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Tech weighs on U.S. stocks ahead of earnings

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U.S. stocks rallied for a second straight session as investors geared up for some of the world’s biggest companies to report earnings this week. Traders also mulled whether the Federal Reserve will slow its pace of interest-rate hikes after assessing weak economic data that released Monday.

More than 80 per cent of stocks in the S&P 500 index closed in green on Monday, buoyed by gains in technology and health-care companies. The Nasdaq 100 also rose more than 1 per cent. U.S.-listed Chinese shares plunged after that nation’s equity index tumbled as President Xi Jinping solidified his power. Among the megacap companies slated to report earnings this week are Alphabet Inc., Microsoft Corp. and Meta Platforms Inc.

U.S. Treasury 10-year yields ended the session around 4.25 per cent. U.K. bonds posted some of their biggest gains on record as investors expect incoming Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to repair the damage caused by predecessor Liz Truss after her massive package of unfunded tax cuts roiled financial markets.

Earnings remain in focus in the U.S., with investors still on edge over whether companies that are among the key profit-growth engines for the S&P 500 can deliver profits with inflation crimping margins. Of the almost 20 per cent of companies that have reported so far, roughly 58 per cent posted positive surprises in both revenue and earnings per share, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. As the Fed attempts to stomp out inflation, latest earnings displaying resilience and showing few signs of recession may be making some investors uneasy on equities.

“Over the short-term, we think we can get some relief. The fact that earnings season has also been relatively strong is also helpful,” Andrew Sheets, Morgan Stanley’s chief cross-asset strategist, said on Bloomberg Television. “But the big picture — and I don’t think this changes — is that we still view this as a bear market rally rather than the start of a larger new bull market.”

Fed policy is also still a key focus for investors. Data on Monday indicated that Fed tightening is starting to hit the economy, with Purchasing Managers’ Index indicators showing contraction in the services and manufacturing sectors. Reports that the Fed may soon start reducing the size of its rate hikes had pushed stocks higher by more than 2 per cent on Friday. San Francisco Fed President Mary Daly’s comments on Friday also added to the tentative optimism. But some investors are still cautious in their expectations that the central bank is moderating its rhetoric.

“We are still agnostic as to whether the Fed really is going to pivot or be at the peak of its hawkish cycle,” said Lisa Erickson, senior vice president and head of public markets group at US Bank Wealth Management. “If you look at the underlying data, inflation remains sticky, particularly in services ex-housing, which can often be more persistent. So given the Fed’s dependence on the data, we’re not clear exactly again, when the Fed may truly begin to slow down.”

The central bank needs to maintain a balance between addressing inflation and reacting appropriately to any signs of slowdown in inflation, Erickson said.

Key events this week:

  • Earnings due this week include: Apple, Microsoft, Exxon Mobil, Ford Motor, Credit Suisse, Airbus, Alphabet, Amazon, Bank of China, Boeing, Caterpillar, Cnooc, Coca-Cola, HSBC, Intel, McDonald’s, Mercedes-Benz, Merck, Samsung Electronics, Shell, UBS, UPS, Vale, Visa, Volkswagen
  • U.S. Conference Board consumer confidence, Tuesday
  • Bank of Canada rate decision, Wednesday
  • ECB rate decision, Thursday
  • U.S. GDP, durable goods orders, initial jobless claims, Thursday
  • Bank of Japan policy decision, Friday
  • U.S. personal income, personal spending, pending home sales, University of Michigan consumer sentiment, Friday

Some of the main moves in markets:

Stocks

  • The S&P 500 rose 1.2 per cent as of 4 p.m. New York time
  • The Nasdaq 100 rose 1.1 per cent
  • The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 1.3 per cent
  • The MSCI World index rose 1.2 per cent

Currencies

  • The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index rose 0.4 per cent
  • The euro rose 0.1 per cent to US$0.9873
  • The British pound fell 0.2 per cent to US$1.1279
  • The Japanese yen fell 0.9 per cent to 148.98 per dollar

Cryptocurrencies

  • Bitcoin fell 0.8 per cent to US$19,341.76
  • Ether rose 1.1 per cent to US$1,344.95

Bonds

  • The yield on 10-year Treasuries advanced three basis points to 4.25 per cent
  • Germany’s 10-year yield declined nine basis points to 2.33 per cent
  • Britain’s 10-year yield declined 31 basis points to 3.75 per cent

Commodities

  • West Texas Intermediate crude fell 0.5 per cent to US$84.66 a barrel
  • Gold futures fell 0.1 per cent to US$1,654.20 an ounce

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TC Energy cuts cost estimate for Southeast Gateway pipeline project in Mexico

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CALGARY – TC Energy Corp. has lowered the estimated cost of its Southeast Gateway pipeline project in Mexico.

