People walk along Wall Street near the New York Stock Exchange on March 08, 2022 in New York City.
BY THE NUMBERS
U.S. stock futures rose Thursday, with the Nasdaq set to join the rally, ahead of an afternoon panel discussion including Fed Chairman Jerome Powell. First-quarter earnings reports drove premarket moves, with Tesla soaring 7% after better-than-expected results and American (AAL) and United (UAL) surging 11.5% and 8.5%, respectively, after the airlines forecast profits ahead. (CNBC)
The Dow advanced 0.7% on Wednesday for a second straight day of gains. The S&P 500 dipped but basically ended flat. The Nasdaq lost 1.2% as Netflix (NFLX) cratered 35% on subscriber concerns. The streaming giant fell another 1.5% in Thursday's premarket. (CNBC)
The 10-year Treasury yield rose Thursday but remained below Tuesday's more than three-year high of 2.94%. Investors are hoping for more clarity from Powell on the Fed's plans for additional interest rate hikes this year after a number of regional central bank presidents, even a couple of doves, have recently called for an accelerated tightening cycle to fight inflation. (CNBC)
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American Airlines on Thursday forecast second-quarter profit as strong travel demand helps it cover its soaring fuel costs. That's driving the stock higher in the premarket. American said it had a loss of $2.32 per share in the first quarter, which was smaller than expected. Revenue also beat estimates. (CNBC)
After the closing bell Wednesday, United Airlines said it lost an adjusted $4.24 per share in the first quarter, slightly more than expected. Revenue also missed. But driving the stock higher, United joined Delta (DAL) in saying it expects to turn a profit in 2022 for the first time since before the Covid pandemic. (CNBC)
* CDC asks Justice Department to appeal ruling that lifted travel mask mandate (CNBC)
Tesla's jump in premarket trading came after the electric auto maker late Wednesday reported first-quarter earnings and revenue that beat estimates. Revenue growth was driven in part by an increase in the number of cars Tesla delivered and a rise in average sales prices. CEO Elon Musk, who was on the call, made no mention of his bid to buy Twitter. (CNBC)
* Musk sees worse-than-reported inflation continuing through 2022 (CNBC)
* Musk’s tunnel-making venture Boring Company hits $5.7 billion valuation (CNBC)
Digital freight broker Convoy, founded by two former Amazon (AMZN) executives, announced Thursday a new round of funding, valuing the Seattle-based start-up at $3.8 billion, even as rates for on-demand trucking fall from all time highs. (CNBC)
* Amazon ramps up FedEx, UPS rivalry by expanding Prime to third parties (CNBC)
Money Report
Pershing Square dumped its entire stake in Netflix on Wednesday following the streamer's disappointing quarterly report, founder and CEO Bill Ackman said in a letter to shareholders. "One of our learnings from past mistakes is to act promptly when we discover new information about an investment that is inconsistent with our original thesis, Ackman wrote. (CNBC Pro)
Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered his military to ditch plans to storm the Azovstal steel plant in the besieged city of Mariupol, where several thousand Ukrainian troops as well as civilians are encamped. He's opted instead to continue to seal off the facility via blockade. (CNBC)
* Biden set to announce new military assistance for Ukraine (AP)
The Florida House on Thursday is expected to take up a state Senate-passed bill to repeal a law that allows Disney (DIS) to operate a private government over its properties there. The move, pushed by Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, escalates a feud with the entertainment giant over its opposition to the state's so-called Don't Say Gay law. (AP)
An arbitrator ordered Donald Trump's presidential campaign to pay $1.3 million in legal fees to Omarosa Manigault Newman, the former "Apprentice" star whom the campaign unsuccessfully sued over a book about her tenure as a White House advisor, her lawyer said Wednesday. (CNBC)
STOCKS TO WATCH
Blackstone (BX) jumped 4% in the premarket after reporting better-than-expected profit and revenue for the first quarter, helped by strong results from its real estate and credit operations.
AT&T (T) beat estimates on quarterly earnings and revenue. Those numbers exclude the results of the now spun-off WarnerMedia unit, with AT&T benefiting from an increase in wireless revenue. AT&T added 1.4% in the premarket.
Xerox (XRX) tumbled 7.3% in the premarket after reporting an adjusted quarterly profit of 12 cents per share, 1 cent below consensus. The office equipment maker was hurt by inflation pressures and supply chain issues.
Chemical maker Dow Inc. (DOW) added 2.1% in the premarket after beating estimates on both the top and bottom lines, helped by strong demand and higher prices.
Sleep Number (SNBR) tanked 10.6% in premarket trading following a top and bottom-line miss for its latest quarter. Supply chain issues impacted results.
Carvana (CVNA) lost $2.89 per share for its latest quarter, wider than the $1.44-per-share loss analysts were anticipating. While revenue beat estimates, the online auto seller saw its first-ever quarterly sales decline. Carvana fell 5% in the premarket.
CSX (CSX) beat estimates by 2 cents with quarterly earnings of 39 cents per share, and the railroad operator's revenue also topped forecasts. CSX handled fewer shipments, but that was more than offset by an increase in shipping rates. CSX rose 2% in premarket trading.
