Latest News for Boohoo Group Stock (OTC:BHOOY)

Boohoo Group PLC is an online fashion retailer catering to young people in the UK and internationally. The company markets and retails its own-brand clothing and accessories through its website www.boohoo.com. Its brand includes boohoo, PrettyLittleThing, Nasty Gal, and Others. The company's geographical segment includes United Kingdom; Rest of Europe; USA and Rest of world. It derives a majority of its revenue from the United Kingdom. Its product offering includes clothing, footwear, and related fashion accessories.

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Fashion Retailer Boohoo Registers 11% Revenue Decline In Four-Month Period Ending December

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<p>Truist Securities  analyst Tobey Sommer   maintains Exponent (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/EXPO#NASDAQ">EXPO</a>) with a Buy and raises the price target from $95 to $100.</p>


Price Target

Analyst Ratings

EXPO

Truist Securities Maintains Buy on Exponent, Raises Price Target to $100

<p><strong>Wedbush's Dan Ives</strong> believes <strong>Apple Inc.</strong> (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAPL#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>) and <strong>Tesla Inc.</strong> (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSLA#NASDAQ">TSLA</a>) are the "only two companies" able to <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/24/04/38203000/seeds-for-apples-turnaround-in-china-are-being-planted-says-wedbushs-dan-ives-some-">"thread the needle"</a> between the U.S. and China.</p>
<p><strong>What Happened:</strong> Ives underscored his belief that U.S. tech companies are ahead of their Chinese counterparts when it comes to artificial intelligence (AI,) in an interview with Bloomberg Surveillance.</p>
<p>&#8220;There&#8217;s only two companies able to thread the needle in terms of China-US. It&#8217;s Cook in Cupertino, and Musk and Tesla," Ives said in the backdrop of Cook and Musk's recent China visits.</p>
<p>"This is a huge win for Musk."</p>
<p><em>Subscribe to the&nbsp;</em><a href="https://bztechtrends.beehiiv.com/subscribe" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Benzinga Tech Trends newsletter</em></a><em>&nbsp;to get all the latest tech developments delivered to your inbox.</em></p>
<p>This comes amid Apple's recent struggles in China, while Tesla registered its <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/earnings/24/04/38390883/tesla-q1-earnings-highlights-ev-giant-misses-wall-street-estimates-makes-cost-cuts-invests-in-ai-sp">first earnings decline</a> in four years.</p>
<p>Both the tech titans have been facing trouble in China – while Apple's iPhone sales in China fell <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/24/04/38381758/jim-cramer-weighs-in-after-iphone-sales-reportedly-plummet-19-in-china-in-q1-anothe">19% year-on-year in the March 2024 quarter</a>, Tesla reported a 9% fall in revenue year-on-year.</p>
<p><figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><br />
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">&quot;There&#39;s only two companies able to thread the needle in terms of China-US. It&#39;s Cook in Cupertino and Musk &amp; Tesla,&quot; says Dan Ives of Wedbush. &quot;This is a huge win for Musk&quot;<a href="https://t.co/L5vwv8Oo6D">https://t.co/L5vwv8Oo6D</a> <a href="https://t.co/TGM6ErM5G9">pic.twitter.com/TGM6ErM5G9</a></p>
<p>&mdash; BSurveillance (@bsurveillance) <a href="https://twitter.com/bsurveillance/status/1784913638702076356?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 29, 2024</a></p></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
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<p>Ives also thinks Apple and Tesla will remain notable players in China "because they make the best products in the world… consumers are going to buy them."</p>
<p><em>See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/04/38488085/metas-chief-ai-scientist-reveals-mark-zuckerberg-was-snubbed-from-bidens-ai-safety-institute-elon-mu">Meta&#8217;s Chief AI Scientist Reveals Mark Zuckerberg Was &#8216;Snubbed&#8217; From Biden&#8217;s AI Safety Institute; Elon Musk Also Missing From The List</a></em></p>
<p><strong>Why It Matters:</strong> Top tech analysts have been bullish about Apple and Tesla's fortunes.</p>
<p>While <strong>Ark Invest's Cathie Wood</strong> has <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/24/04/38368840/cathie-woods-ark-invest-seizes-tesla-dip-acquires-over-17m-in-shares-ahead-of-q1-results-zoom-st">doubled down on Tesla</a> after the recent stock dip, investing over $17 million in shares, Ives thinks the seeds of Apple's turnaround in China are <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/24/04/38203000/seeds-for-apples-turnaround-in-china-are-being-planted-says-wedbushs-dan-ives-some-">"being planted."</a></p>
<p>Ives' Apple optimism is based on the steady iPhone production in the region and the strong performance in other key markets such as the U.S., Europe, and India, which could offset the impact of the Chinese market&#8217;s underperformance.</p>
<p>Similarly, Tesla has been making strategic moves in China. The company recently <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/asia/24/04/38481213/breaking-tesla-reportedly-teams-up-with-baidu-to-roll-out-fsd-in-china">partnered with Baidu</a> to introduce its driver assistance features in China, a move that could significantly boost its presence in the East Asian market.</p>
<p><strong>Price Action:</strong> At the time of writing, Apple's shares were up 3.4% at $175.05, while Tesla's shares were up 12.50% at $189.33, according to <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard">Benzinga Pro</a>.</p>
<p><em>Check out more of Benzinga's Consumer Tech coverage by&nbsp;</em><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/consumer-tech" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>following this link</em></a><em>.</em></p>
<p><em>Read Next:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/24/04/38459459/put-it-in-the-louvre-tech-bull-praises-google-parent-alphabets-major-breakout-quart?itm_source=parsely-api" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">‘Put It In The Louvre:' Tech Bull Praises Google Parent Alphabet's ‘Major Breakout Quarter'</a></em></p>
<p><strong><em>Disclaimer</em></strong><em>: This content was partially produced with the help of </em><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/benzinga-neuro" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Benzinga Neuro</em></a><em> and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.</em></p>
<p><em>Photos courtesy: Shutterstock and Flickr</em></p>


Analyst Color

Equities

Tech

AAPL

TSLA

Apple And Tesla 'Only Two Companies Able To Thread The Needle In Terms Of China-US', Says Top Analyst After Tim Cook And Elon Musk's Recent China Visits

<p>Truist Securities  analyst Mark Hughes   maintains Kinsale Cap Gr (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/KNSL#NYSE">KNSL</a>) with a Buy and lowers the price target from $600 to $440.</p>


