Transatlantic exchange operator Nasdaq Inc on Wednesday reported a better-than-expected quarterly profit as more people took to trading from home while under lockdown, with pandemic-driven market volatility also boosting volumes to record levels.
But in the background are potential tensions coming from China as it promises to retaliate against the UK's moves towards Huawei and Hong Kong; plus, Trump noted there might not be a Phase 2 to U.S.-China talks.
Shares of Nasdaq (NDAQ) have flown under the radar so far in 2020, despite the fact that the company — which is home to some of the biggest names in tech — is trading at all-time highs, delivering some 20% year-to-date gains.
Either the market has to correct, or the news stories have to catch up to the optimism. Here are three stories that will play out this week and that investors should watch closely to see which of those things is more likely.
Coming into this week, investors have several spinning plates they are watching, and should any one of those spinning plates crash to the ground, odds are we will see a return of market volatility as investors reassess their expectations for the second half of 2020.
The second quarter earnings season kicks into high gear this coming week with results expected from technology heavyweights Microsoft (MSFT), Tesla (TSLA) and Amazon (AMZN), among others.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Disease, told Facebook’s (FB) Mark Zuckerberg that he expects results for a clinical trial on monoclonal antibodies by late summer or early fall.
Mixed economic data out of China was offset by another uptick in reported COVID-19 cases in Japan and the U.S. We’d also note U.S.-China tensions are likely to mount further following the U.S. imposing travel sanctions on Chinese tech companies like Huawei.
While we enjoy the hopeful news regarding a COVID-19 vaccine, we suspect U.S.-China tensions will once again resume its place as the main driver of the stock market narrative.
This morning, JPMorgan Chase (JPM) and Wells Fargo (WFC) reported Q2 2020 earnings. Their results could not have been more different and the nature of the difference points to three important takeaways for investors.
You would be hard-pressed to find a bank that is executing better than Bank of America (BAC), which has beaten earnings estimates in thirteen straight quarters.
Wells Fargo (WFC) is not completely out of the penalty box, even as it has shown drastic operational improvements. The bank not only generated over $4 billion in profits last year, it also improved its efficiency ratio, making it less risky. But it’s still not enough.
The bank’s earnings are expected to be much lower in 2020 than they were in 2019. But that should be expected, considering the coronavirus-induced recession the nation is facing, coupled with business closures.
The second quarter earnings season of 2020 is finally here. One way or another, the list of concerns the market has had regarding the devastation the coronavirus pandemic had on corporate profits will be realized.