q4-continuing-this-momentum-management-sets-12-billion-target-for-q1">Warren Buffett&#8217;s Favorite Energy Stock Occidental Petroleum Achieves Near-Term Debt Reduction Target 7 Months Early In Q4: Management Sets $1.2 Billion Target For Q1</a></li>
</ul>
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Photo courtesy: Shutterstock

Dan Ives Says Pentagon Budget Cuts Are Positive For Palantir As PLTR Plunges Over 10%: 'Bears Trying To Poke Holes Yet Again'

As President Donald Trump floated the idea of using part of his cost-cutting efforts to reward the taxpayers, this economist argues that all the savings from the Department Of Government Efficiency (DOGE) must be dedicated to reducing the deficit, debt reduction, and inflation control.
What Happened: At a Saudi-backed investment summit in Miami, Trump floated a plan to distribute 20% of potential DOGE savings to Americans and use another 20% to reduce the national debt, citing &#8220;incredible numbers.&#8221;
Reacting to this Craig Shapiro, a macro strategist at the Bear Traps Report said, &#8220;All savings should go to reduce deficits and the debt and to control inflation. Full stop&#8221;
Shapiro warned that the proposal could undermine efforts to curb inflation and lower borrowing costs. &#8220;In case it&#8217;s not obvious,&#8221; he said, &#8220;this is NOT a good idea if you are trying to control inflation and bring down overall borrowing costs by driving down term premiums which bring down 10 yr yields.&#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">President Trump says he is considering giving 20% of savings from DOGE cuts as payouts to Americans. Another 20% of savings could go toward paying down the federal debt. In case it&#39;s not obvious, this is NOT a good idea if you are trying to control inflation and bring down…
&mdash; Craig Shapiro (@ces921) <a href="https://twitter.com/ces921/status/1892350882844491916?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 19, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
</figure>
According to Keynesian economics, developed by John Maynard Keynes, implementing both expansionary fiscal policy (like increased spending) and contractionary monetary policy (like higher interest rates) can still lead to inflation. This occurs because the fiscal stimulus boosts demand, which can outpace the dampening effect of tighter monetary policy, resulting in inflationary pressures.
According to the CME Group's FedWatch <a href="https://www.cmegroup.com/markets/interest-rates/cme-fedwatch-tool.html">tool</a>, there is an 85.5% chance that the Federal Reserve will ease the interest rates in its December meeting. The chances for an ease is below 80% for all the FOMC meetings before December.
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/market-summary/25/02/43809086/us-commerce-secretary-howard-lutnicks-cantor-fitzgerald-increases-bitcoin-exposure-via-etfs-mstr-mara-adds-chinese-firms-like-baba-baidu-jd-in-q4">US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick&#8217;s Cantor Fitzgerald Increases Bitcoin Exposure Via ETFs, MSTR, MARA; Adds Chinese Firms Like BABA, Baidu, JD In Q4</a>
Why It Matters: Replying to an X post that was describing a case for &#8220;DOGE Dividend&#8221; by the CEO of Azoria, James Fishback, Elon Musk had said, &#8220;will check with the President.&#8217;
<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">President Trump and <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ElonMusk</a> should announce a ‘DOGE Dividend'—a tax refund check sent to every taxpayer, funded exclusively with a portion of the total savings delivered by DOGE. &#x1f9f5; <a href="https://t.co/p5AZZj3Ttc">pic.twitter.com/p5AZZj3Ttc</a>
&mdash; James Fishback (@j_fishback) <a href="https://twitter.com/j_fishback/status/1891933120313663493?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
</figure>
On the same day after this exchange between the two on the social media platform, Trump suggested the idea of giving away 20% of DOGE savings to &#8220;American citizens&#8221;.
In the detailed pitch, shared by Fishback he argued that the &#8220;DOGE Dividend,&#8221; won&#8217;t be inflationary.
He argued that dividends would differ from deficit-financed COVID stimulus checks and would be funded solely by DOGE-driven savings. He added that it targets tax-paying households, who are more likely to save, invest, or pay down debt rather than spend.
According to Fishback, taxpayers will show a strong propensity to save unexpected income, making the dividend non-inflationary, and potentially deflationary through debt reduction.
Price Action: 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 on Wednesday. SPY advanced 0.24% to $612.93, and QQQ was up 0.028% to $539.52, according to <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard">Benzinga Pro</a> data.
Read Next:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/25/02/43808365/trumps-tax-cut-could-add-4-6-trillion-to-deficit-with-48-billion-tax-relief-for-top-100-firms-robert">Trump&#8217;s Tax Cut Could Add $4.6 Trillion To Deficit, With $48 Billion Tax Relief For Top 100 Firms: Robert Reich</a></li>
</ul>
Photo courtesy: Shutterstock

