Tesla's response to cratering sales? A deals blitz
It's an understandable move, given how much of a drag this year has been for Tesla. The company recently reported a 14 percent drop in second quarter sales year over year. Tesla's sales in Europe have been in a serious slump with five straight consecutive months of decline. And in China, where the company is facing its fiercest competition from brands like BYD and Zeekr, second quarter sales were down 12 percent year over year — though there were some hints of a possible comeback in recent weeks.
In the US, Tesla's response is the pull out all the stops. To start, every Tesla vehicle is eligible for the $7,500 federal EV tax credit until September 30th, when the incentive sunsets thanks to President Trump's budget bill. On top of that, Tesla is also offering one free month of Full Self-Driving (Supervised) driver assist feature, as well as a free trial of its Premium Connectivity package (one month for Model 3 and Y, and one year for Model S, X, and Cybertruck). And there's also a $1,000 discount for 'American heroes' like members of the military, teachers, and first responders.
Moreover, all models except the Cybertruck are eligible for a free upgrade for a limited time. And the Model 3 and Cybertruck come with 0 percent APR financing with a purchase of the FSD package. And the Model 3 also comes with 18 months of free Supercharging for cash purchases. Meanwhile, Model Y buyers with 'excellent credit' and a 15 percent down payment can get 3.49 percent APR financing, down from 5.54 percent. Cybertruck buyers of a similar status can also get 0 percent APR, as well as a free 20-inch 'Cyber wheel' upgrade, which typically have a $3,500 value.
And for anyone interested in the company's practically ancient Model S or X (though they did just get a mild refresh), Tesla is offering a free upgrade when you purchase the FSD feature.
The third quarter is likely going to be a high water mark for Tesla, giving the expiring federal incentives and an expectation that EV prices will be going up across the board. Tesla has tried to juice sales by refreshing its models with new designs and a mild tech upgrade, but Elon Musk's polarizing persona has made it increasingly difficult for the company to climb out of its rut. And the newest model, the Cybertruck, is just a sales dud and arguably one of the biggest automotive flop in decades — no one wants it.
Of course, Tesla could reverse its fortunes with the release of a new, more affordable EV — not just a cheaper Model 3 or Y. The company has been promising a cheaper model for years now, though Musk has said he's more interested in pushing robotaxis and humanoid robots than spending resources on a budget EV. The CEO recently teased an 'epic demo' of a new Tesla project by the end of the year.
The company is expected to report another steep drop in profits in its Q2 earnings on Wednesday, July 23rd.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
23 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Stock market today: S&P 500 notches 4th consecutive record as Google earnings fuel AI hopes
US stocks were mixed on Thursday, with the S&P 500 (^GSPC) notching its fourth record close in a row as tech earnings from Alphabet (GOOG) pointed to AI as a key growth catalyst. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) rose 0.2% to also close at a fresh record, while the S&P 500 ended up just 0.1% higher. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) dropped 0.6% amid a post-earnings slide in IBM (IBM) shares. Alphabet beat Wall Street's second quarter earnings expectations and doubled down on its AI spending spree. The Google parent's shares rose alongside other AI-linked stocks such as Nvidia (NVDA), helping buoy the tech-focused gauges. Read more: Full earnings coverage in our live blog But fellow "Magnificent Seven" stalwart Tesla's (TSLA) stock sank after an earnings miss, a continued slump in European sales, and a warning from CEO Elon Musk that the EV maker faced "rough quarters" as President Trump's budget bill kills off tax credits. Trade deal hopes continued to run high after the US-Japan pact helped fuel more records for the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite on Wednesday. The EU and US are closing in on an agreement that would impose a 15% tariff for most imports from Europe, instead of the 30% threatened, media reports said. Read more: The latest on Trump's tariffs That rate is emerging as a potential new baseline for the "reciprocal" tariffs set to kick in on Aug. 1, going by Trump's comments late Wednesday. Previously, the president had imposed a 10% baseline rate on countries as part of his sweeping April tariffs. Stocks closed mixed, but S&P 500 ekes out 4th consecutive record close, Nasdaq notches fresh high Stocks closed mixed on Thursday but the S&P 500 (^GSPC) managed to close just above the flatline to close at its 4th record in a row for the week, over optimism that AI is paying off for Big Tech players like Alphabet (GOOG). The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) dropped 0.6%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) rose roughly 0.2% to close at a fresh record. As Yahoo Finance's Dan Howley reports, Google parent Alphabet (GOOG, GOOGL) is finally starting to cash in on the billions of dollars it's spending on its rapid AI buildout. The company reported better-than-anticipated earnings with CEO Sundar Pichai pointing to AI as a key growth catalyst for its various products. Meanwhile Tesla (TSLA) shares declined 8% after the EV maker posted an earnings and revenue miss in the second quarter and CEO Elon Musk hinted at a "few rough quarters" amid mounting challenges for the automaker. Fed gives media tour ahead of Trump's visit to central bank headquarters Fed officials gave a media tour ahead of President Trump's visit to the central bank's headquarters this afternoon after weeks of mounting criticisms over a $2.5 billion renovation. Reporters posted images on social media on Thursday showcasing the renovation prior to the highly unusual presidential visit expected at the building on the National Mall, slated for 4 p.m. ET. The construction site tour is just one of numerous political pressure points Trump is putting on policymakers after publicly insulting Fed Chair Jerome Powell and calling for him to lower interest rates. Meanwhile, as Yahoo Finance's