Luke Kawa1/16/25

Most US stocks rise, but megacap tech drags major indexes down

The S&P 500 inched lower on Thursday, the Nasdaq 100 had an ugly close to end down 0.7% at its low of the day, and the Russell 2000 eked out a small advance.

Today was the first time the S&P 500’s advance-decline line was above 250, but the benchmark index suffered a drop of 0.2% since July 11, which marked the start of a meaningful drawdown for megacap tech stocks.

Most S&P 500 sectors moved higher, but tech, communication services, and consumer discretionary — the sectors home to the Magnificent 7 cohort — all retreated. Every member of that group fell.

Apple had an awful day amid reports that it’s losing market share in China, its worst underperformance of the broad market since March. Tesla also stumbled, giving back a chunk of yesterday’s big gains.

UnitedHealth was the worst performer in the S&P 500 after posting disappointing earnings that saw net income drop significantly year on year.

Southwest Airlines slumped on the heels of a lawsuit from the Department of Transportation alleging that it “chronically delayed” flights.

On the bright side, TSMC jumped after posting robust earnings and a bright outlook for the year ahead.

Rivian jumped following a report that the electric-vehicle maker is set to receive billions in financing from the Biden administration. Uber also had a strong showing following some positive commentary from Wall Street analysts.

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Tasha Matsumoto

S&P 500 closes lower after notching new intraday high

The Nasdaq 100 eked out a small gain, while the Russell 2000 fell.

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - NOVEMBER 17: Mascot Staley Da Bear of the Chicago Bears runs onto the field prior to an NFL football game against the Green Bay Packers at Soldier Field on November 17, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois.

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Matt Phillips13h

Blackstone and Invitation Homes get hammered as Trump calls for ban on Wall Street buying single-family homes

Shares of Blackstone and Invitation Homes dove early Wednesday afternoon after President Trump called on Congress to pass a law banning large institutional investors from buying single-family homes.

Blackstone and Invitation Homes are some of the largest owners of private homes in the country. Homebuilders including PulteGroup, DR Horton, and Lennar also stumbled on the news.

Nationwide, institutional investors own a small share — less than 1%, according to the right-leaning American Enterprise Institute — of US single family homes, which has led some to argue that they have had a relatively small impact on housing prices. But their concentration in particular markets, such as Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, and Charlotte, has prompted others, like center-left think tank Third Way, to argue that their purchases can have an effect on specific markets, neighborhoods, or certain types of houses.

Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump)

Blackstone and Invitation Homes are some of the largest owners of private homes in the country. Homebuilders including PulteGroup, DR Horton, and Lennar also stumbled on the news.

Nationwide, institutional investors own a small share — less than 1%, according to the right-leaning American Enterprise Institute — of US single family homes, which has led some to argue that they have had a relatively small impact on housing prices. But their concentration in particular markets, such as Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, and Charlotte, has prompted others, like center-left think tank Third Way, to argue that their purchases can have an effect on specific markets, neighborhoods, or certain types of houses.

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Matt Phillips14h

Intel surges amid CES announcements, Mobileye news

Intel surged to a new 52-week high in early trading, though it gave back a large chunk of the early gains by the afternoon. There were few headlines that could clearly explain the run-up of gains, which peaked around 11%.

One potential driver of the move might be optimism surrounding the company’s unveiling of a new line of processors at the Consumer Electronics Show on Tuesday.

Another possible candidate was the reflected glow of a deal announcement from Mobileye, the autonomous driving company that Intel holds a significant stake in.

Mobileye initially rose after buying Mentee — an artificial intelligence robotics company — for $900 million in cash and stock in a deal that’s expected to close this quarter.

(Intel spun off Mobileye in 2022, but retained a controlling stake in the company.)

Finally, news that Qualcomm is perhaps looking to use contractors outside Taiwan for its next-generation chip — though it’s reportedly speaking to Korea’s Samsung for that, not Intel — may be raising hopes that chipmakers looking to diversify away from Taiwan could become customers for Intel’s troubled contract chipmaking division.

But again, there’s no clear reason to point to for its outperformance on Wednesday.

Mobileye Acquires Startup Mentee Robotics for $900 Million

Mobileye Acquires Startup Mentee Robotics for $900 Million

Mobileye initially rose after buying Mentee — an artificial intelligence robotics company — for $900 million in cash and stock in a deal that’s expected to close this quarter.

(Intel spun off Mobileye in 2022, but retained a controlling stake in the company.)

Finally, news that Qualcomm is perhaps looking to use contractors outside Taiwan for its next-generation chip — though it’s reportedly speaking to Korea’s Samsung for that, not Intel — may be raising hopes that chipmakers looking to diversify away from Taiwan could become customers for Intel’s troubled contract chipmaking division.

But again, there’s no clear reason to point to for its outperformance on Wednesday.

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