Stocks Find Support From Strong Earnings Results

The S&P 500 Index ($SPX) (SPY) today is up +0.29%, the Dow Jones Industrials Index ($DOWI) (DIA) is up +0.12%, and the Nasdaq 100 Index ($IUXX) (QQQ) is up +0.18%.  March E-mini S&P futures (ESH25) are up by +0.21%, and March E-mini Nasdaq futures (NQH25) are up by +0.16%. 

Stock indexes today are modestly higher on some positive earnings results.  Tapestry is up more than +16% after reporting stronger-than-expected Q2 adjusted EPS and raising its full-year adjusted EPS forecast.  Also, YUM!  Brands is up more than +7% after reporting Q4 worldwide comparable sales above consensus. In addition, AstraZeneca Plc is up more than +3% after reporting Q4 EPS above consensus. 

On the negative side, Qualcomm, the world’s biggest seller of smartphone processors, is down more than -4% due to concern that demand for mobile phones will stall in the coming year.  Also, Ford Motor Company is down more than -6% after warning that its profit may decline.  In addition, Skyworks Solutions sank more than -25% after saying competition in the semiconductor industry is intensifying. 

US economic news today was mixed for stocks after weekly jobless claims rose more than expected, but Q4 productivity rose as expected.

US weekly initial unemployment claims rose +11,000 to 219,000, showing a weaker labor market than expectations of 213,000.

US Q4 nonfarm productivity rose +1.2%, right on expectations.  Q4 unit labor costs rose +3.0%, weaker than expectations of +3.4%.

Comments from Treasury Secretary Bessent supported stocks when he said the Trump administration is focusing on bringing down the Treasury 10-year yield by expanding the energy supply, which will bring down inflation.

Earnings season is in full swing as companies report Q4 earnings results.  Amazon.com will release its quarterly results after today’s close.  According to Bloomberg Intelligence, analysts estimate S&P 500 earnings grew by +7.5% y/y in Q4, the second-highest pre-season forecast in the past three years.

The markets are discounting the chances at 16% for a -25 bp rate cut at the next FOMC meeting on March 18-19.

Overseas stock markets today are higher.  The Euro Stoxx 50 rose to a 24-year high and is up +1.11%.  China’s Shanghai Composite Index closed up +1.27%.  Japan’s Nikkei Stock 225 closed up +0.61%.

Interest Rates

March 10-year T-notes (ZNH25) today are down by -6 ticks.  The 10-year T-note yield is up by +2.0 bp to 4.438%.  March T-notes today are trading lower as strength in stocks curbs safe-haven demand for T-notes.  However, losses in T-notes are limited by carryover support from today’s rally in 10-year UK gilts to a 1-3/4 month high after the BOE cut interest rates. Also, today’s US economic news supported T-notes after weekly US jobless claims rose more than expected, and Q4 unit labor costs rose less than expected, dovish factors for Fed policy. 

European government bond yields today are mixed.  The 10-year German bund yield is up +0.8 bp to 2.374%. The 10-year UK gilt yield fell to a 1-3/4 month low of 4.375% and is down -0.8 bp to 4.429%.

Eurozone Dec retail sales fell -0.2% m/m, weaker than expectations of -0.1% m/m.

German Dec factory orders rose +6.9% m/m, stronger than expectations of +2.0% m/m.

The German Jan S&P construction PMI rose +4.7 to a 1-1/2 year high of 42.5.

ECB Executive Board member Cipollone said, “We all agree there is still room for the ECB to adjust interest rates downward as the convergence with the inflation target is coherent with a declining interest rate path.”

As expected, the Bank of England (BOE) cut the official bank rate today by -25 bp to 4.50% from 4.75% but warned that inflation would rise “quite sharply” to peak at +3.7% later this year, up from +2.8% in its previous forecast.  The BOE also cut its UK 2025 GDP forecast to 0.75% from a November forecast of 1.50% and raised its 2025 CPI forecast to 3.50% from a November forecast of 2.75%.

Swaps are discounting the chances at 100% for a -25 bp rate cut by the ECB at the March 6 policy meeting.

US Stock Movers

Tapestry (TPR) is up more than +17% to lead gainers in the S&P 500 after reporting Q2 adjusted EPS of $2.00, stronger than the consensus of $1.75, and raised its full-year adjusted EPS forecast to $4.85-$4.90, from a previous forecast of $4.50-$4.55. 

Ralph Lauren (RL) is up more than +13% after raising its full-year revenue in constant currency forecast to up +6% to +7% from a previous estimate of +3% to +4%, stronger than the consensus of +4.27%.