KNSL

Truist Securities Maintains Buy on Kinsale Cap Gr, Lowers Price Target to $440

<p>On Thursday, Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/msft#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>) issued its third quarter earnings report.</p>
<p>Year to date, Microsoft shares are 10% up, behind its tech rivals,&nbsp;Google parent Alphabet (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/goog#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>)(NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/googl#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>)&nbsp;and&nbsp;Amazon.com Inc (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/amzn#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>) that are 15% and 22% up, respectively, with the three locked in a battle to show who can offer the most comprehensive AI solutions.&nbsp;</p>
<p>This week, Microsoft got a pleasant boost from the beverage giant, The Coca Cola Company (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ko#NYSE">KO</a>) who agreed to infuse Microsoft&rsquo;s&nbsp;&nbsp;Azure cloud services and developing AI technology across its business and network.</p>
<p>Third quarter results surpassed estimates.</p>
<p>For the quarter ended on March 31st, revenue&nbsp;rose 17% YoY to&nbsp;$61.86&nbsp;billion, surpassing LSEG&rsquo;s estimate of&nbsp;$60.80 billion.</p>
<p>Net income&nbsp;amounted to&nbsp;$21.94 billion&nbsp;or&nbsp;$2.94 per share&nbsp;and also surpassed LSEG&rsquo;s estimate of&nbsp;$2.82 per share.</p>
<p>Overall commercial cloud revenue came in at $35.1 billion, surpassing Wall Street&rsquo;s guidance for&nbsp;$33.93 billion.&nbsp;Intelligent Cloud segment&nbsp;brought in&nbsp;$26.71 billion&nbsp;as sales rose about 21% with&nbsp;Microsoft&rsquo;s Azure cloud&nbsp;alone&nbsp;growing 31%.&nbsp;AI services contributed 7 percentage points of growth to its Azure and other cloud services revenue, rising from second quarter&rsquo;s 6 percentage points and first quarter&rsquo;s 3 percentage points.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Capital expenditures jumped 79%&nbsp;to&nbsp;$14 billion.&nbsp;Microsoft has been investing heavily&nbsp;to secure Nvidia&nbsp;Corporation (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/nvda#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>)&nbsp;graphics processing units&nbsp;it needs to develop and train AI models.&nbsp;But&nbsp;even with all that investment, Microsoft has a shortage of data center infrastructure, specifically for deploying artificial intelligence models.&nbsp;CFO Amy Hood&nbsp;noted that&nbsp;AI demand&nbsp;could&nbsp;outstrip available capacity&nbsp;in the near-term. Microsoft is certainly not the only AI vendor with this&nbsp;challenge as Nvidia is facing the same issue. Fueled by the AI boom, Nvidia reported its revenue more than tripled over consecutive quarters.&nbsp;Microsoft, being one of its customers, is simply now feeling the stress Nvidia has been facing for a while due to insatiable AI demand. Only a month ago, Microsoft and Nvidia deepened their longstanding collaboration by announcing major integrations to accelerate the development of generative AI for enterprises.</p>
<p>More Personal Computing&nbsp;revenue rose&nbsp;18%&nbsp;YoY to&nbsp;$15.58, surpassing&nbsp;StreetAccount consensus of $15.08 billion. &nbsp;It was&nbsp;driven by 11% growth in Windows OEM sales to PC manufacturers, along with 62% growth in sales of&nbsp;Xbox content and services, with&nbsp;61%&nbsp;being&nbsp;attributable to the net impact of Microsoft&#39;s&nbsp;October&nbsp;acquisition of Activision Blizzard.</p>
<p>PC demand was slightly better than expected during the quarter and consequently,&nbsp;sales of Windows licenses to device makers&nbsp;rose&nbsp;11%.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The Productivity and Business Processes&nbsp;unit that hosts Office software and LinkedIn, among others, reported a revenue rise of 12% as sales amounted to&nbsp;$19.57 billion.&nbsp;This is&nbsp;first full quarter of&nbsp;the Copilot-add-on&nbsp;sales, on which Microsoft invested billions to develop.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Fourth quarter guidance was not as impressive.</p>
<p>Microsoft guided for&nbsp;revenue&nbsp;from&nbsp;$63.5 billion&nbsp;to&nbsp;$64.5 billion&nbsp;in the current quarter. Hood guided for a material rise in capital expenditures due to cloud infrastructure both in the current quarter and in the new fiscal year that will kick off on July 1st.</p>
<p>The boost from Coca Cola.</p>
<p>This week, Microsoft revealed it entered into a&nbsp;five-year, $1.1 billion agreement&nbsp;with Coca Cola.&nbsp;The Coca-Cola Company&nbsp;&nbsp;will use Microsoft&rsquo;s tech expertise to&nbsp;accelerate system-wide AI transformation across&nbsp;its global business&nbsp;and network of independent bottlers.</p>
<p>AI is key to Microsoft&rsquo;s prospects, which means its&nbsp;cloud business is running the show.</p>
<p>Growing faster than any other of its businesses, the Azure brings in&nbsp;revenue of&nbsp;tens of billions of dollars every quarter. Together with AI services that go within its package, Cloud is also Microsoft&rsquo;s biggest tool in its rivalry against Amazon and its Amazon Web Services. But, Amazon and Microsoft are certainly not the only ones battling for the AI throne as this is still just the beginning of that story and a an entirely new era in the making.</p>
<p><em>DISCLAIMER: This content is for informational purposes only. It is not intended as investing advice.</em></p>
<p class="contributor-disclaimer"><em>This article is from an unpaid external contributor. It does not represent Benzinga's reporting and has not been edited for content or accuracy.</em></p>


AMZN

GOOG

GOOGL

MSFT

NVDA

Microsoft Tops Estimates Across Its Business But Signals Near-Term Capacity Challenges

<p>RBC Capital  analyst Brad Heffern   maintains AvalonBay Communities (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AVB#NYSE">AVB</a>) with a Sector Perform and raises the price target from $191 to $196.</p>


RBC Capital Maintains Sector Perform on AvalonBay Communities, Raises Price Target to $196

<p>NXP Semiconductors N.V. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NXPI#NASDAQ">NXPI</a>) is expected to release earnings results for its first quarter, after the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/nxpi/earnings">closing bell on April 29, 2024</a>.</p>
<p>Analysts expect the company to report quarterly earnings at $3.16 per share, down from $3.19 per share in the year-ago quarter. NXP Semiconductors is projected to report quarterly revenue of $3.13 billion, compared to $3 billion in the year-earlier quarter, according to data from <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard">Benzinga Pro</a>.</p>
<p>On March 13, NXP Semiconductors and Impinj reached a settlement of patent litigation.</p>
<p>NXP Semiconductors shares rose 1.9% to close at $242.70 on Friday.</p>
<p>Benzinga readers can access the latest analyst ratings on the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/22/09/28888638/exclusive-study-finds-benzinga-analyst-ratings-data-yields-market-beating-strategie">Analyst Stock Ratings</a> page. Readers can sort by stock ticker, company name, analyst firm, rating change or other variables.</p>
<p>Let's have a look at how Benzinga's most-accurate <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/NXPI/analyst-ratings">analysts have rated the company</a>  in the recent period.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Evercore ISI Group</strong> analyst Mark Lipacis initiated coverage on the stock with an Outperform rating and a price target of $300 on April 16. This analyst has an accuracy rate of 78%.</li>
<li><strong>TD Cowen</strong> analyst Matthew Ramsay maintained an Outperform rating and raised the price target from $270 to $300 on March 12. This analyst has an accuracy rate of 73%.</li>
<li><strong>Truist Securities</strong> analyst William Stein maintained a Buy rating and increased the price target from $264 to $265 on Feb. 7. This analyst has an accuracy rate of 86%.</li>
<li><strong>Susquehanna</strong> analyst Christopher Rolland maintained a Neutral rating and boosted the price target from $200 to $225 on Feb. 7. This analyst has an accuracy rate of 78%.</li>
<li><strong>Mizuho</strong> analyst Vijay Rakesh maintained a Neutral rating and increased the price target from $200 to $225 on Feb. 7. This analyst has an accuracy rate of 75%.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Read More:</strong> <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/24/04/38458706/top-4-materials-stocks-that-may-explode-in-q2">Top 4 Materials Stocks That May Explode In Q2</a></p>