'Reduce Deficits And Debt… Full Stop,' Says Craig Shapiro As Trump Mulls 'DOGE Dividend' By Giving Away 20% Of Its Savings To Public

Minutes from the January Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting released Wednesday showed many of the Federal Reserve's policymakers stressed the need for additional evidence that inflation was cooling before any further interest rate cuts<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/market-summary/25/02/43821214/trump-calls-for-more-tariffs-federal-reserve-minutes-on-deck-whats-driving-markets-wednesday"> could be considered.&nbsp;</a>
The Details: The January meeting's minutes revealed that all of the Fed&#8217;s policymakers supported keeping its key rate steady at the 4.25% to 4.5% range. Officials noted a "high degree of uncertainty" that requires the Fed to "take a careful approach" in considering any further changes to its key interest rate.
Several Fed meeting participants highlighted President Donald Trump's proposed tariffs and immigration policies, strong household spending, and geopolitical risks as factors that led to the large degree of uncertainty surrounding the rate of inflation in the near term. 
Read Next: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/43703014/robert-f-kennedy-confirmed-as-trump-secretary-of-health">Robert F. Kennedy, Vaccine Skeptic, Confirmed As Trump&#8217;s Secretary Of Health: Health Care Stocks To Watch</a>
However, there was some back-and-forth between policymakers, with some suggesting the Committee could keep the policy rate at a restrictive level if inflation remained elevated and others noting policy could be eased more quickly if economic conditions warranted or inflation returned to 2%. 
Markets React: Market-implied probabilities via CME FedWatch were unchanged following the release of the FOMC minutes, assigning a 97.5% chance of the Fed holding rates unchanged at its March meeting, and the remaining 2.5% odds pointing to a cut in interest rates.
Major U.S. indices are mixed in late trading Wednesday with 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, up 0.16% at $612.48 and the Invesco QQQ Trust (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QQQ#NASDAQ">QQQ</a>), tracking the Nasdaq 100 index, down 0.06% at $539.06 at the time of publication.&nbsp;
Read Next:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/social-media/25/02/43535256/palantir-adds-elon-musks-ai-chatbot-grok-to-aip">Palantir Adds Elon Musk&#8217;s AI Chatbot Grok To AIP</a></li>
</ul>
Photo by MDart10 on Shutterstock.

Federal Reserve

Fed Minutes Reveal Officials See 'High Degree Of Uncertainty' Requiring 'A Careful Approach' On Rate Cuts

