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CNBC Daily Open: Wall Street extends winning run

Published

3 months ago

August 20, 2024

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Traders work the floor of the New York Stock Exchange on August 16, 2024.

Angela Weiss | AFP | Getty Images

This report is from today’s CNBC Daily Open, our 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

Winning run
The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq Composite rose for the eighth straight session, up 0.97% and 1.39%, respectively, marking their longest winning streak so far this year. The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 0.58%. Meanwhile, the yield on the 10-year Treasury was little changed as investors await minutes of the Federal Reserve’s meeting and Chair Jerome Powell’s speech at Jackson Hole on Friday. U.S. oil prices fell almost 3% as the U.S. pushes for a Middle East ceasefire deal.

AMD deal
Advanced Micro Devices is acquiring server maker ZT Systems for $4.9 billion to strengthen its AI chip and hardware portfolio. The move allows AMD to roll out AI chips at the scale customers such as Microsoft require and to compete more effectively with Nvidia. AMD, which had $5.34 billion in cash and short-term investments as of the second quarter, plans to finance 75% of the acquisition with cash and the rest with stocks. The company also plans to split and sell its server manufacturing business as it does not wish to compete with the likes of Super Micro Computer, CEO Lisa Su said.

GM layoffs
General Motors is laying off over 1,000 salaried employees globally in its software and services division, following a review to streamline operations, CNBC has learned. The cuts include about 600 jobs at its tech campus near Detroit. The layoffs, representing 1.3% of GM’s global salaried workforce, come as automakers, including GM, focus on reducing costs amid industry challenges while investing heavily in electric and so-called software-defined vehicles.

Icahn fined
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission fined billionaire activist investor Carl Icahn and his company $2 million for failing to disclose billions in personal margin loans pledged against Icahn Enterprises stock. Without admitting wrongdoing, Icahn agreed to pay $500,000, while the company will pay $1.5 million. Icahn had pledged 51% to 82% of his company’s shares to secure billions in loans.

New low
Trump Media‘s stock hit a new post-merger low, closing at $22.24, down 3.5%. The company, which owns Truth Social and is majority owned by former President Donald Trump, has seen volatile trading since its debut. Its fortunes remain closely tied to Trump’s political trajectory. The unexpected withdrawal of President Biden from the election race and his endorsement of Vice President Harris as the Democratic nominee have shifted betting odds in Harris’s favor, likely impacting the stock.

[PRO] Priced in
MoffettNathanson has a price target of $211 for Apple, 7% lower than Monday’s close. While acknowledging Apple’s potential AI success, analyst Craig Moffett argues that this is already reflected in the stock price.

The bottom line

AMD estimates the AI chip market will reach $400 billion by 2027. CEO Lisa Su is on a mission to capture a significant share of that market. However, it has to compete with Nvidia, the industry leader. Analysts predict Nvidia’s AI revenue from data centers will hit $105.9 billion this year, while AMD lags with $4.5 billion.

It’s like Microsoft’s Bing challenging Google’s search business. However, AMD is winning customers including Microsoft and Meta Platform. And its striving to strengthen its offerings with the acquisition of ZK Servers to better compete with Nvidia.

“I don’t think it changes anything for the next 1 to 2 years,” said Doug Clinton, managing partner at Deepwater Asset Management, on CNBC’s “Closing Bell.” He emphasized that AMD’s focus is on becoming more competitive in training clusters, supporting hyperscalers in building data centers. However, Nvidia already excels in this area. “It’s not a big threat,” Clinton added.

Nvidia’s dominance is so strong that Bank of America expects its earnings report on Aug. 28 to be a bigger market catalyst than Powell’s speech at Jackson Hole on Aug. 23, CNBC’s Sarah Min has more on bank’s views.

While investors were concerned about a recession at the start of the month, which contributed to a sell-off, Goldman Sachs has lowered the probability of a recession to 20% after more favorable jobs and retail sales data.

Jan Hatzius, Goldman Sachs chief economist, told CNBC’s “Squawk on the Street,” that the investment bank could lower the probability further depending on the next jobs report in September. In the meantime, Hatzius doesn’t believe Powell will allow himself to be “nailed down” on what the Fed’s next move will be.

“I think he’s not going to be specific, in terms of the moves that are coming, I’m sure his comments will be consistent with the idea that the risks are more two-sided, and there are some signs of softening in some areas and more importantly, or as importantly, inflation has come down. I don’t think he’s going let himself be, you know, nailed down one way or the other,” Hatzius said.

“If the data supports 50 [basis points], they should do 50, and I think they will do 50 but I think it much more likely that things would look good enough for a series of 25 basis point cuts to do the job.”

— CNBC’s Alex Harring, Kevin Breuninger, Samantha Subin, Jenni Reid, Rohan Goswami, Michael Wayland and Spencer Kimball contributed to this report.

