Robinhood Markets (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/HOOD#NASDAQ">HOOD</a>) reported fourth-quarter financial results <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/earnings">Wednesday after market close.</a>



Here are the key highlights.



What Happened: Robinhood reported fourth-quarter revenue of $1.01 billion, up 115% year-over-year and a new company record. The revenue figure beat a Street consensus estimate of $944.62 million according to data <a href="https://bzresearch.myclickfunnels.com/benzinga-pro-content-webinar-registration/?utm_source=BZprocontent021225&amp;t=be2bearmibe3na1">from Benzinga Pro.</a>



The company reported record quarterly earnings per share of $1.01, beating a Street consensus estimate of 43 cents per share.



Transaction-based revenue was $672 million in the fourth quarter, up over 200% year-over-year. This total came from the following:



<ul>
<li>Cryptocurrency revenues: $358 million, up over 700% year-over-year</li>



<li>Options revenue: $222 million, up 83% year-over-year</li>



<li>Equities revenue: $61 million, up 144% year-over-year</li>
</ul>



Robinhood net deposits hit a record $16 billion in the fourth quarter.



Crypto notional volumes were up more than 400% year-over-year in the fourth quarter, reaching $71 billion.



The company said its Robinhood Gold subscribers were up 86% year-over-year to a record 2.6 million members in the fourth quarter.



Adjusted EBITDA was up 300% year-over-year in the fourth quarter to a record $613 million.



"We hit the gas on product development in 2024 with a new platform for active traders, Gold Card launch, an expanded UK and EU product suite, and much more," Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev said.



Robinhood chief financial officer Jason Warnick said the fourth quarter was full of broken records with "new highs for Assets Under Custody, Net Deposits, Gold Subscribers, Revenues, Net Income, Adjusted EBITDA and EPS."



The company ended the quarter with 25.2 million funded customers, up 8% year-over-year and 26.2 million investment accounts, up 10% year-over-year.



For the full fiscal year, Robinhood had revenue of $2.95 billion, up 58% year-over-year. The company had full-year earnings per share of $1.56, up from a loss of 61 cents per share in 2023.



Read Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/43641644/robinhood-q4-earnings-preview-can-company-rebound-from-q3-miss-key-items-to-watch">Robinhood Q4 Earnings Preview: Can Company Rebound From Q3 Miss? Key Items To Watch</a>



What's Next: The company said it is not providing guidance for 2025 total operating expenses. The company's guidance for adjusted operating expenses and SBC is $2.0 billion to $2.1 billion for fiscal 2025.



Robinhood's 2025 expense plan includes growth investments in new products, international expansion and increasing efficiency. The adjusted operating expenses does not include costs related to acquisition of TradePMR or Bitstamp. The company said it expects the acquisition of Bitstamp to close in the first half of 2025.



"We see a huge opportunity ahead of us as we work toward enabling anyone, anywhere, to buy, sell, or hold any financial asset and conduct any financial transaction through Robinhood," Tenev said.



Warnick said Robinhood is entering 2025 "with strong momentum" and is focused on another year "of profitable growth."



HOOD Price Action: Robinhood stock is up 6% to $59.49 in after-hours trading Wednesday versus a 52-week trading range of $11.43 to 57.27.



Read Next: 



<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/technicals/25/02/43668104/robinhood-stock-holds-bullish-trend-as-q4-earnings-approach">Robinhood Stock Holds Bullish Trend As Q4 Earnings Approach</a></li>
</ul>



Photo: Shutterstock

Earnings

News

Movers

Trading Ideas

HOOD

Robinhood Q4 Earnings Highlights: Record Revenue, EPS Beat Analyst Estimates, Crypto Revenue Up 700%+

A high-stakes call between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin sent shockwaves through markets, dragging down oil prices and U.S. defense stocks as investors reacted to Trump's surprise announcement of imminent peace negotiations to end <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/ukraine">the war in Ukraine.</a>



The West Texas Intermediate light crude – as tracked by the United States Oil Fund (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/USO#NYSE">USO</a>) – tumbled by 2.7% by 3:10 p.m. ET in New York, heading for its worst session since late November 2024.



Trump posted Wednesday on Truth Social that he had &#8220;a lengthy and highly productive&#8221; conversation with Putin, with the two leaders discussing &#8220;Ukraine, the Middle East, Energy, Artificial Intelligence, the power of the Dollar, and various other subjects.&#8221;



Trump added that he had directed his top officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, National Security Advisor Michael Waltz and Ambassador and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff to lead negotiations.



Putin reportedly responded positively to the discussions and expressed willingness to cooperate. 



This decision follows a high-profile <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/global/25/02/43643471/trump-administration-secures-release-of-cannabis-prisoner-marc-fogel-from-14-year-russian-sentence">prisoner exchange</a> between Washington and Moscow. On Tuesday, Russia released American teacher Marc Fogel after three years of detention, while the U.S. freed Russian cybercriminal Alexander Vinnik.



Read Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/global/25/02/43643471/trump-administration-secures-release-of-cannabis-prisoner-marc-fogel-from-14-year-russian-sentence">Trump Administration Secures Release Of Cannabis Prisoner Marc Fogel From 14-Year Russian Sentence</a>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">What's Next For Ukraine And NATO?</h3>



The reaction from Kyiv remains cautious. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also confirmed he had a "meaningful" conversation with Trump following the talks the U.S. President had with Putin.



&#8220;No one wants peace more than Ukraine. Together with the U.S., we are charting our next steps to stop Russian aggression and ensure a lasting, reliable peace,&#8221; Zelenskyy stated. 



The Ukrainian leader highlighted that Ukraine remains committed to defending its sovereignty.



Zelenskyy also met with Secretary of Security Scott Bessent, marking Bessent's first international visit. The two discussed preparing a new document outlining security, economic cooperation and resource partnerships.



Zelenskyy stressed the importance of preventing Moscow and its allies from gaining control over Ukraine and underscored the need for unified action across the free world.



"We expect to make progress by the Munich Security Conference," Zelenskyy said.



<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">I had a meeting with <a href="https://twitter.com/SecScottBessent?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecScottBessent</a>—his first international visit, which was to Ukraine. We value our partnership with the United States, are grateful for the support in defending our independence, and strive to expand our joint capabilities—especially in security. Security… <a href="https://t.co/Px2VQ0Cnv0">pic.twitter.com/Px2VQ0Cnv0</a>&mdash; Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) <a href="https://twitter.com/ZelenskyyUa/status/1889747140039311417?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 12, 2025</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Stock Market Reactions</h3>



Investors viewed the move as a sign of easing geopolitical tensions and a possible decrease in U.S. government spending on defense contractors.



The Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XLE#NYSE">XLE</a>), representing major U.S. energy companies, tumbled by 2.24% on Wednesday, weighed down by lower oil prices. 



Shares of major U.S. defense contractors experienced marginal declines amid expectations of reduced defense spending following the potential de-escalation in Ukraine. 



Lockheed Martin Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/LMT#NYSE">LMT</a>) was down by 1.4% to $443.30, Northrop Grumman Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NOC#NYSE">NOC</a>) eased by 0.5% to $471.70 and General Dynamics Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GD#NYSE">GD</a>) dropped by 1.86% to $252.21.



Read now: 



<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/etfs/broad-u-s-equity-etfs/25/02/43667841/inflation-runs-hot-in-january-houston-we-have-a-problem-experts-warn">Inflation Runs Hot In January: &#8216;Houston, We Have A Problem,&#8217; Experts Warn</a></li>
</ul>



Photo: Shutterstock

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Commodities

Global

Econ #s

Economics

ETFs

Trump-Putin 'Highly Productive' Call Sparks Oil Sell-Off As Investors Eye Geopolitical De-Escalation

Sports betting and iGaming company DraftKings Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DKNG#NASDAQ">DKNG</a>) could provide updated guidance after a Super Bowl outcome that may have been favorable to the sector when the company reports fourth-quarter financial results Thursday <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/earnings">after market close.</a>



 Earnings Estimates: Analysts expect DraftKings to report fourth-quarter revenue of $1.43 billion, up from $1.23 billion in last year's fourth quarter according to data <a href="https://bzresearch.myclickfunnels.com/benzinga-pro-content-webinar-registration/?utm_source=BZprocontent021225&amp;t=be2bearmibe3na1">from Benzinga Pro.</a>



The revenue estimate would mark a record for the company and come after DraftKings missed analyst estimates for revenue in two straight quarters. The company has beaten revenue estimates in seven of the last 10 quarters.



Analysts expect DraftKings to report a loss of 15 cents per share in the fourth quarter, down from a profit of 29 cents in last year's fourth quarter. The company has been profitable in four of the last six quarters.



While DraftKings missed revenue estimates in recent quarters, the company has a streak of beating analyst earnings per share estimates in 11 straight quarters.



Read Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/sports/25/02/43637086/super-bowl-lix-sets-viewership-record-how-many-watched-nfl-championship-kendrick-lamars-halftime">Super Bowl LIX Sets Viewership Record: How Many Watched NFL Championship, Kendrick Lamar&#8217;s Halftime</a>



What Analysts Are Saying: A new investor note from Bank of America calls Super Bowl LIX good for the sportsbooks like DraftKings.



While Super Bowl LIX won't factor into the fourth-quarter results, the big NFL event could factor into 2025 guidance and forward-looking commentary from the company.



"Big Game = Big win for the birds and the books," Bank of America said.



GeoComply, which verifies bettors locations, said reporting activity was up 14% year-over-year for Super Bowl LIX. Betting handle in New Jersey was up 19% year-over-year.



"We think the ability to grow double-digits during the biggest event of the year is impressive and could help assuage concerns of slowing handle."