Jennifer Schonberger reports, the Fed just received a new legal headache Thursday when a money manager sued Powell and other central bank policymakers in a Washington, D.C., federal court. The lawsuit alleges the Fed is violating a 1976 federal law by keeping its monetary policy meetings behind closed doors. Apple's iOS 26 brings the most significant change to your iPhone in years Yahoo Finance's Dan Howley reports: Read more here. Southwest stock falls 11% after airline cuts profit forecast Southwest (LUV) stock tanked on Thursday after the airline's earnings results missed estimates. Shares fell over 12% as the earnings call with investors began. (You can listen to the full call here.) As Ines Ferré detailed below with American Airlines, Southwest was hit by a sluggish start to the peak summer travel season that translated to weak domestic travel demand and softer fares. Earlier on Thursday, Southwest CFO Tom Doxey told Yahoo Finance that the company's disappointing results were primarily caused by broader economic challenges, tariff uncertainty, and weaker consumer sentiment. Southwest lowered its full-year pre-tax profit (EBIT) guidance to $600 million-$800 million from the $1.7 billion forecast previously. 'There's an estimate of about $800 million to $1 billion in revenue degradation that has occurred as a result of the macro,' Doxey said. 'The number is large, but it is macro-driven.' Southwest also missed Wall Street estimates for Q2 profit. The company reported operating revenue of $7.24 billion in the quarter through June, compared with $7.35 billion a year earlier. The budget carrier reported an adjusted profit per share of $0.43, compared with analysts' average expectations of $0.51, according to data compiled by LSEG. Read more about the latest earnings updates here. American Airlines stock tumbles as carrier cites 'tough' July for domestic travel American Airlines (AAL) stock slumped 6% on Thursday as the carrier echoed a trend seen with its peer Southwest (LUV) — weaker-than-expected domestic travel last quarter. "July has been tough, really hit hard by the uncertainty during the primary booking period," American CEO Robert Isom said during the company's earnings call on Thursday morning. The airline pointed out domestic revenue declined about 6% year over year over year in the three-month period ending in June. However, the company expects that July will be the low point and that performance will improve sequentially month over month. In other words, Americans financials will recover during the second half of the year. "Let's face it, the domestic network has been under stress because of the uncertainty in the economy and the reluctance of domestic passengers to get in the game," Isom said Read more here. It sounds like Trump now has a new minimum tariff rate: 15% Yahoo Finance's Ben Werschkul reports: Read more here. Stock watch: TKO Group + Netflix on Hulk Hogan news Reports have surfaced this afternoon that iconic wrestler Hulk Hogan has died at the age of 71. TMZ and The NY Post both reported the news. I would keep a close eye on TKO Group Holdings (TKO) on this one. The company is the holding company for WWE and UFC. Hogan, of course, is the most recognizable wrestler ever, bar none. I am curious about how the company honors Hogan in the months ahead, and the details could be shared on the company's Aug. 6 earnings call. I would also keep an eye on Netflix (NFLX) as WWE is exclusively streamed on there now. I suspect the upcoming Monday Night Raw episode may get more eyeballs than norma; following this news. Intel to report Q2 earnings as Wall Street looks for signs of turnaround Intel (INTC) will report its second quarter earnings on Thursday as the company's new CEO, Lip-Bu Tan, continues his attempt to turn around the ailing chip giant, Yahoo Finance's Dan Howley reports. Howley writes: Read more about Intel's upcoming earnings report here. Wall Street bullish on Alphabet as Search growth stays steady amid AI disruption fears Wall Street analysts were bullish on Alphabet stock following the Google parent's earnings, as Search revenue continued to climb despite fears of AI displacing the dominant search engine. "Another stable qtr for Search results increases our confidence in the AI transition and should ease concerns on a potential revenue reset," Bank of America analyst Justin Post wrote in a note. Post raised his price outlook on Google shares to $217 from $210. Post and other analysts noted that AI Overviews helped drive 10% more Search queries for the types of searches that the AI is used for. The Overviews has 2 billion monthly users, and the Gemini app has hit 450 million monthly active users. RBC Capital analyst Brad Erickson raised his price target on Google shares to $220 from $200, saying, "We still believe that GOOGL's AI competitors along with its own AI search tools are driving traffic headwinds across the internet, and yet, it is still finding a way to distribute enough intentful volume to grow the business plenty fast." Still, Alphabet has fallen short of giving hard dollar figures for its AI business while focusing on how the technology is driving growth in its existing businesses. Notably, analysts didn't seem discouraged by Alphabet raising its capital expenditure guidance for the year to $85 billion from $75 billion, driven by spending in infrastructure such as data centers and server equipment to power AI. Erickson said the company's "AI investment decisions are being made with clear ROI signals in front of it." Fed gets new legal headache with lawsuit seeking to make FOMC rate meetings public The Federal Reserve got a new legal headache Thursday when a money manager sued Chair Jerome Powell and other central bank policymakers in a Washington, D.C., federal court, arguing it is violating a 1976 federal law by keeping its monetary policy meetings behind closed doors, Yahoo Finance's Jennifer Schonberger reports. Schonberger writes: Read the full story here. UnitedHealth stock drops after company confirms DOJ investigation into Medicare billing practices UnitedHealth (UNH) stock fell as much as 2% early Thursday after the insurance giant disclosed in a regulatory filing Thursday morning that it is facing an investigation from the Department of Justice into its Medicare billing practices, Yahoo Finance's Jake Conley reports. Conley writes: Read the full story here. Stocks trade mixed at the open US stocks traded mixed on Thursday, as hopes lifted for a US-EU trade deal and Wall Street digested earnings results from tech giants Alphabet (GOOGL, GOOG) and Tesla (TSLA) as well as fresh labor market data. