Tech stocks began Christmas week with positive momentum, as the Nasdaq 100 rose 0.4% on Monday, building on a 0.7% gain from Friday. The index has now recovered nearly half of the losses sustained following the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/federal-reserve">Federal Reserve's recent policy meeting.</a>



Semiconductors stood out as the top-performing sector:



<ul>
<li>iShares Semiconductor ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SOXX#NYSE">SOXX</a>) jumping 2.3%.</li>



<li>Broadcom Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AVGO#NASDAQ">AVGO</a>), up 4.7%</li>



<li>Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMD#NASDAQ">AMD</a>), which surged 4.9%.</li>
</ul>



Meanwhile, other major indices showed minimal movement in what appeared to be a session marked by low trading volumes.



Consumer staples emerged as the weakest sector, with notable declines in major retailers. Dollar General Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DG#NYSE">DG</a>) dropped 3.3%, while Walmart Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/WMT#NYSE">WMT</a>) shed 2.8%. 



In economic news, U.S. consumer confidence fell sharply in December, with the index dropping 8.1 points to 104.7 amid worsening expectations in future economic conditions.



The U.S. dollar index edged higher, mirroring a further surge in Treasury yields. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose 4 basis points to 4.57%, approaching its highest closing level since late May.



In commodities, gold slipped 0.4%, set to break a two-session winning streak, while oil prices declined 1%.



In the cryptocurrency market, Bitcoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/btc/usd">BTC</a>) fell 1.7% to around $93,000, eyeing its fifth loss in the past six sessions.



Shares of MicroStrategy Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSTR#NASDAQ">MSTR</a>) tumbled over 4% in their first trading session after the company's inclusion in the Nasdaq 100 index.



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



<figure class="wp-block-table is-style-stripes"><table><tbody><tr><td>Major Indices</td><td>Price</td><td>1-day %chg</td></tr><tr><td>Nasdaq 100</td><td>21,373.71</td><td>0.4%</td></tr><tr><td>S&amp;P 500</td><td>5,932.42</td><td>0.0%</td></tr><tr><td>Russell 2000</td><td>2,232.71</td><td>-0.4%</td></tr><tr><td>Dow Jones</td><td>42,620.75</td><td>-0.5%</td></tr></tbody></table><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Updated at 12:30 p.m. ET </figcaption></figure>



According to&nbsp;<a href="https://bzresearch.myclickfunnels.com/benzinga-pro-content-webinar-registration/?utm_source=BZprocontent122324&amp;t=be2bearmibe3na1">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>) edged 0.1% higher to $592.12.</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;eased 0.4% to $427.22.</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>) rose 0.4% to $520.67.</li>



<li>The&nbsp;iShares Russell 2000 ETF&nbsp;(NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/IWM#NYSE">IWM</a>) eased 0.4% to $221.06.</li>



<li>The&nbsp;Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund&nbsp;(NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XLK#NYSE">XLK</a>) outperformed, up by 0.5%; the&nbsp;Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR Fund&nbsp;(NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XLP#NYSE">XLP</a>) lagged, down 2%.</li>
</ul>



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



<ul>
<li>Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVO#NYSE">NVO</a>) rose 3% following a 17.8% drop on Friday. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced on Monday that it has approved Hikma Pharmaceuticals&#8217; generic version of Novo Nordisk&#8217;s Victoza for treating type 2 diabetes.</li>



<li>New Fortress Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NFE#NASDAQ">NFE</a>) rallied 18%, after Stifel raised the stock price target from $16 to $18. </li>



<li>Carnival Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CCL#NYSE">CCL</a>) fell over 4% following a 6.4% post-earning rally Friday. </li>
</ul>



Read now: 



<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/12/42653753/history-may-hint-at-sp-500-struggles-in-2025-yet-there-is-also-hope-heres-why">History Suggests S&amp;P 500 Could Struggle In 2025, But There&#8217;s Reason For Optimism</a></li>
</ul>



Image: Shutterstock

Tech

$BTC

AVGO

MSTR

SOXX

XLRE

Tech Stocks Eye Christmas Gains, Microstrategy Tumbles As Bitcoin Dips To $93,000: What's Driving Markets Monday?

Luigi Mangione, the Ivy League grad <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/12/42541669/luigi-mangione-faces-murder-first-degree-life-in-prison-in-ceo-death-a-senseless-act-of-violence">accused of killing</a> UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside a New York Hilton on December 4, pled not guilty to state murder charges on Monday.



What Happened: Mangione faces 11 counts in New York, including first-degree murder, CNN <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/12/23/us/luigi-mangione-arraignment-new-york/index.html">reports</a>.



Veteran Manhattan prosecutor Joel Seidemann, assigned to the case by District Attorney Alvin Bragg, says the evidence against Mangione is substantial.



"I have never seen a case with such volume of evidence, aside from the issue of the quality of the evidence," Seidemann said during the proceeding. "This is not a usual case in terms of the thousands of hours of video."



Meanwhile, Mangione&#8217;s defense attorney Karen Friedman Agnifilo expressed concern about the possibility of a fair trial.



"He's a young man and he's being treated like a human ping pong ball by two warring jurisdictions here," Friedman Agnifilo said. "They're treating him like a human spectacle."



Why it Matters: Investigators allege that Mangione fled the crime scene on a bicycle, dumped his belongings in Central Park and left NYC on a bus.



The Maryland-born alumnus of the University of Pennsylvania was arrested in an Altoona, Pennsylvania McDonald&#8217;s on December 9. According to a criminal complaint, Mangione was found with a 3D-printed gun, a silencer and a fake ID.



A notebook found on Mangione in Altoona allegedly spoke negatively of the insurance industry and included a possible confession to the killing. ABC News <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/unitedhealthcare-ceo-shooting-suspect-inspired-unabomber-nypd-analysis/story?id=116653076">reported</a> that Mangione may have been inspired by Ted Kaczynski, also known as the Unabomber.



Mangione faced a highly publicized &#8220;perp walk&#8221; in his extradition to Manhattan on December 20. Mayor Eric Adams was seen walking closely behind Mangione following his arrival into the city, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/20/nyregion/luigi-mangione-eric-adams.html">according</a> to the New York Times.



Mangione&#8217;s alleged actions have drawn a polarizing response online. Several social media users expressed support of the killing, expressing outrage at the health insurance industry. Following the killing, Taylor Lorenz, a former Washington Post columnist, <a href="https://www.usermag.co/p/yes-we-want-insurance-executives">penned</a> a controversial Substack article titled, &#8220;Why &#8216;we&#8217; want insurance executives dead.&#8221;



Meanwhile, other commentators, such as New York Times columnist Bret Stephens, have <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2024/12/04/opinion/thepoint/brian-thompson-luigi-mangione?smid=url-share">expressed</a> confoundment at Mangione&#8217;s online status as a &#8220;working class hero.&#8221; Mangione descended from a wealthy Maryland family and attended an elite college preparatory school. Meanwhile, Thompson grew up in rural Iowa and attended a public university.



Also Read:



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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/12/42649864/tariffs-or-more-energy-analyst-warns-of-high-costs-limited-capacity-if-europe-bows-to-trumps-lng-push">Tariffs Or More Energy: Analyst Warns Of High Costs, Limited Capacity If Europe Bows To Trump&#8217;s LNG Push</a></li>
</ul>

News

Politics

Legal

Luigi Mangione, Suspected CEO Assassin, Pleads Not Guilty In New York Court

Could 2025 mark a sluggish year for the S&amp;P 500? Historical data suggests that investors may need to tread cautiously, especially given the patterns tied to the first year of <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/donald-trump">a U.S. presidential term.</a> 



An analysis of market performance dating back to 1928 shows that the S&amp;P 500's average returns during the inaugural year of a presidency have lagged behind its typical performance—particularly under Republican administrations.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Historical Data Highlights First Year Struggles</h3>



The first year of a U.S. presidential term has historically been marked by volatility in the S&amp;P 500 – 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>) – with performance oscillating between striking gains and painful losses. 



Data from Seasonax reveals that while the median return for the index in these years stands at 8.44%, the probability of positive performance—captured by a 58.33% winning ratio—barely tips the scales in favor of gains.



For comparison, in an average year since 1928, the S&amp;P 500 has delivered a median return of 11%, with 67.37% of those years ending in positive territory.



&#8220;In year 1 of a US presidential cycle, the average SPX trend has tended to struggle from mid-January through April, rallied into the summer, and declined into year-end,&#8221; wrote Bank of America analyst Paul Ciana in a note published Monday.



Also Read: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/12/42647650/palantir-vs-lockheed-a-tech-fueled-showdown-in-the-850-billion-defense-market">Palantir Vs. Lockheed: A Tech-Fueled Showdown In The $850 Billion Defense Market</a>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">The Republican And Q1 Effects</h3>



The median return during Republican first years is -10.11%, and the winning ratio drops to 36.36%, highlighting the increased likelihood of losses.



The early months of a presidential year have also been tough for markets. From inauguration in late January to the end of March, the S&amp;P 500&#8217;s median return is -0.09%, with gains recorded only 50% of the time.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Trump 2017: An Exception to the Rule</h3>



President-elect Donald Trump's first year in 2017 bucked these historical trends, delivering exceptional market performance.



From his inauguration to the end of March, the S&amp;P 500 gained 4.2%, outperforming historical averages for both first presidential years and Republican presidencies. By year-end, the index had surged 19.40%, marking a robust first-year performance.



<figure class="wp-block-table is-style-stripes"><table><thead><tr><th>Metric</th><th>Normal Year (1928-2023)</th><th>First Presidential Year</th><th>First Republican Presidential Year</th><th>Trump 2017</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Median Annual Return</td><td>+11.00%</td><td>+8.44%</td><td>-10.11%</td><td>+19.40%</td></tr><tr><td>Winning Annual Trades (%)</td><td>67.37%</td><td>58.33%</td><td>36.36%</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Max Annual Gain</td><td>+48.02%</td><td>+48.02%</td><td>+30.65%</td><td>+19.40%</td></tr><tr><td>Max Annual Loss</td><td>-48.77%</td><td>-37.68%</td><td>-18.09%</td><td>0.00%</td></tr><tr><td>Median Return (Inauguration-end Q1)</td><td>+1.68%</td><td>-4.99%</td><td>+0.08%</td><td>+4.20%</td></tr><tr><td>Winning trades (Inauguration-end Q1)</td><td>63.54%</td><td>50%</td><td>54.55%</td><td></td></tr></tbody></table><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Data: Seasonax</figcaption></figure>



Read Next: 



<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/12/42649864/tariffs-or-more-energy-analyst-warns-of-high-costs-limited-capacity-if-europe-bows-to-trumps-lng-push">Tariffs Or More Energy: Analyst Warns Of High Costs, Limited Capacity If Europe Bows To Trump&#8217;s LNG Push</a></li>
</ul>



Photo: Shutterstock

Analyst Color

Equities

Large Cap

Broad U.S. Equity ETFs

Analyst Ratings

ETFs

History Suggests S&P 500 Could Struggle In 2025, But There's Reason For Optimism

President-elect Donald Trump has reignited trans-Atlantic trade tensions, demanding the European Union buy more U.S. oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/tariffs">or face sweeping tariffs. </a>



The U.S. is already Europe's largest energy supplier. Questions remain over whether Trump&#8217;s ultimatum will escalate into a broader trade war.



"I told the European Union that they must make up their tremendous deficit with the United States by the large-scale purchase of our oil and gas. Otherwise, it is TARIFFS all the way!!!" Trump wrote Friday on his social media platform, Truth Social.



