NEW YORK, NEW YORK – DECEMBER 29: Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) on the last day of trading for the year on December 29, 2023 in New York City. The Dow was up slightly in morning trading in what has been a strong year for the stock market despite many economists predictions that the American economy would experience a recession. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
Spencer Platt | Getty Images News | Getty Images
This report is from today’s CNBC Daily Open, our new, international markets newsletter. CNBC Daily Open brings investors up to speed on everything they need to know, no matter where they are. Like what you see? You can subscribe here.
What you need to know today
First and last trading day Asia-Pacific markets kicked off 2024 mixed. China’s Shanghai Composite dipped 0.21% as official data showed the country’s manufacturing activity contracted in December. Meanwhile, Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 added 0.5%. On Friday, the last trading day of the year, U.S. stocks disappointed investors who were hoping the S&P 500 would close the year on a record high. Still, it was a mighty good year for major indexes.
Bright spots in Asia The outlook for Asian markets in 2024 is “relatively promising,” according to Pinebridge Investments, which said China and India — Asia’s two biggest economies — can’t be overlooked. Their view is supported by the International Monetary Fund, which projects a higher growth rate for Asia compared with the global rate. Here’s what to pay attention to for the region in 2024.
Bullish on bitcoin Bitcoin rallied about 152% in 2023 despite high-profile criminal cases against cryptocurrency exchanges FTX and Binance. Bitcoin was last trading above $45,300 — and many industry executives think the cryptocurrency’s poised for a new bull run, thanks to an event known as “halving” and the potential approval of a bitcoin exchange-traded fund in the U.S.
BYD set to beat Tesla BYD said it produced more than 3 million new EVs in 2023, putting the Chinese electric vehicle maker on track to surpass Tesla, in terms of production, for a second straight year. Tesla is due to release its full-year figures later on Tuesday. But according to a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing, Elon Musk’s EV company produced 1.35 million vehicles during the first three quarters of 2023.
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The bottom line
Instead of ending the year with a bang by surpassing its all-time high, the S&P 500 let out a whimper — to paraphrase the poet T.S. Eliot’s famous lines — and fell 0.28% on the last trading day of 2023.
As with any market move, it’s hard to attribute any definitive reason to it. I think, however, the S&P’s December rally was too reliant on the Federal Reserve’s dovish pivot. Without further positive news, and with the optimism priced in already, the S&P didn’t have a concrete reason to rise further.
Moreover, several analysts have pointed out that stocks are already priced above their fair valuation; that is, the price of a stock may be too high relative to its earnings per share.
“Arguably, the bull market is overbought, and there are too many bulls,” Ed Yardeni of Yardeni Research wrote. Echoing that sentiment, Sarat Sethi, managing partner at DCLA, told CNBC he thinks “valuations are stretched.”
Still, let’s not throw away the baby with the bathwater. Friday’s disappointing session aside, 2023 has been a banner year for a huge swathe of the market. Here are, in my book, the biggest winners and losers of last year:
Winners
U.S. indexes: For 2023, the S&P jumped 24.23%, the Dow gained 13.8% and the Nasdaq rocketed 43.42%.
Bitcoin: Shrugging off the high-profile criminal cases against FTX and Binance, bitcoin surged around 152%.
Gold: The precious metal recorded its first annual gain since 2020 of 13%, as geopolitical risks and peak interest rates made gold shinier to investors.
Losers
Although part of financial journalism necessarily involves making predictions, a quick glance at that list shows how difficult it is to do so. Going into 2023, many thought a recession was in the cards. Instead, markets were dealt a winning hand. Here’s hoping 2024 thwarts all the negative predictions and delivers positive surprises too.
Tesla has officially broken ground on its new Megafactory project to build Megapacks for energy storage in China.
The Megafactory in Lathrop, California, was Tesla’s first dedicated factory to produce Megapacks, which were previously produced at Gigafactory Nevada.
It is still ramping up to its full capacity of 40 GWh worth of Megapacks, a battery pack for utility-scale energy storage projects, but it has already helped Tesla break new records of energy storage deployment almost every quarter.
