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FINWIRES

Sector Update: Consumer Stocks Decline in Afternoon Trading

-- Consumer stocks were lower Friday afternoon, with the State Street Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLP) falling 1.4% and the State Street Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLY) decreasing 0.2%.

In sector news, US consumer sentiment hit the lowest on record this month, reflecting heightened worries about higher prices and the overall economic fallout from the Middle East conflict, University of Michigan's preliminary survey showed Friday. The main sentiment index plunged about 11% to 47.6 in April from March. That's the lowest print on record, BMO Capital Markets said in a note. Wall Street expected a 51.5 print, according to Bloomberg's poll.

In corporate news, Tesla (TSLA) Chief Executive Elon Musk's xAI has filed a lawsuit against the State of Colorado regarding a new AI bill aimed at protecting consumers from "algorithmic discrimination," according to court filings. Tesla shares were down 0.5%.

Simply Good Foods (SMPL) shares fell 10% after Stephens downgraded the company's rating to equal-weight from overweight and cut its price target to $14 from $24.

CarMax (KMX) shares rose 1.7% after it said late Thursday it plans to add William Cobb and James Kessler to its board following "constructive engagement" with activist investor Starboard Value.

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Asia

Tech Mahindra's Consolidated Profit Rises in Fiscal Q4

Tech Mahindra's (NSE:TECHM, BOM:532755) consolidated attributable profit rose to 13.5 billion Indian rupees in the fiscal fourth quarter ended March 31, from 11.7 billion rupees a year ago.The technology company's earnings per share came in 15.24 rupees from 13.15 rupees a year earlier, according to a Thursday filing to the Indian stock exchanges.Revenue from operations in fiscal Q4 also grew to 150.8 billion rupees from 133.8 billion rupees a year ago.The company's board recommended a final dividend of 36 rupees per equity share of the face value of 5 rupees each for the financial year ended March 31.The company's shares were down nearly 2% in recent trade.

$BOM:532755$NSE:TECHM
Asia

Market Chatter: GWM to Launch 10 New Models in European Market Resurgence

Great Wall Motor (SHA:601633, HKG:2333) or GWM plans to return to the European market with the introduction of 10 new models over the next two years, Reuters reported Tuesday, citing GWM International President ​Parker Shi during an interview.Shi told reporters at the company's Baoding technology center said they don't want to be a loser in any market, introducing various vehicle models in 13 European markets in the next 12 months, the report said.The automaker will begin its fresh European run with the launch of Ora 5, which will be available as an electric vehicle, in the first half of the year, according to the report.Competition is becoming tighter as GWN's sales in 2025 dropped to nearly 30%, while Chinese counterparts such as Chery Automobile (HKG:9973) and BYD (HKG:1211, SHE:002594) are looking at expanding their market in Europe, the media outlet said.(Market Chatter news is derived from conversations with market professionals globally. This information is believed to be from reliable sources but may include rumor and speculation. Accuracy is not guaranteed.)

$HKG:1211$HKG:2333$HKG:9973$SHA:601633$SHE:002594
Research

Research Alert: CFRA Keeps Hold Opinion On Adss Of Nio Inc.

CFRA, an independent research provider, has providedwith the following research alert. Analysts at CFRA have summarized their opinion as follows:We lift our target to USD7.00 from USD6.50, which implies a 2026 P/S of 1.0x (below its five-year mean of 2.7x), on our projected slower two-year revenue CAGR of 29% (vs. its historical five-year CAGR of 40% through 2025). We project NIO's revenue to grow 33%/25% in 2026/2027, assuming the number of car deliveries will increase by 40%/30% in 2026/2027, led by demand for upcoming new models (including the ONVO L80, ES9, and five-seat ES7). We expect non-GAAP net losses to narrow, supported by an improved product mix and enhanced scale efficiencies. Nevertheless, intensifying price competition, policy headwinds, and elevated costs are likely to delay profitability improvement, with breakeven unlikely to materialize before 2028. Improved delivery growth and margin trajectory are encouraging, but insufficient to warrant a more constructive stance until the company demonstrates a clear path to profitability. We revise our non-GAAP LPADS forecast to CNY0.42 (from CNY0.51) for 2026 and set 2027's LPADS at CNY0.09.

$NIO