U.S. natural gas prices — tracked by the United States Natural Gas Fund LP (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/UNG#NYSE">UNG</a>) — has risen by 25% since Trump&#8217;s election victory in November.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">US LNG: A Major Player In Europe's Energy Crisis</h3>



The U.S. delivered 47 million tons (mt) of LNG over the past year (December 2023–November 2024), accounting for 51% of total U.S. LNG exports and 46% of Europe's LNG imports.



This surge in trade reflects a sharp pivot in Europe's energy strategy following the 2022 energy crisis sparked by Russia's invasion of Ukraine and subsequent sanctions on Moscow.



Goldman Sachs data shows that U.S. LNG deliveries to Europe rose 197% during the crisis, while shipments to non-European destinations fell by 41%.



According to Samantha Dart, commodity analyst at Goldman Sachs, this reallocation was made possible by the flexible destination clauses in U.S. LNG contracts, which allow buyers to redirect cargoes to the most lucrative markets.



"The US is not only Europe's largest LNG supplier but also the primary source of future LNG import growth for the region," Dart said, citing long-term contracts signed since the start of the Ukraine war. 



These agreements amount to nearly 16 million tons per annum (mtpa), making the US the top global supplier in terms of contracted European LNG volumes.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Can US LNG Fully Replace Russian Gas?</h3>



Theoretically, U.S. LNG could replace Russia's 17 mt of annual LNG exports to Europe, according to Goldman Sachs.



However, Dart indicating that such a shift would likely come with higher costs for European buyers.



"The reallocation of US LNG cargoes to Europe could lead to higher freight costs and elevated European import prices to motivate the rerouting of shipments originally destined for other regions," Dart said. 



She added that such a move would have "little to no impact" on total U.S. LNG export volumes, given that US liquefaction capacity is already operating at its limit.



Goldman Sachs also highlighted that expanding U.S. LNG export capacity would take time, with new liquefaction facilities unlikely to come online before 2027 or 2028.



This timeline significantly limits the potential for a near-term increase in U.S. LNG exports to meet Europe's energy needs.



Yet, Europe's climate agenda may limit its willingness to commit to additional long-term LNG deals. "Europe's decarbonization goals might limit European companies' appetite for long-term commitments to grow natural gas use," Dart said. 



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Tariffs As A Trump Negotiation Strategy</h3>



Trump's renewed focus on tariffs aligns with his broader economic agenda. During his first term, he used tariffs to push for concessions from trading partners, targeting allies like Canada, Mexico, and South Korea, as well as adversaries like China.



For example, during the 2018-2019 trade war with China, Beijing retaliated with LNG tariffs, causing US exports to collapse. It wasn't until 2020's Phase 1 trade deal that China resumed buying US LNG, signing long-term contracts that have since helped fund new US liquefaction projects.



Similar dynamics could play out with Europe if Trump's tariffs escalate. But unlike China, Europe may struggle to justify long-term LNG deals given its climate goals and reliance on diverse energy suppliers.



Read now: 



<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/economics/macro-economic-events/24/12/42603073/natural-gas-nears-2-year-highs-inflation-fears-mount-as-utility-costs-climb-3-energy-stocks-rise">Natural Gas Nears 2-Year Highs, Inflation Fears Mount As Utility Costs Climb</a></li>
</ul>



Image: Shutterstock

Eurozone

Commodities

Tariffs Or More Energy: Analyst Warns Of High Costs, Limited Capacity If Europe Bows To Trump's LNG Push

Battle lines are drawn in <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/defense">the defense sector</a>. On one side, Palantir Technologies Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PLTR#NASDAQ">PLTR</a>) riding high on a meteoric stock surge of over 350% this year. On the other, defense titan Lockheed Martin Corp (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/LMT#NYSE">LMT</a>), grappling with sluggish stock performance and stiff competition from a rising tech consortium.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Disruptor: Palantir</h2>



Palantir, alongside Anduril Industries, is leading <a href="https://www.benzinga.com//node/42640010">a groundbreaking coalition</a> with Elon Musk&#8216;s SpaceX and OpenAI to revolutionize the $850 billion U.S. defense market. The goal? Outpace traditional contractors by integrating AI-powered solutions and autonomous systems. 



Palantir's AI Platform already works seamlessly with Anduril&#8217;s Lattice software, signaling a shift toward modern, agile defense technologies.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://bzresearch.myclickfunnels.com/benzinga-pro-content-webinar-registration/?utm_source=BZprocontent122324&amp;t=be2bearmibe3na1"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="630" height="493" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/23064119/Screenshot-2024-12-23-at-5.04.06-PM.png" alt="" class="wp-image-703970" srcset="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/23064119/Screenshot-2024-12-23-at-5.04.06-PM.png 630w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/23064119/Screenshot-2024-12-23-at-5.04.06-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=BZprocontent122324&amp;t=be2bearmibe3na1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Chart created using Benzinga Pro</a>



Technically, PLTR stock is on a tear. Its share price of $80.55 is comfortably above the eight, 20 and 50-day simple moving averages (SMAs), signaling strong bullish momentum. However, with a relative strength index (RSI) of 70.81, it's entering overbought territory—a red flag for cautious investors.



Read Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/technicals/24/12/42620067/palantir-defies-gravity-army-deal-nasdaq-100-spotlight-fuel-rally">Palantir Defies Gravity: Army Deal, Nasdaq 100 Spotlight Fuel Rally</a>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Titan: Lockheed Martin</h2>



Meanwhile, Lockheed is feeling the heat. 



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://bzresearch.myclickfunnels.com/benzinga-pro-content-webinar-registration/?utm_source=BZprocontent122324&amp;t=be2bearmibe3na1"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="630" height="493" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/23064219/Screenshot-2024-12-23-at-5.04.17-PM.png" alt="" class="wp-image-703971" srcset="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/23064219/Screenshot-2024-12-23-at-5.04.17-PM.png 630w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/23064219/Screenshot-2024-12-23-at-5.04.17-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=BZprocontent122324&amp;t=be2bearmibe3na1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Chart created using Benzinga Pro</a>



The defense giant's stock, at $489.02, is below key moving averages, including its 200-day SMA of $510.22, indicating bearish sentiment. A relative strength index (RSI) of 29.59 suggests the stock is oversold, leaving a sliver of hope for a bounce-back.



Despite its legacy status and deep-rooted Pentagon ties, Lockheed faces mounting pressure to adapt as rivals like Palantir challenge its dominance with innovative, cost-efficient technologies.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Verdict</h2>



Palantir's agility and tech-first approach make it a compelling contender in a sector ripe for disruption. Lockheed, however, isn't out of the fight—its oversold status might attract value-driven investors betting on a rebound.



As the defense industry evolves, this tech-versus-tradition showdown is one stock battle investors can't afford to ignore. 



The question remains: Can Lockheed innovate fast enough to fend off Palantir's charge, or is this the dawn of a new era?



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Image via Shutterstock

Long Ideas

Technicals

Trading Ideas

PLTR

Palantir Vs. Lockheed: A Tech-Fueled Showdown In The $850 Billion Defense Market

The Biden administration has launched a trade investigation into Chinese-produced &#8220;legacy&#8221; semiconductors. This action, announced on Monday, could pave the way for higher U.S. tariffs on these essential components used in numerous consumer products.



What Happened: The &#8220;Section 301&#8221; investigation is slated to transition to the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump for completion. This could provide Trump with a chance to enforce the hefty 60% tariffs he has previously threatened on Chinese imports, Reuters reported on Monday.



Currently, a 50% U.S. tariff on Chinese semiconductors is set to begin on Jan. 1. The U.S. has also intensified export restrictions on advanced AI and memory chips to China, alongside increasing tariffs on other Chinese goods.



See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/24/12/42572520/2025-housing-market-looks-like-a-year-of-struggle-for-states-like-builders-now-hold-record-inventory?itm_source=parsely-api" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">&#8216;2025 Housing Market Looks Like A Year Of Struggle For States Like …&#8217; – Builders Now Hold Record Inventory</a>



The U.S. Trade Representative&#8217;s office, led by Katherine Tai, explained that the probe seeks to shield market-driven chip producers from China&#8217;s state-driven expansion. Tai highlighted evidence of China&#8217;s attempts to dominate the semiconductor industry, similar to its strategies in other sectors.



The Biden administration will start&nbsp;accepting public comments on the&nbsp;probe on January 6, with a public hearing scheduled for March. The investigation will also evaluate the impact of these chips on critical industries, including defense and automotive sectors.



Why It Matters: This latest probe is part of a broader strategy by the Biden administration to curb China&#8217;s influence in the semiconductor industry. Earlier this month, the administration <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/government/regulations/24/12/42265847/biden-targets-china-with-new-chip-restrictions-nvidia-slides">implemented its third crackdown</a> on China&#8217;s semiconductor sector within three years, citing national security concerns. This initiative imposed export restrictions on 140 Chinese entities, including chip equipment manufacturers such as Naura Technology Group, targeting advanced memory chips and chipmaking tools. As a result, Nvidia Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>) saw its stock trade lower due to potential impacts on its sales in China.



In response, China swiftly retaliated by tightening <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/global/24/12/42303132/china-retaliates-against-us-chip-sanctions-tightens-mineral-exports">controls on critical minerals</a> used in chip manufacturing, such as gallium, germanium, and antimony. These materials are crucial for advanced electronics and defense applications. The Chinese Ministry of Commerce justified these measures as necessary for national security, highlighting the escalating tensions between the two nations.



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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/24/12/42638957/warren-buffetts-timeless-advice-if-youre-gonna-do-dumb-things-because-your-stock-goes-down-you-shouldnt-own-a-stock-at-all?itm_source=parsely-api" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Warren Buffett's Timeless Advice For Investing $10,000: &#8216;If You're Gonna Do Dumb Things Because Your Stock At All&#8217;</a></li>
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/benzinga-neuro" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Neuro</a> and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.



Image via Shutterstock

Global

General

NVDA

Biden Administration Initiates Trade Probe On Chinese 'Legacy' Chips

Japanese automakers Honda Motor Co. Ltd. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/HMC#NYSE">HMC</a>) and Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NSANY#OTC">NSANY</a>) have started talks for a <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/global/24/12/42541842/japanese-auto-giants-nissan-honda-eye-merger-says-nikkei">potential merger</a>, the two companies said on Monday.



What Happened: Nissan and Honda are planning to establish a joint holding company that will serve as the parent company for both Nissan and Honda. 



The joint holding parent company will be listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange and Nissan and Honda will subsequently be delisted. The listing of the joint holding company is scheduled for August 2026.



The two companies aim to wrap up talks by June 2025. 



With the merger, the companies aim to increase sales revenue to more than 30 trillion Japanese Yen (approx. $191.34 billion) and to increase operating profits by more than 3 trillion yen.



Why It Matters: "Creation of new mobility value by bringing together the resources including knowledge, talents, and technologies that Honda and Nissan have been developing over the long years is essential to overcome challenging environmental shifts that the auto industry is facing,&#8221;&nbsp;Honda Director and Representative Executive Officer Toshihiro Mibe said. 



&#8220;We are still at the stage of starting our review, and we have not decided on a business integration yet&#8230;,&#8221; he added. 



Mitsubishi Motors is also <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/asia/24/12/42545185/nissan-soar-over-20-on-merger-talks-with-honda-eyeing-8-million-annual-vehicle-sales">considering joining the merger</a>, the companies said, while adding that the smaller company is aiming to conclude whether it will participate by the end of January.



Nissan is a shareholder in Mitsubishi Motors.



The integration of the companies will mark the biggest merger in global auto history since Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and PSA <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/m-a/21/01/18991944/worlds-4th-largest-automaker-set-to-take-shape-monday">merged in 2021 to create</a> Stellantis NV.



