{"id":24609,"date":"2025-02-26T15:04:06","date_gmt":"2025-02-26T21:04:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.eoption.com\/market-review-february-26-2025\/"},"modified":"2025-02-26T15:04:06","modified_gmt":"2025-02-26T21:04:06","slug":"market-review-february-26-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.eoption.com\/market-review-february-26-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"Market Review: February 26, 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div>\n<div style=\"padding:10mm 10mm 0\">\n<p class=\"normal\"><b><span style=\"font-size:20.0pt; color:#404040\">Closing Recap<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"normal\" style=\"line-height:11.0pt\"><b><span style=\"font-size:11.0pt; color:#7F7F7F\">Wednesday, February 26, 2025<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<table border=\"1\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" align=\"left\" width=\"58%\" style=\"border-collapse:collapse; border:none; margin-left:6.75pt; margin-right:6.75pt\">\n<tbody>\n<tr style=\"height:19.65pt\">\n<td width=\"27%\" style=\"border:none; background:#F79646; padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; height:19.65pt\">\n<p class=\"normal\" style=\"margin-left:22.5pt; text-indent:-13.5pt; line-height:115%\"><span style=\"font-size:14.0pt; line-height:115%; color:white\">Index<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"34%\" style=\"border:none; background:#F79646; padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; height:19.65pt\">\n<p class=\"normal\" align=\"center\" style=\"margin-left:9.0pt; text-align:center; line-height:115%\"><span style=\"font-size:14.0pt; line-height:115%; color:white\">Up\/Down<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"20%\" style=\"border:none; background:#F79646; padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; height:19.65pt\">\n<p class=\"normal\" align=\"center\" style=\"margin-left:9.0pt; text-align:center; line-height:115%\"><span style=\"font-size:14.0pt; line-height:115%; color:white\">%<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"18%\" style=\"border:none; background:#F79646; padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; height:19.65pt\">\n<p class=\"normal\" align=\"center\" style=\"margin-left:9.0pt; text-align:center; line-height:115%\"><span style=\"font-size:14.0pt; line-height:115%; color:white\">Last<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height:19.65pt\">\n<td width=\"27%\" style=\"border:none; padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; height:19.65pt\">\n<p class=\"normal\" style=\"margin-left:22.5pt; text-indent:-13.5pt; line-height:11.0pt\"><b><span style=\"font-size:11.0pt; color:black\">DJ Industrials<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"34%\" style=\"border:none; padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; height:19.65pt\">\n<p class=\"normal\" align=\"center\" style=\"margin-left:9.0pt; text-align:center; line-height:11.0pt\"><span style=\"font-size:11.0pt; color:red\">-186.87<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"20%\" style=\"border:none; padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; height:19.65pt\">\n<p class=\"normal\" align=\"center\" style=\"margin-left:9.0pt; text-align:center; line-height:11.0pt\"><span style=\"font-size:11.0pt; color:red\">0.43%<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"18%\" style=\"border:none; padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; height:19.65pt\">\n<p class=\"normal\" align=\"center\" style=\"margin-left:9.0pt; text-align:center; line-height:11.0pt\"><span style=\"font-size:11.0pt; color:red\">43,434<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height:19.65pt\">\n<td width=\"27%\" style=\"border:none; background:#D9D9D9; padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; height:19.65pt\">\n<p class=\"normal\" style=\"margin-left:22.5pt; text-indent:-13.5pt; line-height:11.0pt\"><b><span style=\"font-size:11.0pt; color:black\">S&amp;P 500<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"34%\" style=\"border:none; background:#D9D9D9; padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; height:19.65pt\">\n<p class=\"normal\" align=\"center\" style=\"margin-left:9.0pt; text-align:center; line-height:11.0pt\"><span style=\"font-size:11.0pt; color:#00B050\">0.91<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"20%\" style=\"border:none; background:#D9D9D9; padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; height:19.65pt\">\n<p