U.S. markets close in 5 hours 35 minutes

  • S&P 500

    3,944.64
    +9.81 (+0.25%)
     

  • Dow 30

    31,577.37
    +118.97 (+0.38%)
     

  • Nasdaq

    14,141.76
    +46.29 (+0.33%)
     

  • Russell 2000

    2,295.81
    +6.45 (+0.28%)
     

  • Crude Oil

    59.64
    +0.17 (+0.29%)
     

  • Gold

    1,806.30
    -16.90 (-0.93%)
     

  • Silver

    27.45
    +0.13 (+0.46%)
     

  • EUR/USD

    1.2118
    -0.0021 (-0.17%)
     

  • 10-Yr Bond

    1.2570
    +0.0570 (+4.75%)
     

  • GBP/USD

    1.3891
    -0.0010 (-0.07%)
     

  • USD/JPY

    105.6800
    +0.3490 (+0.33%)
     

  • BTC-USD

    49,406.89
    +1,514.41 (+3.16%)
     

  • CMC Crypto 200

    1,001.30
    -0.63 (-0.06%)
     

  • FTSE 100

    6,750.44
    -5.67 (-0.08%)
     

  • Nikkei 225

    30,467.75
    +383.60 (+1.28%)
     

Nintendo will stream a 50-minute Direct on February 17th at 5PM ET

Jon Fingas
·Associate Editor
·1 min read

Here's a pleasant surprise: you're about to get a flurry of Switch game news. Nintendo has announced a last-minute, 50-minute Direct livestream starting on February 17th at 5PM Eastern. While the gaming pioneer isn't sharing too much about what you can expect, it did tease both Switch titles due in the first half of 2021 as well as updates for existing games like Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Don't be surprised if you hear about a new brawler or two.

There are a few candidates for the stream. Pokémon Snap for the Switch is due to ship April 30th, for starters. There's also a slew of third-party games reaching Nintendo's console in the first six months of the year, including Monster Hunter Rise, Bravely Default II and even Apex Legends. We'd note that some of these games are well-known by this point, though, so they might not get much attention. Don't be shocked if there are release dates for games previously sitting in development limbo, or announcements of brand new games. We wouldn't count on Metroid Prime 4 news when development restarted in 2019.

For some, the biggest news may simply be that it's a straightforward Nintendo Direct — the first since September 2019, Bloomberg's Jason Schreier noted. Many of the streams in the months since have been Minis, more indie-focused or even devoted to a theme park. This doesn't necessarily mean Nintendo will have earth-shattering news, but it's clearly a larger production than you've seen since the pandemic began.

Latest Stories

  • Palantir shares sink 9% after posting surprise quarterly loss

    Palantir (PLTR) shares sank more than 9% in early trading this morning after the data mining software company posted a surprise loss for its latest quarter, while revenue exceeded expectations.

  • ROKU Stock: Earnings Option Trade Idea

    In the past few weeks we've looked at some bull put spread ideas like this one and this one. Today, I want to take a look at ROKU stock. ROKU stock is currently above the 21-day, 50-day and 200-day moving averages and showing nice accumulation.

  • The Single Biggest Threat To The Electric Vehicle Boom

    Toyota’s boss is predicting this could lead to the collapse of the auto industry. But one company may hold the solution...

  • Palantir Stock Falls As 2021 Revenue Growth Outlook Below Expectations

    Palantir reported fourth-quarter earnings and revenue that topped estimates. Palantir stock fell in early trading as full-year 2021 revenue guidance came in slightly below expectations.

  • GameStop Investors Who Bet Big—and Lost Big

    GameStop’s volatile ride is hitting the portfolios of individual investors who purchased the stock in a social-media-fueled frenzy.

  • Here’s what top economist Mohamed El-Erian fears will trigger a market mishap

    Not much is slowing down enthusiasm for most assets right now. Mohamed El-Erian, economic adviser to Allianz, says these things might trip up investors.

  • 21 stocks Goldman Sachs thinks you should consider buying now

    Goldman Sachs is bullish on the economic recovery, and has offered up a list of stocks it thinks you should consider buying.