All good things must come to an end and the same goes for celebrated innovators, including social media and technology giant Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/META#NASDAQ">META</a>). 
Earlier, Meta stock contributed handsomely to the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/economics/macro-economic-events/25/02/43794403/nasdaq-100-hits-new-high-metas-rally-powers-tech-surge">record-breaking surge</a> in the Nasdaq-100, thanks in large part to its relentless rise. However, Tuesday ended the security's run of 20 consecutive trading sessions in the black.
Until that point, Meta stock had soared 16% since Jan. 16, contributing to the Nasdaq's rise. In addition, its heavy weighting in the Invesco QQQ Trust (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QQQ#NASDAQ">QQQ</a>) and other exchange-traded funds boosted their market value. Not surprisingly, artificial intelligence continues to represent a key catalyst for Meta's upswing.
Still, not everything has been smooth sailing. Fundamentally, concerns center on employee criticisms of the company's <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/43726758/meta-platforms-could-break-winning-streak-missing-20th-day-of-gains-as-overbought-conditions-employee-layoffs-dampen-sentiment">latest layoffs</a>. On the technical front, certain indicators demonstrated that Meta stock was overbought. If that wasn't distracting enough, CEO Mark Zuckerberg <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/25/02/43810048/mark-zuckerberg-offloads-meta-shares-worth-14-4-million-in-february">offloaded 17,855 shares</a> of Meta's Class A common stock totaling around $14.4 million.
However, the latest regulatory filings revealed that activist investor Dan Loeb's Third Point LLC had <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/large-cap/25/02/43796723/dan-loebs-third-point-boosts-meta-holdings-now-a-top-4-position">significantly boosted its investment</a> in Meta stock during the final quarter of 2024. Subsequently, the move brings the security to its <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/dan-loeb">top four list</a>.
Following Meta's impressive results for its fourth-quarter earnings report — delivering earnings per share of $8.02 on sales of $48.39 billion (both beating consensus targets) — multiple analysts raised their price forecasts. Currently, Wall Street's consensus price target stands at $731.76, with a high-side estimate of $935.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Traders Gravitate Toward The Dips</h2>
Moving forward, a critical advantage that bullish speculators enjoy is that Meta stock naturally features an upward bias. For example, using pricing data extending back to January 2019, a position entered at the beginning of the week has a 54.83% chance of rising by the end of it. Notably, the long odds improve to 62% over a four-week period.
At the same time, using baseline probabilities can be challenging from an assessment point of view. Arguably, it's more important to focus on relevant data; that is, data that harmonizes with the current or prevailing market trend. That's the key difference between analyzing information stochastically (or temporally) versus dynamically.
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="576" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/19142607/META-stock-probability-gambit-1024x576.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-789721" srcset="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/19142607/META-stock-probability-gambit-1024x576.jpg 1024w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/19142607/META-stock-probability-gambit-300x169.jpg 300w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/19142607/META-stock-probability-gambit-768x432.jpg 768w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/19142607/META-stock-probability-gambit.jpg 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Image by author</figcaption></figure>
At the present juncture, Meta stock is on track to lose about 4.5% this week. Historically, when Meta loses up to 5% in a one-week period, the subsequent week only has about a 50/50 shot of rising. This circumstance may be due to investors digesting the volatility that just materialized. However, over the subsequent four weeks, the long odds rise to 63.55%.
Put another way, over time, the upward bias becomes evident again. While this framework doesn't guarantee trading success, it shows that enthusiasm is consistently strong for Meta stock, even if it tumbles every now and then.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Red Ink Offers a Silver Lining</h2>
For the bargain hunter, the red ink in Meta stock offers a silver lining: call options have been cheapened relative to how they were priced just days ago. This means speculators can acquire high payout transactions that arguably feature rational probabilistic risk.
Following a modest weekly decline in Meta stock, the median four-week return under the positive scenario comes in at 7.03%. Based on an estimated closing price of $702, that would assign an upside target of $751.37. Fortunately, there are plenty of big payout trades that don't require such a leap in market value.
For the options chain expiring March 14, bullish speculators may consider the 710/715 bull call spread. This multi-leg strategy involves buying a call ($710) and simultaneously selling a call ($715). Primarily, the idea is to use the credit received from the short call to partially offset the debit paid for the long call, thus discounting the net long position. Should the security rise to or above the short strike price, the trader collects the maximum reward (a payout of around 108%).
To be clear, bull spreads are capped-risk, capped-reward transactions. The trader can't lose more than the debit paid (since the lower-priced long call offsets the potential obligation of the higher-priced short call). On the other hand, the trader can't gain more than the maximum reward.
Speculators could choose to raise the short leg and adjust the long leg as necessary to potentially achieve a higher payout. However, doing so would increase the probabilistic risk of the trade not being profitable. With the aforementioned trade, Meta stock only needs to rise less than 2% by expiration to collect a big payout.
Now Read:
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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/25/02/43825637/donald-trump-says-us-is-successfully-negotiating-with-russia-over-ukraine-but-polymarket-traders-arent-convinced">Trump Says US Is &#8216;Successfully Negotiating With Russia&#8217; Over Ukraine, Polymarket Traders Aren&#8217;t Convinced</a></li>
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Image: Shutterstock