When first announcing the factory, Tesla aimed at starting construction during the second half of 2023 and production in Q2 2024.
However, it looks like the project suffered some delays.
The new timeline announced with the signing ceremony stated that construction was going to start soon for a production start toward the end of 2024.
Today, Tesla announced that it is officially breaking ground on the project:
Tesla officials at the ceremony updated the timeline again and they are now aiming for production to start in the first quarter of 2025.
That’s about a year behind the original timeline, but it’s also a super aggressive timeline considering it’s less than a year after breaking ground.
Like the Megafactory in California, Tesla aims for Megafactory Shanghai to eventually produce about 10,000 Megapacks per year, which is about 40 GWh of energy storage capacity.
On top of increasing its total energy storage output, the new production hub is also going to help Tesla slash its logistical costs by shipping its many Megapack projects in Asia-Pacific from there rather than the US.
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The first FLO Ultra DC fast chargers are rolling off the assembly line at the company’s Auburn Hills, Michigan, factory – and they’re pretty powerful.
The 320 kW FLO Ultra DC fast chargers feature a dual-port power configuration. The EV charging company designed them to comply with the federal government’s National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program (NEVI) standards and the Buy America Act, including 98% uptime. They can charge most EVs to 80% in just 15 minutes.
The FLO Ultra DC fast chargers feature the new FLO motorized cable management system. The EZLift system is designed to keep cables off the ground and provide extended reach, allowing the cable to reach EVs no matter where the port is located. The motorized system makes the cables feel lighter and easier to maneuver.
Martine St-Onge, FLO’s chief manufacturing operations officer, said, “As we ramp up production, we look forward to making it more accessible to own and drive EVs by bringing our FLO Ultra charger to more locations across North America.”
A new Pew Research Center analysis released today found that 64% of US adults now live within two miles of a public EV charger – and those who live close to one are more likely to consider purchasing an EV. Over 95% of Americans now live in a county with at least one public EV charging station.
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Just when you thought the EV deals couldn’t get better, Ford is cutting 2024 Mustang Mach-E prices with a new 0% APR offer. The deal comes after Ford slashed Mach-E prices by up to $8,100 earlier this year.
Ford is offering 0% APR on the 2024 Mustang Mach-E
After dropping prices in February, Ford’s EV sales surged 86% in Q1, securing second in the US electric vehicle market.
Ford’s Mustang Mach-E was the second best-selling electric SUV behind Tesla’s Model Y, with 9,589 units sold, up 77% over last year.
According to a study by data analytics firm Cloud Theory, the impact of Ford’s price cuts was “dramatic and immediate.” Mach-E weekly movement rose from around 300 to over 1,000, reaching as high as 1,800 in early March.
With the competition intensifying, Ford is sweetening the deal again to make the electric SUV even more attractive.
Based on a new note sent to dealers, the 2024 Ford Mustang Mach-E now features a 0% APR deal for 48 months. According to online auto research firm CarsDirect, this is the best date on the 2024MY so far.
2024 Mustang Mach-E trim
Range
Starting Price
Mustang Mach-E Select
250 mi
$39,995
Mustang Mach-E Premium
320 mi
$43,995
Mustang Mach-E GT
280 mi
$53,995
Mustang Mach-E Rally
265 mi
$59,995
2024 Mustang Mach-E price and range by trim
The offer comes after the 4-year rate went to 1.9% from 2.9% less than a week ago. The report notes most Mach-E rates are about 3% lower than at the beginning of May. For example, the 60-month rate dropped to 0.9% (from 3.9%), while the 72-month rate was cut to 2.9% (from 5.9%).
CarsDirect estimates that the Mach-E is almost $5,000 cheaper than it was in early May on a $50,000 loan. However, the offer is only currently available in certain states, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Michigan, Oregon, Texas, and Washington.
If you’re looking for more deals, Ford is offering 0% APR (72 months) on all 2023 Mach-E models plus up to $3,000 in bonus cash. Meanwhile, if you’re trading in a Tesla, you can save up to $10,000 in some states.
Are you ready to take advantage of Ford’s new price cuts? We can help you get started. You can use our link to find deals on Mustang Mach-E models at a dealer near you.
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