Morning Brew: Nvidia's AI Impact and Biogen's Acquisition Lead the Headlines

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S&P futures vs fair value: -9.00. Nasdaq futures vs fair value: -3.00.

The S&P 500 futures are down nine points, trading 0.2% below fair value. Nasdaq 100 futures are down three points, slightly below fair value. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures are down 88 points, also 0.2% below fair value.

There's a negative trend in early trading, but it's not strong. Investors are waiting for NVIDIA's (NVDA, Financial) earnings report after the market closes.

The weekly MBA Mortgage Applications Index rose by 1.9% after a 0.5% increase last week. Today's data includes the Existing Home Sales report for April at 10:00 ET and the weekly EIA Crude Oil Inventories at 10:30 ET. The Minutes for the April 30-May 1 FOMC meeting will be released at 2:00 ET.

Treasury yields are up before the data and Minutes. The 10-year note yield is up four basis points to 4.45%, and the 2-year note yield is up four basis points to 4.87%.

Commodity prices are lower this morning:

  • WTI crude oil futures are down 1.0% to $77.87/bbl
  • Natural gas futures are down 0.1% to $2.67/mmbtu
  • Copper futures are down 3.2% to $4.94/lb

In corporate news:

  • Target (TGT) is down 7.2% after missing earnings by $0.03 and revenue estimates. It provided in-line Q2 EPS guidance and reaffirmed FY25 EPS guidance.
  • TJX (TJX) is up 2.3% after beating earnings by $0.05 and reporting in-line revenues. It guided Q2 EPS below consensus but raised FY25 EPS guidance, still below consensus, and reaffirmed FY25 comps at +2-3%.
  • Pinduoduo (PDD, Financial) is up 8.9% after reporting Q1 results.
  • Analog Devices (ADI, Financial) is up 6.7% after beating earnings by $0.14 and revenue estimates. It guided Q3 EPS and revenues above consensus.
  • Toll Brothers (TOL) is up 1.0% after beating Q2 revenue estimates and raising FY24 home deliveries guidance.
  • Urban Outfitters (URBN) is up 3.1% after beating earnings by $0.16 and revenue estimates. Comparable retail segment sales increased by 4.6%.
  • Petco Health and Wellness (WOOF) is up 20.0% after beating earnings by $0.02 and revenue estimates. It provided in-line Q2 EPS and revenue guidance.
  • ViaSat (VSAT) is down 11.2% after reporting Q4 results and guiding FY25 revenues below consensus.
  • XP (XP) is down 4.3% after missing earnings by BRL 0.16 but beating revenue estimates.
  • United Natural Foods (UNFI) is up 2.4% after extending its wholesale grocery distribution partnership with Whole Foods Market (AMZN).
  • Boeing (BA) is down 0.1% after its Starliner space launch was delayed again.
  • lululemon athletica (LULU) is down 4.0% after announcing an updated organizational structure and the resignation of its Chief Product Officer.

Reviewing overnight developments:

Today's News

Nvidia (NVDA, Financial) is at the center of attention as it prepares to report its fiscal first-quarter results and guidance after trading closes. With a market cap nearing $2.4 trillion, Nvidia's performance is crucial for the tech sector. Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives emphasized that Nvidia's GPUs are powering the AI boom, making the company's momentum vital for the AI revolution. Other tech giants like Microsoft (MSFT, Financial), Google (GOOG, GOOGL), and Apple (AAPL, Financial) have also been making AI-related announcements, highlighting Nvidia's pivotal role in this sector.

China's new AI chatbot is being trained on President Xi Jinping's political philosophy, "Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era." The chatbot, developed under the Cyberspace Administration of China, aims to balance the country's speech curbs while advancing AI development. The model could eventually rival ChatGPT, developed by Microsoft (MSFT, Financial)-backed OpenAI, and is currently being used at a research center under the internet regulator.

Vivek Ramaswamy has disclosed a 7.7% stake in Buzzfeed (BZFD, Financial), describing the digital media company as "undervalued." Following this disclosure, Buzzfeed's shares surged by as much as 24% in premarket trading. Ramaswamy is seeking a meeting with Buzzfeed's board to discuss future strategies.

PDD (PDD, Financial) saw its stock rise about 8% premarket after reporting first-quarter results that beat estimates. The e-commerce giant's non-GAAP earnings per ADS surged nearly 200% year-over-year, with total revenues soaring by 131%. PDD's performance was driven by significant growth in online marketing services and transaction services revenues.

A large fire broke out at an office building owned by Novo Nordisk (NVO, Financial) in Copenhagen, marking the second such incident in less than a week. The building was evacuated with no reported injuries. The fire is expected to take several hours to extinguish, and the company confirmed that last week's fire occurred at a construction site.

Biogen (BIIB, Financial) has announced a deal to acquire Human Immunology Biosciences (HI-Bio) for up to $1.8 billion. The acquisition includes an upfront payment of $1.15 billion and up to $650 million in milestone payments. HI-Bio's lead asset, felzartamab, is a Phase 3-ready monoclonal antibody targeting kidney-related immune conditions. The deal is expected to close in Q3 2024 and will be financed through cash and potentially new debt.

Williams-Sonoma (WSM, Financial) shares are rallying in premarket trading following a significant beat in Q1 profits and a smaller-than-expected decline in comparable brand revenue. The company reported a profit of $4.07 per share, far exceeding the forecasted $2.73. Williams-Sonoma ended the quarter with $1.3 billion in cash and expects revenue for FY24 to range from -3% to +3%, with operating margins also expected to remain stable.

Analog Devices (ADI, Financial) rose over 4.5% in premarket trading after reporting fiscal second-quarter results that exceeded expectations. The company earned an adjusted $1.40 per share, beating the $1.27 estimate, and reported revenue of $2.16 billion. CEO Vincent Roche expressed optimism about a cyclical recovery, with expectations of sequential growth in the third quarter.

Prudential Financial (PRU, Financial) and Lincoln National (LNC) have been upgraded to Buy from Hold by Jefferies analyst Suneet Kamath. The analyst believes the U.S. life insurance sector is at an inflection point, with annuity segments poised for strong growth and returns. Both stocks saw a rise in premarket trading following the upgrade.

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Disclosures

I/We may personally own shares in some of the companies mentioned above. However, those positions are not material to either the company or to my/our portfolios.