Sportsbooks also benefitted from the Super Bowl LIX outcome according to the Bank of America note. As Benzinga previously reported, sportsbooks favored an outcome where the Eagles won and the over/under was under 48.5 points. While the point total hit the over, the Eagles won the game, ending many future bets on a Chiefs three-peat.



Sportsbooks may have also benefitted from player props with Saquon Barkley and Travis Kelce not getting touchdowns as two of the most bet on anytime TD players.



Bank of America estimates that Super Bowl LIX could add $20 million to $25 million of EBITDA to DraftKings for fiscal 2025.



The report said that DraftKings led the sports betting sector for downloads on Super Bowl Sunday and new download share.



While the report points to several positives for DraftKings, analysts at Bank of America see headwinds from higher taxes in some states and a lack of regulatory certainty on new state legalizations.



"Despite the solid start to 2025, we don't expect DKNG to raise their FY guidance given regulatory uncertainty."



Bank of America analyst Shaun Kelly has a Buy rating and $54 price target on DraftKings.



Here are the recent <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/DKNG/analyst-ratings">analyst ratings on DraftKings</a> and their price targets:



<ul>
<li>Needham: Reiterated Buy rating, with $60 price target</li>



<li>TD Cowen: Maintained Buy rating, lowered price target from $55 to $51</li>



<li>Susquehanna: Maintained Positive rating, lowered price target from $56 to $54</li>



<li>Benchmark: Reiterated Buy rating, with $44 price target</li>
</ul>



Key Items to Watch: DraftKings fourth quarter includes the months of October, November and December, which is prime NFL season for bettors.



The company already <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/earnings/24/11/41826834/draftkings-q3-highlights-revenue-miss-2024-guidance-trim-first-2025-outlook-ceo-reaffirms-focus-on-">announced an adjustment </a>to its 2024 guidance due to some unfavorable periods of outcomes for the sportsbook that favored bettors for NFL games.



Investors and analysts will be looking to see how the final figures came out for the quarter and how much of an impact NFL favorites winning so many games had on the sportsbook.



Guidance for 2025 and positive commentary on Super Bowl LIX will likely be the items that could move the stock after earnings.



DraftKings could also share more color on how other sports outside of the NFL are performing and what the next few months without football could mean.



DKNG Price Action: DraftKings stock is up 3.5% to $28.69 on Wednesday versus a 52-week trading range of $28.69 to $49.57. DraftKings stock is up 3% over the past year.



Read Next: 



<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/43608426/super-bowl-lix-rematch-again-sportsbooks-list-eagles-chiefs-as-top-favorites-for-super-bowl-lx">Super Bowl LIX Rematch Again? Sportsbooks List Eagles, Chiefs As Top Favorites For Super Bowl LX</a></li>
</ul>



Photo: Shutterstock

Analyst Color

Sports Betting

Price Target

Previews

Reiteration

Analyst Ratings

DKNG

DraftKings Q4 Earnings Preview: Analyst Says Super Bowl LIX = 'Big Win For The Birds And The Books'

Shares of Fidelity National Information Services, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/FIS#NYSE">FIS</a>) are quiet Wednesday. This follows yesterday&#8217;s sell-off of 11.5%. The shares closed <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/43671119/analysts-lower-price-forecasts-for-fidelity-national-amid-banking-revenue-miss-details">around the $73 level</a>.



In financial markets, some price levels are more important for stocks than others and this is the case with the $73 level for Fidelity National. This is why it is our <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/stock-of-the-day">Stock of the Day</a>.



This level was resistance for the stock in March and April 2024. There was a large amount of sell interest at this level. Every time the stock rallied to it, the sellers overpowered the buyers and pushed the shares lower.



But in May 2024, the buyers finally took out the resistance and the price moved higher. When this happened, many who sold regretted their decision to do so and decided to buy their shares back if they could at the same price they were sold for.



So, when the stock returned to this level in June 2024, they placed buy orders. And there were so many of these orders, that it created support.



Read Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/etfs/new-etfs/25/02/43663523/new-treasury-etfs-target-liquidity-as-vanguard-expands-fixed-income-lineup">New Treasury ETFs Target Liquidity As Vanguard Expands Fixed-Income Lineup</a>



Seller's remorse can turn price levels that had been resistance into support. This happens if there are enough remorseful sellers placing buy orders at the price that had previously been resistance.



The same type of price action occurred at the $77.50 level. It was resistance from June 2024 through August 2024. Then it converted into a support level in January 2025.



Seller's remorse can also keep support levels intact for an extended period of time.



The $67.50 level was support in March 2024. Then it became support again in May 2024.



This happened because a number of the traders and investors who sold in March came to regret doing so when the price rallied soon after. Some decided that if they can buy their shares back at the same price they were sold for, they would.



When the stock returned to this level in May, they placed buy orders. And there were so many that it created support at the same price that had been support before.



As you can see on the chart below, yesterday's massive selloff came to an end when Fidelity National reached levels around $67.50. This wasn't a coincidence. It's an example of a stock finding support at a price level that had been support in the past.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="548" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/12145053/116-1024x548.png" alt="" class="wp-image-779545" srcset="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/12145053/116-1024x548.png 1024w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/12145053/116-300x161.png 300w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/12145053/116-768x411.png 768w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/12145053/116.png 1524w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



The best traders know that some price levels are more important than others. This allowed them to profit on yesterday's selloff because they could sense where the stock would find a bottom. If a stock is in decline, there is a good chance it will at a price that had previously been support or resistance.



Read Next: 



<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/etfs/broad-u-s-equity-etfs/25/02/43667841/inflation-runs-hot-in-january-houston-we-have-a-problem-experts-warn">Inflation Runs Hot In January: &#8216;Houston, We Have A Problem,&#8217; Experts Warn</a></li>
</ul>



Image: Shutterstock

Technicals

Stock Of The Day: Seller's Remorse Leads To Profits For Some Traders In Fidelity National

A hotter-than-expected inflation report initially rattled markets on Wednesday morning, but investors found confidence to buy the dip, helping major indexes recover most losses by <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/government/regulations/25/02/43656846/inflation-rises-more-than-expected-in-january-chills-interest-rate-cut-hopes">midday trading in New York.</a>



The S&amp;P 500 was down 0.2%, while the Nasdaq 100 was flat, both rebounding from sharp declines following the January Consumer Price Index report. Small-cap stocks underperformed, with the Russell 2000 slipping 0.8%.



The headline CPI rose 3% year over year in January, surpassing both December's 2.9% reading and economist forecasts of 2.9%. On a monthly basis, inflation increased 0.5%, outpacing expectations of 0.3% and accelerating from December's 0.4% gain. This marked the fastest monthly inflation rate since August 2023.



Core inflation, which excludes food and energy, climbed to 3.3% year over year from 3.2% in December. On a monthly basis, core CPI increased 0.4%, exceeding estimates of 0.3% and doubling December's 0.2% rise.



Treasuries and interest rate markets reacted sharply to the inflation data. Traders scaled back expectations for Federal Reserve rate cuts, now projecting only one reduction by December 2025.



Treasury yields surged, reflecting heightened investor uncertainty. The 10-year Treasury yield jumped 10 basis points to 4.64%. The iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TLT#NASDAQ">TLT</a>) fell 1%.



Despite rising Treasury yields and a stronger dollar, gold edged up 0.2% to $2,910 per ounce. Oil prices dropped 2% after reports that Donald Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin, fueling speculation about a potential ceasefire in Ukraine.



Bitcoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/btc/usd">BTC</a>) also rebounded from earlier session losses.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Wednesday&#8217;s Performance In Major US Indices, ETFs</h3>



<figure class="wp-block-table is-style-stripes"><table style="overflow:auto; height: 90px; display: block;"><tbody><tr><td>Major Indices</td><td>Price</td><td>1-day %chg</td></tr><tr><td>Nasdaq 100</td><td>21,688.40</td><td>0.0%</td></tr><tr><td>S&amp;P 500</td><td>6,056.85</td><td>-0.2%</td></tr><tr><td>Dow Jones</td><td>44,411.00</td><td>-0.4%</td></tr><tr><td>Russell 2000</td><td>2,257.59</td><td>-0.8%</td></tr></tbody></table><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Updated at 12:45 p.m. ET</figcaption></figure>



According to&nbsp;<a href="https://bzresearch.myclickfunnels.com/benzinga-pro-content-webinar-registration/?utm_source=BZprocontent020325&amp;t=be2bearmibe3na1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Pro</a>&nbsp;data:



<ul>
<li>The&nbsp;SPDR S&amp;P 500 ETF Trust (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SPY#NYSE">SPY</a>)&nbsp;inched 0.2% down to $603.77.</li>



<li>The&nbsp;SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average&nbsp;(NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DIA#NYSE">DIA</a>) was 0.4% down to $444.41.</li>



<li>The tech-heavy&nbsp;Invesco QQQ Trust Series&nbsp;(NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QQQ#NASDAQ">QQQ</a>)&nbsp;flattened at $528.09.</li>



<li>The&nbsp;iShares Russell 2000 ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/IWM#NYSE">IWM</a>) eased 0.8% to $224.</li>



<li>The&nbsp;Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XLY#NYSE">XLY</a>) outperformed, up 0.4%; the&nbsp;Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund&nbsp;(NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XLE#NYSE">XLE</a>) lagged, down 1.2%.</li>
</ul>



Wednesday&#8217;s Stock Movers



<ul>
<li>Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSLA#NASDAQ">TSLA</a>) jumped more than 4% after the electric vehicle maker tumbled 6.3% on Tuesday, reaching oversold levels and extending its losing streak to five consecutive sessions.</li>
</ul>



Stocks reacting to company earnings reports included: 



<ul>
<li>CVS Health Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CVS#NYSE">CVS</a>): up 15.7%</li>



<li>Super Micro Computer Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SMCI#NASDAQ">SMCI</a>): up 4.5%</li>



<li>Edwards Lifesciences Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/EW#NYSE">EW</a>): up 5.6%</li>



