Wall Street hit new records as Donald Trump began his second term <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/government/regulations/25/01/43085323/trump-sworn-in-as-47th-president-declares-golden-age-of-america-begins-right-now">as 47th U.S. president this week.</a>



The S&amp;P 500 index — as tracked by the SPDR S&amp;P 500 ETF Trust (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SPY#NYSE">SPY</a>) — climbed above 6,100 points, surpassing its previous December peak and marking a second consecutive week of gains, fueled by a strong start to the fourth-quarter earnings season.



Tech stocks led the market again, driven by semiconductors&#8217; momentum and a surge in artificial intelligence investments. Trump launched <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/01/43111153/nvidia-and-ai-stock-rises-as-trump-announces-500-billion-stargate-ai-infrastructure-venture">the Stargate project</a>, aligning OpenAI, SoftBank and Oracle Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ORCL#NYSE">ORCL</a>) to channel up to $500 billion over four years into AI infrastructure.



Shares of both Oracle and SoftBank-owned Arm Holdings plc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ARM#NASDAQ">ARM</a>) jumped 15% this week in response to the announcement.



Speaking at the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/global/25/01/43170854/trump-outlines-economic-reset-at-davos-5-things-you-need-to-know">World Economic Forum</a> on Thursday, Trump vowed to make the U.S. the &#8220;world capital of artificial intelligence and crypto.&#8221; He also signed an executive order while fostering U.S. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/25/01/43177482/trump-signs-executive-order-on-crypto-bitcoin-reserve-to-be-evaluated">leadership in digital assets.</a> Bitcoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/btc/usd">BTC</a>) soared to a record $109,000 at the start of the week, holding steady in a tight range thereafter.



Moderna Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MRNA#NASDAQ">MRNA</a>) emerged as the week&#8217;s top performer, skyrocketing 25% after securing a U.S. government contract to fast-track its bird <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/biotech/25/01/43117087/bird-flu-update-first-commercial-case-in-georgia-moderna-receives-590-million-to-develop-vaccine">flu vaccine development.</a> Netflix Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NFLX#NASDAQ">NFLX</a>) followed suit with a 15% surge after <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/earnings/25/01/43114866/netflix-q4-earnings-record-subscribers-nfl-squid-game-push-past-highest-expectations">blockbuster fourth-quarter results.</a>



In contrast, renewable energy stocks came under heavy selling pressure following the formal repeal of the Green New Deal and the removal of electric vehicle subsidies. First Solar Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/FSLR#NASDAQ">FSLR</a>) took the brunt of the hit, tumbling double digits as investors priced in a policy-driven shift away from government-backed clean energy initiatives.



Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAPL#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>) was the big tech laggard of the week, missing out on the rally following analyst downgrades and warnings about weak <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/25/01/43087992/apple-gets-rare-downgrade-from-jefferies-analyst-warns-on-slowing-revenue-growth-missed-forecasts-and-falling-iphone-demand">iPhone sales in China.</a>



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<h1 class="wp-block-heading">Inflation Hits Confidence</h1>



U.S. consumer confidence fell in January amid rising inflation worries linked to tariffs. According to the University of Michigan survey, consumers opted to buy in advance to avoid future price pressures, sustaining strong <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/economics/macro-economic-events/25/01/43197024/consumer-confidence-declines-as-buying-in-advance-trends-grow">auto and retail sales.</a>



<h1 class="wp-block-heading">Inflation Risks Mount</h1>



Goldman Sachs warns that Trump&#8217;s potential tariff hikes could elevate consumer inflation expectations, complicating the Federal Reserve&#8217;s interest rate reduction plans. A universal 10% tariff might boost headline inflation by up to <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/01/43193866/trumps-tariff-hikes-could-stoke-consumer-inflation-jitters-challenge-fed-goldman-sachs-warns">1 percentage point, according to Goldman.</a>



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Macro Economic Events

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Trump Sparks Records On Wall Street, AI Stargate Project Lifts Chipmakers; Inflation, Tariff Jitters Arise: This Week In The Market

Banks who helped finance Elon Musk's $44 billion acquisition of social media platform Twitter, now known as X, are ready to sell off their loans at 5% to 10% discounts years after the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/23/04/31810229/elon-musk-bought-twitter-1-year-ago-a-look-back-at-whats-happened-since-and-what-could-be-next">deal was completed.</a>



What Happened: Musk said X<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/11/41766191/elon-musk-says-x-saw-record-usage-on-election-day-as-trump-closes-in-on-white-house-win"> saw record usage </a>during the 2024 presidential election, but growth may be slowing into the new 2025 year.



A January email Musk sent to X staff highlighted his concerns for the company's financial state.



"Our user growth is stagnant, revenue is unimpressive, and we're barely breaking even," Musk said in an email, as <a href="https://www.wsj.com/finance/banking/wall-street-banks-prepare-to-sell-billions-of-dollars-of-x-loans-c609beb1?mod=e2tw">seen </a>by The Wall Street Journal.



While Musk was unimpressed with the financial state of X, the comment of breaking even comes after years of losses for the social media company. Musk highlighted the rising influence X has in the same email.



"Over the last few months, we've witnessed the power of X in shaping national conversations and outcomes. We are also seeing other platforms begin to adopt our commitment to free speech and unbiased truth."



The comment on other platforms and free speech could be in reference to Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/META#NASDAQ">META</a>), the owner of Facebook and Instagram. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/01/42851889/meta-ditches-fact-checking-for-community-notes-zuckerberg-says-opportunity-to-restore-free-expression">announced the platforms</a> would move to a Community Notes system similar to X and get rid of its existing content moderation practices.



Are you buying when the CEOs of the Magnificent 7 are selling?



<ul>
<li>Stay in the know with our Insider Trades page — <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/sec/insider-trades/">see when leaders like Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, and Jensen Huang are offloading their own shares.</a></li>
</ul>



Why It's Important: While Musk paid $44 billion for X back in 2022, the valuation has not held up for those who helped take the company private.



Fidelity, which owns shares of X Holdings in the Fidelity Blue Chip Growth Fund (FBGRX), <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/12/42271676/fidelity-raises-valuation-of-elon-musks-x-but-its-still-worth-72-less-than-his-buyout-price">valued X at $12.3 billion recently</a>. While the company increased its valuation of X by 32.3% at the time, it values X at 72% less than Musk paid.



As X grows in influence and Musk sees his friendship with Donald Trump boost his presence worldwide, banks who helped finance the X transaction are looking to sell off their debt holdings, according to the report.



The Wall Street Journal reported that Morgan Stanley (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MS#NYSE">MS</a>) bankers are planning to sell up to $3 billion of debt in X owned by Bank of America, Barclays and Morgan Stanley itself.



The banks are willing to sell their debt at 90 cents to 95 cents on the dollar, taking less than what they paid to help finance the deal.



Banks invested approximately $13 billion to finance the Twitter acquisition in 2022, according to the report. The hefty acquisition cost, combined with a decline in value following advertiser exits, has left banks holding debt they have struggled to offload without incurring a loss.



With the potential that X's financials have stabled with break even earnings along with Musk's friendship with Trump, banks could see this as the perfect time to sell off unwanted debt in X.



The report said that some investors have reached out to banks with interest in buying up debt in X due to the improving financials and public image.



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Image created using photos from Shutterstock.

Social Media

Financing

Elon Musk Says X 'User Growth Is Stagnant' As Banks Set To Offload Acquisition Debt At 10% Discount

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/META#NASDAQ">META</a>) may face declining user rates after its decision to change its content moderation to a community notes style being used<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/01/42851889/meta-ditches-fact-checking-for-community-notes-zuckerberg-says-opportunity-to-restore-free-expression"> by rival X.</a>



Users have noticed several changes since the social media company&#8217;s policy shift and President Donald Trump&#8216;s inauguration. 



What Happened: Users on Meta-owned Facebook and Instagram who were previously following Joe Biden, Jill Biden and Kamala Harris on the POTUS, FLOTUS and VP accounts<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/social-media/25/01/43149771/follow-biden-or-harris-on-instagram-facebook-chances-are-youre-now-following-trump-or-vance"> are now following</a> Donald Trump, Melania Trump and J.D. Vance.



While this is a normal move for Meta as in past presidential transfers, many users didn't expect the change and were surprised to automatically be following people they may not have wanted to follow.



Adding to the woes were reports and a later confirmation that people who unfollowed those accounts might automatically follow the accounts back, an error Meta acknowledged it was working on.



A <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/23/technology/instagram-facebook-abortion-pill-providers.html">report </a>from the New York Times says Instagram and Facebook posts related to abortion pills were hidden, removed and in some cases the related accounts were suspended.



Meta acknowledged that it suspended some accounts and blurred posts, later restoring them after inquiries from the New York Times.



The company said the hiding of posts and suspending of accounts was not related to recent content moderation policies or a change in what can and can't be said on the social media platforms. Users were quick to note the timing of the posts being blocked coming after Meta loosened its restrictions.



Meta previously blocked posts from abortion providers and said the latest move was done in some cases due to its rules that prohibit the sale of pharmaceutical drugs on Facebook and Instagram. The company also acknowledged that some of the posts blocked or account suspensions may have been "over-enforcement."



"We've been quite clear in recent weeks that we want to allow more speech and reduce enforcement mistakes," Meta said in a statement.



Read Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/earnings/24/10/41637326/meta-platforms-q3-earnings-revenue-beat-eps-beat-daily-actives-up-5-strong-momentum-in-ai">Meta Platforms Q3 Earnings: Revenue Beat, EPS Beat, Daily Actives Up 5%, &#8216;Strong Momentum&#8217; In AI</a>



Why It's Important: Concerns over what can and can't be posted on Facebook and Instagram has become a major talking point since Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the content moderation policy changes earlier this month.



&#8220;It&#8217;s time to get back to our roots around free expression on Facebook and Instagram,&#8221; Zuckerberg&nbsp;<a href="https://about.fb.com/news/2025/01/meta-more-speech-fewer-mistakes/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">said&nbsp;</a>in a video.



Recent reports have said that Meta will not use the Community Notes approach for paid ads on Facebook and Instagram, which could mean that companies are free to post what they want and potentially violate past and current policies if they are paying to get the content in front of Meta users.



