It was a tough, choppy week for stocks, but the oversold market gave us many opportunities to put some of our cash to work selectively. The Club added to five of our positions. The S & P 500 made another attempt early Friday to break its six-session losing streak but failed. Growing fears around the Federal Reserve keeping interest rates higher for longer and escalating tensions in the Middle East overshadowed generally positive earnings. Club Director of Portfolio Analysis Jeff Marks said Friday, “We’re still waiting for that truly ugly open before stepping up our buys.” Until then, he said to “stay opportunistic but be gradual.” That was our approach last week. Here’s a day-by-day look at each of the trades. Monday Best Buy Bought 200 more shares of Best Buy Jim Cramer’s Charitable Trust , the portfolio used by the CNBC Investing Club, owned 800 shares after the trade Best Buy’s weighting in the portfolio increased to 2% from 1.48% The Club purchased more shares of electronics retailer Best Buy on signs of improving fundamentals, specifically a rebound in personal computer sales. The PC market is embarking on an upgrade and replacement cycle, which should usher more demand for Best Buy’s offerings. Shares have been pressured since our March 27 initiation but not for anything that could ding our thesis. BBY YTD mountain Best Buy YTD Tuesday Tuesday was our busiest for trades, with adds to three companies: Oil and natural gas producer Coterra Energy , Mexican beer king Constellation Brands and Best Buy. Coterra Energy Bought 300 more shares of Coterra The portfolio held 2,900 shares after the trade Coterra’s weighting increased to 2.5% from 2.23% The Coterra trade was spurred by rising oil prices due to escalating tensions in the Mideast. The stock serves as a hedge in the portfolio against geopolitical uncertainty as Iran and Israel traded attacks by air, and the Israeli-Hamas war and Russia’s war in Ukraine continued. Coterra benefits from rising commodity prices. We know the company pivoted earlier this year to oil and lighter on nat gas, which has been under pressure. CTRA YTD mountain Coterra Energy YTD Constellation Brands Bought 25 more shares of Constellation The portfolio owned 375 shares after the trade Constellation’s weighting increased to 3.05% from 2.85% The Club added to Constellation Brands because we thought the beer maker’s stock was overly punished. Shares went on a four-session losing streak, starting one day after the company posted solid quarterly results . The pullback didn’t make sense to us. The April 11 earnings release detailed continued sales growth, along with an upbeat full-year outlook. In down markets, Constellation stock rose Thursday and Friday. STZ YTD mountain Constellation Brands (STZ) year-to-date performance Best Buy Bought 100 more shares of Best Buy The portfolio held 900 shares after this second trade of the week Best Buy’s weighting increased to 2.15% from 1.94% The Club purchased Best Buy stock for the second time in as many days — and for the third time since starting the position in late March. Wednesday Abbott Laboratories Bought 100 more shares of Abbott The portfolio owned 800 shares after the trade Abbott’s weighting increased to 2.8% from 2.45% Abbott posted stronger-than-expected quarterly earnings Wednesday, but the stock dropped 3%. We bought more on the weakness because the fiscal results indicated great things ahead for the fast-growing medtech company. We like that management raised Abbott’s full-year outlook for earnings and organic sales. ABT YTD mountain Abbott Laboratories (ABT) year-to-date performance Thursday Estee Lauder Bought 50 more shares of Estee Lauder The portfolio held 475 shares after the trade Estee Lauder’s weighting increased to 2.1% from 1.9% Estee Lauder shares have given back all of their gains since the cosmetic giant’s post-earnings advance back in February. At the time, CEO Fabrizio Freda said the firm had reached an “inflection point” and would return to profitability in the second half of 2024. On Thursday, we made a small buy of 50 shares and upgraded the stock to our buy-equivalent 1 rating — hoping we can trust management’s earlier optimism. Estee Lauder is set to report its latest quarter on May 1. EL YTD mountain Estee Lauder (EL) year-to-date performance (Jim Cramer’s Charitable Trust is long CTRA, BBY, STZ, EL, ABT. See here for a full list of the stocks.) As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade. Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust’s portfolio. If Jim has talked about a stock on CNBC TV, he waits 72 hours after issuing the trade alert before executing the trade. THE ABOVE INVESTING CLUB INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY , TOGETHER WITH OUR DISCLAIMER . NO FIDUCIARY OBLIGATION OR DUTY EXISTS, OR IS CREATED, BY VIRTUE OF YOUR RECEIPT OF ANY INFORMATION PROVIDED IN CONNECTION WITH THE INVESTING CLUB. NO SPECIFIC OUTCOME OR PROFIT IS GUARANTEED.
Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange on April 1, 2024.
Brendan Mcdermid | Reuters
It was a tough, choppy week for stocks, but the oversold market gave us many opportunities to put some of our cash to work selectively.
With its tire-blistering acceleration and record-setting performance, the Xiaomi SU7 Ultra has been getting attention throughout the auto industry, impressing everyone who’s seen it. That “everyone” now seems to include the OG supercar brand, itself.
CarNewsChina posted pictures from a Weibo user that reportedly show a Xiaomi SU7 Ultra exiting the storied Ferrari factory in Maranello, Italy. According to a Chinese blogger going by 西米露在博洛尼亚 (which seems to translate to “Sago Dessert in Bologna”), the prancing horse brand is actively benchmarking the Chinese hypercar for its own upcoming EV.
The SU7 Ultra was definitely coming from inside Ferrari’s facility. After verification, we learned this specific vehicle was officially purchased by Ferrari for testing, and the development of their next-generation electric platform.
The Xiaomi SU7 Ultra made its debut last year, promising 1,548 hp, sub 2.0-second 0-60 mph times, and a top speed well over 200 mph – all at a price lower than a Tesla Model S Plaid or Porsche Taycan Turbo GT. The car sold out almost immediately after it was unveiled, racking up some 50,000 orders almost overnight.
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The new electric benchmark
Xiaomi SU7 Ultra at Fiorano; via Weibo user Piniluoshan.
In the automotive world, “benchmarking” is a process in which car companies systematically tear down each others’ competitive products to compare everything from sound insulation, vehicle ride and handling, component materials, and even manufacturing methods against their own or against other industry leaders. The goal is to evaluate performance, cost, quality, and other key metrics, effectively figuring out “where they stand” in the market.
Featured image via Xiaomi; sources throughout the post.
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We’re finally getting our first teases of the upgraded 2027 Chevy Bolt, built on GM’s battery/motor platform formerly known as Ultium. So far, so good for the vehicle, which will be revealed later this Fall.
Chevy took to social media today to tease the 2027 Chevy Bolt, saying, “You asked, we listened. The #ChevyBolt is back and better than ever. More this fall. 👀”
Chevy ended the original Bolt program with the 2023 model, which was loved by a loyal group of customers (including myself). Some of the major gripes, including charging speed and rear brake lights, already look to be addressed. Also, a new more aggressive fascia is debuting.
Hopefully, the new Bolt will have improved charging speeds over and above the 54kW that previous Bolts adhered to. One possible downgrade is that the old Bolt’s amazing wireless CarPlay/Android Auto system will likely be replaced by GM’s move to Android’s built-in experience. For a few years, the Chevy Bolt was the most affordable long-range EV, and it won our 2022 Electrek car of the year for its versatility and price.
I would, of course, like to see the new Bolt as a hot hatchback, but GM CEO Mary Barra has hinted that it will likely take more of the EUV’s SUV form factor. Things like AWD options, SuperCruise, pricing, power and range are yet to be revealed, but stay tuned to Electrek for the latest on Bolt developments.
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On today’s test-acular episode of Quick Charge, it’s a new day and a new Chinese ADAS test for Tesla to conquer – but this one’s got a LOT more pedestrian carnage to parse through! We’ve also got some great e-bike deals from Retrospec and a bladder-busting Hyundai.
Today’s episode is brought to you by Retrospec – the makers of sleek, powerful e-bikes and outdoor gear built for everyday adventure! To that end, we’ve got a pair of Retrospec e-bike reviews followed up by the updated Hyundai IONIQ 6 with nearly 350 miles of range from its updated long-range battery. With that, Hyundai now has the longest range Korean EV on the market, while Texas is adding megawatts of battery energy storage to beef up its troubled grid, and it’s doing so faster and cheaper than ever before.
Plus: Quick Charge listeners can get an extra 10% off the price of their next awesome e-bike by using code ELECTREK10 at retrospec.com!
New episodes of Quick Charge are recorded, usually, Monday through Thursday (most weeks, anyway). We’ll be posting bonus audio content from time to time as well, so be sure to follow and subscribe so you don’t miss a minute of Electrek’s high-voltage daily news.
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If you’re considering going solar, it’s always a good idea to get quotes from a few installers. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.
Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links.More.