Yahoo Finance US Stock Market Overview – Stocks Rally, Led by Semis and Financials
US stocks moved higher on turnaround Tuesday, initially driven by financials following stronger than expected earnings from Bank of America. Johnson and Johnson also beat on the top and bottom line but its shares whipsawed closing up but well off the highs of the session. The chip sectors continue to make new highs following news that Apple and Qualcomm of settled their royalty dispute. The SMH Semiconductor ETF surged more than 2%. Sectors were mixed led by a surge in financial. Healthcare and utilities bucked the trend. All three major averages settled in the black, with the Nasdaq outperforming. Energy shares were positive led by a rally in crude oil prices. 1.2%
Bank of American Beat on the Bottom Line
Bank of America Corp.’s Q1 profits increased led to a strong performance in its massive consumer business. Profits rose to $7.31 billion, compared with $6.92 billion a year earlier. Earnings per share were $0.70 compared to expectations that the second largest US bank would earn $0.66 per share. First-quarter revenue was $23 billion, flat year over year. The driver of the solid returns was the consumer banking business which increased 25% due higher interest rates and loan growth. Profit climbed 14% in its wealth-management unit, which added new clients in the quarter.
Apple and Qualcomm Settled Their Dispute
Apple and Qualcomm announced that they had settled their royalty dispute. The settlement includes a payment from Apple to Qualcomm as well as a chipset supply agreement, suggesting that Apple will buy Qualcomm chips for future iPhones. Qualcomm stock rose over 20% after the news broke, boosting its market cap by about $14.5 billion. The company announced that it expects incremental earnings per share of $2. The two companies started proceedings in a trial in federal court in San Diego on Monday, which was expected to last until May.
The FDA Order Boston Scientific to Stop Selling Surgical Mesh
The Food and Drug Administration ordered Boston Scientific and Coloplast to stop selling surgical mesh used for some pelvic operations. The agency said the companies did not reasonably show that their products were safe. The companies have 10 days to submit their plans to withdraw the products from the market. Shares of Boston Scientific and Coloplast fell about 4%.
Netflix drops on Earnings Release
Netflix reported financial results after the closing bell. The company reported earnings of 0.76 per shares on 4.528 billion in revenues. The company beat on the top line but declined on softer than expected guidance. Netflix forecasts 5-million new subscripers in the Q2 compared to expectations of 5.5-million. The company also reported guidance of lower than expected earnings in the Q2. Separately, IBM reported earnings that were better than expected, but missed on the top line. IBM reported earnings of $2.25 per share compared to expectations of $2.22 per share. Revenue was 18.18 billion compared to expectations of 18.40 billion. The stock was down 3% in the aftermarket.
This article was originally posted on FX Empire