Environment

Loren McDonald stops by Quick Charge to discuss EV charging, Paren, and more

Published

10 hours ago

November 14, 2024

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Loren McDonald stops by Quick Charge to discuss EV charging, Paren, and more

Leading electric vehicle analyst, author, and industry thought leaders Loren McDonald and Bill Ferro stop by Quick Charge to discuss EV Adoption’s acquisition by Paren, the “crisis” of EV charging reliability, and the real state of the EV market.

Depending on who you listen, EVs are either driving brands to record growth and are about cross that critical 10% of the overall market nationwide, or the future is bleak, the market is down, and EVs just aren’t selling. What’s really going on? Loren and Bill (probably) have some answers.

Today’s episode is sponsored by BLUETTI, a leading provider of portable power stations, solar generators, and energy storage systems. For a limited time, save up to 52% during BLUETTI’s exclusive Black Friday sale, now through November 28, and be sure to use promo code BLUETTI5OFF for 5% off all power stations site wide. Click here to learn more.

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New episodes of Quick Charge are recorded, usually, Monday through Thursday (and sometimes Sunday). 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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Drop us a line at tips@electrek.co. You can also rate us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, or recommend us in Overcast to help more people discover the show!

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Environment

Chevy EV owners in Texas now get free overnight home charging with Reliant

Published

12 hours ago

November 14, 2024

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Chevy EV owners in Texas now get free overnight home charging with Reliant

Chevy EV Texas Reliant — Chevy Blazer EV (left), Chevy Equinox EV (middle) Chevy Silverado EV (right) (Source: GM)

Chevy EV owners in Texas who have Reliant as their electric utility can now charge for free at night with renewable energy.

Over 150 Chevrolet dealerships across Texas are now offering the Reliant Free Charge Nights plan to new EV buyers. With Free Charge Nights, customers can offset their charging costs by receiving credits for electricity used between 11 pm and 6 am. The plan is powered entirely by renewable energy, thanks to the purchase of renewable energy certificates (RECs).

Rasesh Patel, president of NRG Consumer, says the plan is about making power personal: “We’re excited to help Chevrolet EV drivers offset the cost of charging their vehicle all while having access to a renewable electricity plan.”

This collaboration aims to make EV adoption more appealing by making charging cheaper and greener. GM Energy’s chief revenue officer, Aseem Kapur, emphasized that partnerships like this help build the ecosystem needed to support an all-electric future: “The Reliant Free Charge Nights plan is a great example of how an automaker and an energy company can work together to make EV adoption an easy decision.”

Existing Reliant customers can also sign up for the Free Charge Nights plan. To get started, Chevrolet EV owners need to designate their vehicle on the GM Energy Smart Charging Portal before enrolling in the plan.

Reliant Energy, a subsidiary of NRG Energy, serves over 1.5 million customers in Texas, making it one of the largest electricity providers in the state.

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Environment

Texas to get 1 GW AI-powered virtual power plant, enough to power 200,000 homes

Published

14 hours ago

November 13, 2024

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Texas to get 1 GW AI-powered virtual power plant, enough to power 200,000 homes

Texas is about to get a major power boost – a new AI-powered virtual power plant (VPP) delivering capacity equivalent to 200,000 homes during peak demand.

NRG Energy is teaming up with Renew Home to bring nearly 1 gigawatt (GW) of capacity to the Texas grid by 2035, aiming to make it more resilient while helping residents save on energy costs.

The new VPP will rely on hundreds of thousands of smart thermostats and other connected home devices, making use of AI technology provided by Google Cloud. These devices, like Vivint and Nest smart thermostats, will be offered to eligible customers at no cost. By automating HVAC adjustments, they help shift energy use to when electricity is cheaper, cleaner, and less strained.

NRG and Renew Home have big plans for the VPP. Starting in spring 2025, the companies plan to roll out the program across Texas, installing these smart thermostats in homes served by NRG’s retail electricity providers. Eventually, they plan to add home battery storage and EVs to expand the power plant’s capabilities.

Texas has faced record-breaking energy demands, with peak usage hitting 85 GW in 2023. As the state’s population grows and extreme weather becomes more frequent, VPPs like this one could play a key role in stabilizing the grid. VPPs aggregate a lot of small-scale energy resources, from smart thermostats to home batteries, and use them to help balance supply and demand during times of high stress on the grid.

This nearly 1 GW VPP will be one of the largest of its kind in Texas. NRG’s president of consumer operations, Rasesh Patel, calls it a “pivotal step” for improving customer experience while making Texas’ energy infrastructure more sustainable and resilient.

In addition to Renew Home, NRG is working with Google Cloud to maximize the power plant’s effectiveness. Google Cloud’s AI and analytics tools will help predict weather conditions, forecast renewable generation, and optimize energy usage, all of which will help make energy management smoother for both customers and the grid.

Ben Brown, CEO of Renew Home, said:

NRG’s commitment to creating a more resilient and sustainable energy future while also making electricity bills more affordable makes them an ideal partner for co-developing this unique VPP program.

This initiative raises the bar for future-proofing our electricity infrastructure and delivering cost savings to customers.

Read: Chinese solar giant Trina sells its Texas factory a week after it opens

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Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisers to help you every step of the way. Get started here. –trusted affiliate link*

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.