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) dropped 0.6%, after the blue-chip index ended Wednesday just shy of tis first record close this year. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) rose roughly 0.3%, while the S&P 500 (^GSPC) climbed more than 0.1%. IBM stock slides after software sales disappoint International Business Machines stock (IBM) slid 6% ahead of the opening bell after second quarter sales in its core software segment were lower than expected and the company did not provide a forecast for the third quarter. IBM's software segment, which has traditionally been a bright spot, reported sales of $7.39 billion, missing analysts' average estimate of $7.41 billion, per Reuters. After a 30% run-up in the stock year to date, the company had little room to miss estimates. Still, IBM's adjusted earnings per share of $2.80 topped the Street's expectations, and its revenue of $16.98 billion for the quarter beat estimates of $16.59 billion. Companies' spending on artificial intelligence infrastructure spurred demand for IBM's latest AI-specialized mainframes. The infrastructure segment, which houses its mainframe, reported revenue of $4.14 billion, beating estimates of $3.81 billion. Read more here from Reuters. Jobless claims hit lowest level in three months Amid a quiet week of economic data, investors were greeted with yet another sign that the US labor market isn't flashing glaring alarm signals. Data from the Department of Labor released Thursday morning showed 217,000 initial jobless claims were filed in the week ending July 19, down 4,000 from the week prior and the lowest number of weekly filings since the week of April 12. After surging in May, weekly filings have consistently declined throughout the start of the summer. Meanwhile, 1.955 million continuing claims were filed, up about 4,000 from the week prior and hovering near the highest level seen since November 2021. Economists see an increase in continuing claims as a sign that those out of work are taking longer to find new jobs. Tesla stock slides as Musk warns of a 'few rough quarters' Tesla's (TSLA) stock is sinking in premarket as a warning from CEO Elon Musk rings in investors' ears. Shares fell over 6% after Tesla posted an earnings miss, setting the stage for a tough stretch ahead. The automaker faces the end of EV incentives brought in by President Trump, alongside potential delays to its autonomous vehicle rollout. 'We probably could have a few rough quarters,' Musk said, per Bloomberg. Meanwhile, a report Thursday showed Tesla's sales in Europe fell in June for the sixth straight month, falling 23%. Tesla's finance chief flagged other challenges on a conference call with analysts. Yahoo Finance's Pras Subramanian reports: Read more here. The AI trade hasn't changed for Big Tech — and that's working for them Alphabet (GOOG, GOOGL) and Tesla (TSLA) kicked off Big Tech earnings on Wednesday afternoon, and Yahoo Finance's Hamza Shaban recaps what investors learned in today's Morning Brief: Read more here. Good morning. Here's what's happening today. Economic data: Initial jobless claims (week ending July 19) Chicago Fed national activity index (June); S&P Global US manufacturing PMI (July preliminary); S&P Global US services PMI (July preliminary); S&P global US composite PMI (July preliminary); New home sales (June) Earnings: American Airlines (AAL), Blackstone (BX), Deckers (DECK), Dow (DOW), Honeywell (HON), Intel (INTC), Keurig Dr Pepper (KDP), Nasdaq (NDAQ), Nokia (NOK), Southwest Airlines (LUV), Union Pacific (UNP) Here are some of the biggest stories you may have missed overnight and early this morning: Trump signals baseline hike in 'reciprocal' tariffs to 15% The AI trade hasn't changed for Big Tech — and that's working for them Trump to visit Fed HQ for refurb check as he battles with Powell Keurig Dr Pepper beats estimates but coffee inflation lurks Google beats on earnings, doubles down on AI spending spree Tesla stock sinks after earnings miss, 'rough' patch warning Chipotle plunges after company reports 2nd straight sales decline Goldman's trading desk touts cheap hedges against S&P 500 slide Meme stock rally has investors feeling 'invulnerable' Meme stock rally has investors feeling 'invulnerable' Retail investors with an appetite for risk are piling into speculative trades and creating a new roster of meme-stocks, helping power a broader rally in markets, Yahoo Finance's Jake Conley reports: Read more here. STMicro stock falls by most in a year after surprise loss STMicroelectronics (STM) delivered a double whammy in its earnings on Thursday: A surprise Q2 loss from restructuring charges and a disappointing outlook for Q3. US-listed stock in the European chipmaker slid over 10% in premarket trading, while its shares in Paris ( fell to their lowest in a year at one point, down 13%. Bloomberg reports: Read more here. Trending tickers: Chipotle Mexican Grill, T-mobile and Wolfspeed Here are some top stocks trending on Yahoo Finance in premarket trading: Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG) stock fell 10% before the bell on Thursday after reporting another quarter of negative sales growth. The fast-casual restaurant chain posted results on Wednesday as it navigates an uncertain consumer environment and as its new leadership deals with the most challenging backdrop in years. T-mobile (TMUS) stock rose 5% premarket on Thursday after beating analyst estimates on Wednesday. The telecom group's CEO Mike Sievert told Yahoo Finance's executive editor Brian Sozzi that the company's steady value messaging is helping it to gain market share. Wolfspeed (WOLF) shares rose 18% before the bell. The chipmaker's stock reacted positively this week to the new US-Japan trade deal and has been up 13% over the last five days. The US-Japan trade deal boosts optimism for Wolfspeed as it supports Renesas' EV chip production, raising hopes for more deals with automakers like Jaguar Land Rover. Stocks closed mixed, but S&P 500 ekes out 4th consecutive record close, Nasdaq notches fresh high Stocks closed mixed on Thursday but the S&P 500 (^GSPC) managed to close just above the flatline to close at its 4th