Pre-Market Outlook

NXPI

NXP Semiconductors Earnings Are Imminent; These Most Accurate Analysts Revise Forecasts Ahead Of Earnings Call

TBNK

Territorial Bancorp Shares Resume Trade

<p>Truist Securities  analyst Keith Hughes   maintains Mohawk Industries (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MHK#NYSE">MHK</a>) with a Buy and raises the price target from $127 to $140.</p>


Truist Securities Maintains Buy on Mohawk Industries, Raises Price Target to $140

<p><strong>Tesla </strong>and <strong>SpaceX</strong> CEO <strong>Elon Musk</strong> has voiced his disapproval of a proposed security agreement between the U.S. and Ukraine.</p>
<p><strong>What Happened:</strong> On Monday, Musk responded to a post by <strong>David Sacks</strong>, venture capitalist and former COO of <strong>PayPal,</strong> who had shared a screenshot of Ukrainian President <strong>Volodymyr Zelenskyy&#8217;</strong>s latest announcement. In it, Zelenskyy highlighted a potential security agreement with the U.S. The agreement would set levels of support for the next decade, with Sacks suggesting that the previously committed $61 billion was just the beginning.</p>
<p> Musk replied to Sacks&#8217; post, &#8220;This is insane. The forever war.&#8221;</p>
<p><figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><br />
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">This is insane. The forever war.</p>
<p>&mdash; Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1784773463133339858?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 29, 2024</a></p></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
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<p><em>See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/short-sellers/24/04/38468155/trumps-stock-loss-means-millions-for-short-sellers-a-lot-of-his-businesses-go-belly-up-quickly?itm_source=parsely-api" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Trump&#8217;s Stock Loss Means Millions For Short Sellers: &#8216;A Lot Of His Businesses Go Belly Up, Quickly&#8217;</a></em></p>
<p><strong>Why It Matters:</strong> The U.S. Congress recently approved a <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/04/38395838/us-congress-finally-passes-95b-foreign-aid-bill-for-ukraine-israel-taiwan-amid-simmering-russian-agg">$95 billion foreign aid package</a>, primarily aimed at countering Russian aggression. The package included a $61 billion allocation for Ukraine.</p>
<p>Musk&#8217;s stance on the Ukraine conflict has been consistent. He has previously voiced his concerns over Ukraine&#8217;s worsening situation and the potential loss of Odesa and Black Sea access. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/03/38016088/elon-musk-says-loss-of-odesa-black-sea-access-a-possibility-for-ukraine-the-longer-the-war-goes-on-t">Musk has urged Ukraine&#8217;s leadership to negotiate</a> rather than escalating the fight.</p>
<p>Despite criticism for his handling of Starlink internet satellites in the war-torn region, Musk has provided Ukraine with Starlink internet satellites since the beginning of the invasion by Russia. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/23/09/34508047/elon-musk-shares-reasons-for-not-helping-ukraine-in-surprise-attack-they-were-asking-us-to-take-part">Musk has clarified</a> that his refusal to help Ukraine in a surprise attack was due to it being a major act of war.</p>
<p>Furthermore, Musk has <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/02/37062145/elon-musk-denies-use-of-starlink-by-russian-forces-says-no-terminals-sold-directly-or-indirectly">denied selling Starlink terminals to Russia</a> amid the ongoing war, calling such reports &#8220;categorically false.&#8221;  He stated that to the best of his knowledge, no Starlinks have been sold directly or indirectly to Russia.</p>
<p><em>Read Next: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/04/38477167/trumps-niece-says-ex-president-could-face-criminal-charges-over-his-pacs-sketchy-transactions-donald?itm_source=parsely-api" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Trump&#8217;s Niece Says Ex-President Could Face Criminal Charges Over His PACs&#8217; Sketchy Transactions: &#8216;Donald&#8217;s Legal Quagmire Deepens&#8217;</a></em></p>
<p><em>Photo courtesy: Shutterstock</em></p>
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Politics

'This Is Insane:' Elon Musk Warns Of 'Forever War' Amid Talks Of A Decade-Long US-Ukraine Security Agreement

ANVS

Annovis Bio Shares Halted, News Pending

<p>Truist Securities  analyst Tobey Sommer   maintains Stericycle (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SRCL#NASDAQ">SRCL</a>) with a Hold and lowers the price target from $57 to $50.</p>


SRCL

Truist Securities Maintains Hold on Stericycle, Lowers Price Target to $50

<p><strong>Equinor ASA</strong>&nbsp;(NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/EQNR#NYSE">EQNR</a>) shares are trading lower after the planned restart of the Hammerfest liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant&nbsp;was&nbsp;postponed&nbsp;until Saturday last week.</p>
<p>The plant was&nbsp;earlier&nbsp;evacuated and shut&nbsp;earlier&nbsp;last week due to a gas leak, reported Reuters.</p>
<p>The Norwegian energy group had previously said it planned to restart production on Friday last week after&nbsp;the&nbsp;gas leak had been repaired.</p>
<p><strong><em>Also Read:</em></strong><em>&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/24/04/38251839/eqt-inks-non-operated-asset-deal-with-equinor-details" rel="noreferrer noopener">EQT Inks Non-Operated Asset Deal With Equinor: Details</a></em></p>
<p>As per the report, the outage at the plant, also known as Melkoeya, is now listed to end on Saturday on a transparency website maintained by gas infrastructure operator Gassco.</p>
<p>An Equinor spokesperson said that the plant&nbsp;can&nbsp;restart earlier, as per the report.&nbsp;Notably, the facility&nbsp;has a capacity to&nbsp;deliver 18.4 million cubic metres (mcm) per&nbsp;day,&nbsp;was&nbsp;briefly evacuated on Tuesday while already offline for a maintenance outage initially scheduled to last just one day.</p>
<p>Last week, Equinor reported Q1 FY24 results with <a href="https://www.benzinga.com//node/38421739">$24.79 billion in adjusted revenue.</a></p>
<p>Last month, the Norwegian energy giant&nbsp;said it will<strong>&nbsp;</strong>reportedly invest around $6 billion a year in oil and gas exploration and drilling in the country to maintain&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/24/03/37840788/equinor-infuses-6b-annually-to-maintain-norways-oil-game-report" rel="noreferrer noopener">continued output levels through 2035</a>.</p>
<p><strong>Price Action</strong>: EQNR shares are down 1.73% at $27.21 on&nbsp;the last check Monday.</p>


Large Cap

Media

EQNR

What's Going On With Equinor Shares Monday?

