Group 1 - TSMC's U.S.-listed shares rose 4% in premarket trading following a better-than-expected fourth-quarter profit and a positive outlook for AI demand [1] - The company reported a profit of NT$374.68 billion ($11.37 billion), marking a 57% year-over-year increase, with earnings per share at NT$14.45 ($0.44) [2] - TSMC's revenue for the fourth quarter was NT$868.46 billion, a 39% year-over-year increase, and projected 2024 revenue of NT$2.89 trillion, reflecting a 34% gain [3] Group 2 - TSMC's CFO indicated that the fourth-quarter performance was driven by strong demand for 3nm and 5nm technologies, with expectations of smartphone seasonality impacting Q1 2025, partially offset by AI-related growth [4] - The company projects Q1 2025 revenue between $25.0 billion and $25.8 billion, with gross profit margins between 57% and 59%, and operating profit margins between 46.5% and 48.5% [4] - TSMC anticipates a capital budget for 2025 to be between $38 billion and $42 billion [4]

Core Insights - Tesla shares experienced an 8% surge, driven by weaker-than-expected inflation data, which raised investor hopes for potential interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve, thereby enhancing demand for electric vehicles (EVs) through lower financing costs [2][8] - Despite being 12% below their mid-December high, Tesla shares have increased by 70% since early November, partly due to expectations that the company's self-driving robotaxi ambitions could be expedited under the incoming Trump administration [3][8] Technical Analysis - Tesla shares have shown a strong upward trend since breaking out from an ascending triangle in early November, currently consolidating within a flag pattern, indicating a continuation of this uptrend [4][8] - The 50-day moving average is poised to cross above the 200-day moving average, signaling a bullish golden cross, which typically indicates a new upward movement [4] Price Targets and Support Levels - A longer-term bullish price target for Tesla is projected at around $775, representing approximately 80% upside from the closing price on the day of the report, based on bars pattern analysis [6][8] - Key support levels to monitor include the $300 level, which is expected to attract strong support, and if the stock falls below this, it may drop to around $265, where buying interest could emerge [7][8]

Key TakeawaysBoeing shares were among the few decliners in the Dow Jones Industrial Average Wednesday, one day after the aircraft maker reported a decline in 2024 plane deliveries.The stock has carved out a potential inverse head and shoulders between August and January, a classic chart pattern that signals higher prices.A measured move price target, which calculates the distance between the inverse head and shoulders’ head and its neckline, then adds that amount to the top of the pattern, forecasts a bulli ...

Quantum Stocks Rally - Quantum stocks experienced significant gains on Wednesday, with Rigetti Computing (RGTI) up 15%, D-Wave Quantum (QBTS) up 14%, IonQ (IONQ) up 30%, and Quantum Computing (QUBT) up 40% [1] - The rally followed a Microsoft blog post calling 2025 "the year to become quantum-ready," which helped mitigate recent losses caused by bearish comments from industry leaders [1][4] Microsoft's Quantum Ready Program - Microsoft unveiled its "Quantum Ready" program, which includes one-on-one workshops and industry forums with quantum computing business leaders [2] - The program aims to invest in strategic skilling and provide access to reliable quantum computers for experimentation [2] Impact of Bearish Comments - Recent negative comments from Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang had previously caused quantum stocks to decline [5] - Zuckerberg and Huang suggested that "very useful quantum computers" are still 15 to 30 years away, leading to a significant drop in stock values [5] - For example, Rigetti Computing's stock lost two-thirds of its value over three sessions, closing at $6.05 on Monday before rallying back to $10.30 on Wednesday [5]

Netflix Earnings and Market Performance - Netflix is expected to report 15% fourth-quarter revenue growth, implying revenue above $10 billion, compared to Visible Alpha's mean estimate of $10.1 billion [2] - The company anticipates sequential growth in paid net subscriber additions for Q4 [2] - Netflix shares are up approximately 70% over the past 12 months, despite being in the red year-to-date [2] Analyst Price Target and Rating - Oppenheimer analysts, led by Jason Helfstein, slightly reduced their Netflix price target from $1,065 to $1,040 while maintaining an "outperform" rating [3][4] - The new price target is about 25% above Tuesday's closing price and 15% higher than the Visible Alpha mean estimate of $905 [3] - Oppenheimer's caution is primarily due to the outlook for 2025 revenue, influenced by a strong US dollar [2][4] Market Reaction and Investor Sentiment - Netflix shares climbed more than 2% to around $848 as broader markets rose [4][5] - Investors are likely anticipating the company's upcoming quarterly financial results, which are expected to be a key moment in the tech-industry earnings season [5]