record in a row for the week, over optimism that AI is paying off for Big Tech players like Alphabet (GOOG). The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) dropped 0.6%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) rose roughly 0.2% to close at a fresh record. As Yahoo Finance's Dan Howley reports, Google parent Alphabet (GOOG, GOOGL) is finally starting to cash in on the billions of dollars it's spending on its rapid AI buildout. The company reported better-than-anticipated earnings with CEO Sundar Pichai pointing to AI as a key growth catalyst for its various products. Meanwhile Tesla (TSLA) shares declined 8% after the EV maker posted an earnings and revenue miss in the second quarter and CEO Elon Musk hinted at a "few rough quarters" amid mounting challenges for the automaker. Stocks closed mixed on Thursday but the S&P 500 (^GSPC) managed to close just above the flatline to close at its 4th record in a row for the week, over optimism that AI is paying off for Big Tech players like Alphabet (GOOG). The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) dropped 0.6%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) rose roughly 0.2% to close at a fresh record. As Yahoo Finance's Dan Howley reports, Google parent Alphabet (GOOG, GOOGL) is finally starting to cash in on the billions of dollars it's spending on its rapid AI buildout. The company reported better-than-anticipated earnings with CEO Sundar Pichai pointing to AI as a key growth catalyst for its various products. Meanwhile Tesla (TSLA) shares declined 8% after the EV maker posted an earnings and revenue miss in the second quarter and CEO Elon Musk hinted at a "few rough quarters" amid mounting challenges for the automaker. Fed gives media tour ahead of Trump's visit to central bank headquarters Fed officials gave a media tour ahead of President Trump's visit to the central bank's headquarters this afternoon after weeks of mounting criticisms over a $2.5 billion renovation. Reporters posted images on social media on Thursday showcasing the renovation prior to the highly unusual presidential visit expected at the building on the National Mall, slated for 4 p.m. ET. The construction site tour is just one of numerous political pressure points Trump is putting on policymakers after publicly insulting Fed Chair Jerome Powell and calling for him to lower interest rates. Meanwhile, as Yahoo Finance's Jennifer Schonberger reports, the Fed just received a new legal headache Thursday when a money manager sued Powell and other central bank policymakers in a Washington, D.C., federal court. The lawsuit alleges the Fed is violating a 1976 federal law by keeping its monetary policy meetings behind closed doors. Fed officials gave a media tour ahead of President Trump's visit to the central bank's headquarters this afternoon after weeks of mounting criticisms over a $2.5 billion renovation. Reporters posted images on social media on Thursday showcasing the renovation prior to the highly unusual presidential visit expected at the building on the National Mall, slated for 4 p.m. ET. The construction site tour is just one of numerous political pressure points Trump is putting on policymakers after publicly insulting Fed Chair Jerome Powell and calling for him to lower interest rates. Meanwhile, as Yahoo Finance's Jennifer Schonberger reports, the Fed just received a new legal headache Thursday when a money manager sued Powell and other central bank policymakers in a Washington, D.C., federal court. The lawsuit alleges the Fed is violating a 1976 federal law by keeping its monetary policy meetings behind closed doors. Apple's iOS 26 brings the most significant change to your iPhone in years Yahoo Finance's Dan Howley reports: Read more here. Yahoo Finance's Dan Howley reports: Read more here. Southwest stock falls 11% after airline cuts profit forecast Southwest (LUV) stock tanked on Thursday after the airline's earnings results missed estimates. Shares fell over 12% as the earnings call with investors began. (You can listen to the full call here.) As Ines Ferré detailed below with American Airlines, Southwest was hit by a sluggish start to the peak summer travel season that translated to weak domestic travel demand and softer fares. Earlier on Thursday, Southwest CFO Tom Doxey told Yahoo Finance that the company's disappointing results were primarily caused by broader economic challenges, tariff uncertainty, and weaker consumer sentiment. Southwest lowered its full-year pre-tax profit (EBIT) guidance to $600 million-$800 million from the $1.7 billion forecast previously. 'There's an estimate of about $800 million to $1 billion in revenue degradation that has occurred as a result of the macro,' Doxey said. 'The number is large, but it is macro-driven.' Southwest also missed Wall Street estimates for Q2 profit. The company reported operating revenue of $7.24 billion in the quarter through June, compared with $7.35 billion a year earlier. The budget carrier reported an adjusted profit per share of $0.43, compared with analysts' average expectations of $0.51, according to data compiled by LSEG. Read more about the latest earnings updates here. Southwest (LUV) stock tanked on Thursday after the airline's earnings results missed estimates. Shares fell over 12% as the earnings call with investors began. (You can listen to the full call here.) As Ines Ferré detailed below with American Airlines, Southwest was hit by a sluggish start to the peak summer travel season that translated to weak domestic travel demand and softer fares. Earlier on Thursday, Southwest CFO Tom Doxey told Yahoo Finance that the company's disappointing results were primarily caused by broader economic challenges, tariff uncertainty, and weaker consumer sentiment. Southwest lowered its full-year pre-tax profit (EBIT) guidance to $600 million-$800 million from the $1.7 billion forecast previously. 'There's an estimate of about $800 million to $1 billion in revenue degradation that has occurred as a result of the macro,' Doxey said. 