Check out more of Benzinga&#8217;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:



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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/24/12/42640472/tesla-exec-bemoans-cost-of-sending-letter-to-owners-affected-by-ev-giants-recent-recall-of-nearly-700000-vehicles">Tesla Exec Bemoans Cost Of Sending Letter To Owners Affected By EV Giant&#8217;s Recent Recall Of Nearly 700,000 Vehicles</a></li>
</ul>



Photo courtesy: Shutterstock

NSANY

Japanese Automakers Honda, Nissan Start Merger Talks: Mitsubishi Motors Considers Joining

U.S. stock futures advanced on Monday following a tumultuous week which included the Federal Reserve&#8217;s hawkish rate cut on Wednesday and a &#8220;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/travel/24/12/42627563/wall-street-rallies-as-soft-inflation-data-fuels-dip-buying-bonds-rebound-travel-stocks-soar-whats-driving-markets-friday">Triple Witching</a>&#8221; hour session on Friday. Two out of the four major index futures were trading higher in premarket trade.



The 10-year and two-year Treasury yields stood at 4.53% and 4.32%, respectively. The probability of having no change in the interest rates for the upcoming Jan. 31, 2025 decision was at 91.4%, according <a href="https://www.cmegroup.com/markets/interest-rates/cme-fedwatch-tool.html">to</a> CME Group&#8217;s FedWatch Tool.



Trading schedules will be adjusted for the Christmas holiday week. All markets will be closed on Wednesday. Trading hours will be shortened on Christmas Eve.



<figure class="wp-block-table is-style-stripes"><table><tbody><tr><td>Futures</td><td>Change (+/-)</td></tr><tr><td>Nasdaq 100</td><td>0.23%</td></tr><tr><td>S&amp;P 500</td><td>0.07%</td></tr><tr><td>Dow Jones</td><td>-0.06%</td></tr><tr><td>Russell 2000</td><td>-0.15%</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



In premarket trading on Monday, the SPDR S&amp;P 500 ETF Trust (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SPY#NYSE">SPY</a>) was up 0.09% to $591.73 and the Invesco QQQ Trust ETF (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QQQ#NASDAQ">QQQ</a>) rose 0.23% to $519.04, according to <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard">Benzinga Pro</a> data.



Cues From The Last Session



Risk appetite returned to Wall Street on <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/travel/24/12/42627563/wall-street-rallies-as-soft-inflation-data-fuels-dip-buying-bonds-rebound-travel-stocks-soar-whats-driving-markets-friday">Friday</a>, giving investors some relief. November&#8217;s inflation data came in softer than expected, offering a glimmer of hope that the Federal Reserve may ease its aggressive monetary tightening.



The Personal Consumption Expenditure (PCE) price index, the Fed&#8217;s preferred inflation gauge, rose 2.4% year-over-year, below the anticipated 2.5%. Core PCE, which excludes volatile food and energy prices, also undershot expectations, climbing 2.8% instead of the projected 2.9%.



This unexpected cooling of inflation sparked a jubilant rally across all major indices. The S&amp;P 500 surged 1.09%, with every sector contributing to the gains. Investors cheered the reprieve from persistent inflationary pressures.



The real estate sector led the charge, experiencing a sharp rebound after being particularly hard-hit by the Fed&#8217;s recent hawkish stance. Small-cap stocks, represented by the Russell 2000, also posted strong gains of 0.94%, buoyed by a significant recovery in regional banks. 



<figure class="wp-block-table is-style-stripes"><table><tbody><tr><td>Index</td><td>Performance (+/-)</td><td>Value</td></tr><tr><td>Nasdaq Composite</td><td>1.03%</td><td>19,572.60</td></tr><tr><td>S&amp;P 500</td><td>1.09%</td><td>5,930.85</td></tr><tr><td>Dow Jones</td><td>1.18%</td><td>42,840.26</td></tr><tr><td>Russell 2000</td><td>0.94%</td><td>2,242.37</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



Insights From Analysts



The number of advancers surpassed the decliners among the S&amp;P 500 index constituents on Friday after a 14-day streak of negative market breadth. Ryan Detrick, the global market strategist at Carson Research highlighted how the markets have performed after previous long streaks ended.



<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">Record 14 days in a row of more declining stocks than advancing stocks for the S&amp;P 500 ended on Friday. Here&#39;s what happened after previous long streaks ended. &#x1f4aa; <a href="https://t.co/WV6PU7juQF">pic.twitter.com/WV6PU7juQF</a>&mdash; Ryan Detrick, CMT (@RyanDetrick) <a href="https://twitter.com/RyanDetrick/status/1871010953510142270?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 23, 2024</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



According to the data shared by him, over the past four decades, there have been only five other instances where the S&amp;P 500 experienced a period of ten or more consecutive days of negative breadth. Additionally, the index was higher by an average of 17.9% a year later after all five times.



<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 40 years, there have been five other times the S&amp;P 500 had more decliners than advancers for 10 consecutive days or more. A year later? Higher all five times and up 17.9% on avg. <a href="https://t.co/eYCUpiz4PU">pic.twitter.com/eYCUpiz4PU</a>&mdash; Ryan Detrick, CMT (@RyanDetrick) <a href="https://twitter.com/RyanDetrick/status/1871016225993601258?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 23, 2024</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



Along with this, the market breadth turned positive with 89% of the stocks rising on Friday as compared to only 4% on Wednesday. This divergence also led the index to be higher a year later by at least 92.3% of the time since 1985.



<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">Less than 4% advancers on the S&amp;P 500 on Wednesday, but 89% on Friday. Previous times saw a flush and then major buying two days later? Negative 1 and 3 mos later on avg, but higher a year later 12 out of 13 times (92.3%). <a href="https://t.co/yqfV0tBFUV">pic.twitter.com/yqfV0tBFUV</a>&mdash; Ryan Detrick, CMT (@RyanDetrick) <a href="https://twitter.com/RyanDetrick/status/1871023980074963222?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 23, 2024</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



According to Gary Alexander at Navellier &amp; Associates, &#8220;The S&amp;P 500 delivers an average of zero gains in the first half of December (and 0.3% through December 15 this year) but averages 1.35% in the second half, the best half-month of the 24 half-months each year.&#8221;



&#8220;Core PCE (Personal Consumption Expenditure, excluding food and energy), the key inflation metric for the Fed, came in at 0.1% for November, below forecast and the lowest since June. This caught the market off guard, in a good way, as the rhetoric from Jerome Powell regarding sticky inflation had led the market to expect a surprise in the other direction,&#8221; said Louis Navellier of Navellier &amp; Associates.



&#8220;The traditional Santa Rally is the last 5 trading days of the year and the first 2 of the New Year. It may still be in the cards,&#8221; he added.



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



Upcoming Economic Data



A few important data points are slated to be released in this truncated week that will help investors determine the future course of action.



<ul>
<li>On Monday, consumer confidence for December will be released at 10:00 a.m., ET.</li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li>On Tuesday, November&#8217;s data for durable goods orders and durable goods minus transportation will be released at 8:30 a.m., ET.</li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li>New home sales for November will be released at 10:00 a.m. ET.</li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li>On Wednesday, there will be a day&#8217;s break for Christmas.</li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li>On Thursday, initial jobless claims data till Dec. 21 will announced at 8:30 a.m. ET.</li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li>On Friday, November&#8217;s data for the advanced U.S. trade balance in goods, advanced retail inventories, and advanced wholesale inventories will be announced at 8:30 a.m., ET.</li>
</ul>



Stocks In Focus:



<ul>
<li>Qualcomm Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QCOM#NASDAQ">QCOM</a>) was up 3.02% in premarket after it bagged a key win in its legal battle against semiconductor design company Arm Holdings Plc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ARM#NASDAQ">ARM</a>), which was down 3.52%.</li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li>Anavex Life Sciences Corp (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AVXL#NASDAQ">AVXL</a>) was up 0.23% as analysts expect it to post a quarterly loss at 16 cents per share before the opening bell.</li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li>Brenmiller Energy Ltd (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BNRG#NASDAQ">BNRG</a>) was up 32.75% after the company on Friday said that it was awarded ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certification.</li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li>Sealsq Corp (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/LAES#NASDAQ">LAES</a>) was up 31.27% after it announced the offering of 13,157,896 common stock at $1.90 per share.</li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li>MicroStrategy Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSTR#NASDAQ">MSTR</a>) fell 1.69%, and Palantir Technologies Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PLTR#NASDAQ">PLTR</a>) was up 1.42% in premarket trade.</li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li>Moderna Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MRNA#NASDAQ">MRNA</a>) rose by 0.74% and Super Micro Computer Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SMCI#NASDAQ">SMCI</a>) was up by 1.20% in premarket.</li>
</ul>



Commodities, Gold And Global Equity Markets:



Crude oil futures were lower in the early New York session by 0.32% to hover around $69.24 per barrel.



The gold spot index was down by 0.41% to $2,634.16 per ounce. The Dollar Index was up 0.42% to 108.073 level.



Asian markets advanced on Friday, as Hong Kong&#8217;s Hang Seng, South Korea&#8217;s Kospi, Japan&#8217;s Nikkei 225, India&#8217;s S&amp;P BSE Sensex, China&#8217;s CSI 300 and Australia&#8217;s ASX 200 index rose. European markets were mixed.



Read Next:



<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/24/12/42640010/palantir-and-anduril-reportedly-lead-consortium-partner-with-spacex-and-openai-to-compete-against-traditional-defense-contractors-in-850-billion-us-military-market">Palantir And Anduril Reportedly Lead Consortium, Partner With SpaceX And OpenAI To Compete Against Traditional Defense Contractors In $850 Billion US Military Market</a></li>
</ul>



Photo courtesy: Wikimedia

Earnings

Futures

Economics

Federal Reserve

Pre-Market Outlook

Markets

Movers

AVXL

BNRG

LAES

MRNA

QCOM

SMCI

US Stocks To Open Higher As Wall Street Expects 'Santa Rally' In Shortened Trading Week: MicroStrategy, Palantir, Qualcomm Among Stocks In Focus

The number of stocks advancing surpassed those declining among the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/s-p-500">S&amp;P 500 index</a> constituents on Friday after a 14-session streak of negative market breadth. Now, Ryan Detrick, chief market strategist at Carson Global, has predicted gains ahead, citing historical market data.



What Happened: Risk appetite returned to Wall Street on Friday, leading to a sigh of relief from investors. Detrick highlighted how the markets have performed after previous such streaks ended.



<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">Record 14 days in a row of more declining stocks than advancing stocks for the S&amp;P 500 ended on Friday. Here&#39;s what happened after previous long streaks ended. &#x1f4aa; <a href="https://t.co/WV6PU7juQF">pic.twitter.com/WV6PU7juQF</a>&mdash; Ryan Detrick, CMT (@RyanDetrick) <a href="https://twitter.com/RyanDetrick/status/1871010953510142270?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 23, 2024</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



According to the data shared by him, over the past four decades, there have been only five other instances where the S&amp;P 500 experienced a period of ten or more consecutive days of negative breadth. Additionally, the index was higher by an average of 17.9% a year later after all five times.



<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 40 years, there have been five other times the S&amp;P 500 had more decliners than advancers for 10 consecutive days or more. A year later? Higher all five times and up 17.9% on avg. <a href="https://t.co/eYCUpiz4PU">pic.twitter.com/eYCUpiz4PU</a>&mdash; Ryan Detrick, CMT (@RyanDetrick) <a href="https://twitter.com/RyanDetrick/status/1871016225993601258?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 23, 2024</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



The market breadth turned positive with 89% of the stocks rising on Friday as compared to only 4% on Wednesday. This divergence also led the index to be higher a year later by at least 92.3% of the time since 1985.