Long Ideas

Options

$META

Options Corner: Why Meta Platforms' Breather Offers A Potential Discount

All three major U.S. indices are red in Wednesday's midday trading as investors weighed President Donald Trump's proposed tariffs on auto imports, pharmaceuticals and semiconductors. An official announcement is<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/25/02/43807804/us-stocks-likely-to-open-lower-following-fresh-records-from-previous-session-expert-says-dont-be-scared-of-new-highs"> expected as soon as April 2.&nbsp;</a>
Markets are anticipating the release of the most recent FOMC minutes later in the trading day which will give further insight into the Federal Reserve's policy outlook. The Fed held interest rates steady at its last meeting and has signaled it is in no hurry to lower rates.&nbsp;
Natural gas futures were up 5%, closing in on a two-year high, as extreme <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/travel/25/02/43814828/life-threatening-cold-air-snow-brings-travel-delays-higher-heating-costs">cold temperatures</a> across the U.S. drove higher heating demand and froze oil and gas wells, disrupting production. Adding to the pressure on prices are record-level gas flows to LNG export plants. The United States Natural Gas Fund (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/UNG#NYSE">UNG</a>) ETF was up more than 5% midday Wednesday.&nbsp;
Read Next: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/travel/25/02/43814828/life-threatening-cold-air-snow-brings-travel-delays-higher-heating-costs">&#8216;Life-Threatening&#8217; Cold Air, Snow Brings Travel Delays, Higher Heating Costs</a>
The yield on the 10-year US Treasury note held above 4.5% on Wednesday after Trump issued new tariff threats which fueled inflation concerns. The iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TLT#NASDAQ">TLT</a>) rose 0.03% to $88.13.&nbsp;
Bitcoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/btc/usd">BTC</a>) rose to above the $96,000 level as crypto markets recovered some of Tuesday's losses.&nbsp;
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Wednesday&#8217;s Performance In Major US Indices, ETFs</h2>
<figure class="wp-block-table"> 
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Major Indices</td>
<td>Price</td>
<td>1 day % chg.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Nasdaq 100</td>
<td>20,037.70</td>
<td>-0.02%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>S&amp;P 500</td>
<td>6,132.74</td>
<td>0.05%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Dow Jones</td>
<td>44,465.91</td>
<td>-0.2%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Russell 2000</td>
<td>2,284.05</td>
<td>0.28%</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>) inched up 0.05% to $611.78</li>
<li>The SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DIA#NYSE">DIA</a>) was down 0.17% at $445.16. </li>
<li>The tech-heavy Invesco QQQ Trust Series (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QQQ#NASDAQ">QQQ</a>) was flat at $539.41. </li>
<li>The iShares Russell 2000 ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/IWM#NYSE">IWM</a>) fell 0.4% to $226.31.</li>
<li>The Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XLY#NYSE">XLY</a>) dipped 0.38% to $225.52. </li>
<li>The Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XLE#NYSE">XLE</a>) rose 1.36% to $92.54. </li>
</ul>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Wednesday's Stock Movers:&nbsp;</h2>
Shares of EV truck maker Nikola Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NKLA#NASDAQ">NKLA</a>) plummeted after the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/asset-sales/25/02/43811409/nikola-files-for-bankruptcy-seeks-auction-for-sale-of-its-assets">company filed</a> for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, seeking to auction its assets while continuing limited operations through March 2025. Another small EV company, Mullen Automotive, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MULN#NASDAQ">MULN</a>), shares are down after the company reported significant losses in its fourth-quarter earnings release before the opening bell.&nbsp;
Stocks reacting to company earnings reports included:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>Devon Energy Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DVN#NYSE">DVN</a>)&nbsp;</li>
<li>Bumble, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BMBL#NASDAQ">BMBL</a>)&nbsp;</li>
<li>Shift4 Payments, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/FOUR#NYSE">FOUR</a>)&nbsp;</li>
<li>Cadence Design Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CDNS#NASDAQ">CDNS</a>)</li>
<li>Medifast, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MED#NYSE">MED</a>)&nbsp;</li>
<li>Appian Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/APPN#NASDAQ">APPN</a>)&nbsp;</li>
<li>Arista Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ANET#NASDAQ">ANET</a>)&nbsp;</li>
<li>SolarEdge Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SEDG#NASDAQ">SEDG</a>)&nbsp;</li>
<li>Global-E Online Ltd. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GLBE#NASDAQ">GLBE</a>)&nbsp;</li>
<li>Garmin Ltd. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GRMN#NYSE">GRMN</a>)&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
Companies reporting after Wednesday's closing bell include:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>Carvana Co. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CVNA#NYSE">CVNA</a>)&nbsp;</li>
<li>Toast, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TOST#NYSE">TOST</a>)&nbsp;</li>
<li>The Cheesecake Factory Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CAKE#NASDAQ">CAKE</a>)&nbsp;</li>
<li>Alamos Gold Inc. &nbsp;(NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AGI#NYSE">AGI</a>)</li>
<li>Borr Drilling Limited (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BORR#NYSE">BORR</a>)&nbsp;</li>
<li>Taseko Mines, Ltd. (AMEX:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TGB#AMEX">TGB</a>)&nbsp;</li>
<li>Equinox Gold Corp.&nbsp; (AMEX:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/EQX#AMEX">EQX</a>)&nbsp;</li>
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<li>Vale S.A. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/VALE#NYSE">VALE</a>)&nbsp;</li>
<li>Exact Sciences Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/EXAS#NASDAQ">EXAS</a>)&nbsp;</li>
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Trump Calls For More Tariffs, Federal Reserve Minutes On Deck: What's Driving Markets Wednesday?

