Biggest S&P 500 Movers on Tuesday

December 31, 2024 05:41 PM EST

Decliners

• Tesla (TSLA) shares dropped 3.3%, losing the most of any S&P 500 stock. The carmaker is set to release quarterly delivery figures as the new market year gets underway on Thursday. Although analysts expect Tesla to post a record for fourth-quarter deliveries, the full-year total would still fall short of guidance even if the results match the lofty consensus expectations. While the stock surged after the presidential election as analysts envisioned how Tesla could benefit as CEO Elon Musk begins a role in the incoming administration, the shares lost ground in the final few sessions of the year.

• Although Nvidia (NVDA) stock clocked an impressive gain of more than 170% in 2024, shares of the semiconductor behemoth fell 2.3% in the year’s final session. Even so, analysts maintain upbeat long-term expectations for the chipmaker, forecasting robust growth driven by the artificial intelligence (AI), gaming, and enterprise markets.
• Shares of Texas-based power generator NRG Energy (NRG) sank 2.1%. The downturn reversed a small portion of the gains posted by the stock throughout the year as investors evaluated opportunities for utilities to provide electricity for energy-intensive AI data centers. Despite Tuesday’s drop, NRG stock ended with a 2024 gain of nearly 75%.

Advancers

• Moderna (MRNA) shares jumped 5.6%, logging the best daily performance in the S&P 500 in 2024’s closing session. Barron’s highlighted the vaccine maker’s stock as a top pick for the coming year, indicating the shares appear undervalued following year-to-date declines of more than 50%. Although analysts remain concerned about Moderna’s elevated research and development (R&D) spending, the potential implementation of vaccines against cytomegalovirus and personalized cancer vaccines could eventually provide a sales boost.
• Upbeat data from China’s manufacturing sector helped drive an uptick in crude oil futures prices on Tuesday, contributing to gains for a number of oil and gas stocks. Shares of exploration and production firm APA Corp. (APA) added 3.0%, while shares of refiner Marathon Petroleum (MPC) were up 2.9%.
• Shares of frozen potato distributor Lamb Weston (LW) gained 2.9%. The stock saw significant volatility in the final few sessions of 2024 as activist investor Jana Partners amplified its push for changes to the company by collaborating with another former company executive. Lamb Weston installed a new CEO earlier this month amid pressure from Jana after reporting a quarterly loss and lowering its full-year outlook.

–Michael Bromberg

What to Expect from the U.S. Stock Market in 2025

December 31, 2024 05:23 PM EST

Wall Street analysts generally expect stocks to post another year of gains in 2025 as a strong economy and declining interest rates boost corporate earnings.

The gap between the Magnificent Seven and the rest of the market is expected to narrow as more companies begin to reap the benefits of artificial intelligence.

Small-cap and mid-cap stocks could perform well in the year ahead thanks to lower interest rates, as well as an easier regulatory environment under incoming President Donald Trump.

Some analysts warn, however, that market volatility could increase after Trump returns to the White House given uncertainty about how his policy approach could affect the economy.

Read the full article here.

–Colin Laidley

S&P 500 Has Best Two-Year Run Since the 1990s

December 31, 2024 04:28 PM EST

Despite a sluggish performance in the final trading sessions of the year, the S&P 500 finished 2024 with a 23% gain. That came on the heals of a 24% rise in 2023 and marked the first time since the late-1990s that the benchmark stock index registered two consecutive years with gains of more than 20%.

The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite closed the year up 29%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average added 13%.

Boeing Price Levels to Watch As South Korea Inspects Aircraft

December 31, 2024 02:36 PM EST

Boeing (BA) shares were little changed Tuesday after slipping more than 2% yesterday following news that South Korea ordered an inspection of all 737-800 planes in the aftermath of a Jeju Air crash over the weekend that killed 179 people.

Boeing shares have had a turbulent 2024, losing about a third of their value. The stock’s performance has been weighed down by a series of aircraft quality issues and a prolonged strike by its union machinists that prompted the company to raise additional capital in a bid to preserve its investment-grade credit rating and stem its cash drain. 

The shares have trended higher after breaking out from a falling wedge on above-average volume earlier this month, signaling a potential bullish reversal.

Investors should watch important overhead areas on Boeing’s chart around $192, $243, and $270, while also monitoring a crucial support level near $140. The stock was trading around $176 on Tuesday afternoon.

Read the full technical analysis piece here.