<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">Less than 4% advancers on the S&amp;P 500 on Wednesday, but 89% on Friday. Previous times saw a flush and then major buying two days later? Negative 1 and 3 mos later on avg, but higher a year later 12 out of 13 times (92.3%). <a href="https://t.co/yqfV0tBFUV">pic.twitter.com/yqfV0tBFUV</a>&mdash; Ryan Detrick, CMT (@RyanDetrick) <a href="https://twitter.com/RyanDetrick/status/1871023980074963222?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 23, 2024</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/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/24/12/42638575/microstrategy-stock-declines-over-14-amid-heightened-volatility-over-sp-500-inclusion-concerns-heres-what-is-happening">MicroStrategy Stock Declines Over 14% Amid Heightened Volatility Over S&amp;P 500 Inclusion Concerns: Here&#8217;s What Is Happening</a>



Why It Matters: The Personal Consumption Expenditure (PCE) price index, the Fed&#8217;s preferred inflation gauge, rose 2.4% year-over-year, below the anticipated 2.5%. Core PCE, which excludes volatile food and energy prices, also undershot expectations, climbing 2.8% instead of the projected 2.9%.



This unexpected cooling of <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/travel/24/12/42627563/wall-street-rallies-as-soft-inflation-data-fuels-dip-buying-bonds-rebound-travel-stocks-soar-whats-driving-markets-friday">inflation </a>sparked a jubilant rally across all major indices on Friday. The S&amp;P 500 surged 1.09%, with every sector contributing to the gains. Investors cheered the reprieve from persistent inflationary pressures.



The real estate sector led the charge, experiencing a sharp rebound after being particularly hard-hit by the Fed&#8217;s recent hawkish stance. Small-cap stocks, represented by the Russell 2000, also posted strong gains of 0.94%, buoyed by a significant recovery in regional banks.



Price Action: The 14-day long streak entailing the trading days spanning from market close on Nov. 29 to Dec. 19, saw the SPDR S&amp;P 500 ETF Trust (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SPY#NYSE">SPY</a>) down by 2.07% and the Invesco QQQ Trust ETF (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QQQ#NASDAQ">QQQ</a>) up by 0.65%, according to <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard">Benzinga Pro</a> data. On Friday, SPY advanced 1.20% and QQQ ended 0.87% higher.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="576" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/23020121/SPY-QQQ-CHART-1024x576.png" alt="" class="wp-image-703419" srcset="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/23020121/SPY-QQQ-CHART-1024x576.png 1024w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/23020121/SPY-QQQ-CHART-300x169.png 300w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/23020121/SPY-QQQ-CHART-768x432.png 768w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/23020121/SPY-QQQ-CHART-1536x864.png 1536w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/23020121/SPY-QQQ-CHART.png 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a></figure>



Over the last month, the S&amp;P 500 index is down by 0.94%, but year-to-date, it is up 25.05%.



The Nasdaq 100 index, on the other hand, is 2.33% over the last month and 28.68% year-to-date.



Read Next:



<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/12/42610441/nikes-new-ceo-says-we-lost-our-obsession-with-sport-as-he-rebukes-old-strategies-on-performance-marketing-isolation-of-wholesalers-aims-to-create-demand">Nike&#8217;s New CEO Blames Promotions For Declining Profits, Says Turnaround Efforts May Hurt As Company Moves To Clear Excess Inventory: &#8216;We Lost Our Obsession With Sport&#8217;</a></li>
</ul>



Image generated using Midjourney

Market Breadth Rebounds As Risk Appetite Makes A Comeback: This Analyst Predicts Gains Ahead After S&P 500's Record Negative Streak

Palantir Technologies Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PLTR#NYSE">PLTR</a>) and Anduril Industries, a defense technology company are spearheading a new consortium of technology companies to compete for U.S. Department of Defense contracts, challenging traditional defense contractors&#8217; dominance over the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/24/12/42615531/pltr-stock-up-over-80-in-the-past-two-months-trades-nearly-5-lower-in-friday-premarket-after-ubs-says-valuationis-simply-tough-to-get-over">$850 billion defense budget</a>.



What Happened: The group, expected to announce formal agreements in January, is in discussions with Elon Musk&#8216;s SpaceX, OpenAI, Saronic, and Scale AI, <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/6cfdfe2b-6872-4963-bde8-dc6c43be5093">reported</a> the Financial Times on Sunday, citing people with knowledge of the matter.



This initiative comes as Palantir&#8217;s market capitalization has surged to $169 billion, surpassing traditional defense contractor Lockheed Martin Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/LMT#NYSE">LMT</a>). Palantir&#8217;s stock has risen over 300% in the past year, though it recently faced headwinds after UBS initiated coverage with a neutral rating, <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/24/12/42615531/pltr-stock-up-over-80-in-the-past-two-months-trades-nearly-5-lower-in-friday-premarket-after-ubs-says-valuationis-simply-tough-to-get-over">citing valuation concerns</a>.



The consortium aims to modernize defense procurement by offering smaller, autonomous weapons systems and AI-powered solutions. Recent collaborations already show promise, with Palantir&#8217;s AI Platform being integrated with Anduril&#8217;s Lattice autonomous software for national security applications.



Palantir and Anduril did not immediately respond to&nbsp;<a href="http://pro.benzinga.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga</a>'s request for comment.



See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/social-media/24/12/42639068/linkedin-cofounder-reid-hoffman-says-musks-baseless-jeffrey-epstein-claims-forced-him-to-hire-security-elons-defamation-makes-me-angry">LinkedIn Cofounder Reid Hoffman Says Musk&#8217;s Baseless Jeffrey Epstein Claims Forced Him To Hire Security: &#8216;Elon&#8217;s Defamation Makes Me Angry&#8217;</a>



Why It Matters: The timing aligns with increased defense spending driven by conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, plus rising U.S.-China tensions. Palantir recently secured a $400.7 million contract extension with the U.S. Army, which could potentially reach $618.9 million over four years.



Traditional defense procurement has faced criticism for <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/12/42525698/as-elon-musk-takes-on-lockheed-martin-made-f-35s-experts-question-feasibility-of-replacing-manned-fighter-jets-with-drones">favoring established contractors</a> like Raytheon Technologies Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/RTX#NYSE">RTX</a>) and The Boeing Company (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BA#NYSE">BA</a>), often resulting in costly, time-consuming projects. This new tech consortium aims to provide more efficient, cutting-edge solutions to meet modern military challenges.



Palantir stock closed at $80.55 on Friday, up 8.54% for the day, and rose 0.19% in after-hours trading. Year to date, the stock has surged 385%, according to <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard">data from Benzinga Pro</a>.



The <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/PLTR/analyst-ratings">consensus price target</a> is $35.58, with the highest target of $80, and the lowest of $7.50. Recent ratings from UBS, Mizuho, and Baird average $64.67, implying a 19.87% downside.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/22210140/Screenshot-2024-12-23-at-7.30.06%E2%80%AFAM-1024x377.png" alt="" class="wp-image-703159" style="width:715px;height:auto"/></figure>



Read Next: 



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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/24/12/42635813/google-announces-major-layoffs-as-pichai-stresses-efficiency">Google Announces Major Layoffs As Pichai Stresses Efficiency</a></li>
</ul>



Image Via Shutterstock 



Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

Palantir And Anduril Reportedly Lead Consortium, Partner With SpaceX And OpenAI To Compete Against Traditional Defense Contractors In $850 Billion US Military Market

Leading cryptocurrencies traded in the red on Sunday as risk aversion intensified ahead of the holidays.



<figure class="wp-block-table"><table><tbody><tr><td>Cryptocurrency</td><td>Gains +/-</td><td>Price (Recorded at 8:30 p.m. ET)</td></tr><tr><td>Bitcoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/btc/usd">BTC</a>)</td><td>-2.03%</td><td>$94,810.09</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>-1.76%</td><td>$3,283.41</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>-1.07%</td><td>$0.3124</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



What Happened: Bitcoin went downhill after being faced with strong resistance from the bears at $97,000. The apex cryptocurrency was down nearly 11% over the week and 2.15% since December began.



Ethereum's move above $3,600 was short-lived as the second-largest cryptocurrency reversed course, falling to an intraday low of $3,220.&nbsp;



Both the blue-chip cryptocurrencies witnessed thin trading volume in the last 24 hours.&nbsp;



Over $276 million was liquidated from the market in the last 24 hours, with long liquidations accounting for $204 million.&nbsp;



Around $635 million in short positions risked liquidation if Bitcoin rebounds to $100,000.



Bitcoin's Open Interest dropped 1.46% in the last 24 hours. However, the percentage of trader accounts on Binance placing long positions on the coin surged to 60%.&nbsp;



The market remained engulfed in the "Greed" sentiment, according to the Cryptocurrency Fear &amp; Greed Index.



Top Gainers (24-Hours)



<figure class="wp-block-table"><table><tbody><tr><td>Cryptocurrency</td><td>Gains +/-</td><td>Price (Recorded at 8:30 p.m. ET)</td></tr><tr><td>BitTorrent [New] (BTT)</td><td>+8.26%</td><td>$0.000001154</td></tr><tr><td>Aave (AAVE)</td><td>+7.23%</td><td>$320.23</td></tr><tr><td>FTX Token (FTT)</td><td>+7.12%</td><td>$2.99</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



The global cryptocurrency market capitalization stood at $3.27 trillion, following a contraction of 1.53% in the last 24 hours.



Stock futures edged higher Sunday evening. The Dow Jones Industrial Average Futures rose 86 points, or 0.20%, as of 7:45 p.m. EDT.&nbsp; Futures tied to the S&amp;P 500 gained 0.22%, while Nasdaq 100 Futures lifted 0.27%.



Stocks are coming off a slump that saw blue-chip averages record their biggest losing spree in years.



The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 2.33% last week, witnessing a 10-day losing streak, the worst since 1974. The S&amp;P 500 also lost 2.30% last week, precipitated by the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/economics/macro-economic-events/24/12/42563299/feds-powell-shocks-markets-its-a-new-phase-were-significantly-closer-to-neutral">Federal Reserve's hawkish outlook</a> for 2025.



Markets will be shut on Christmas Day..



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



Analyst Notes: Widely followed cryptocurrency analyst and trader Ali Martinez flagged a buy signal for Bitcoin based on the reading of the TD Sequential indicator.



For the curious, the TD Sequential indicator is a technical analysis tool that helps traders identify potential price reversals and exhaustion patterns.



<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">The TD Sequential presents a buy signal on the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bitcoin?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Bitcoin</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%24BTC&amp;src=ctag&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">$BTC</a> 4-hour chart, anticipating a price rebound! <a href="https://t.co/acDIusZCkW">pic.twitter.com/acDIusZCkW</a>&mdash; Ali (@ali_charts) <a href="https://twitter.com/ali_charts/status/1870929469105709406?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 22, 2024</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



Furthermore, analysis of the Mayer Multiple indicator hinted that the leading cryptocurrency would hit a market top above $168,500.



Mayer Multiple is an oscillator calculated as the ratio between Bitcoin's price, and the 200-day moving average.



<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"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bitcoin?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Bitcoin</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%24BTC&amp;src=ctag&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">$BTC</a> will hit a market top above $168,500, based on the Mayer Multiple. <a href="https://t.co/uvgG4mZHA8">pic.twitter.com/uvgG4mZHA8</a>&mdash; Ali (@ali_charts) <a href="https://twitter.com/ali_charts/status/1870982149916278859?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 22, 2024</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



Widely-followed cryptocurrency analyst Karan Singh Arora urged his followers not to open new longs, adding that if Bitcoin fails to close above $99,000, it may fall lower.



