Intel earnings beat expectations, but stock drops. Why there could be room to cut credit card rates.

Market Overview - Stocks closed higher for the second consecutive day, with the Dow up about 300 points or 1.6%, the Nasdaq up almost 1%, and the S&P 500 up about 0.5% or 37 points [2][3] - The Russell 2000 and S&P 600 reached record highs, with the Russell 2000 up 0.7% [3] - The VIX index showed a spike above 20 earlier in the week but has since returned to lower levels, indicating reduced volatility concerns [4] Interest Rates and Yields - The 10-year Treasury yield closed at 4.25%, while the 30-year yield decreased by two basis points to 4.85% [5] - Higher long-term yields have raised concerns about the Federal Reserve's control over the situation, but the recent decline in yields is seen as positive for investors [6] Sector Performance - Mega-cap sectors, including communication services, consumer discretionary, and technology, led the market gains, with notable performances from companies like Alphabet, Meta, Tesla, and Nvidia [7][8] - Financials also showed strength, with large-cap financials up about 0.6% [8] - Underperforming sectors included real estate, utilities, industrials, and staples, all closing in the red [8] Intel's Q4 Earnings - Intel reported Q4 EPS of 15 cents, beating estimates, and revenue of $13.67 billion, also above the expected $13.43 billion [10][11] - Data center and AI revenue for Q4 was $4.74 billion, exceeding the estimate of $4.42 billion, while client computing revenue was slightly below expectations at $8.19 billion [11] - The Q1 revenue forecast is between $11.7 billion and $12.7 billion, which is below the consensus estimate of $12.56 billion, leading to a 5% drop in stock price after the report [11][12] Market Sentiment and Future Outlook - Analysts noted that despite the weak guidance, there are positive signs in the server market and the importance of CPUs in AI compute [19][28] - Concerns remain about manufacturing yields and inventory levels, which could impact future sales and forecasts [21][23] - The overall sentiment towards Intel's core customers in the PC business appears more confident compared to previous years, indicating a potential positive shift [32] Credit Card Interest Rates - Bank of America and Citigroup are reportedly considering new credit cards with a 10% interest rate, amidst discussions on affordability and high credit card rates [34][35] - Former FDIC chair Sheila Blair commented on the high average credit card rates and the potential for banks to lower them without significant risk to credit availability [36][38]