U.S. stock futures declined on Thursday after a break for Christmas on Wednesday. All four index futures slipped in early trade.



The S&amp;P 500 index is on its way to registering a robust 20% plus return for the second consecutive year in 2024, as most analysts expect a Santa Rally.



The 10-year and two-year Treasury notes yielded 4.62% and 4.35%, respectively. The probability of having no change in the interest rates for the upcoming Jan. 31, 2025 decision was at 91.4%, according to CME Group&#8217;s FedWatch <a href="https://www.cmegroup.com/markets/interest-rates/cme-fedwatch-tool.html">tool</a>.



<figure class="wp-block-table is-style-stripes"><table><tbody><tr><td>Futures</td><td>Change (+/-)</td></tr><tr><td>Nasdaq 100</td><td>-0.42%</td></tr><tr><td>S&amp;P 500</td><td>-0.43%</td></tr><tr><td>Dow Jones</td><td>-0.41%</td></tr><tr><td>Russell 2000</td><td>-0.43%</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



In premarket trading on Thursday, the SPDR S&amp;P 500 ETF Trust (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SPY#NYSE">SPY</a>) was down 0.49% to $598.36&nbsp; and the Invesco QQQ Trust ETF (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QQQ#NASDAQ">QQQ</a>) fell 0.47% to $527.45, according to <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard">Benzinga Pro</a> data.



Cues From The Last Session



Wall Street closed higher on Tuesday, kicking off the traditional <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/treasuries/24/12/42674886/santa-rally-kicks-off-on-wall-street-stocks-gain-tesla-soars-bitcoin-hits-98000">Santa Rally</a>. All major indices and sectors finished the shortened pre-Christmas trading session in the green.



The S&amp;P 500 climbed 1.1%, extending its winning streak to three consecutive days following the volatile Federal Reserve meeting last week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.91%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 gained 1.37%, nearly recouping last week&#8217;s losses.



Consumer discretionary stocks, the top-performing sector this year, led the rally. Trading volumes were light but Tesla Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSLA#NASDAQ">TSLA</a>) surged 7.35%, its strongest single-day gain since November. Other notable performers in the S&amp;P 500 included Walmart Inc (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/WMT#NYSE">WMT</a>) up 2.5%, Starbucks Corp (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SBUX#NYSE">SBUX</a>) up 2.8%, and Netflix Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NFLX#NASDAQ">NFLX</a>) up 2.27%. 



<figure class="wp-block-table is-style-stripes"><table><tbody><tr><td>Index</td><td>Performance (+/-)</td><td>Value</td></tr><tr><td>Nasdaq Composite</td><td>1.35%</td><td>20,031.13</td></tr><tr><td>S&amp;P 500</td><td>1.10%</td><td>6,040.04</td></tr><tr><td>Dow Jones</td><td>0.91%</td><td>43,297.03</td></tr><tr><td>Russell 2000</td><td>1.00%</td><td>2,259.85</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



Insights From Analysts



Louis Navellier of Navellier &amp; Associates had said that Jerome Powell's hawkish stance did not inspire confidence. However, he believes that &#8220;A Santa Claus rally was subsequently sparked by the November PCE report, so the stock market is rallying into Christmas and should also rally into the New Year.&#8221;



&#8220;There is not a lot of economic news this week, but the good news is non-defense capital goods orders rose by 0.7% and have risen 2.1%, so there is a &#8216;green shoot&#8217; in the durable goods report. The Commerce Department reported that durable goods declined 1.1% in November due largely to a 12% decline in defense orders. Excluding transportation, durable goods orders declined by a more modest 0.1%,&#8221; he added.



According to Bespoke Investment Group &#8220;The S&amp;P has traded above its 200-DMA all year. This has happened 11 other times since 1952, and the next-year move has been about half the average. The last time this happened was in 2021, and before that, 2017.&#8221;



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">The S&amp;P has traded above its 200-DMA all year. This has happened 11 other times since 1952, and the next-year move has been about half the average. Last time this happened was in 2021, and before that, 2017. <a href="https://t.co/LBmXRZ4OSC">pic.twitter.com/LBmXRZ4OSC</a>&mdash; Bespoke (@bespokeinvest) <a href="https://twitter.com/bespokeinvest/status/1871580687595454732?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 24, 2024</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



According to Wells Fargo, &#8220;The outlook for 2025 is riddled with uncertainty.&#8221; The note also added that &#8220;Ascertaining what level of policy restraint achieves the careful balance of keeping inflation in check and easing stress on interest-rate sensitive sectors will dominate the monetary policy discussion come 2025.&#8221;



See Also:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/how-to-trade-futures">How To Trade Futures</a>



Upcoming Economic Data



A few important data points remain to be released in this truncated week that will help investors determine the future course of action.



<ul>
<li>On Thursday, initial jobless claims data till Dec. 21 will announced at 8:30 a.m. ET.</li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li>On Friday, November&#8217;s data for the advanced U.S. trade balance in goods, advanced retail inventories, and advanced wholesale inventories will be announced at 8:30 a.m., ET.</li>
</ul>



Stocks In Focus:



<ul>
<li>Color Star Technology Co Ltd (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ADD#NASDAQ">ADD</a>) was up 103.70% in premarket after it announced that a prominent member of the UAE's royal family, has joined the company as an independent director.</li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li>Amplitech Group Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMPG#NASDAQ">AMPG</a>) was up 15.35% and has risen by 81.17% over the last five sessions after it entered into agreements with institutional investors for a registered direct offering, raising $3.1 million before fees and expenses.</li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li>Rigetti Computing, Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/RGTI#NASDAQ">RGTI</a>) was up 1.5% after the launch of its 84-qubit Ankaa-3 system, a quantum computer featuring an extensive hardware redesign that enables superior performance.</li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li>Zoomcar Holdings Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ZCAR#NASDAQ">ZCAR</a>) was up 102.09% after it reported a 43% year-on-year growth in bookings for November 2024, primarily driven by increased wedding season demand.</li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li>Hour Loop Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/HOUR#NASDAQ">HOUR</a>) was down 36.36%, Direct Digital Holdings Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DRCT#NASDAQ">DRCT</a>) was down 31.27% and Baosheng Media Group Holdings Ltd (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BAOS#NASDAQ">BAOS</a>) was down 28.87%.</li>
</ul>



Commodities, Gold And Global Equity Markets:



Crude oil futures were higher in the early New York session by 0.61% to hover around $70.53 per barrel.



The gold spot index was up by 0.36% to $2,645.11 per ounce. The Dollar Index was down 0.09% to 108.155 level.



Most Asian Markets ended Thursday on a Mixed note.



Read Next: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/24/12/42678014/top-7-blue-chip-stocks-with-the-best-return-potential-going-into-2025">S&amp;P 500 Hits 57 All-Time Highs In Record-Breaking 2024: Magnificent 7 Drive 30% Of Nasdaq&#8217;s Surge</a> 



Photo courtesy: Wikimedia

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News

Futures

Economics

Federal Reserve

Pre-Market Outlook

Markets

Trading Ideas

ETFs

AMPG

BAOS

DRCT

HOUR

NFLX

RGTI

SBUX

TSLA

ZCAR

US Stocks Likely To Open In Red After Christmas Break But Analysts Still Expect A Santa Rally Into The New Year

Shares of&nbsp;MicroStrategy Inc.&nbsp;(NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSTR#NASDAQ">MSTR</a>) dropped by 4.08% following the company&#8217;s announcement to issue more shares to finance additional Bitcoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/btc/usd">BTC</a>) acquisitions. This move aligns with MicroStrategy&#8217;s ongoing strategy to bolster its Bitcoin reserves.



What Happened: MicroStrategy&#8217;s recent filing&nbsp;with the U.S. Securities and&nbsp;Exchange Commission (SEC) aims to expand&nbsp;the authorized number of Class&nbsp;A&nbsp;common stock from 330 million&nbsp;to 10.33 billion units and&nbsp;preferred stock from 5 million&nbsp;to over 1 billion units.&nbsp;This move underscores the company&#8217;s transition from a software enterprise&nbsp;to a major Bitcoin investor.



See Also:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/movers/24/12/42664692/bitcoin-flat-ethereum-dogecoin-spike-ahead-of-christmas-analyst-says-decline-in-btc-dominance-leaves-room-for-altcoins-to-pick-up?itm_source=parsely-api" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bitcoin Flat, Ethereum, Dogecoin Spike Ahead Of Christmas: Analyst Says Decline In BTC Dominance Leaves &#8216;Room For Altcoins To Pick Up&#8217;</a>



The company recently acquired&nbsp;$561 million worth of Bitcoin,&nbsp;marking its seventh consecutive week&nbsp;of purchases, with total holdings now estimated at $40 billion. Despite Bitcoin&#8217;s 135% increase this year, market volatility is expected as $43 billion in&nbsp;Bitcoin and Ether derivatives are&nbsp;due to expire on Friday.



Meanwhile, Bitcoin Thursday during pre-market hours was trading at $95,621.41. The cryptocurrency briefly hit an intraday peak of $99,876.70. A broader cryptocurrency index, which includes tokens such as Ethereum (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/eth/usd">ETH</a>), Solana (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/sol/usd">SOL</a>), and Dogecoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/doge/usd">DOGE</a>), also experienced a minor recovery, rising by 0.2%.



Why It Matters: MicroStrategy&#8217;s decision to issue more shares comes on the heels of its <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/24/12/42660092/microstrategy-sinks-after-nasdaq-100-inclusion-bitcoin-bet-under-fire">recent inclusion in the Nasdaq 100</a>, which has not been without challenges. The company&#8217;s stock fell over 8.5% on its debut in the index, marking a difficult start to its tenure. Over the past month, MicroStrategy&#8217;s stock has plunged more than 37% from its all-time high, reflecting investor concerns over its aggressive Bitcoin strategy. The company&#8217;s recent sale of $561 million in common stock to purchase an additional 5,262 Bitcoins at an average price of $106,662 per coin has further intensified scrutiny.



The latest analyst ratings for MicroStrategy Inc were issued by Bernstein on Dec.12, and by both TD Cowen and Barclays on Nov. 25. These analysts, <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/MSTR/analyst-ratings">tracked by Benzinga</a>, have set an average price target of $546.67, suggesting a potential upside of 58.01% for the stock.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/26062848/Screenshot-2024-12-26-at-4.58.41%E2%80%AFPM-1024x364.png" alt="" class="wp-image-707471"/></figure>



Read Next:&nbsp;



<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/24/12/42673114/bitcoins-outperformance-could-leave-dogecoin-shiba-inu-sidelined-but-propel-pepe-dogwifhat-bonk-to-new-highs?itm_source=parsely-api" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bitcoin&#8217;s Outperformance Could Leave Dogecoin, Shiba Inu Sidelined, But Propel Pepe, Dogwifhat, Bonk To New Highs</a></li>
</ul>



Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/benzinga-neuro" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Neuro</a>&nbsp;and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.



Image via Shutterstock

General

$BTC

$DOGE

$ETH

$SOL

MSTR

MicroStrategy Stock Tumbles Over 4% In Thursday Premarket: What's Going On?

In the face of global and national political upheavals, the U.S. economy is projected to maintain its exceptional performance, surpassing other major economies in 2025, as per economist Mohamed El Erian.



What Happened: El Erian attributes the strength of the U.S. economy to its significant foreign capital attraction and large-scale investment in future productivity drivers, competitiveness, and growth, according to a Project Syndicate report shared by the economist on X Wednesday.



The former PIMCO CEO said the U.S. economy is &#8220;likely to continue outperforming other major economies in 2025."



