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AMZN

GOOGL

MSFT

Sam Altman, former CEO of OpenAI, received significant support from investors and employees after his exit, raising the possibility of his reinstatement. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has expressed support for Altman's future projects. Analyst Daniel Ives anticipates Microsoft may increase control over OpenAI and notes potential for rivals Amazon and Alphabet to capitalize on the situation. Altman's departure may be linked to his plans to start an AI chip company with substantial funding. OpenAI's board faced an ultimatum to resign and is discussing Altman's return, with potential governance changes if he does.

Portfolio Pulse from Shanthi Rexaline

November 19, 2023 | 3:41 pm

CSCO

DIS

PLTR

VLVLY

VRTX

Barron's weekend stock picks include Disney, Palantir, and Cisco, with each facing different challenges and opportunities. Disney is under pressure from two activist investors to increase shareholder value. Palantir's stock is on the rise due to positive results and analyst optimism. Vertex Pharmaceuticals' stock fell over concerns about its pain pill trial. Volvo's stock drop is seen as a potential opportunity. Cisco Systems faces a poor outlook due to pandemic fallout, despite good quarterly results.

Portfolio Pulse from Justin Chan

November 19, 2023 | 1:18 am

AAPL

DIS

IBM

LGF

WBD

Elon Musk criticized major advertisers for pulling ads from social media platform X, accusing them of suppressing free speech. This follows their withdrawal after Musk endorsed an antisemitic post. Companies like Apple, Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery, IBM, and Lions Gate Entertainment have stopped advertising on X. X's CEO Linda Yaccarino emphasized the platform's stance against discrimination and efforts to combat antisemitism.

Portfolio Pulse from Bibhu Pattnaik

November 18, 2023 | 7:50 pm

DIS

DKNG

FWONA

FWONK

PENN

The sports betting sector saw several key developments, including the launch of ESPN Bet by PENN Entertainment in partnership with The Walt Disney Company. ESPN Bet is live in 17 states, offering $200 in bonus bets and topping iOS charts. Other highlights include Christian McCaffrey's touchdown streak ending, potential Taylor Swift's impact on Travis Kelce's performance, NFL Thanksgiving Day betting, Jim Harbaugh's suspension, a bettor winning a $5.5 million parlay, and Formula One betting odds for the Las Vegas Grand Prix.

Portfolio Pulse from Chris Katje

November 18, 2023 | 7:16 pm

GSK

MRK

Merck & Company, Inc.'s (NYSE:MRK) new drug gefapixant faces skepticism from an FDA advisory panel due to questionable efficacy and side effects. The panel voted 12 to 1, highlighting minor reductions in cough frequency and a high dropout rate in trials. Despite Merck's defense of gefapixant, the FDA's final decision is pending for December 27. If approved, gefapixant will compete with GSK Plc's (NYSE:GSK) camlipixant. Merck's cancer drug was recently approved for a type of gastric cancer. MRK shares dropped slightly by 0.24%.

Portfolio Pulse from Nabaparna Bhattacharya

November 18, 2023 | 6:21 pm

AMZN

GOOG

GOOGL

MSFT

Sam Altman has been replaced as CEO of OpenAI by interim CTO Mira Murati, and OpenAI president Greg Brockman has resigned, causing 'pure chaos' according to Wedbush analyst Daniel Ives. This is a significant event for Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT), which has a strategic partnership with OpenAI and was reportedly 'blindsided' by the news. Ives suggests that Microsoft may take more control over OpenAI and that the changes could impact future strategic initiatives. He also speculates that Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) and Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL, NASDAQ:GOOG) might see this as an opportunity. Despite the turmoil, Ives maintains an Outperform rating and $425 price target on Microsoft shares.

Portfolio Pulse from Shanthi Rexaline

November 18, 2023 | 6:00 pm

AMZN

META

MSFT

SOXX

TSLA

The stock market saw gains for the third consecutive week, with major indexes rising. U.S. inflation slowed in October, and retail sales contracted slightly. Benzinga's event discussed fintech and digital assets. Bullish views included Amazon's blockchain head discussing a Bitcoin ETF, Microsoft's raised target price due to AI and custom chips, and Dogecoin's potential rally. Bearish perspectives involved Tesla's struggles in China, Michael Burry's short bet against the semiconductor sector, and a developer favoring Apple's Vision Pro over Meta's Quest.

Portfolio Pulse from Michael Cohen

November 18, 2023 | 5:22 pm

TSLA

Elon Musk criticized short-sellers after Sen. Tommy Tuberville disclosed bearish bets on Tesla, Inc. (TSLA) through put options. Tesla's stock has been underperforming, with a high short interest of 2.65% of outstanding shares. Musk's comments reflect his ongoing disdain for shorts, which he has previously described as harmful to businesses. Tesla's stock closed slightly up at $234.30.

Portfolio Pulse from Shanthi Rexaline

November 18, 2023 | 3:37 pm

PLNH

Pablo Zuanic, a senior analyst at Zuanic & Associates, reviewed Planet 13 Holdings' (OTC:PLNH) 3Q23 performance, noting a 3% YoY sales decrease and a 4% QoQ decrease, mainly in Nevada. California showed a 2% increase in wholesale sales. Despite a 12% sales drop in December CY22, the company maintained a 45.9% gross margin. However, concerns arise from the decline in EBITDA margin and increased operational expenses. For 4Q23, minimal top line growth is expected, while CY24 growth is anticipated from new stores and the VidaCann deal in Florida. Zuanic remains optimistic about PLNH's growth potential, maintaining an Overweight stance on the stock.

Portfolio Pulse from Nicolás Jose Rodriguez

November 18, 2023 | 3:01 pm

FSR

KARS

NKLA

RIVN

TSLA

VWAGY

Electric vehicle stocks saw gains in the week ending Nov. 18, with Tesla (TSLA) up over 10% despite controversy over CEO Elon Musk's support for antisemitic content. Tesla faces union issues in Sweden and prepares for the Cybertruck launch. Nikola (NKLA) announced the resignation of CFO Anastasiya Pasterick. Fisker (FSR) reported disappointing Q3 results and internal control weaknesses. Rivian (RIVN) offers incentives for R1T purchases. Volkswagen (VWAGY) recalls ID.4s over flammability concerns. The KraneShares Electric Vehicles ETF (KARS) ended the week up 4.51% but down 0.88% on Friday.

Portfolio Pulse from Shanthi Rexaline

November 18, 2023 | 2:39 pm