class=\"normal\" align=\"center\" style=\"margin-left:9.0pt; text-align:center; line-height:11.0pt\"><span style=\"font-size:11.0pt; color:#00B050\">0.02%<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"18%\" style=\"border:none; background:#D9D9D9; padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; height:19.65pt\">\n<p class=\"normal\" align=\"center\" style=\"margin-left:9.0pt; text-align:center; line-height:11.0pt\"><span style=\"font-size:11.0pt; color:#00B050\">5,956<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height:19.65pt\">\n<td width=\"27%\" style=\"border:none; padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; height:19.65pt\">\n<p class=\"normal\" style=\"margin-left:22.5pt; text-indent:-13.5pt; line-height:11.0pt\"><b><span style=\"font-size:11.0pt; color:black\">Nasdaq<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"34%\" style=\"border:none; padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; height:19.65pt\">\n<p class=\"normal\" align=\"center\" style=\"margin-left:9.0pt; text-align:center; line-height:11.0pt\"><span style=\"font-size:11.0pt; color:#00B050\">48.88<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"20%\" style=\"border:none; padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; height:19.65pt\">\n<p class=\"normal\" align=\"center\" style=\"margin-left:9.0pt; text-align:center; line-height:11.0pt\"><span style=\"font-size:11.0pt; color:#00B050\">0.26%<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"18%\" style=\"border:none; padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; height:19.65pt\">\n<p class=\"normal\" align=\"center\" style=\"margin-left:9.0pt; text-align:center; line-height:11.0pt\"><span style=\"font-size:11.0pt; color:#00B050\">19,075<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height:19.65pt\">\n<td width=\"27%\" style=\"border:none; background:#DBE5F1; padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; height:19.65pt\">\n<p class=\"normal\" style=\"margin-left:22.5pt; text-indent:-13.5pt; line-height:11.0pt\"><b><span style=\"font-size:11.0pt; color:black\">Russell 2000<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"34%\" style=\"border:none; background:#DBE5F1; padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; height:19.65pt\">\n<p class=\"normal\" align=\"center\" style=\"margin-left:9.0pt; text-align:center; line-height:11.0pt\"><span style=\"font-size:11.0pt; color:#00B050\">4.10<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"20%\" style=\"border:none; background:#DBE5F1; padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; height:19.65pt\">\n<p class=\"normal\" align=\"center\" style=\"margin-left:9.0pt; text-align:center; line-height:11.0pt\"><span style=\"font-size:11.0pt; color:#00B050\">0.19%<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"18%\" style=\"border:none; background:#DBE5F1; padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; height:19.65pt\">\n<p class=\"normal\" align=\"center\" style=\"margin-left:9.0pt; text-align:center; line-height:11.0pt\"><span style=\"font-size:11.0pt; color:#00B050\">2,174<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p class=\"normal\" style=\"margin-left:9.0pt\"><span style=\"font-size:11.5pt\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"normal\" style=\"margin-left:9.0pt\"><span style=\"font-size:11.5pt\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"normal\" style=\"margin-left:9.0pt\"><span style=\"font-size:11.5pt\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"normal\" style=\"margin-left:9.0pt\"><span style=\"font-size:11.5pt\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"normal\" style=\"margin-left:9.0pt\"><span style=\"font-size:11.5pt\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"normal\" style=\"margin-left:9.0pt\"><span style=\"font-size:11.5pt\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"normal\" style=\"margin-left:9.0pt\"><span style=\"font-size:11.5pt\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"normal\" style=\"margin-left:9.0pt\"><span style=\"font-size:11.5pt\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"normal\" style=\"margin-left:9.0pt\"><span style=\"font-size:11.5pt\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"body-copy\">Following a four-day losing streak in the S&#038;P, <span class='nt-symbol'>US<\/span> equity futures enjoyed overnight gains.&nbsp;With no big economic news this morning and only one Fed speaker out today, perhaps we break the downward trend.