<li>América Móvil, S.A.B. de C.V. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMX#NYSE">AMX</a>): down 1.4%</li>



<li>American International Group Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AIG#NYSE">AIG</a>): up 0.2%</li>



<li>Energy Transfer LP (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ET#NYSE">ET</a>): up 0.3%</li>



<li>Southern Copper Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SCCO#NYSE">SCCO</a>): up 2.9%</li>



<li>Gilead Sciences Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GILD#NASDAQ">GILD</a>): up 6.8%</li>



<li>Zillow Group Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/Z#NASDAQ">Z</a>): down 10.2%</li>



<li>CME Group Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CME#NASDAQ">CME</a>): up 2.2%</li>



<li>Chimera Investment Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CIM#NYSE">CIM</a>): down 8.9%</li>



<li>Ryder System Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/R#NYSE">R</a>): up 4.0%</li>



<li>Smurfit WestRock Plc (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SW#NYSE">SW</a>): down 5.8%</li>



<li>Sonic Automotive Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SAH#NYSE">SAH</a>): down 2.4%</li>



<li>Alkermes Plc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ALKS#NASDAQ">ALKS</a>): up 4.1%</li>



<li>Anavex Life Sciences Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AVXL#NASDAQ">AVXL</a>): up 1.0%</li>



<li>Biogen Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BIIB#NASDAQ">BIIB</a>): down 4.6%</li>



<li>Blackstone Mortgage Trust Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BXMT#NYSE">BXMT</a>): up 2.8%</li>



<li>Camtek Ltd/Israel (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CAMT#NASDAQ">CAMT</a>): up 1.5%</li>



<li>Chefs' Warehouse Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CHEF#NASDAQ">CHEF</a>): up 13.0%</li>



<li>Diebold Nixdorf Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DBD#NYSE">DBD</a>): down 3.2%</li>



<li>Dominion Energy Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/D#NYSE">D</a>): up 0.6%</li>



<li>Exelon Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/EXC#NASDAQ">EXC</a>): up 0.4%</li>
</ul>



Read Next: 



<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/43663963/record-high-egg-prices-drive-inflation-higher-in-january">Record-High Egg Prices Drive Inflation Higher In January</a></li>
</ul>



Illustration created using artificial intelligence via Midjourney.

Equities

Large Cap

Federal Reserve

Markets

Tech

$BTC

ALKS

AVXL

BIIB

BXMT

CAMT

CHEF

GILD

SCCO

SMCI

TSLA

Stocks Trim Losses After Hot Inflation, Bonds Remain Pressured, Tesla Rebounds: What's Driving Markets Wednesday?

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell reiterated a firm stance on the central bank's monetary policy path on Wednesday, indicating that while inflation is moderating, it hasn't cooled enough <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/interest-rates">to justify rate cuts.</a>



Testifying before the House Financial Services Committee after addressing the Senate Banking Committee on Tuesday, Powell hinted that further progress is needed to reach the Fed's 2% inflation target.



&#8220;Today&#8217;s inflation print shows we&#8217;re close but not there yet,&#8221; Powell said, referencing the latest Consumer Price Index report, which showed annual inflation at 3%, slightly above forecasts of 2.9%.



Core inflation, which excludes food and energy, also ticked up more than expected to 3.3%, signaling persistent price pressures.



The &#8220;the CPI reading was above almost every forecast,&#8221; Powell said, yet he urged patience.



&#8220;We don't get excited about one or two good readings, and we don't get excited about one or two bad readings.&#8221;



The Fed primarily focuses on Personal Consumption Expenditures inflation, which he described as a &#8220;better measure of inflation.&#8221;



&#8220;Tomorrow we'll get the producer price index&#8230; we'll actually know what the PCE readings are late tomorrow,&#8221; he added.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Powell Chills Rate Cut Hopes, Flags Tariff, Fiscal Concerns</h3>



When asked at what level of inflation he would consider cutting interest rates, Powell declined to specify, saying, &#8220;We didn't make much progress on core CPI. I'm not putting a specific number. We have the luxury to wait.&#8221;



Powell made it clear the Fed intends to keep policy restrictive, reinforcing the central bank's reluctance to cut rates prematurely. 



On tariffs, Powell said that &#8220;it is possible that the Fed would have to move the policy rate,&#8221; hinting at the economic impact of potential Trump-related trade policies. 



He also stressed concerns over the U.S. fiscal outlook, noting the country is running &#8220;a very large deficit at a time of very low unemployment,&#8221; calling the debt path &#8220;unsustainable&#8221; and urging both political parties to address the issue.



Powell raised concerns about market stability, saying, &#8220;I&#8217;ve been somewhat concerned about Treasury liquidity.&#8221; 



On long-term economic growth prospects, he suggested taking a cautious approach, stating: &#8220;If we are talking about long-term budget assumptions, I&#8217;d be conservative and say 2% real growth. It&#8217;s doable.&#8221;



Despite growing speculation about political pressures, Powell reaffirmed his commitment to his role, saying there are &#8220;no changes&#8221; to his stance that he will not resign if asked to do so by President Donald Trump.



Read Next:



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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/economics/macro-economic-events/25/02/43660298/inflation-spike-sparks-dollar-rally-yields-jump-while-bitcoin-stocks-slide-as-interest-rate-cut-doubts-grow">Inflation Spike Sparks Dollar Rally: Yields Jump, Bitcoin And Stocks Slide As Interest Rate Cut Doubts Grow</a></li>
</ul>



Fed Chair Jerome Powell illustration created using artificial intelligence via Midjourney.

Powell To Congress: Fed 'Not There Yet' On Inflation, CPI 'Above Every Forecast,' US Debt Path 'Unsustainable'

January's inflation data came in hotter-than-expected Wednesday morning, with the Consumer Price Index rising to 3% year-over-year. Experts are reacting to the surprise print and what it could mean for the future <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/government/regulations/25/02/43656846/inflation-rises-more-than-expected-in-january-chills-interest-rate-cut-hopes">path of interest rates.&nbsp;</a>



What To Know: Monthly inflation climbed at its highest rate since August 2023, driven by increases in food and energy prices. However, core inflation excluding food and energy prices, also moved higher which could indicate broader concerns.  



Read More: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/43663963/record-high-egg-prices-drive-inflation-higher-in-january">Record-High Egg Prices Drive Inflation Higher In January</a>



Expert Ideas: Charlie Ripley, senior investment strategist for Allianz Investment Management, cautioned that potential price increases resulting from President Donald Trump's tariffs have not yet been calculated and the market should reconsider its hopes for rate cuts in 2025.&nbsp;



"Overall, today&#8217;s inflation data should force market participants to re-think the Fed&#8217;s ability to cut rates this year, especially considering the rise in prices is likely unrelated to any tariff activity from the White House, Ripley said.&nbsp;



Chris Zaccarelli, chief investment officer for Northlight Asset Management, noted that year-over-year inflation landed right at 3%, taking rate cuts off the table for this year.&nbsp;



"Houston we have a problem. This morning's Consumer Price Index (CPI) report is a big problem for the Fed. Not only did all metrics jump higher, but we are squarely in the 3's on the year-over-year numbers," Zaccarelli said.&nbsp;



Peter Schiff went even further, calling for a drastic inter-meeting 200 basis point rate hike and saying that the Federal Reserve has been "way too loose" in its policies.&nbsp;



<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">Jan. CPI rose 3% YoY. But prices spiked 0.5% on the month, an annualized inflation rate of 6.2%. Core CPI also jumped 0.4% in Jan. rising 3.3% YoY. As I&#39;ve been warning, the Fed is way too loose. At a minimum, the Fed needs to do an inter-meeting 200 basis point rate hike today.&mdash; Peter Schiff (@PeterSchiff) <a href="https://twitter.com/PeterSchiff/status/1889672142465179669?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 12, 2025</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



Markets React: All major U.S. indices are down with the SPDR S&amp;P 500 ETF Trust (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SPY#NYSE">SPY</a>), tracking the S&amp;P 500, down 0.37% at $603.07 and the Invesco QQQ Trust (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QQQ#NASDAQ">QQQ</a>), tracking the Nasdaq 100 index, down 0.18% at $527.02 at the time of publication Wednesday.&nbsp;&nbsp;



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</ul>



Image: Shutterstock

Broad U.S. Equity ETFs

Inflation Runs Hot In January: 'Houston, We Have A Problem,' Experts Warn

January's inflation data came in hotter-than-expected Wednesday morning with the cost of groceries rising again, due in part to a jump in <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/restaurants/25/02/43511263/high-egg-prices-drive-waffle-house-to-add-50-cent-surcharge">the price of eggs.&nbsp;</a>



What To Know: The average price of a dozen eggs reached a record-high of $4.95 last month, rising 15.2% and contributing to a 0.5% increase in the cost of food at home.&nbsp;



Charlie Billelo, chief market strategist for Creative Planning, highlighted the 238% jump in the average price of a dozen eggs as the largest 4-year increase in history.&nbsp;



<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 price of a dozen eggs in the US spiked to a new record high of $4.95 in January. Over the last 4 years, egg prices have increased 238%, the largest 4-year increase in history.<a href="https://t.co/rQuXrxVpWs">https://t.co/rQuXrxVpWs</a> <a href="https://t.co/FbGPbHNIBG">pic.twitter.com/FbGPbHNIBG</a>&mdash; Charlie Bilello (@charliebilello) <a href="https://twitter.com/charliebilello/status/1889682939690070276?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 12, 2025</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



Read More: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/government/regulations/25/02/43656846/inflation-rises-more-than-expected-in-january-chills-interest-rate-cut-hopes">Inflation Rises More Than Expected In January, Chills Interest Rate Cut Hopes</a>



Data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture shows that a record number of more than 20 million egg-laying chickens died in the last quarter due to the H5N1 bird flu. Bill Adams, Chief Economist for Comerica Bank, pointed to the bird flu as <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/health-care/25/01/43372753/eggs-prices-soar-as-bird-flu-spreads-why-experts-expect-another-45-increase-in-2025">the cause</a> of the jump in egg prices.&nbsp;&nbsp;



"The H5N1 bird flu sweeping through the U.S. agriculture industry is forcing farmers to cull infected birds and sending egg prices soaring, a big supply-side shock to food prices. Whole fresh chicken prices rose 1.0% on the month, too," Adams said.&nbsp;



Interestingly, egg producers are reporting record profits as the avian flu spreads while consumers pay higher prices.&nbsp;



Cal-Maine Foods Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CALM#NASDAQ">CALM</a>), the nation&#8217;s largest egg producer, reported<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/earnings/25/01/42862269/cal-maine-foods-stock-climbs-after-strong-q2-results-eps-beat-revenues-beat"> its most recent </a>quarterly revenue at $954.7 million, well above the $751.49 million consensus estimate.