With the content moderation changes, some users are looking to exit Facebook and Instagram and head to rival platforms like Bluesky. This continues a trend that began leading up to the 2024 presidential election and persisted after the results, as X users sought to leave Elon Musk&#8216;s platform due to his close ties with Trump. Like Musk, Zuckerberg also attended Trump's inauguration on Jan. 20.



A <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/social-media/meta-boycott-facebook-instagram-users-delete-accounts-policy-changes-rcna187480">report </a>from NBC News showed hundreds of posts and comments across social media of users looking to delete their accounts or to boycott Meta Platforms. Google Trends <a href="https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?q=delete%20meta,delete%20facebook,delete%20instagram,delete%20whatsapp&amp;geo=US#TIMESERIES">shows </a>that searches for "delete Facebook" and "delete Instagram" are at their highest level in the past 12 months and nearing five-year highs from late 2020 and early 2021.



Meta Platforms is set to report its fourth-quarter financial results on Jan. 29 after the market close. Analysts expect the company to report earnings per share of $6.77 and revenue of $46.99 billion, according to data <a href="https://bzresearch.myclickfunnels.com/benzinga-pro-content-webinar-registration/?utm_source=BZprocontent012425&amp;t=be2bearmibe3na1">from Benzinga Pro.</a>



The company has beaten analyst estimates for earnings per share in seven straight quarters and revenue in nine straight quarters.



Quarterly metrics and company commentary could provide an early look at whether users left the platform or stopped using it less during the months of October, November, and December.



META Price Action: Meta stock is up 1.5% to $646.13 on Friday versus a 52-week trading range of $387.10 to $652.00. Meta stock is up 68% over the last year.



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Photo: fizkes/Shutterstock.com

Politics

Meta Suspends Abortion Pill Accounts, 'Delete Facebook' Searches Near 5-Year Peak

Each week,&nbsp;Benzinga's Stock Whisper Index&nbsp;uses a combination of proprietary data and pattern recognition to showcase five stocks that are just under the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/stock-whisper-index" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">surface and deserve attention</a>.



Investors are constantly on the hunt for undervalued, under-followed and emerging stocks. With countless methods available to retail traders, the challenge often lies in sifting through the abundance of information to uncover new opportunities and understand why certain stocks should be of interest.



Read Also:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/25/01/42802731/exclusive-top-20-most-searched-tickers-on-benzinga-pro-in-2024-where-do-tesla-nvidia-gamestop-trump-media-stocks-rank" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">EXCLUSIVE: Top 20 Most-Searched Tickers On Benzinga Pro In 2024 — Where Do Tesla, Nvidia, GameStop, Trump Media Stocks Rank?</a>



Here&#8217;s a look at the Benzinga Stock Whisper Index for the week ending Jan. 24:



Hilton Worldwide (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/HLT#NYSE">HLT</a>): The hotel company saw strong interest from readers during the week, which comes ahead of the company's fourth-quarter earnings report set for Feb. 6. Analysts <a href="https://bzresearch.myclickfunnels.com/benzinga-pro-content-webinar-registration/?utm_source=BZprocontent012425&amp;t=be2bearmibe3na1">expect the company</a> to report earnings per share of $1.67, down from $1.68 in last year's fourth quarter. The company has beaten earnings per share estimates in four straight quarters and nine of the last 10 quarters overall. Analysts expect the company to report fourth-quarter revenue of $2.76 billion, up from $2.61 billion in last year's fourth quarter. 



The company has beaten analyst revenue estimates in seven of the last 10 quarters. In <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/earnings/24/10/41484529/hilton-worldwide-q3-earnings-beats-estimates-on-higher-occupancy-stock-dips-on-lackluster-outlook">the third quarter</a>, the company reported higher adjusted EBITDA, higher number of rooms under ownership and other key metrics. Investors will be closely watching if the quarterly results show additional growth. Barclays recently maintained a Buy rating on the stock and raised the price target from $268 to $270. Argus Research also maintained a Buy rating on the stock and raised the price target from $270 to $290.



Hilton shares were up slightly over the last five days and are up over 30% over the last year.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="993" height="500" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/24151157/Screenshot_307.png" alt="" class="wp-image-749429" srcset="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/24151157/Screenshot_307.png 993w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/24151157/Screenshot_307-300x151.png 300w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/24151157/Screenshot_307-768x387.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 993px) 100vw, 993px" /></figure>



Energy Transfer LP (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ET#NYSE">ET</a>): Energy stocks have been highly volatile since the 2024 presidential election. Energy Transfer was one of many stocks in the sector seeing increased interest from readers over the past week. The increased interest likely comes with President Donald Trump declaring a national energy emergency and vowing to drill more. Several analysts <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/ET/analyst-ratings">raised their price targets </a>on Energy Transfer in December and January. More analyst action could come soon as the weight of Trump's latest energy commentary is predicted.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="999" height="498" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/24151241/Screenshot_308.png" alt="" class="wp-image-749430" srcset="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/24151241/Screenshot_308.png 999w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/24151241/Screenshot_308-300x150.png 300w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/24151241/Screenshot_308-768x383.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 999px) 100vw, 999px" /></figure>



Lam Research Corporation (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/LRCX#NASDAQ">LRCX</a>): The semiconductor stock saw increased interest from readers during the week, ahead of second-quarter financial results set for Jan. 29. Analysts expect the company to report earnings per share of 88 cents, up from 75 cents in last year's second quarter. The company has beaten analyst estimates for earnings per share in nine of the last 10 quarters. Analysts expect the company to report quarterly revenue of $4.31 billion, up from $3.76 billion in last year's second quarter. The company has beaten analyst revenue forecasts in more than 10 straight quarters. The stock has been received a mix <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/LRCX/analyst-ratings">of analyst ratings </a>with upgrades, downgrades and new price target. Lam Research was also recommended by CNBC host Jim Cramer, who<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/25/01/43191894/jim-cramer-wont-get-in-the-way-of-this-meme-stock-calls-lam-research-so-cheap"> called the stock</a> "so cheap."



Lam Research stock was down on the trading week and shares are down 5% over the last year.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="991" height="496" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/24151355/Screenshot_309.png" alt="" class="wp-image-749431" srcset="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/24151355/Screenshot_309.png 991w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/24151355/Screenshot_309-300x150.png 300w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/24151355/Screenshot_309-768x384.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 991px) 100vw, 991px" /></figure>



Fiserv (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/FI#NYSE">FI</a>): The payments and financial services company saw increased interest from investors during the week, which comes ahead of fourth-quarter financial results on Feb. 5 and after the company announced a new CEO. Fiserv announced Michael P. Lyons will become the new CEO on Jan. 27. Lyons replaces Frank Bisignano, who was selected by President Donald Trump to be the Social Security Administration Commissioner. Lyons brings over 30 years of industry experience to Fiserv including his most recent role of president for PNC Financial Services Group. Lyons also spent time in leadership roles at Bank of America. 



The new CEO takes the role shortly before fourth-quarter results will be presented. Analysts expect the company to report earnings per share of $2.48, up from $2.19 in last year's fourth quarter. The company has beaten analyst estimates for earnings per share in five of the last six quarters. Analysts expect the company to report revenue of $4.96 billion, up from $4.92 billion in last year's fourth quarter. The company has beaten analyst revenue estimates in five of the last six quarters. Fiserv has received several <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/FI/analyst-ratings">positive analyst ratings</a> in recent weeks with Wells Fargo and Citigroup raising price targets and Seaport Global upgrading shares from Neutral to Buy.



Fiserv stock is up over the last week and shares are up over 49% in the last year.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://bzresearch.myclickfunnels.com/benzinga-pro-content-webinar-registration/?utm_source=BZprocontent012425&amp;t=be2bearmibe3na1"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="995" height="503" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/24135102/Screenshot-310.png" alt="" class="wp-image-749368" srcset="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/24135102/Screenshot-310.png 995w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/24135102/Screenshot-310-300x152.png 300w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/24135102/Screenshot-310-768x388.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 995px) 100vw, 995px" /></a></figure>



Digital Realty Trust (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DLR#NYSE">DLR</a>): The data center company saw increased interest over the week, which could be related to the announcement of The Stargate Project, which includes SoftBank, OpenAI and Oracle. The plan calls for AI infrastructure to be built to help America's presence in the growing sector. Digital Realty has received several<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/DLR/analyst-ratings"> increased price targets</a> from analysts in the month of January with optimism for the data center space. Goldman Sachs analyst Kash Rangan said The Stargate Project could provide a <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/25/01/43163656/stargate-project-microsoft-gains-oracle-waits-data-centers-face-long-term-questions">short-term boost</a> for Digital Realty, but has questions on the long-term impact.



"We see the announcement as a tactical positive, as we believe it reflects tighter supply/demand market dynamics than the market expects over the next two years," Rangan said.



The analyst said the project and other future projects could signal a shift away from outsourced data centers.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://bzresearch.myclickfunnels.com/benzinga-pro-content-webinar-registration/?utm_source=BZprocontent012425&amp;t=be2bearmibe3na1"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="995" height="499" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/24135117/Screenshot-311.png" alt="" class="wp-image-749369" srcset="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/24135117/Screenshot-311.png 995w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/24135117/Screenshot-311-300x150.png 300w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/24135117/Screenshot-311-768x385.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 995px) 100vw, 995px" /></a></figure>



Stay tuned for next week's report, and follow Benzinga Pro for all the latest headlines and&nbsp;<a href="https://bzresearch.myclickfunnels.com/benzinga-pro-content-webinar-registration/?utm_source=BZprocontent012425&amp;t=be2bearmibe3na1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">top market-moving stories here.</a>



Read the latest Stock Whisper Index reports here:



<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/media/24/12/42709387/benzingas-stock-whisper-index-5-stocks-investors-secretly-monitor-but-dont-talk-about-yet" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">December 27</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/01/42798998/benzingas-stock-whisper-index-5-stocks-investors-secretly-monitor-but-dont-talk-about-yet" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">January 3</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/01/42927075/benzingas-stock-whisper-index-5-stocks-investors-secretly-monitor-but-dont-talk-about-yet" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">January 10</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/01/43066466/benzingas-stock-whisper-index-5-stocks-investors-secretly-monitor-but-dont-talk-about-yet">January 17</a></li>
</ul>



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Benzinga's 'Stock Whisper' Index: 5 Stocks Investors Secretly Monitor But Don't Talk About Yet

Cathie Wood, CEO of Ark Invest, on Thursday addressed the recent launch of Trump Coin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/">TRUMP</a>) and her views on the broader crypto market.