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">Given the amount of foreign capital the US is attracting, and the scale of its investment in the future drivers of productivity, competitiveness, and growth, it is likely to continue outperforming other major economies in 2025, predicts <a href="https://twitter.com/elerianm?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@elerianm</a>. <a href="https://t.co/tDJsIUHvXS">https://t.co/tDJsIUHvXS</a>&mdash; Project Syndicate (@ProSyn) <a href="https://twitter.com/ProSyn/status/1871722539795505625?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 25, 2024</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



Despite political turmoil in many countries, including the collapse of governments in France and Germany and the political transition in the U.S. following Donald Trump&#8217;s victory, the economy has remained resilient. This resilience is also evident in the face of geopolitical challenges, such as the &#8220;axis of convenience&#8221; comprising China, Iran, North Korea, and Russia, seeking to challenge the Western-dominated international order.



On the other hand, Europe and China are grappling with significant economic weaknesses, with Europe struggling&nbsp;with low growth and large&nbsp;budget deficits, and China facing the threat of &#8220;Japanification.&#8221;



Despite these challenges, the U.S. economy has not only remained stable but has also pulled further ahead. This trend is expected to continue in 2025, with the U.S. likely to continue outperforming other major economies.



However, El Erian warns that political and geopolitical upheaval poses a risk to the endurance of U.S. economic exceptionalism.



&#8220;My baseline scenario for the [U.S.] includes a somewhat lower immediate growth rate, even as the economy outperforms its peers, and sticky inflation,&#8221; wrote El Erian.



See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/12/42635836/warren-buffetts-sons-90k-inheritance-would-be-worth-more-than-400-million-today-but-he-sold-his-berkshire-stock-47-years-ago-to-buy-something-infinitely-more-valuable?itm_source=parsely-api" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Warren Buffett&#8217;s Son&#8217;s $90K Inheritance Would Be Worth More Than $400 Million Today, But He Sold His Berk</a>



Why It Matters: The US economy&#8217;s performance in 2025 has been a <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/economics/macro-economic-events/24/11/42137929/2025-us-economy-outlook-cloudier-than-normal-jpmorgan-says-boom-bust-scenarios">topic of discussion</a> among experts. JPMorgan&#8217;s chief economist, Michael Feroli, previously outlined a divided economic outlook for 2025, influenced by the 2024 elections and the early policy indications from the incoming Trump administration.



The International Monetary Fund (IMF) also <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/government/24/10/41461338/imf-upwardly-revises-us-economic-growth-but-warns-under-current-policies-the-us-public-debt-is-not-s">revised its forecast</a> for U.S. growth in 2025, projecting a 2.2% growth, which is 0.3 percentage point higher than previous estimates.



Moreover,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/economics/macro-economic-events/24/11/42024472/goldman-sachs-us-to-dominate-2025-growth-with-2-5-gdp-boost-euro-area-will-struggle">Goldman Sachs Research</a>&nbsp;predicts a strong year for global economic growth in 2025, with the US expected to lead the way, significantly surpassing the consensus of 1.9%.



However, El Erian&#8217;s prediction of the US economy outperforming other major economies aligns with his earlier warning about <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/bonds/24/12/42677086/treasury-yields-could-hit-5-in-2025-mohamed-el-erian-warns-will-next-year-bring-head-winds-for-surging-markets">U.S. Treasury yields potentially hitting 5% in 2025</a>, as markets digest the Federal Reserve's revised rate outlook and end-of-year dynamics.



Photo by International Monetary Fund on Flickr



Read Next: 



<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/12/42666220/hertz-sells-used-evs-including-chevrolet-bolt-tesla-model-3-for-whopping-discounts-in-bid-to-reduce-evs-in-fleet?itm_source=parsely-api" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Hertz Sells Used EVs Including Chevrolet Bolt, Tesla Model 3 For As Low As $12,000 As It Looks To Trim Its Fleet</a></li>
</ul>



This story was generated using <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/benzinga-neuro">Benzinga Neuro</a> and edited by <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/shivdeep-dhaliwal" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Shivdeep Dhaliwal</a>

El Erian Explains Why US Economy Is 'Likely To Continue Outperforming Other Major Economies In 2025'

Leading cryptocurrencies remained rock steady on Christmas day, retaining advances made the day before.



<figure class="wp-block-table"><table><tbody><tr><td>Cryptocurrency</td><td>Gains +/-</td><td>Price (Recorded at 8:30 p.m. ET)</td></tr><tr><td>Bitcoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/btc/usd">BTC</a>)</td><td>+1.08%</td><td>$99,024.30</td></tr><tr><td>Ethereum (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/eth/usd">ETH</a>) &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</td><td>+0.06%</td><td>$3,474.92</td></tr><tr><td>Dogecoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/doge/usd">DOGE</a>)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</td><td>-1.67%</td><td>$0.332</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



What Happened: Bitcoin sailed to a one-week high of $99,800 during overnight trading, narrowly missing the crucial $100,000 milestone. The leading cryptocurrency hit $98,000 <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/treasuries/24/12/42674886/santa-rally-kicks-off-on-wall-street-stocks-gain-tesla-soars-bitcoin-hits-98000">just a day earlier on Christmas Eve</a>, defying days of downward price action.&nbsp;



Ethereum witnessed a bumpy trajectory, wobbling between $3,440 and $3,510.&nbsp;Trading volumes for both blue-chip currencies were down significantly.



Over $200 million was liquidated from the market in the last 24 hours, with long liquidations accounting for $115 million.



Bitcoin's Open Interest rose marginally by 0.24% in the last 24 hours. The number of traders placing upside bets on the cryptocurrency declined vis-à-vis those betting against it, according to the Long/Short Ratio.



Funding rates rose on top exchanges, indicating that traders expected Bitcoin's price to rise.



Top Gainers (24-Hours)



<figure class="wp-block-table"><table><tbody><tr><td>Cryptocurrency</td><td>Gains +/-</td><td>Price (Recorded at 8:30 p.m. ET)</td></tr><tr><td>Movement (MOVE)</td><td>+21.65%</td><td>$1.15</td></tr><tr><td>Bitget Token (BGB)</td><td>+15.37%</td><td>$5.77</td></tr><tr><td>GateToken (GT)</td><td>+7.25%</td><td>$14.72</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



The global cryptocurrency market capitalization stood at $3.43 trillion, following a decrease of 0.11% in the last 24 hours.



Stock futures were broadly unchanged on Wednesday overnight. The Dow Jones Industrial Average Futures was down or 0.06%, as of 8:30 p.m. ET.&nbsp; Futures tied to the S&amp;P 500 gained 0.01%, while Nasdaq 100 Futures added 0.15%.



The stock market was closed for the Christmas holiday. The Japanese market opened higher, with the Nikkei 225 index gaining 0.44%, a day after a <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/japan/japan-government-plans-record-730-bln-budget-next-fiscal-year-jiji-reports-2024-12-25/">report </a>said the country was compiling a record $735 billion budget for the next fiscal year.



See More: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/best-crypto-scanners">Best Cryptocurrency Scanners</a>



Analyst Notes: Well-known cryptocurrency analyst and trader Ali Martinez deemed $97,300 the "most significant support" for Bitcoin, with over 1.5 million wallets accumulating 1.49 million BTCs around the level.



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">The most significant support level for <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bitcoin?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Bitcoin</a> is at $97,300, where 1.51 million wallets bought around 1.49 million <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%24BTC&amp;src=ctag&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">$BTC</a>. <a href="https://t.co/hDnBnhwMZw">pic.twitter.com/hDnBnhwMZw</a>&mdash; Ali (@ali_charts) <a href="https://twitter.com/ali_charts/status/1872029000929047035?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 25, 2024</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



Popular on-chain analytics firm Santiment revealed a positive crowd sentiment after Bitcoin's bullish Christmas rally, with many anticipating the asset to hit $110,000 next.



"Historically, we will see $110,000 Bitcoin only after the crowd doesn&#8217;t expect it," Santiment cautioned.



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">&#x1f9d1;&#x200d;&#x1f384;&#x1f4c8; Bitcoin has jumped to as high as $99.8K on a bullish Christmas crypto performance. Traders are now swinging bullish once again, with speculation of $110K getting rampant. Historically, we will see $110K Bitcoin only after the crowd doesn&#39;t expect it, as this image shows. <a href="https://t.co/j4w3VQ4Zio">pic.twitter.com/j4w3VQ4Zio</a>&mdash; Santiment (@santimentfeed) <a href="https://twitter.com/santimentfeed/status/1872090202673742217?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 26, 2024</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



Photo by SvetlanaParnikova on Shutterstock



Read Next:    



<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/12/42677932/russian-firms-adopt-bitcoin-for-global-trade-in-response-to-western-sanctions-should-be-expanded-and-developed-further">Russian Firms Adopt Bitcoin For Global Trade In Response To Western Sanctions: &#8216;Should Be Expanded And Developed Further&#8217;</a></li>
</ul>

Cryptocurrency

Movers

Bitcoin, Ethereum Rise, Dogecoin Slides Amid Positive Christmas Sentiment: Analyst Cautions $110K Target For BTC Possible Only When...

Elon Musk has shared a preview of the collaboration between McDonald&#8217;s Corporation (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MCD#NYSE">MCD</a>) Japan and the iconic anime series Neon Genesis Evangelion.



What Happened: This partnership was first announced on Dec. 19, 2024. On Wednesday, McDonald Japan's official X, formerly Twitter, page posted a follow-up preview video featuring original voice actors.



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">運命に導かれた3つのバーガーが マクドナルドに集結。 エヴァンゲリオンバーガー 1/6(月)発売 <a href="https://t.co/6S5JO3Mpi7">pic.twitter.com/6S5JO3Mpi7</a>&mdash; マクドナルド (@McDonaldsJapan) <a href="https://twitter.com/McDonaldsJapan/status/1872047167419920837?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 25, 2024</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/12/42666738/how-apples-upcoming-smart-doorbell-compares-to-amazons-ring?itm_source=parsely-api">How Apple&#8217;s Upcoming Smart Doorbell Compares To Amazon&#8217;s Ring</a>



The collaboration&#8217;s highlight is the McDonald&#8217;s Evangelion Value Set, offering three unique transforming figurines.



These figures morph from McDonald&#8217;s items—a Big Mac, French fries, and McShake—into EVA units. The set is priced at 3,900 yen (about $24) and requires a lottery registration via the McDonald&#8217;s Japan app, running until Jan. 10.



Winners will be notified on Jan. 16, with collection available from Jan. 20 to 26.&nbsp;



Why It Matters: McDonald&#8217;s Japan is renowned for its anime-themed promotions. Considering Evangelion, which debuted nearly 30 years ago, remains a cultural phenomenon, this latest venture has captured massive attention.



Previously, Guillaume Huin, senior marketing director at McDonald's U.S., said on X that he was eagerly attempting to get his hands on a set.



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">man I am trying to help myself already. Literally emailed the entire company to try to get a set.&mdash; Guillaume Huin (@HuinGuillaume) <a href="https://twitter.com/HuinGuillaume/status/1869802393887748457?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 19, 2024</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



Musk has previously also interacted with McDonald&#8217;s. He once famously <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/24/10/41148843/much-wow-how-elon-musk-went-from-promising-to-eat-a-happy-meal-if-mcdonalds-adopts-dogecoi">promised to eat a Happy Meal</a> on live television if the fast-food chain adopted Dogecoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/doge/usd">DOGE</a>) as a payment method.



This <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/22/01/25206297/elon-musk-says-hell-eat-a-happy-meal-on-tv-if-mcdonalds-accepts-dogecoin-is-there-somethin">playful challenge</a> sparked significant interest within the Dogecoin community.



Rumors of a <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/restaurants/24/10/41198120/elon-musk-vs-mcdonalds-tesla-fans-wanted-collaboration-instead-they-get-new-product-launch-co">potential collaboration</a> between McDonald&#8217;s and Tesla Inc. had circulated earlier in 2024, coinciding with the Robotaxi Day. However, these rumors did not materialize.