Benzinga Market Summary: Trump Indicates Plans To Impose 25% Tariffs On Autos, Chips And Pharmaceuticals, Natural Gas Rises On Cold Weather Forecasts, Oil Rises On Supply Uncertainty After Reports Of Attack On Russia Oil Pipeline

U.S. stock futures fell on Wednesday after scaling fresh records in Tuesday&#8217;s session. The futures of all four benchmark indices were trading lower in the premarket.
President Donald Trump, on Tuesday, announced plans to impose a 25% tariff on auto imports, along with tariffs on pharmaceuticals and semiconductor chips.
The auto tariffs are expected to take effect by April 2, based on a report from his cabinet. Tariffs on pharmaceuticals and chips will also start at 25% or higher, with increases over the year. Trump did not specify a start date, allowing manufacturers time to establish U.S. factories to avoid the tariffs.
The 10-year Treasury yield stood at 4.56%, while the two-year yield was at 4.30%. According to the CME Group's FedWatch <a href="https://www.cmegroup.com/markets/interest-rates/cme-fedwatch-tool.html">tool</a>, there is a 97.5% chance that the Federal Reserve will keep interest rates unchanged for the March meeting. 
<figure class="wp-block-table is-style-stripes"> 
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Futures</td>
<td>Change (+/-)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Nasdaq 100</td>
<td>-0.09%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>S&amp;P 500</td>
<td>-0.10%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Dow Jones</td>
<td>-0.10%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Russell 2000</td>
<td>-0.43%</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, were trading below the flatline on Wednesday. SPY fell 0.12% to $610.73, and QQQ dropped 0.093% to $538.87, according to <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard">Benzinga Pro</a> data.
Cues From The Last Session
Energy, materials, and utilities sectors led the gains in U.S. stocks on Tuesday, propelling the S&amp;P 500 to a<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/earnings/25/02/43806227/sp-500-settles-at-record-high-ahead-of-fed-minutes-investor-sentiment-improves-fear-greed-index-moves-to-neutral-zone"> record-high close</a>. Despite the overall positive trend, communication services and consumer discretionary sectors declined on Tuesday. 
The broader market awaited the release of the latest FOMC minutes on Wednesday and monitored other ongoing geopolitical developments.
Last week saw positive momentum across equity markets. The S&amp;P 500 was approximately up 1.5%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.6%, and the Nasdaq Composite gained 2.6% last week.
In company news, Fluor Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/FLR#NYSE">FLR</a>) shares plummeted over 8% after the company reported quarterly earnings and revenue below expectations. On the economic front, the NY Empire State Manufacturing Index exceeded forecasts, rising 18.3 points to +5.7 in February.
<figure class="wp-block-table is-style-stripes"> 
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Index</td>
<td>Performance (+/-)</td>
<td>Value</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Nasdaq Composite</td>
<td>0.072%</td>
<td>20,041.26</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>S&amp;P 500</td>
<td>0.24%</td>
<td>6,129.58</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Dow Jones</td>
<td>0.023%</td>
<td>44,556.34</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Russell 2000</td>
<td>0.45%</td>
<td>2,290.35</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</figure>
Insights From Analysts
Ryan Detrick, the chief market strategist at Carson Research, pointed out that the S&amp;P 500 scaled its second all-time high of 2025 on Tuesday.
This was the 1,243rd record high over the 17,176 trading days since 1957 when the gauge increased to having 500 stocks.
Processing this data, Detrick highlighted that the S&amp;P 500 hits a new all-time high about once every three weeks.
<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">And with that we have the 2nd all-time high of 2025 for the S&amp;P 500. Since 1957 (when it become 500 stocks) this is 1,243 ATHs out of 17,176 trading days. In other words, a new ATH happens about once every 3 wks. New highs happen, congrats to the investors who remembered. <a href="https://t.co/D30va9bi5Y">pic.twitter.com/D30va9bi5Y</a>
&mdash; Ryan Detrick, CMT (@RyanDetrick) <a href="https://twitter.com/RyanDetrick/status/1891961462475591906?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
</figure>
He also addressed a very important question, "Should you buy when stocks are all-time highs?" in one of his X posts.