What Happened: When asked about the official Trump meme coin, Wood categorized it as part of the ongoing &#8220;meme coin moment,&#8221; akin to the 2017 ICO boom, which saw speculative projects like CryptoKitties make headlines. 



Speaking with Bloomberg ETF IQ, she speculated that Trump Coin might offer perks like meeting Donald Trump, but no confirmed utility has been established.



Cathie Wood <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMgGQpVnyEY">stated</a> that ARK avoids meme coins, focusing instead on the &#8220;big three&#8221; cryptocurrencies with robust ecosystems and utility: Bitcoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/btc/usd">BTC</a>), Ethereum (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/eth/usd">ETH</a>) and Solana (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/sol/usd">SOL</a>).



Wood sees DeFi, largely built on Ethereum and Solana, as the next major growth area in the crypto industry, contrasting it with the speculative nature of meme coins.



Also Read: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/25/01/43022063/ark-invests-cathie-wood-says-belief-in-bitcoins-1-5-million-price-target-by-2030-has-grown">Ark Invest&#8217;s Cathie Wood Says Belief In Bitcoin&#8217;s $1.5 Million Price Target By 2030 Has Grown</a>



Why It Matters: Wood acknowledged that Donald Trump's actions, such as launching a meme coin a day before his inauguration, appointing Paul Atkins as SEC Commissioner, and Senator Cynthia Lummis' (R-Wyo.) plans to collaborate with Atkins, reflect a strong commitment to advancing the crypto industry.



She views these developments as indicative of a broader effort to regulate digital assets in a way that promotes innovation while ensuring compliance.



Read Next:



<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/25/01/43173148/morgan-stanley-ceo-says-meme-coins-are-a-sign-liquidity-in-crypto">Morgan Stanley CEO Says Meme Coins Are A Sign &#8216;Liquidity&#8217; In Crypto</a></li>
</ul>



Image: Shutterstock

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News

$ETH

$SOL

$TRUMP

Cathie Wood Dismisses Trump Meme Coin, Remains Focused On Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana

If President Donald Trump follows through on his proposed tariff hikes, consumer inflation expectations could rise sharply, complicating the Federal Reserve's plan <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/interest-rates">to cut interest rates.</a>



The alarm came from Goldman Sachs, which unveiled that while the direct inflationary impact of tariffs may be modest, history suggests that consumers could perceive a broader and more persistent effect, making the Fed&#8217;s job trickier than during past trade wars.



In a note shared Friday, analyst Manuel Abecasis examined the potential consequences of a new wave of tariffs, estimating that a universal 10% tariff could trigger a one-off boost to headline inflation by up to 1 percentage point in the worst scenario.



Yet, the greater concern for policymakers is the potential rise of inflation expectations, which the Fed has previously warned could drive longer-lasting price pressures.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Will Tariffs Actually Drive Inflation Higher?</h3>



Goldman Sachs expects the incoming administration to raise tariffs this year, delivering a one-time inflation boost of 0.3 percentage points in the baseline scenario and 1 percentage point in a more extreme case. 



However, the bank does not expect tariffs to immediately translate into a rise in inflation but rather to slow its current declining trend.



"In our baseline scenario, tariffs would cause inflation to fall by less than it otherwise would, but not rise from its current rate," the note said.



The Fed indicated that it would likely overlook temporary tariff-induced inflation, as it did during the 2018-2019 trade war.



Yet, Fed Chair Jerome Powell signaled at the December press conference that the situation is different this time because the U.S. has "just been through a period of high inflation."



This distinction is crucial because inflation expectations have risen recently, particularly in the University of Michigan's consumer survey. Some respondents have already cited potential future tariffs as a reason for adjusting their inflation outlook.



Read also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/economics/macro-economic-events/25/01/42917321/consumer-inflation-worries-highest-since-2008-u-of-m-survey-says-wall-street-tumbles-to-2-month-lows">Consumer Inflation Worries Highest Since 2008, U Of M Survey Says: Wall Street Tumbles To 2-Month Lows</a>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">The Power Of Inflation Expectations</h3>



Economists widely agree that inflation expectations influence actual inflation. If businesses and consumers believe prices will rise, they may increase wages and adjust spending behaviors accordingly, creating a self-fulfilling cycle.



Goldman Sachs outlined two reasons why tariffs could have a larger effect on expectations now than during the 2018-2019 trade war.



First, the potential tariff increases are expected to be larger than before. 



Second, the memory of recent inflation is still fresh. Research shows that people who have lived through high inflation are more likely to expect it to persist, reacting more aggressively to price changes.



Salient price increases, such as gasoline, which consumers encounter daily, also tend to have an outsized effect on expectations.



Put it simply, if Americans believe that inflation is here to stay, their expectations could shift, triggering behaviors, such as businesses preemptively raising prices and workers demanding higher wages, that could keep inflation stubbornly high.



Goldman Sachs analyzed University of Michigan survey data, confirming that both recent and old inflation experiences strongly shape individuals&#8217; expectations. 



The report found that consumers react more sharply to price changes in highly visible categories like gasoline, suggesting that widespread media coverage of tariff-driven price hikes could amplify inflation fears.



&#8220;Under a 10% across-the-board scenario in which the tariffs are highly salient to consumers, short-term inflation expectations would be 0.9pp higher and long-term inflation expectations would be 0.25pp higher than in the no-tariff case,&#8221; Abecasis wrote. 



&#8220;Such a scenario might restrain the FOMC from cutting, though high public awareness of tariff-driven price increases might also restrain the White House from continuing to raise tariffs,&#8221; he added. 



Read now: 



<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/global/25/01/43170854/trump-outlines-economic-reset-at-davos-5-things-you-need-to-know">Trump Outlines Economic Reset At Davos: 5 Things You Need To Know</a></li>
</ul>

Trump's Tariff Hikes Could Stoke Consumer Inflation Jitters, Challenge Fed, Goldman Sachs Warns

Wall Street paused for a breather on Friday, with the S&amp;P 500 index hovering around the flatline at midday trading in New York after a five-day rally that pushed the market to fresh record highs this week. Meanwhile, investor attention shifted to <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/forex">forex and gold markets.</a>



The greenback is experiencing its worst weekly performance since July 2023, as President Donald Trump refrained from imposing new tariffs during his first week and escalated pressure on the Federal Reserve, urging the central bank to lower interest rates. The U.S. dollar index – tracked by the Invesco DB USD Index Bullish Fund ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/UUP#NYSE">UUP</a>) – dropped 0.7% on Friday, extending its weekly decline to 1.7%.



Adding to the dollar's downward momentum, the Bank of Japan raised interest rates by 25 basis points to 0.5%, the highest level since 2008, in a move that broadly met expectations.



Gold capitalized on the dollar's weakness and rising tensions between the president and the central bank, marking another week of strong gains and approaching all-time highs. The bullion, tracked by the SPDR Gold Trust (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GLD#NYSE">GLD</a>), was trading at $2,777 per ounce.



On the macro front, S&amp;P Global reported a slowdown in private sector growth in January, as the services sector faced an unexpected setback, despite manufacturing expanding for the first<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/economics/macro-economic-events/25/01/43195427/us-services-growth-slows-manufacturing-finally-expands-in-january-inflation-was-broad-based-expert-warns"> time in seven months.</a>



A warning came from the University of Michigan's consumer survey, which downwardly revised the January consumer confidence indicator and pointed to increasing trends of households making purchases in advance to avoid potential price hikes <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/economics/macro-economic-events/25/01/43197024/consumer-confidence-declines-as-buying-in-advance-trends-grow">linked to tariffs.</a>



In the cryptocurrency market, Bitcoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/btc/usd">BTC</a>) climbed 2.5% following Trump's executive order signed on Thursday, aimed at strengthening U.S. leadership in digital assets. 



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Friday&#8217;s Performance In Major US Indices, ETFs</h3>



<figure class="wp-block-table is-style-stripes"><table style="overflow:auto; height: 90px; display: block;"><tbody><tr><td>Major Indices</td><td>Price</td><td>1-day %chg</td></tr><tr><td>Russell 2000</td><td>2,314.96</td><td>0.0%</td></tr><tr><td>S&amp;P 500</td><td>6,119.65</td><td>0.0%</td></tr><tr><td>Dow Jones</td><td>44,541.76</td><td>-0.1 %</td></tr><tr><td>Nasdaq 100</td><td>21,861.02</td><td>-0.2%</td></tr></tbody></table><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Updated at 1:00 p.m. ET</figcaption></figure>



According to&nbsp;<a href="https://bzresearch.myclickfunnels.com/benzinga-pro-content-webinar-registration/?utm_source=BZprocontent012425&amp;t=be2bearmibe3na1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Pro</a>&nbsp;data:



<ul>
<li>The&nbsp;SPDR S&amp;P 500 ETF Trust&nbsp;(NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SPY#NYSE">SPY</a>) eased 0.1% to $608.89.</li>



<li>The&nbsp;SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average&nbsp;(NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DIA#NYSE">DIA</a>)&nbsp;inched 0.1% lower to $444.96.</li>



<li>The tech-heavy&nbsp;Invesco QQQ Trust Series&nbsp;(NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QQQ#NASDAQ">QQQ</a>) slipped 0.4% to $530.73.</li>



<li>The&nbsp;iShares Russell 2000 ETF&nbsp;(NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/IWM#NYSE">IWM</a>) stalled at $229.40.</li>



<li>The&nbsp;Utilities Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XLU#NYSE">XLU</a>) outperformed, up 0.9%; the&nbsp;Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund&nbsp;(NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XLE#NYSE">XLE</a>) lagged, down 0.4%.</li>
</ul>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Friday&#8217;s Stock Movers</h3>



<ul>
<li>American Express Company (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AXP#NYSE">AXP</a>) fell 2.4% after reporting fourth-quarter results. </li>



<li>Other stocks moving on quarterly results were Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/VZ#NYSE">VZ</a>), up 1.3%, NextEra Energy Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NEE#NYSE">NEE</a>), up 4%, HCA Healthcare Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/HCA#NYSE">HCA</a>), down 3.2%, First Citizens BancShares Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/FCNCA#NASDAQ">FCNCA</a>), up 3.1%, Ericsson (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ERIC#NASDAQ">ERIC</a>), down 14.3%, Intuitive Surgical Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ISRG#NASDAQ">ISRG</a>), down 3.6%, Texas Instruments Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TXN#NASDAQ">TXN</a>), down 7.1%, and CSX Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CSX#NASDAQ">CSX</a>), down 2.8%. </li>



<li>Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVO#NYSE">NVO</a>) soared 8.1% after new weight loss drug amycretin showed strong trial results. </li>
</ul>



Read Next: 



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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/25/01/43198272/us-stocks-hit-dot-com-era-valuations-vs-bonds-why-some-experts-remain-bullish">US Stocks Hit Dot-Com Era Valuations Vs. Bonds: Why Some Experts Remain Bullish</a></li>
</ul>



Photo: Shutterstock

Mid Cap

Sector ETFs

Specialty ETFs

Commodities

ERIC

FCNCA

ISRG

Stocks Stall, Gold Nears Record Highs As Dollar Faces Worst Week Since July 2023: What's Driving Markets Friday?