Price Action: McDonald&#8217;s stock has fallen 1.03% year-to-date, <a href="https://benzinga.grsm.io/lxquj26b2sag">according to Benzinga Pro data</a>. However, analyst reports from BofA Securities, Truist Securities, and BMO Capital have set an average price target of $333.67 for MCD, indicating a potential upside of 13.60%.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/MCD/analyst-ratings"><img decoding="async" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/25210218/Screenshot-2024-12-26-at-7.32.09%E2%80%AFAM-1024x376.png" alt="" class="wp-image-706941"/></a></figure>



Image via Shutterstock



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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/benzinga-neuro">Benzinga Neuro</a> and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

Restaurants

Tech

McDonald's Evangelion Collaboration Advert Catches Elon Musk's Eye. Here's What The Techno King Shared

Iran&#8217;s reformist government has lifted the ban on Meta Platforms, Inc.'s (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/META#NASDAQ">META</a>) WhatsApp, and Alphabet Inc.'s (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>) (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>) Google Play.



What Happened: Iran&#8217;s reformist government, led by Masoud Pezeshkian, has lifted this ban, marking a significant move towards reducing internet restrictions, <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/bb68c686-89d2-4305-bd1e-94452795809c">reported</a> the Financial Times.



This decision was made during a high-level meeting on Tuesday, overcoming resistance from hardline factions within the Islamic regime, the report noted, citing Iranian media.



See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/12/42664762/after-investing-nearly-14-billion-in-openai-microsoft-reportedly-moves-to-reduce-its-dependence-on-chatgpt-parent?itm_source=parsely-api">Microsoft Invested Nearly $14 Billion In OpenAI But Now Its Reducing Its Dependence On The ChatGPT-Parent</a>



The move is part of a broader effort by Pezeshkian&#8217;s administration to ease pressures on civil society.



Sattar Hashemi, Iran's telecommunications minister, stated on X, &#8220;Today, we took the first step towards lifting internet restrictions by demonstrating unity,&#8221; adding, &#8220;This path will continue&#8221;



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">امروز گام اول رفع محدودیت از اینترنت را با همدلی و وفاق برداشتیم. از پیگیری رییس‌جمهور و همراهی رسانه‌ها و فعالان ممنونم و بیش از پیش به این همراهی و همدلی نیازمندیم. این مسیر ادامه دارد…&mdash; Sattar Hashemi (@HashemiSattar) <a href="https://twitter.com/HashemiSattar/status/1871552451247251913?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 24, 2024</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



Why It Matters: Despite restrictions, Iranians have accessed platforms like WhatsApp and Instagram through widely available VPNs.



Reformists accuse hardliners of hypocrisy, alleging they profit from VPN sales. They also argue that easing restrictions could alleviate public discontent.



Hardliners view the internet as a tool for adversaries like the U.S. and Israel to wage a &#8220;soft war&#8221; against Iran.



Subscribe to the <a href="https://bztechtrends.beehiiv.com/subscribe">Benzinga Tech Trends newsletter</a> to get all the latest tech developments delivered to your inbox.



According to Iranian Students Polling Agency surveys, WhatsApp usage rose steadily from 16.6% in December 2015 to 25% after Telegram&#8217;s ban, reaching 71.4% by August 2021.



Instagram usage grew from 25.5% in December 2015 to 53.1% by August 2021, establishing it as the second-most popular platform in the country.



The lifting of the ban also comes amid heightened tensions between Iran and the U.S. Last month, Iran&#8217;s foreign ministry <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/global/24/11/41869511/iran-calls-trump-assassination-plot-claims-completely-baseless">dismissed accusations</a> by the U.S. Department of Justice regarding an alleged plot to assassinate Donald Trump.



Image via Shutterstock



Check out more of Benzinga's Consumer Tech coverage by <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/consumer-tech">following this link</a>.&nbsp;



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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/benzinga-neuro">Benzinga Neuro</a> and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

Media

GOOG

GOOGL

Iran Turning Soft? Reformist Government Lifts WhatsApp, Google Play Ban — Promises 'This Path Will Continue'

Tesla Inc. CEO Elon Musk has raised fresh concerns about MacKenzie Scott&#8216;s charitable donations, highlighting growing tensions over billionaire philanthropy and its societal impact.



What Happened: Responding to a social media post about Scott&#8217;s donations to liberal nonprofits, Musk offered a one-word critique: &#8220;Concerning.&#8221; The comment came after author John LeFevre highlighted Scott&#8217;s contributions to organizations focused on racial equity, social justice, and LGBTQ+ rights.



Scott, who received Amazon.com Inc. shares worth billions in her 2019 divorce from Jeff Bezos, has emerged as one of America&#8217;s most prolific philanthropists. Through her Yield Giving organization, she has donated over $19 billion to more than 2,450 nonprofits since 2019, while maintaining a net worth above $30 billion due to <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/24/12/42568686/mackenzie-scotts-mission-driven-investing-pushes-back-against-wealth-concentration-amazon-stock-rich-philanthropist-pledges-2-billion-in-donations">Amazon&#8217;s stock performance</a>.



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">Concerning <a href="https://t.co/C11Lnm8XeH">https://t.co/C11Lnm8XeH</a>&mdash; Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1871163247593996349?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 23, 2024</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



This marks Musk&#8217;s latest criticism of Scott&#8217;s giving. In March, he suggested in a now-deleted post that &#8220;super rich ex-wives who hate their former spouse&#8221; could contribute to the decline of Western civilization. Shortly after his comment, Scott announced an additional $640 million in <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/03/37839087/shrugging-off-elon-musks-western-civilization-jab-jeff-bezoss-ex-wife-doubles-her-donation-efforts-t">donations to 361 organizations</a>.



See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/12/42676821/how-to-stream-the-nfl-christmas-gameday-live-on-netflix">How To Watch NFL Christmas Gameday Live On Netflix With Mariah Carey, Beyoncé And Epic Football Matchups</a>



What Happened: Scott recently <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/large-cap/24/11/42009316/jeff-bezos-ex-wife-mackenzie-scott-sells-more-amazon-shares">sold 11% of her Amazon holdings</a>, valued at over $8 billion, signaling a shift toward mission-aligned investments rather than traditional portfolio management. 



The debate over billionaire philanthropy has drawn in other prominent voices, including Melinda French Gates, who has publicly supported Scott&#8217;s rapid-giving approach while criticizing other tech billionaires, including Musk, for prioritizing public influence over charitable giving. 



In a recent New York Times interview, French Gates questioned whether certain tech leaders should even be called philanthropists, suggesting they use their platforms primarily to <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/personal-finance/24/08/40231450/melinda-french-gates-questions-philanthropy-of-musk-thiel-i-would-not-call-those-men-philanthrop">shape public opinion rather than contribute</a> meaningfully to charitable causes.



Her giving strategy contrasts sharply with other tech billionaires, including Musk, who has focused his <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/12/42640044/trump-fires-back-at-critics-and-denies-ceding-presidency-to-elon-musk-and-im-safe-he-wasnt-born-in-this-country">recent attention on political causes</a>, including substantial support for President-elect Donald Trump&#8216;s campaign.



Scott&#8217;s donations for 2024 include significant support for economic security initiatives and repeat grants to organizations like CAMFED, which supports girls&#8217; education in Africa, demonstrating her continued commitment to addressing systemic inequalities despite <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/24/12/42568686/mackenzie-scotts-mission-driven-investing-pushes-back-against-wealth-concentration-amazon-stock-rich-philanthropist-pledges-2-billion-in-donations">criticism from fellow billionaires</a>.



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Image via Flickr



Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

Social Media

Global

Elon Musk Calls Jeff Bezos' Ex-Wife MacKenzie Scott's $19 Billion Charitable Donations 'Concerning'

Looking for the perfect gift this holiday season? You can&#8217;t go wrong with tech.



The Magnificent 7 companies—Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAPL#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>), Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMZN#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>), Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>) (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>), Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>), Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/META#NASDAQ">META</a>), Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSLA#NASDAQ">TSLA</a>), and Nvidia Corporation (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>)—offer some of the best gadgets, accessories, and experiences.



So, this Christmas, whether you&#8217;re shopping for a techie, a gamer, or someone who just loves convenience, there's something for everyone.



Apple



Apple Watch Strap: Add some flair to an Apple Watch with a durable, comfy band. Available in multiple colors. The starting price is $49.



AirTag: Perfect for tracking keys, bags, or anything else you misplace. Compact and easy to use. Price: $29.



Amazon



Echo Dot (5th Gen): A smart speaker with Alexa to control devices, play music, and more. Compact and stylish. Price starting at $22.99.



Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K: Stream your favorite shows in 4K resolution. Supports 4K Ultra HD, Dolby Vision, HDR10+, and Dolby Atmos. Easy to set up and use.&nbsp;



See Also:&nbsp;<a data-google-interstitial="false" style="white-space: normal; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px solid rgb(229, 231, 235); color: rgb(44, 162, 209); text-decoration: inherit; font-family: &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, Helvetica, OpenSans, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17.6px; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/24/12/42378596/openais-chatgpt-makes-headway-in-search-threatening-googles-reign" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px solid rgb(229, 231, 235); --tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-pan-x: ; --tw-pan-y: ; --tw-pinch-zoom: ; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-gradient-from-position: ; --tw-gradient-via-position: ; --tw-gradient-to-position: ; --tw-ordinal: ; --tw-slashed-zero: ; --tw-numeric-figure: ; --tw-numeric-spacing: ; --tw-numeric-fraction: ; --tw-ring-inset: ; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-color: rgba(59,130,246,.5); --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-blur: ; --tw-brightness: ; --tw-contrast: ; --tw-grayscale: ; --tw-hue-rotate: ; --tw-invert: ; --tw-saturate: ; --tw-sepia: ; --tw-drop-shadow: ; --tw-backdrop-blur: ; --tw-backdrop-brightness: ; --tw-backdrop-contrast: ; --tw-backdrop-grayscale: ; --tw-backdrop-hue-rotate: ; --tw-backdrop-invert: ; --tw-backdrop-opacity: ; --tw-backdrop-saturate: ; --tw-backdrop-sepia: ; --tw-contain-size: ; --tw-contain-layout: ; --tw-contain-paint: ; --tw-contain-style: ;">OpenAI&#8217;s ChatGPT Makes Headway In Search, Threatening Google&#8217;s Reign</a>



Alphabet



Chromecast with Google TV: A versatile streaming device that integrates various streaming services into a single user-friendly interface. Features a compact design that connects directly to the HDMI port of your TV and comes with a voice remote equipped with Google Assistant.&nbsp;



YouTube Premium Subscription: Enjoy ad-free videos, background play, and YouTube Music access. Priced at $13.99 per month.



Meta



Meta Quest 3 Elite Strap: For those who like to extend their virtual reality experience, this is a perfect gift. Addresses common discomfort issues by redistributing weight more evenly across the head, reducing pressure on the face and neck. Priced at $69.99.



Subscribe to the&nbsp;<a href="https://bztechtrends.beehiiv.com/subscribe" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Tech Trends newsletter</a>&nbsp;to get all the latest tech developments delivered to your inbox.



Microsoft



Xbox Wireless Controller: The controller features a sleek, updated design with improved ergonomics, textured grips, and a hybrid D-pad for superior comfort and precision during gameplay. It offers compatibility with both Xbox Wireless and Bluetooth.



Microsoft Bluetooth Mouse: A simple, modern mouse that works with Windows and Mac can boost your productivity infinitely. Great for daily use.



Nvidia



GeForce NOW Priority Membership (One year): Stream top games with priority access and extended sessions. Users can stream games in up to 1440p resolution—an improvement from the previous 1080p—and enjoy support for ultrawide resolutions. A gamer's dream. Price: $9.99/month or $99.99/ year.



Tesla



Tesla Key Card: A handy backup or replacement key for Tesla owners. Makes life easier. Price: $40.



