Category: Stock Market News

The so-called FAANG companies — Facebook Inc. , Amazon.com Inc. , Apple Inc. , Netflix Inc. , and Alphabet Inc.’s Google — have been big winners in 2017, but analysts at Morgan Stanley think that the stocks are less likely to see sizable gains heading into the new year. “While we believe that fundamental drivers for these stocks remain intact, history indicates returns may moderate their pace and we question whether growth over value can continue to be as meaningful a driver of returns,” wrote the analysts, led by Benjamin Swinburne. These five stocks account for about 24% of the S&P 500’s incremental market cap, he wrote, but Morgan Stanley’s analysis indicates that top performers, on average, “do not outperform the following year.” Swinburne deems Google most exposed to a consumer recession, and Netflix least exposed. Facebook shares have gained 56% so far in 2017, compared with 55% for Amazon, 49% for Apple, 51% for Netflix, and 33% for Alphabet. The S&P 500 is up 19% this year.

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Fitbit Inc. stock gained 3.9% in midday trading Monday, putting it on pace to close above $7 for the first time since late January. The company announced Friday after the market close that that it had reached a settlement in its lawsuit with Jawbone, for undisclosed terms. Jawbone accused Fitbit in 2015 of stealing its employees and trade secrets. Fitbit shares have fallen 1.1% so far in 2017, compared with a 19% gain for the S&P 500 Index .

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Brent crude-oil futures rallied Monday, with prices set for their highest settlement since the middle of 2015, following reports Monday that a major North Sea pipeline has been shut down. A crack in the Forties pipeline, which carries about 40% of North Sea crude across land for processing at a refinery in Scotland, was discovered last week, according to BBC News. February Brent crude rose $1.12, or 1.8%, to $64.52 a barrel on ICE Futures Europe.

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The Securities and Exchange Commission forced the halt of what the regulator said was an offer of unregistered securities by a California-based company selling digital tokens to investors for its blockchain-based food review service. The company, Munchee Inc., refunded investor proceeds before any tokens were delivered to investors after an investigation by the SEC’s new Cyber Unit, which is focused on misconduct involving distributed ledger technology and initial coin offerings. Munchee was seeking $15 million in capital to improve an existing iPhone app centered on restaurant meal reviews and create an ”ecosystem” in which Munchee and others would buy and sell goods and services using the tokens. According to the SEC’s order, the company and other promoters told investors via its website and a white paper that they could expect an increase in value of the tokens and that the company would create and support a secondary market for the tokens. The SEC has said its report on its investigation of DAO that a token can be a security. Munchee consented to the SEC’s cease-and-desist order without admitting or denying the findings.

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J.C. Penney Co. Inc. has partnered with online menswear styling service Bombfell to provide styling services for big-and-tall customers. Shoppers can head to the JCPenney+Bombfell site to take a quiz that will help the service determine fit and preferences. Customers preview the five stylists’ picks before the items ship, and then shoppers have seven days to try the items on. Shoppers keep what they want and send back what they don’t want. The $20 stylist fee is applied to anything purchased. The average price point is $39 per item, according to the website. In a statement, J.C. Penney notes its history of serving the big-and-tall customer, saying the assortment available on its website has driven “up to 20% of our enterprise business in big-and-tall – much higher than most merchandise categories.” J.C. Penney shares are down more than 68% for the past year while the S&P 500 index is up 17.5% for the period.

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Three people in the U.K. were found guilty on Monday for their roles in a running a series of boiler rooms that resulted in investors losing more than £2.7 million, said the country’s financial industry watchdog. Another three defendants had already pleaded guilty in the proceedings, the Financial Conduct Authority said in a statement. The FCA said the defendants, whose names couldn’t yet be released, will be sentenced in Southwark Crown Court in London at a later date.

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Mattel Inc.’s senior unsecured bond ratings were downgraded three notches to a “junk” rating of Ba3 from Baa3 at Moody’s Investors Service, which cited the toy maker’s weak performance this year and the lowered profit expectations for the holiday season. Moody’s also cut Mattel’s short-term rating to Not Prime from Prime-3. The rating outlook is stable. Moody’s said it expects the lowered profit outlook to contribute to “much higher than previously expected year-end leverage.” Separately, S&P Global Ratings downgraded on Monday Mattel’s credit rating, which it already had rated “junk,” one notch to BB- from BB, with a negative outlook. Mattel’s stock rose 2.4% in morning trade, but has plunged 44.1% year to date, while the S&P 500 has gained 18.6% so far this year.

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Of all beauty products, women most want a new eyeshadow palette for the holidays, according to a survey of more than 2,000 American women conducted by SkinStore, a beauty retailer. Two skincare products, serum and night cream, round out the top three choices. A survey of more than 2,000 men found that their number one beauty choice was moisturizer, followed by shaving products and facial wash. Beauty stocks like Ulta Beauty Inc. and e.l.f. Beauty Inc. have taken a beating in 2017, down nearly 13% and 24.5% for the year so far respectively as the S&P 500 index has risen 18.6%. Still Cowen & Company analysts said in a Nov. 30 note that skincare, fragrances and hair care are “bright spots” in a sea of disruptions like hurricanes and soft makeup trends. “Ulta’s loyalty program and store format are sustainable competitive advantages, and customer relationships as well as vendor relations are competitive moats,” analysts wrote. They rate Ulta shares outperform with a $246 price target.

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Verizon Inc. shares gained 0.5% in Monday morning trading after the company said that it had signed a new streaming agreement with the NFL, reportedly worth more than $2 billion over five years, according to the Wall Street Journal. Under the deal, Verizon would have the rights to stream national and in-network NFL games on mobile devices, with the games available to viewers regardless of their wireless carrier. The deal begins in January and will include the NFL playoffs. Viewers will be able to watch the games on Yahoo, Yahoo Sports, go90, and the NFL’s app. Verizon is trying to make a bigger push into the media business, after acquiring Yahoo’s internet assets earlier this year and AOL in 2015. Verizon shares have fallen 4.1% so far in 2017, compared with a 19% gain for the S&P 500 Index .

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The Dow Jones Industrial Average saw early gains firm on Monday, buoyed by early share rises in Walt Disney Co., Chevron Corp., and 3M Co. Shares of those Dow components were adding about 30 points to the price-weighted benchmark. The Dow was most recently up 40 points, or 0.2%, at 24,366. A $1 move in any one of the Dow’s 30 components equates to a roughly 6.8-point swing in the Dow. Elsewhere, the S&P 500 index was up 4.56 points, or 0.2%, at 2,655. Both the S&P 500 and the Dow were trading in record territory, Meanwhile, the Nasdaq Composite Index was up 0.2% at 6,856.

Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news.

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