  • Morgan Stanley Storms Into the EV Space; Offers 2 Stocks to Buy

    We are indeed living in interesting times – and in many ways, that’s a good thing. Take the automotive industry, for example. Technology is changing a rapid pace, and when it settles, it will dramatically change the way we drive. In 2030, our concept of ‘car’ will likely be unrecognizable to drivers from 1980. The biggest changes are coming from power systems and artificial intelligence. AI will bring autonomous tech to our cars, making self-driving vehicles a reality. But the power systems changes will hit us first. In fact, electric-drive vehicles are already on our roads, and electric vehicle (EV) companies are proliferating rapidly. For the moment, there are several roads to potential success in the EV market. Companies are working to position themselves as leaders in battery tech, or electric power trains, or to maximize their range and performance per charge. It’s a fact-paced industry environment, offering both opportunity and excitement for investors. Smart investors will look for companies capable of meeting scaling demands, once they have settled on marketable models. Investment firm Morgan Stanley has been watching the EV industry, seeking out innovative new design and production companies that are positioning themselves for gains as the market matures. The firm’s automotive analyst, Adam Jonas, has selected two stocks that investors should seriously consider buying into, saying “As we survey the EV/battery startup landscape, we are prioritizing highly differentiated technology and/or business models with a path to scale at a reasonable level of risk.” Opening up the TipRanks database, we’ve pulled up the details on both of Jonas’ picks to see whether they could be a good fit for your portfolio. Fisker (FSR) First up, Fisker, is based in Southern California, the epicenter of so much of our ground-breaking tech industries. Fisker’s focus is on solid-state battery tech, a growing alternative to the lithium-ion batteries that most EVs depend on. While more expensive that the older lithium-based systems, solid state batteries are safer and offer higher energy densities. Fisker has been busy patenting its moves into solid-state batteries, a sound strategy to lock in its advances in this field. For EVs, solid-state batteries offer faster charging times, longer range per charge, and potentially lower battery weight – all important factors in vehicle performance. Every car company needs a flagship model, and Fisker has the Ocean – an EV SUV with a mid-range price ($37,499) and a long-range power system (up to 300 miles). The vehicle features stylish design and room mounted solar panels to supplement the charging system, and is scheduled to enter serial production for the markets in 2022. The stylish design reflects the sensibilities of the company’s founder, Henrik Fisker, known for his work on the BMW Z8 and the Aston Martin DB9. Fisker entered the public markets through a SPAC merger agreement last fall. Since completing the SPAC transaction on October 29, shares in FSR are up 112%. Morgan Stanley’s Jonas is impressed by this company, describing the ‘value proposition of Fisker’ as “…design, time to market, clean sheet user experience and management expertise,” and saying that the 4Q22 launch schedule for the Ocean is likely to be met. “Fisker is specifically targeting the personal owned/passenger car business as opposed to commercial oriented end markets, where emotive design and user experience matter more. Additionally, the company wants to create an all-digital experience from the website to the app to the HMI in the car and continued customer engagement through its flexible lease product,” Jonas added. In line with his upbeat outlook on the company (and the car), Jonas rates Fisker an Overweight (i.e. Buy), and sets a $27 price target suggesting an upside of 42% for the coming year. (To watch Jonas’ track record, click here) Turning to the TipRanks data, we’ve found that Wall Street’s analysts hold a range of views on Fisker. The stock has a Moderate Buy analyst consensus rating, based on 7 reviews, including 4 Buys, 2 Holds, and 1 Sell. Shares are currently priced at $18.99, and the $21.20 average price target implies a one-year upside of ~12%. (See FSR stock analysis on TipRanks) QuantumScape (QS) Where Fisker is working on solid-state batteries in the context of vehicle production, QuantumScape is setting itself up as a leader in EV battery technology and a potential supplier of the next generation of battery and power systems for the EV market. QuantumScape designs and builds solid-state lithium-metal batteries, and the key advantages of the technology are in safety, lifespan, and charging times. Solid-state batteries are non-flammable; they last longer than lithium-ion batteries, with less capacity loss at the anode interface; and their composition allows faster charging, of 15 minutes or less to reach 80% capacity. QuantumScape is betting that these advantages will outweigh the technology’s current higher cost, and create a new standard in EV power systems. The company’s strongest tie to the EV production field is its connection with Volkswagen. The German auto giant put $100 million into QuantumScape in 2018, and an additional $200 million in 2020. The two companies are using their partnership to prepare for mass-scale development and production of solid-state batteries. Like Fisker, QuantumScape went public through a SPAC agreement late last year. The agreement, which closed on November 27, put the QS ticker in the public markets – where it promptly surged above $130 per share. While the stock has since slipped, it remains up 47% from its NYSE opening. For Morgan Stanley’s Jonas, involvement in QS stock comes with high risk, but also high potential reward. In fact, the analyst calls it, "The Biotech of Battery Development." "We believe their solid state technology addresses a very big impediment in battery science (energy density) that, if successful, can create extremely high value to a wide range of customers in the auto industry and beyond. The risks of moving from a single layer cell to a production car are high, but we think these are balanced by the commercial potential and the role of Volkswagen to help underwrite the early manufacturing ramp," Jonas explained. Noting that QS is a stock for the long haul, Jonas rates the shares an Overweight (i.e. Buy), and his $70 price target indicates confidence in an upside of 28% for one-year time horizon. Granted, not everyone is as enthusiastic about QS as Morgan Stanly. QS's Hold consensus rating is based on an even split between Buy, Hold, and Sell reviews. The shares are priced at $54.64 and their recent appreciation has pushed them well above the $46.67 average price target. (See QS stock analysis on TipRanks) To find good ideas for EV stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks’ Best Stocks to Buy, a newly launched tool that unites all of TipRanks’ equity insights. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the featured analyst. The content is intended to be used for informational purposes only. It is very important to do your own analysis before making any investment.

