Key Takeaways
- The S&P 500 added 0.4% on Friday, Oct. 18, wrapping up per week of buying and selling that included an preliminary wave of quarterly earnings releases from main firms.
- Netflix shares surged after the streaming large reported better-than-expected third-quarter gross sales, income, and subscriber numbers.
- Shares of grain processors Bunge and Archer-Daniels-Midland misplaced floor after an analyst mentioned low crop costs and weak farmer sentiment weighed on the agriculture trade.
Main U.S. equities indexes moved increased on the ultimate day of a buying and selling week that included a collection of earnings experiences from key firms.
After main monetary corporations disclosed largely upbeat outcomes earlier within the week, Netflix (NFLX) took the highlight with a robust report that might be a constructive sign for the tech and communications giants set to report within the coming weeks.
On Friday, the S&P 500 added 0.4% to notch an all-time closing excessive. The Dow reversed morning losses to finish the session almost 0.1% increased, extending its streak of document closes to a few. The Nasdaq was up 0.6%.
Netflix shares scored the S&P 500’s prime each day efficiency, hovering 11.1% to an all-time excessive following the video-streaming large’s better-than-expected third-quarter monetary outcomes. Though the tempo of subscriber additions slowed from the previous quarters, 14% progress in whole energetic subscribers was sufficient to edge out estimates. Analysts have indicated that the corporate’s crackdown on password-sharing has helped increase subscriber numbers, however Netflix plans to discontinue the general public launch of subscriber information beginning in 2025.
Shares of Lamb Weston Holdings (LW) surged 10.2% after a securities submitting confirmed experiences that activist investor Jana Companions has acquired a stake of round 5% within the meals processing firm. Jana reportedly intends to encourage the maker of frozen french fries to think about the potential for a sale in addition to push for modifications to its operations and capital allocation technique.
An upbeat earnings report additionally helped raise shares of Intuitive Surgical (ISRG), which jumped 10% after the supplier of robotic-assisted methods for minimally invasive medical procedures topped quarterly gross sales and revenue estimates. The corporate disclosed an 18% uptick within the variety of procedures carried out utilizing its da Vinci surgical system. Within the wake of the robust outcomes, analysts at Piper Sandler lifted their value goal on Intuitive Surgical inventory to $538 from $495.
Agricultural shares moved decrease after Raymond James downgraded Canada-based grain processor Ag Development Worldwide (AGGZF) to “market carry out.” Analysts mentioned gentle crop costs and weak sentiment amongst farmers amounted to vital headwinds for the worldwide agricultural trade. Shares of fellow grain handler Bunge International (BG) dropped 6.3%, the steepest decline within the S&P 500 Friday, whereas peer Archer-Daniels-Midland’s (ADM) shares slide 3.8%. Ag Development Worldwide’s American depositary receipts (ADRs) had been down 10.7%.
CVS Well being (CVS) shares tumbled 5.2% following the announcement that the pharmacy large is changing its chief government officer (CEO). Firm veteran David Joyner, most just lately in control of the agency’s pharmacy profit supervisor (PBM), Caremark, is getting into the highest function, efficient instantly. CVS additionally issued a lower-than-expected outlook for its third-quarter revenue. The corporate is ready to launch its subsequent quarterly outcomes earlier than the opening bell on Nov. 6.
SLB (SLB), the world’s largest oilfield companies firm, reported blended third-quarter outcomes, topping revenue expectations however falling wanting income forecasts. The corporate, previously generally known as Schlumberger, cautioned that depressed spending by oil producers within the context of a weak oil value setting may restrain its fourth-quarter income progress. SLB shares misplaced 4.7% on Friday.