The USDA predicts egg prices <a href="https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/food-price-outlook/summary-findings#:~:text=In%202025,%20prices%20for%20all,of%20-2.7%20to%205.5%20percent.%5C">will </a>rise another 45% in 2025 and Polygon (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/">POL</a>) -based prediction platform Polymarket even has a <a href="https://polymarket.com/event/price-of-dozen-eggs-in-february?tid=1739374205612">prediction market</a> on the price of eggs in February. The highest odds are at 25% for the price to be between $5.50 and $5.75 a dozen.&nbsp;



<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">While everyone is complaining about the inflation report, your refrigerator could look like this if you correctly predict how much prices will rise. <a href="https://t.co/xTovIBuiDp">pic.twitter.com/xTovIBuiDp</a>&mdash; Polymarket (@Polymarket) <a href="https://twitter.com/Polymarket/status/1889686175020970332?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 12, 2025</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/social-media/25/02/43535256/palantir-adds-elon-musks-ai-chatbot-grok-to-aip">Palantir Adds Elon Musk&#8217;s AI Chatbot Grok To AIP</a></li>
</ul>



Image created using artificial intelligence via Midjourney.

Cryptocurrency

General

$POL

CALM

Record-High Egg Prices Drive Inflation Higher In January

A hotter-than-expected January inflation report triggered sharp market reactions in early trading Wednesday, as investors dialed back their expectations for <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/government/regulations/25/02/43656846/inflation-rises-more-than-expected-in-january-chills-interest-rate-cut-hopes">Federal Reserve rate cuts. </a>



Traders pushed the first anticipated Fed rate cut to December 2025, while the second cut is now priced in no earlier than September 2026, as per CME FedWatch. 



A single rate cut in 2025 is also emerging as the most likely scenario according to betting odds as tracked by the CFTC-regulated Kalshi platform. 



<iframe loading="lazy" src="https://kalshi.com/external-widgets/events/KXRATECUTCOUNT-25DEC31?color_scheme=light&#038;widget_size=large&#038;utm_campaign=benzingawidget" width="552px" height="400px" style="border:0"></iframe>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">A Hot Inflation Reading Derails Fed Rate Cut Hopes</h3>



The Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 3.0% year-over-year, slightly above both the prior reading and expectations of 2.9%. This marks the fourth consecutive increase in annual inflation. 



The monthly reading was even more alarming as CPI surged 0.5%, the largest increase since August 2023, and the third straight month of accelerating price pressures. 



Among major CPI components, fuel oil saw the biggest jump, rising 6.2% month-over-month.



&#8220;The index for meats, poultry, fish, and eggs rose 1.9 percent over the month, as the index for eggs increased 15.2 percent. This was the largest increase in the eggs index since June 2015 and it accounted for about two thirds of the total monthly food at home increase,&#8221; the Bureau of Labor Statistics said. 



Yet, the rise in inflation was not solely driven by energy and food costs. 



When excluding food and energy, core CPI increased 3.3% year-over-year, up from the previous 3.2% and exceeding forecasts of 3.1%. On a monthly basis, core CPI climbed 0.4%, its highest reading since March 2024, and above consensus estimates of 0.3%.



&#8220;If the Fed were truly committed to its 2% inflation target, market participants would be discussing a potential rate hike and not just a longer pause in the cutting cycle,&#8221; commented economist Mohamed El Erian. 



Peter Schiff took a more extreme stance: &#8220;The Fed is way too loose. At a minimum, the Fed needs to do an inter-meeting 200 basis point rate hike today.&#8221;



In contrast, Robin Brooks, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, highlighted that January inflation readings have tended to be strong post-COVID, attributing the uptick to &#8220;noise and residual seasonality.&#8221;



&#8220;My best proxy for underlying inflation is &#8220;core&#8221; services and that looks well-behaved,&#8221; Brooks said. 



Before the CPI report, President Donald Trump called for lower interest rates in a Truth Social post, indicating that such a move would go &#8220;hand-in-hand&#8221; with tariffs.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Markets React: Stocks Fall, Dollar And Yields Surge</h3>



The U.S. dollar index, tracked by the Invesco DB USD Index Bullish Fund ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/UUP#NYSE">UUP</a>), was the major standout winner amid the higher-than-expected inflation reading, with the greenback gauge rallying 0.5%, eyeing the strongest session since early January. 



Treasury yields soared by 10 basis points on the 10-year maturity amid expectations of tighter Fed policies. The popular iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TLT#NASDAQ">TLT</a>) tumbled by 1.5% in the premarket, potentially heading towards the worst day since late 2024. 



Higher yields sent stocks lower across the board. Contracts on the S&amp;P 500 fell 1%, while tech stocks in the Nasdaq 100 tumbled 1.1%. Small caps underperformed, with the Russell 2000 down 1.5%. 



Sector-wise, the Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XLK#NYSE">XLK</a>), was down by 1.5%. Shares of Nvidia Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>) fell over 2%. 



Gold dipped by 0.3%, while oil prices fell 1.2%.Sentiment in cryptocurrency market weakened with Bitcoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/btc/usd">BTC</a>) weakening by over 1% below $95,000. 



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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/43649613/mark-zuckerbergs-meta-platforms-sees-meteoric-surge-over-17-amid-historic-18-day-winning-streak-heres-what-technical-analysis-indicate-amid-overbought-conditions">Meta Stock Surges 17.47% In 17 Days, Marking One Of Its Longest Winning Streaks—Analysts Say There&#8217;s Still Room For Double-Digit Growth For Mark Zuckerberg&#8217;s Company</a></li>
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Image created using artificial intelligence via Midjourney.

NVDA

Inflation Spike Sparks Dollar Rally: Yields Jump, Bitcoin And Stocks Slide As Interest Rate Cut Doubts Grow

Vanguard has once again broadened its fixed-income offerings, rolling out a pair of new<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/etfs"> Treasury-focused ETFs</a> on the Nasdaq. The Vanguard Ultra-Short Treasury ETF (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/VGUS#NASDAQ">VGUS</a>) and the Vanguard 0-3 Month Treasury Bill ETF (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/VBIL#NASDAQ">VBIL</a>) are low-cost index ETFs that aim to manage liquidity and short-term fixed-income exposure while keeping costs minimal.



VGUS will track the Bloomberg Short Treasury Index, which includes U.S. Treasury securities maturing in under a year. Meanwhile, VBIL will follow the Bloomberg US. Treasury Bills 0-3 Months Index, providing exposure to the shortest-maturity Treasury bills available. Both ETFs have an estimated expense ratio of just 0.07%, reinforcing Vanguard's commitment to cost-effective investing.



Also Read: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/etfs/broad-u-s-equity-etfs/25/02/43605412/as-trade-war-heats-up-these-etfs-offer-a-safe-harbor-for-investors">As Trade War Heats Up, These ETFs Offer A Safe Harbor For Investors</a>



"The goal is to provide investors with a more diverse product range and complement our existing lineup of active and passive funds," <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/vanguard-introduces-new-etfs-to-meet-investors-short-term-liquidity-needs-302373595.html">said </a>Sara Devereux, Global Head of Vanguard Fixed Income Group.



With short durations and low volatility, VGUS and VBIL aim to bridge the gap between money market funds and ultra-short-term bond funds. Devereux touts the new funds as "valuable tools for advisors and investors to build more precise and flexible portfolios." 



Vanguard is already a giant in the ETF space, with more than $2.5 trillion in assets under management across nearly 90 ETFs. Fixed-income products make up a significant portion of that, with 21 other bond ETFs, including the $123.7 billion Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BND#NASDAQ">BND</a>). 



The company has long been a leader in passive fixed-income investing, dating back to the launch of the first bond index fund in 1986.



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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/etfs/specialty-etfs/25/02/43661564/charles-schwab-rolls-out-24-5-trading-etf-store-president-says-you-may-not-like-it-but">Charles Schwab Rolls Out 24/5 Trading, ETF Store President Says &#8216;You May Not Like It But&#8230;&#8217;</a></li>
</ul>



Photo: Shutterstock

New ETFs

VBIL

VGUS

New Treasury ETFs Target Liquidity As Vanguard Expands Fixed-Income Lineup

Price pressures surged more than expected in the first month of the year, fueled by increases in both energy goods and underlying service items, dampening investor expectations for Federal Reserve <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/interest-rates">interest rate cuts</a>.



The headline Consumer Price Index rose to 3% year-over-year in data released Wednesday, up 0.1 percentage points compared to December and above median economist forecasts of 2.9%, as tracked by TradingEconomics. On a monthly basis, inflation grew by 0.5%, sharply outpacing expectations of 0.3% and accelerating from December&#8217;s 0.4% gain.



This marks the highest monthly inflation rate since August 2023.



