McDonald's (MCD) reported worse-than expected fourth-quarter results Monday morning as U.S. comparable sales declined. The fast-food giant reported adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of $2.83, below the $2.87 analysts expected, per Visible Alpha. McDonald's registered revenue of $6.39 billion, while analysts were looking for $6.46 billion. Comparable Sales Return to Global Growth But Decline in US McDonald's said Monday that global comparable sales rose 0.4%, better than the 0.41% drop analysts had expec ...

Amazon (AMZN) reported fourth-quarter earnings that topped analysts' estimates, though its outlook underwhelmed. The e-commerce and cloud services giant saw net sales rise 10% year-over-year to $187.8 billion, surpassing the analyst consensus from Visible Alpha. Earnings came in at $20 billion, or $1.86 per share, up from $10.62 billion, or $1 per share, a year earlier, also above expectations. Amazon Web Services revenue increased 19% to $28.79 billion, slightly shy of projections.  Looking ahead, Amazon ...

Market Overview - Major U.S. equities indexes showed mixed results as markets reacted to recent earnings releases, with the S&P 500 up 0.4% and the Nasdaq up 0.5%, while the Dow industrials fell 0.3% [2] Company Performance - Tapestry (TPR) shares surged 12.0% after exceeding sales expectations for the holiday quarter and raising its full-year guidance, driven by strong sales growth at Coach [3] - Ralph Lauren (RL) shares increased by 9.7% following better-than-expected quarterly sales and profits, along with an improved revenue forecast [4] - Philip Morris (PM) reported fourth-quarter sales that beat estimates, leading to an 11.0% rise in its shares, supported by strong demand for Zyn nicotine pouches [5] - Skyworks Solutions (SWKS) experienced a significant decline of 24.7% in its shares due to warnings of increased competition in supplying chips for Apple, its largest customer [6] - Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) saw its shares drop 18.3% after reporting lower-than-expected quarterly sales and profits, impacted by elevated costs at its Newport News shipyard [7] - PTC (PTC) shares fell 9.6% following a quarterly earnings release that raised concerns about sustaining growth, prompting analysts to lower their price target [8]

Core Insights - Hilton Worldwide Holdings (HLT) shares reached an all-time high as the hotel chain reported an increase in business demand [2][6] - The company reported fourth-quarter adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of $1.76, exceeding analysts' estimates, and a comparable revenue per available room (RevPAR) growth of 3.5% year-over-year [2][6] Business Performance - All segments contributed to RevPAR outperformance, with notable growth in leisure occupancy and continued improvement in business transient and group results [3] - Hilton anticipates favorable trends to persist into 2025, driven by increased business travel from large corporates and steady demand from small- and medium-sized businesses [4] Market Sentiment - CEO Christopher Nassetta noted that businesses are generally planning to travel more and are prepared to pay higher travel costs due to the current environment [5] - Hilton shares increased over 5% to approximately $271, with an intraday record of $273.78, marking a nearly 40% gain over the past year [5]

Key TakeawaysHershey beat profit and sales estimates as the chocolate maker's price hikes helped to offset the higher cost of cocoa.The company also cut selling, marketing, and administrative expenses.Hershey warned that the soaring price of cocoa will hurt full-year earnings. Shares of The Hershey Co. (HSY) advanced 5% Thursday when the chocolate maker reported better-than-anticipated results as price hikes helped offset the rising cost of cocoa. The company with brands including its namesake chocolate bar ...

KEY TAKEAWAYSFord shares are tumbling in Thursday morning after the automaker posted a downbeat outlook weighed on by losses in its electric vehicle business that offset higher-than-estimated quarterly results.Ford Model e, the company’s EV division, reported a 2024 EBIT loss of $5.1 billion.CEO Jim Farley said tariffs on Canada and Mexico would wipe out "billions of dollars of industry profits." Ford (F) shares are tumbling Thursday morning after the automaker posted a downbeat outlook weighed on by losses ...

Core Insights - Philip Morris International (PM) shares reached an all-time high following better-than-expected results and guidance driven by strong demand for non-smoking alternatives [1][5] - The company reported fourth-quarter adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of $1.55, with revenue increasing 7% year-over-year to $9.7 billion, surpassing Visible Alpha forecasts [1][5] Sales Performance - Sales of smoke-free products rose 9% to $3.9 billion, while sales of combustibles increased 6% to $5.8 billion [2] - Shipment volume grew 2% to 193.1 billion, with oral smoke-free products up 22% to 4.6 billion, heated tobacco products rising 5% to 35.7 billion, and cigarette sales increasing 1% to 152.8 billion [2] Management Commentary - CEO Jacek Olczak stated that the company has "strong momentum across all categories" and expressed confidence in its smoke-free transformation and brand portfolio to deliver value for shareholders [3] - The company anticipates full-year adjusted EPS between $7.04 and $7.17, exceeding the Visible Alpha estimate of $7.01 [3] Stock Performance - Shares of Philip Morris International increased by 7% to $140.16, previously reaching a record high of $146.77, and have gained over 50% in value over the past year [4]

Group 1 - Eli Lilly reported net income of $4.41 billion, or $4.88 per share, on revenue of $13.53 billion, which was slightly below analyst expectations of $4.52 billion in profit and $13.56 billion in revenue [1] - Adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of $5.32 exceeded expectations of $5.11, indicating strong performance despite overall results being worse than expected [1] - Sales of weight-loss drugs Mounjaro and Zepbound reached $3.53 billion and $1.91 billion, respectively, falling short of expectations of $3.65 billion and $2.04 billion [2] Group 2 - Eli Lilly expects 2025 revenue to be between $58.0 billion and $61.0 billion, with EPS projected from $22.05 to $23.55, and adjusted EPS from $22.50 to $24.00, which aligns with or exceeds market expectations [2] - Following the earnings report, Eli Lilly shares rose more than 2%, reflecting positive market sentiment, while the stock has increased approximately 20% over the past year [3] - In contrast, rival Novo Nordisk's shares have declined about 25% in the past year, highlighting a competitive landscape in the weight-loss drug market [3]

KEY TAKEAWAYSQualcomm stock is falling 5% in premarket trading Thursday, a day after the company's lower-than-estimated licensing revenue offset record quarterly sales.The chipmaker reported fiscal 2025 first-quarter revenue and profit above Visible Alpha estimates. However, investors seemed to focus on Qualcomm's licensing revenue, which undershot forecasts. Qualcomm (QCOM) stock is falling 5% in premarket trading Thursday, a day after the company’s lower-than-estimated licensing revenue offset record quar ...

Key TakeawaysAmazon will be the first of America's major retailers to report fourth-quarter earnings when it posts results after markets close on Thursday.After a record-breaking holiday shopping season, analysts expect retailers to report strong sales.Consumer spending growth is expected to accelerate this year, but analysts warn tariffs and a stock market downturn could curb momentum. Amazon will kick off the earnings reporting season for major retailers this week, offering investors a snapshot of consume ...