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Equity Actions

FMAO

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:FMAO) announced Andrew Briggs as the new Chairman of the Board, succeeding Jack Johnson who is retiring due to age requirements. Briggs, with over 40 years in banking and significant community involvement, brings a wealth of experience to FMAO. The company highlights its succession planning and board renewal efforts, with over half of the current board members having joined since 2016. Lars Eller, CEO, praised both Briggs' appointment and Johnson's contributions.

Portfolio Pulse from Benzinga Newsdesk

May 03, 2024 | 7:17 pm

QCOM

Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) has seen significant options trading activity, with a bullish sentiment prevailing among investors. Analysis of 36 trades reveals 58% bullish and 36% bearish expectations. Notable options activity targets a price range of $110 to $220. Current market data shows QCOM's price at $179.28, with a slight downtrend and potential overbought signals. Analyst ratings over the past month suggest an average target price of $192, with varying recommendations from Buy to Neutral.

Portfolio Pulse from Benzinga Insights

May 03, 2024 | 7:16 pm

IAC

6 analysts have updated their ratings and price targets for IAC (NASDAQ:IAC), showing a mix of bullish and bearish perspectives. The average 12-month price target is now $70.33, up from $68.17, indicating a positive outlook. Key analysts from firms like Keybanc, UBS, Barclays, and Truist Securities have adjusted their ratings, reflecting changes in market conditions and IAC's performance. Despite facing a revenue decline of -15.12% as of December 31, 2023, IAC maintains strong profitability indicators such as a net margin of 30.11%, ROE of 5.39%, and ROA of 3.12%, outperforming industry averages.

Portfolio Pulse from Benzinga Insights

May 03, 2024 | 7:00 pm

MCO

In the last three months, 12 financial analysts have provided diverse evaluations of Moody's (NYSE:MCO), with a shift towards a more bullish sentiment in the last 30 days. The average 12-month price target for MCO has been raised to $408.58, reflecting a 2.03% increase from the previous target. Analysts from firms like Baird, Barclays, and Oppenheimer have adjusted their ratings and price targets, indicating a positive outlook on Moody's financial performance, which includes a strong revenue growth rate of 14.73%, a high net margin of 22.97%, and an impressive ROE of 10.45%. However, Moody's faces challenges with a high debt-to-equity ratio of 2.23.

Portfolio Pulse from Benzinga Insights

May 03, 2024 | 7:00 pm

HAL

Halliburton's (NYSE:HAL) short interest has increased by 22.18% since the last report, with 23.74 million shares sold short, representing 3.58% of its float. This indicates a bearish market sentiment, although it's lower than its peer group average of 6.96%. Short interest is a critical market sentiment indicator, and Halliburton's current position suggests mixed sentiment among investors.

Portfolio Pulse from Benzinga Insights

May 03, 2024 | 6:45 pm

PLTR

Palantir Technologies saw significant options trading activity with a sweep of 3,080 contracts for Friday $23 calls near the ask price of $0.371, against an open interest of 20,315. This activity comes ahead of their earnings report due on May 6th, after the market closes, with the reference stock price at $23.325.

Portfolio Pulse from Charles Gross

May 03, 2024 | 6:34 pm

USB

U.S. Bancorp (NYSE:USB) has appointed Gunjan Kedia as its new president, a role in which she will oversee the company's three business lines to promote growth and enhance client experiences. Kedia, with over 30 years in financial services, has been with U.S. Bank since 2016, contributing significantly to its growth and diversity efforts. She reports to Andy Cecere, chairman and CEO, and aims to continue driving success across all business lines.

Portfolio Pulse from Benzinga Newsdesk

May 03, 2024 | 6:31 pm

AAPL

KO

Apple Inc announced a $110 billion share buyback, its largest ever, leading to a 6%+ jump in its stock price despite declining iPhone sales. This move has sparked debate among investors and Redditors, comparing it to Coca-Cola's past buyback mistake during the dot-com bubble. Discussions also touched on Warren Buffett's silence on the matter, given his investment in Apple, and suggestions for alternative uses of Apple's cash, highlighting the challenge of balancing shareholder value with strategic investments.

Portfolio Pulse from Surbhi Jain

May 03, 2024 | 6:14 pm

EWW

TSLA

Mexico's economy faces challenges with slowing GDP growth, rising inflation, and unlikely interest rate cuts, impacting investor sentiment. The iShares MSCI Mexico ETF (EWW) has seen modest performance compared to its Latin American peers, with concerns over Mexico's manufacturing slowdown and upcoming elections. However, Mexico could benefit from geopolitical shifts and increased investment from companies diversifying away from China, including significant investments by Tesla (TSLA) and others in Nuevo Leon.

Portfolio Pulse from Kenneth Rapoza

May 03, 2024 | 6:09 pm

ZBH

Analyst ratings for Zimmer Biomet Holdings (NYSE:ZBH) have shown a diverse range from bullish to bearish over the last three months, with recent actions including both upgrades and downgrades. The average 12-month price target for ZBH has increased to $135.0, reflecting a 3.39% rise from the previous target. Zimmer Biomet, a leader in orthopedic reconstructive implants, has shown a revenue growth of 6.3% as of December 31, 2023, but its ROE is below industry standards. Despite this, its net margin and ROA outperform industry averages, and its debt-to-equity ratio is below the industry average, indicating strong financial health.

Portfolio Pulse from Benzinga Insights

May 03, 2024 | 6:01 pm