Core inflation, which excludes volatile food and energy prices, inched up from 3.2% to 3.3% year-over-year. On a monthly basis, core inflation rose 0.4%, surprising estimates of 0.3% and outrunning December&#8217;s 0.2% increase.



Prior to the January inflation report, markets had fully priced in just one rate cut by the end of the year, while the probability of two reductions by December 2025 stands at about 42%, as per the CME FedWatch tool.



&#8220;The index for shelter rose 0.4 percent in January, accounting for nearly 30 percent of the monthly all items increase,&#8221; the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicated Wednesday. 



Fuel oil rose by 6.2% on the month, recording the highest monthly increase among CPI items. 



On Wednesday, President Donald Trump reaffirmed his stance that interest rates should be reduced, indicating this move would align with tariff policies.



Fed Chair Jerome Powell is set to testify before the Committee on Financial Services later on Wednesday. 



<figure class="wp-block-table is-style-stripes"><table style="overflow:auto; height: 90px; display: block;"><thead><tr><th>Inflation measure</th><th>January 2025</th><th>December 2024</th><th>Expectations</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>CPI YoY</td><td>3.0%</td><td>2.9%</td><td>2.9%</td></tr><tr><td>CPI MoM</td><td>0.5%</td><td>0.4%</td><td>0.3%</td></tr><tr><td>Core CPI YoY</td><td>3.3%</td><td>3.2%</td><td>3.1%</td></tr><tr><td>Core CPI MoM</td><td>0.4%</td><td>0.2%</td><td>0.3%</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Market Reactions</h3>



The U.S. dollar index, which is tracked by the&nbsp;Invesco DB USD Index Bullish Fund ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/UUP#NYSE">UUP</a>),&nbsp;rallied 0.5% shortly after the release.



Treasury yields rose,&nbsp;with the 10-year yield up by 9&nbsp;basis points to 4.63%.



Gold, as tracked by the SPDR Gold Trust (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GLD#NYSE">GLD</a>), tanked by 1%, along with futures on major U.S. indices.



Contracts on the S&amp;P 500 index, which is closely tracked by the SPDR S&amp;P 500 ETF Trust&nbsp;(NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SPY#NYSE">SPY</a>), were down 1.1% by 8:37 a.m. ET. 



Bitcoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/btc/usd">BTC</a>) plummeted 2% to below $95,000. 



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<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/government/regulations/25/02/43651497/us-stocks-set-for-a-cautious-start-ahead-of-inflation-data-expert-says-strong-bull-markets-tend-to-roar-back-to-life-after-corrections">US Stocks Set For A Cautious Start Ahead Of Inflation Data: Expert Says &#8216;Strong Bull Markets Tend To Roar Back To Life After Corrections&#8217;</a></li>
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Photo via Shutterstock.

Regulations

Bonds

Treasuries

Inflation Rises More Than Expected In January, Chills Interest Rate Cut Hopes

Restaurant Brands International Inc (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QSR#NYSE">QSR</a>) shares are <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/premarket" rel="noreferrer noopener">trading higher in premarket</a> on Wednesday.



The company reported fourth-quarter sales growth of 26.2% year-on-year to $2.296 billion, beating the analyst <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/pressreleases/25/02/n43651950/restaurant-brands-international-inc-reports-full-year-and-fourth-quarter-2024-results" rel="noreferrer noopener">consensus estimate of $2.274 billion</a>.



Consolidated comparable sales increased 2.5%, and net restaurants grew 3.4% versus the prior year. Consolidated system-wide sales increased 5.6%.



Comparable sales for Tim Hortons rose 2.2%, Burger King increased 1.1%, and Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen slipped 0.2%. Revenue for Burger King rose 8.6%, and Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen increased 10.4%.



Adjusted EPS of $0.81 <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/earnings" rel="noreferrer noopener">beat the consensus estimate of $0.79.</a>



General and administrative expenses remained flat year over year. The operating income for the quarter climbed 35.6% to $635 million.



Restaurant Brands held $1.3 billion in cash and equivalents as of December-end. Net cash provided by operating activities for twelve months totaled $1.5 billion.



Restaurant Brands&#8217; Board of Directors has declared a dividend of $0.62 per common share, payable on April 4 to shareholders and unitholders of record on March 21.



&#8220;I am proud of our performance this year, reflecting the strong foundations we&#8217;re building across our businesses and the dedication of our teams and franchisees who are executing the fundamentals of quality, service, and convenience with excellence,&#8221; said CEO Josh Kobza.



Outlook: Restaurant Brands expects FY25 segment general and administrative expenses, excluding RH, of <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/calendars/guidance">$650 million &#8211; $670 million.</a>



Restaurant Brands&nbsp;continues to expect&nbsp;to achieve, on average, from 2024 to&nbsp;2028,&nbsp;comparable sales of 3%+, net restaurant growth of 5%+, and system-wide sales growth of 8%+.



Price Action: QSR shares traded higher by 3.29% at $69.10 in premarket at the last check Wednesday.



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Photo by Savvapanf on Shutterstock.

Guidance

Burger King Parent Restaurant Brands Q4: Earnings Beat, 26% Sales Jump, Popeyes Comps Dip And More

On Wednesday, CVS Health Corp (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CVS#NYSE">CVS</a>) reported fourth-quarter sales of $97.71 billion, beating the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/calendars/earnings" rel="noreferrer noopener">consensus of $97.19 billion</a>.



Total revenues increased 4.2%, driven by growth in the Health Care Benefits and Pharmacy &amp; Consumer Wellness segments, partially offset by a decline in the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/pressreleases/25/02/n43651952/cvs-health-corporation-reports-fourth-quarter-and-full-year-2024-results" rel="noreferrer noopener">Health Services segment</a>.



Also Read: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/43636822/cvs-health-stock-is-relatively-cheap-analyst-highlights-cost-trend-pressure-ahead-of-q4-earnings" rel="noreferrer noopener">CVS Health Stock Is Relatively Cheap, Analyst Highlights Cost Trend Pressure Ahead Of Q4 Earnings</a>



Adjusted EPS of $1.19 decreased from $2.12 in the prior year, beating the consensus of $0.93, primarily due to a decline in the Health Care Benefits segment's operating results, which reflect continued utilization pressure and the unfavorable impact of the Company's Medicare Advantage star ratings for the 2024 payment year.



Adjusted operating income decreased 35.5% to $2.73 billion.



Also Read: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/government/regulations/25/01/43010888/ftc-says-unitedhealth-cvs-cigna-make-billions-via-pbms-on-specialty-drugs" rel="noreferrer noopener">FTC Says UnitedHealth, CVS, Cigna Make Billions Via PBMs On Specialty Drugs</a>



Revenues in the Health Care Benefits segment increased 23.3% to $32.96 billion, primarily driven by growth in the Medicare and individual exchange product lines.



The Medical benefit ratio increased from 88.5% to 94.8% compared to the prior year, driven by increased utilization, the unfavorable impact of the previously disclosed decline in the company's Medicare Advantage star ratings for the 2024 payment year, and the impact of higher acuity in Medicaid.



Medical membership as of December 31, 2024, of 27.1 million, increased by 1.4 million members compared with December 31, 2023, reflecting increases in the Medicare and individual exchange product lines.



Health Services segment (offering pharmacy benefit management) sales decreased 4.3% to $47.02 billion, primarily driven by the previously announced loss of a large client and continued pharmacy client price improvements. These decreases were partially offset by the pharmacy drug mix, increased contributions from the company's healthcare delivery assets, and growth in specialty pharmacy.



Pharmacy &amp; Consumer Wellness segment sales increased 7.5% to $33.51 billion, primarily driven by pharmacy drug mix and increased prescription volume.



Prescriptions filled increased by 3.3%, and Same-store prescription volume increased by 5.9% in the quarter.



Guidance: CVS Health forecasts fiscal year 2025 adjusted EPS of $5.75-$6.00 versus consensus of $5.96.



The company expects GAAP EPS of $4.58 to $4.83, with cash flow from operations guidance of approximately $6.5 billion.



In the last 12 months, CVS stock has fallen by 29%. The stock has jumped today on positive Q4 report.



Price Action:&nbsp;CVS stock is up 9.89% at $60.44 during the premarket session on last check Wednesday



Read Next:



<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/25/02/43637593/astera-labs-to-outpace-its-peers-in-revenue-growth-in-2025-analyst-says" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Astera Labs To Outpace Its Peers In Revenue Growth In 2025, Analyst Says</a></li>
</ul>



Photo: Around the World Photos via Shutterstock

Health Care

CVS Health Q4 Earnings: Revenue And EPS Beat, Same-store Prescription Volume Up 5.9%, Upbeat FY25 Outlook And More

U.S. stock futures fell on Wednesday after a mixed close on Tuesday as Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell began his two-day testimony in front of Congress. All benchmark indices were lower except the Russell 2000.



Traders await the inflation data today as economists and betting markets are predicting a modest inflation report for January, boosting investor optimism that price pressures are easing and the Federal Reserve may continue its path toward interest rate cuts.



The headline consumer price index is <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/43627524/economists-betting-markets-predict-benign-january-inflation-what-could-go-wrong-this-time">forecasted to remain</a> at 2.9% year-over-year, based on median economist predictions tracked by TradingEconomics. Monthly, inflation is expected to increase by 0.3%, a slight deceleration from December&#8217;s 0.4% rise. 



The 10-year Treasury yield stood at 4.54%, while the two-year yield was at 4.29%. According to the CME Group's FedWatch <a href="https://www.cmegroup.com/markets/interest-rates/cme-fedwatch-tool.html">tool</a>, there is a 95.5% chance that the Federal Reserve will keep interest rates unchanged for the March meeting.