Tesla Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSLA#NASDAQ">TSLA</a>) is rolling into its <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/TSLA/earnings">fourth quarter earnings</a> next week with a mix of hype and hesitation. The stock has had a rollercoaster year, climbing nearly 99% over the past 12 months but slipping 10.79% in the past month.



With the revamped Model Y Juniper hitting the market, investors are watching closely to see if it can recharge Tesla's momentum ahead of its earnings report.



<h1 class="wp-block-heading">Model Y Makeover: A Lifeline For Tesla's Slowing Sales?</h1>



Tesla is betting big on its refreshed Model Y, which will start U.S. deliveries in March at a base price of $59,990. The updated SUV boasts a sleeker look, new lighting and upgraded interior features like ventilated seats and faster Wi-Fi — because even Teslas need a glow-up. 



CEO Elon Musk wasted no time hyping the launch, sharing a slick video of the Model Y on social media. But will this facelift be enough to counteract declining deliveries?



Tesla's 2024 sales took a hit, and while the Cybertruck made a flashy debut, it wasn't enough to offset the drop. With competition heating up, Tesla needs more than a cosmetic update to sustain its EV dominance.



Read More: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/25/01/43183608/tesla-launches-refreshed-model-y-in-us-with-25-price-hike-full-self-driving-included">Tesla Launches Refreshed Model Y In US With 25% Price Hike, Full Self-Driving Included</a>



<h1 class="wp-block-heading">Tesla Stock Signals: Caught Between Buy and Sell</h1>



Tesla stock is sending mixed signals. While the 50-day and 200-day moving averages suggest a bullish trend, shorter-term indicators aren't as optimistic.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://bzresearch.myclickfunnels.com/benzinga-pro-content-webinar-registration/?utm_source=BZprocontent012425&amp;t=be2bearmibe3na1"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="630" height="493" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/24085852/Screenshot-2025-01-24-at-7.28.31-PM.png" alt="" class="wp-image-748773" srcset="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/24085852/Screenshot-2025-01-24-at-7.28.31-PM.png 630w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/24085852/Screenshot-2025-01-24-at-7.28.31-PM-300x235.png 300w" sizes="(max-width: 630px) 100vw, 630px" /></a></figure>



<a href="https://bzresearch.myclickfunnels.com/benzinga-pro-content-webinar-registration/?utm_source=BZprocontent012425&amp;t=be2bearmibe3na1">Chart created using Benzinga Pro</a>



Tesla stock&#8217;s eight-day simple moving average (SMA) is signaling a bearish momentum, with the stock price of $415.56 trailing that benchmark. However, medium-to-long-term indicators such as the 20-day, 50-day and 200-day SMAs all suggest bullish optimism.



The RSI (relative strength index) sits at a neutral 52.82, and the MACD (moving average convergence/divergence) of 6.27 leans bullish, indicating Tesla still has some gas left in the tank.



For now, the trend remains "moderately bullish," but slight selling pressure is creeping in. Investors will be eyeing the earnings report closely for guidance on whether Tesla's rally can continue — or if it's running out of charge.



<h1 class="wp-block-heading">Trump, Tax Credits, Tesla's Future</h1>



Beyond the earnings report, Tesla faces another wildcard: President Donald Trump's <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/market-summary/25/01/43156862/tesla-rivals-rivian-lucid-fall-sharply-after-donald-trump-revokes-bidens-ev-targets-freezes-infra-funding-heres-what-technical-analysis-says">executive order </a>hinting at the repeal of the federal EV tax credit. The $7,500 incentive has been a major selling point, particularly for Tesla's mass-market models.



While Tesla has managed to thrive in shifting regulatory environments before, this potential policy shift could put pressure on future demand — especially as legacy automakers and new EV entrants battle for market share.



With earnings just days away, Tesla's fate hinges on more than just a stylish new Model Y. Can Musk's magic keep the rally alive, or is the stock about to hit a speed bump? Investors won't have to wait long to find out.



Read Next: 



<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/25/01/43189431/evgo-enovix-shine-but-what-about-chargepoint-plug-power-clean-energy-analysts-stock-picks-for-2025">EVgo, Enovix Shine, But What About ChargePoint, Plug Power? Clean Energy Analyst&#8217;s Stock Picks For 2025</a></li>
</ul>



Photo: Courtesy Tesla Inc.

Analyst Color

Long Ideas

Technicals

Markets

Analyst Ratings

TSLA

Tesla's Model Y Glow-Up Arrives In Time For Q4 Earnings: Will It Be Enough?

On Friday, American Express Co (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AXP#NYSE">AXP</a>) reported <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/pressreleases/25/01/b43187388/american-express-announces-record-fy-2024-revenue-up-9-or-10-on-an-fx-adjusted-basis" rel="noreferrer noopener">fourth-quarter revenue</a> (net of interest expense) growth of 9% year-on-year to $17.18 billion, topping the&nbsp;analyst consensus estimate of&nbsp;$17.16 billion.&nbsp;



The increase was primarily driven by strong Card Member spending, higher net interest income supported by growth in revolving loan balances, and accelerated card fee growth.



GAAP EPS of $3.04 was in line with the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/calendars/earnings" rel="noreferrer noopener">analyst consensus estimate</a>.&nbsp;



Also Read: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/earnings/25/01/43186252/ericsson-q4-earnings-sales-climb-1-north-america-shines-dividend-raise-guidance-and-more" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ericsson Q4 Earnings: Sales Climb 1%, North America Shines, Dividend Raise, Guidance And More</a>



Card Member spending or Billed Business grew 8% Y/Y to $408.4 billion. U.S. Consumer Services revenue&nbsp;was $8.25 billion,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://ir.americanexpress.com/investor-relations/default.aspx" rel="noreferrer noopener">up 12%&nbsp;Y/Y</a>. Commercial Services revenue was $4.12 billion, up 8%&nbsp;Y/Y.



International Card Services revenue was $2.99 billion, up 11% year over year, and Global Merchant and Network Services revenue was $1.89 billion, down 2% year over year.



Total expenses increased by 11%&nbsp;year over year&nbsp;to $13.1 billion, primarily reflecting higher variable customer engagement costs and marketing investments.&nbsp;



Provision for credit losses stood at $1.3 billion, compared with $1.4 billion a year ago, reflecting lower net reserve build.&nbsp;



Dividend: American Express plans to increase the regular quarterly dividend by 17% to $0.82 per share, beginning with the first quarter of 2025.



Chair and CEO Stephen J. Squeri flagged record levels of annual Card Member spending, record net card fee revenues, and a record 13 million new card acquisitions in 2024 and continued to add millions of merchant locations to its network globally.



FY25 Outlook: Amex&nbsp;expects revenue of $71.22 billion-$72.54 billion (up by 8%-10% Y/Y) versus&nbsp;a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/calendars/guidance" rel="noreferrer noopener">consensus of $71.28 billion</a>. It expects EPS of $15.00–$15.50 versus&nbsp;the&nbsp;consensus of $15.23.



Price Action:&nbsp;AXP stock is up 0.11% at $326.24 premarket&nbsp;at the last check on Friday.



Also Read:



<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/emerging-markets/25/01/43138024/alibaba-cloud-unveils-new-ai-tools-and-language-models-to-empower-global-developers" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Alibaba Cloud Unveils New AI Tools and Language Models to Empower Global Developers</a></li>
</ul>



Photo by DreamerAchieverNoraTarvus via Shutterstock

Earnings

Guidance

Dividends

American Express Q4 Earnings: Revenue Beat, Record Spending and Card Acquisitions, 17% Dividend Hike And More

Verizon Communications Inc (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/VZ#NYSE">VZ</a>)&nbsp;stock reported&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/pressreleases/25/01/g43187225/verizon-delivered-strong-customer-growth-and-profitability-in-2024" rel="noreferrer noopener">fiscal&nbsp;fourth-quarter results</a> Friday.&nbsp;



Its revenue growth was 1.6% year-over-year reaching $35.70 billion, topping the&nbsp;analyst consensus estimate of $35.32 billion. Adjusted EPS of $1.10 was in line with the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/calendars/earnings" rel="noreferrer noopener">analyst&nbsp;consensus estimate</a>.



Total wireless service revenue was $20.0 billion, up 3.1% year over year, driven by pricing actions and growth from fixed wireless connections.



Also Read: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/media/25/01/43168435/google-taps-htcs-talent-in-250-million-deal-to-lead-ar-vr-innovation" rel="noreferrer noopener">Google Taps HTC&#8217;s Talent in $250 Million Deal to Lead AR/VR Innovation</a>



Verizon added ~1 million postpaid mobile and broadband subscribers in the quarter, marking its best quarterly result in more than a decade. Postpaid phone net additions were 568,000 versus 449,000 Y/Y. Verizon Business&#8217; retail postpaid net additions were 283,000.



The quarter saw 408,000 total broadband net additions, compared to 350,000 Y/Y.&nbsp;The company ended the quarter with over 12.3 million broadband subscribers, up 15.0% year over year.