<p>RBC Capital  analyst Mark Dwelle   maintains Aon (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AON#NYSE">AON</a>) with a Sector Perform and lowers the price target from $325 to $315.</p>


RBC Capital Maintains Sector Perform on Aon, Lowers Price Target to $315

<p>Hedge fund manager <strong>Bill Ackman,</strong> who just last week said<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/04/38423358/bill-ackman-says-not-voting-for-biden-slams-president-for-inaction-on-american-hostage-issue-too-foc"> he wouldn&#8217;t vote for President<strong> Joe Biden, </strong></a>weighed in on the 2024 election yet again on Monday. </p>
<p><strong>What Happened: </strong>&#8220;The biggest mistake Democrats have made is supporting @POTUS <strong>[Joe] Biden</strong> for a second term,&#8221; said Ackman in a post on X, formerly Twitter. By supporting Biden, the Democrats have fed him with false hope that he could win the election, he said.</p>
<p>This prompted Biden to stay on, preventing better and younger candidates from emerging, the founder of Pershing Square said. He noted that polls now increasingly suggest that former President <strong>Donald Trump </strong>will likely win by a large margin, </p>
<p>To make matters worse, it might be too late for an alternative Democrat candidate to emerge, Ackman said. &#8220;And I suspect the polls understate Trump's margin as I believe many are not willing to admit that they intend to vote for Trump.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;Handing the election to Trump will be Biden's legacy.&#8221;</p>
<p><figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><br />
<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The biggest mistake Democrats have made is supporting <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> Biden for a second term. By supporting Biden, they have given him false confidence that he can win the race. As a result, he did not step aside and allow better and younger candidates to emerge. <br /><br />Now as polls…</p>
<p>&mdash; Bill Ackman (@BillAckman) <a href="https://twitter.com/BillAckman/status/1784912172126024166?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 29, 2024</a></p></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<p><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><br /><em>See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/04/38482843/americans-split-on-biden-vs-trump-but-nearly-half-of-all-voters-crave-an-alternative-new-poll-shows">Americans Split On Biden Vs. Trump — But Nearly Half Of All Voters Crave An Alternative, New Poll Shows</a></em><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/04/38482843/americans-split-on-biden-vs-trump-but-nearly-half-of-all-voters-crave-an-alternative-new-poll-shows"><br /></a><br /><strong>Why It&#8217;s Important: </strong>Last week, Ackman took a swipe at Biden for not acting enough on the American hostage issue. Ackman, though Democratic-leaning, said he voted for Trump in 2016.</figcaption></p></figure></p>
<p>In the past, the hedge fund manager expressed his wishful thinking of having JPMorgan CEO <strong>Jamie Dimon</strong> as the Democratic Party candidate, although the latter has been tightlipped about his political ambitions. Ackman also backed Rep. <strong>Dean Phillips</strong> (D-Minn.) to become the Democratic nominee but the Congressman quit the race in early March.</p>
<p>Incidentally, in September, Sen. <strong>Ted Cruz</strong> (R-Texas) raised the specter of Democrats nominating an alternative candidate at their national convention in Chicago in August. The most troubling scenario would be <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/23/09/34840903/ted-cruz-warns-biden-will-drop-out-of-the-2024-presidential-race-and-be-replaced-by-this-potential-c">if &#8220;kingmakers jettison Joe Biden and parachute in <strong>Michelle Obama</strong>,&#8221;</a> Cruz said. &#8220;I view this as a very serious danger,&#8221; he added.</p>
<p>The results of the Pew Research Center&#8217;s poll released last week showed that about 49% of the registered voters said if they could decide the major party candidates for the 2024 election, they would replace both Biden and Trump on the ballot.</p>
<p><em>Read Next: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/best-penny-stocks">Best Penny Stocks</a></em></p>
<p><em>Image Via Shutterstock</em></p>


Bill Ackman Flags This As Biggest Mistake Democrats Have Made: 'Handing The Election To Trump Will Be Biden's Legacy'

<p>Investors with a lot of money to spend have taken a bullish stance on <strong>Trump Media &amp; Technology</strong> (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DJT#NASDAQ">DJT</a>).</p>
<p>And retail traders should know.</p>
<p>We noticed this today when the trades showed up on publicly available options history that we track here at Benzinga.</p>
<p>Whether these are institutions or just wealthy individuals, we don't know. But when something this big happens with DJT, it often means somebody knows something is about to happen.</p>
<p>So how do we know what these investors just did? </p>
<p>Today, <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/?utm_source=insights">Benzinga</a>'s options scanner spotted 11 uncommon options trades for Trump Media &amp; Technology.</p>
<p>This isn't normal.</p>
<p>The overall sentiment of these big-money traders is split between 54% bullish and 9%, bearish.</p>
<p>Out of all of the special options we uncovered, 5 are puts, for a total amount of $662,470, and 6 are calls, for a total amount of $239,051.</p>
<h3>Predicted Price Range</h3>
<p>Based on the trading activity, it appears that the significant investors are aiming for a price territory stretching from $28.0 to $115.0 for Trump Media &amp; Technology over the recent three months. </p>
<h3>Analyzing Volume &amp; Open Interest</h3>
<p>Looking at the volume and open interest is a powerful move while trading options. This data can help you track the liquidity and interest for Trump Media &amp; Technology's options for a given strike price. Below, we can observe the evolution of the volume and open interest of calls and puts, respectively, for all of Trump Media &amp; Technology's whale trades within a strike price range from $28.0 to $115.0 in the last 30 days. </p>
<h3>Trump Media &amp; Technology Call and Put Volume: 30-Day Overview</h3>
<p><img src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2024/1714398465_0.png" alt="Options Call Chart" /></p>
<h3>Biggest Options Spotted:</h3>
<p>
<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th><strong>Symbol</strong></th>
<th><strong>PUT/CALL</strong></th>
<th><strong>Trade Type</strong></th>
<th><strong>Sentiment</strong></th>
<th><strong>Exp. Date</strong></th>
<th><strong>Ask</strong></th>
<th><strong>Bid</strong></th>
<th><strong>Price</strong></th>
<th><strong>Strike Price</strong></th>
<th><strong>Total Trade Price</strong></th>
<th style="text-align: right;"><strong>Open Interest</strong></th>
<th style="text-align: right;"><strong>Volume</strong></th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>DJT</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>06/21/24</td>
<td>$84.7</td>
<td>$83.55</td>
<td>$83.55</td>
<td>$110.00</td>
<td>$250.6K</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">9</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>DJT</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>06/21/24</td>
<td>$89.6</td>
<td>$88.3</td>
<td>$88.3</td>
<td>$115.00</td>
<td>$220.7K</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">36</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>DJT</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>05/03/24</td>
<td>$19.7</td>
<td>$19.55</td>
<td>$19.55</td>
<td>$60.00</td>
<td>$119.2K</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">266</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">22</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>DJT</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>05/10/24</td>
<td>$3.75</td>
<td>$3.3</td>
<td>$3.75</td>
<td>$44.00</td>
<td>$56.2K</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">150</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">508</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>DJT</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>05/10/24</td>
<td>$3.6</td>
<td>$2.51</td>
<td>$3.6</td>
<td>$44.00</td>
<td>$54.0K</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">150</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">409</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</p>
<h3>About Trump Media &amp; Technology</h3>
<p>Trump Media &amp; Technology Group Corp is a media and technology company rooted in social media, digital streaming, information technology infrastructure, and more. Its initial product launch will focus on its social media platform, Truth Social, which encourages an open, free, and honest global conversation without discriminating against political ideology.</p>
<p>Having examined the options trading patterns of Trump Media &amp; Technology, our attention now turns directly to the company. This shift allows us to delve into its present market position and performance</p>
<h3>Current Position of Trump Media &amp; Technology</h3>
<ul>
<li>Currently trading with a volume of 374,029, the DJT's price is up by 1.14%, now at $42.02. </li>
<li>RSI readings suggest the stock is currently is currently neutral between overbought and oversold.</li>
<li>Anticipated earnings release is in 11 days.</li>
</ul>
<p>Options trading presents higher risks and potential rewards. Astute traders manage these risks by continually educating themselves, adapting their strategies, monitoring multiple indicators, and keeping a close eye on market movements. Stay informed about the latest Trump Media &amp; Technology options trades with real-time alerts from <a href="https://benzinga.grsm.io/register174">Benzinga Pro</a>.</p>