<figure class="wp-block-table is-style-stripes"><table style="overflow:auto; height: 90px; display: block;"><tbody><tr><td>Futures</td><td>Change (+/-)</td></tr><tr><td>Nasdaq 100</td><td>-0.07%</td></tr><tr><td>S&amp;P 500</td><td>-0.15%</td></tr><tr><td>Dow Jones</td><td>-0.17%</td></tr><tr><td>Russell 2000</td><td>0.07%</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



The SPDR S&amp;P 500 ETF Trust (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SPY#NYSE">SPY</a>) and Invesco QQQ Trust ETF (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QQQ#NASDAQ">QQQ</a>) both experienced negative premarket trading on Wednesday. SPY fell 0.14% to $604.45, and QQQ declined 0.06% to $527.67, according to <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard">Benzinga Pro</a> data.



Cues From The Last Session



Wall Street ended Tuesday&#8217;s session with a mixed performance as investors reacted to further tariff announcements and awaited key inflation figures.



Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSLA#NASDAQ">TSLA</a>) shares declined sharply following news of a partnership between Chinese electric vehicle maker BYD and AI firm DeepSeek to develop self-driving technology.



DoorDash Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DASH#NASDAQ">DASH</a>) surged in after-hours after strong results. Marriott International Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MAR#NASDAQ">MAR</a>) tumbled 5.4% after missing first-quarter guidance expectations and Coca-Cola Co. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/KO#NYSE">KO</a>) jumped 4.73% after beating expectations.



Federal Reserve Chair Powell began his two-day testimony before Congress, stating that the Fed is in no hurry to change interest rates and reiterated its stance of not commenting on trade policy.



Communication services, health care, and consumer discretionary sectors fell, while all other sectors rose on Tuesday.



The Dow rose 123 points or 0.28% to 44,593.65, the S&amp;P 500 was up 0.03% and closed at 6,068.50, and the Nasdaq Composite declined by 0.36% to 19,643.86. Russell 2000 Index fell 0.53% to 2,275.70.



<figure class="wp-block-table is-style-stripes"><table style="overflow:auto; height: 90px; display: block;"><tbody><tr><td>Index</td><td>Performance (+/-)</td><td>Value</td></tr><tr><td>Nasdaq Composite</td><td>-0.36%</td><td>19,643.86</td></tr><tr><td>S&amp;P 500</td><td>0.03%</td><td>6,068.50</td></tr><tr><td>Dow Jones</td><td>0.28%</td><td>44,593.65</td></tr><tr><td>Russell 2000</td><td>-0.53%</td><td>2,275.70</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



Insights From Analysts



Jurrien Timmer, the director of global macros at Fidelity Investments highlighted that strong bull markets tend to &#8220;roar back to life&#8221; after corrections.



He hinted that after the recent pull-back in the market caused by DeepSeek when just 17% of stocks were above their moving average, only 53% of stocks are now above their 50-day moving average. He termed it as a &#8220;weak recovery&#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 500 equal-weight index remains below its all-time high, and only 53% of stocks are above their 50-day moving average. It's a rather weak recovery from the recent 5% pullback, during which only 17% of stocks were above their moving average. Strong bull markets tend to roar… <a href="https://t.co/mAm351Szew">pic.twitter.com/mAm351Szew</a>&mdash; Jurrien Timmer (@TimmerFidelity) <a href="https://twitter.com/TimmerFidelity/status/1889420825557938504?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 11, 2025</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



However, underscoring U.S. equity fund and exchange-traded fund flows Timmer said &#8220;Sentiment remains quite constructive.&#8221;



&#8220;The sentiment surveys are more two-sided, but investors seem to remain poised for a good year in the markets,&#8221; he added.



<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">Sentiment remains quite constructive, at least as far as equity flows are concerned. The sentiment surveys are more two-sided, but investors seem to remain poised for a good year in the markets. <a href="https://t.co/rx9Q9zwrtC">pic.twitter.com/rx9Q9zwrtC</a>&mdash; Jurrien Timmer (@TimmerFidelity) <a href="https://twitter.com/TimmerFidelity/status/1889420904691552541?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 11, 2025</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



According to the analysts at BlackRock, U.S. equities have proved resilient this year, though escalating trade tensions could keep the pressure on in the coming months.



&#8220;Resilient growth, solid corporate earnings, potential deregulation and the AI theme keep us upbeat. Q4 earnings growth has broadened as we expected, with S&amp;P 500 earnings excluding the &#8216;magnificent 7&#8217; stocks up about 5% from a year ago and the consensus eyeing a 10% rise this year, LSEG Datastream data show. We keep our tactical U.S. equity overweight yet watch for triggers for a change, such as earnings losing steam,&#8221; stated BlackRock&#8217;s weekly market note.



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



Upcoming Economic Data



Here&#8217;s what investors will keep an eye on Wednesday:



<ul>
<li>Core and headline consumer price index data for January will be announced at 8:30 a.m., ET.</li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li>Fed Chairman Powell&#8217;s testimony to Congress continues at 10:00 a.m., ET.</li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li>Atlanta Fed President Raphael Bostic will speak at 2:00 p.m. and New York Fed President John Williams will speak again at 3:30 p.m., ET.</li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li>January&#8217;s monthly U.S. federal budget data will be out by 2:00 p.m., ET.</li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li>Fed Governor Christopher Waller will be speaking at 5:05 p.m., ET.</li>
</ul>



Stocks In Focus:



<ul>
<li>CVS Health Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CVS#NYSE">CVS</a>) was up 0.38% in the premarket on Wednesday ahead of its earnings, which will be released before the opening bell. Analysts expect it to report quarterly earnings of 93 cents per share on revenue of $97.19 billion.</li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li>Kraft Heinz Co. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/KHC#NASDAQ">KHC</a>) rose 0.71% as Wall Street expects it to report quarterly earnings of 78 cents per share on revenue of $6.66 billion before the opening bell.</li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li> (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CSCO#NASDAQ">CSCO</a>) slipped 0.24% ahead of its earnings, which will be released after the closing bell. Analysts expect it to report quarterly earnings of 91 cents per share on revenue of $13.87 billion.</li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li>DoorDash Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DASH#NASDAQ">DASH</a>) was up 6.58% after it beat fourth-quarter expectations on revenue and EPS front and clocked 42 million monthly active users with a record high order frequency.</li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li>Pitney Bowes Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PBI#NYSE">PBI</a>) jumped 8.81% after reporting better-than-expected earnings for its fourth quarter and naming Bob Gold as its new CFO.</li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li>Zillow Group Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/Z#NASDAQ">Z</a>) was down 6.15% after reporting worse-than-expected earnings for its fourth quarter and issuing a weak revenue guidance for the first quarter.</li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li>CME Group Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CME#NASDAQ">CME</a>) advanced 0.93%, Robinhood Markets Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/HOOD#NASDAQ">HOOD</a>) rose 3.21%, Reddit Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/RDDT#NYSE">RDDT</a>) jumped 2.64% and Biogen Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BIIB#NASDAQ">BIIB</a>) was up 0.44% ahead of their earnings today.</li>
</ul>



Commodities, Gold And Global Equity Markets:



Crude oil futures were trading lower in the early New York session by 1.12% to hover around $72.50 per barrel.



The gold spot index was down by 0.51% to $2,883.52 per ounce. The Dollar Index was up 0.01% at 107.977 level.



Asian markets advanced on Wednesday except for India's S&amp;P BSE Sensex index. Australia's ASX 200, South Korea's Kospi, Japan's Nikkei 225, China's CSI 300, and Hong Kong's Hang Seng index advanced. European markets were also higher in trade.



Read Next:



<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/43649613/mark-zuckerbergs-meta-platforms-sees-meteoric-surge-over-17-amid-historic-18-day-winning-streak-heres-what-technical-analysis-indicate-amid-overbought-conditions">Meta Stock Surges 17.47% In 17 Days, Marking One Of Its Longest Winning Streaks—Analysts Say There&#8217;s Still Room For Double-Digit Growth For Mark Zuckerberg&#8217;s Company</a></li>
</ul>



Image Via Shutterstock

Asia

Macro Notification

Market Summary

Futures

Pre-Market Outlook

CSCO

DASH

RDDT

US Stocks Set For A Cautious Start Ahead Of Inflation Data: Expert Says 'Strong Bull Markets Tend To Roar Back To Life After Corrections'

<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/softbank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Japanese investment holding company</a> SoftBank Group Corp (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SFTBF#OTC">SFTBF</a>) (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SFTBY#OTC">SFTBY</a>) reported third-quarter net sales of 1.83 trillion yen ($12.11 billion), up from 1.77 trillion yen a year ago. SoftBank segment net sales grew 5.2% to 1.66 trillion yen ($10.96 billion). Arm Holdings (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ARM#NASDAQ">ARM</a>) net sales grew 22.9% to 148.7 billion yen ($0.98 billion).



Loss before tax for the company was 190.2 billion yen.



Also Read: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/government/regulations/25/02/43458397/sam-altman-in-korea-openai-seeks-ai-deals-with-samsung-sk-hynix-and-softbank-amid-global-ai-boom" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sam Altman in Korea: OpenAI Seeks AI Deals With Samsung, SK Hynix, and SoftBank Amid Global AI Boom</a>



The net loss was 369.1 billion yen (or $2.44 billion loss) compared to a profit of 950 million yen a year ago. Loss on investments was 481 billion yen (or $3.18 billion loss).



Vision Fund investments reported a 352.75 billion yen loss (or $2.33 billion loss), compared to a profit of 600.73 billion yen a year ago. The segment reported a 309.93 billion yen loss (or $2.05 billion loss) versus a profit of 422.74 billion yen.



SoftBank reported a segment income of 224.1 billion yen (or $1.48 billion) versus 196.3 billion yen a year ago. Arm&#8217;s segment income is 13.4 billion yen (or $0.09 billion) compared to a loss of 8 billion yen a year ago.