'The number is large, but it is macro-driven.' Southwest also missed Wall Street estimates for Q2 profit. The company reported operating revenue of $7.24 billion in the quarter through June, compared with $7.35 billion a year earlier. The budget carrier reported an adjusted profit per share of $0.43, compared with analysts' average expectations of $0.51, according to data compiled by LSEG. Read more about the latest earnings updates here. American Airlines stock tumbles as carrier cites 'tough' July for domestic travel American Airlines (AAL) stock slumped 6% on Thursday as the carrier echoed a trend seen with its peer Southwest (LUV) — weaker-than-expected domestic travel last quarter. "July has been tough, really hit hard by the uncertainty during the primary booking period," American CEO Robert Isom said during the company's earnings call on Thursday morning. The airline pointed out domestic revenue declined about 6% year over year over year in the three-month period ending in June. However, the company expects that July will be the low point and that performance will improve sequentially month over month. In other words, Americans financials will recover during the second half of the year. "Let's face it, the domestic network has been under stress because of the uncertainty in the economy and the reluctance of domestic passengers to get in the game," Isom said Read more here. American Airlines (AAL) stock slumped 6% on Thursday as the carrier echoed a trend seen with its peer Southwest (LUV) — weaker-than-expected domestic travel last quarter. "July has been tough, really hit hard by the uncertainty during the primary booking period," American CEO Robert Isom said during the company's earnings call on Thursday morning. The airline pointed out domestic revenue declined about 6% year over year over year in the three-month period ending in June. However, the company expects that July will be the low point and that performance will improve sequentially month over month. In other words, Americans financials will recover during the second half of the year. "Let's face it, the domestic network has been under stress because of the uncertainty in the economy and the reluctance of domestic passengers to get in the game," Isom said Read more here. It sounds like Trump now has a new minimum tariff rate: 15% Yahoo Finance's Ben Werschkul reports: Read more here. Yahoo Finance's Ben Werschkul reports: Read more here. Stock watch: TKO Group + Netflix on Hulk Hogan news Reports have surfaced this afternoon that iconic wrestler Hulk Hogan has died at the age of 71. TMZ and The NY Post both reported the news. I would keep a close eye on TKO Group Holdings (TKO) on this one. The company is the holding company for WWE and UFC. Hogan, of course, is the most recognizable wrestler ever, bar none. I am curious about how the company honors Hogan in the months ahead, and the details could be shared on the company's Aug. 6 earnings call. I would also keep an eye on Netflix (NFLX) as WWE is exclusively streamed on there now. I suspect the upcoming Monday Night Raw episode may get more eyeballs than norma; following this news. Reports have surfaced this afternoon that iconic wrestler Hulk Hogan has died at the age of 71. TMZ and The NY Post both reported the news. I would keep a close eye on TKO Group Holdings (TKO) on this one. The company is the holding company for WWE and UFC. Hogan, of course, is the most recognizable wrestler ever, bar none. I am curious about how the company honors Hogan in the months ahead, and the details could be shared on the company's Aug. 6 earnings call. I would also keep an eye on Netflix (NFLX) as WWE is exclusively streamed on there now. I suspect the upcoming Monday Night Raw episode may get more eyeballs than norma; following this news. Intel to report Q2 earnings as Wall Street looks for signs of turnaround Intel (INTC) will report its second quarter earnings on Thursday as the company's new CEO, Lip-Bu Tan, continues his attempt to turn around the ailing chip giant, Yahoo Finance's Dan Howley reports. Howley writes: Read more about Intel's upcoming earnings report here. Intel (INTC) will report its second quarter earnings on Thursday as the company's new CEO, Lip-Bu Tan, continues his attempt to turn around the ailing chip giant, Yahoo Finance's Dan Howley reports. Howley writes: Read more about Intel's upcoming earnings report here. Wall Street bullish on Alphabet as Search growth stays steady amid AI disruption fears Wall Street analysts were bullish on Alphabet stock following the Google parent's earnings, as Search revenue continued to climb despite fears of AI displacing the dominant search engine. "Another stable qtr for Search results increases our confidence in the AI transition and should ease concerns on a potential revenue reset," Bank of America analyst Justin Post wrote in a note. Post raised his price outlook on Google shares to $217 from $210. Post and other analysts noted that AI Overviews helped drive 10% more Search queries for the types of searches that the AI is used for. The Overviews has 2 billion monthly users, and the Gemini app has hit 450 million monthly active users. RBC Capital analyst Brad Erickson raised his price target on Google shares to $220 from $200, saying, "We still believe that GOOGL's AI competitors along with its own AI search tools are driving traffic headwinds across the internet, and yet, it is still finding a way to distribute enough intentful volume to grow the business plenty fast." Still, Alphabet has fallen short of giving hard dollar figures for its AI business while focusing on how the technology is driving growth in its existing businesses. Notably, analysts didn't seem discouraged by Alphabet raising its capital expenditure guidance for the year to $85 billion from $75 billion, driven by spending in infrastructure such as data centers and server equipment to power AI. Erickson said the company's "AI investment decisions are being made with clear ROI signals in front of it." Wall Street analysts were bullish on Alphabet stock following the Google parent's earnings, as Search revenue continued to climb despite fears of AI displacing the dominant search engine. "Another stable qtr for Search results increases our confidence in the AI transition and should ease concerns on a potential revenue reset," Bank of America analyst Justin Post wrote in a note. Post raised his price outlook on Google shares to $217 from $210. Post and other analysts noted that AI Overviews helped drive 10% more Search queries for the types of searches that the AI is used for. The Overviews has 2 billion monthly users, and the Gemini app has hit 450 million monthly active users. RBC Capital analyst Brad Erickson raised his price target on Google shares