| | | | A social media giant is soaring 21% after smashing revenue and user growth, an industrial tech firm is climbing on strong earnings and a major business spinoff, and a life sciences company is slipping on weak sales. Here’s what’s moving the markets today. | |
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| | | | | What to Watch | Economic Reports: | U.S employment report [Jan]: 8:30 a.m. U.S unemployment report [Jan]: 8:30 a.m. U.S hourly wages [Jan]: 8:30 a.m. Wholesale inventories [Dec]: 10:00 a.m. Consumer sentiment (prelim) [Jan]: 10:00 a.m. Consumer credit [Dec]: 3:00 p.m. |
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| | Industrial Technology | Fortive Q4 Estimates Exceeding Estimates, Eyeing Growth as It Prepares for Separation | | Fortive Corporation [FTV] reported strong fourth-quarter and full-year 2024 earnings, driven by record margins and solid cash flow performance. The company posted Q4 revenue of $1.62 billion, reflecting a 2% year-over-year increase, while adjusted diluted earnings per share are up 19% to $1.17. Operating cash flow has reached $502 million, with free cash flow up 13% to $465 million. | Fortive’s stock is up 1.1% in premarket trading. | For the full year, revenue climbed 3% to $6.23 billion, with adjusted diluted EPS rising to $3.89. CEO James A. Lico is crediting the growth to robust demand for Fortive’s Intelligent Operating Solutions and Advanced Healthcare Solutions segments, alongside increased orders in Precision Technologies (PT). | The PT division has now seen two consecutive quarters of double-digit order growth, signaling a gradual recovery heading into 2025. | Looking ahead, Fortive projects full-year 2025 revenue between $6.23 billion and $6.35 billion, with adjusted EPS ranging from $4.00 to $4.12. First-quarter guidance includes revenue of $1.48 billion to $1.51 billion and adjusted EPS between $0.83 and $0.86. | The company also confirmed its planned separation of the Precision Technologies business, which will be spun off as an independent entity named Ralliant. The split is expected to be completed by early Q3 2025, pending regulatory approvals. |
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| | Derivatives and Securities Exchange | Cboe Global Markets Posting Strong Revenue Growth | | Cboe Global Markets [CBOE] reported revenue of $2.1 billion for 2024 today, marking an 8% increase from the previous year. However, its fourth-quarter earnings per share (EPS) have declined, with diluted EPS falling 6% to $1.86. Adjusted diluted EPS for Q4 is up 2% to $2.10, while full-year adjusted EPS has risen 10% to $8.61. | The company’s performance was driven by growth across all key segments. Derivatives Markets revenue increased 8%, fueled by record options trading volumes. Data Vantage revenue climbed 7%, while Cash and Spot Markets saw an impressive 10% increase. | Shares in the firm are marginally down −0.43% in early trading today. | CEO Fredric Tomczyk emphasized Cboe’s financial strength heading into 2025, stating that the company remains well-positioned to capitalize on market trends and drive sustained growth for shareholders. | Looking ahead, Cboe has set its 2025 organic total net revenue growth target at mid-single digits, with Data Vantage revenue expected to grow in the mid-to-high single-digit range. The company has also introduced an adjusted operating expense guidance range of $837 million to $852 million for the year. |
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| | | | Life Sciences | Avantor Facing Sales Slump Despite Beating Earnings Forecasts, Shares Slide | | Avantor Inc. [AVTR] fell short of revenue expectations while delivering a modest earnings beat in the fourth quarter of 2024. The life sciences company posted revenue of $1.69 billion, reflecting a 2.1% decline from the prior year and missing analyst estimates of $1.71 billion. | Despite the revenue shortfall, Avantor’s adjusted earnings per share (EPS) are at $0.27, surpassing expectations by 4.5%. Adjusted EBITDA reached $307.7 million, slightly above projections, with an operating margin of 37.8%, a significant increase from the 10.6% reported in the same quarter last year. However, the company’s free cash flow margin declined to 8.6% from 11.7% a year ago. | Avantor shares are down 2% in premarket trade. | Organic revenue is up by 1% in the quarter, marking an improvement from the 5.9% decline in the same period last year. Analysts remain cautious, as Avantor’s revenue has stagnated over the past two years, with expectations for flat growth in 2025. | CEO Michael Stubblefield acknowledged the challenges in the life sciences market but emphasized the company’s focus on cost efficiency and long-term innovation. While Avantor’s profitability remains stable, weak top-line growth and market uncertainties have pressured investor sentiment. |
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| | Movers and Shakers | | Doximity, Inc. [DOCS] - Last Close: $58.26 | Doximity is a leading digital platform for medical professionals. Its shares are climbing 24% in premarket after the company beat Q3 earnings and revenue estimates, posting EPS of $0.45 versus the expected $0.33, a 36% earnings surprise. Revenue also jumped 24.6% year-over-year, reaching $168.6 million, exceeding estimates by 10.6%. | My Take: This marks the fourth consecutive quarter of outperformance for DOCS. If the firm is able to build on telehealth adoption and pharma partnerships, this could be a strong growth story for the future. Keep a close watch on this share. |
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| Pinterest, Inc. [PINS] - Last Close: $33.59 | Pinterest is a visual discovery and social media giant. Its shares are soaring 20%+ in early trading today after reporting its first-ever billion-dollar revenue quarter, with Q4 sales hitting $1.15 billion, an 18% year-over-year increase. The company also exceeded user growth expectations, reaching an all-time high of 553 million monthly active users. | My Take: Pinterest’s strong revenue and user growth validate its AI-powered ad strategy, but it faces stiff competition from social media biggies like Meta and Google. Keep this stock on your radar. |
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| Farmer Brothers Company [FARM] - Last Close: $1.80 | Farmer Brothers is a coffee and tea company specializing in wholesale distribution to restaurants, convenience stores, and food service providers. Its shares are climbing in premarket after reporting a surprise Q2 profit of $0.06 per share, far exceeding expectations of a $0.12 per share loss—a 150% earnings beat. | My Take: Farmer Brothers is making progress in stabilizing earnings, but revenue growth remains slow and competition in the foodservice beverage space remains intense. Keep this one on your wait and watch list for now. |
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| | | | | | That’s all for today. Thank you for reading. If you have any feedback, please reply to this email. | Best Regards, | — Adam Garcia Elite Trade Club |
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