Tesla Wireless Portable Charger: A sleek, fast charger compatible with most smartphones. It offers magnetic, wireless charging and boasts a robust 5000mAh battery capacity. Perfect for on-the-go charging. Price: $95.



From sleek devices to powerful experiences, these gifts from the Magnificent 7 companies are sure to impress anyone on your list.



The best part? You can't go wrong with these trusted brands.



Happy shopping!



Check out more of Benzinga&#8217;s Consumer Tech coverage by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/consumer-tech" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">following this link</a>.



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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/benzinga-neuro" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Neuro</a> and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.



Photo courtesy: Shutterstock

AAPL

AMZN

MSFT

NVDA

Tech, Toys, And Tesla: The Ultimate Santa Tech Wishlist From Magnificent 7 Companies

U.S. financial markets will observe the Christmas holiday with modified trading hours, marking a brief pause in what has been an <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/24/12/42665923/is-stock-market-open-on-christmas-eve-2024-a-quick-guide-for-market-hours-banks-and-whats-closed-for-santa-claus">eventful year for Wall Street</a>.



The New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq will remain fully closed on Wednesday, Dec. 25, for Christmas Day. The bond market will follow a similar schedule, with the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association <a href="https://www.sifma.org/resources/general/holiday-schedule/">announcing</a> a 2 p.m. ET close on Christmas Eve.



The adjusted schedule affects a broad range of market participants, from institutional investors to retail traders. Regular trading will resume on Thursday, Dec. 26, giving market participants time to position themselves before the year&#8217;s final trading week.



Meanwhile, the SPDR S&amp;P 500 (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SPY#NYSE">SPY</a>) which tracks the S&amp;P 500 saw its year-to-date returns climb by 27.35%, while that of the Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1 (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QQQ#NASDAQ">QQQ</a>), which represents the Nasdaq composite, rose by 29.41%.



While traditional markets pause, Bitcoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/btc/usd">BTC</a>), Ethereum (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/eth/usd">ETH</a>), Dogecoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/doge/usd">DOGE</a>), and other cryptocurrencies will continue trading non-stop on global exchanges, demonstrating the digital asset market&#8217;s unique 24/7 accessibility.



See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/12/42676790/mega-millions-jackpot-hits-1-billion-on-christmas-eve-amid-year-of-rare-wins">Christmas Eve Mega Millions: Jackpot Soars To Record $1 Billion In Year Of Rare Wins</a>



Looking ahead, investors should note that while stock markets will maintain regular hours on New Year&#8217;s Eve, the bond market will close early at 2 p.m. ET on Dec 31. All U.S. markets will be closed on Jan. 1, 2025, for New Year&#8217;s Day.



The holiday closures come as Asian markets maintain varying schedules. The Hong Kong Stock Exchange will operate abbreviated sessions around Christmas, while the Shanghai Stock Exchange and Tokyo Stock Exchange will continue normal operations during this period.



Major U.S. financial institutions, including Bank of America Corp, JPMorgan Chase &amp; Co, and Citigroup Inc., will close their branches on Christmas Day, aligning with the market holiday schedule.



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Image via Shutterstock



Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

Is Stock Market Open Or Closed On Christmas Day 2024? Here Is What You Can Trade Today

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced that it will issue automatic payments this month to approximately 1 million <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-announces-special-payments-going-this-month-to-1-million-taxpayers-who-did-not-claim-2021-recovery-rebate-credit-encourages-non-filers-about-approaching-deadline-to-claim-credits">taxpayers</a> who did not claim the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">2021 Recovery Rebate Credit</a>.



The total amount of payments is expected to be around $2.4 billion, with individual payments potentially reaching up to $1,400.



The payments, which are part of ongoing efforts to assist taxpayers, will be sent to individuals who were eligible for the Economic Impact Payments (EIPs) but did not claim them on their 2021 tax returns.



The Recovery Rebate Credit is a refundable credit for those who missed out on one or more of the stimulus payments.



These payments will be issued automatically, meaning no additional action is required from eligible taxpayers. The funds will be either direct deposited or sent as paper checks, with most payments arriving by late January 2025.



Also Read: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/social-media/24/12/42677188/elon-musk-calls-jeff-bezos-ex-wife-mackenzie-scotts-charitable-donations-concerning" rel="noreferrer noopener">Elon Musk Calls Jeff Bezos&#8217; Ex-Wife MacKenzie Scott&#8217;s $19 Billion Charitable Donations &#8216;Concerning&#8217;</a>



Eligible taxpayers will also receive a separate notification letter from the IRS confirming the payment.



The IRS also reminded taxpayers who haven't yet filed their 2021 tax returns that they may still be eligible for the credit if they file by the April 15, 2025, deadline.



The payments will go to those who filed a 2021 tax return but left the Recovery Rebate Credit field blank or entered $0 when they were actually qualified.



These automatic payments aim to simplify the process for eligible taxpayers, saving them from filing an amended return. Additionally, the IRS assured that the payments would not count as income when determining eligibility for federal benefits such as SSI, SNAP, and WIC. The IRS said it continues its efforts to help taxpayers access credits and deductions, including other coronavirus tax relief measures.



Read Next:



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Payments of Up to $1,400 Coming for 1 Million Eligible Taxpayers, IRS Confirms

Taiwan&#8217;s Fair Trade Commission (FTC) has reportedly blocked Uber Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/UBER#NYSE">UBER</a>) $950 million acquisition of Delivery Hero&#8217;s Foodpanda <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/24/05/38809280/uber-spices-up-taiwans-food-delivery-scene-with-950m-foodpanda-deal-whats-on-the-menu">business due to anti-competitive concerns.</a>



The merger, which was initially announced in May 2023, would have significantly increased Uber Eats&#8217; dominance in Taiwan&#8217;s food delivery market, giving the combined company over 90% of the market share, Reuters reports.



The FTC cited concerns that the merger would eliminate Foodpanda as Uber Eats&#8217; main competitor, reducing market pressure on the combined entity.



The commission argued that without this competition, Uber would have less incentive to keep prices low for consumers or commissions reasonable for restaurant partners.



With a huge market share, the merger could have led to higher prices and less choice for consumers, undermining the competitive landscape of Taiwan&#8217;s food delivery sector.



The deal was scrutinized by the FTC after Uber filed the application in November 2023. The commission stated that the merger&#8217;s negative effects would outweigh any economic benefits.



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The FTC also noted that corrective measures would not be sufficient to address these concerns.



In response, Uber and Delivery Hero said they might appeal the decision or consider terminating the acquisition.



Uber was optimistic about the deal, as it had hoped the merger would help boost its delivery business by contributing $150 million annually to its adjusted core profit.



While online food delivery platforms in Taiwan account for a small fraction of the broader food delivery market, Foodpanda&#8217;s operations had reached breakeven in adjusted core earnings by March 2024.



The proposed merger was expected to be finalized in the first half of 2025, but now faces significant regulatory hurdles in Taiwan.



This decision highlights ongoing scrutiny of mergers in the tech and delivery sectors, as regulators assess their long-term impact on competition and consumers.



Price Action: UBER shares 0.26% to $61.71 on Tuesday, while shares fell by 0.07% after hours.



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UBER

Uber's Foodpanda Acquisition Blocked in Taiwan Due to Competition Concerns

Elon Musk is no stranger to controversy, but his recent <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/personal-finance/24/03/37923084/elon-musk-used-to-email-ex-google-ceo-larry-page-when-he-was-kind-of-homeless-and-ask-can-i-come">remarks about homelessness</a> have sparked a particularly intense reaction. On Dec. 10, Musk took to X – his own platform, no less – to declare, "In most cases, the word ‘homeless' is a lie. It's usually a propaganda word for violent drug addicts with severe mental illness."



The statement came in response to Jeremy Kauffman's post, which painted a grim picture of housing programs in San Francisco. Kauffman listed incidents of squalor, violence, drug overdoses and evictions, suggesting that simply giving unhoused individuals a roof doesn't fix the root of the problem. Musk agreed.



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This <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/12/42531924/elon-musk-had-a-food-budget-of-30-a-month-his-diet-was-mostly-hot-dogs-and-oranges-in-america-its-pretty-easy-to-keep-yourself-alive">isn't new territory for him</a>. Back in October, during an interview with Tucker Carlson, Musk doubled down on his view of homelessness as a far graver and more complex issue than it's often presented.&nbsp;



According to The Independent, Musk stated in the interview, "Homeless is a misnomer. It implies that someone got a little bit behind on their mortgage and if you just gave them a job, they'd be back on their feet," he said. "What you actually see are violent drug zombies with dead eyes, needles everywhere and human feces on the streets."&nbsp;



But Musk didn't stop there. He argued that pouring more money into homelessness programs only makes things worse. In his view, there's a dark financial incentive at play. He took to X again, writing: "The ‘save the homeless' NGOs are often paid based on how many homeless people are on the streets, thus creating a strong financial incentive for them to maximize the number of homeless people and never actually solve the problem!"



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">The "save the homeless" NGOs are often paid according to how many homeless people are on the streets, thus creating a strong financial incentive for them to maximize the number of homeless people and never actually solve the problem! Incentives explain outcomes. <a href="https://t.co/ujxryf8z6d">https://t.co/ujxryf8z6d</a>&mdash; Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1866365811977511176?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 10, 2024</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



See Also: Maker of the $60,000 foldable home has 3 factory buildings, 600+ houses built, and big plans to solve housing —<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/boxabl"> you can become an investor for $0.80 per share today.</a>



Critics have called Musk's comments tone-deaf, accusatory and just flat-out wrong. Jesse Rabinowitz of the National Homelessness Law Center stated, "People are really struggling to afford basic needs in this country, like rent and food. But I don't expect Musk or the other billionaires to know anything about that."&nbsp;



Others argue that someone with Musk's fortune – over $300 billion – could personally solve the housing crisis in the U.S. but chooses to throw verbal grenades instead.



The irony isn't lost on people, either. Musk, who had reportedly funneled over $250 million into <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/startups/24/12/42417117/jeff-bezos-shrugs-off-worries-about-musks-influence-on-the-trump-administration-if-that-turns-out-to-be-naive-well-well-see">Donald Trump's presidential campaign</a>, has become increasingly vocal about slashing federal programs. Programs, mind you, that directly assist the very people he's labeling as "violent drug addicts."



Trending: Unlock the hidden potential of commercial real estate —<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/marcus-millichap-backed-platform-makes-it-easy-to-invest-in-real-estate"> This platform allows individuals to invest in commercial real estate offering a 12% target yield with a bonus 1% return boost today!</a>



So, where does the truth lie? Advocates say Musk's views ignore decades of research that paint a far more nuanced picture of homelessness. According to a 2023 report from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, over 650,000 Americans experience homelessness on any given night – and nearly 17% of them are children. The vast majority are not violent, nor are they drug users. Many work full-time but still can't afford rent due to skyrocketing housing costs and stagnant wages.



Even more sobering: unhoused people are far more likely to be victims of violent crimes than perpetrators. The idea of "violent drug zombies" may grab attention, but experts say it's a gross oversimplification that fuels stigma.



For Musk, though, this isn't just rhetoric – it's a rallying cry. He's urging lawmakers and the White House to impose drastic cuts to federal programs, all in the name of "efficiency."&nbsp;



Critics, however, argue that weaponizing homelessness as a talking point – while ignoring the systemic issues that cause it – is not only harmful but wildly irresponsible.



The world's richest man has every platform and resource at his disposal, yet his commentary seems heavy on finger-pointing and light on solutions. As the debate rages on, one thing is clear: when Musk talks, people listen. Whether or not they agree? That's another story.