&nbsp;Investor sentiment has been quick to retrench with the Fear &#038; Greed Index remaining at Extreme Fear (25\/100) for a second day this week versus 22\/100 yesterday, 46\/100 (Neutral) last week and 42\/100 (Fear) last month.&nbsp;That said, early breadth favored advancers by almost 5:2 as small caps outperformed with <span class='nt-symbol'>IWM<\/span> versus <span class='nt-symbol'>SPY<\/span> and <span class='nt-symbol'>QQQ<\/span>.&nbsp;Early sector performance saw Technology, Consumer Discretionary and Industrials as outperformers among <span class='nt-symbol'>S<\/span>&#038;P sector ETFs, while Health Care, Energy and Consumer Staples led the underperformers lower with eight sectors gaining versus three declining.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"body-copy\">&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"body-copy\">In data of note today, @KobeissiLetter again pointed out the affordability issues in today&rsquo;s economy.&nbsp;They noted homebuyer conditions dropped to the 3rd lowest on record in February, the index of buying conditions for vehicles dipped to near the lowest since 2022, buying conditions for large household durables moved sharply lower and wage growth has failed to keep up with inflation in these categories since 2020.&nbsp;Not a great picture for consumers.&nbsp;Kobeissi separately noted the number of Bloomberg news stories on layoffs has doubled over the past three weeks as layoffs jumped to 15,561 last week (most in almost a year).&nbsp;On inflation, @RyanDetrick noted consumers are expecting big jumps in inflation (mostly aligned by political party), but the @AtlantaFed Business Inflation Expectations is in-line with much of the past decade.&nbsp;Also on inflation, @RBAdvisors pointed out again that recent data suggest the trend in inflation expectations is not anchored and wondered whether the Fed will have to raise rates in 2025.<\/p>\n<p class=\"body-copy\">&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"body-copy\">Heading into the final hour of trading, <span class='nt-symbol'>US<\/span> equities were slightly in the red for both the S&#038;P 500 and Nasdaq after more midday tariff headlines.&nbsp;Breadth continued to hold in favor of advancers, but only by a slight margin as small caps continued to outperform with <span class='nt-symbol'>IWM<\/span> leading versus <span class='nt-symbol'>SPY<\/span> (-0.05%) and <span class='nt-symbol'>QQQ<\/span> up slightly.&nbsp;<span class='nt-symbol'>S<\/span>&#038;P sector performance slipped to only four sectors, gaining versus seven declining with Technology, Utilities and Industrials as outperformers versus Health Care, Energy, and Consumer Staples underperforming.&nbsp;On a growth versus value basis, both were in the red, but growth was the better of the two.&nbsp;The Russell 1000 growth was off only 0.04% versus its Value counterpart down 0.38%.&nbsp;Tonight we get earnings from <span class='nt-symbol'>NVDA<\/span>, which surely will take a large role in steering the markets tomorrow.&nbsp;We also will see Initial Jobless Claims and GDP at 8:30am. With a late day bounce, the S&#038;P and Nasdaq snapped their 4-day losing streaks. <\/p>\n<div class=\"page-br mt-8\">\n<p class=\"subhead\">Economic Data<\/p>\n<ul style=\"margin-bottom:0\">\n<li class=\"page-br\">January single-family home sales 0.657M unit ann. Rate, vs. consensus 0.680M, falling -10.5% y\/y; Home sales northeast -20.0%, Midwest -16.7%, south -14.8%, west +7.7%; Jan new home supply 9.0 months&#8217; worth at current pace vs Dec 8.0 months; median sale price $446,300, +3.7% from Jan 2024 ($430,400).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<ul style=\"margin-top:0\">\n<li class=\"page-br\">US mortgage market index -1.2% to 212.3 in week ended Feb 21; US mortgage purchase index climbs 0.2%, refinance index falls 3.6% and the average 30-year mortgage rate falls 5 bps to 6.88% in Feb 21 week, lowest since mid-December 2024 as per weekly MBA data.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"page-br mt-8\">\n<p class=\"subhead\">Commodities, Currencies &amp; Treasuries<\/p>\n<ul style=\"margin-bottom:0\">\n<li class=\"page-br\">April gold futures saw small gains overnight following a weaker performance yesterday, then held on to settle up $11.80\/oz, or +0.40%, at $2,930.60.&nbsp;Strength was once again attributed to safe haven buying, this time ahead of US GDP and PCE reports tomorrow and Friday.&nbsp;More tariff mentions also stoked uncertainty in the markets, favoring gold buying.&nbsp;The more the market continues to fear inflation and tariffs, the better the scenario for gold will remain in the back half of 2025.