Options

Behind the Scenes of Trump Media & Technology's Latest Options Trends

<p>Truist Securities  analyst Michael Swartz   maintains Topgolf Callaway Brands (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MODG#NYSE">MODG</a>) with a Buy and raises the price target from $18 to $20.</p>


MODG

Truist Securities Maintains Buy on Topgolf Callaway Brands, Raises Price Target to $20

<p>Financial giants have made a conspicuous bearish move on Amazon.com. Our analysis of options history for Amazon.com (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMZN#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>) revealed 17 unusual trades.</p>
<p>Delving into the details, we found 35% of traders were bullish, while 47% showed bearish tendencies. Out of all the trades we spotted, 3 were puts, with a value of $133,537, and 14 were calls, valued at $719,827.</p>
<h3>Predicted Price Range</h3>
<p>After evaluating the trading volumes and Open Interest, it's evident that the major market movers are focusing on a price band between $150.0 and $200.0 for Amazon.com, spanning the last three months.</p>
<h3>Analyzing Volume &amp; Open Interest</h3>
<p>In today's trading context, the average open interest for options of Amazon.com stands at 11633.0, with a total volume reaching 12,707.00. The accompanying chart delineates the progression of both call and put option volume and open interest for high-value trades in Amazon.com, situated within the strike price corridor from $150.0 to $200.0, throughout the last 30 days.</p>
<h3>Amazon.com Option Activity Analysis: Last 30 Days</h3>
<p><img src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2024/1714398460_0.png" alt="Options Call Chart" /></p>
<h3>Largest Options Trades Observed:</h3>
<p>
<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th><strong>Symbol</strong></th>
<th><strong>PUT/CALL</strong></th>
<th><strong>Trade Type</strong></th>
<th><strong>Sentiment</strong></th>
<th><strong>Exp. Date</strong></th>
<th><strong>Ask</strong></th>
<th><strong>Bid</strong></th>
<th><strong>Price</strong></th>
<th><strong>Strike Price</strong></th>
<th><strong>Total Trade Price</strong></th>
<th><strong>Open Interest</strong></th>
<th><strong>Volume</strong></th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>AMZN</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>05/03/24</td>
<td>$6.05</td>
<td>$6.0</td>
<td>$6.05</td>
<td>$185.00</td>
<td>$122.2K</td>
<td>18.5K</td>
<td>1.2K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>AMZN</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>05/03/24</td>
<td>$4.75</td>
<td>$4.65</td>
<td>$4.65</td>
<td>$187.50</td>
<td>$116.2K</td>
<td>4.2K</td>
<td>778</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>AMZN</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>05/03/24</td>
<td>$1.32</td>
<td>$1.3</td>
<td>$1.24</td>
<td>$200.00</td>
<td>$95.4K</td>
<td>13.7K</td>
<td>2.4K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>AMZN</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>05/03/24</td>
<td>$5.95</td>
<td>$5.85</td>
<td>$5.93</td>
<td>$185.00</td>
<td>$59.4K</td>
<td>18.5K</td>
<td>2.4K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>AMZN</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>NEUTRAL</td>
<td>05/03/24</td>
<td>$3.75</td>
<td>$3.65</td>
<td>$3.71</td>
<td>$175.00</td>
<td>$48.9K</td>
<td>8.5K</td>
<td>467</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</p>
<h3>About Amazon.com</h3>
<p>Amazon is a leading online retailer and one of the highest-grossing e-commerce aggregators, with $386 billion in net sales and approximately $578 billion in estimated physical/digital online gross merchandise volume in 2021. Retail-related revenue represents approximately 80% of the total, followed by Amazon Web Services' cloud computing, storage, database, and other offerings (10%-15%), advertising services (5%), and other. International segments constitute 25%-30% of Amazon's non-AWS sales, led by Germany, the United Kingdom, and Japan.</p>
<p>After a thorough review of the options trading surrounding Amazon.com, we move to examine the company in more detail. This includes an assessment of its current market status and performance.</p>
<h3>Present Market Standing of Amazon.com</h3>
<ul>
<li>Trading volume stands at 2,944,812, with AMZN's price up by 1.3%, positioned at $181.95.</li>
<li>RSI indicators show the stock to be may be approaching overbought.</li>
<li>Earnings announcement expected in 1 days.</li>
</ul>
<h3>What Analysts Are Saying About Amazon.com</h3>
<p>5 market experts have recently issued ratings for this stock, with a consensus target price of $210.6.</p>
<ul>
<li>An analyst from Roth MKM has decided to maintain their Buy rating on Amazon.com, which currently sits at a price target of $205. </li>
<li>In a cautious move, an analyst from Benchmark downgraded its rating to Buy, setting a price target of $200. </li>
<li>An analyst from BMO Capital persists with their Outperform rating on Amazon.com, maintaining a target price of $215. </li>
<li>An analyst from Wells Fargo persists with their Overweight rating on Amazon.com, maintaining a target price of $217. </li>
<li>Maintaining their stance, an analyst from Truist Securities continues to hold a Buy rating for Amazon.com, targeting a price of $216. </li>
</ul>
<p>Trading options involves greater risks but also offers the potential for higher profits. Savvy traders mitigate these risks through ongoing education, strategic trade adjustments, utilizing various indicators, and staying attuned to market dynamics. Keep up with the latest options trades for Amazon.com with <a href="https://benzinga.grsm.io/register174">Benzinga Pro</a> for real-time alerts.</p>