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Real Estate

Elon Musk Says Term 'Homeless' Is A Lie And Misleading – Argues The Programs Claiming To Fix It Are Only Making It Worse For Financial Gain

<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/startups/24/10/41549835/michael-jordan-the-nbas-first-billionaire-once-bet-100-000-on-a-game-of-rock-paper-scissors-i-enjoy">Michael Jordan's</a> legendary Chicago-area mansion has been on the real estate equivalent of a never-ending shot clock. After sitting unsold for over a decade, the property has finally found a buyer.&nbsp;



Public records confirm the deal has closed, with the home selling for $9.5 million – a far cry from the $29 million it was originally listed for in 2012. In the world of luxury real estate, that's what you call a serious markdown.&nbsp;



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By 2015, the asking price had already dropped to $14.855 million – a number with a quirky twist. Why so specific? The digits add to Jordan's iconic #23, a nod to the jersey number that adorns the mansion's front gates.



This isn't just any house. Known as Legend Point, the 56,000-square-foot Highland Park estate is a shrine to Jordan's career and unmistakable style.&nbsp;



According to the Zillow listing, the property is "equipped with every conceivable luxury amenity." The home sits on seven acres and boasts features as unique as its owner, including doors salvaged from the original Playboy Mansion. The property has nine bedrooms, 17 bathrooms, a putting green, a tennis court, a cigar lounge and – you guessed it – a regulation-size basketball court.



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The <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/real-estate/24/10/41168132/nba-legend-shaq-only-used-2-rooms-in-his-76-000-sq-ft-mansion-the-kitchen-because-i-like-to-eat-and">real estate listing</a> didn't hold back on the superlatives, calling the estate "as legendary as His Airness himself." It's practically a museum of MJ, designed to showcase his larger-than-life legacy. But therein lies the challenge: owning this home feels a bit like stepping into Jordan's shoes – literally. Perhaps that's why it sat unsold for so long. How do you make a home with that much Jordan energy feel like yours?



Whoever the mystery buyer is, they've got a big project ahead of them. Transforming Legend Point into something less … Michael Jordan will be no small task. After all, Jordan built the estate from scratch in 1991 during his <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/personal-finance/24/08/40488456/nba-legend-charles-barkley-never-wants-to-go-broke-like-80-of-retired-athletes-when-youre-55-how">Chicago Bulls prime</a>, pouring an estimated $50 million into its construction.



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According to Business Insider, listing agent Katherine Malkin told The Wall Street Journal that Jordan bought the property as a vacant lot in 1991, during his Chicago Bulls prime and invested about $50 million to bring his vision to life.&nbsp;



Meanwhile, MJ hasn't exactly been sweating the slow sale. He's long since relocated to sunny Florida, where he picked up a $16.5 million mansion in a gated community in Jupiter earlier this year. It's his second home in the neighborhood. When you're Michael Jordan, you can afford to wait (and <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/bezos-landlord-100-dollars">diversify your real estate portfolio</a>).



So, while the sale price might be a slam dunk for the buyer, it's a buzzer-beater of sorts for Jordan. After 12 long years on the market, Legend Point has a new owner. But let's be honest: this mansion will always be Michael Jordan's house – playboy doors and all.



Warren Buffett once said, "If you don't find a way to make money while you sleep, you will work until you die."<a href="https://arrivedhomes.go2cloud.org/aff_c?offer_id=15&amp;aff_id=1006&amp;aff_sub=yahoo&amp;aff_sub2=jeffbezos100"> Here&#8217;s how you can earn passive income with just $100.</a>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Looking For Higher-Yield Opportunities In A Shifting Market?</h2>



The changing interest rate environment has created an incredible opportunity for income-seeking investors to earn massive yields, but not through dividend stocks… Certain private market real estate investments are giving retail investors the opportunity to capitalize on these high-yield opportunities and Benzinga has identified <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/benzingas-favorite-high-yield-investments">some of the most attractive options for you to consider</a>.&nbsp;



For instance, the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/go/equitymultiple-yf">Ascent Income Fund</a> from EquityMultiple targets stable income from senior commercial real estate debt positions and has a historical distribution yield of 12.1% backed by real assets. With payment priority and flexible liquidity options, the Ascent Income Fund is a cornerstone investment vehicle for income-focused investors. First-time investors with EquityMultiple can now invest in the Ascent Income Fund with a reduced minimum of just $5,000. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/go/equitymultiple-yf">Benzinga Readers: Earn a 1% return boost on your first EquityMultiple investment when you sign up here (accredited investors only)</a>.



Don't miss out on this opportunity to take advantage of high-yield investments while rates are high. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/benzingas-favorite-high-yield-investments">Check out Benzinga's favorite high-yield offerings.</a>&nbsp;

Michael Jordan Sells His Massive Luxury Mansion For $9.5 Million – But It Took 12 Years To Find A Buyer And He Spent $50 Million Building It

Toyota Motor Corporation (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TM#NYSE">TM</a>) saw a 6.2% <a href="https://global.toyota/en/company/profile/production-sales-figures/202411.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">drop</a> in global production in November, <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/12/42321484/fords-mustang-mach-e-sales-skyrocket-383-in-november-amid-growing-ev-momentum" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">with a total of 869,230 vehicles manufactured</a>.



Production within Japan fell by 9.3% year-over-year, amounting to 285,761 units. Outside of Japan, Toyota's production saw a smaller decline of 4.6%, reaching 583,469 units.



The company's U.S. output was particularly hard-hit, dropping 11.8%, though recovery is underway. Production of the Grand Highlander and Lexus TX SUV models resumed in late October after a four-month pause, Reuters reports.



See Also:&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/12/42676790/mega-millions-jackpot-hits-1-billion-on-christmas-eve-amid-year-of-rare-wins" rel="noreferrer noopener">Christmas Eve Mega Millions: Jackpot Soars To Record $1 Billion In Year Of Rare Wins</a>



In China, production fell by 1.6%, a slight improvement compared to the 9% drop in the previous month. Toyota saw stronger sales of its Granvia and Sienna minivans, as well as the electric sedan bZ3, developed in partnership with BYD Co., Ltd. (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BYDDY#OTC">BYDDY</a>) (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BYDDF#OTC">BYDDF</a>).



In other news, Toyota recently made headlines for a reported $1 million donation to President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration, The Guardian <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/dec/24/toyota-trump-inauguration-donation" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reports</a>.



The news came a day after Ford Motor Company (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/F#NYSE">F</a>) and General Motors Company (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GM#NYSE">GM</a>) announced similar donations. Both of these U.S. automakers also pledged to <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/movers/24/12/42562982/toyota-shares-are-on-the-rise-whats-going-on" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">provide vehicles for the inauguration</a>.



Additionally, Toyota's North American division received $4.5 million in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Energy's ARPA-E program. This funding supports a project aimed at enhancing the circular supply chain for electric vehicle (EV) batteries.



In partnership with Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and Baker Hughes' Waygate Technologies, Toyota is working on improving battery disassembly, component classification, and recycling to reduce waste and emissions.



Price Action: TM shares closed 0.54% higher to $181.43 on Tuesday, shares fell 0.24% afterhours.



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BYDDF

BYDDY

Toyota's Global Output Slips 6.2%, While Company Donates $1 Million to Trump's Inaugural Fund

The year of milestones, 2024, has seen an unperturbed rise in the current bull market, which is nearly <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/12/42430296/carson-researchs-50-year-study-suggests-that-the-26-months-old-bull-market-is-far-from-over">26 months</a> old. It is higher by more than 70% from the mid-October 2022 lows. As we wrap up the year with the possibility of a &#8216;Santa Rally,&#8217; let&#8217;s recap 2024&#8217;s landmark junctures.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Major U.S. Benchmarks Scale Fresh Records</h3>



The S&amp;P 500 Index has made 57 new all-time highs this year, hitting the last one on Dec. 6, 2024. Also, &#8220;2024 would go down as the best election year return ever,&#8221; said Ryan Detrick, the chief market strategist at Carson Research in a note.



&#8220;Going back 50 years, we found five other bull markets that had lasted at least this long and the shortest any of them lasted was five total years. Think of it like a cruise ship — once it gets moving, it can be quite hard to stop,&#8221; added Detrick



While the S&amp;P 500 index was up 25.96% on a year-to-date basis as of Dec. 23 close, the SPDR S&amp;P 500 ETF Trust (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SPY#NYSE">SPY</a>) rose by 25.82% in the same period.



The Dow Jones Industrial Average index, on the other hand, hit a record eight 1,000-point milestones this year. It started the year around the 37,000 level and breached the 45,000 level at the beginning of December. It took only seven trading days for the index to go from 44,000 to 45,000, the second fastest 1,000-point milestone ever. Following that the index also saw one of its longest 10-day losing streak, the first ever since 1974.



Dow was up 13.77% year-to-date as of the Dec. 23 close, whereas the SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF Trust (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DIA#NYSE">DIA</a>) gained 13.74% in the same period.



The Nasdaq 100 index which includes all the &#8216;magnificent seven&#8217; stocks, unlike Dow, rose 29.98% year-to-date as Dec. 23 close. The ETF tracking the index, Fidelity NASDAQ Composite Index ETF (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ONEQ#NASDAQ">ONEQ</a>) rose by 33.85% in the same period. Whereas, the Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1 (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QQQ#NASDAQ">QQQ</a>) rose by 29.88% in 2024.



The smallcap index Russell 2000 was up 11.16% over the year, while iShares Russell 2000 ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/IWM#NYSE">IWM</a>) was up 10.97% in the same period as of the Dec. 23 close.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="576" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/24021350/CHARt-1-INDICES-1024x576.png" alt="" class="wp-image-705432" srcset="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/24021350/CHARt-1-INDICES-1024x576.png 1024w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/24021350/CHARt-1-INDICES-300x169.png 300w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/24021350/CHARt-1-INDICES-768x432.png 768w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/24021350/CHARt-1-INDICES-1536x864.png 1536w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/24021350/CHARt-1-INDICES.png 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a></figure>



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<h3 class="wp-block-heading">U.S. Market Trumps The World</h3>



Among the developed economies, the S&amp;P 500 remains the best index with a 25.96% gain on a year-to-date basis, outperforming all the other developed market indices.



While the <a href="https://x.com/RyanDetrick/status/1871317802306707882">first </a>year of a new president&#8217;s term has usually been strong since 1897, the returns during year one of a second term haven&#8217;t been very good overall, said Detrick.



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">Returns during year one of a second term haven&#39;t been very good overall, but way better lately. Down 5 in a row, but now up 4 in a row. &#x1f914; <a href="https://t.co/aUrCbf22Gw">pic.twitter.com/aUrCbf22Gw</a>&mdash; Ryan Detrick, CMT (@RyanDetrick) <a href="https://twitter.com/RyanDetrick/status/1871320275129967103?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 23, 2024</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-table is-style-stripes"><table><tbody><tr><td>Developed Markets</td><td>Indices</td><td>YTD Performance</td></tr><tr><td>United States</td><td>S&amp;P 500</td><td>25.96%</td></tr><tr><td>Germany</td><td>DAX</td><td>18.36%</td></tr><tr><td>Japan</td><td>Nikkei 225</td><td>17.27%</td></tr><tr><td>Hong Kong</td><td>Hang Seng</td><td>19.71%</td></tr><tr><td>Spain</td><td>IBEX 35</td><td>12.31%</td></tr><tr><td>United Kingdom</td><td>FTSE 100</td><td>4.94%</td></tr><tr><td>Switzerland</td><td>Swiss Market</td><td>2.85%</td></tr><tr><td>France</td><td>CAC 40</td><td>-3.43%</td></tr></tbody></table><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">(As Of Dec. 23 Close)</figcaption></figure>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Communication, Consumer Discretionary, And Technology Lead Gains In 2024</h3>



Tracking the exchange-traded funds that track the major sectors in the U.S. market, communication services emerged as the top sector for the year, followed by consumer discretionary and technology. The information technology sector has the highest weight of 31.3% in the S&amp;P 500, followed by financials a t13.9%.