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<ul style=\"margin-top:0\">\n<li class=\"page-br\">WTI March crude futures trended sideways overnight before slipping into negative territory early.&nbsp;Even a weekly crude stocks draw versus an expected build failed to move futures back to gains, eventually settling down $0.31\/bbl, or -0.45%, at $68.62.&nbsp;Ongoing tariff impact fears, consumer confidence worries and hopes for an end to the Ukraine\/Russia war (including potential for easing of Russia sanctions) pressured futures though the session to the lowest levels of the year.&nbsp;Brent similarly finished the session lower by $0.49\/bbl, or -0.67%, at $72.53.<\/li>\n<li class=\"page-br\">The U.S. dollar index (DXY) and Treasury yields reversed earlier gains, both ending near lows of the day as the 10-year yield fell for a 6<sup>th<\/sup> straight day to 4.25%. Signs of deceleration in the U.S. economy and concerns about the impact of U.S. policy sent investors searching for refuge in safe-haven bonds in recent weeks and today was no different. Crypto prices also tumbled as Bitcoin declined over 6% to around $83,000, lowest since early November. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"normal\" style=\"margin-left:.25in; text-indent:-.25in\"><span style=\"font-size:11.5pt; color:#404040\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<table border=\"1\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" width=\"60%\" style=\"margin-left:5.4pt; border-collapse:collapse; border:none\">\n<tbody>\n<tr style=\"height:19.65pt\">\n<td width=\"38%\" style=\"border:none; background:#F79646; padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; height:19.65pt\">\n<p class=\"normal\" style=\"margin-left:9.0pt; text-indent:-4.5pt; line-height:115%\"><span style=\"font-size:14.0pt; line-height:115%; color:white\">Macro<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"35%\" style=\"border:none; background:#F79646; padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; height:19.65pt\">\n<p class=\"normal\" align=\"center\" style=\"text-align:center; line-height:115%\"><span style=\"font-size:14.0pt; line-height:115%; color:white\">Up\/Down<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"26%\" style=\"border:none; background:#F79646; padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; height:19.65pt\">\n<p class=\"normal\" align=\"center\" style=\"text-align:center; line-height:115%\"><span style=\"font-size:14.0pt; line-height:115%; color:white\">Last<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height:19.65pt\">\n<td width=\"38%\" style=\"border:none; padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; height:19.65pt\">\n<p class=\"normal\" style=\"margin-left:9.0pt; text-indent:-4.5pt; line-height:11.0pt\"><b><span style=\"font-size:11.0pt; color:black\">WTI Crude<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"35%\" style=\"border:none; padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; height:19.65pt\">\n<p class=\"normal\" align=\"center\" style=\"text-align:center; line-height:11.0pt\"><span style=\"font-size:11.0pt; color:red\">-0.31<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"26%\" style=\"border:none; padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; height:19.65pt\">\n<p class=\"normal\" align=\"center\" style=\"text-align:center; line-height:11.0pt\"><span style=\"font-size:11.0pt; color:red\">68.62<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height:19.65pt\">\n<td width=\"38%\" style=\"border:none; background:#D9D9D9; padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; height:19.65pt\">\n<p class=\"normal\" style=\"margin-left:9.0pt; text-indent:-4.5pt; line-height:11.0pt\"><b><span style=\"font-size:11.0pt; color:black\">Brent<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"35%\" style=\"border:none; background:#D9D9D9; padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; height:19.65pt\">\n<p class=\"normal\" align=\"center\" style=\"text-align:center; line-height:11.0pt\"><span style=\"font-size:11.0pt; color:red\">-0.49<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"26%\" style=\"border:none; background:#D9D9D9; padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; height:19.65pt\">\n<p class=\"normal\" align=\"center\" style=\"text-align:center; line-height:11.0pt\"><span style=\"font-size:11.0pt; color:red\">72.53<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height:19.65pt\">\n<td width=\"38%\" style=\"border:none; padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; height:19.65pt\">\n<p