"We need to regain at least $95800 or else we are going for $91,945 &#8211; $90,500 zone," Arora 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"><a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%24BTC&amp;src=ctag&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">$BTC</a> HAS BROKEN THE STRUCTURE DOWNSIDE &#x1f6a8; Dont open new longs right now &#x203c;&#xFE0F; I gave this warning yesterday, that if we don&#39;t hold Closing above $99000, we will go lower &#x26a0;&#xFE0F; We need to regain at least 95800 or else we are going for $91945 &#8211; $90500 zone &#x2705; <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bitcoin?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Bitcoin</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Crypto?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Crypto</a> <a href="https://t.co/Kw9HDovCcF">pic.twitter.com/Kw9HDovCcF</a>&mdash; Karan Singh Arora (@thisisksa) <a href="https://twitter.com/thisisksa/status/1870960913743847437?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 22, 2024</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



Read Next:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/24/12/42638493/crypto-analyst-2025-will-continue-to-be-a-great-year-for-bitcoin">Crypto Analyst: &#8216;2025 Will Continue To Be a Great Year for Bitcoin&#8217;</a></li>
</ul>

Cryptocurrency

$DOGE

$ETH

Bitcoin, Ethereum, Dogecoin Lose Sheen Ahead Of Holidays But Top Analyst Points To This Indicator, Says BTC Will Hit A Top Above $168K

Panama&#8217;s President José Raúl Mulino strongly rejected President-elect Donald Trump&#8216;s suggestion to return the Panama Canal to U.S. control, highlighting potential tensions that could affect maritime trade through the critical waterway.



What Happened: &#8220;Every square meter of the Panama Canal and its adjacent zone belongs to Panama, and will continue to do so,&#8221; Mulino said in a video statement on Sunday. 



His response came after Trump told supporters at Turning Point&#8217;s &#8220;American Fest&#8221; that he would demand the canal&#8217;s return to U.S. control, citing concerns over fees and fair treatment, <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/international/5053110-president-of-panama-fires-back-at-trump-canal-belongs-to-panama/">reported</a> The Hill.



"It was given to Panama and to the people of Panama, but it has provisions. You got to treat us fairly and they haven't treated us fairly," Trump said. 



<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">&#x1f1f5;&#x1f1e6; Mensaje del Presidente José Raúl Mulino &#x1f1f5;&#x1f1e6; <a href="https://t.co/DMXU8qAuNT">pic.twitter.com/DMXU8qAuNT</a>&mdash; José Raúl Mulino (@JoseRaulMulino) <a href="https://twitter.com/JoseRaulMulino/status/1870937535578333496?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 22, 2024</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



The Panama Canal, transferred to Panamanian control in 1999, serves as a crucial maritime route connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. The waterway handles <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/19/07/14072752/commentary-expansion-of-the-panama-canal-benefits-global-trade">approximately 12,000 vessel transits</a> annually and is particularly vital for U.S. East Coast ports, which have seen stronger cargo growth since the canal&#8217;s 2016 expansion.



Mulino defended the canal&#8217;s fee structure, explaining that rates &#8220;are established publicly and in an open hearing, taking into account market conditions, international competition, operating costs, and maintenance needs.&#8221; 



See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/12/42639340/bernie-sanders-is-all-for-canada-becoming-the-51st-state-if-the-u-s-will-also-adopt-universal-healthcare">Bernie Sanders Is &#8216;All For&#8217; Canada Becoming The 51st State If The U.S. Will Also Adopt Universal Healthcare</a>



Why It Matters: The canal&#8217;s significance to U.S. trade is substantial. According to <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/partner/cryptocurrency/24/12/42507134/hive-digital-technologies-nasdaq-hive-experiences-monumental-month-amid-tech-tailwinds-tri">FreightWaves data</a>, shipping costs from Asia to U.S. East Coast ports via the canal are approximately $1,400 higher per standard forty-foot container compared to West Coast routes, reflecting the waterway&#8217;s strategic importance in global trade.



Recent challenges include climate-related issues, with the Panama Canal Authority implementing additional fees due to historically low water levels. In 2019, total rainfall dropped 20%, affecting the Gatun and Madden Lakes that <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/partner/cryptocurrency/24/12/42507134/hive-digital-technologies-nasdaq-hive-experiences-monumental-month-amid-tech-tailwinds-tri">supply the canal</a>.



Despite the diplomatic tension, Mulino expressed hope for maintaining strong bilateral relations with the incoming Trump administration, particularly on security issues like illegal migration and drug trafficking. However, he emphasized that Panama&#8217;s sovereignty over the canal is &#8220;not negotiable.&#8221;



Read Next: 



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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/24/12/42638957/warren-buffetts-timeless-advice-if-youre-gonna-do-dumb-things-because-your-stock-goes-down-you-shouldnt-own-a-stock-at-all">Warren Buffett&#8217;s Timeless Advice: &#8216;If You&#8217;re Gonna Do Dumb Things Because Your Stock Goes Down, You Shouldn&#8217;t Own A Stock At All&#8217;</a></li>
</ul>



Image Via Shutterstock



Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

Trump's Call To Reclaim Panama Canal Sparks Backlash: 'Every Square Meter Belongs To Panama,' Says President Mulino

Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSLA#NASDAQ">TSLA</a>) CEO Elon Musk has been accused by Rosa DeLauro of pressuring Republicans to abandon key U.S.-China investment restrictions to safeguard the EV giant's business interests in China.



What Happened: In a letter on Friday, DeLauro, the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, stated that Musk used his influence to have Republicans scrap provisions aimed at regulating U.S. investments in China, reported Reuters.



She pointed to Musk's "extensive investments in China in key sectors" and alleged ties to Chinese Communist Party or CCP leadership.



The controversy centers on Tesla's Shanghai gigafactory, which produces about 50% of Tesla's global automobile output.



See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/12/42633974/tesla-cybertruck-units-reportedly-found-with-cell-dent-issues-ev-giant-starts-replacing-battery-packs">Tesla Cybertruck Units Reportedly Found With Cell Dent Issues: EV Giant Starts Replacing Battery Packs</a>



DeLauro argued that Musk's actions jeopardized critical legislation to safeguard U.S. supply chains and national security, accusing him of &#8221; bullying Republicans into going back on their words."



Musk, in turn, criticized DeLauro on X, formerly Twitter, calling for her expulsion from Congress.



<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">This awful creature needs to be expelled from Congress! Ugh …&mdash; Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1870233561753633123?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 20, 2024</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



Why It Matters: Tesla has seen robust sales in China, bolstered by strong demand for its Model Y and Model 3 vehicles. In November, <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/24/12/42438591/teslas-china-sales-recover-model-y-accounts-for-over-60-of-november-sales">Tesla's retail sales in China</a> reached 73,490 units, showing a significant recovery from earlier challenges in 2024.



The EV giant also faces stiff competition from local players like BYD Co., which leads the market, but Tesla's steady increase in weekly insurance registrations—21,900 units in early December—<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/global/24/12/42284511/tesla-china-sees-robust-demand-in-q4-with-registrations-up-14-2-yoy-so-far-expert-says-ev-giant-on-track-for-best-quarter-ever">signals growing momentum</a>.



Tesla reported <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/earnings/24/10/41501607/tesla-q3-earnings-highlights-eps-beat-revenue-miss-shares-climb-on-2025-timeline-for-lower-cost-evs">third-quarter revenue</a> of $25.18 billion marking an 8% year-over-year growth. While the company missed Wall Street estimates, automotive revenue reached $20 billion, up 2% year-over-year.



DeLauro's accusations highlight broader concerns about the risks of U.S. investments in Chinese technology sectors. October rules finalized by the Treasury Department aim to limit such investments in critical areas like artificial intelligence to protect national security.



However, the removal of provisions for outbound investment screening could leave gaps in safeguarding U.S. interests.



Price Action: Tesla&#8217;s stock declined by 3.46% on Friday, ending the session at $421.06. Despite this drop, the company's shares have surged 69.5% since the start of the year, significantly outpacing the Nasdaq 100 index, which has gained 28.68% over the same period, according to <a href="http://pro.benzinga.com/">data from Benzinga Pro</a>.



The latest ratings from Baird, Mizuho, and Goldman Sachs have established an average price target of $446.67, suggesting an upside potential of 5.53%.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/TSLA/analyst-ratings"><img decoding="async" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/21024505/Screenshot-2024-12-21-at-1.14.58%E2%80%AFPM-1024x374.png" alt="" class="wp-image-702681"/></a></figure>



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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/12/42627985/which-magnificent-7-stock-will-gain-the-most-in-a-santa-claus-rally-28-select">Which Magnificent 7 Stock Will Do Best In Santa Claus Rally? Tesla Edged Out As 28% Select…</a></li>
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/benzinga-neuro">Benzinga Neuro</a> and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.



Photo courtesy: Shutterstock

TSLA

Elon Musk Accused Of Bullying Republicans To Scrap US-China Investment Safeguards To Protect Tesla's Interests

Google (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>) has reduced its top management roles by 10% as part of a multi-year effort to streamline operations <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/23/09/34392201/google-salary-leak-reveals-mind-blowing-earnings-top-engineers-make">and boost efficiency</a>.



What Happened: On Wednesday, CEO Sundar Pichai revealed during an all-hands meeting that the move reflects Google&#8217;s broader push to simplify its structure and adapt to a rapidly evolving tech landscape.



According to employees who attended the meeting, Pichai explained that the efficiency drive included changes to managerial, director, and vice president roles. 



Some positions were restructured to nonmanagerial roles, while others were eliminated entirely. The changes align with Pichai's 2022 statement that he wanted the company to become "20% more efficient," a goal that resulted in 12,000 layoffs in January of this year. 



According to the report <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/google-ceo-company-cut-manager-vp-roles-2024-12">by</a> Business Insider, Google&#8217;s pursuit of efficiency comes as competition intensifies in the artificial intelligence space, with rivals like OpenAI launching products that challenge Google's dominance in search.



Also Read: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/24/12/42378596/openais-chatgpt-makes-headway-in-search-threatening-googles-reign">OpenAI&#8217;s ChatGPT Makes Headway In Search, Threatening Google&#8217;s Reign</a>



In response, Google has infused generative AI into its core services and unveiled innovations such as a new AI video generator and its Gemini AI models, including a "reasoning" model designed to showcase its thought process.



During the meeting, Pichai also addressed Google's cultural identity, discussing the term &#8220;Googleyness,&#8221; which he said needed an update to reflect the company&#8217;s modern values and direction. 



The term has long been associated with Google's work culture, and its evolution signals the company's commitment to staying relevant in a rapidly changing industry.



As Google continues its efficiency drive and AI innovation efforts, it remains a key player in shaping the future of technology while adapting its structure and culture for the challenges ahead.



Read Next



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This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

GOOGL

Google Announces Major Layoffs As Pichai Stresses Efficiency

These nine mid-cap stocks were the best performers in the last week. Are they in your portfolio?



