Biggest S&P 500 Movers on Thursday

July 18, 2024 05:37 PM EDT

Decliners

• Domino’s Pizza (DPZ) shares plunged 13.6%, losing the most ground of any S&P stock, after the chain restaurant’s second-quarter revenue fell shy of forecasts. Domino’s scaled back its global expansion plans, warning it would miss its goal of opening 925 net new international stores over the full year.

• Shares of pharma giant Eli Lilly (LLY) dropped 6.3% as Swiss competitor Roche (RHHBY) released positive early-stage data from a clinical trial of an experimental oral weight-loss treatment. If approved, Roche’s once-daily pill could stiffen the competition in the growing market for anti-obesity medications, challenging offerings from Lilly and Novo Nordisk (NVO). Novo Nordisk‘s American Depository Receipts (ADRs) fell 4%.
• Shares of mining giant and major copper producer Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) sank 5.3%. After peaking at a record high in May, copper prices have trended downward amid demand uncertainty, particularly in China.

Advancers

• D.R. Horton (DHI) shares notched Thursday’s top performance in the S&P 500, soaring 10.1% after the home builder reported better-than-expected revenue and earnings per share (EPS) for its fiscal third quarter and announced a $4 billion stock buyback. The company also lifted its full-year forecast for homes closed, citing strong housing demand trends. Shares of fellow home builders also moved higher.
• Shares of Quanta Services (PWR) jumped 8.1% after the energy infrastructure firm announced the acquisition of California-based engineering and construction company Cupertino Electric. According to Quanta, the combination will boost its opportunities in the technology industry, a market that is poised for growth given the demand for comprehensive power solutions.
• Cintas (CTAS), which supplies uniforms and other business products, topped sales and profit estimates for its fiscal fourth quarter. The company expressed confidence that new products and technology will drive continued growth and margin expansion, lifting its full-year outlook. Cintas shares advanced 5.4%.

–Michael Bromberg

Domino’s Pizza Plunges as Results Fail to Deliver

July 18, 2024 04:53 PM EDT

Domino’s Pizza (DPZ) shares fell nearly 14% Thursday after the pizza-delivery giant posted quarterly sales numbers that fell short of expectations and reduced its outlook for net new stores international markets.

The company also reported much of its net income growth was due to accounting effects.

Domino’s was the biggest decliner on the S&P 500 Thursday. The stock is now flat for the year.

–Bill McColl

Chip Stock Selloff Spurs Calls to ‘Buy the Dip’

July 18, 2024 02:50 PM EDT

As many chip stocks fall on worries about tougher trade restrictions and geopolitical tensions, analysts indicated fears may be overblown, offering an opportunity for investors to “buy the dip,” citing potential growth from surging artificial intelligence (AI) demand.

Wedbush and Jefferies analysts dismissed recent political rhetoric as “noise” in the chip companies’ AI story with limited impact.

Bank of America analysts said the recent volatility could present an “enhanced opportunity” to buy shares of companies like AI darling Nvidia (NVDA).

UBS analysts noted the semiconductor sector can be prone to volatility, especially in an election year, and recommended that investors focus on the long-term value of AI exposure.

–Naomi Buchanan

D.R. Horton Jumps After Earnings Beat; Leads S&P Gainers

July 18, 2024 02:05 PM EDT

D.R. Horton (DHI) shares surged Thursday after the home builder’s results topped expectations on the top and bottom lines.

The Arlington, Texas-based company reported earnings per share for the fiscal third quarter of $4.10, up 5% year-over-year, while revenue improved more than 2% to $9.97 billion.

D.R. Horton closed 24,155 new homes in the quarter, up 5% from the year-ago quarter and also above consensus above consensus, as the value of homes closed grew more than 6%.

The company’s shares were up more than 10% in recent trading, leading S&P 500 gainers.

–Andrew Kessel

Infosys Soars as Guidance Raised Amid AI Spending Boom

July 18, 2024 12:44 PM EDT

Infosys (INFY) lifted its revenue guidance, signaling increased spending from the information technology services provider’s customers on artificial intelligence.

The company said Thursday it expects full-year revenue growth for fiscal 2025 to be in the range of 3% and 4% in constant currency, up from its earlier outlook of a rise between 1% and 3%.

Infosys ADRs were up about 8% in midday trading, bucking a broader market downturn. The stock has gained 23% so far this year.

–Naomi Buchanan

SOXX Semiconductor ETF Levels to Watch

July 18, 2024 10:36 AM EDT

The iShares Semiconductor ETF (SOXX) was up about 1% early Thursday after plunging 7% the previous session amid growing concerns that chipmakers will face heightened U.S. trade restrictions and geopolitical tensions.

Looking at the ETF’s chart, SOXX remains in a long-term uptrend, but more recent technicals points to weakening buying momentum.

During retracements, the fund may encounter support at key chart levels including $230, $180, and $148.

A bars pattern, which takes the fund’s impulsive move higher from October 2023 to March this year and applies it to April’s swing low, projects a price target of around $292.

Read the full technical analysis here.

–Timothy Smith

TSMC Rises as Earnings Show Strong Demand for AI Chips

July 18, 2024 10:01 AM EDT

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSM) shares rose in early trading after the chipmaker reported second-quarter results that beat analysts’ estimates amid surging demand for artificial intelligence (AI) chips.

TSMC’s revenue jumped 40% from the year-earlier period, while profit increased 36%.

“Moving into third quarter 2024, we expect our business to be supported by strong smartphone and AI-related demand for our leading-edge process technologies,” TSMC CFO Wendell Huang said.

TSM ADRs were up about 1% in early trading, after falling 8% on Wednesday amid a broader selloff for chip stocks.

–Aaron McDade

Stock Futures Point to Mixed Open for Major Indexes

July 18, 2024 08:57 AM EDT

Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average were down 0.2%.

S&P 500 futures were up 0.2%.

Nasdaq 100 futures were up 0.6%.