class=\"normal\" style=\"margin-left:9.0pt; text-indent:-4.5pt; line-height:11.0pt\"><b><span style=\"font-size:11.0pt; color:black\">Gold<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"35%\" style=\"border:none; padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; height:19.65pt\">\n<p class=\"normal\" align=\"center\" style=\"text-align:center; line-height:11.0pt\"><span style=\"font-size:11.0pt; color:#00B050\">11.80<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"26%\" style=\"border:none; padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; height:19.65pt\">\n<p class=\"normal\" align=\"center\" style=\"text-align:center; line-height:11.0pt\"><span style=\"font-size:11.0pt; color:#00B050\">2,930.60<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height:19.65pt\">\n<td width=\"38%\" style=\"border:none; background:#D9D9D9; padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; height:19.65pt\">\n<p class=\"normal\" style=\"margin-left:9.0pt; text-indent:-4.5pt; line-height:11.0pt\"><b><span style=\"font-size:11.0pt; color:black\">EUR\/USD<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"35%\" style=\"border:none; background:#D9D9D9; padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; height:19.65pt\">\n<p class=\"normal\" align=\"center\" style=\"text-align:center; line-height:11.0pt\"><span style=\"font-size:11.0pt; color:red\">-0.0028<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"26%\" style=\"border:none; background:#D9D9D9; padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; height:19.65pt\">\n<p class=\"normal\" align=\"center\" style=\"text-align:center; line-height:11.0pt\"><span style=\"font-size:11.0pt; color:red\">1.0484<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height:19.65pt\">\n<td width=\"38%\" style=\"border:none; padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; height:19.65pt\">\n<p class=\"normal\" style=\"margin-left:9.0pt; text-indent:-4.5pt; line-height:11.0pt\"><b><span style=\"font-size:11.0pt; color:black\">JPY\/USD<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"35%\" style=\"border:none; padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; height:19.65pt\">\n<p class=\"normal\" align=\"center\" style=\"text-align:center; line-height:11.0pt\"><span style=\"font-size:11.0pt; color:red\">-0.10<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"26%\" style=\"border:none; padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; height:19.65pt\">\n<p class=\"normal\" align=\"center\" style=\"text-align:center; line-height:11.0pt\"><span style=\"font-size:11.0pt; color:red\">148.92<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height:19.65pt\">\n<td width=\"38%\" style=\"border:none; background:#D9D9D9; padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; height:19.65pt\">\n<p class=\"normal\" style=\"margin-left:9.0pt; text-indent:-4.5pt; line-height:11.0pt\"><b><span style=\"font-size:11.0pt; color:black\">10-Year Note<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"35%\" style=\"border:none; background:#D9D9D9; padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; height:19.65pt\">\n<p class=\"normal\" align=\"center\" style=\"text-align:center; line-height:11.0pt\"><span style=\"font-size:11.0pt; color:red\">-0.049<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"26%\" style=\"border:none; background:#D9D9D9; padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; height:19.65pt\">\n<p class=\"normal\" align=\"center\" style=\"text-align:center; line-height:11.0pt\"><span style=\"font-size:11.0pt; color:red\">4.249%<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p class=\"normal\"><span style=\"font-size:11.5pt; color:black\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"page-br mt-8\">\n<p class=\"subhead\">Sector News Breakdown<\/p>\n<p class=\"sector\">Retail, Consumer Staples &amp; Restaurants:<\/p>\n<ul style=\"margin-bottom:0\">\n<li class=\"page-br\">In Restaurants: <b><span class='nt-symbol'>BLMN <\/span><\/b>Q4 adj EPS $0.38 above est. $0.37 but down from $0.75 y\/y as revs fall -19% y\/y to $972.0M, missing the $1.08B estimate; Q4 US company-owned comp sales -1.1% vs. est. -1.24%; <b><span class='nt-symbol'>JACK <\/span><\/b>reported a better-than-anticipated FQ1, headlined by EPS of $1.92 (-2% y\/y) coming in ahead of consensus of $1.69 as above-consensus restaurant-level margins at both the Jack in the Box and Del Taco brands were key drivers of the bottom-line beat, but near-term uncertainty following surprise departure of CEO; <b><span class='nt-symbol'>DNUT<\/span><\/b> downgraded to Underweight at Morgan Stanley company guided 2025 well below expectations; <b><span class='nt-symbol'>CAVA<\/span><\/b> reported 4Q comps of 21.2% (vs. Street 17.9%) driven by 15.6% traffic and 5.6% average check.