  • To profit from planned merger of Tilray and Aphria, buy Aphria, says this analyst

    Investors seeking to profit from the merger of Canadian cannabis companies Tilray Inc. and Aphria Inc. are best to do so by buying shares of Aphria, which are trading at a 51% discount over the merger conversion price, Cantor Fitzgerald analyst Pablo Zuanic said Tuesday.

  • Amazon, Facebook, and 22 of the Most Undervalued Stocks Right Now

    Barron's screened the Russell 3000 to find stocks where the average analyst price target was significantly higher than where shares were recently trading.

  • What Is A Dividend? Plus The 5 Best Dividend Stocks Now

    What is a dividend and which companies have the best-yielding dividends? Read on for a primer on how best to approach this method of investing.

  • AutoNation blows away profit estimates, reveals $1 billion stock buyback plan

    AutoNation hit the trifecta on its latest earnings day. The company smashed analyst profit forecasts, said it divested its stake in online auto seller Vroom and announced a new stock buyback plan.

  • Yellen Shift on Vast Treasury Cash Pile Poses Problem for Powell

    (Bloomberg) -- Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is giving Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell a bit of a headache when it comes to managing the money markets.Already low short-term interest rates are set to sink further, potentially below zero, after the Treasury announced plans earlier this month to reduce the stockpile of cash it amassed at the Fed over the last year to fight the pandemic and the deep recession it caused.The move, which aims to return its cash position at the central bank to more normal levels, will flood the financial system with liquidity and complicate Powell’s effort to keep a tight grip over money market rates.“All this cash from the Treasury’s general account will have to go back from the Fed and into the market,” said Manmohan Singh, senior economist at the International Monetary Fund. “It will drive short term rates lower, as far as they can go.”While the Fed has pushed its benchmark overnight policy rate down to nearly zero to aid the pandemic-inflicted economy, a drop in short-term market rates into negative territory could prove disruptive, especially for money market funds that invest in short-dated Treasury securities. Banks may also find themselves hamstrung by effectively being forced to hold large unwanted cash balances at the central bank.The Treasury’s decision -- unveiled at its quarterly refunding announcement -- will help unleash what Credit Suisse Group AG analyst Zoltan Pozsar calls a “tsunami” of reserves into the financial system and on to the Fed’s balance sheet. Combined with the Fed’s asset purchases, that could swell reserves to about $5 trillion by the end of June, from an already lofty $3.3 trillion now.Here’s how it works: Treasury sends out checks drawn on its general account at the Fed, which operates like the government’s checking account. When recipients deposit the funds with their bank, the bank presents the check to the Fed, which debits the Treasury’s account and credits the bank’s Fed account, otherwise known as their reserve balance.Dollar PressureMarket pros are trying to parse out the implications of what could be an unprecedented surge of liquidity. Some forecast downward pressure on the dollar. Others predict buoyant stock and bond prices. Still others see it mostly as a non-event -- except when it comes to the money markets.When ex Fed chair Yellen was nominated to become Treasury secretary, many analysts saw that as presaging very close knit ties between her department and the central bank. But there are limits on how far that can go, given the institutional imperatives of each organization.In preparing to lower its cash hoard at the central bank to $500 billion by the end of June from around a gargantuan $1.6 trillion now, Treasury is merely returning to a more normal modus operandi.“Treasury had just been delaying the day of reckoning for the Fed,” said Lou Crandall, chief economist at Wrightson ICAP LLC.Most Fed officials judge they have the instruments to deal with rising reserves, according to the minutes of their Nov. 4-5 meeting.But that doesn’t mean they won’t have to make some difficult decisions about the Fed’s interest rate tools, its bank leverage rules and possibly even its asset purchases.Tweak IOERIn an effort to provide a floor for the money markets, the central bank could lift the rate it pays on excess reserves parked at the Fed by banks and on its reverse repurchase agreements, from 10 basis points and zero, respectively. Tweaking these administered rates is something the Fed has done before.