J.B. Hunt Q1 Guidance A Disappointment, Analyst Says
Benzinga· 2025-01-17 19:33
Earnings Performance - Fourth-quarter EPS of $1.53 missed the consensus estimate of $1.63, while sales of $3.15 billion were in line with expectations [1] - Operating revenue fell 5% year over year to $3.15 billion due to declines in revenue per load in Intermodal and Truckload segments, a reduction in average trucks in Dedicated Contract Services, and a 22% decrease in load volume in Integrated Capacity Solutions [2] - An unexpected $16 million intangible impairment charge, translating to about $0.10 per share, was noted [3] Analyst Adjustments and Ratings - Wells Fargo cut the price target on the stock from $200 to $190 [1] - JP Morgan reduced the price forecast to $200 from $205 while reiterating an Overweight rating [2] - Evercore ISI Group trimmed the price forecast to $202 from $207, reaffirming an Outperform rating [3] - Stifel analyst J Bruce Chan raised the price forecast to $174 from $161 while maintaining a Hold rating [3] Segment Performance and Outlook - Intermodal ended 2024 with record volumes, but residual contract pricing from earlier in the year weighed on revenue, expected to remain a headwind until the third quarter of FY25 [4] - The Dedicated segment continues to experience fleet contraction, likely persisting into the second quarter of FY25 [4] - Management guided first-quarter FY25 margins lower, projecting a 20% – 25% sequential decline in operating income [5] Revised EPS Estimates - First-quarter EPS estimates were lowered from $1.46 to $1.15, 2025 from $7.00 to $6.55, and a 2026 EPS estimate of $8.10 was set [5] Analyst Commentary - Benchmark analyst Christopher Kuhn noted that excluding an impairment charge in ICS from the BNSF acquisition, fourth-quarter EPS of $1.66 exceeded expectations due to slightly better operating income than expected, but first-quarter guidance is a disappointment [6] - The diversified model and secular growth in Intermodal and Dedicated could support long-term EPS growth, but patience may wane as estimates are revised down and mid-cycle earnings continue to get pushed out [7] Investment Exposure - Investors can gain exposure to the stock via ProShares Trust ProShares Supply Chain Logistics ETF SUPL and SPDR S&P Transportation ETF XTN [7] Stock Performance - JBHT shares are down 6.24% at $174.58 at the last check Friday [7]
Undercovered Dozen: Lincoln National, Whitecap Resources, NMI Holdings, Healwell AI +
Seeking Alpha· 2025-01-17 19:30
Undercovered Investment Ideas - The Undercovered Dozen highlights twelve actionable investment ideas on tickers with less coverage, ranging from "boring" large caps to promising small caps [1] - Inclusion criteria for "undercovered" tickers include: market cap greater than $100 million, more than 800 symbol page views in the last 90 days on Seeking Alpha, and fewer than two articles published in the past 30 days [1] - Follow the account to receive a weekly review of twelve undercovered ideas from valued analysts [1] Analyst and Seeking Alpha Disclosures - The analyst has no stock, option, or derivative positions in any mentioned companies and no plans to initiate such positions within the next 72 hours [2] - The article expresses the analyst's own opinions, and the analyst is not receiving compensation for it [2] - Seeking Alpha emphasizes that past performance is no guarantee of future results and does not provide personalized investment advice [3] - Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker, or US investment adviser or investment bank [3]
Why Qorvo Rallied Double Digits Today
The Motley Fool· 2025-01-17 19:30
Stock Performance and Activist Investor Impact - Qorvo's shares rallied 13 4% on Friday as of 1 55 p m ET driven by news of an activist investor taking a sizable stake in the company [1] - The stock had declined approximately 29% over the past year prior to this rally [1] - Activist investing firm Starboard Value Partners acquired a 7 29 million share stake in Qorvo representing 7 7% of the company's total shares outstanding and valued at around $500 million [2] Company Overview and Market Segments - Qorvo specializes in radio frequency chips for smartphones and tablets with its largest customer Apple accounting for over one-third of its revenue [3] - The company operates in three segments advanced cellular connectivity and sensors (CSG) and high performance analog (HPA) [3] - CSG serves consumer and Industrial Internet of Things markets while HPA focuses on aerospace defense and cellular infrastructure markets [3] - Qorvo also provides in-house foundry services to U S government defense and aerospace customers [3] Industry Challenges and Recent Performance - Qorvo's stock decline over the past year was attributed to weak smartphone sales as Chinese consumers shifted to lower-cost Android phones amid economic challenges [4] - The company also faced a severe downturn in the industrial chips market [4] Activist Investor Track Record - Starboard Value Partners has a history of successful investments in semiconductor companies including Nvidia Marvell Technology and On Semiconductor [5] - Starboard played a role in appointing CEOs at Marvell and On Semiconductor both of whom remain in their positions and have driven significant stock price increases [5] Potential Strategic Changes - Starboard's involvement in Qorvo could lead to strategic shifts or leadership changes similar to its past interventions in other semiconductor companies [6] - While Qorvo is not as well-positioned as some other chip companies Starboard's track record suggests potential for a turnaround [6]
NASDAQ: AEHR Lawsuit Alert: Investors Who Purchased a Substantial Amount of Shares of Aehr Test Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: AEHR) Should Contact the Shareholders Foundation
ACCESSWIRE Newsroom· 2025-01-17 19:30
Lawsuit Alert - Investors who purchased a substantial amount of shares of Aehr Test Systems, Inc (NASDAQ: AEHR) are being alerted to contact the Shareholders Foundation [1]
The 3 Best Bank Stocks to Buy for 2025
Benzinga· 2025-01-17 19:27
Investors received a big boost on January 15 with a December, 2024 Consumer Price Index report showing core inflation rose less than expected. This reassured Wall Street the Federal Reserve could continue to lower interest rates in 2025. The Fed had curbed its benchmark Federal Funds rate three consecutive times in the second half of 2024 but had signaled a halt – or even rate hikes – for 2025 as the US economy kept growing.The bond market acted accordingly, with the 10-year US Treasuries sliding to 4.60% b ...
D.R. Horton: Time To Be Greedy When Others Are Fearful
Seeking Alpha· 2025-01-17 19:20
Company Overview - D R Horton Inc (NYSE DHI) is the largest homebuilding company in the US based on the number of homes closed [1] - The company builds and sells houses across 125 different markets in 36 different states [1] Business Segments - The company's business segments consist of various operations related to homebuilding [1] Analyst's Perspective - The analyst focuses on identifying small cap companies with strong fundamentals and growth potential [1] - The analyst also looks for large cap companies going through temporary setbacks and stable companies with solid dividend yields and growth potential [1] Analyst's Background - The analyst has a strong quantitative background with a PhD in Chemical Engineering from the University of California Santa Barbara specializing in model predictive control [1] - The analyst also holds an MBA from the Jones School of Business at Rice University [1]
Intel Stock Gains On Speculative Buyout Report, Details Remain Unclear
Benzinga· 2025-01-17 19:15
Stock Performance and Market Sentiment - Intel Corp INTC stock gained 8 47% to $21 35 on Friday following reports of a potential acquisition [1][7] - The stock has plunged 54% in the last 12 months [1] - Shares of Intel have an average 1-year price target of $22 9, representing an expected upside of 7 56% [6] - Analysts have mixed recommendations, with 3 bearish and 1 bullish ratings The street high price target is $28 0, while the street low is $17 0 [7] Strategic Moves and Restructuring - Intel is spinning off its Altera chip division to make it a publicly traded company [4] - The company continues to own Mobileye Global Inc MBLY, an Israel-based autonomous driving firm [4] - Intel is transforming its foundry business into an independent unit in 2024 [4] - Intel Capital will be spun off into a standalone fund with a new name by late 2025, with Intel as an anchor investor [4] - Under former CEO Pat Gelsinger, Intel restructured smaller divisions and reduced its workforce in 2024 [3] Challenges and Competitive Landscape - Intel has failed to capitalize on the AI technology boom, unlike