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<ul style=\"margin-top:0\">\n<li class=\"page-br\">In Retail: <b><span class='nt-symbol'>TJX<\/span><\/b> reported positive quarterly results, rebounding after its TJ Maxx and Marshalls brands saw softer-than-anticipated sales last quarter, but forecast its annual comparable sales growth below Wall Street ests as sees Fy comp store sales to grow 2%-3% for FY26, vs. analysts&#8217; average estimate of a 3.4% rise. In home improvement retail,<b><span class='nt-symbol'> LOW<\/span><\/b> reported better results and guidance following HD results the day prior.<\/li>\n<li class=\"page-br\">In Food &amp; Beverages: <b><span class='nt-symbol'>GO<\/span><\/b> shares slipped after guiding FY25 EPS $0.70-$0.75 below consensus $0.87 while 4Q performance was soft, with worse-than-feared profitability overshadowing better-than-expected traffic-driven comps;<b><span class='nt-symbol'> BUD<\/span><\/b> shares bounced after Q4 results and CEO notes tariffs on steel and aluminium will have a limited impact on Anheuser-Busch InBev in 2025 thanks to factors like hedging.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"page-br mt-5\">\n<p class=\"sector\">Leisure, Gaming &amp; Lodging:<\/p>\n<ul style=\"margin-bottom:0\">\n<li class=\"page-br\">In Leisure Products: in towables, <b><span class='nt-symbol'>CWH<\/span><\/b> delivered adjusted EBITDA +$3.1M vs consensus on revenue +$77.7M vs. consensus via stronger vehicles (+$59.0M), F&amp;I (+$14.5M), and PS&amp;O (+$2.2M), partially offset by CS&amp;P (-$1.5M).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<ul style=\"margin-top:0\">\n<li class=\"page-br\">In Delivery: <b><span class='nt-symbol'>CART <\/span><\/b>reported Q424 results whereby GTV came in at the high end of guidance, while EBITDA was $12M above the high-end of guidance (in line with the Q324 EBITDA beat). While Q125 GTV guidance came in marginally above consensus, Q125 EBITDA guidance was ~5% below consensus.<\/li>\n<li class=\"page-br\">In Casinos &amp; Gaming: <b><span class='nt-symbol'>CZR <\/span><\/b>company-wide EBITDAR of $882M was -3% vs. consensus, as Las Vegas results were weaker than expectations; Las Vegas revenue and EBITDAR missed expectations by 1% and 2%, respectively, and ended 2024 down 4% YoY and 6% YoY, respectively.<\/li>\n<li class=\"page-br\">In Autos: <b><span class='nt-symbol'>GM<\/span><\/b> said it will increase its quarterly dividend by 25% and undertake a new $6 bln share buyback program; <b><span class='nt-symbol'>LCID<\/span><\/b> initiated FY25 vehicle production guidance of 20,000, after delivered 10,241 vehicles and produced 9,029 vehicles. <b><span class='nt-symbol'>LCID<\/span><\/b> was downgraded to Underperform at bank America as thinks departure of CEO Peter Rawlinson more consequential than understood by market and expects product development to stall &amp; consumer demand could be dampened; in auto retail, <b><span class='nt-symbol'>AAP<\/span><\/b> posted Q4 but 2025 comp sales view weighs on shares.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"page-br mt-5\">\n<p class=\"sector\">Energy<\/p>\n<ul style=\"margin-bottom:0\">\n<li class=\"page-br\">In Utilities: Power and electrical equipment companies edged higher this morning after a report in the Information noted <b><span class='nt-symbol'>META<\/span><\/b> was in discussions to build a new data center campus for its AI projects that could cost more than $200 billion. The headlines sent shares of recently beaten-up power\/nuclear energy names <b><span class='nt-symbol'>NNE<\/span>, <span class='nt-symbol'> NRG<\/span>, <span class='nt-symbol'> CEG<\/span>, <span class='nt-symbol'> VST<\/span>, <span class='nt-symbol'> OKLO<\/span><\/b> as well as data center names <b><span class='nt-symbol'>VRT<\/span>, <span class='nt-symbol'> DELL<\/span><\/b>, others higher. Note however that Reuters reported a Meta spokesperson denied the report, saying its data center plans and capital expenditures have already been disclosed and that anything beyond that is &quot;pure speculation&quot;.