Market Whales and Their Recent Bets on AMZN Options

<p>High-rolling investors have positioned themselves bullish on Albemarle (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ALB#NYSE">ALB</a>), and it's important for retail traders to take note.<br />
\This activity came to our attention today through Benzinga's tracking of publicly available options data. The identities of these investors are uncertain, but such a significant move in ALB often signals that someone has privileged information.</p>
<p>Today, Benzinga's options scanner spotted 10 options trades for Albemarle. This is not a typical pattern.</p>
<p>The sentiment among these major traders is split, with 50% bullish and 20% bearish. Among all the options we identified, there was one put, amounting to $27,220, and 9 calls, totaling $750,960.</p>
<h3>Projected Price Targets</h3>
<p>Based on the trading activity, it appears that the significant investors are aiming for a price territory stretching from $90.0 to $125.0 for Albemarle over the recent three months. </p>
<h3>Volume &amp; Open Interest Development</h3>
<p>Assessing the volume and open interest is a strategic step in options trading. These metrics shed light on the liquidity and investor interest in Albemarle's options at specified strike prices. The forthcoming data visualizes the fluctuation in volume and open interest for both calls and puts, linked to Albemarle's substantial trades, within a strike price spectrum from $90.0 to $125.0 over the preceding 30 days.</p>
<h3>Albemarle 30-Day Option Volume &amp; Interest Snapshot</h3>
<p><img src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2024/1714398454_0.png" alt="Options Call Chart" /></p>
<h3>Significant Options Trades Detected:</h3>
<p>
<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th><strong>Symbol</strong></th>
<th><strong>PUT/CALL</strong></th>
<th><strong>Trade Type</strong></th>
<th><strong>Sentiment</strong></th>
<th><strong>Exp. Date</strong></th>
<th><strong>Ask</strong></th>
<th><strong>Bid</strong></th>
<th><strong>Price</strong></th>
<th><strong>Strike Price</strong></th>
<th><strong>Total Trade Price</strong></th>
<th><strong>Open Interest</strong></th>
<th style="text-align: right;"><strong>Volume</strong></th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>ALB</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>05/17/24</td>
<td>$25.0</td>
<td>$23.6</td>
<td>$25.0</td>
<td>$100.00</td>
<td>$250.0K</td>
<td>526</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">0</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>ALB</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>05/17/24</td>
<td>$6.45</td>
<td>$6.3</td>
<td>$6.45</td>
<td>$125.00</td>
<td>$129.0K</td>
<td>1.3K</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">370</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>ALB</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>05/17/24</td>
<td>$6.1</td>
<td>$5.75</td>
<td>$6.05</td>
<td>$125.00</td>
<td>$104.0K</td>
<td>1.3K</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">54</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>ALB</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>NEUTRAL</td>
<td>05/17/24</td>
<td>$6.95</td>
<td>$6.15</td>
<td>$6.56</td>
<td>$125.00</td>
<td>$65.6K</td>
<td>1.3K</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">270</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>ALB</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>NEUTRAL</td>
<td>05/17/24</td>
<td>$26.2</td>
<td>$23.95</td>
<td>$25.0</td>
<td>$100.00</td>
<td>$55.0K</td>
<td>526</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">100</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</p>
<h3>About Albemarle</h3>
<p>Albemarle is one of the world's largest lithium producers. In the lithium industry, the majority of demand comes from batteries, where lithium is used as the energy storage material, particularly in electric vehicles. Albemarle is a fully integrated lithium producer. Its upstream resources include salt brine deposits in Chile and the U.S. and two hard rock mines in Australia, both of which are joint ventures. The company operates lithium refining plants in Chile, the U.S., Australia, and China. Albemarle is a global leader in the production of bromine, used in flame retardants. It is also a major producer of oil refining catalysts.</p>
<p>Following our analysis of the options activities associated with Albemarle, we pivot to a closer look at the company's own performance.</p>
<h3>Where Is Albemarle Standing Right Now?</h3>
<ul>
<li>With a trading volume of 112,846, the price of ALB is up by 4.95%, reaching $122.67.</li>
<li>Current RSI values indicate that the stock is is currently neutral between overbought and oversold.</li>
<li>Next earnings report is scheduled for 2 days from now.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Professional Analyst Ratings for Albemarle</h3>
<p>In the last month, 4 experts released ratings on this stock with an average target price of $149.0.</p>
<ul>
<li>In a positive move, an analyst from Berenberg has upgraded their rating to Buy and adjusted the price target to $160. </li>
<li>Consistent in their evaluation, an analyst from Wells Fargo keeps a Overweight rating on Albemarle with a target price of $145. </li>
<li>Maintaining their stance, an analyst from Citigroup continues to hold a Neutral rating for Albemarle, targeting a price of $135. </li>
<li>An analyst from B of A Securities upgraded its action to Buy with a price target of $156. </li>
</ul>
<p>Trading options involves greater risks but also offers the potential for higher profits. Savvy traders mitigate these risks through ongoing education, strategic trade adjustments, utilizing various indicators, and staying attuned to market dynamics. Keep up with the latest options trades for Albemarle with <a href="https://benzinga.grsm.io/register174">Benzinga Pro</a> for real-time alerts.</p>


Albemarle Unusual Options Activity For April 29

<p>Truist Securities  analyst Jamie Cook   maintains United Rentals (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/URI#NYSE">URI</a>) with a Buy and raises the price target from $793 to $796.</p>


Truist Securities Maintains Buy on United Rentals, Raises Price Target to $796

<p><strong>Apple Inc.</strong>&#8216;s (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAPL#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>) iPad operating system, iPadOS, has been labeled as a gatekeeper by the European Union&#8217;s antitrust regulators, according to the European Commission&#8217;s recent announcement.</p>
<p><strong>What Happened: </strong>The decision comes under the Digital Markets Act (DMA), which was enforced this year. The DMA has already classified 22 services from tech giants like <strong>Apple</strong>, <strong>Alphabet Inc.</strong> (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>), <strong>Microsoft Corporation</strong> (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>), <strong>Amazon.com Inc. </strong>(NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMZN#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>), <strong>Meta Platforms Inc. </strong>(NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/META#NASDAQ">META</a>), and <strong>ByteDance</strong> as gatekeepers, controlling access to their platforms, Reuters reported on Monday.</p>
<p>The European Commission&#8217;s decision follows an investigation initiated in September last year. Apple&#8217;s iOS, Safari browser, and App Store were previously designated as gatekeepers.</p>
<p><em>See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/04/38477795/elon-musks-prediction-for-domestic-robots-mark-zuckerbergs-massive-1b-bet-on-nvidia-gpus-and-more-th?itm_source=parsely-api" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Elon Musk&#8217;s Prediction For Domestic Robots, Mark Zuckerberg&#8217;s Massive $1B Bet On Nvidia GPUs And More: This Week In AI</a></em></p>
<p>&#8220;Our market investigation showed that despite not meeting the thresholds, iPadOS constitutes an important gateway on which many companies rely to reach their customers,&#8221; said EU antitrust chief <strong>Margrethe Vestager</strong>.</p>
<p>The Commission noted that Apple&#8217;s business user numbers exceeded the quantitative threshold by eleven times, and its end user numbers were close to the threshold, with a predicted rise in the near future. Both business and end users are locked into iPadOS due to its large ecosystem.</p>
<p>Apple, which has six months to comply with the DMA, stated it would &#8220;continue to constructively engage with the European Commission to comply with the DMA across all designated services&#8221;. Non-compliance with the DMA could result in fines up to 10% of the company&#8217;s global annual turnover.</p>
<p><strong>Why It Matters</strong>: This development comes on the heels of a tumultuous week for Apple, which saw a mix of exciting announcements and challenging news. Apple is set to launch<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/04/38478178/apples-rollercoaster-week-new-ipads-on-horizon-iphone-sales-slump-in-china-and-mark-zuckerbergs-jab"> a Calculator app for the iPad</a>, a long-awaited feature by users. However, the company also experienced a significant drop in iPhone sales in China and had to cut its Vision Pro shipment forecasts due to decreased demand.</p>
<p>Earlier this month, Apple rolled out <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/04/38065352/apple-allows-iphone-users-to-download-apps-from-developer-websites-in-eu-with-latest-ios-17-5-beta-u">the first beta version of iOS 17.5,</a> which allows users in the European Union to download apps directly from developer websites, in line with the DMA.</p>
<p>On Monday, Apple&#8217;s stock was trading at 2.57% higher in the pre-market at $173.65&nbsp;at the time of writing, according to <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com">Benzinga Pro</a>.</p>
<p><em>Read Next: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/24/04/38463199/dan-ives-says-ai-is-the-fourth-industrial-revolution-after-robust-results-from-micr?itm_source=parsely-api" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dan Ives Says AI Is The &#8216;Fourth Industrial Revolution&#8217; After &#8216;Robust&#8217; Results From Microsoft And Google:&#8217;1995 Moment&#8217;</a></em></p>
<p><em>Image Credits &#8211; Shutterstock</em></p>
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Eurozone

