| | Good Afternoon! | Hey, everyone. It's Adam from Elite Trade Club. | Here’s what moved the market today. |
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| | | | Markets 📈 | The market saw an uptick as several companies reported strong earnings on the quarter. The Russell 2K index performed particularly well, adding over a percent to yesterday’s total. | DJIA [+0.38%] S&P 500 [+0.53%] |
| Nasdaq [+0.25%] Russell 2K [+1.07%] |
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| | Market-Moving News 📈 | Appliances | Whirlpool Stock Falls as Weak Earnings and North American Sales Decline | | Whirlpool reports disappointing fourth-quarter earnings and issued weaker-than-expected guidance. The home appliance maker struggled with declining North American sales and took a one-time impairment charge related to its Maytag brand, pushing the company into a quarterly loss. | Revenue for the quarter fell 19% year-over-year to $4.14 billion, attributing the decline primarily to the divestiture of most of its European operations. In North America, sales of major domestic appliances slipped, while demand in Asia and Latin America remained stronger. | The company also announced plans to cut its stake in Whirlpool of India Ltd. to about 20% through a market sale in 2025, reducing its exposure to the region. | Shares of Whirlpool had recently hit their highest levels since late 2023, but with today’s decline, the stock has turned negative over the past 12 months. Investors are watching how the company navigates declining appliance demand and restructuring efforts in the months ahead. |
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| | Payments | Mastercard Gains as Strong Holiday Spending Lifts Earnings | | Mastercard saw its stock climb Thursday after posting stronger-than-expected fourth-quarter earnings. Consumer spending remained resilient during the holiday season, supported by a solid labor market and continued wage growth. | The company reported increased transaction volume across its platform, with a notable rise in international spending. Cross-border transactions saw a strong boost, benefiting from a pull-forward in travel demand and cryptocurrency purchases. Mastercard’s diversified global reach helped maintain steady growth, setting it apart from some of its competitors. | In addition to its core payments business, Mastercard has been expanding its value-added services. The company recently finalized its $2.65 billion acquisition of threat intelligence firm Recorded Future to enhance fraud detection as online commerce and AI-driven scams continue to rise. Revenue from these services saw double-digit growth, reflecting increased demand for security solutions. | With a focus on innovation and a strong holiday performance, Mastercard continues to benefit from consumer spending trends. Investors responded positively to the results, driving shares higher as confidence in the company’s long-term growth remains strong. |
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| | | | Tech | IBM Reports Strong Earnings as AI Growth Fuels Software Expansion | | IBM delivered a solid fourth-quarter earnings report, driven by strong demand for AI-powered software and cloud services. The company reported growth across key segments, highlighting continued enterprise adoption of AI-driven solutions. | Revenue increased, with IBM’s software division leading the way. The company also secured $5 billion in bookings for its generative AI segment, reinforcing its role in the expanding AI market. Its Red Hat Linux platform significantly drove software gains, further strengthening IBM’s position in cloud and AI infrastructure. | Analysts responded positively to the earnings report, with Goldman Sachs maintaining its buy rating, citing software strength as a key driver of IBM’s ongoing transformation. JPMorgan remained neutral while acknowledging the company’s improving trajectory. | With AI investment accelerating, IBM continues to focus on expanding its enterprise software capabilities and cloud infrastructure. The company’s ability to sustain growth in these areas will remain a key factor for investors. |
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| | Top Winners and Losers 🔥 | | Tectonic Therapeutic Inc [TECX] $54.84 (+113.22%) | Tectonic Therapeutic shared positive data from its Phase 1b pulmonary hypertension trial, sending its stock price higher. | Oklo Inc [OKLO] $41.91 (+18.73%) | Oklo’s plan to revolutionize the energy sector with advanced modular reactors sat well with investors. | Oshkosh Corp [OSK] $113.26 (+18.45%) | Oshkosh reported stellar Q4 financials, prompting a rise in share price. |
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| | | | MaxLinear Inc [MXL] $17.47 (-19.83%) | MaxLinear provided losses in its Q4 earnings report, causing investors to pull away. | Whirlpool Corp [WHR] $108.39 (-16.48%) | Whirlpool suffered from lower-than-anticipated results and weak guidance in its Q4 earnings report. | United Parcel Service [UPS] $114.90 (-14.11%) | United Parcel Service didn’t impress investors with its fourth-quarter report and waning business with Amazon. |
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| | | | That's it for today! Please, write us back, and let us know what you think of the Closing Bell Roundup. We're always eager to hear feedback! | Thanks for reading. I'll see you at the next open! | Best Regards, — Adam G. Elite Trade Club |
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