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<ul style=\"margin-top:0\">\n<li class=\"page-br\">In Solar: <b><span class='nt-symbol'>FSLR<\/span><\/b> reported revenue 1% above consensus but missed on gross margin due to multiple factors including Inflation Reduction Act credit sales, warranty charge, module shipment delay, and warehousing costs. FSLR reported mixed Q4 results as its gross margin results and guidance were below expectations, but shares rise on better than feared guidance as analysts note 2025 revenue guidance of $5.55B at the midpoint seen as a positive given weak 2025 revenue guidance was a key concern going into the results; shares of <b><span class='nt-symbol'>CSIQ<\/span>, <span class='nt-symbol'> DQ<\/span>, <span class='nt-symbol'> JKS<\/span>, <span class='nt-symbol'> ENPH<\/span>, <span class='nt-symbol'> SEDG<\/span>, <span class='nt-symbol'> RUN<\/span><\/b> among other names moving higher in reaction early in beaten-up solar space.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"page-br mt-5\">\n<p class=\"sector\">Financials<\/p>\n<ul style=\"margin-bottom:0\">\n<li class=\"page-br\">In Payments\/FinTech: <b><span class='nt-symbol'>FLYW<\/span><\/b> shares tumbled as the company reported Q4 revenue that missed estimates ($117.55M vs. $118.85M) on EPS miss and guided FY25 FXN revenue less ancillary services growth excluding the $330M acquisition of Sertifi to 10-14%, well below Street estimates of ~22%, prompting Wall Street downgrades.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<ul style=\"margin-top:0\">\n<li class=\"page-br\">In Financial Services: <b><span class='nt-symbol'>INTU<\/span><\/b> FQ2 revenue solidly above estimates (4%) across all key segments (Credit Karma, Small Biz Segment) and op. margin and EPS were significantly better than expected while online Ecosystem ex Mailchimp growth reaccelerated to 25% Y\/Y after 8 quarters. <b><span class='nt-symbol'>FICO<\/span><\/b> was upgraded to Outperform at RBC Capital and raised tgt to $2170 from $2040 saying the recent stock sell-off, fueled by concerns about GSE privatization, nomination of new FHFA Director, potential risks to FY25 guidance has created an attractive buying opportunity.<\/li>\n<li class=\"page-br\">In Insurance: <b><span class='nt-symbol'>LMND<\/span><\/b> slips early as Q4 results better with EPS loss (-$0.42) vs. est. loss (-$0.60); Q4 revs rose 29% y\/y to $148.8M vs. est. $144.9M but shares fall on weaker guidance as sees Q1 revs $143M-$145M vs. est. $151.4M and 2025 revs $655M-$657M; <b><span class='nt-symbol'>PRCH<\/span><\/b> shares soared after results, prompting an upgrade to Buy at Loop Capital noting the company fell short on total revenue, but it exceeded expectations in terms of profitability, and looking ahead to 2025, the management believes they can maintain an 80% gross margin. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"page-br mt-5\">\n<p class=\"sector\">REITs:<\/p>\n<ul style=\"margin-bottom:0\">\n<li class=\"page-br\"><b><span class='nt-symbol'>EXR <\/span><\/b>slight Q4 core FFO beat, though management issued initial FY25 Core FFO guidance that was 1.8% below consensus. Results in the quarter were mixed overall with SSREV growth decelerating a slight 10 bps to -0.4% y\/y (from -0.3% y\/y last quarter), while occupancy trends remained favorable.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<ul style=\"margin-top:0\">\n<li class=\"page-br\"><b><span class='nt-symbol'>GNL<\/span><\/b> said it is selling its multi-tenant portfolio to subsidiary of RCG Ventures Holdings for about $1.8B and plans to use proceeds to lower balance on its Revolving Credit Facility, aiming for investment-grade credit rating; the firm said it is expecting to save $6.5M annually in G&amp;A expenses; announces $300M share repurchase program<\/li>\n<li class=\"page-br\"><b><span class='nt-symbol'>NHI<\/span><\/b> Q4 results were highlighted by continued improvement in underlying fundamentals within its triple-net and SHOP segments, and additional progress around new investments. Results for the quarter slightly exceeded consensus. Initial 2025 NFFO guidance missed consensus by 1.2% at the midpoint.<\/li>\n<li class=\"page-br\"><b><span class='nt-symbol'>RLJ <\/span><\/b>4Q24 adjusted EBITDA and adjusted FFO beat expectations, with RevPAR growth and hotel EBITDA margins outperforming our assumptions. Notably, ADR growth drove the better-than-expected RevPAR growth and was the best ADR growth since 1H23.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"page-br mt-5\">\n<p class=\"sector\">Biotech &amp; Pharma:<\/p>\n<ul style=\"margin-bottom:0\">\n<li class=\"page-br\"><b><span class='nt-symbol'>ARDX <\/span><\/b>said Chinese health regulator approved its drug, tenapanor, which helps control phosphate levels in dialysis patients with chronic kidney disease who don&#8217;t respond well to other treatments; the approval triggers a $5M payment to ARDX from its Chinese partner, Shanghai Fosun.