Detrick said, "Don&#8217;t be scared of new highs". He substantiated his claims by adding that the index is usually up 71% of the times, a year after scaling an all-time high.
<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">Should you buy when stocks are all-time highs? That&#39;s a popular question we often get. My take is don&#39;t be scared of new highs, as the S&amp;P 500 is up a year later 71% of the time after an ATH and up a median of 8.3%. In other words, about normal returns. <a href="https://t.co/I01bT0Bgwg">pic.twitter.com/I01bT0Bgwg</a>
&mdash; Ryan Detrick, CMT (@RyanDetrick) <a href="https://twitter.com/RyanDetrick/status/1891968184590246018?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
</figure>
Talking about the fresh record, Nathan Peterson, director of derivatives analysis at the <a href="https://www.schwab.com/learn/story/stock-market-update-open">Schwab Center</a> for Financial Research said: &#8220;It seems that stocks can maintain a bullish bias provided the economic data and earnings growth estimates hold up and yields on the 10-year Treasury note remain below the mid-January high of 4.8%." 
According to economist Jeremy Siegel, despite the uncertainties, "The stock market continues to perform well, particularly in the tech sector, even as leadership has broadened beyond last year's AI-driven rally."
Professor of finance at the University of Pennsylvania, Siegel also added that "Tesla took a hit on competition from China's BYD, now the world's largest EV maker. Nvidia was hit after the DeepSeek news, but overall, the tech leaders have remained resilient."
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 Wednesday:
<ul>
<li>On Wednesday, January&#8217;s housing starts and building permits data will be out by 8:30 a.m., ET.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>January&#8217;s minutes of the Federal Reserve Open Market Committee meeting will be released at 2:00 p.m., ET.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Fed Vice Chairman Philip Jefferson will speak at 5:00 p.m., ET.</li>
</ul>
Stocks In Focus:
<ul>
<li>Analog Devices Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ADI#NASDAQ">ADI</a>) was up 0.58% in the premarket on Wednesday ahead of its earnings, which will be released before the opening bell. Analysts expect it to report quarterly earnings of $1.54 per share on revenue of $2.36 billion.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Etsy Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ETSY#NASDAQ">ETSY</a>) advanced 1.24% as Wall Street expects it to report quarterly earnings of 93 cents per share on revenue of $862.82 million. before the opening bell.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Carvana Co. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CVNA#NYSE">CVNA</a>) rose 0.99% ahead of its earnings, which will be released after the closing bell. Analysts expect it to report quarterly earnings of 29 cents per share on revenue of $3.31 billion.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Koninklijke Philips NV (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PHG#NYSE">PHG</a>) tumbled 11.69% after reporting downbeat results for its fourth quarter.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Wix.Com Ltd. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/WIX#NASDAQ">WIX</a>) jumped 6.68% after reporting earnings of $1.93 per share for the fourth quarter, which beat the analyst consensus. But its sales of $460.455 million missed the consensus of $461.748 million.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Aptose Biosciences Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/APTO#NASDAQ">APTO</a>) plunged 28.20% after it announced a 1-for-30 reverse share split approved by its board of directors. The consolidation will reduce outstanding common shares from 64,301,183 to approximately 2,143,372 shares.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Crown Crafts Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CRWS#NASDAQ">CRWS</a>) slumped 34.12%, continuing to fall after its third-quarter sales, profit and EPS declined.</li>
</ul>
Commodities, Gold And Global Equity Markets:
Crude oil futures were trading higher in the early New York session by 0.89% to hover around $72.47 per barrel.
The gold spot index was up by 0.30% to $2,944.20 per ounce. The Dollar Index was up 0.10% at 107.157 level.
Asian markets ended mostly lower on Wednesday. China's CSI 300, and South Korea's Kospi index rose. Whereas, Australia's ASX 200, India's S&amp;P BSE Sensex, Hong Kong's Hang Seng, and Japan's Nikkei 225 index fell. European markets were mixed in trade.
Read Next:
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Photo courtesy: Shutterstock

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