<ol>
<li>Quantum Computing Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QUBT#NASDAQ">QUBT</a>) rocketed 162.79% after the company announced it was awarded a prime contract by NASA to apply Dirac-3 for imaging <a href="https://www.benzinga.com//node/42554980" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">and data processing support</a>.</li>



<li>BlackBerry Limited (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BB#NYSE">BB</a>) shares surged 37.17% after the company <a href="https://www.benzinga.com//node/42606549" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reported third-quarter results</a>. Analysts revised the price <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/bb/analyst-ratings" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">forecast on the stock</a>.</li>



<li>IonQ, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/IONQ#NYSE">IONQ</a>) stock upped 31.30% after Craig-Hallum raised its price forecast from $22 to $45 while <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/ionq/analyst-ratings" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">maintaining a Buy rating</a>.</li>



<li>Rigetti Computing, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/RGTI#NASDAQ">RGTI</a>) shares escalated 30.87%, probably due to continued strength amid <a href="https://www.benzinga.com//node/42569883" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">momentum towards Quantum-related companies</a>.</li>



<li>SoundHound AI, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SOUN#NASDAQ">SOUN</a>) shares were up 28.65% following several notable announcements <a href="https://www.benzinga.com//node/42507758" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">from the company regarding conversational AI</a>.</li>



<li>Xometry, Inc.&#8217;s (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XMTR#NASDAQ">XMTR</a>) stock rose 19.88% after JP Morgan upgraded it from Neutral to Overweight and <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/xmtr/analyst-ratings" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">raised its price forecast from $25 to $45</a>.</li>



<li>Lucid Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/LCID#NASDAQ">LCID</a>) stock upped 17.05%. NBA Hall of Famer and analyst Shaquille O&#8217;Neal has added a custom Lucid Air to his list of vehicles, including several Tesla (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSLA#NASDAQ">TSLA</a>) Cybertruck <a href="https://www.benzinga.com//node/42556676" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">electric pickup trucks.</a></li>



<li>Oklo Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/OKLO#NYSE">OKLO</a>) stock increased 16.14% after the company and Switch signed a non-binding Master Power Agreement to deploy 12 gigawatts of Oklo Aurora <a href="https://www.benzinga.com//node/42554232" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">powerhouse projects through 2044</a>. Also, Wedbush initiated coverage on the stock with an Outperform rating and announced <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/oklo/analyst-ratings" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">a $25 price forecast</a>.</li>



<li>Azenta, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AZTA#NASDAQ">AZTA</a>) stock rose 12.24% after Stephens &amp; Co. upgraded the stock to Overweight from Equal-Weight and <a href="https://benzinga.com/quote/azta/analyst-ratings" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">raised its price forecast from $50 to $60</a>.</li>
</ol>



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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/large-cap/24/12/42638256/teva-pharmaceutical-li-auto-and-darden-restaurants-are-among-top-large-cap-gainers-last-week-december-16-20-are-the-others-in-your-portfolio" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Teva Pharmaceutical, Li Auto, And Darden Restaurants Are Among Top Large Cap Gainers Last Week (December 16-20): Are The Others In Your Portfolio?</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com//node/42638379" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Novo Nordisk, Super Micro Computer And Arm Are Among Top Large Cap Losers Last Week (December 16-20): Are The Others In Your Portfolio?</a></li>
</ul>



Photo via Shutterstock

Mid Cap

AZTA

IONQ

LCID

OKLO

QBTS

QUBT

RGTI

SOUN

XMTR

Quantum Computing, BlackBerry And Lucid Group Are Among Top Mid Cap Gainers Last Week (December 16-20): Are The Others In Your Portfolio?

Benzinga examined the prospects for<a href="http://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas"> many investors&#8217; favorite stocks</a> over the last week — here&#8217;s a look at some of our top stories.



Major averages jumped on Friday but still logged weekly losses, with the Dow down 2.3%, the S&amp;P 500 falling 2%, and the Nasdaq losing 1.8%. 



The Federal Reserve&#8217;s widely anticipated 25-basis-point rate cut on Wednesday was overshadowed by its revised 2025 inflation forecasts and Jerome Powell&#8216;s cautious stance, dampening hopes for deeper cuts next year. Powell emphasized a "new phase" of monetary policy after a 100-basis-point reduction in 2024, signaling <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/large-cap/24/12/42629219/fed-cuts-interest-rates-but-powell-spoils-santa-claus-rally-dollar-surges-to-over-2-year-high-bitcoin-sinks-below-100000-this-week-in-the-market">only gradual easing in 2025</a>.



Bitcoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/btc/usd">BTC</a>), which had reached a record $108,388 before the Fed meeting, fell below $100,000 as markets absorbed the news.



Benzinga provides daily reports on the stocks most popular with investors. Here are a few of this past week&#8217;s most bullish and bearish posts that are worth another look.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">The Bulls</h3>



&#8220;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/24/12/42525257/analyst-hikes-teslas-price-target-to-515-musk-expresses-hope-for-stock-to-touch-69042">Elon Musk Hopes TSLA Stock Will Reach $690 As Analysts Raise Price Target Despite Technical Indicators Flashing Warning Signals</a>,&#8221; by <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/anan-ashraf">Anan Ashraf</a>, reports Elon Musk's optimism about Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSLA#NASDAQ">TSLA</a>) reaching $690, as analysts upgraded the stock with $515 price targets, citing potential benefits from Musk's alignment with Donald Trump's pro-autonomous vehicle policies.



&#8220;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/12/42602503/dave-portnoy-says-he-owns-15-million-bitcoin-13-million-xrp-bet-it-and-set-it-not-trading">Dave Portnoy Says He Owns $1.5 Million Bitcoin, $1.3 Million XRP: &#8216;Bet It And Set It, Not Trading&#8217;</a>,&#8221; by <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/chris-katje">Chris Katje</a> , reveals that Dave Portnoy, founder of Barstool Sports, holds $1.5 million in Bitcoin and $1.3 million in XRP (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/xrp/usd">XRP</a>), emphasizing a long-term investment strategy rather than active trading, following insights from a recent conversation with Michael Saylor.



&#8220;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/24/12/42516826/nvidia-and-5-other-stocks-are-analysts-top-semiconductor-picks-for-2025-sees-2-ai-trends">Nvidia And 5 Other Stocks Are Analyst&#8217;s Top Semiconductor Picks For 2025, Sees 2 AI Trends</a>,&#8221; by <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/hayden-buckfire">Hayden Buckfire</a>, highlights a Bank of America analyst naming NVIDIA Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>), Broadcom Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AVGO#NASDAQ">AVGO</a>), and Marvell Technology Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MRVL#NASDAQ">MRVL</a>) as top AI-driven semiconductor picks for 2025, alongside Lam Research Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/LRCX#NASDAQ">LRCX</a>), ON Semiconductor Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ON#NASDAQ">ON</a>), and Cadence Design Systems Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CDNS#NASDAQ">CDNS</a>).



For additional bullish calls of the past week, check out the following:



<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/24/12/42547442/microsof-scoops-up-485000-nvidia-ai-chips-twice-as-many-as-its-closest-rival-meta-report">Microsoft Scoops Up 485,000 Nvidia AI Chips, Twice As Many As Its Closest Rival Meta: Report</a>



<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/24/12/42599673/amazon-has-20000-rivian-electric-delivery-vans-in-fleet-heres-what-could-be-next-for-both-companies">Amazon Has 20,000 Rivian Electric Delivery Vans In Fleet: Here&#8217;s What Could Be Next For Both Companies</a>



<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/technicals/24/12/42535298/joby-clears-faa-tail-test-stock-flies-higher">Joby Clears FAA Tail Test, Stock Flies Higher</a>



The Bears



&#8220;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/24/12/42522048/jim-cramer-warns-nvidias-vicious-and-fast-reversal-is-coming-amid-174-surge-this-year-and-china-antitrust-probe">Jim Cramer Warns Nvidia&#8217;s &#8216;Vicious&#8217; And &#8216;Fast&#8217; Reversal Is Coming Amid 174% Surge This Year And China Antitrust Probe</a>,&#8221; by <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/kaustubh-bagalkote">Kaustubh Bagalkote</a>, features Jim Cramer's caution about NVIDIA Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>) facing a sharp correction after its 174% YTD gain, amid heightened regulatory scrutiny from China over its Mellanox Technologies acquisition.



&#8220;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/movers/24/12/42568740/dogecoin-bull-says-he-had-to-sell-as-meme-king-plunges-to-5-week-low-but-derivative-traders-remain-bullish">Dogecoin Bull Says He &#8216;Had To Sell&#8217; As Meme King Plunges To 5-Week Low But Derivative Traders Remain Bullish</a>,&#8221; by <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/aniket-verma">Aniket Verma</a>, reports on Dogecoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/doge/usd">DOGE</a>) dropping amid Federal Reserve concerns, with early adopter Glauber Contessoto selling some holdings.



&#8220;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/12/42517567/cvs-cigna-unitedhealth-shares-slide-as-trump-targets-drug-middleman">CVS, Cigna, UnitedHealth Shares Slide As Trump Targets Drug &#8216;Middleman&#8217;</a>,&#8221; by <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/adam-eckert">Adam Eckert</a>, reports that shares of CVS Health Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CVS#NYSE">CVS</a>), Cigna Group (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CI#NYSE">CI</a>), and UnitedHealth Group Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/UNH#NYSE">UNH</a>) dropped after Trump vowed to eliminate Pharmacy Benefit Managers, citing their role in inflating drug prices and contributing to industry inefficiencies.



For more bearish takes, be sure to see these posts:



<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/global/24/12/42559347/trump-administration-could-ban-amazons-top-selling-routers-linked-to-chinese-cyberattacks-report">Trump Administration Could Ban Amazon&#8217;s Top-Selling Routers Linked To Chinese Cyberattacks: Report</a>



<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/24/12/42529095/bitcoin-crash-could-trigger-stock-market-decline-in-2025-warns-expert-im-very-worried-that-people-overextended-themselves">Bitcoin Crash Could Trigger Stock Market Decline In 2025, Warns Expert: &#8216;I&#8217;m Very Worried That People Overextended Themselves&#8217;</a>



<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/24/12/42536470/costco-warns-that-tariffs-raise-prices-trump-team-says-trade-policies-will-make-life-affordable">Costco Warns That Tariffs Raise Prices, Trump Team Says Trade Policies Will &#8216;Make Life Affordable&#8217;</a>



Keep up with all the latest breaking news and trading ideas by following<a href="https://twitter.com/Benzinga"> Benzinga</a><a href="http://twitter.com/Benzinga"> on Twitter</a>.

Short Ideas

$XRP

CDNS

LRCX

MRVL

Benzinga Bulls And Bears: Tesla, Broadcom, UnitedHealth, Bitcoin And Dogecoin Bull 'Had To Sell' After Price Plunge

<h2 class="wp-block-heading">New On The Block</h2>



Honeywell (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/HON#NASDAQ">HON</a>) is back at it again with big plans and boardroom brainstorms. This time, the Charlotte, North Carolina-based company is considering sending its aerospace business <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/asset-sales/24/12/42505835/honeywell-advances-strategic-review-explores-aerospace-business-separation">off to fly solo</a>. Recently, Honeywell unveiled plans to spin off its Advanced Materials business into a standalone public company by late 2025 or early 2026. Additionally, the company is selling its Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) business to Protective Industrial Products for $<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/11/42140202/honeywell-to-exit-ppe-business-with-1325-billion-sale-plans-advanced-materials-spinoff">1.325 billion in cash</a>.



Textron Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TXT#NYSE">TXT</a>) has decided it's time to <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/guidance/24/12/42558931/textron-hits-the-brakes-on-powersports-strategic-shift-amid-soft-demand">hit the brakes on</a> its Powersports product line, part of the Industrial segment&#8217;s Textron Specialized Vehicles business. The segment manufactures snowmobiles and off-road vehicles under the Arctic Cat label. Deere &amp; Co (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DE#NYSE">DE</a>) is rumored to be interested in acquiring it. Textron expects to wrap up its restructuring in the first half of the new year.