BlackRock said that they see technology companies&#8217; earnings performing well in 2025. &#8220;We are overweight as the AI theme and earnings growth broaden. Valuations for AI beneficiaries are supported by tech companies delivering on earnings.&#8221;



<figure class="wp-block-table is-style-stripes"><table><tbody><tr><td>Cyclical Sectors</td><td>ETFs</td><td>YTD Performance</td></tr><tr><td>Communication Services</td><td>Communication Services Select SPDR ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XLC#NYSE">XLC</a>)</td><td>35.97%</td></tr><tr><td>Consumer Discretionary</td><td>Vanguard Consumer Discretionary ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/VCR#NYSE">VCR</a>)</td><td>27.21%</td></tr><tr><td>Technology</td><td>Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XLK#NYSE">XLK</a>)</td><td>27.01%</td></tr><tr><td>Financials</td><td>Invesco S&amp;P 500 Equal Weight Financial ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/RSPF#NYSE">RSPF</a>)</td><td>23.48%</td></tr><tr><td>Industrials</td><td>Vanguard Industrials ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/VIS#NYSE">VIS</a>)</td><td>17.80%</td></tr><tr><td>Real Estate</td><td>Real Estate Select Sector SPDR (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XLRE#NYSE">XLRE</a>)</td><td>0.27%</td></tr><tr><td>Materials</td><td>Materials Select Sector SPDR Fund (ARC: XLB)</td><td>-0.37%</td></tr></tbody></table><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">(As Of Dec. 23 Close)</figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="576" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/24021831/Chart-2.1-cyclical-sectors-1024x576.png" alt="" class="wp-image-705439" srcset="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/24021831/Chart-2.1-cyclical-sectors-1024x576.png 1024w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/24021831/Chart-2.1-cyclical-sectors-300x169.png 300w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/24021831/Chart-2.1-cyclical-sectors-768x432.png 768w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/24021831/Chart-2.1-cyclical-sectors-1536x864.png 1536w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/24021831/Chart-2.1-cyclical-sectors.png 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a></figure>



See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/24/11/42383725/trump-administrations-deregulation-efforts-to-lift-energy-oil-and-gas-sectors-ai-frenzy-to-aid-faang-stocks-and-nvidia-says-fintech-insider">Trump&#8217;s Deregulation Efforts To Benefit Energy, Oil And Gas Sectors, While AI Frenzy Will Boost FAANG Stocks And Nvidia, Says Fintech Insider</a>



Among the defensive sectors, utilities emerged as a winner, whereas energy was an underperformer. Consumer staples, energy, and utilities take up 5.7%, 3.4%, and 2.5% weight, respectively in the S&amp;P 500 index.



As per Morgan Stanley, the energy sector faces a divided future. Trump's deregulation could benefit traditional energy, but the outlook for oil is uncertain due to potential oversupply and weak global demand, especially from China. In contrast, natural gas may see growth from strong European demand and increased domestic use for electrification and AI-powered data centers. The clean energy sector could face challenges, if Trump rollbacks Biden's 2022 Inflation Reduction Act tax credits. However, a full repeal seems unlikely due to the benefits for Republican states.



<figure class="wp-block-table is-style-stripes"><table><tbody><tr><td>Defensive Sectors</td><td>ETFs</td><td>YTD Performance</td></tr><tr><td>Utilities</td><td>Vanguard Utilities ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/VPU#NYSE">VPU</a>)</td><td>18.23%</td></tr><tr><td>Consumer Staples</td><td>Vanguard Consumer Staples ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/VDC#NYSE">VDC</a>)</td><td>10.04%</td></tr><tr><td>Healthcare</td><td>Vanguard Health Care ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/VHT#NYSE">VHT</a>)</td><td>0.63%</td></tr><tr><td>Energy</td><td>The Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XLE#NYSE">XLE</a>)</td><td>-0.96%</td></tr></tbody></table><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">(As Of Dec. 23 Close)</figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="576" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/24022041/Chart-2.2-defensive-sectors-1024x576.png" alt="" class="wp-image-705442" srcset="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/24022041/Chart-2.2-defensive-sectors-1024x576.png 1024w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/24022041/Chart-2.2-defensive-sectors-300x169.png 300w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/24022041/Chart-2.2-defensive-sectors-768x432.png 768w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/24022041/Chart-2.2-defensive-sectors-1536x864.png 1536w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/24022041/Chart-2.2-defensive-sectors.png 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a></figure>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Top S&amp;P 500 Performers In 2024</h3>



Palantir was the top performer within the S&amp;P 500 index this year, as it zoomed 386.67% year-to-date, as of Dec. 23 close. Vistra and Nvidia followed Palantir to advance 269.82% and 189.95% in the same period.



<figure class="wp-block-table is-style-stripes"><table><tbody><tr><td>S&amp;P 500 Stocks</td><td>YTD Performance</td></tr><tr><td>Palantir Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PLTR#NASDAQ">PLTR</a>)</td><td>386.67%</td></tr><tr><td>Vistra Corporation (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/VST#NYSE">VST</a>)</td><td>269.82%</td></tr><tr><td>NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>)</td><td>189.95%</td></tr><tr><td>GE Vernova Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GEV#NYSE">GEV</a>)</td><td>162.80%</td></tr><tr><td>Axon Enterprise Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AXON#NASDAQ">AXON</a>)</td><td>148.04%</td></tr><tr><td>United Airlines Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/UAL#NASDAQ">UAL</a>)</td><td>144.30%</td></tr><tr><td>Broadcom Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AVGO#NASDAQ">AVGO</a>)</td><td>114.07%</td></tr><tr><td>Texas Pacific Land Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TPL#NYSE">TPL</a>)</td><td>113.03%</td></tr><tr><td>Targa Resources Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TRGP#NYSE">TRGP</a>)</td><td>106.40%</td></tr><tr><td>Howmet Aerospace Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/HWM#NYSE">HWM</a>)</td><td>105.73%</td></tr></tbody></table><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">(As Of Dec. 23 Close)</figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="576" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/24022228/Chart-3-top-performers-of-SPY-1024x576.png" alt="" class="wp-image-705446" srcset="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/24022228/Chart-3-top-performers-of-SPY-1024x576.png 1024w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/24022228/Chart-3-top-performers-of-SPY-300x169.png 300w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/24022228/Chart-3-top-performers-of-SPY-768x432.png 768w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/24022228/Chart-3-top-performers-of-SPY-1536x864.png 1536w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/24022228/Chart-3-top-performers-of-SPY.png 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a></figure>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">U.S. Dollar Surges Over 6% In 2024</h3>



The Dollar index was up 6.72% year-to-date with a 52-week range of 100.1570 to 108.5410 per unit. If the Greenback can hold on to these gains, the currency would leave behind the second-best year since 2015.



The UDS&#8217;s demand has been rising due to the &#8220;Uncertainties arising from expected Trump's policies and hawkish comments from the Fed towards rate cycle,&#8221; said Kunal Sodhani, vice president of the global trading center at Shinhan Bank.



According to Franklin Templeton, &#8220;The Fed easing cycle will be a dominant factor for the USD. The two main comparisons we draw against the Fed cyclically, interest-rate-wise, are emerging markets, and Japan.&#8221;



WisdomTree Bloomberg US Dollar Bullish Fund (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/USDU#NYSE">USDU</a>) was up 13.24% on a year-to-date basis, as of Dec. 23 close, where as Invesco DB US Dollar Index Bullish Fund (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/UUP#NYSE">UUP</a>) advanced by 7.21% in the same period.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="576" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/24022447/Chart-4-Dollar-ETFs-1024x576.png" alt="" class="wp-image-705448" srcset="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/24022447/Chart-4-Dollar-ETFs-1024x576.png 1024w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/24022447/Chart-4-Dollar-ETFs-300x169.png 300w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/24022447/Chart-4-Dollar-ETFs-768x432.png 768w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/24022447/Chart-4-Dollar-ETFs-1536x864.png 1536w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/24022447/Chart-4-Dollar-ETFs.png 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a></figure>



Read Next



<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/12/42642834/market-breadth-turns-positive-after-a-rare-14-day-negative-streak-history-suggests-gains-ahead">Market Breadth Rebounds As Risk Appetite Makes A Comeback: This Analyst Predicts Gains Ahead After S&amp;P 500&#8217;s Record Negative Streak</a></li>
</ul>



Photo courtesy: Shutterstock

Analyst Color

AVGO

AXON

ONEQ

PLTR

RSPF

TRGP

USDU

XLRE

S&P 500 Hits 57 All-Time Highs In Record-Breaking 2024: Magnificent 7 Drive 30% Of Nasdaq's Surge

One of the annual traditions of Christmas for most families is the giving and receiving of gifts. While popular gift items include toys, clothes, gift cards, and money, another option is to give a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/crypto" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">gift of cryptocurrency.</a>



Here&#8217;s a look back at how much a gift of cryptocurrency for Christmas in 2023 would be worth today.



What Happened: Just<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/24/05/38778908/if-you-bought-your-mom-100-in-bitcoin-dogecoin-and-ethereum-last-mothers-day-heres-how-muc" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">&nbsp;like Mother&#8217;s Day</a>, Christmas is a holiday that could see the selection of gifts for loved ones in your family.



Giving cryptocurrency as a gift at Christmas 2023 may have been a more popular option than in 2022. The 2022 year saw several cryptocurrency platforms go bankrupt and all the major cryptocurrencies trade down on the year.



In 2023, cryptocurrencies turned around with many of the largest cryptos outperforming the top stocks and overall broad stock market.



Fast forward to 2024 and the cryptocurrency market has been surging with several of the largest cryptos hitting new all-time highs after <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/24/11/41778425/bitcoins-all-time-high-a-groundbreaking-milestone-and-strong-post-election-rally-coming-ex">the 2024 election</a>. A new White House administration has created optimism for investors and crypto advocates. 



Here&#8217;s a look back at how much three major cryptocurrencies given as gifts for Christmas 2023 would be worth today.



Read Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/24/12/42607398/dogecoin-down-17-in-one-month-will-meme-crypto-reach-25-cents-or-69-cents-first-78-of-readers-say">Dogecoin Down 17% In One Month, Will Meme Crypto Reach 25 Cents Or 69 Cents First? 78% Of Readers Say…</a>



Investing $100 in Bitcoin, Dogecoin, Ethereum:&nbsp;A popular gift amount may have been giving $100 in cryptocurrency to a loved one on Christmas Day 2023. Here&#8217;s a look at how much one could have bought of Bitcoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/btc/usd">BTC</a>), Dogecoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/doge/usd">DOGE</a>) and Ethereum (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/eth/usd">ETH</a>)&nbsp;based on the intraday high on Dec. 25, 2023.



<ul>
<li>Bitcoin: 0.0023 BTC</li>



<li>&nbsp;Dogecoin: 1,050.78 DOGE</li>



<li>&nbsp;Ethereum: 0.0434 ETH</li>
</ul>



Investing $100 in each cryptocurrency last Christmas would be worth the following based on prices at the time of writing:



<ul>
<li>Bitcoin: $225.46, +125.5%</li>



<li>&nbsp;Dogecoin: $349.17, +249.2%</li>



<li>&nbsp;Ethereum: $150.68, +50.9%</li>
</ul>



A $300 gift consisting of the three cryptocurrencies would be worth $725.32 today, an increase of 141.8%.



This return from Christmas 2023 to Christmas 2024 trumps the return of the three cryptocurrencies from Christmas 2022 to Christmas 2023 when the same $300 would have turned into $559.61 in one year, an increase of 86.5%.



Family members would likely welcome the return of any of these three cryptocurrencies over the last year.



For comparison, a $300 investment last Christmas in the&nbsp;SPDR S&amp;P 500 ETF Trust, which tracks the S&amp;P 500 Index, would be worth $379.48 today. This represents a return of 26.5%.