It says it now expects the project to cost between US$3.9 billion and US$4.1 billion compared with its original estimate of US$4.5 billion.

The change came as the company reported a third-quarter profit attributable to common shareholders of C$1.46 billion or $1.40 per share compared with a loss of C$197 million or 19 cents per share in the same quarter last year.

Revenue for the quarter ended Sept. 30 totalled C$4.08 billion, up from C$3.94 billion in the third quarter of 2023.

TC Energy says its comparable earnings for its latest quarter amounted to C$1.03 per share compared with C$1.00 per share a year earlier.

The average analyst estimate had been for a profit of 95 cents per share, according to LSEG Data & Analytics.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 7, 2024.

Companies in this story: (TSX:TRP)

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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BCE reports Q3 loss on asset impairment charge, cuts revenue guidance

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BCE Inc. reported a loss in its latest quarter as it recorded $2.11 billion in asset impairment charges, mainly related to Bell Media’s TV and radio properties.

The company says its net loss attributable to common shareholders amounted to $1.24 billion or $1.36 per share for the quarter ended Sept. 30 compared with a profit of $640 million or 70 cents per share a year earlier.

On an adjusted basis, BCE says it earned 75 cents per share in its latest quarter compared with an adjusted profit of 81 cents per share in the same quarter last year.

“Bell’s results for the third quarter demonstrate that we are disciplined in our pursuit of profitable growth in an intensely competitive environment,” BCE chief executive Mirko Bibic said in a statement.

“Our focus this quarter, and throughout 2024, has been to attract higher-margin subscribers and reduce costs to help offset short-term revenue impacts from sustained competitive pricing pressures, slow economic growth and a media advertising market that is in transition.”

Operating revenue for the quarter totalled $5.97 billion, down from $6.08 billion in its third quarter of 2023.

BCE also said it now expects its revenue for 2024 to fall about 1.5 per cent compared with earlier guidance for an increase of zero to four per cent.

The company says the change comes as it faces lower-than-anticipated wireless product revenue and sustained pressure on wireless prices.

BCE added 33,111 net postpaid mobile phone subscribers, down 76.8 per cent from the same period last year, which was the company’s second-best performance on the metric since 2010.

It says the drop was driven by higher customer churn — a measure of subscribers who cancelled their service — amid greater competitive activity and promotional offer intensity. BCE’s monthly churn rate for the category was 1.28 per cent, up from 1.1 per cent during its previous third quarter.

The company also saw 11.6 per cent fewer gross subscriber activations “due to more targeted promotional offers and mobile device discounting compared to last year.”

Bell’s wireless mobile phone average revenue per user was $58.26, down 3.4 per cent from $60.28 in the third quarter of the prior year.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 7, 2024.

Companies in this story: (TSX:BCE)

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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Canada Goose reports Q2 revenue down from year ago, trims full-year guidance

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TORONTO – Canada Goose Holdings Inc. trimmed its financial guidance as it reported its second-quarter revenue fell compared with a year ago.

The luxury clothing company says revenue for the quarter ended Sept. 29 totalled $267.8 million, down from $281.1 million in the same quarter last year.

Net income attributable to shareholders amounted to $5.4 million or six cents per diluted share, up from $3.9 million or four cents per diluted share a year earlier.

On an adjusted basis, Canada Goose says it earned five cents per diluted share in its latest quarter compared with an adjusted profit of 16 cents per diluted share a year earlier.

In its outlook, Canada Goose says it now expects total revenue for its full financial year to show a low-single-digit percentage decrease to low-single-digit percentage increase compared with earlier guidance for a low-single-digit increase.

It also says it now expects its adjusted net income per diluted share to show a mid-single-digit percentage increase compared with earlier guidance for a percentage increase in the mid-teens.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 7, 2024.

Companies in this story: (TSX:GOOS)

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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