Markets
Luke Kawa

Banks, Magnificent 7 power biggest gains for US stocks since Trump’s election win

The S&P 500 soared 1.8%, the Russell 2000 jumped 2%, and the Nasdaq 100 outdid them both with a 2.3% advance on Wednesday.

Data showing US inflationary pressures cooled in December and solid earnings reports fueled the S&P 500’s best day since the session following the election in November. Ten-year Treasury yields, meanwhile, had their biggest one-day decline since early August when the unemployment rate unexpectedly jumped.

Every S&P 500 sector ETF gained with the exception of consumer staples.

Banks had a fantastic session as the fourth-quarter reporting period unofficially kicked off. Strong results buoyed Goldman Sachs, Wells Fargo, Citi, and JPMorgan, with the last two hitting 52-week highs.

The Magnificent 7 cruised higher, headlined by Tesla’s 8% advance amid a litany of mixed headlines.

Buoyant stock and crypto activity propelled Robinhood Markets up 9.1% to finish at its best level since August 2021. (Sherwood Media is an independent subsidiary of Robinhood Markets, Inc.)

Heavily shorted stocks like AMC, Riot, and SoundHound AI also booked big gains on the day.

Lowlights amid the sea of green included Lululemon, Hershey, and United Airlines.

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SpaceX gets a wave of bullish ratings from Wall Street analysts

SpaceX received more than a dozen positive analyst calls on Tuesday — including from major Wall Street banks — as they initiate coverage on Elon Musk’s space and AI company.

SpaceX went public on June 12 at a $2.2 trillion valuation, the largest debut in history. While the company hasn’t yet posted a profit, it seems to have convinced Wall Street that it will get there and grow its valuation on the way.

Of the at least 17 analysts that gave a rating on Tuesday, all but one gave it a “buy” or “outperform” rating. MoffettNathanson was "neutral."

The ratings come as SpaceX joined the Nasdaq 100 index, a benchmark tech-heavy basket of companies that underpins millions of portfolios. The inclusion adds built-in demand for the stock from index funds and ETFs.

Still, SpaceX fell more than 5% on Tuesday amid a broader sell-off, and is currently effectively flat from its opening price of $150 a share.

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Nike sinks to lowest level since 2014 after warning of “challenged” sales environment in Q4 report

Did Nike do it?

Investors had a mixed reaction after the global sports apparel company reported its fourth quarter earnings on Tuesday after the bell. Shares initially rose 5% as Nike beat out Wall Street expectations amid a hefty tariff refund bonus. However, the stock then sank to its lowest level since August 2014 in postmarket trading.

Here are the Q4 numbers:

  • Revenue of $11.0 billion (estimate: $10.8 billion).

  • Adjusted earnings per share of $0.20 (estimate: $0.12).

Ahead of this report, Nike warned that results would be flattered by a one-time tariff refund (now estimated at roughly $0.52 per share for the bottom line). That gave the company an extra cushion in snapping its streak of seven quarters of year-over-year profit declines.

Over the past year, the company had been punished by tariffs on imported goods, stagnant consumer spending, and increasing competition from other footwear brands like New Balance, Adidas, and Hoka.

Outgoing CFO Matthew Friend deemed it an “increasingly challenging operating environment, where sell-through remains challenged.”

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