The holidays would likely be happier for loved ones who got cryptocurrency as a gift last year than many clothes, gift cards, cash, or stocks.



Based on Benzinga's calculations for the hypothetical investments in Bitcoin, Dogecoin and Ethereum over the last two Christmases would have turned $300 in 2022 and $300 in 2023 into $2,015.30 total. This represents a gain of 235.9% on the $600 investment over the last two Christmases.



Read Next: 



<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/education/24/12/42658677/better-christmas-gift-gamestop-stock-or-latest-video-game">Better Christmas Gift: GameStop Stock Or Latest Video Game?</a></li>
</ul>



This article was previously published by Benzinga and has been updated.



Photo by SvetlanaParnikova on Shutterstock

Education

If You Gifted Your Family $100 In Bitcoin, Dogecoin And Ethereum Last Christmas, Here's How Much They Would Have This Christmas

The year 2024 saw the U.S. stock market make new records, with major indices breaching key milestones. While many stocks witnessed a stellar rally this year, analysts still expect some blue-chip equities to rise further as they forecast a better return potential.



Dow&#8217;s Performance In 2024



The Dow Jones Industrial Average index hit a record eight 1,000-point milestones this year. It started the year around the 37,000 level and breached the 45,000 level at the beginning of December. It took only seven trading days for the index to go from 44,000 to 45,000, the second fastest 1,000-point milestone ever.



Following that the index also saw one of its longest 10-day losing streak, the first ever since 1974. These 10 days of underperformance stems from a confluence of factors. 



The Dow doesn&#8217;t include all &#8220;Magnificent 7&#8221; stocks like Tesla Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSLA#NASDAQ">TSLA</a>) and Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>) (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>). The recent inclusion of Nvidia Corporation (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>) in the Dow has also pulled the index down because of the stock&#8217;s underperformance.



Dow&#8217;s constituent UnitedHealth Group Inc (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/UNH#NYSE">UNH</a>) has experienced a substantial decline this month following the tragedy with its CEO&#8217;s shooting. Moreover, in essence, the Dow&#8217;s historical advantage of its price-weighted indexing has become a significant disadvantage in today&#8217;s market. This is because, unlike market capitalization-weighted indices, higher-priced stocks have more weight in the calculation of a price-weighted index.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Dow Jones Stocks With The Best And Worst Return Potential</h4>



Analysts still expect that a group of stocks led by Caterpillar Inc (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CAT#NYSE">CAT</a>), UnitedHealth and Sherwin-Williams Co (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SHW#NYSE">SHW</a>) within the Dow will rise even more, according to estimates compiled by <a href="https://www.benzinga.com">Benzinga</a>. Others on the list are the Amazon.com Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMZN#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>), Johnson &amp; Johnson (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/JNJ#NYSE">JNJ</a>), Chevron Corp (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CVX#NYSE">CVX</a>) and Merck &amp; Co Inc (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MRK#NYSE">MRK</a>).



To be sure, analysts keep updating their forecasts based on company performance and may change their estimates as the new earnings season begins.



Selection Criteria:



<ul>
<li>The thirty blue-chip stocks in Down Jones.</li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li>The highest and lowest return potential is based on the average 12-month target prices from <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard">Benzinga Pro data</a>.</li>
</ul>



<figure class="wp-block-table is-style-stripes"><table><tbody><tr><td>Companies</td><td>M-Cap</td><td>Highest PT ($/Share)</td><td>Lowest PT ($/Share)</td><td>Consensus PT ($/Share)</td><td>Upside/Downside Potential</td></tr><tr><td>Caterpillar Inc (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CAT#NYSE">CAT</a>)</td><td>176.73B</td><td>515</td><td>174</td><td>331.35</td><td>31.68%</td></tr><tr><td>UnitedHealth Group Inc (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/UNH#NYSE">UNH</a>)</td><td>460.26B</td><td>675</td><td>460</td><td>608.16</td><td>28.95%</td></tr><tr><td>Sherwin-Williams Co (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SHW#NYSE">SHW</a>)</td><td>86.71B</td><td>450</td><td>249</td><td>371.19</td><td>24.08%</td></tr><tr><td>Amazon.com Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMZN#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>)</td><td>2,365.04B</td><td>290</td><td>197</td><td>247.05</td><td>23.82%</td></tr><tr><td>Johnson &amp; Johnson (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/JNJ#NYSE">JNJ</a>)</td><td>347.83B</td><td>215</td><td>40</td><td>168</td><td>22.41%</td></tr><tr><td>Chevron Corp (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CVX#NYSE">CVX</a>)</td><td>256.71B</td><td>212</td><td>160</td><td>179.36</td><td>21.42%</td></tr><tr><td>Merck &amp; Co Inc (NYSE: MRK</td><td>248.03B</td><td>155</td><td>104</td><td>126.24</td><td>20.76%</td></tr><tr><td>Salesforce Inc. (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/crm#NYSE">CRM</a>)</td><td>328.87B</td><td>450</td><td>236</td><td>378.52</td><td>20.60%</td></tr><tr><td>Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>)</td><td>3,246.07B</td><td>600</td><td>465</td><td>508</td><td>18.21%</td></tr><tr><td>Visa Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/V#NYSE">V</a>)</td><td>622.63B</td><td>375</td><td>252</td><td>318.42</td><td>17.69%</td></tr></tbody></table><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Source: Benzinga.com (Data as of Dec. 22, 2024)</figcaption></figure>



See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/12/42430296/carson-researchs-50-year-study-suggests-that-the-26-months-old-bull-market-is-far-from-over">Is The 26-Month Bull Market Over? Here Is What Carson Research&#8217;s 50-Year Old Study Tells Us</a>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Caterpillar Inc</h3>



<ul>
<li>Caterpillar Inc (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CAT#NYSE">CAT</a>) has the highest return potential of 31.68% among the Dow Jones constituents.</li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li>The 28 analysts tracking the company have a consensus price target of $331.35 per share, according to <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/CAT/analyst-ratings">Benzinga</a>. </li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li>Truist Securities&#8217; Jamie Cook raised the price target from $454 to $471 per share on Dec. 19, 2024 as he expects significant investments in infrastructure, likely driven by government initiatives and private sector projects to fuel demand for Caterpillar&#8217;s equipment.</li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li>Citigroup analyst Kyle Menges maintained a &#8216;buy&#8217; rating on the company and raised the price target from $435 to $460 apiece on Dec. 9, 2024.</li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li>On Dec. 9, JPMorgan analyst Tami Zakaria also reaffirmed her bullish stance on Caterpillar, maintaining a &#8216;buy&#8217; rating on the stock. Concurrently, she raised the firm&#8217;s price target for Caterpillar from $500 to $515 per share.</li>
</ul>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">UnitedHealth Group</h3>



<ul>
<li>UnitedHealth Group Inc (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/UNH#NYSE">UNH</a>) has the second highest return potential of 28.95% among the Dow Jones constituents.</li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li>The 26 analysts tracking the company have a consensus price target of $331.35 per share, according to <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/UNH/analyst-ratings">Benzinga</a>.</li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li>Oppenheimer raised its price target to $640 from $610 apiece on Dec.6, 2024. The primary reason for the price target increase is that the Oppenheimer analyst is updating their financial model. This update appears to be based solely on the publicly available information disclosed by UnitedHealth in their 8-K filing.</li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li>Stephens &amp; Co raised its target price to $675 from $605 per share on Dec. 5, 2024, after conducting a detailed review of the 2025 guidance metrics that UnitedHealth had shared before the fatal shooting of CEO Brian Thompson that led to the cancellation of their investor conference.</li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li>Deutsche Bank also increased its target from $595 to $625 apiece as it believes investor positioning into the event is mostly neutral to positive, with almost no one expecting a negative revision versus the third quarter outlook.</li>
</ul>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Sherwin-Williams Company</h3>



<ul>
<li>Sherwin-Williams Co (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SHW#NYSE">SHW</a>) has a return potential of 24.08% going into 2025.</li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li>A consensus price target of $371.19 per share was maintained by 25 analysts that track the company, as per <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/SHW/analyst-ratings">Benzinga</a>. </li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li>Greg Melich from Evercore ISI raised the price target of the Ohio-based paints, coatings and related products manufacturer to $420 from $400 per share on Nov. 7, 2024.</li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li>RBC Capital&#8217;s Arun Viswanathan lowered his target on the company from $455 to $446 per share on Oct. 24, 2024. While acknowledging that third-quarter results might not have met investor expectations, Viswanathan emphasized the company&#8217;s potential for market share gains and the positive impact of its upcoming price increase scheduled for January 2025.</li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li>Citigroup adjusted its price target from $430 to $420 apiece on Oct. 24 as it anticipates choppy demand in the first half of 2025, which could hinder the rapid pass-through of interest rate cuts.</li>
</ul>



See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/24/11/42383725/trump-administrations-deregulation-efforts-to-lift-energy-oil-and-gas-sectors-ai-frenzy-to-aid-faang-stocks-and-nvidia-says-fintech-insider">Trump&#8217;s Deregulation Efforts To Benefit Energy, Oil And Gas Sectors, While AI Frenzy Will Boost FAANG Stocks And Nvidia, Says Fintech Insider</a>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Amazon.com Inc</h3>



<ul>
<li>Amazon.com Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMZN#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>) has a return potential of 23.82% going into 2025.</li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li>A consensus price target of $247.05 per share was maintained by 39 analysts that track the company, as per <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/AMZN/analyst-ratings">Benzinga</a>. </li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li>Tigress Financial&#8217;s Ivan Feinseth umped is price target from $245 to $290 apiece on Dec.20, 2024 as it believes Amazon is well-positioned for continued success, driven by robust retail trends, effective utilization of generative AI and its fulfillment network, and the strategic integration of AI across its entire business.</li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li>The expectations of strong long-term growth driven by operational efficiency and sustained momentum across its business segments led Bernstein to raise its target price from $235 to $265 per share on Dec. 18, 2024.</li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li>According to JPMorgan analyst Douglas Anmuth, Amazon is a best idea for 2025, and confidence in AWS growth in the months to come is a major reason for that. He raised its target price from $250 to $280 apiece on Dec. 18, 2024.</li>
</ul>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Johnson &amp; Johnson</h3>



<ul>
<li>Johnson &amp; Johnson (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/JNJ#NYSE">JNJ</a>) has the fifth highest return potential in Dow of 22.41% going into 2025.</li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li>The 21 analysts tracking the company have a consensus price target of $168 apiece, according to <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/JNJ/analyst-ratings">Benzinga</a>. </li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li>Citigroup&#8217;s Joanne Wuensch lowered Johnson &amp; Johnson&#8217;s price target from $185 to $175 per share while maintaining a &#8216;buy&#8217; rating on Dec. 11, 2024.</li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li>BofA Securities reinstated coverage of Johnson &amp; Johnson with a &#8216;neutral&#8217; rating and a $166 price target on Dec. 10, 2024. BofA notes that J&amp;J&#8217;s current valuation premium to peers may limit upside potential. However, the analyst acknowledges a &#8220;fairly interesting&#8221; pipeline and anticipates that resolving the talc litigation in 2025 would be beneficial. This analysis was part of BofA&#8217;s broader coverage initiation of 11 large-cap U.S. pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.</li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li>Wolfe Research analyst Alexandria Hammond commenced coverage of Johnson &amp; Johnson with an &#8216;outperform&#8217; recommendation and established a price target of $190 per share on Nov. 15, 2024</li>
</ul>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Chevron Corporation</h3>



