Stock Market Today: Stock Rally Runs Out of Steam
A sharp post-earnings selloff for Walt Disney stock kept a lid on the Dow Tuesday.
Stocks were choppy Tuesday as market participants took a breather following three straight days of impressive gains.
Amid a relatively bare economic calendar, investors turned their attention to a busy earnings docket with several high-profile names making big moves.
Among them was Palantir Technologies (PLTR), which fell 15.1% after its first-quarter results. The data analytics firm reported earnings and revenue that beat analysts' estimates and raised its full-year revenue forecast. Still, its upwardly revised fiscal 2024 outlook was below what Wall Street was expecting.
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However, Wedbush analyst Daniel Ives remains upbeat about Palantir's growth outlook. In fact, he sees "increased momentum" in the stock's story thanks to the company's Artificial Intelligence Platform (AIP).
"AIP [is] leading the charge in generating significant demand across both commercial and government landscapes while [being] well-positioned to gain a larger share of this $1 trillion opportunity taking place with AI use cases exploding globally," Ives said after earnings. The analyst has a Buy rating and a $35 price target on PLTR, representing implied upside of 62% to current levels.
Buy the dip on Disney stock?
Walt Disney (DIS) was another notable post-earnings mover, with the blue chip stock diving 9.5% after its results. The media and entertainment giant disclosed higher-than-expected earnings for its fiscal second quarter and said its Disney+ and Hulu streaming services reported a profit for the first time. However, Disney's total revenue fell short of what Wall Street expected.
"Today's market reaction to a decent earnings report from Disney shows there are still too many moving parts and uncertainties at the Mouse House for investors to get excited," says Don Montanaro, president of Firstrade.
Montanaro expects more near-term volatility for DIS as several initiatives shake out. However, he adds that "smart investors might want to buy Disney when it dips like it has today, and then patiently hold as the future dynamism of streaming revenues emerges over time."
Apple gains after iPad event
While Disney was the worst Dow Jones stock today, Apple (AAPL, +0.4%) found itself on the plus side of the ledger following its "Let Loose" event.
It was the first time in two years the tech giant launched new versions of its iPad, with Apple also unveiling a new iteration of its Apple Pencil Pro and debuting its AI-enhanced M4 chip.
CFRA Research analyst Angelo Zino reiterated a Buy rating on the Magnificent 7 stock Tuesday. "After a major iPad drought (last refresh in 2022), we think these upgrades, along with better Pro price points, will help drive a return to growth for the category (down five straight quarters, with year-over-year declines in nine of last 10)," Zino wrote in a note.
As for the major indexes, the Nasdaq Composite fell 0.1% to 16,332, while the S&P 500 (+0.1% at 5,187) and the Dow Jones Industrial Average (+0.1% at 38,884) eked out modest gains.
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