At the end of the quarter of 2024, the company had ~4.6 million fixed wireless subscribers. Total fixed wireless access net additions reached 373,000 in the quarter.



It is well-positioned to achieve the next milestone of 8 to 9 million fixed wireless access subscribers by 2028.



Total Verizon Business revenues were $7.5 billion, down 1.5% Y/Y. Total Verizon Consumer revenue rose by 2.2% Y/Y to $27.6 billion.&nbsp;Consumer wireless retail postpaid churn was 1.12%, and wireless retail postpaid phone churn was 0.89%.&nbsp;



Verizon Consumer clocked wireless retail postpaid phone net additions of 426,000, up 34% Y/Y. Verizon Consumer had fixed wireless net additions of 216,000.



Verizon&#8217;s net income stood at $5.1 billion versus $(2.6) billion a year ago.



The consumer segment EBITDA margin declined by 100 bps to 37.5%, while the business segment EBITDA margin grew by 100 bps to 22.1%.&nbsp;



Company-level adjusted EBITDA of $11.9 billion, up from $11.7 billion Y/Y driven by wireless service revenue growth, partially offset by the impact of higher upgrade volumes and continued declines in Business wireline revenue.



Verizon&#8217;s 2024 free cash flow&nbsp;was $19.8 billion, up from $18.7 billion Y/Y.



FY25 Outlook: Verizon&nbsp;expects a 2.0%–2.8%&nbsp;growth in wireless service revenue. It projected an adjusted EPS of $4.59 – $4.73 versus&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/calendars/guidance" rel="noreferrer noopener">consensus of $4.71</a>.



Verizon expects $17.5 billion to $18.5 billion in 2025 free cash flow, $35 billion to $37 billion in operating cash flow and $17.5 billion to $18.5 billion in capital expenditure.



Price action:&nbsp;VZ stock is up 0.05% at $39.20 premarket at the last check on Friday.



Also Read:



<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/earnings/25/01/43186252/ericsson-q4-earnings-sales-climb-1-north-america-shines-dividend-raise-guidance-and-more" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ericsson Q4 Earnings: Sales Climb 1%, North America Shines, Dividend Raise, Guidance And More</a></li>
</ul>



Photo via Shutterstock

Verizon Q4 Earnings: Revenue Beat, 1 Million Mobile And Broadband Subscriber Adds, Business Segment Margin Expands

The Bank of Japan has raised interest rates by 25 basis points, marking a 17-year high of 0.50%. This move signifies the end of an era of historically low interest rates for the Asian exporter. We assess how BOJ&#8217;s move can impact the U.S. dollar and the stock market.



What Happened: An increase in interest rates generally leads to higher yields, and less liquidity in the system leading to uncertainty in the stock market.



Investors have famously used Japan&#8217;s historically low interest rates for a carry trade, which involves borrowing in yen and investing in other higher-yielding assets.



However, BOJ&#8217;s rate decision could lead to &#8220;the unwinding of carry trade positions,&#8221; said Markus Ammann, the global advisor at BierbaumPro AG, in a LinkedIn post.



&#8220;Japan's evolving monetary strategy reflects its efforts to adapt to changing economic conditions while addressing decades-long deflationary pressures,&#8221; said Giordano Colombini, the co-founder of MG Bridge Consulting.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Impact On Yields</h4>



After BOJ&#8217;s announcement, the U.S. Treasuries remained largely unchanged, with the 10-year bond yielding 4.63% and the two-year bond at 4.27%. The Japanese two-year and 10-year bonds rose to 0.72% and 1.24%, respectively.



&#8220;Traders had almost fully priced in a rate change while about three-quarters of economists predicted the move in a Bloomberg survey released last week,&#8221; the global macroeconomic expert, Anish Nanda told <a href="http://pro.benzinga.com">Benzinga</a>.



Japanese investors are the largest foreign holders of U.S. Treasuries, said Nanda, adding that &#8220;Rate hikes in Japan could impact U.S. investors, it would pressure U.S. Treasuries if Japanese investors were to pull money out.&#8221;



See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/01/43183617/goldman-research-shows-us-market-falls-just-5-after-tariff-imposition-but-7-after-retaliatory-tariffs-we-lose-when-we-punch-and-we-lose-when-were-punched-says-economist">Trump Tariffs A Lose-Lose Proposition? Goldman Research Indicates Markets Fall After Imposition And Retaliation — Economist Warns &#8216;We Lose When We Punch And We Lose When We&#8217;re Punched&#8217;</a>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Impact On Dollar</h4>



While the U.S. dollar fell by 0.40% to 107.627, as of 7:22 a.m., ET, the USD/JPY rate pulled back from the day&#8217;s high of 156.4.



According to Nanda, future rate hikes could further boost the yen and any decision to cut interest rates by the Fed would likely weaken the dollar. Simultaneously, the dollar continues to be under pressure following the Trump administration&#8217;s call for imposing tariffs.



&#8220;The yen is expected to gain further ground if the BOJ maintains its hawkish stance, though volatility is expected in the USD to JPY pair,&#8221; he added.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Impact On U.S. Market</h4>



While the change in Japan&#8217;s monetary policy has no direct impact on the U.S. market, a weaker dollar, higher yields and resultant change in liquidity environment can create headwinds for U.S. equities, also owing to changes in its own economic policies.



&#8220;The interplay of economic policies, inflation trends, and market reactions is shaping a volatile yet intriguing narrative for 2025,&#8221; said Jez Jacob, the AVP at Finvasia.



Read Next:



<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/market-summary/25/01/43184963/nvidia-microsoft-or-oracle-which-among-these-stargate-ai-project-beneficiaries-are-the-least-expensive-to-own">Nvidia, Microsoft, Or Oracle: Which Stock Among These Stargate AI Project Beneficiaries Are The Least Expensive To Own?</a></li>
</ul>



Image Via Shutterstock

Asia

Government

Market Summary

Regulations

Bonds

General

How Bank Of Japan's Shift From Historically Low Interest Rates Impacts US Markets: Higher Yields, Less Liquidity, Market Uncertainty And More

Troubled American planemaker Boeing Co. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BA#NYSE">BA</a>) is down 1.7% in premarket trading on Friday after the company said that it expects to report an operating cash flow loss of $3.5 billion for the fourth quarter owing to the work stoppage by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM), in addition to other factors.



What Happened: Boeing on Thursday said that it expects to report fourth-quarter revenue of&nbsp;$15.2 billion versus estimates of $16.27 billion and a GAAP loss per share of&nbsp;$5.46, nearly triple market expectations. The results, it said were impacted by the worker&#8217;s strike as well as certain charges for certain Defense, Space &amp; Security programs in addition to costs associated with workforce reductions announced in 2024.



The company said that its commercial airplanes segment will reflect pre-tax earnings charges of $1.1 billion on the 777X and 767 programs owing to higher estimated labor costs associated with the new workers&#8217; agreement. Boeing now expects fourth-quarter revenue of $4.8 billion and an operating margin loss of 43.9% for the segment.



The Defense, Space &amp; Security segment, meanwhile, is expected to recognize pre-tax earnings charges of $1.7 billion on multiple programs, reflecting higher estimates of manufacturing costs and including the impact of the workers&#8217; strike, it said. The division is expected to report fourth-quarter revenue of $5.4 billion and an operating margin loss of 41.9%.



Why It Matters: The IAM strike went on for nearly two months until it was concluded in November. The strike ended with a new four-year contract that included a <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/24/11/41676667/boeing-sweetens-deal-with-38-wage-hike-12k-bonus-and-more-to-end-7-week-strike-vote-set-for-mond">38% wage increase over four years</a>, enhanced retirement contributions, and improved health benefits.



However, the strike is only the latest of the company&#8217;s hardships. 



Boeing has been faced with one crisis after the other over the past few years, starting in late 2018 when a Boeing aircraft <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/25/01/42942232/boeing-stock-wiped-out-47-of-investor-wealth-over-the-last-5-years-amid-multiple-issues-now-this-expert-suggests-a-breakup-could-benefit-the-airplane-maker">went down in the sea</a> off the coast of Indonesia. Another fatal crash followed in a few months, causing the 737 Max jet to be grounded for months worldwide.



In January 2024, a door panel flew off an Alaska Airlines plane manufactured by Boeing, creating further safety concerns. The Covid-19 pandemic in the middle did not help the company's financial constraints.



Check out more of Benzinga's Future Of Mobility coverage by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/mobility" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">following this link.</a>



Read Next:



<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/01/43183608/tesla-launches-refreshed-model-y-variant-in-us-canada-after-china" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Tesla Launches Refreshed Model Y In US With 25% Price Hike, Full Self-Driving Included</a></li>
</ul>



Photo courtesy: Shutterstock

WIIM

Boeing Shares Drop Pre-Market As Labor Strikes Expected To Wipe $3.5B From Airplane Maker's Q4 Cash Flow

U.S. stock futures fell on Friday following a 25 basis point rate hike by the Bank of Japan. Futures of all four indices declined.



BOJ hiked the interest rates to 0.5% from 0.25%, the highest in 17 years since the 2008 financial crisis.



The market closed higher on Thursday extending their winning streak as S&amp;P 500 closed at a fresh record close.



The 10-year Treasury note yielded 4.62%, while the two-year note yielded 4.27%. The CME Group's FedWatch <a href="https://www.cmegroup.com/markets/interest-rates/cme-fedwatch-tool.html">tool</a> indicated a strong 99.5% probability that the Federal Reserve will hold interest rates steady at its upcoming meeting on Jan. 31, 2025. 



<figure class="wp-block-table is-style-stripes"><table style="overflow:auto; height: 90px; display: block;"><tbody><tr><td>Futures</td><td>Change (+/-)</td></tr><tr><td>Nasdaq 100</td><td>-0.14%</td></tr><tr><td>S&amp;P 500</td><td>-0.10%</td></tr><tr><td>Dow Jones</td><td>-0.10%</td></tr><tr><td>Russell 2000</td><td>-0.09%</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



The SPDR S&amp;P 500 ETF Trust (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SPY#NYSE">SPY</a>) and Invesco QQQ Trust ETF (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QQQ#NASDAQ">QQQ</a>) both experienced negative premarket trading on Friday. SPY declined by 0.09% to $609.22, and QQQ fell 0.09% to $532.14, according to <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard">Benzinga Pro</a> data.



