Earnings Season is Here Again

Earnings Season is Here Again

It begins this week with reports from a range of major banks, among them JPMorgan Chase [JPM], Goldman Sachs [GS], Bank of America Corporation [BAC] and Morgan Stanley [MS]. Analysts expect banks’ Q4 earnings to be down on Q3 but up year-over-year, according to Seeking Alpha. Investors may be looking to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co’s (TSMC) [TSM] results on Thursday for clues as to how the broader semiconductor space is faring. 

Further Chip Restrictions to Come

The US is set to reveal further semiconductor regulations, aimed at encouraging producers such as TSMC, Samsung [SSNLF] and Intel [INTC] to be more cautious as to where their chips end up. This follows reports of TSMC chips being secretly diverted to black-listed Huawei. The rules could be released as early as this week, Bloomberg anticipated, and will build on Monday’s export curbs. 

Maryland: Cradle of Quantum?

IonQ [IONQ] has unveiled a $1bn partnership with Maryland to establish the state as a quantum computing hub. IonQ will expand its headquarters to a 100,000-square-foot facility at the University of Maryland, including labs, a data center and offices. “[W]e have both the opportunity and the responsibility to seize this moment and become the world’s leading hub for quantum innovation”, said Maryland Governor Wes Moore. 

3 Unglamorous but Promising Stocks to Watch in 2025

Following a red-hot rally in 2024, US tech giants and AI favorites have been retreating since mid-December. Now might be the perfect opportunity to go hunting for potentially undervalued stocks that could have a strong 2025. Wells Fargo recently put together a list of 31 stocks, spanning eight of the 11 S&P 500 sectors, which it believes offer “above-average growth potential”. OPTO dives into three of them. 

SEC vs. Musk

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has filed a lawsuit against Elon Musk, accusing him of failing to disclose his acquisition of a significant Twitter stake in a timely manner, violating disclosure regulations. The SEC claims Musk surpassed the 5% ownership threshold in Twitter but waited 21 days — rather than the required 10 days — to report it. Musk took to X to call the SEC a “totally broken organization.” 

AI Start-Up Hits $2.1bn

Synthesia, a UK-based artificial intelligence (AI) start-up that enables customers to generate videos featuring lifelike avatars, has raised $180m in a Series D funding round. This doubles the company’s valuation to $2.1bn, Bloomberg detailed. Synthesia’s software, used by 60% of Fortune 100 firms, offers businesses cost-effective solutions for staff training and product demos; it has raised $330m since its founding in 2017.

HIMS Stock Surges 197% on Weight Loss Pivot

Hims & Hers [HIMS] is a San Francisco-based telehealth company founded in 2017. It operates a direct-to-consumer platform connecting patients with healthcare professionals. Hims has recently started offering access to obesity drugs; partly because of this shift, the stock has surged 197.54% in the past 12 months. On Foresight this week, OPTO unpacks the pros and cons of HIMS stock.