competitors Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co TSM and Nvidia Corp NVDA [3] - The company's AI accelerator business, including the Gaudi chip, lost out to competitors like Nvidia [3] - Intel also lost market share in the PC gaming segment to Advanced Micro Devices, Inc AMD [3] Leadership and Operational Changes - CFO Dave Zinsner and Michelle Johnston Holthaus became interim co-CEOs after Pat Gelsinger was fired due to unsuccessful turnaround efforts [2] - Zinsner acknowledged the possibility of selling Intel's factory and product development divisions [2] Innovations and Partnerships - Intel showcased an electric vehicle platform with AI and cloud tools at CES 2025, securing clients such as Stellantis STLA, Stellantis Motorsports, and Karma Automotive [5] Investment Opportunities - Investors can gain exposure to Intel through ETFs like Vanguard S&P 500 ETF VOO and iShares Core S&P 500 ETF IVV [5]
Caribou Biosciences, Inc. Sued for Securities Law Violations - Investors Should Contact Levi & Korsinsky for More Information - CRBU
ACCESSWIRE Newsroom· 2025-01-17 19:15
Legal and Regulatory - Caribou Biosciences Inc is being sued for alleged securities law violations [1] - Investors are advised to contact Levi & Korsinsky for more information regarding the lawsuit [1] Company Specific - The lawsuit involves Caribou Biosciences Inc (ticker: CRBU) [1] Note: The provided content is limited and does not contain information about financial performance, industry trends, or other typical investment analysis topics The summary focuses solely on the legal action mentioned in the document
23andMe has been quietly exploring a possible sale of its telehealth business, Lemonaid
Business Insider· 2025-01-17 19:13
Company Overview - 23andMe, a genetic testing company founded in 2006, initially gained consumer interest with ancestry-focused genetic testing kits and later expanded to health risk assessments in 2017 [2] - The company went public in June 2021 at $11.13 per share and acquired virtual care startup Lemonaid Health for $400 million in cash and stock later that year [3][4] - 23andMe's valuation has significantly declined from $3.5 billion at IPO to approximately $91 million as of January 2024 [4] Financial and Operational Challenges - The company's stock price has plummeted due to a 2023 data breach affecting nearly 7 million users, leading to a $30 million class action lawsuit settlement [3][5][6] - In response to financial struggles, 23andMe cut 40% of its workforce (approximately 200 employees) in November 2023 and discontinued its drug discovery efforts [3] - To avoid delisting from Nasdaq, the company executed a reverse stock split in October 2023, exchanging every 20 shares for one share [4] Strategic Developments - 23andMe is exploring the potential sale of its telehealth business, Lemonaid Health, which it acquired in 2021 [1][9] - CEO Anne Wojcicki proposed taking the company private in July 2024, but the bid was rejected by a special committee of the board of directors [7] - Following the rejection, Wojcicki expressed openness to a third-party takeover in September 2024, but later retracted the statement, reaffirming her intention to take the company private [7][8] Data Breach Impact - The 2023 data breach exposed sensitive user information, including names and birth details, which were subsequently sold on the dark web [5] - The company took five months to detect the breach, leading to significant reputational damage and legal consequences [6]
ImmunityBio: Making Its Next Strikes After Bladder Cancer Approval
Seeking Alpha· 2025-01-17 19:05
Company Overview - ImmunityBio Inc (NASDAQ: IBRX) is a biotech company that has been subject to fluctuating market valuations, with concerns raised about the level of execution risk priced into its valuation [1] Analyst Background - The analyst holds a PhD in biochemistry and has extensive experience in analyzing clinical trials and biotech companies [1] - The analyst aims to educate investors on the science behind biotech investments and help them conduct thorough due diligence to avoid potential pitfalls [1] Disclosure - The analyst has no stock, option, or derivative positions in any of the mentioned companies and no plans to initiate such positions within the next 72 hours [2] - The article represents the analyst's personal opinions and is not influenced by any compensation or business relationships with the mentioned companies [2]