“If the Fed decides that it wants overnight rates to move away from zero, the most effective approach in my view would be to raise” those two rates together, said former New York Fed official Brian Sack, who is now Director of Global Economics for D. E. Shaw & Co.But that decision -- which could be made at next month’s policy making meeting -- would come as officials try to convince markets that they’re not about to reduce support for the economy. While any rate rise would be portrayed as a technical adjustment, there’s a risk investors wouldn’t see it that way.“The aesthetics of having to hike these rates, I’m not sure how well the market will digest that,” said Tom Porcelli, chief U.S. economist at RBC Capital Markets in New York. “It might be complicated.”What to do about the supplementary leverage ratio the Fed and other regulators impose on banks is also tricky. In order to ease market strains in March, the Fed temporarily exempted banks’ holdings of Treasuries and reserves from the ratio’s calculation. That exemption expires on March 31, just as banks’ cash balances at the central bank will be ramping up.Fed policy makers say they don’t want the exclusion, which has already been in place for about a year, to be permanent. If they do opt to temporarily extend it further, they’ll want to get agreement from rule makers appointed by President Joe Biden who may be less inclined to go along.Leverage RestrictionsIf the exemption lapses instead, banks might run the risk of bumping up against the leverage restrictions, especially as they’re obliged to hold a greater and greater level of reserves.Economists are divided over how disruptive that would be.Jefferies LLC economist Tom Simons said that banks haven’t made as much use of the exclusion as expected, so rolling it back shouldn’t have a significant impact.“It’s going to be a band aid that needs to be ripped off at some point,” he said. “Now is probably a good time to do it.”Others see a potential bond market decline if the rule snaps back as banks sell Treasuries to meet leverage restrictions and make room on their balance sheets for the increasing number of reserves they must hold.“The concern is that it would further impair banks’ willingness to make markets in Treasuries, to hold Treasuries, and to extend repo financing so that others can hold Treasuries,” said former Fed official Bill Nelson, now chief economist at the Bank Policy Institute that represents the industry.At their November meeting, Fed officials discussed another possibility for dealing with the bulge in reserves: adjusting their asset purchase program. But economists see that as a last resort, given how sensitive investors are to any changes on that front.The coming surge in reserves as the government slashes its cash pile will add to a flood of liquidity already in the system from the Fed’s ongoing bond buying.“This is going to bring to a head the consequences for the money markets of the dramatic increase in the Fed’s portfolio,” Crandall said.For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2021 Bloomberg L.P.

  • SocketMobile's stock rockets on heavy volume after unveiling DuraSled scanner for iPhone 12s

    Shares of Socket Mobile Inc. skyrocketed 205% on very heavy volume toward a more than 13-year high in premarket trading Tuesday, to pace all premarket gainers, after the mobile data capture company unveiled its new DuraSled offering, which is an enterprise-grade barcode scanner for Apple Inc.'s iPhone 12s. Trading volume swelled to 14.9 million shares, compared with the full-day average over the past 30 days of about 256,000 shares. The company said employers can now support workers who use the iPhone 12 series of mobile phones. "The DuraSled turns your iPhone into a one-handed solution that combines the versatility of the iPhone and the power of an enterprise-grade scanner," said SocketMobile Senior Product Manager Vanessa Lindsay. The latest data showed that short interest as a percent of public float was 0.9%. The stock, which is on track to open at the highest price seen during regular-session hours since October 2007, had rallied 34.4% over the past three months through Friday, while the S&P 500 gained 8.5%.