to $220 from $200, saying, "We still believe that GOOGL's AI competitors along with its own AI search tools are driving traffic headwinds across the internet, and yet, it is still finding a way to distribute enough intentful volume to grow the business plenty fast." Still, Alphabet has fallen short of giving hard dollar figures for its AI business while focusing on how the technology is driving growth in its existing businesses. Notably, analysts didn't seem discouraged by Alphabet raising its capital expenditure guidance for the year to $85 billion from $75 billion, driven by spending in infrastructure such as data centers and server equipment to power AI. Erickson said the company's "AI investment decisions are being made with clear ROI signals in front of it." Fed gets new legal headache with lawsuit seeking to make FOMC rate meetings public The Federal Reserve got a new legal headache Thursday when a money manager sued Chair Jerome Powell and other central bank policymakers in a Washington, D.C., federal court, arguing it is violating a 1976 federal law by keeping its monetary policy meetings behind closed doors, Yahoo Finance's Jennifer Schonberger reports. Schonberger writes: Read the full story here. The Federal Reserve got a new legal headache Thursday when a money manager sued Chair Jerome Powell and other central bank policymakers in a Washington, D.C., federal court, arguing it is violating a 1976 federal law by keeping its monetary policy meetings behind closed doors, Yahoo Finance's Jennifer Schonberger reports. Schonberger writes: Read the full story here. UnitedHealth stock drops after company confirms DOJ investigation into Medicare billing practices UnitedHealth (UNH) stock fell as much as 2% early Thursday after the insurance giant disclosed in a regulatory filing Thursday morning that it is facing an investigation from the Department of Justice into its Medicare billing practices, Yahoo Finance's Jake Conley reports. Conley writes: Read the full story here. UnitedHealth (UNH) stock fell as much as 2% early Thursday after the insurance giant disclosed in a regulatory filing Thursday morning that it is facing an investigation from the Department of Justice into its Medicare billing practices, Yahoo Finance's Jake Conley reports. Conley writes: Read the full story here. Stocks trade mixed at the open US stocks traded mixed on Thursday, as hopes lifted for a US-EU trade deal and Wall Street digested earnings results from tech giants Alphabet (GOOGL, GOOG) and Tesla (TSLA) as well as fresh labor market data. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) dropped 0.6%, after the blue-chip index ended Wednesday just shy of tis first record close this year. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) rose roughly 0.3%, while the S&P 500 (^GSPC) climbed more than 0.1%. US stocks traded mixed on Thursday, as hopes lifted for a US-EU trade deal and Wall Street digested earnings results from tech giants Alphabet (GOOGL, GOOG) and Tesla (TSLA) as well as fresh labor market data. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) dropped 0.6%, after the blue-chip index ended Wednesday just shy of tis first record close this year. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) rose roughly 0.3%, while the S&P 500 (^GSPC) climbed more than 0.1%. IBM stock slides after software sales disappoint International Business Machines stock (IBM) slid 6% ahead of the opening bell after second quarter sales in its core software segment were lower than expected and the company did not provide a forecast for the third quarter. IBM's software segment, which has traditionally been a bright spot, reported sales of $7.39 billion, missing analysts' average estimate of $7.41 billion, per Reuters. After a 30% run-up in the stock year to date, the company had little room to miss estimates. Still, IBM's adjusted earnings per share of $2.80 topped the Street's expectations, and its revenue of $16.98 billion for the quarter beat estimates of $16.59 billion. Companies' spending on artificial intelligence infrastructure spurred demand for IBM's latest AI-specialized mainframes. The infrastructure segment, which houses its mainframe, reported revenue of $4.14 billion, beating estimates of $3.81 billion. Read more here from Reuters. International Business Machines stock (IBM) slid 6% ahead of the opening bell after second quarter sales in its core software segment were lower than expected and the company did not provide a forecast for the third quarter. IBM's software segment, which has traditionally been a bright spot, reported sales of $7.39 billion, missing analysts' average estimate of $7.41 billion, per Reuters. After a 30% run-up in the stock year to date, the company had little room to miss estimates. Still, IBM's adjusted earnings per share of $2.80 topped the Street's expectations, and its revenue of $16.98 billion for the quarter beat estimates of $16.59 billion. Companies' spending on artificial intelligence infrastructure spurred demand for IBM's latest AI-specialized mainframes. The infrastructure segment, which houses its mainframe, reported revenue of $4.14 billion, beating estimates of $3.81 billion. Read more here from Reuters. Jobless claims hit lowest level in three months Amid a quiet week of economic data, investors were greeted with yet another sign that the US labor market isn't flashing glaring alarm signals. Data from the Department of Labor released Thursday morning showed 217,000 initial jobless claims were filed in the week ending July 19, down 4,000 from the week prior and the lowest number of weekly filings since the week of April 12. After surging in May, weekly filings have consistently declined throughout the start of the summer. Meanwhile, 1.955 million continuing claims were filed, up about 4,000 from the week prior and hovering near the highest level seen since November 2021. Economists see an increase in continuing claims as a sign that those out of work are taking longer to find new jobs. Amid a quiet week of economic data, investors were greeted with yet another sign that the US labor market isn't flashing glaring alarm signals. Data from the Department of Labor released Thursday morning showed 217,000 initial jobless claims were filed in the week ending July 19, down 4,000 from the week prior and the lowest number of weekly filings since the week of April 12. After surging in May, weekly filings have consistently declined throughout the start of the summer. Meanwhile, 1.955 million continuing claims were filed, up about 4,000 from the week prior and hovering near the highest level seen since November 2021. Economists see an increase in continuing claims as a sign that those out of work are taking longer to find new jobs. Tesla stock slides as Musk warns of a 'few rough quarters' Tesla's (TSLA) stock is sinking in premarket as a warning from CEO Elon Musk rings in investors' ears. Shares fell over 6% after Tesla posted an earnings miss, setting the stage for a tough stretch ahead. The automaker faces the end of EV incentives brought in by President Trump, alongside potential delays to its autonomous vehicle rollout. 