DLocal, a Latin American payments provider with a market value of about $3.6 billion, is on the auction block. The Montevideo, Uruguay-based company hired Morgan Stanley to gauge takeover offers from bidders. Private equity firm General Atlantic is DLocal&#8217;s largest shareholder.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Updates From The Block</h2>



The European Commission <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/government/regulations/24/12/42621868/nvidia-secures-eu-approval-for-runai-deal-us-probes-china-export-breach">granted unconditional approval</a> for Nvidia Corp (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>) to acquire Run:ai Labs Ltd, an Israel-based provider of GPU orchestration software. The decision under the EU Merger Regulation concluded the acquisition would not raise competition concerns within the European Economic Area. Nvidia aims to integrate Run: ai&#8217;s software into its ecosystem. Run:ai specializes in software that helps organizations optimize and manage their artificial intelligence compute workloads across various environments, including on-premises and cloud platforms.



Soho House's billionaire chairman Ron Burkle wants to whisk the private members' club away from the U.S. stock market. Burkle and his squad of investors have thrown down a flashy <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/12/42597812/soho-house-jumps-over-50-on-receiving-acquisition-offer-with-83-premium">$1.8 billion buyout bid</a>, offering $9 per share—a snazzy 83% premium to the stock&#8217;s closing price on Wednesday, Dec. 18. This isn't Soho House's first flirtation with delisting. Just a few months ago, it turned down a mysterious suitor's offer.



See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/24/12/42646591/novo-nordisk-rises-5-in-premarket-as-analyst-dismisses-fridays-17-plunge-as-market-overreaction">Novo Nordisk Rises 5% In Premarket As Analyst Dismisses Friday&#8217;s 17% Plunge As Market Overreaction</a>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Off The Block</h2>



Chevron Corporation (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CVX#NYSE">CVX</a>) and Woodside Energy Group Limited (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/WDS#NYSE">WDS</a>) <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/contracts/24/12/42584936/chevron-secures-larger-north-west-shelf-stake-in-asset-swap-400m-payment-to-woodside">finalized an asset swap deal</a> on Wednesday. As part of the agreement, Woodside will transfer its 13% non-operated interest in the Wheatstone Project and its 65% operated interest in the Julimar-Brunello Project in Western Australia. In return, Woodside will acquire Chevron&#8217;s 16.67% stakes in the North West Shelf Project and the NWS Oil Project, along with a 20% interest in the Angel Carbon Capture and Storage Project. Additionally, Chevron will make a cash payment to Woodside of up to $400 million. This includes a $300 million payment at completion, and contingency payments of up to $100 million, tied to the handover of the Julimar Phase 3 Project and subsequent production performance.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Bankruptcy Block</h2>



Furnishing and retailer Big Lots Inc.&#8216;s Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing in September and impending store closures could benefit rival Ollie&#8217;s Bargain Outlet Holdings Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/OLLI#NASDAQ">OLLI</a>), JPMorgan analyst Matthew R. Boss says. On Sept. 9, Big Lots filed for Chapter 11 and announced a subsequent sale of its assets to Nexus Capital Management LP. The company&#8217;s stock was subsequently delisted from the New York Stock Exchange. Its third-quarter financial report revealed a company struggling with declining sales, eroding margins and a continual bleeding of cash. On Dec. 19, the Columbus, Ohio-based company said its sale to Nexus Capital fell through, noting it &#8220;continues to work toward completing an alternative going concern transaction with Nexus or another party.&#8221; CEO Bruce Thorn announced a <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/24/12/42624759/big-lots-holds-liquidation-sales-analyst-pegs-competitor-as-major-beneficiary-market-share-capture-opportunity">going-out-of-business sale</a>.



FTX announced that its<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/24/11/42151412/bankrupt-crypto-exchange-ftx-to-commence-payments-to-customers-creditors-in-early-2025"> Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization plan</a> will become effective on Jan. 3, 2025. Customer and creditor distributions will be facilitated through partnerships with cryptocurrency platforms Kraken and BitGo. The first round of distributions is expected to occur within 60 days of the plan's effective date. The initial distribution will cover holders of allowed claims in the Convenience Classes, while timelines for other claim classes will be announced later.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Notes From The Block</h2>



Benzinga recently interviewed Tony Roma&#8217;s CEO Mohaimina (Mina) Haque on a variety of topics, including the restaurant chain&#8217;s capital raising initiatives:



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">BZ: What's the global stage look like?</h3>



There's a lot of interest globally. We are in Dubai and Berlin as well as Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and Perth, Australia. There is a lot of brand awareness. Stateside, as Gen Z and millennials were growing up, there was a decrease in unit size. So, we are working on building that bridge between those who are nostalgic for Tony Roma's and those who haven't experienced it yet. There are challenges, including the supply chain and ensuring that franchise partners uphold our intellectual property.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">BZ: Is M&amp;A still on the cards?</h3>



It is a possibility. We have parties interested in helping us to expand our global and national footprint. So, it's still in the cards, with either a venture capital or private equity firm. For anyone interested and who wants to see more explosive growth for the company, we are looking for partners capable of heavy capital infusion.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">BZ: What size investment do you think would you go to ballpark it?</h3>



If I have to ballpark it, maybe somewhere between $10 million and $20 million



For the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/restaurants/24/12/42553401/comfort-food-comeback-how-mina-haque-plans-to-make-tony-romas-sizzle-again">full Q&amp;A, click here</a>.



Now Read:



<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/legal/24/12/42635701/luigi-mangione-lands-in-same-brooklyn-jail-as-diddy-and-ftxs-bankman-fried">Luigi Mangione Lands In Same Brooklyn Jail As Diddy And FTX&#8217;s Bankman-Fried</a></li>
</ul>

Rumors

Asset Sales

Exclusives

OLLI

Deal Dispatch: Honeywell, Textron And Soho House Are Making M&A Moves

Becton, Dickinson And Co. Agrees To Pay $175 Million Civil Penalty



The Securities and Exchange Commission on Monday announced it had <a href="https://www.sec.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2024-201">settled charges</a> against Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BDX#NYSE">BDX</a>), known as BD, for repeatedly misleading investors about risks associated with its continued sales of its Alaris infusion pump and for overstating its income by failing to record the costs of fixing multiple software flaws with the pump. BD agreed to pay a $175 million civil penalty.



Read More: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/social-media/24/12/42598651/mystery-drone-sightings-all-over-the-country-trump-says-what-to-know-about-investigations-lawmakers-reactions">&#8216;Mystery Drone&#8217; Sightings Spark Investigations, Politicians Respond: &#8216;Shoot Them Down,&#8217; Trump Says</a>



"BD repeatedly painted a misleading picture of its Alaris infusion pump for investors and then doubled down by keeping them in the dark when the device's issues came to a head with the FDA in late 2019," said Sanjay Wadhwa, Acting Director of the SEC's Division of Enforcement.&nbsp;



"Public companies have a fundamental duty to accurately disclose material business risks and should expect to be held accountable when they fall short in that regard," Wadhwa added.&nbsp;



The SEC's order finds that BD violated antifraud, reporting, internal accounting controls, books and records and disclosure controls provisions of the federal securities laws. BD agreed to cease and desist from further violations of these provisions, to retain an independent compliance consultant to review and make recommendations concerning its disclosure controls and procedures and to the $175 million civil penalty, without admitting or denying the SEC's findings.&nbsp;



Express Fails To Disclose CEO's Full Executive Compensation&nbsp;



The SEC announced on Tuesday that it has settled charges against fashion retailer Express, Inc. (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/EXPRQ#OTC">EXPRQ</a>) for failing to disclose executive compensation it paid to its now former CEO with Express agreeing to a cease-and-desist order, without admitting or denying the SEC's findings.



According to the SEC's order, Express failed to disclose $979,269 worth of perks and personal benefits provided to its CEO for fiscal years 2019, 2020, and 2021. As a result, Express understated the "All Other Compensation" portion of its CEO's compensation by an average of 94% over the three years. The company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy earlier this year.&nbsp;



"Public companies have a duty to comply with their disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation, including perks and personal benefits, so that investors can make educated investment decisions," said Sanjay Wadhwa, Acting Director of the SEC's Division of Enforcement.&nbsp;



"Here, although Express fell short in carrying out its obligation, the Commission declined to impose a civil penalty based, in part, on the company's self-report, cooperation with the staff's investigation, and remedial efforts," Wadhwa added. 



Read Next:&nbsp;



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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/12/42564443/santa-came-early-with-rate-cut-but-federal-reserve-brings-coal-next-year-experts-weigh-in-on-rate-cut-feds-2025-projections">&#8216;Santa Came Early&#8217; But Fed Brings &#8216;Coal Next Year&#8217;: Experts Weigh In On Interest Rate Cut, 2025 Projections</a></li>
</ul>



Image: Yildiray Yücel Kamanmaz from Pixabay

EXPRQ

Financial Crime Weekly: Becton, Dickinson And Co. Pays $175 Million Penalty, Express Fails To Disclose CEO's Full Compensation

In a significant move to bolster the domestic semiconductor industry, the U.S. Commerce Department has approved a $406 million grant for Taiwan's&nbsp;GlobalWafers. This funding is aimed at enhancing silicon wafer <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/24/12/42525551/ahead-of-trumps-return-to-white-house-us-approves-406m-grant-for-taiwans-chipmaker-globalwafers" rel="noreferrer noopener">production within the United States</a>.



Senate minority leader&nbsp;Mitch McConnell&nbsp;(R-Ky.) submitted an amicus brief to the Supreme Court, urging the rejection of&nbsp;TikTok's&nbsp;request to delay <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/12/42568430/senate-minority-leader-mcconnell-urges-supreme-court-to-reject-tiktoks-delay-request-pushing-for-january-ban-amid-first-amendment-debate" rel="noreferrer noopener">a law that could ban the app in January</a>.



Smartphones



Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAPL#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>)&nbsp;is reportedly gearing up to launch a redesigned&nbsp;AirTag&nbsp;in 2025 with better <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/media/24/12/42501665/apples-2025-airtag-to-feature-iphone-15s-ultrawide-band-chip-for-smarter-longer-range-tracking-report" rel="noreferrer noopener">tracking capabilities and range</a>.



Apple is reportedly planning to launch foldable iPhones <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/media/24/12/42500942/apple-eyes-2026-to-launch-foldable-iphones-and-ultralight-devices-as-it-looks-to-revitalize-sales-momentum-report" rel="noreferrer noopener">and ultralight devices by 2026</a>.



Read: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/24/12/42513402/apples-2025-bull-case-can-it-deliver-without-riding-the-ai-wave" rel="noreferrer noopener">Apple&#8217;s 2025 Bull Case: Can It Deliver Without Riding The AI Wave?</a>



New leaks have emerged, offering a glimpse into the design of the upcoming&nbsp;Samsung Electronics Co.&#8217;s<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/12/42545936/samsung-galaxy-s25-ultra-and-s25-leaks-show-off-sleek-curved-design-and-slimmer-bezels-than-apples-iphone-16-pro-max" rel="noreferrer noopener">&nbsp;</a>(OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SSNLF#OTC">SSNLF</a>) <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/12/42545936/samsung-galaxy-s25-ultra-and-s25-leaks-show-off-sleek-curved-design-and-slimmer-bezels-than-apples-iphone-16-pro-max" rel="noreferrer noopener">Galaxy S25 Ultra</a><a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/12/42545936/samsung-galaxy-s25-ultra-and-s25-leaks-show-off-sleek-curved-design-and-slimmer-bezels-than-apples-iphone-16-pro-max" rel="noreferrer noopener">&nbsp;and&nbsp;</a><a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/12/42545936/samsung-galaxy-s25-ultra-and-s25-leaks-show-off-sleek-curved-design-and-slimmer-bezels-than-apples-iphone-16-pro-max" rel="noreferrer noopener">S25+</a>.



Apple and&nbsp;NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>)&nbsp;have announced a collaboration for the improvement in the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/12/42568204/nvidia-and-apple-team-up-to-supercharge-llms-with-redrafter-technique" rel="noreferrer noopener">performance of large language models</a>.