In January, the Trump Administration announced an&nbsp;AI infrastructure joint venture&nbsp;in the U.S. dubbed &#8220;Stargate,&#8221; comprising &nbsp;OpenAI,&nbsp;SoftBank Group,&nbsp;Oracle Corp (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ORCL#NYSE">ORCL</a>), and Abu Dhabi&#8217;s&nbsp;MGX. The venture will deploy $100 billion initially and up to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/01/43139410/softbanks-role-in-500-billion-stargate-ai-venture-seen-as-major-growth-driver-analyst-says" rel="noreferrer noopener">$500 billion over</a> the next four years.



Masayoshi Son of SoftBank and President Donald Trump announced in December plans for SoftBank to invest in the U.S. over the next four years while creating 100,000 jobs focused on &#8220;AI and related infrastructure.&#8221;



SoftBank offloaded its entire stake in Alibaba Group Holdings (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BABA#NYSE">BABA</a>) in 2024 to <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/24/05/38791106/softbank-group-offloads-entire-alibaba-stake-after-jack-ma-founded-company-causes-6-16b-loss" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">focus on AI investments</a>.



Also Read:



<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/43637871/alibaba-clouds-growth-accelerates-with-ai-analyst-weighs-deepseeks-rising-competition" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Alibaba Cloud&#8217;s Growth Accelerates With AI, Analyst Weighs DeepSeek&#8217;s Rising Competition</a></li>
</ul>



Photo by NP27 on Shutterstock.

BABA

ORCL

SFTBF

SFTBY

SoftBank Q3 Earnings: Revenue Rises, Vision Fund Takes $2.33 Billion Hit As Investments Falter

Shares of Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/META#NASDAQ">META</a>) have skyrocketed by 17.47% over the last 17 days, reregistering one of the longest winning streaks for the company led by Mark Zuckerberg, according to <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard">Benzinga Pro</a>.



<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/2025/02/12025719/Meta-Over-Last-18-Days-1024x576.png" alt="" class="wp-image-777978" srcset="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/12025719/Meta-Over-Last-18-Days-1024x576.png 1024w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/12025719/Meta-Over-Last-18-Days-300x169.png 300w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/12025719/Meta-Over-Last-18-Days-768x432.png 768w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/12025719/Meta-Over-Last-18-Days-1536x864.png 1536w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/12025719/Meta-Over-Last-18-Days.png 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a></figure>



What Happened: The stock trades at $719.80 apiece as of Tuesday&#8217;s close, which is about 0.7% shy of its 52-week high of $725.01 per share.



Despite the constant surge in the stock, Meta&#8217;s over-optimistic momentum indicators hint at a likely pullback.



The company&#8217;s simple daily moving averages hinted at a bullish uptrend, owing to strength in the stock, according to <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard">Benzinga Pro</a>. The share price was much above its 200-day simple moving average of $548.26, and 50-day average of $630.51. It is also higher than its eight-day average of $707.43 and the 20-day average of $665.82.



The momentum indicators were also very strong. The relative strength index of 80.70, coupled with a positive MACD (moving average convergence/divergence) indicator of 28.44 showed that the stock was overbought. These strong upward trends suggest that the stock could be nearing exhaustion, signaling a potential short-term pullback or consolidation phase.



<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/2025/02/12025743/Meta-tech-Chart-1024x576.png" alt="" class="wp-image-777987" srcset="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/12025743/Meta-tech-Chart-1024x576.png 1024w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/12025743/Meta-tech-Chart-300x169.png 300w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/12025743/Meta-tech-Chart-768x432.png 768w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/12025743/Meta-tech-Chart-1536x864.png 1536w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/12025743/Meta-tech-Chart.png 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a></figure>



See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/market-summary/25/02/43491799/meta-ai-models-clearly-behind-deepseek-says-analysts-after-mark-zuckerberg-admitted-deepseek-did-some-novel-things-were-still-digesting">Meta AI Models &#8216;Clearly Behind&#8217; DeepSeek, Says Analyst After Mark Zuckerberg Admits DeepSeek Did Some Novel Things &#8216;We&#8217;re Still Digesting&#8217;</a>



Why It Matters: Despite the recent stock surge, Meta faces <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/market-summary/25/02/43491799/meta-ai-models-clearly-behind-deepseek-says-analysts-after-mark-zuckerberg-admitted-deepseek-did-some-novel-things-were-still-digesting">headwinds</a> in the AI race, according to Piper Sandler. Their research note dated Feb. 4, positioned DeepSeek&#8217;s AI model ahead of Meta's latest Llama model.



However, Wedbush analyst Dan Ives <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/43646615/top-analyst-says-metas-ai-push-could-add-100-per-share-while-tesla-faces-ev-headwindswhy-hes-still-bullish-on-musks-robotics-vision">remains bullish</a>, he recently highlighted Meta&#8217;s AI monetization strategy on CNBC.



&#8220;It&#8217;s about monetizing those three and a half billion DAUs,&#8221; he said, adding that AI innovations &#8220;could be an incremental $100 per share&#8221; for Meta as the company ramps up its efforts.



<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">We believe Meta is in a very strong position to further monetize AI over the coming years as Zuck drives the vision and puts massive cap-ex behind this AI initiative in 2025 <a href="https://twitter.com/CNBCWEX?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CNBCWEX</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/FrankCNBC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FrankCNBC</a> &#x1f525;&#x1f3c6;&#x1f402;&#x1f37f;&#x1f4fa;&#x1f447; <a href="https://twitter.com/CNBC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CNBC</a> <a href="https://t.co/DmU2qc3ag8">https://t.co/DmU2qc3ag8</a>&mdash; Dan Ives (@DivesTech) <a href="https://twitter.com/DivesTech/status/1889294401362387207?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 11, 2025</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



Price Action: Meta rose by 0.33% on Tuesday and advanced further by 0.01% in after-hours, whereas the exchange-traded fun tracking Nasdaq 100 index, Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1 (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QQQ#NASDAQ">QQQ</a>) fell 0.24%.



Meta shares have gained 20.12% on a year-to-date basis, whereas it was up by 53.51% over the last year.



The average price target among 43 <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/META/analyst-ratings">analysts tracked by Benzinga</a> is $731.76 with a ‘buy' rating. The estimates range from $575 to $935 apiece. Recent ratings from Tigress Financial, UBS, and Citigroup suggest a $833.67 target, implying a potential upside of 15.81%.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/META/analyst-ratings"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="381" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/12025539/Meta-ANR-FIn-1024x381.png" alt="" class="wp-image-777974" srcset="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/12025539/Meta-ANR-FIn-1024x381.png 1024w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/12025539/Meta-ANR-FIn-300x112.png 300w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/12025539/Meta-ANR-FIn-768x285.png 768w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/12025539/Meta-ANR-FIn.png 1060w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a></figure>



Read Next:



<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/43647586/coca-cola-won-overall-share-from-pepsi-maaza-crosses-1-billion-milestone-analyst-says-never-seen-fundamentals-this-good-amid-strong-2025-outlook">Coca-Cola &#8216;Won Overall Share&#8217; From Pepsi: Analyst Says &#8216;Never Seen Fundamentals This Good,&#8217; Amid Strong 2025 Outlook </a></li>
</ul>



Image via Shutterstock

Meta Stock Surges 17.47% In 17 Days, Marking One Of Its Longest Winning Streaks—Analysts Say There's Still Room For Double-Digit Growth For Mark Zuckerberg's Company

Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives predicts Palantir Technologies Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PLTR#NYSE">PLTR</a>) could emerge as a dominant force in the artificial intelligence software landscape, comparing it to industry giants Oracle Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ORCL#NYSE">ORCL</a>) and Salesforce Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CRM#NYSE">CRM</a>).



What Happened: In a CNBC interview <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjS1KOIuy_0">on</a> Tuesday, Ives highlighted the multiplier effect of AI infrastructure spending, noting that &#8220;for every dollar spent on Nvidia chip, there&#8217;s an 8 to $10 multiplier across tech, across the ecosystem software.&#8221; He emphasized that this trend is particularly evident in companies like Palantir and Salesforce.



The analyst&#8217;s bullish stance on Palantir comes amid the company&#8217;s remarkable stock performance, with shares up nearly 350% over the past year. The AI software firm recently reported strong fourth-quarter results, with revenue reaching $827.52 million, exceeding analyst expectations of $775.91 million.



Ives pointed to Jevons Paradox &#8211; an economic theory suggesting increased efficiency leads to higher demand &#8211; as a key driver of AI software adoption. &#8220;This is the software age that&#8217;s now starting to take place,&#8221; Ives stated, predicting &#8220;a massive spending wave in 2025.



See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/earnings/25/02/43641962/lyft-q4-earnings-revenue-beat-gross-bookings-up-15-new-buyback-our-biggest-competition-is-inertia">Lyft Q4 Earnings: Revenue Beat, Gross Bookings Up 15%, New Buyback — &#8216;Our Biggest Competition Is Inertia&#8217;</a>



Why It Matters: The optimistic outlook aligns with Palantir CEO Alex Karp&#8216;s <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/earnings/25/02/43449486/palantir-q4-earnings-revenue-beat-eps-beat-us-revenue-up-52-customer-count-up-43-strong-guidance-this-is-a-new-phase-unlike-anything-that-has-come-before">recent shareholder letter</a>, where he described the current period as &#8220;the beginning of the first act of a revolution.&#8221; The company&#8217;s growth is particularly strong in U.S. operations, with commercial revenue up 64% year-over-year to $214 million.



Despite Palantir&#8217;s high valuation metrics, including a price-to-earnings ratio of 613.95 and market capitalization of $258 billion, former hedge fund manager Martin Shkreli projects the company&#8217;s cash flow from operations to reach $1.8 billion in 2025 and $2.7 billion by 2026, suggesting potential <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/25/02/43485885/pharma-bro-martin-shkreli-defends-palantirs-valuation-amid-24-surge-says-ai-firms-cash-flow-justifies-expensive-price">justification for the premium valuation</a>.