–Timothy Smith

Sangamo Therapeutics Tanks After Pfizer Deal Comes to End

December 31, 2024 01:20 PM EST

Sangamo Therapeutics (SGMO) shares lost more than half their value Tuesday, a day after the biopharma firm announced that Pfizer (PFE) had pulled out of its deal to co-develop a hemophilia drug. 

Sangamo said that it will regain development and commercialization rights to the medicine, known as giroctocogene fitelparvovec, following the decision by Pfizer to “terminate the global collaboration and license agreement between the parties.”

Sangamo noted that in July, Pfizer reported a successful Phase 3 trial of giroctocogene fitelparvovec, which is an investigational gene therapy for adults with moderately severe to severe hemophilia A.

CEO Sandy Macrae said Sangamo is “disappointed by Pfizer’s decision,” arguing that the those results show the treatment “is well positioned for regulatory submissions and potential commercialization.”

Sangamo said it “intends to explore all options to advance the program, including seeking a potential new collaboration partner.”

Shares of Sangamo Therapeutics recently were down 54%, although they remain more than 100% higher year-to-date. Pfizer shares traded slightly higher.

–Bill McColl

Tesla Shares Continue Falling Ahead of Q4 Deliveries Report

December 31, 2024 12:14 PM EST

Tesla (TSLA) shares were down slightly Tuesday and headed to a fourth straight day of declines ahead of the EV maker’s closely watched deliveries report.

The company is set to report Q4 deliveries on Thursday, and analysts surveyed by Visible Alpha are expecting a record total of 512,250, although that would not be enough to bring the full-year total up to Tesla’s forecast. In its third-quarter earnings report, Tesla said that “despite ongoing macroeconomic conditions,” it anticipated deliveries of slightly more than last year’s 1.81 million.

Tesla is also facing questions about how the company will fare under the new Trump administration. The incoming president has promised to slash regulations and provide federal guidelines for autonomous vehicles, which would be a big boost for Tesla’s robotaxi plans. However, President-elect Trump also is expected to end tax credits for EV purchases.

In addition, it’s unclear how much time CEO Elon Musk will dedicate to the automaker after being named by Trump to co-lead the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). 

Despite losing 10% of their value over the previous three sessions, Tesla shares have largely benefited from the presidential election outcome, adding about two-thirds of their value since Election Day.

Tesla shares were down 0.4% at around $416 in recent trading. The stock hit an all-time high of over $488 two weeks ago.

–Bill McColl

Palantir Stock Price Levels to Watch Heading Into 2025

December 31, 2024 10:45 AM EST

Palantir Technologies (PLTR) is set to claim the coveted title of the S&P 500 index’s best performing component this year.

The stock, which was down nearly 1% at $76.50 this morning, has gained 350% since the start of the year, bolstered by robust demand for its artificial intelligence (AI) analytics software offerings.

Since breaking out from a month-long consolidation period following the presidential election in early November, Palantir shares have continued to track sharply higher on above-average trading volumes.

However, last week a shooting star formed on the chart, a candlestick pattern that occurs after a significant advance, indicating the price may start falling or enter a consolidation phase. It’s worth pointing out that the last time a similar pattern formed on the chart in late July, the stock fell 21% over the following two weeks.

Investors should watch key support levels on Palantir’s chart around $66, $45, and $29, while also monitoring an upside price target near $145.

Read the full technical analysis piece here.

–Timothy Smith

Nasdaq Clings to Gains for Month, S&P 500, Dow Lose Ground

December 31, 2024 09:28 AM EST

Heading into the final trading day of December, the Nasdaq Composite has gained 1.4% so far this month. Meanwhile, the Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 are down 5.2% and 2.1%, respectively, their biggest monthly losses since April.

Each of the major indexes hit record highs earlier this month, boosted by optimism about the expected pro-growth policies of the incoming Trump administration. But the market has stumbled in recent weeks after the Federal Reserve said that it would likely slow down the pace of interest rate cuts next year as inflation has been hotter than expected.

Despite the late-year slump, the major indexes remain on pace for solid yearly gains, with the Nasdaq up 30% since the start of 2024. The S&P 500 and Dow are up 24% and 13%, respectively.

Futures Point to Higher Open for Major Stock Indexes

December 31, 2024 08:45 AM EST

Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average 0.2%.

S&P 500 futures were up 0.3%.

Nasdaq 100 futures also gained 0.3%.