Cues From The Last Session



U.S. stocks closed higher on Thursday, with the S&amp;P 500 reaching record highs after President Donald Trump called for lower oil prices. Speaking at the World Economic Forum via videoconference, Trump advocated for increased oil and gas production, a 15% corporate tax rate for businesses relocating to the U.S., and tariffs on countries with large trade deficits, warning Europe, Canada, and China.



U.S. initial jobless claims rose by 6,000 to 223,000 for the week ending Jan. 18, slightly above estimates. All S&amp;P 500 sectors closed higher, with healthcare, real estate, and industrials posting notable gains.



<figure class="wp-block-table is-style-stripes"><table style="overflow:auto; height: 90px; display: block;"><tbody><tr><td>Index</td><td>Performance (+/-)</td><td>Value</td></tr><tr><td>Nasdaq Composite</td><td>1.28%</td><td>20,053.68 </td></tr><tr><td>S&amp;P 500</td><td>0.53%</td><td>6,118.71</td></tr><tr><td>Dow Jones</td><td>0.92%</td><td>44,565.07</td></tr><tr><td>Russell 2000</td><td>0.47%</td><td>2,314.60</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



Insights From Analysts



The chief technical strategist at LPL Financial, Adam Turnquist said that there are plenty of catalysts underpinning the recent advance. According to him, Trump brings a pro-growth agenda to Washington, with expectations of reduced regulations and lower taxes.



Market breadth has not kept pace with the recent stock rebound, said Turnquist, suggesting the advance has been relatively narrow. Although price and breadth disparities can last for a while, they often signal potential weaknesses in a rally that could stall.



&#8220;While we are not making a call for an imminent correction, investors should not be surprised if one develops this year as history shows they occur at least once per year,&#8221; he added.



Despite these overhangs, Ryan Detrick, the chief market strategist at Carson Research said in an X post that &#8220;this is a bull market and stocks are the place to be overweight in your portfolio&#8221;.



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">They tried to scare you with &#39;weak market breadth&#39; or higher interest rates or a hawkish Fed or Washington drama or Year of the snake, etc. Bottom line, as we&#39;ve been saying since November 2022, this is a bull market and stocks are the place to be overweight in your portfolio. <a href="https://t.co/iAs9jMMklV">pic.twitter.com/iAs9jMMklV</a>&mdash; Ryan Detrick, CMT (@RyanDetrick) <a href="https://twitter.com/RyanDetrick/status/1882536474064925141?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 23, 2025</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



Detrick also highlighted the data since 1950, stating that the post-election years could do better if it is a President&#8217;s second term.



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">Going back to 1950, post election years do better if it is a President&#39;s second term. <a href="https://t.co/7rGQSj44DH">pic.twitter.com/7rGQSj44DH</a>&mdash; Ryan Detrick, CMT (@RyanDetrick) <a href="https://twitter.com/RyanDetrick/status/1882473698898374715?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 23, 2025</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/how-to-trade-futures">How to Trade Futures</a>



Upcoming Economic Data



Here&#8217;s what investors will keep an eye on today:



<ul>
<li>On Friday, S&amp;P flash services PMI and manufacturing PMI will be released at 9:45 a.m. ET.</li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li>Existing home sales for December and consumer sentiment data for January will be released at 10 a.m., ET.</li>
</ul>



Stocks In Focus:



<ul>
<li>American Express Co. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AXP#NYSE">AXP</a>) was up 0.32% in the premarket on Friday ahead of its earnings before the opening bell. Analysts expect it to report quarterly earnings of $3.04 per share on revenue of $17.16 billion.</li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li>Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/VZ#NYSE">VZ</a>) was up 0.48% as Wall Street expects it to report quarterly earnings of $1.10 per share on revenue of $35.32 billion before the opening bell.</li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li>HCA Healthcare Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/HCA#NYSE">HCA</a>) was up 2.03% ahead of its earnings before the opening bell. Analysts expect it to report quarterly earnings of $6.13 per share on revenue of $18.23 billion.</li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li>Intuitive Surgical Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ISRG#NASDAQ">ISRG</a>) was down 2.25% as it issued conservative guidance despite reporting better-than-expected earnings and sales results for the fourth quarter after the market closed on Thursday.</li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li>Boeing Co. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BA#NYSE">BA</a>) was down 1.83% as it warned investors of steeper quarterly losses and lower revenue in its preliminary fourth-quarter financial results. It also expects a $3.5 billion cash flow loss due to labor strikes and layoffs.</li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li>Allurion Technologies Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ALUR#NYSE">ALUR</a>) was up 92.97% as it announced plans to conduct a clinical study of its gastric balloon weight-loss product alongside GLP-1 drugs.</li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li>Starbox Group Holdings Ltd (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/STBX#NASDAQ">STBX</a>) was up 74.48% as it entered a software purchase agreement valued at $15.5 million via share issuance.</li>
</ul>



Commodities, Gold And Global Equity Markets:



Crude oil futures were trading higher in the early New York session by 0.31% to hover around $74.85 per barrel.



The gold spot index was up by 0.50% to $2,778.90 per ounce. The Dollar Index was down 0.66% at 107.336 level.



Asian markets closed mixed on Friday as India's S&amp;P BSE Sensex and Japan's Nikkei 225 index fell. Whereas, China's CSI 300, Hong Kong's Hang Seng, Australia's ASX 200, and South Korea's Kospi index rose. European markets were also mixed.



Read Next:



<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/market-summary/25/01/43184963/nvidia-microsoft-or-oracle-which-among-these-stargate-ai-project-beneficiaries-are-the-least-expensive-to-own">Nvidia, Microsoft, Or Oracle: Which Stock Among These Stargate AI Project Beneficiaries Are The Least Expensive To Own?</a></li>
</ul>



Photo courtesy: Shutterstock

Futures

Pre-Market Outlook

ALUR

STBX

US Stocks Set To Open Lower After Bank Of Japan Rate Hike: Analyst Recommends 'Overweight' Equities Despite Negative Market Breadth

On Friday, Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVO#NYSE">NVO</a>) released topline results from a phase 1b/2a trial with amycretin intended for once-weekly subcutaneous administration.



The <a target="_blank" href="https://www.novonordisk.com/content/nncorp/global/en/news-and-media/news-and-ir-materials/news-details.html?id=915251" rel="noreferrer noopener">trial</a> investigated the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and proof-of-concept after once-weekly subcutaneous administrations of amycretin in 125 people with overweight or obesity.



The trial was a combined single ascending, multiple ascending, and dose-response trial investigating three different maintenance doses with a total treatment duration of up to 36 weeks.



Also Read: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/01/43062779/popular-ozempic-wegovy-selected-for-next-round-of-medicare-drug-price-negotiations" rel="noreferrer noopener">Popular Ozempic, Wegovy Selected For Next Round Of Medicare Drug Price Negotiations</a>



The primary endpoint was the treatment of emergent adverse events. When evaluating the effects of treatment if all people adhered to treatment&nbsp;from a mean baseline body weight of 92.7 kg, people treated with amycretin achieved an estimated body weight loss of 9.7% on 1.25mg (20 weeks), 16.2% on 5mg (28 weeks) and 22.0% on 20mg (36 weeks).



People treated with a placebo experienced an estimated 1.9%, 2.3%, and 2.0% body weight gain, respectively.



The safety profile of amycretin was consistent with incretin-based therapies.



The most common adverse events with amycretin were gastrointestinal, and the vast majority were mild to moderate in severity.



Based on the results, Novo Nordisk is planning further clinical development of amycretin in adults with overweight or obesity. Last week, Novo Nordisk released headline results from the STEP UP Phase 3b trial in the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/01/43055832/novo-nordisks-higher-dose-of-wegovy-shows-weight-loss-of-around-21-phase-3-data-shows" rel="noreferrer noopener">global STEP program</a>.



When evaluating the effects of treatment if all people adhered to treatment&nbsp;from a mean baseline body weight of 113 kg, people treated with semaglutide 7.2 mg achieved a superior weight loss of 20.7% after 72 weeks compared to a reduction of 17.5% with semaglutide 2.4 mg and 2.4% with placebo.



Price Action: NVO stock is up 10.80% at $89.90&nbsp;during the premarket session at last check Friday.



Read Next:



<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/earnings/25/01/43186252/ericsson-q4-earnings-sales-climb-1-north-america-shines-dividend-raise-guidance-and-more" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ericsson Q4 Earnings: Sales Climb 1%, North America Shines, Dividend Raise, Guidance And More</a></li>
</ul>



Image via Shutterstock

Biotech

Health Care

Movers

Novo Nordisk's Weekly Amycretin Delivers Up to 22% Weight Loss in Study, Stock Soars

Leading coins rose marginally on a day of cryptocurrency-friendly policies announced by the Donald Trump administration.



<figure class="wp-block-table"><table style="overflow:auto; height: 90px; display: block;"><tbody><tr><td>Cryptocurrency</td><td>Gains +/-</td><td>Price (Recorded at 8:15 p.m. ET)</td></tr><tr><td>Bitcoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/btc/usd">BTC</a>)</td><td>+0.41%</td><td>$103,569.49</td></tr><tr><td>Ethereum (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/eth/usd">ETH</a>) &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</td><td>+1.62%</td><td>$3,299.95</td></tr><tr><td>Dogecoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/doge/usd">DOGE</a>)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</td><td>-3.09%</td><td>$0.3484</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



What Happened: Bitcoin recorded choppy momentum over the last 24 hours, surging to a high of $106,500 in the morning before falling to $103,000 by the evening.



The morning rally was triggered by speculations of an executive order to create a strategic Bitcoin reserve. Eventually, Trump signed an order that will  <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/25/01/43177482/trump-signs-executive-order-on-crypto-bitcoin-reserve-to-be-evaluated">evaluate the creation</a> of a "strategic national digital asset stockpile."



Additionally, a SEC directive that restricted banks' ability to custody cryptocurrencies<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/01/43181875/another-crypto-friendly-measure-by-trump-sec-revokes-sab-121-policy-that-curtailed-banks-ability-to-custody-digital-assets"> was repealed</a>.



Ethereum surged more than Bitcoin, probably due to expectations of inclusion in the potential digital asset stockpile.