'We probably could have a few rough quarters,' Musk said, per Bloomberg. Meanwhile, a report Thursday showed Tesla's sales in Europe fell in June for the sixth straight month, falling 23%. Tesla's finance chief flagged other challenges on a conference call with analysts. Yahoo Finance's Pras Subramanian reports: Read more here. Tesla's (TSLA) stock is sinking in premarket as a warning from CEO Elon Musk rings in investors' ears. Shares fell over 6% after Tesla posted an earnings miss, setting the stage for a tough stretch ahead. The automaker faces the end of EV incentives brought in by President Trump, alongside potential delays to its autonomous vehicle rollout. 'We probably could have a few rough quarters,' Musk said, per Bloomberg. Meanwhile, a report Thursday showed Tesla's sales in Europe fell in June for the sixth straight month, falling 23%. Tesla's finance chief flagged other challenges on a conference call with analysts. Yahoo Finance's Pras Subramanian reports: Read more here. The AI trade hasn't changed for Big Tech — and that's working for them Alphabet (GOOG, GOOGL) and Tesla (TSLA) kicked off Big Tech earnings on Wednesday afternoon, and Yahoo Finance's Hamza Shaban recaps what investors learned in today's Morning Brief: Read more here. Alphabet (GOOG, GOOGL) and Tesla (TSLA) kicked off Big Tech earnings on Wednesday afternoon, and Yahoo Finance's Hamza Shaban recaps what investors learned in today's Morning Brief: Read more here. Good morning. Here's what's happening today. Economic data: Initial jobless claims (week ending July 19) Chicago Fed national activity index (June); S&P Global US manufacturing PMI (July preliminary); S&P Global US services PMI (July preliminary); S&P global US composite PMI (July preliminary); New home sales (June) Earnings: American Airlines (AAL), Blackstone (BX), Deckers (DECK), Dow (DOW), Honeywell (HON), Intel (INTC), Keurig Dr Pepper (KDP), Nasdaq (NDAQ), Nokia (NOK), Southwest Airlines (LUV), Union Pacific (UNP) Here are some of the biggest stories you may have missed overnight and early this morning: Trump signals baseline hike in 'reciprocal' tariffs to 15% The AI trade hasn't changed for Big Tech — and that's working for them Trump to visit Fed HQ for refurb check as he battles with Powell Keurig Dr Pepper beats estimates but coffee inflation lurks Google beats on earnings, doubles down on AI spending spree Tesla stock sinks after earnings miss, 'rough' patch warning Chipotle plunges after company reports 2nd straight sales decline Goldman's trading desk touts cheap hedges against S&P 500 slide Meme stock rally has investors feeling 'invulnerable' Economic data: Initial jobless claims (week ending July 19) Chicago Fed national activity index (June); S&P Global US manufacturing PMI (July preliminary); S&P Global US services PMI (July preliminary); S&P global US composite PMI (July preliminary); New home sales (June) Earnings: American Airlines (AAL), Blackstone (BX), Deckers (DECK), Dow (DOW), Honeywell (HON), Intel (INTC), Keurig Dr Pepper (KDP), Nasdaq (NDAQ), Nokia (NOK), Southwest Airlines (LUV), Union Pacific (UNP) Here are some of the biggest stories you may have missed overnight and early this morning: Trump signals baseline hike in 'reciprocal' tariffs to 15% The AI trade hasn't changed for Big Tech — and that's working for them Trump to visit Fed HQ for refurb check as he battles with Powell Keurig Dr Pepper beats estimates but coffee inflation lurks Google beats on earnings, doubles down on AI spending spree Tesla stock sinks after earnings miss, 'rough' patch warning Chipotle plunges after company reports 2nd straight sales decline Goldman's trading desk touts cheap hedges against S&P 500 slide Meme stock rally has investors feeling 'invulnerable' Meme stock rally has investors feeling 'invulnerable' Retail investors with an appetite for risk are piling into speculative trades and creating a new roster of meme-stocks, helping power a broader rally in markets, Yahoo Finance's Jake Conley reports: Read more here. Retail investors with an appetite for risk are piling into speculative trades and creating a new roster of meme-stocks, helping power a broader rally in markets, Yahoo Finance's Jake Conley reports: Read more here. STMicro stock falls by most in a year after surprise loss STMicroelectronics (STM) delivered a double whammy in its earnings on Thursday: A surprise Q2 loss from restructuring charges and a disappointing outlook for Q3. US-listed stock in the European chipmaker slid over 10% in premarket trading, while its shares in Paris ( fell to their lowest in a year at one point, down 13%. Bloomberg reports: Read more here. STMicroelectronics (STM) delivered a double whammy in its earnings on Thursday: A surprise Q2 loss from restructuring charges and a disappointing outlook for Q3. US-listed stock in the European chipmaker slid over 10% in premarket trading, while its shares in Paris ( fell to their lowest in a year at one point, down 13%. Bloomberg reports: Read more here. Trending tickers: Chipotle Mexican Grill, T-mobile and Wolfspeed Here are some top stocks trending on Yahoo Finance in premarket trading: Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG) stock fell 10% before the bell on Thursday after reporting another quarter of negative sales growth. The fast-casual restaurant chain posted results on Wednesday as it navigates an uncertain consumer environment and as its new leadership deals with the most challenging backdrop in years. T-mobile (TMUS) stock rose 5% premarket on Thursday after beating analyst estimates on Wednesday. The telecom group's CEO Mike Sievert told Yahoo Finance's executive editor Brian