Philip Morris (PM) is up more than +10% after reporting Q4 adjusted EPS of $1.55, stronger than the consensus of $1.49, and forecast full-year adjusted EPS of $7.04-$7.17, above the consensus of $7.02. 

YUM!  Brands (YUM) is up more than +7% after reporting Q4 worldwide comparable sales rose +1.00%, stronger than the consensus of +0.68%.

Hershey Co (HSY) is up more than +5% after reporting Q4 net sales of $2.89 billion, stronger than the consensus of $2.84 billion.

AstraZeneca Plc (AZN) is up more than +3% to lead gainers in the Nasdaq 100 after reporting Q4 EPS of $2.09, better than the consensus of $2.06.

Coherent (COHR) is up more than +18% after reporting Q2 revenue of $1.43 billion, stronger than the consensus of $1.37 billion, and forecast Q3 revenue of $1.39 billion-$1.48 billion, above the consensus of $1.40 billion. 

TTM Technologies (TTMI) is up more than +18% after reporting Q4 net sales of $651.0 million, better than the consensus of $630.3 million, and forecast Q1 revenue of $600 million-$640 million, the midpoint above the consensus of $603.7 million. 

CarMax (KMX) is up more than +3% after Evercore ISI upgraded the stock to outperform from in line with a price target of $110. 

Qualcomm (QCOM) is down more than -4% after forecasting Q2 total licensing revenue of $1.25 billion-$1.45 billion, the midpoint below the consensus of $1.40 billion.

Ford Motor (F) is down more than -6% after CFO House warned that profit may fall by $2 billion or more this year due to an expected drop in vehicle prices and costly new-model launches. 

Molina Healthcare (MOH) is down more than -8% after reporting Q4 adjusted EPS of $5.05, well below the consensus of $5.84, and forecast full-year adjusted EPS of at least $24.50, weaker than the consensus of $25.63.

Skyworks Solutions (SWKS) is down more than -25% to lead losers in the S&P 500 after saying in an earnings call that ”the competitive landscape has intensified and our content position is expected to be down 20% to 25%” and “this decline will start impacting our revenue inQ4 of fiscal 25 and throughout fiscal 26.” 

ARM Holdings Plc (ARM) is down more than -6% to lead losers in the Nasdaq 100 after forecasting Q4 adjusted EPS of 48 cents-56 cents, the midpoint below the consensus of 53 cents. 

Hologic Inc (HOLX) is down more than -6% after cutting its full-year revenue forecast to $4.05 billion-$4.10 billion from a previous forecast of $4.15 billion-$4.20 billion.

Honeywell International (HON) is down more than -4% to lead losers in the Dow Jones Industrials after forecasting 2025 sales of $39.6 billion-$40.6 billion, weaker than the consensus of $41.24 billion. 

Symbotic Inc (SYM) is down more than -13% after reporting Q1 total revenue of $486.7 million, below the consensus of $489.7 million, and forecast Q2 revenue of $510 million-$530 million, weaker than the consensus of $533.2 million.

Bristol Myers Squibb (BMY) is down more than -2% after forecasting 2025 adjusted EPS of $6.55-$5.85, below the consensus of $6.92. 

Earnings Reports (2/6/2025)

Air Products and Chemicals Inc (APD), Amazon.com Inc (AMZN), Aptiv PLC (APTV), Becton Dickinson & Co (BDX), BorgWarner Inc (BWA), Bristol-Myers Squibb Co (BMY), Camden Property Trust (CPT), CMS Energy Corp (CMS), ConocoPhillips (COP), Eli Lilly & Co (LLY), Equifax Inc (EFX), Expedia Group Inc (EXPE), Fortinet Inc (FTNT), Hershey Co/The (HSY), Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc (HLT), Honeywell International Inc (HON), Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII), Intercontinental Exchange Inc (ICE), IQVIA Holdings Inc (IQV), Kellanova (K), Kenvue Inc (KVUE), Labcorp Holdings Inc (LH), Linde PLC (LIN), MarketAxess Holdings Inc (MKTX), Mettler-Toledo International I (MTD), Microchip Technology Inc (MCHP), Mohawk Industries Inc (MHK), Monolithic Power Systems Inc (MPWR), Philip Morris International In (PM), Principal Financial Group Inc (PFG), Ralph Lauren Corp (RL), Regency Centers Corp (REG), Snap-on Inc (SNA), Take-Two Interactive Software (TTWO), Tapestry Inc (TPR), VeriSign Inc (VRSN), Xcel Energy Inc (XEL), Yum!  Brands Inc (YUM), Zimmer Biomet Holdings Inc (ZBH).