Apple's iPad OS Among 22 Services Labeled 'Gatekeepers' By European Commission

Retailers Get Ready To Report Earnings Against A Shaky Backdrop

Where Are They Now? 78% Companies With Off-Trend Q1 2023 Earnings Dates Performed As Our Data Indicated

Steven Madden: Be Patient With This High Cash Generator

<p><a href="https://investorplace.com">InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice &amp; Trading Tips</a></p>
<p>The retail space can be unpredictable even at the best of times, so these <a href="https://investorplace.com/industries/consumer-discretionary/retail/">retail stocks</a> are definitely ones to avoid in the current environment. Debt levels have grown to uncomfortable levels for many of the sector&rsquo;s players, and with rates rising and consumers tightening their purse strings, many retailers are between a rock and a hard place.</p>
<p>The retail stocks to avoid tend to be those that sell mid-to-lower-priced clothing. Not only are these consumers notoriously fickle, they also tend to have limited cash to splash. Consumer spending <a href="https://tradingeconomics.com/united-states/consumer-spending#:~:text=Consumer%20Spending%20in%20the%20United%20States%20averaged%206269.30%20USD%20Billion,the%20first%20quarter%20of%201950.">has been weakening</a> considerably since the pandemic struck, so it&rsquo;s best to sell these stocks or avoid these retailers completely this month.
</p>
<h2><b>Target </b>(<span><a href="https://investorplace.com/stock-quotes/tgt-stock-quote/"><strong>TGT</strong></a></span>)</h2>
<div><img src="https://investorplace.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/tgt1600a-300x169.jpg" alt="an image of bullseye the target dog in a target store" width="300" height="169"><div>Source: Robert Gregory Griffeth / Shutterstock.com</div></div>
<p>Target (NYSE: <span><a href="https://investorplace.com/stock-quotes/tgt-stock-quote/"><strong>TGT</strong></a></span>) stock is down 13% this year, and although it appears as a buying opportunity, it&rsquo;s one to avoid. Target has become a huge part of American culture, which means the group&rsquo;s brand power is far stronger than some of its peers.</p>
<p>But some of the shine is starting to wear off, as evidenced by weak traffic trends. The group&rsquo;s <a href="https://corporate.target.com/press/releases/2023/05/Target-Corporation-Reports-First-Quarter-Earnings">1% increase in store traffic</a> in the last quarter gave investors little to celebrate and suggests business could be worsening for the bullseye brand.<span>&nbsp;</span></p>
<p>In addition, weak margins make this a recipe for an underperforming retail stock. The group was boasting double-digit margins during the pandemic, but more recently management implemented an efficiency program to protect profitability. Its target is now <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2023/02/28/target-tgt-earnings-q4-2022.html">margins of 6%</a>, which is a paltry shadow of the pandemic&rsquo;s booming business.</p>
<p>Notably, this would mark a return to normal, pre-pandemic times. But given that TGT shares are still relatively expensive for the sector, this group has further to fall before reconsidering a buy.<span>&nbsp;</span></p>
<h2><b>Stitch Fix </b>(<a href="https://investorplace.com/stock-quotes/sfix-stock-quote/"><strong>SFIX</strong></a>)</h2>
<div><img src="https://investorplace.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/SFIX1600-300x169.jpg" alt="Homepage of Stitch Fix (SFIX) website on the display of PC" width="300" height="169"><div>Source: Sharaf Maksumov / Shutterstock.com</div></div>
<p>Stitch Fix (NASDAQ:<a href="https://investorplace.com/stock-quotes/sfix-stock-quote/"><strong>SFIX</strong></a>) stock has been on a tear in July, but that&rsquo;s made it exceedingly expensive for the value. The company&rsquo;s business model, sending out boxes of specially selected clothes to busy, fashion-challenged customers, has never been enviable. It&rsquo;s the kind of service you might try, and then abandon once the novelty wears off.</p>
<p>And it&rsquo;s become even more avoidable now that people have less to spend. The group&rsquo;s clothing is priced middle-of-the-road &ndash; not quite luxury but certainly not low-cost. Add in the styling fee and you have a setup for mass exodus as customers slide down the value chain to protect their disposable income.</p>
<p>That&rsquo;s been clear in the group&rsquo;s dwindling sales and customer numbers since the pandemic. The result has been heavy losses which, to Stitch Fix&rsquo;s credit, <a href="https://investors.stitchfix.com/static-files/db827e32-4d72-4a1a-8565-828448605872">have started to narrow,</a> thanks to a massive cost-cutting initiative.&nbsp;The stock rose considerably, but the underlying reason for the improvement should be giving investors pause. It&rsquo;s hard to see a world in which Stitch Fix makes a major comeback.</p>
<h2><b>BooHoo </b>(<a href="https://investorplace.com/stock-quotes/bhooy-stock-quote/"><strong>BHOOY</strong></a>)</h2>
<div><img src="https://investorplace.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/clothes-apparel-hanger-rack-1600-300x169.jpg" alt="apparel stocks: colorful clothes on a white rack with a bright yellow background" width="300" height="169"><div>Source: Africa Studio/shutterstock.com</div></div>
<p>BooHoo (OTC:<a href="https://investorplace.com/stock-quotes/bhooy-stock-quote/"><strong>BHOOY</strong></a>) is the epitome of fast-fashion but it has plenty of&nbsp; challenges in that space.</p>
<p>BooHoo&rsquo;s full year results were disappointing with <a href="https://www.boohooplc.com/sites/boohoo-corp/files/2023-05/boohoo-group-plc-annual-report-and-accounts-2023.pdf">revenue declines across all regions</a>. This included a double-digit drop in the U.S., where the group&rsquo;s been pinning its future growth aspirations. Most of the weakness can be attributed to the cost of living crisis which has seen customers run for the exit.</p>
<p>BooHoo spent a considerable amount increasing capacity in the U.S. in hopes of capitalizing on a growth opportunity. So the heavy declines were all the more painful. The larger problem is if customers are abandoning BooHoo as a go-to shop, the group could be in big trouble.</p>
<p>BHOOY is doing some work to improve its proposition, with acquisitions that will strengthen its portfolio and grow its potential marketshare. But building a business in times of trouble is a difficult endeavor, BooHoo is likely to suffer for a while.</p>
<p><i>On the date of publication, Marie Brodbeck did not hold (either directly or indirectly) any positions in the securities mentioned in this article. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer, subject to the&nbsp;InvestorPlace.com&nbsp;</i><a href="https://investorplace.com/corporate/investorplace-publishing-guidelines/"><i>Publishing Guidelines</i></a><i>.</i></p>
<div>
<p>Marie Brodbeck has a Finance degree from Duquesne University and has been a financial journalist for more than a decade. Her work can be seen in a variety of publications including InvestorPlace, Benzinga, Yahoo Finance and CCN.</p>
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<p>The post <a href="https://investorplace.com/2023/08/3-retail-stocks-to-sell-in-august-before-they-crash-and-burn/">3 Retail Stocks to Sell in August Before They Crash and Burn</a> appeared first on <a href="https://investorplace.com">InvestorPlace</a>.</p>