Sozzi that the company's steady value messaging is helping it to gain market share. Wolfspeed (WOLF) shares rose 18% before the bell. The chipmaker's stock reacted positively this week to the new US-Japan trade deal and has been up 13% over the last five days. The US-Japan trade deal boosts optimism for Wolfspeed as it supports Renesas' EV chip production, raising hopes for more deals with automakers like Jaguar Land Rover. Here are some top stocks trending on Yahoo Finance in premarket trading: Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG) stock fell 10% before the bell on Thursday after reporting another quarter of negative sales growth. The fast-casual restaurant chain posted results on Wednesday as it navigates an uncertain consumer environment and as its new leadership deals with the most challenging backdrop in years. T-mobile (TMUS) stock rose 5% premarket on Thursday after beating analyst estimates on Wednesday. The telecom group's CEO Mike Sievert told Yahoo Finance's executive editor Brian Sozzi that the company's steady value messaging is helping it to gain market share. Wolfspeed (WOLF) shares rose 18% before the bell. The chipmaker's stock reacted positively this week to the new US-Japan trade deal and has been up 13% over the last five days. The US-Japan trade deal boosts optimism for Wolfspeed as it supports Renesas' EV chip production, raising hopes for more deals with automakers like Jaguar Land Rover. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
23 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Trump Bizarrely Claims He Wants Elon Musk To ‘Thrive' After Threatening Him
President Donald Trump says he wants Elon Musk to 'thrive' just weeks after threatening to end the tech billionaire's government contracts. 'Everyone is stating that I will destroy Elon's companies by taking away some, if not all, of the large scale subsidies he receives from the U.S. Government. This is not so!' Trump wrote Thursday on Truth Social. He continued, 'I want Elon, and all businesses within our Country, to THRIVE, in fact, THRIVE like never before! The better they do, the better the USA does, and that's good for all of us. We are setting records every day, and I want to keep it that way!' The POTUS' comments appear to be a total 180 from his recent statements from both himself and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt amid the ongoing drama with Musk, the former head of Trump's Department of Government Efficiency. On Wednesday, Leavitt said that she does not think Trump supports federal agencies contracting with Musk's artificial intelligence company, xAI. After Leavitt was questioned about whether she thinks Trump would seek to have the government cancel the contract with the corporation, which was announced last week, Leavitt said she would discuss it with the president. Musk scored the contract for up to $200 million with the Department of Defense alongside three other major tech firms — Anthropic, Google and OpenAI. In June, Trump also threatened to axe federal contracts with Musk-run businesses, such as SpaceX. 'The easiest way to save money in our Budget, Billions and Billions of Dollars, is to terminate Elon's Governmental Subsidies and Contracts,' the president wrote in a June 5 Truth Social post. Musk quickly fired back on X, formerly Twitter, writing, 'Go ahead, make my day …' Trump and Musk have been at odds since May after the businessman's temporary advisory role in the Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency ended. Following Musk's exit, the pair have taken several digs at each other. Trump announced in June that he would 'look' into Musk's deportation (Musk was born in South Africa). Meanwhile, the Tesla head has publicly slammed Trump's controversial spending and tax bill, also known as the 'Big Beautiful Bill.' Related... Tesla Shares Sink As Elon Musk Predicts 'Rough Quarters' Ahead Looming Over Two Cases Threatening Musk's Car Company Is A Single Question: Can He Be Trusted? Elon Musk Soft Launches 'NSFW' AI Companion A Week After Chatbot Goes On Antisemitic Tirade
TechCrunch
24 minutes ago
- TechCrunch
X to test using Community Notes to find the posts everyone likes
Elon Musk's X will begin experimenting with a new way to use Community Notes, its crowdsourcing fact-checking system, to highlight well-liked posts from users with different perspectives. On Thursday, the Community Notes X account announced the launch of a pilot test where select contributors would be able to rate posts by answering questions about why they either like or don't like that particular post. The system is similar to how Community Notes fact-checking works. Instead of simply allowing users to upvote or downvote posts for accuracy — something that could be easily gamed if like-minded contributors teamed up to promote their own views — Community Notes uses something called a bridging algorithm. This attempts to find consensus among people who don't usually share the same views. If users whose opinions typically differ both agree that a fact-check is accurate, the note is published and made visible to the public. While X's system has been criticized for being too slow and unable to keep up with the massive amounts of misinformation that circulate on the platform, this same idea has since been adopted by Meta as a replacement for fact-checking. Now, X intends to see if Community Notes could help identify the best posts, too. Starting today, the company says that a subset of Community Notes contributors will begin seeing a new callout in the product when a post is gaining attention in the form of Likes. Contributors will then be able to rate and provide feedback about the post, which will inform the algorithm if the post is being well-received by people with different perspectives. In a post on the Community Notes X account, the company explains the experiment could bring awareness to 'what resonates broadly.' 'People often feel the world is divided, yet Community Notes shows people can agree, even on contentious topics. This experimental new feature seeks to uncover ideas, insights, and opinions that bridge perspectives,' the post states. 'Following the path we used to develop Community Notes, we're building in public with a small pilot so that this concept can be shaped by the people. We look forward to learning and iterating with you all as we do with Community Notes every day.'