The stock&#8217;s <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/PLTR/analyst-ratings">consensus price target</a> stands at $65.50, based on 23 analyst ratings. The highest target is $125, while the lowest is $7.50. The most recent ratings from Citigroup, RBC Capital, and UBS suggest an average price target of $85, implying a 24.95% downside from current levels. 



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/11210050/Screenshot-2025-02-12-at-7.30.01%E2%80%AFAM-1024x374.png" alt="" class="wp-image-777566" style="width:686px;height:auto"/></figure>



Price Action: Palantir stock has surged 340% in 2024, trading within a 52-week range of $20.33 to $116.76. It closed at $112.62 on Tuesday, down 3.45%, with a slight 0.56% after-hours recovery, according to <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/pro/">data from Benzinga Pro</a>.



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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.

PLTR

Dan Ives Says Palantir Could Be Next Oracle Or Salesforce As AI Boom Drives Massive Software Spending, Highlights 8-10x Multiplier Effect

Building a mine is a notoriously difficult endeavor. It is a long, often <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/07/39870803/us-mine-development-delays-among-worlds-longest-second-only-to-zambia" rel="noreferrer noopener">multi-decade process</a> involving prospecting, soil sampling, environmental studies, and billions of dollars worth of capital expenditures before production starts. For companies involved, it is a generational commitment that sometimes sees staff spend their entire careers on a single project.



Thus, when a large mine with significant reserves shuts down while still in full production, the consequences are twofold: the firm loses revenue, but the industry loses valuable supply, driving prices up and sometimes spilling over into higher costs of numerous associated products.



As gold climbs toward its historic milestone of $3,000 per ounce, such a situation is notable in Mali, where one of Barrick Gold's (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOLD#NYSE">GOLD</a>) largest gold mines, the Lolo-Gounkoto complex, has been shut down amid <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/global/25/02/43588936/malian-gold-output-falls-23-as-new-mining-law-pressures-producers" rel="noreferrer noopener">disputes with the government</a>.



The latest round of talks with the military-led government has collapsed, with the junta seeking a $197 million settlement, while Barrick sought a phased payment plan. The mine, which produced almost 700,000 ounces in 2023, accounts for 15% of the firm's output.



Meanwhile, the final hearing for the Cobre Panama mine has been moved to 2026. The mine's operator, First Quantum (OTCPK: FQVLF), <a target="_blank" href="https://s24.q4cdn.com/821689673/files/doc_financials/2024/q4/Q4-2024-FQM-News-Release-FINAL.pdf" rel="noreferrer noopener">reported</a> the news, stating that the government of Panama sought an extension after replacing its legal counsel.



The mine, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/commodities/23/12/36259547/copper-shortage-first-quantums-cobre-panama-mine-shuts-down-threatening-supply-balance" rel="noreferrer noopener">shuttered in November 2023</a> after Panama's Supreme Court declared its contract unconstitutional, is one of the largest copper mines, producing 350,000 tons in 2022. Its output accounted for 5% of Panama's GDP.



First Quantum also suffered in Australia, where broader market conditions forced it to close its <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/large-cap/24/04/38500350/first-quantum-minerals-closes-ravensthorpe-nickel-mine-cuts-330-jobs" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ravensthorpe nickel mine</a>. The rise of low-cost, Chinese-backed nickel production in Indonesia has flooded global markets, driving prices down from over 30,000 per ton in early 2023 to around 15,000.



This price collapse has rendered many Australian nickel operations unprofitable, leading to widespread job losses and mine closures.



Even BHP, one of the world's largest miners, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/large-cap/24/07/39749321/bhp-halts-nickel-mine-were-not-able-to-overcome-economic-challenges-driven-by-oversupply" rel="noreferrer noopener">suspended its nickel operations</a> in Western Australia, cutting around 3,000 jobs. Meanwhile, Glencore's Murrin Murrin mine, the largest remaining nickel operation and the nation's biggest source of cobalt is teetering on the edge of profitability.



"Murrin Murrin is a terrific operation, and credit to our workforce. However, current market conditions are very challenging," CEO Gary Nagle<a target="_blank" href="https://thewest.com.au/business/mining/very-concerned-glencore-keeping-the-lights-on-at-murrin-murrin-mine-amid-wa-nickel-darkness-c-13615620" rel="noreferrer noopener"> said</a> for The West Australian, clarifying that the firm may not continue subsidizing the mine if market conditions do not improve.



Read Next:&nbsp;



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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/global/25/02/43618203/gold-nears-3000-but-miners-struggle-as-rising-costs-squeeze-profits" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Gold Nears $3,000 But Miners Struggle As Rising Costs Squeeze Profits</a></li>
</ul>



Photo by Yuri A via Shutterstock

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GOLD

Geopolitics And Resource Nationalism Are Choking The Commodity Supply

Leading cryptocurrencies dipped on Tuesday even as Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell made remarks seen as favorable for the industry during a Senate hearing.&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-table"><table style="overflow:auto; height: 90px; display: block;"><tbody><tr><td>Cryptocurrency</td><td>Gains +/-</td><td>Price (Recorded at 7:45 p.m. ET)</td></tr><tr><td>Bitcoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/btc/usd">BTC</a>)</td><td>-1.92%</td><td>$96,012.26</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>-3.34%</td><td>$2,607.85</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>-1.87%</td><td>$0.2531</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



What Happened: Bitcoin started to slide in the morning hours and hit an intraday low of $94,875.04 before recovering to $96,000 late evening.



Ethereum fell back to the $2,600 zone a day after breaching $2,700. The two leading assets were down 2.61% and 5.19%, respectively, over the week.



In a significant development, Fed Chair Powell assured to "take a fresh look" at debanking, which the cryptocurrency industry had <a href="https://in.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/25/02/43477333/crypto-czar-sacks-says-potential-bitcoin-reserve-to-be-one-of-crypto-committees-first-priorities">complained</a> about during the previous administration.



Powell also stated that the Fed won't develop a central bank digital currency under his watch during his testimony before the Senate Banking Committee.



Meanwhile, cryptocurrency liquidations reached $228 million over the last 24 hours, with long liquidations accounting for $154 million.



Bitcoin's Open Interest rose by 1.49% in the last 24 hours. A rise in Open Interest, coming alongside a price drop, indicated the opening of new short positions.



That said, the number of traders betting on Bitcoin's price increase was still higher than targeting price declines, according to the Long/Short ratio.



Market sentiment returned to the "Fear" zone, according to the Crypto Fear &amp; Greed Index.



Top Gainers (24-Hours)



<figure class="wp-block-table"><table style="overflow:auto; height: 90px; display: block;"><tbody><tr><td>Cryptocurrency</td><td>Gains +/-</td><td>Price (Recorded at 7:45 p.m. ET)</td></tr><tr><td>Virtuals Protocol (VIRTUALS)</td><td>+6.57%</td><td>$1.32</td></tr><tr><td>Cardano (ADA)</td><td>+5.60%</td><td>$0.7785</td></tr><tr><td>Bittensor (TAO)</td><td>+3.90%</td><td>$410.60</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



The global cryptocurrency market capitalization stood at $3.15 trillion, declining by 1.68% in the last 24 hours.



Stocks were a mixed bag on Tuesday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 123.24 points, or 0.28%, to close at 44,593.65. The S&amp;P 500 eked out a narrow gain of 0.03%, ending at 6,068.50. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite, on the other hand, fell 0.36% to close at 19,643.86.



Investors parsed comments from Powell that the Fed <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/economics/macro-economic-events/25/02/43635364/us-stocks-dip-as-powell-stays-cautious-intel-climbs-tesla-sinks-to-11-week-low">was not in a hurry to lower interest rates</a>.



The focus now shifts to the crucial <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/43627524/economists-betting-markets-predict-benign-january-inflation-what-could-go-wrong-this-time">consumer price index report</a>, slated for release on Wednesday.&nbsp;



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



Analyst Notes: Popular cryptocurrency analyst and trader Ali Martinez noted Bitcoin's accumulation trend score was close to zero, indicating that the apex digital asset was undergoing consolidation.



"A shift in demand here could set the stage for the next big move," the analyst predicted.



<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"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bitcoin?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Bitcoin</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%24BTC&amp;src=ctag&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">$BTC</a> accumulation trend score is near zero, signaling a period of consolidation. A shift in demand here could set the stage for the next big move! <a href="https://t.co/0nSIt1qKY8">pic.twitter.com/0nSIt1qKY8</a>&mdash; Ali (@ali_charts) <a href="https://twitter.com/ali_charts/status/1889449586843902273?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 11, 2025</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



Another widely followed analyst, Rekt Capital, stated that Bitcoin needs a daily close above $97,700 or reclaim the level as support to justify a bullish move toward $101,000.



<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"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BTC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BTC</a> Bitcoin continues to enjoy price stability at the blue diagonal trendline support which is a positive However, BTC needs a Daily Close above ~$97700 (light blue) and/or reclaim said level as support to build on its momentum towards $101k (black)<a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%24BTC&amp;src=ctag&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">$BTC</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Crypto?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Crypto</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bitcoin?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Bitcoin</a> <a href="https://t.co/LdmHPHoyuv">https://t.co/LdmHPHoyuv</a> <a href="https://t.co/zU7GvOudp3">pic.twitter.com/zU7GvOudp3</a>&mdash; Rekt Capital (@rektcapital) <a href="https://twitter.com/rektcapital/status/1889287102384185538?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 11, 2025</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



Photo by SvetlanaParnikova on Shutterstock



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$ETH

Bitcoin, Ethereum, Dogecoin Dip Even As Fed Chair Powell Says No To CBDC: Analyst Says BTC Under Consolidation But 'Next Big Move' Likely

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