  • Marriott says President and CEO Arne Sorenson died unexpectedly on Monday

    Marriott International Inc. said Tuesday that its Chief Executive and President Arne Sorenson died unexpectedly on Monday. Sorenson had disclosed in May of 2019 that he had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and on Feb. 2, said he would be taking time off to allow for more aggressive treatment. "Mr. Sorenson became the third CEO in Marriott's history in 2012, and the first without the Marriott surname," the hotel group said in a statement. "A visionary leader, Mr. Sorenson put the company on a strong growth trajectory that included the $13-billion acquisition of Starwood Hotels & Resorts." The company said the two executives who were tapped to run the business during Sorenson's treatment, Stephanie Linnartz, group president, consumer operations, technology and emerging businesses, and Tony Capuano, group president, global development, design and operations services, will continue to run it until the board appoints a new CEO, which is expected within one to two weeks.

  • What Keystone Pipeline Cancellation Means For Crude-by-rail

    President Joe Biden's revocation of the March 2019 permit enabling the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline will likely result in more crude-by-rail volumes, according to industry observers. But how much volumes will increase could largely depend on the price that heavy crude oil can fetch in the global market. "The cancellation of the Keystone pipeline project was inevitable once the government changed. Despite its merits or drawbacks, it is now a deflated political football," said Barry Prentice, University of Manitoba supply chain management professor and former director of the Transport Institute there. "This means that more crude will have to move by rail. The huge investments in the oil sands will not be abandoned, and the oil has to go somewhere." But crude-by-rail "has been problematic because with the low price for oil, and the relatively higher price for rail transport, nothing looks very appealing. The problem is not oil supply, it is the reduced demand during the pandemic. Once we come out of this period, demand will return, and $100-per-barrel oil will, too," Prentice said. Indeed, the oil markets serve as one highly visible factor determining how much crude gets produced and shipped. For the production and transport of heavy crude oil from western Canada and the U.S. to be profitable, the pricing spread between a heavy crude product such as Western Canadian Select (WCS) and a light, sweet crude such as West Texas Intermediate (WTI) needs to be favorable. WCS crude is typically priced at a discount against WTI crude because of its lower quality and its greater distance from the U.S Gulf Coast refineries. The COVID-19 pandemic was among the factors that contributed to WTI crude oil prices' tailspin in 2020. Why the interest in crude oil production and transport? The oil market isn't the only factor that dictates crude oil production and its subsequent transport. Another is the vast oil reserves and the amount of investment already directed into crude oil production, as well as crude oil's export prospects. According to the government of Alberta, the province's oil sands represent the third-largest oil reserves in the world, following Venezuela and Saudi Arabia. Its reserves equal about 165.4 billion barrels, and capital investments to the upstream sector have equaled as much as $28.3 billion in 2016 and $26.5 billion in 2017. Furthermore, according to Natural Resources Canada, 98% of Canada's crude oil exports in 2019 went to the U.S. Those investments and vast oil reserves have also resulted in significant investments in other areas of the energy sector, including investments in pipelines. The pipelines bring Canadian heavy crude south to U.S. refineries because American refineries were built and optimized to mostly handle heavier crude oil, according to Rob Benedict, senior director of petrochemicals, transportation and infrastructure for the American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers Association. Crude oil pipelines from Canada to the U.S. have been viewed as an efficient way to transport large amounts of Canadian heavy crude oil to U.S. Gulf Coast refineries. TC Energy's 1,210-mile Keystone XL pipeline would have had a capacity of 830,000 barrels per day with crude oil originating from Hardisty, Alberta, and heading to Steele City, Nebraska, where it would then be shipped to U.S. Gulf Coast refineries. Had construction continued, the pipeline would have entered service in 2023. But TC Energy abandoned the project after Biden revoked an existing presidential permit for the pipeline in January. "TC Energy will review the decision, assess its implications, and consider its options. However, as a result of the expected revocation of the Presidential Permit, advancement of the project will be suspended.The company will cease capitalizing costs, including interest during construction, effective January 20, 2021, being the date of the decision, and will evaluate the carrying value of its investment in the pipeline, net of project recoveries," TC Energy said in a release last month. The Keystone XL pipeline "is an essential piece that would have allowed Canada and the U.S. to continue the very good relationship they have with