More than $382 million was liquidated from the cryptocurrency market in the last 24 hours, with long liquidations accounting for $262 million. However, Bitcoin's rebound to $107,000 could liquidate nearly $368 million worth of short positions.



More than 50% of trader accounts on Binance placed long positions on Bitcoin, suggesting expectations of a rebound.



The market sentiment remained one of "Greed," according to the Crypto Fear &amp; Greed Index.



Top Gainers (24-Hours)



<figure class="wp-block-table"><table style="overflow:auto; height: 90px; display: block;"><tbody><tr><td>Cryptocurrency</td><td>Gains +/-</td><td>Price (Recorded at 8:15 p.m. ET)</td></tr><tr><td>Mantle (MNT)</td><td>+10.53%</td><td>$1.22</td></tr><tr><td>KuCoin Token (KCS)</td><td>+7.71%</td><td>$12.09</td></tr><tr><td>Ethereum Classic (ETC)</td><td>+5.94%</td><td>$28.56</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



The global cryptocurrency market capitalization stood at $3.56 trillion, contracting marginally by 0.17% in the last 24 hours.



Stocks extended their winning streak on Thursday. The S&amp;P 500 rallied 0.53% to close at a new record high of 6,118.71. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lifted 408.34 points, or 0.92%, to end at 44,565.07. The tech-focused Nasdaq Composite gained 0.22%, closing at 20,053.68.



The bump comes after President Donald Trump advocated immediate cuts in <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/global/25/01/43170854/trump-outlines-economic-reset-at-davos-5-things-you-need-to-know">interest rates</a> during a virtual address at the World Economic Forum 2025.



The market also possibly factored Trump's remarks that corporate taxes will be cut from 21% to 15% for companies that manufacture in the U.S.



See More: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/best-crypto-scanners">Best Cryptocurrency Scanners</a>



Analyst Notes: Popular on-chain analytics firm Santiment highlighted the new all-time high for wallets holding between 100 and 1,000 BTC—one of Bitcoin's leading indicators.



"This rise in key stakeholder confidence is yet another promising sign for a bullish 2025," the firm added.



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">&#x1f433; Among Bitcoin&#39;s top leading indicators are the amount of wallets holding between 10 to 100 or 100 to 1,000 BTC. The latter group just broke an all-time high, with 15,777 such wallets. This rise in key stakeholder confidence is yet another promising sign for a bullish 2025. &#x1f680; <a href="https://t.co/4ZPiowoSDf">pic.twitter.com/4ZPiowoSDf</a>&mdash; Santiment (@santimentfeed) <a href="https://twitter.com/santimentfeed/status/1882476757158367261?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 23, 2025</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



Popular cryptocurrency trader Michaël van de Poppe set a price target of $500,000 per Bitcoin and $20,000 per Ethereum, owing to the latest cryptocurrency-friendly executive orders by President Trump.



"The cycle has begun," he remarked.



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">$500K per <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bitcoin?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Bitcoin</a> $20K per <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%24ETH&amp;src=ctag&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">$ETH</a> The cycle has begun. <a href="https://t.co/OQk7Ek1qfR">https://t.co/OQk7Ek1qfR</a>&mdash; Michaël van de Poppe (@CryptoMichNL) <a href="https://twitter.com/CryptoMichNL/status/1882527402800415090?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 23, 2025</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



Photo by SvetlanaParnikova on Shutterstock



Read Next:    



<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/25/01/43173869/ivanka-trump-denounces-fake-crypto-coin-using-her-name">Ivanka Trump Denounces Fake Crypto Coin Using Her Name</a></li>
</ul>

$DOGE

Bitcoin, Ethereum Rise, Dogecoin Dips Amid Pro-Crypo Announcements From Trump: Top Trader Sets Sight On $500,000 BTC Target, $20,000 For ETH

Amid the ongoing uncertainty surrounding TikTok&#8217;s future in the U.S., Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSLA#NASDAQ">TSLA</a>) CEO Elon Musk and Oracle Corp.'s (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ORCL#NYSE">ORCL</a>) Larry Ellison have emerged as prominent figures in the potential acquisition.



What Happened: While speaking with BBC on Thursday, Wedbush analyst Dan Ives underscored TikTok&#8217;s status as the fastest-growing social media platform.



He noted that any sale excluding its algorithm could still be valued at $40 to $50 billion and predicted that around 10 to 12 bidders might emerge in the coming weeks.



The analyst also said that while Musk is a strong contender, Oracle remains in the race, with Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>) as a potential long shot.



See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/25/01/43072303/mark-zuckerberg-stands-to-gain-from-tiktoks-us-ban-analysis-shows-meta-could-reap-billions-in-ad-revenue">Mark Zuckerberg Stands To Gain The Most From TikTok&#8217;s US Ban: Meta Could Reap Billions In Ad Revenue</a>



He highlighted the situation&#8217;s complexity, stating that a successful deal would require &#8220;someone hand-picked from Beijing but also Trump&#8217;s White House.&#8221;



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">Great to be on <a href="https://twitter.com/BBCWorld?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BBCWorld</a> discussing the ongoing TikTok soap opera and who could emerge as the US tech winner in this deal process with Musk and Ellison leading the pack in our view &#x1f37f;&#x1f91d;&#x1f4fa; <a href="https://twitter.com/BBCBreaking?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BBCBreaking</a> <a href="https://t.co/hgYby0mNeU">pic.twitter.com/hgYby0mNeU</a>&mdash; Dan Ives (@DivesTech) <a href="https://twitter.com/DivesTech/status/1882538599918534915?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 23, 2025</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



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Why It Matters: On Monday, Trump suspended the U.S. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/social-media/25/01/43088960/trump-suspends-us-tiktok-ban-for-75-days-with-executive-order-but-legal-and-market-uncertainty-looms-over-platforms-future">TikTok ban for 75 days</a>, creating a window for potential buyers.



While TikTok&#8217;s owner, ByteDance, has stated that it has no plans to sell, the app&#8217;s immense value and reach have attracted interest from several billionaires and major firms.



Trump has <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/25/01/43118289/trump-open-to-elon-musk-or-larry-ellison-buying-tiktok-calls-us-permit-key-to-1-trillion-valuation">expressed openness</a> to either Musk or Ellison acquiring TikTok, suggesting that a U.S. permit could be key to a $1 trillion valuation.



Billionaire entrepreneur Frank McCourt and famous "Shark Tank" investor Kevin O&#8217;Leary are also <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/25/01/43070367/kevin-oleary-warns-that-shutting-down-tiktok-would-hurt-6-million-small-businesses-in-america-that-rely-on-it-to-make-a-living">leading an initiative</a> to shield the platform from a potential nationwide ban.



Popular YouTuber, Jimmy Donaldson, also known as MrBeast has also been in <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/social-media/25/01/42994923/mrbeast-discussing-buying-tiktok-with-billionaires-to-prevent-us-shutdown-lets-see-if-we-can-pull-this-off">talks with several billionaires</a> about acquiring TikTok.



Check out more of Benzinga's Consumer Tech coverage by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/consumer-tech" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">following this link</a>.



Read Next:



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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/25/01/43021026/apple-stock-has-moved-up-4-2-since-iphone-16-launched-analyst-says-it-has-another-8-upside-as-manufacturing-cost-decline-bolsters-cupertinos-margins" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Apple Stock Has Moved Up 4.2% Since iPhone 16 Launched, Analyst Says It Has Another 8% Upside As Manufacturing Cost Decline Bolsters Cupertino&#8217;s Margins</a></li>
</ul>



Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/benzinga-neuro" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Neuro</a>&nbsp;and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.



Image via Shutterstock

Media

MSFT

Elon Musk Or Larry Ellison? Dan Ives On Who Could Win TikTok's Billion-Dollar Soap Opera: 'Someone Hand Picked From Beijing But Also Trump's White House'

President Donald Trump on Thursday has signed executive orders on digital assets, aiming to bolster U.S. leadership in the crypto industry while halting progress on <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/central-bank-digital-currency">central bank digital currencies.</a>



The <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/strengthening-american-leadership-in-digital-financial-technology/">order</a> establishes a Presidential Working Group on Digital Asset Markets, chaired by White House &#8216;AI &amp; Crypto Czar&#8217; David Sacks. 



This group will include key figures such as the Secretary of the Treasury and the Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission, tasked with developing a federal regulatory framework for digital assets and stablecoins.



A notable aspect of the order is its directive to evaluate the creation of a &#8220;strategic national digital assets stockpile.&#8221; The Working Group is instructed to &#8220;propose criteria for establishing such a stockpile, potentially derived from cryptocurrencies lawfully seized by the Federal Government through its law enforcement efforts.&#8221;



Also Read: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/25/01/43161311/donald-trump-has-more-than-50-of-net-worth-in-crypto-will-establish-strategic-bitcoin-reserve-anthony-pompliano-predicts" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Trump Has ‘More Than 50%' Of Net Worth In Crypto, Will Establish Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, Anthony Pompliano Predicts</a>



The executive order also calls for a comprehensive review of existing regulations. Within 60 days, relevant agencies must submit recommendations to the Chair on whether identified regulations, guidance documents, orders, or other items affecting the digital asset sector should be rescinded, modified, or adopted into regulation.



In a significant departure from previous administrations, the order explicitly prohibits agencies from taking any action to &#8220;establish, issue, or promote CBDCs within the jurisdiction of the United States or abroad.&#8221; It further mandates the immediate termination of any ongoing plans or initiatives related to CBDC creation.



The order revokes Executive Order 14067 of March 9, 2022, and directs the Secretary of the Treasury to revoke the Department&#8217;s &#8220;Framework for International Engagement on Digital Assets&#8221; issued on July 7, 2022. These actions are described as necessary to reverse policies that &#8220;suppressed innovation and undermined U.S. economic liberty and global leadership in digital finance.&#8221;



Bitcoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/btc/usd">BTC</a>) is down 0.9% in the past hour, trading around $102,900. 



Ethereum (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/eth/usd">ETH</a>) is up 1.1% over the same timeframe, trading around $3,240.