3 Retail Stocks to Sell in August Before They Crash and Burn

H&M: Potential Pitfalls In Its Growth Story

<p><a href="https://investorplace.com">InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice &amp; Trading Tips</a></p>
<p>With inflation persistently bringing costs higher and a recession looking likely, it&rsquo;s easier to find <a href="https://investorplace.com/industries/consumer-discretionary/retail/">retail stocks</a> to sell rather than buy.</p>
<p>Any company that was struggling with stagnating growth or shaky financials is probably entering a tailspin in current conditions. Retailers tend to feel the sting of a recession more acutely than other companies because of their relationship to consumer shopping behavior. Many consumers are starting to see their discretionary income run dry.<span>&nbsp;</span></p>
<p>Inflation brings with it its own challenges, as input costs skyrocket. Retailers&rsquo; margins tend to be balanced on a knife&rsquo;s edge anyway, so rising costs will quickly add up to damage on the bottom line. Passing those costs along to customers is no easy feat, unless you&rsquo;re catering to the mega-rich, who might not notice. Brand power is everything to successfully pull off a price hike, and the retail stocks to sell are seriously lacking in this department.</p>
<p>Finally, there&rsquo;s investor confidence to consider when it comes to choosing retail stocks to sell. Some retailers&rsquo; results suggest they&rsquo;re in a strong position to weather the storm. But the question is whether or not they can deliver on their rosy outlook. Given the difficult macroeconomic headwinds, it&rsquo;s worth asking yourself whether you truly believe what retailers are selling.
</p>
<h2><b>BooHoo </b>(<strong>BHOOY</strong>)</h2>
<div><img src="https://investorplace.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/retail-shopping-1600-300x169.png" alt="Friends sit on a ledge with shopping bags after shopping retail stores. Retail Stocks to Buy" width="300" height="169"><div>Source: Rawpixel.com / Shutterstock</div></div>
<p>After disappointing investors this past year, fast-fashion mogul <strong>BooHoo</strong> (OTC:<span><a href="https://investorplace.com/stock-quotes/bhooy-stock-quote/"><strong>BHOOY</strong></a></span>) is now one of the retail stocks to sell. Even though most of the negativity has been priced in, many are making the case that BooHoo could be cheap enough to buy. But there&rsquo;s a hard road ahead, and BooHoo doesn&rsquo;t look particularly well-equipped to hike it.<span>&nbsp;</span></p>
<p>The lynchpin of BooHoo&rsquo;s story is growth in the US. But the cost of living crisis together with persistent inflation means BHOOY has been unsuccessful in making tracks. The group saw revenue <a href="https://www.boohooplc.com/sites/boohoo-corp/files/2023-05/boohoo-group-plc-annual-report-and-accounts-2023.pdf" target="_blank">fall</a> in the double digits in that region. To add salt to the wound, BooHoo&rsquo;s spent a pretty penny building out capacity to service growth in the US. If this slowdown is more than just a minor blip, the group could find it shelled out for nothing.<span>&nbsp;</span></p>
<p>If BooHoo can turn the ship around, then the bulls could be right, and the current price would be an attractive entry point. Regardless, I&rsquo;m keeping the stock firmly on my retail stocks to sell list. Given the fickle nature of fast fashion, BooHoo is likely to be long forgotten by the time the cost of living crisis abates.<span>&nbsp;</span></p>
<h2><b>Alibaba </b>(<strong>BABA</strong>)</h2>
<div><img src="https://investorplace.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/alibaba1600-300x169.jpg" alt="Alibaba sign on orange background in office space. BABA stock" width="300" height="169"><div>Source: zhu difeng / Shutterstock.com</div></div>
<p>Often called &ldquo;the Amazon of China,&rdquo; it might be surprising to see <strong>Alibaba </strong>(NYSE<strong>:</strong><span><a href="https://investorplace.com/stock-quotes/baba-stock-quote/"><strong>BABA</strong></a></span>) on a list of retail stocks to sell. The group&rsquo;s latest results <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2023/08/10/alibaba-baba-earnings-report-q1-2024.html" target="_blank">were relatively solid</a>, all things considered.</p>
<p>But guidance for the remainder of the year was noticeably absent, and given the economic turmoil that China&rsquo;s facing, this is a red flag investors shouldn&rsquo;t ignore.</p>
<p>The group is in the process of spinning off some of its businesses, including its cloud arm, an important growth driver. While streamlining the business is probably the right call, it&rsquo;s a risky decision to zero in on retail at a time like this. Much of Alibaba&rsquo;s growth story as a stand-alone e-commerce firm rides on it&rsquo;s ability to grow overseas.<span>&nbsp;</span></p>
<p>China is by and large its biggest market, which comes with short term challenges thanks to turbulent economic conditions there. That means growth abroad will need to be thick and fast if investors are to see much reward. So far, there&rsquo;s little evidence Alibaba will be able to deliver.<span>&nbsp;</span></p>
<h2><b>Blue Apron (<strong>APRN</strong>)</b></h2>
<div><img src="https://investorplace.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/aprn-stock-300x169.jpg" alt="Image of the Blue Apron (APRN) logo on one of the company's branded cardboard boxes used for its deliveries. It features several images of vegetables and kitchen tools on the side, next to the logo." width="300" height="169"><div>Source: Roman Tiraspolsky / Shutterstock.com</div></div>
<p>Meal delivery firm <strong>Blue Apron </strong>(NYSE:<span><a href="https://investorplace.com/stock-quotes/aprn-stock-quote/"><strong>APRN</strong></a></span>) is in a precarious position. It&rsquo;s trying to keep afloat now that the pandemic is mostly behind us, making it a retail stock to sell. The company capitalized on stay-at-home culture. But it&rsquo;s clear consumers are no longer willing to pay a premium for pre-packaged ingredients for a home-cooked meal. <a href="https://investors.blueapron.com/press-releases/2023/08-09-2023-113029394">With losses mounting</a>, this is a stock investors should avoid at all costs.</p>
<p>The group finds itself up against a cost of living crisis that&rsquo;s seeing consumers trying to cheapen their grocery budgets. The pressing need to lower costs has dulled the shine on Blue Apron&rsquo;s offerings. Plus, with grocery delivery now the norm for most big chains, the convenience factor for a meal delivery kit is also much less appealing. Ultimately, Blue Apron is stuck in a declining industry. Without some kind of catalyst to turn the ship, the group is likely to continue on its downward spiral.<span>&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><i>On the date of publication, Marie Brodbeck did not hold (either directly or indirectly) any positions in the securities mentioned in this article. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer, subject to the&nbsp;InvestorPlace.com&nbsp;</i><a href="https://investorplace.com/corporate/investorplace-publishing-guidelines/"><i>Publishing Guidelines</i></a></p>
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<p>Marie Brodbeck has a Finance degree from Duquesne University and has been a financial journalist for more than a decade. Her work can be seen in a variety of publications including InvestorPlace, Benzinga, Yahoo Finance and CCN.</p>
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<p>The post <a href="https://investorplace.com/2023/09/3-retail-stocks-to-sell-in-september-before-they-crash-burn/">3 Retail Stocks to Sell in September Before They Crash &amp; Burn</a> appeared first on <a href="https://investorplace.com">InvestorPlace</a>.</p>

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Latest News for Boohoo Group Stock (OTC:BHOOY)

Thursday, January 19, 2023

Friday, January 17, 2020