transporting energy products across the border," Benedict said. However, suspending pipeline construction doesn't necessarily translate into a one-for-one increase in crude-by-rail volumes, according to Benedict. "The gist of the story is, it's going to have some impact on crude-by-rail. It's not going to shift all 830,000 barrels per day onto the rails, but any additional amount is potentially going to have some impact," Benedict said. Several factors will influence how much crude moves by rail. In addition to the WCS/WTI price spread, the railways' capacity to handle crude-by-rail is crucial. Not only are there speed restrictions for crude trains and possible social ramifications, there also capacity issues. The Canadian railways have reported record grain volumes over the past several months, and crude volumes must compete with grain, as well as other commodities, for the same rail track. There are also other pipelines between Canada and the U.S. that could take some of the volumes that would have been handled by the Keystone XL pipeline, Benedict said. Those include Endbridge's (NYSE: ENB) Line 3 pipeline, which runs from Canada to Wisconsin; Endbridge's Line 5 pipeline, which runs under the Strait of Mackinac and Lake Michigan to the Michigan Peninsula; and the Trans Mountain pipeline that's under development in Canada. It would run from Alberta to the Canadian West Coast and then potentially south to U.S. refineries. And one other factor that could influence crude-by-rail is how much crude oil volumes go into storage, Benedict said. "It's not just a simple question of, does one pipeline being shut down ship all to rail? It's complex because you have to consider all the different nodes of the supply chain, including storage that would come into play," Benedict said. The Canadian railways' views on crude-by-rail For their part, Canadian Pacific (NYSE: CP) and CN (NYSE: CNI) have both said they expect to ship more crude volumes, but neither has indicated just how much volumes will grow. CP said during its fourth-quarter earnings call on Jan. 27 that it has been seeing increased activity as price spreads have become favorable. The railway also expects to begin moving crude volumes from a diluent recovery unit (DRU) near Hardisty, Alberta. US Development Group and Gibson Energy had agreed to construct and operate the DRU in December 2019. As part of that agreement, ConocoPhillips Canada will process the inlet bitumen blend from the DRU and ship it via CP and Kansas City Southern (NYSE: KSU) to the U.S. Gulf Coast. "These DRU volumes will provide a safer pipeline-competitive option for shippers and will help to stabilize our crude business into the future," CP Chief Marketing Officer John Brooks said during the earnings call. CP President and CEO Keith Creel also said he sees U.S. actions on the Keystone pipeline as benefiting crude-by-rail and the DRU volumes. The actions "bode for more strength and more potential demand for crude. We think it creates more support for scaling up and expansion of the DRU. So, we're bullish on that opportunity," Creel said. He continued, "We still see the short-term, not long-term ... pipeline capacity [eventually] catch up [but] we just think there is a longer tail on it right now. So, we think there's going to be a space for some potential upside in both spaces." Meanwhile, in a Jan. 27 interview with Bloomberg, CN President and CEO JJ Ruest called crude-by-rail a "question mark" in terms of what energy outlook the railway is seeing for 2021. Ruest said low oil prices, decreased travel and the Keystone pipeline cancellation are among the factors influencing CN's energy outlook. However, crude-by-rail could be a "slight positive bump on the rail industry," Bloomberg quoted Ruest as saying. CP and CN declined to comment further to FreightWaves about crude-by-rail, and CN directed FreightWaves to the Bloomberg article. Subscribe to FreightWaves' e-newsletters and get the latest insights on freight right in your inbox. Click here for more FreightWaves articles by Joanna Marsh. Related articles: Social risk trumps financial risk for Canadian crude-by-rail Transport Canada issues new speed restrictions for trains hauling dangerous goods Construction of Alberta crude unit expected to start in April Commentary: Railroad tank cars take a hit See more from BenzingaClick here for options trades from BenzingaForward Air Doubles Down Amid Heightened Interest From ActivistsDrilling Deep: Reviewing Q4 Earnings; How Did Werner Do So Well?© 2021 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

  • Why Berkshire Hathaway’s Mystery Stock May Be an Industrial or Commercial Company

    The (BRKA) mystery stock investment is likely an industrial or commercial company based on an analysis of the company’s recent regulatory filings. The company, as noted by Barron’s on Monday, could reveal that equity holding when it releases its stock investments as of Dec. 31, 2020 on a Form 13-F expected later Tuesday. When it released its most recent quarterly filing in mid-November for about $250 billion of equity holdings as of Sept. 30, 2020, Berkshire (ticker: BRK.B) said that it had made a confidential filing for unnamed investments, stating “Confidential information has been omitted from the public Form 13F report and filed separately with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.”