Read Next: 



<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/25/01/43170775/crypto-senator-lummis-to-chair-senate-banking-digital-assets-subcommittee-is-the-bitcoin-reserve-on-its-way">&#8216;Crypto Senator Lummis&#8217; To Chair Senate Banking Digital Assets Subcommittee: Is The Bitcoin Reserve On Its Way?</a></li>
</ul>



Image: Shutterstock

Trump Signs Executive Order On Crypto, Bitcoin Reserve To Be 'Evaluated'

Verizon Communications (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/VZ#NYSE">VZ</a>) will likely highlight 5G growth and recent partnerships when fourth-quarter financial results are released Friday <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/earnings">before the market opens</a>.



Earnings Estimates: Analysts expect the company to report fourth-quarter revenue of $35.32 billion, up from last year's fourth-quarter total of $35.13 billion according to data <a href="https://bzresearch.myclickfunnels.com/benzinga-pro-content-webinar-registration/?utm_source=BZprocontent012325&amp;t=be2bearmibe3na1">from Benzinga Pro.</a>



The company has missed analyst estimates for revenue in three straight quarters, and five of the last 10 quarters overall.



Analysts expect Verizon to report fourth-quarter earnings per share of $1.10, up from $1.08 in last year's fourth quarter. The company has beaten analyst estimates for earnings per share in five of the last 10 quarters, while also meeting expectations in four of the last 10 quarters.



Read Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/01/42881735/verizon-hits-55-gbps-5g-speeds-lands-air-force-deal-to-upgrade-base-networks-nationwide">Verizon Hits 5.5 Gbps 5G Speeds, Lands Air Force Deal to Upgrade Base Networks Nationwide</a>



Key Items to Watch: There will be several key items analysts and investors will be watching when Verizon reports quarterly financial results.



In December, Verizon <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/media/24/12/42727432/att-and-verizon-contain-cyberattack-linked-to-chinas-salt-typhoon-group">experienced a cyberattack</a> linked to China. Either the earnings report or the earnings call will likely cover the impact of the attack and what Verizon has done to fend off future attacks.



The <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/government/regulations/25/01/42779998/6th-circuit-strikes-down-fcc-net-neutrality-rules-in-blow-to-biden-administrations-internet-regulation-agenda">end of net neutrality</a> could be another big topic in the quarterly results. Verizon is one of several companies that could benefit from sweeping changes under the new White House administration and FCC.



In December, Verizon <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/24/12/42536593/verizon-teams-up-with-nvidia-to-power-ai-apps-over-private-5g-networks">also announced a partnership</a> with Nvidia that will see AI-powered solutions in the 5G space. This includes covering sectors like artificial intelligence, augmented reality, virtual reality, robotics, Internet of Things and streaming.



Analysts<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/24/10/41498854/verizons-5g-expansion-and-fiber-goals-boost-long-term-outlook-analysts-cautiously-o"> were cautiously optimistic </a>after Verizon's third-quarter financial results in October. The company r<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/earnings/24/10/41450868/verizon-q3-earnings-wireless-subs-boost-with-5g-offers-1-7b-severance-charge-hit-to-profit-reiterat">eported wireless service </a>revenue up 2.7% year-over-year. Verizon saw growth for subscribers across several segments and analysts will likely be looking for the same growth on Friday.



Lower revenue from Verizon Business and a drop in net income due to severance charges and headcount reductions hurt the quarterly results and those items will be closely watched Friday.



As a member of the Dow Jones Industrial Average, ETFs that track the stock market index will also be on watch Friday with Verizon's report. The SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DIA#NYSE">DIA</a>) is up 3% over the last five days with several Dow Jones component companies reporting earlier this week.



Price Action: Verizon stock is up 1% to $39.27 on Thursday versus a 52-week trading range of $37.58 to $45.36. Verizon stock is down 2.3% over the last year.



Read Next: 



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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/dividends/24/12/42743301/dogs-of-the-dow-top-10-high-yield-stocks-offering-dividends-up-to-6-8-in-2025">Dogs Of The Dow: Top 10 High-Yield Stocks Offering Dividends Up To 6.8% In 2025</a></li>
</ul>



Image: Shutterstock

Previews

Verizon Q4 Earnings Preview: Will Company Show 5G Growth, Reverse Streak Of Revenue Misses?

Tesla Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSLA#NASDAQ">TSLA</a>) stock soared after Donald Trump won the 2024 presidential election, helping CEO Elon Musk become the first person worth more<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/management/24/12/42444955/elon-musk-first-person-worth-400-billion-as-tesla-stock-hits-new-all-time-highs-how-2024-election-helped-could-lead-to-future-gains"> than $400 billion.</a>



While Musk's political push and Trump friendship might have been good for the stock, a new report showed it could have hurt Tesla's brand value.



What Happened: Musk continued to support Trump and his policies, which included trying to <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/25/01/43116755/trumps-plan-to-end-7500-ev-tax-credits-could-be-devastating-for-telsa-rivals-poll-says-could-be-bullish-for-elon-musks-company">end tax credits </a>for electric vehicles.



The support for Trump could be hurting Tesla's brand value, according to the 2025 global brand <a href="https://brandirectory.com/reports/global">rankings </a>from Brand Finance.



Tesla fell to 36th place in the 2025 rankings, down from 18th place in 2024. The electric vehicle company had a brand value of $43 billion in the 2025 rankings, down 26% from $58.27 billion in 2024.



This marked the second straight year Tesla's brand value fell in the annual rankings, as <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2025/01/21/tesla-lost-15-billion-in-brand-value-in-2024-brand-finance-found.html">reported </a>by CNBC. Reasons for the fall could be related to a lack of new vehicles from Tesla and Musk's "antagonism," the report said.



"There are people who think he's wonderful, but many that don't," Brand Finance CEO David Haigh told CNBC of Musk. "If you are buying electric vehicles, his persona is highly likely to impact your view of whether or not you want to buy one of his company's cars, but that's only one of many factors."



Tesla&#8217;s scores in categories such as "reputation," "recommendation" and "consideration" all fell from the prior year.



The results of the brand survey included comments and rankings from more than 16,000 people who shared their views on Tesla. The EV company saw large drops in rankings from consumers in Europe. In the U.S., Tesla still had a high loyalty score of 90%, which meant Tesla owners would likely keep their vehicles for the next 12 months.



While the loyalty score was positive, Tesla&#8217;s recommendation score fell from 8.2 out of 10 to 4.3 in the U.S., which suggested Tesla owners were not recommending the products to other potential customers.



"Tesla won't be able to sell so many products, and it won't be able to sell at such high prices as it did before," Haigh suggested.



Haigh said Tesla releasing new products that get new customers excited could help offset some of the brand weakness witnessed related to Musk.



Other Musk-related companies had calculated brand values in the Brand Finance report. The brand value of social media platform X declined 26% from $673 million to $498 million. The brand value of X declined in recent years for the survey due to the name change from Twitter to X and concerns about advertisers and lost users.



SpaceX&#8216;s brand value rose 11% to $3.8 billion in 2025 in its second year in the annual survey. Starlink, which is owned by SpaceX, was also calculated separately and received a brand value of $2.4 billion for its first time in the annual survey.



Are you buying when the CEOs of the Magnificent 7 are selling?



<ul>
<li>Stay in the know with our Insider Trades page — <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/sec/insider-trades/">see when leaders like Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, and Jensen Huang are offloading their own shares.</a></li>
</ul>



Other Brand Winners and Losers: Technology giant Apple Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAPL#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>) ranked first in the Brand Finance report for a second straight year. Apple's brand value increased 11% from $516.58 billion to $574.51 billion in 2025. Over 80% of consumers in the survey were familiar with Apple and 45% of consumers consider or do use Apple brand products and services.



Following Apple in the top five were Microsoft, Google (part of Alphabet), Amazon and Walmart. One of the biggest gainers was NVIDIA Corp (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>), which moved from 30th place to ninth place and saw its brand value up 98% year-over-year to $87.8 billion. Nvidia was included in the top 500 list for the first time in 2014, when it was ranked 424. This year marked the semiconductor's first time in the top 10.



Brand Finance said TikTok, DraftKings and FanDuel were among the fastest-growing companies for brand value.



Among automotive companies, Toyota (18), Mercedes-Benz (23), and Hyundai (29) ranked ahead of Tesla in the annual rankings. &nbsp;



Why It's Important: Benzinga previously reported some angry Tesla customers who don't agree with Musk's political push are <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/11/42023767/tesla-owners-who-dont-like-musk-are-letting-bumper-stickers-do-the-talking">buying bumper stickers </a>with phrases such as "I bought this before we knew Elon was crazy."



Rival EV company Polestar Automotive Holding (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PSNY#NASDAQ">PSNY</a>) was trying<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/25/01/43155064/polestar-ceo-looks-to-attract-tesla-customers-disenchanted-by-elon-musks-politics-somebody-outside-of-germany-endorsing-right-wing-politicial-parties-totally-unacceptable"> to lure customers</a> who might be upset with Musk's political commentary.



Polestar CEO Michael Lohscheller told Bloomberg News people have "very, very negative sentiment" about Musk's political commentary.



"For Germany, somebody outside of Germany endorsing right-wing political parties is a big thing," Lohscheller said.



A survey of Tesla owners in the Netherlands showed around one-third were considering selling their car, with Musk one of the main reasons.



The survey conducted by Dutch news outlet <a href="https://eenvandaag.avrotros.nl/panels/opiniepanel/alle-uitslagen/item/schaamte-bij-tesla-rijders-door-gedrag-elon-musk-3-op-de-10-eigenaren-willen-van-hun-auto-af/">EenVandaag </a>and shared by <a href="https://insideevs.com/news/747944/tesla-owners-musk-survey-netherlands/">InsideEVs </a>showed Tesla owners who thought Musk's actions were making them reconsider their brand loyalty.



"If I had known what he is like now, I would have never bought a Tesla," one Tesla owner said in the survey.



Read Next: 



<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/24/12/42722137/elon-musk-peter-thiel-and-billionaires-influence-in-trumps-white-house-former-labor-secretary-robert-reichs-warning">Elon Musk, Peter Thiel And Billionaires&#8217; Influence In Trump&#8217;s White House: Former Labor Secretary Robert Reich&#8217;s Warning</a></li>
</ul>



Photos: Shutterstock

Global

NVDA

PSNY

Tesla Lost $15 Billion In Brand Value In 2024, Report Says: Did Elon Musk's Political Push Hurt EV Giant?

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