Apple has slammed&nbsp;Meta Platforms, Inc.&nbsp;(NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/META#NASDAQ">META</a>) for its numerous requests to access iPhone-maker's software tools, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/media/24/12/42569325/apple-slams-metas-interoperability-demands-cites-privacy-risks-instagram-parent-fires-back-cupertinos-assertions-have-no-basis-in-reality" rel="noreferrer noopener">citing potential privacy and security risks</a>.



Apple is reportedly engaging in discussions with&nbsp;Tencent&nbsp;(OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TCEHY#OTC">TCEHY</a>) and TikTok's parent company,&nbsp;ByteDance, to integrate their <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/12/42569744/apple-reportedly-in-talks-with-tencent-tiktok-parent-bytedance-to-roll-out-ai-features-in-china" rel="noreferrer noopener">AI&nbsp;models into iPhones sold in&nbsp;China</a>.



Technology &amp; Social Media



Microsoft Corp.&nbsp;(NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>) has reportedly acquired nearly twice as many&nbsp;Nvidia AI chips as its closest competitors. This strategic investment is aimed at bolstering its AI capabilities,<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/24/12/42547442/microsof-scoops-up-485000-nvidia-ai-chips-twice-as-many-as-its-closest-rival-meta-report" rel="noreferrer noopener"> particularly for its Azure cloud services</a>.



Meta&nbsp;unveiled much-anticipated updates to its&nbsp;Ray-Ban&nbsp;smart glasses. It rolled out three new features for its Ray-Ban smart glasses:<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/12/42524192/metas-ray-ban-smart-glasses-can-now-be-your-chef-linguist-and-dj-whats-next-therapist" rel="noreferrer noopener"> live AI, live translations, and&nbsp;</a><a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/12/42524192/metas-ray-ban-smart-glasses-can-now-be-your-chef-linguist-and-dj-whats-next-therapist" rel="noreferrer noopener">Shazam</a>.&nbsp;



Meta&#8217;s CEO&nbsp;Mark Zuckerberg&nbsp;said that&nbsp;Instagram&#8217;s Threads&nbsp;has reached a milestone <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/social-media/24/12/42525426/threads-reaches-100-million-daily-active-users-as-meta-capitalizes-on-exodus-from-elon-musks-x-to-alternative-platforms" rel="noreferrer noopener">of 100 million daily active users</a>.



Instagram&nbsp;head&nbsp;Adam Mosseri&nbsp;raised concerns about the growing challenge of distinguishing between real and AI-generated <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/12/42501178/meta-warns-ai-generated-content-can-be-a-threat-as-instagram-boss-suggests-always-considering-who-it-is-that-is-speaking" rel="noreferrer noopener">images on social media platforms</a>.



Read: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/technicals/24/12/42509206/soundhound-ai-soars-over-700-short-squeeze-potential-has-traders-talking" rel="noreferrer noopener">SoundHound AI Soars Over 700%: Short Squeeze Potential Has Traders Talking</a>



On Monday, President-elect&nbsp;Donald Trump&nbsp;reportedly met with TikTok CEO&nbsp;Shou Zi Chew&nbsp;at Mar-a-Lago, Florida, as the company seeks intervention from the U.S. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/social-media/24/12/42522134/trump-meets-tiktok-ceo-shou-zi-chew-at-mar-a-lago-as-platform-urges-supreme-court-to-block-looming-ban" rel="noreferrer noopener">Supreme Court to prevent a looming ban</a>.



Read: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/24/12/42525899/elon-musk-reacts-after-sundar-pichai-shares-veo-2-as-google-looks-to-challenge-openais-sora-in-ai-video-race-looks-impressive" rel="noreferrer noopener">Elon Musk Reacts After Sundar Pichai Shares Veo 2 As Google Looks To Challenge OpenAI&#8217;s Sora In AI Video Race: &#8216;Looks Impressive&#8217;</a>



PDD Holdings‘&nbsp;(NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PDD#NASDAQ">PDD</a>) Temu app has once again secured the top position as the most downloaded free app on Apple's U.S. iOS store, marking its second <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/24/12/42527567/pdds-temu-tops-ios-downloads-in-us-while-trump-wants-to-impose-100-tariffs-on-chinese-imports" rel="noreferrer noopener">consecutive year at the summit</a>.



Microsoft CEO&nbsp;Satya Nadella&nbsp;shared insights about the transformative impact of AI throughout 2024, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/12/42546621/elon-musk-agrees-as-satya-nadella-reflects-on-ais-global-impact-in-2024-from-cancer-research-to-rainforest-conservation-and-more" rel="noreferrer noopener">with which&nbsp;</a><a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/12/42546621/elon-musk-agrees-as-satya-nadella-reflects-on-ais-global-impact-in-2024-from-cancer-research-to-rainforest-conservation-and-more" rel="noreferrer noopener">Elon Musk</a><a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/12/42546621/elon-musk-agrees-as-satya-nadella-reflects-on-ais-global-impact-in-2024-from-cancer-research-to-rainforest-conservation-and-more" rel="noreferrer noopener">&nbsp;agrees</a>.



Elon Musk&nbsp;has once again expressed his disapproval of hashtags on&nbsp;X, formerly&nbsp;Twitter, describing <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/social-media/24/12/42547615/elon-musk-reiterates-hashtags-are-ugly-and-useless-on-x-even-though-ceo-linda-yaccarino-tried-to-make-them-trendy-again" rel="noreferrer noopener">them as "ugly" and redundant</a>.



Artificial Intelligence (AI)



Marc Andreessen&nbsp;has lauded&nbsp;OpenAI's Sora&nbsp;video model, suggesting it may have resolved a<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/24/12/42501018/marc-andreessen-praises-openais-sora-video-model-we-may-have-basically-just-solved-the-fundamental-challenge-of-robotics" rel="noreferrer noopener"> significant challenge in robotics</a>.



OpenAI&nbsp;announced that it is extending the&nbsp;ChatGPT Search&nbsp;engine to all users, including those on the free tier. The AI search engine was initially <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/24/12/42523020/chatgpt-search-goes-free-openai-challenges-googles-unbroken-search-dominance" rel="noreferrer noopener">launched for paid subscribers in October</a>.



Mondelez International&nbsp;(NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MDLZ#NASDAQ">MDLZ</a>) has been leveraging AI to speed up recipe development<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/12/42545590/oreo-ai-cookie-magic-how-mondelez-is-using-tech-to-whip-up-snack-perfection" rel="noreferrer noopener"> and improve flavor profiles</a>.



Grammarly Inc.&#8217;s acquisition of Coda has received a thumbs-up&nbsp;from&nbsp;LinkedIn&nbsp;co-founder&nbsp;Reid Hoffman.&nbsp;The writing assistant company will now be led <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/24/12/42546973/grammarly-acquires-coda-linkedin-co-founder-reid-hoffman-applauds-move" rel="noreferrer noopener">by the new CEO,&nbsp;</a><a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/24/12/42546973/grammarly-acquires-coda-linkedin-co-founder-reid-hoffman-applauds-move" rel="noreferrer noopener">Shishir Mehrotra</a>.



OpenAI&nbsp;has unveiled a new feature that lets users call&nbsp;ChatGPT&nbsp;for free, offering a 15-minute call per month through the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/12/42569479/openai-takes-a-page-from-googles-2007-playbook-by-turning-phones-into-an-ai-hotline-with-toll-free-number-1-800-chatgpt" rel="noreferrer noopener">toll-free number&nbsp;</a><a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/12/42569479/openai-takes-a-page-from-googles-2007-playbook-by-turning-phones-into-an-ai-hotline-with-toll-free-number-1-800-chatgpt" rel="noreferrer noopener">1-800-CHATGPT</a>.



Read: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/12/42553029/apples-iphone-16-stumbles-on-intelligence-awareness-but-pro-max-shines-bright-says-analyst" rel="noreferrer noopener">Apple&#8217;s iPhone 16 Stumbles On &#8216;Intelligence&#8217; Awareness, But Pro Max Shines Bright: Analyst</a>



Perplexity AI, backed by&nbsp;Amazon.com Inc.&nbsp;(NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMZN#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>) founder&nbsp;Jeff Bezos,&nbsp;secured $500 million in funding&nbsp;led by Institutional Venture Partners, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/24/12/42570376/jeff-bezos-backed-perplexity-raises-500-million-tripling-its-valuation-to-9-billion-as-competition-with-google-and-openai-heats-up" rel="noreferrer noopener">tripling its valuation to $9 billion</a>.

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Instagram Concerned About Challenge In Distinguishing Real And AI-Generated Images, Apple To Launch Foldable iPhone By 2026 & More: Consumer Tech News (December 16-20)

These eleven large-cap stocks were the worst performers in the last week. Are they in your portfolio?



<ol>
<li>Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVO#NYSE">NVO</a>) shares dipped 20.52% after the company released headline results from the REDEFINE 1 Phase 3 <a href="https://www.benzinga.com//node/42613036" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">trial in the global REDEFINE program</a>.</li>



<li>Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/VRTX#NASDAQ">VRTX</a>) stock declined 14.33% after the company announced results from its <a href="https://www.benzinga.com//node/42599745" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Phase 2 study of Suzetrigine</a>.</li>



<li>XPO, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XPO#NYSE">XPO</a>) shares were down 13.47%.</li>



<li>Super Micro Computer, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SMCI#NASDAQ">SMCI</a>) shares fell 13.33% last week as the company is <a href="https://www.benzinga.com//node/42520765" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">set to be removed</a> from the Nasdaq 100 Index.</li>



<li>Nu Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NU#NYSE">NU</a>) stock plummeted 13.07%. A new government fiscal spending package and last week&#8217;s central bank rate hike could erode global investor confidence and raise concerns over the nation&#8217;s deficit.</li>



<li>Arm Holdings plc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ARM#NASDAQ">ARM</a>) stock was down 13.01%, likely due to continued weakness stemming from its <a href="https://www.benzinga.com//node/42538739" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ongoing legal dispute</a> with Qualcomm Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QCOM#NASDAQ">QCOM</a>).</li>



<li>Micron Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MU#NASDAQ">MU</a>) shares decreased 12.08% after the company reported mixed earnings results and issued weak guidance for the current quarter. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com//node/42594359" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Multiple analysts also lowered price forecasts</a>.</li>



<li>Paycom Software, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PAYC#NYSE">PAYC</a>) stock lost 11.63% last week, a result of the Fed rate decision that caused a selloff in software stocks.</li>



<li>Cintas Corporation (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CTAS#NASDAQ">CTAS</a>) stock declined 11.50% after the company reported <a href="https://www.benzinga.com//node/42588404" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">second-quarter financial results</a>. Several analysts lowered <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/ctas/analyst-ratings" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">the price forecast on the stock</a>.</li>



<li>Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/WBD#NASDAQ">WBD</a>) <a href="https://www.benzinga.com//node/42603589" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">declined 11.43%</a>.</li>



<li>monday.com Ltd. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MNDY#NASDAQ">MNDY</a>) stock dived 11.20% after Citigroup cut its price forecast <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/mndy/analyst-ratings" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">on the stock from $338 to $302</a>.</li>
</ol>



Also Read:



<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/large-cap/24/12/42638256/teva-pharmaceutical-li-auto-and-darden-restaurants-are-among-top-large-cap-gainers-last-week-december-16-20-are-the-others-in-your-portfolio" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Teva Pharmaceutical, Li Auto, And Darden Restaurants Are Among Top Large Cap Gainers Last Week (December 16-20): Are The Others In Your Portfolio?</a></li>
</ul>



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Novo Nordisk, Super Micro Computer And Arm Are Among Top Large Cap Losers Last Week (December 16-20): Are The Others In Your Portfolio?

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