<ul>
<li>Chevron Corporation (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CVX#NYSE">CVX</a>) has a return potential of 21.42% going into 2025.</li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li>The 24 analysts tracking the company have a consensus price target of $179.36 apiece, according to <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/CVX/analyst-ratings">Benzinga</a>.</li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li>Piper Sandler analyst Ryan Todd reduced his price target on the company from $184 to $173 per share on Dec. 19, 2024, while maintaining a &#8216;buy&#8217; rating. Piper Sandler suggests the valuation gap between Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XOM#NYSE">XOM</a>) and Chevron implies a probability of over 65% of the Hess Corporation (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/HES#NYSE">HES</a>) deal failing out. This scenario presents a potential 15%-25% upside, while a successful deal offers a 5%-10% downside ahead of the upcoming arbitration.</li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li>Despite this deal uncertainty, Piper expects Chevron to deliver strong portfolio performance in 2025, driven by project starts and controlled capital expenditures. This is projected to result in a significant free cash flow increase of $6-$7 billion.</li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li>Wells Fargo analyst Roger Read raised his target price from $171 to $188 apiece on Dec. 9, 2024</li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li>Truist Securities raised its price target on Chevron to $160 from $155 while maintaining a &#8216;hold&#8217; rating, on Dec. 6, 2024. The analyst highlights Chevron&#8217;s significant inventory, including ample royalties, and expects improved capital efficiency to drive a cash flow inflection in the coming year.</li>
</ul>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Merck &amp; Co Inc</h3>



<ul>
<li>Merck &amp; Co Inc (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MRK#NYSE">MRK</a>) has the seventh highest return potential in Dow of 20.76% going into 2025.</li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li>The 27 analysts tracking the company have a consensus price target of $126.24 apiece, according to <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/MRK/analyst-ratings">Benzinga</a>.</li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li>BMO Capital Markets downgraded Merck to &#8216;market perform&#8217; from &#8216;outperform&#8217; lowering the price target from $136 to $105 apiece, on Dec. 20, 2024. The downgrade reflects concerns about the company&#8217;s Gardasil franchise in China and the potential revenue gap as Keytruda faces increased competition from biosimilars and generic drugs.</li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li>Tim Anderson from BofA Securities maintains his bullish stance on Merck with a &#8216;buy&#8217; rating, while adjusting the price target downward to $121 from $127 per share, on Dec. 10, 2024.</li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li>Truist analyst Robyn Karnauskas reaffirms a &#8216;buy&#8217; rating for Merck on Nov. 7, 2024, but lowers the price target to $130 from $132 apiece.</li>
</ul>



Read Next:



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Photo courtesy: Shutterstock

Long Ideas

Top 7 Blue-Chip Stocks With The Best Return Potential Going Into 2025

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) has expressed his disdain for billionaires, including Elon Musk, influencing elections and has called for an immediate ban on Super PACs by the Democratic National Committee.



What Happened: On Christmas Eve, Sanders took to X to voice his concerns about the role of billionaires in swaying elections. He specifically mentioned Musk, who has been previously criticized for his hefty campaign contributions. Sanders&#8217; post read, &#8220;The American people are disgusted with Musk and other billionaires buying elections. We must not only fight to end Citizens United. We must demand that the DNC ban Super PACs NOW in Democratic primaries.&#8221;



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">The American people are disgusted with Musk and other billionaires buying elections. We must not only fight to end Citizens United. We must demand that the DNC ban Super PACs NOW in Democratic primaries.&mdash; Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) <a href="https://twitter.com/BernieSanders/status/1871320030769758364?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 23, 2024</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



In the past, Sanders has been vocal about his concerns regarding the influence of big money in politics. He has repeatedly called for an end to Citizens United and Super PACs, advocating for public funding of elections instead.



The Citizens United decision, issued by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2010, ruled that laws preventing corporations and labor unions from making independent political expenditures violated the First Amendment&#8217;s free speech protections.



See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/12/42654769/tiktok-ban-under-trump-president-elect-wants-to-keep-months-after-pelosi-said-follow-the-money?itm_source=parsely-api" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">TikTok Ban Under Trump? President-Elect Reconsiders As Pelosi Says &#8216;Follow The Money&#8217;</a>



Why It Matters: Sanders&#8217; recent post comes in the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/07/39807458/bernie-sanders-slams-elon-musks-reported-45m-donations-to-trump-campaign-we-need-a-government-that-r">wake of his criticism</a> of Musk&#8217;s reported monthly donations of $45 million to the Trump campaign. He stressed the importance of overturning Citizens United and transitioning to publicly funded elections to ensure a government that represents all citizens, not just billionaires.



The Vermont senator had previously expressed concern over the defeat of Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.) in a primary election, attributing it to the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/08/40273794/bernie-sanders-calls-for-end-to-super-pacs-billionaires-buying-elections-is-not-what-this-country-is">influence</a> of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee's Super PAC, United Democracy Project.



According to Sanders, just 150 billionaire families <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/personal-finance/24/12/42463691/just-150-billionaire-families-spent-nearly-2-billion-on-elections-bernie-sanders-says-we-live-in-an-oligarchy-heres-what-he-proposes">spent almost $2 billion</a> in the 2024 elections, further emphasizing his argument that the U.S. is becoming an oligarchy.



Did You Know?



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<li>Congress Is Making Huge Investments. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/gov-trades">Get Tips On What They Bought And Sold Ahead Of The 2024 Election With Our Easy-to-Use Tool</a></li>
</ul>



This story was generated using <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/benzinga-neuro">Benzinga Neuro</a> and edited by <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/shivdeep-dhaliwal" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Shivdeep Dhaliwal</a>

Politics

Bernie Sanders: 'The American People Are Disgusted With Musk' — Calls On Democrats To End Super PACs In Primaries

Kevin O'Leary, known for his straightforward attitude on Shark Tank, recently stated that you don't have to love Donald Trump to appreciate his policies. In a recent <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAEDN5TLnmY">appearance</a> on Fox Business, O'Leary praised the president-elect&#8217;s pro-business strategies, saying they are exactly what America needs to boost the economy and create jobs.



O'Leary is working on a massive project in Alberta, Canada – supposedly the world's largest AI data center. However, his attention is equally focused on the U.S., where he believes Trump's policies could fast-track similar ventures. Trump recently promised expedited permits for large infrastructure projects, something O'Leary says would be a game-changer.



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"If he can deliver that," O'Leary said, "it's going to bring capital back to the United States." He explained that permitting delays often scare off investors and stall big projects. By cutting red tape, Trump's plan could open the floodgates for investment, particularly in the energy and tech sectors, per O&#8217;Leary.



The <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/real-estate/24/12/42486613/kevin-oleary-has-recently-noted-the-increasing-demand-for-data-centers-describing-them-as-a-notable-combination-of-real-estate-and-technology-with-considerable-potential">AI data center</a> he is building in Canada will rely on natural gas turbines for power, an interim solution until nuclear energy becomes more viable. He is also exploring similar projects in West Virginia and North Dakota but says U.S. permitting delays are a major hurdle.



According to O'Leary, Trump's promise to simplify the permitting process is exactly what is needed to turn these ideas into reality.



Trending: It&#8217;s no wonder Jeff Bezos holds over $70 million in art — <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/masterworks">this alternative asset has outpaced the S&amp;P 500 since 1995, delivering an average annual return of 11.4%. Here&#8217;s how everyday investors are getting started.</a>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Jobs and Economic Growth</h2>



O'Leary also believes that policies promoting infrastructure and energy projects will create significant jobs. "This is what we need," he said. "You can still hate Trump, but you've got to love his policies because that will bring jobs to these states."



O'Leary argues that these initiatives can breathe new life into local economies by cutting through bureaucracy and encouraging private investment. He is particularly optimistic about how such policies can attract capital, boost industries and ultimately create long-term stability.



Critics fear that cutting corners on permits could result in problems for the environment and public safety. Some contend that these rules prioritize corporations over regular citizens. O&#8217;Leary, however, is adamant and emphasizes the necessity of bold action to boost businesses and lessen supposed dependency on imported energy.



See Also: Maker of the $60,000 foldable home has 3 factory buildings, 600+ houses built, and big plans to solve housing —<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/boxabl"> you can become an investor for $0.80 per share today.</a>



O'Leary is focused on outcomes. For him, it is not about politics – it is about what works. Whether AI data centers in Canada or energy projects in the U.S., he sees Trump's business-first approach as a blueprint for success.



In October, O'Leary also <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/startups/24/11/41750727/kevin-oleary-supports-elon-musks-2-trillion-plan-to-slash-government-spending-with-trumps-backing-it">weighed in on Elon Musk's ambitious $2 trillion plan</a> to slash federal spending. Backed by Trump, Musk is proposed to lead the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in Trump&#8217;s second term. O'Leary called for Musk's cost-cutting expertise to be unleashed across federal agencies. "Let them in there and come back with a shopping list of ideas and let's debate it. Why not? We need to find some savings," he said.



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Kevin O'Leary Says, 'You Can Hate Trump, But You've Got To Love His Policies' – They Will 'Bring Jobs'

In 2015, Australian prospector David Hole searched for gold in Maryborough Regional Park, near Melbourne, with his metal detector. While this wasn't an unusual outing for the prospector, what he discovered was. He unearthed an unusually heavy reddish rock, which he suspected was a <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/24/08/40457722/gold-is-getting-its-moment-in-the-sun-and-experts-say-the-record-high-prices-could-">gold nugget</a> at the time.&nbsp;



He took the rock home and tried everything to crack it open – saws, hammers, even acid—but nothing worked. Years later, he took the rock to the Melbourne Museum to have them identify it. To his astonishment, geologists revealed that this "rock" was no rock at all but a rare 4.6 billion-year-old meteorite.&nbsp;



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Named after the park where it was found, the Maryborough meteorite weighs 17 kilograms (about 37.5 pounds) and has been identified as an H5 ordinary chondrite. According to Museums Victoria, this means that it contains chondrules, which are tiny crystallized droplets of metallic minerals that formed during the early stages of the solar system.&nbsp;



Museums Victoria geologist Dermot Henry told The Sydney Morning Herald that the meteorite's sculpted, dimpled surface was formed as it burned through the Earth's atmosphere. Henry, who has examined thousands of suspected meteorites throughout his decades-long career, commented that only two of the rocks he's examined turned out to be real meteorites and this was one of them.&nbsp;



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Researchers who have studied the meteorite determined its unique composition includes a high percentage of iron and other elements that can only be found in <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/space/24/12/42612382/spacex-to-launch-2-more-private-astronaut-missions-to-iss">space</a>. According to Museums Victoria, the meteorite likely originated in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.&nbsp;



Carbon dating suggests that the Maryborough meteorite landed on Earth between 100 and 1,000 years ago. Historical records of meteor sightings near Maryborough, dating back to 1889, may provide clues about its arrival.&nbsp;



Meteorites like this offer invaluable insights into the formation and evolution of the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/05/38792088/expert-says-stunning-solar-activity-might-be-a-wake-up-call-for-earths-power-grids">solar system</a>. "They transport us back in time, providing clues to the age, formation and chemistry of our solar system (including Earth)," Henry said in a media release from Museums Victoria.&nbsp;



According to Science Alert, the Maryborough meteorite is one of only 17 recorded in Victoria, making it far rarer than gold. It is also the second largest meteorite discovered in the area, second only to a 55-kilogram specimen identified in 2003.&nbsp;



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While experts haven't assigned a precise monetary value to the meteorite, they state that its rarity and scientific significance make it far more valuable than gold—it's priceless.&nbsp;



What began as a quest for gold ended with identifying a cosmic artifact that has survived billions of years and countless celestial events.



The Maryborough meteorite is now part of Museums Victoria's collection, which continues to captivate visitors and researchers alike. It was displayed at the Melbourne Museum during National Science Week, offering the public a chance to marvel at a tangible piece of the cosmos.



For those with a keen eye for unusual finds, this story serves as a reminder: the next time you encounter an unusually heavy, hard-to-break rock, it might just be a fragment of space waiting to share its story.



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Startups

Man Keeps 17-Kilogram Rock For Years, Thinking It's Gold – Turns Out It's A 4.6 Billion-Year-Old Meteorite Worth Much More

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