  • 3 Sizzling Semiconductor Stocks to Buy

    Semiconductor stocks saw massive capital inflows last week as many jumped to record highs. With fresh strength taking the industry, now is a perfect time to hunt for opportunities. While some constituents have run beyond low-risk entry points, others still sit at attractive buy areas. We’ve seen increased attention on the worldwide shortage of chips. Causes range from spikes in demand for electronics, a slowdown in production following the pandemic, and the U.S. trade war with China during the Trump presidency. While companies across various industries are grappling with the longer lead times to get their hands on semiconductors, it doesn’t seem to be adversely impacting the price action of chip companies.InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading Tips 9 Meme Stocks That Social Media Won't Shut Up About Quite the contrary, traders are rushing into the space and extending well-entrenched uptrends. I’ve scoured the top holdings in the VanEck Vectors Semiconductor ETF (NYSEARCA:SMH) and found tasty trade setups in these three stocks. Texas Instruments (NASDAQ:TXN) Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) KLA Corp (NASDAQ:KLAC) After a brief look at their respective patterns, I’ll share my preferred way to play. 3 Sizzling Semiconductor Stocks to Buy: Texas Instruments (TXN) Click to EnlargeSource: The thinkorswim® platform from TD Ameritrade Perhaps Texas Instruments’ most impressive feat this year was how rapidly it rebounded from its earnings gap. The underwhelming report created a quick trip to the rising 50-day moving average. However, buyers rapidly snatched up the discount. The previous month of consolidation made last week’s breakout all the more appealing. When prices breach resistance after a multi-week base, it signals a new advance is kicking off. This next advance probably will have more legs than if TXN prices were extended ahead of the breakout. The last year’s uptrend has been slow and steady, so I suggest taking a longer-term view if you’re playing this pattern. Bull call spreads should do the trick. The Trade: Buy the May $180/$190 bull call for $4. The max loss is $4, and the max gain is $6. Applied Materials (AMAT) Click to EnlargeSource: The thinkorswim® platform from TD Ameritrade If Texas Instruments is a tortoise, then Applied Materials is a hare. Though we’re only a month-and-a-half into 2021, AMAT stock is already up 34% on the year. Last week’s single session pop saw volume swell past 12 million shares, marking its highest volume day of the year. With that type of participation backing the breakout, you’d be crazy to bet against it. Next week’s earnings report does up the risk factor a bit, but given how quickly buyers came to rescue TXN’s misstep, I highly doubt AMAT stays down if it does happen to slip. To avoid any implied volatility shenanigans surrounding the event, I like the idea of building a spread over buying calls outright. The Trade: Buy the April $115/$125 bull call for $3.85 The max loss is $3.85, and the max gain is $6.15. Semiconductor Stocks: KLA Corp (KLAC) Click to EnlargeSource: The thinkorswim® platform from TD Ameritrade The final of my top three semiconductor stocks, KLA Corp sailed through earnings earlier this month with its fundamental story and uptrend intact. The recent consolidation phase ended last week when prices soared 7%. As with any stock moving toward a record, KLAC is firmly planted above all major moving averages. That means future pauses or pullbacks should be buying opportunities and quickly corrected. At $328, KLAC is a bit rich for buying calls outright. Instead, the bull call vertical is once again my strategy of choice. The Trade: Buy the June $330/$350 bull call for $8.10. The max loss is $8.10, and the max gain is $11.90. On the date of publication, Tyler Craig did not have (either directly or indirectly) any positions in the securities mentioned in this article. For a free trial to the best trading community on the planet and Tyler’s current home, click here! More From InvestorPlace Why Everyone Is Investing in 5G All WRONG Top Stock Picker Reveals His Next Potential Winner It doesn’t matter if you have $500 in savings or $5 million. Do this now. #1 Play to Profit from Biden's Presidency The post 3 Sizzling Semiconductor Stocks to Buy appeared first on InvestorPlace.

  • When will your next stimulus check go out? Congress aims for a deadline

    Congressional leaders may shift into an even faster gear in a race against the calendar.

  • Semiconductor Stocks To Buy And Watch As Q4 Earnings Season Ends

    Finding top semiconductor stocks to buy involves understanding the health of markets that purchase chips for their products. Chip stocks rose in 2020 as the industry emerged from a downturn.