Core Insights - BlackRock (BLK) shares increased by 4% following the release of better-than-expected quarterly results, driven by record assets under management (AUM) [1][4] - The firm reported fourth-quarter adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of $11.93, marking a 23% year-over-year increase, with revenue also rising 23% to $5.68 billion, surpassing analyst consensus estimates [1][4] Group 1: Financial Performance - AUM surged 15% year-over-year to $11.55 trillion, with total net inflows nearly tripling to $281.4 billion [2][4] - Long-term net inflows contributed $200.7 billion, with $142.6 billion specifically allocated to exchange-traded funds (ETFs) [2] Group 2: Growth and Future Outlook - CEO Larry Fink highlighted that this marks the second consecutive quarter of record inflows for BlackRock, with client activity significantly increasing [3][4] - The company experienced 7% organic base fee growth and 12% growth in technology services annual contract value (ACV) [3] - Fink expressed optimism about entering 2025 with substantial growth and upside potential, indicating that this is just the beginning [3]

Core Insights - General Motors (GM) has signed a multi-billion-dollar agreement with Norwegian battery materials producer Vianode to develop and supply synthetic anode graphite for GM's battery manufacturing starting in 2027 [2][3] - The synthetic anode graphite will primarily be used in GM's battery cell manufacturing joint venture with LG Energy Solution, with potential for inclusion in other future joint ventures [2][3] - Anode graphite is the largest component by weight in lithium-ion batteries, which are essential for electric vehicles [3][4] - Vianode's production process for synthetic anode graphite boasts a 90% lower carbon dioxide footprint compared to conventional methods, aligning with GM's goal to establish a sustainable battery supply chain in North America [3][4] - Following the announcement, GM's shares increased by over 2% intraday and have risen nearly 50% over the past year [3]

Earnings Performance - Citigroup reported a net income of $2.86 billion for Q4, a significant improvement from a loss of $1.84 billion in the same quarter last year [1] - Diluted earnings per share (EPS) increased to $1.34, compared to a loss of $1.16 per share in the previous year, surpassing consensus estimates [1] Revenue and Costs - Revenue, net of interest expense, rose 12% year-over-year to $19.58 billion, exceeding estimates [3] - The cost of credit decreased by 27% to $2.59 billion, contributing to the boost in net income [3] Strategic Performance and Future Plans - CEO Jane Fraser stated that 2024 was a critical year, with results indicating that the company's strategy is delivering stronger performance [3] - The board of directors approved a $20 billion stock buyback program, set to begin this quarter [3] Market Reaction - Shares of Citigroup gained nearly 4% in pre-market trading following the earnings report [2]

Goldman Sachs (GS) shares gained in premarket trading Wednesday after the bank reported better-than-expected fourth-quarter results. The bank reported $4.11 billion in profit on $13.87 billion in revenue, well above the respective $2.89 billion and $12.31 billion that analysts estimated, per Visible Alpha. Goldman registered $2.35 billion in net interest income, above the $2.1 billion expectation. "I'm encouraged that we have met or exceeded almost all of the targets we set in our strategy to grow the firm ...

Core Insights - Wells Fargo (WFC) shares increased in pre-market trading after reporting fourth-quarter profit and net interest income that exceeded analysts' expectations [1][2] - The bank's net income for the quarter was $5.08 billion, a rise from $3.45 billion year-over-year, surpassing analyst forecasts [1][2] - Revenue for the quarter was $20.38 billion, slightly below estimates and down from $20.48 billion a year ago [1][2] Financial Performance - The consensus estimate for fourth-quarter net income was $4.83 billion, while revenue was expected to be $20.53 billion [2] - Net interest income decreased to $11.84 billion from $12.77 billion in the fourth quarter of 2023, but was above the anticipated $11.69 billion [2] - Following the earnings release, Wells Fargo shares rose over 3% in pre-market trading [2]