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<ul style=\"margin-top:0\">\n<li class=\"page-br\"><b><span class='nt-symbol'>AZN<\/span><\/b> said that its experimental breast cancer treatment, Camizestrant, improved patient survival without the disease getting worse in a study, a positive outcome in the development of the therapy key to the company&#8217;s pipeline.<\/li>\n<li class=\"page-br\"><b><span class='nt-symbol'>LLY <\/span><\/b>said it plans to spend at least $27 billion to build four new manufacturing plants in the U.S., which will be built over the next five years, and are expected to create more than 3,000 jobs for skilled workers like engineers and scientists as well as 10,000 construction jobs, the company said.<\/li>\n<li class=\"page-br\"><b><span class='nt-symbol'>MDGL<\/span><\/b> reported Q4 and FY&#8217;24 Rezdiffra net sales of $103M and $180M respectively; as of year-end 2024, more than 11,800 patients on Rezdiffra; cash, cash equivalents $931.3M; reported positive 2-yr results from the open-label compensated MASH cirrhosis (F4c) arm of the Phase 3 MAESTRO-NAFLD-1 trial of Rezdiffra (resmetirom).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"page-br mt-5\">\n<p class=\"sector\">Healthcare Services &amp; MedTech movers:<\/p>\n<ul style=\"margin-bottom:0\">\n<li class=\"page-br\">In Healthcare Facilities: <b><span class='nt-symbol'>AGL<\/span><\/b> reported Q4 revenue of $1.52B (+44% Y\/Y) was in line with consensus, while adjusted EBITDA of ($84M) missed consensus of ($79M) due to continued medical cost pressure.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<ul style=\"margin-top:0\">\n<li class=\"page-br\">In Medical Equipment: <b><span class='nt-symbol'>MASI <\/span><\/b>announced Q4 revenue of $601M\/+9% cc that was consistent with the company&#8217;s preliminary release in January, while adjusted EPS finished at $1.80 on the back of strong HC OM% and raised its 2025 guidance.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"page-br mt-5\">\n<p class=\"sector\">Industrials &amp; Materials<\/p>\n<ul style=\"margin-bottom:0\">\n<li class=\"page-br\">In Multi Industry: <b><span class='nt-symbol'>LII <\/span><\/b>was upgraded to Overweight from Equal Weight; raise PT to $702 from $665 at Barclays saying consensus estimates remain too negative and the company&#8217;s margin guidance for 2025 looks quite conservative and sees a strong growth outlook ahead for the company.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<ul style=\"margin-top:0\">\n<li class=\"page-br\">In Aerospace &amp; Defense: <b><span class='nt-symbol'>AXON<\/span><\/b> reported strong Q4 results, sending shares higher as EPS of $2.08 topped consensus $1.43 on revenue of $575.1M, up 34% y\/y (vs. consensus $566.7M), on adjusted EBITDA of $142.0M, up 56% y\/y (consensus $138.7M) in the quarter and provided upside rev guidance. <b><span class='nt-symbol'>ASTS<\/span><\/b> said secures $43M contract in support of U.S. Space Development Agency through prime contractor. <b><span class='nt-symbol'>LUNR<\/span><\/b> shares rose as the co is for the launch of its second moon lander, as six-legged lander, named Athena is encapsulated atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket at NASA&#8217;s Kennedy Space Center in Florida ahead of its launch scheduled for 7:17 pm.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"page-br mt-5\">\n<p class=\"sector\">Materials, Metals &amp; Mining<\/p>\n<ul style=\"margin-bottom:0\">\n<li class=\"page-br\">In Industrial Metals: Copper stocks <b><span class='nt-symbol'>FCX <\/span><\/b>and <b><span class='nt-symbol'>SCCO<\/span><\/b> advance after President Donald Trump ordered a probe into potential new tariffs on copper imports to rebuild U.S. production of a metal critical to electric vehicles, military hardware, the power grid and many consumer goods.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<ul style=\"margin-top:0\">\n<li class=\"page-br\">In Lithium sector:<b><span class='nt-symbol'> SBSW<\/span><\/b> said it will not go ahead with plans to invest in the Rhyolite Ridge lithium project in the U.S. state of Nevada, after the price of the rare metal plunged. Sibanye said after reviewing updated studies on the planned lithium mine, a decision was taken not to proceed with additional investments.<\/li>\n<li class=\"page-br\">In Chemicals: <b><span class='nt-symbol'>NGVT <\/span><\/b>was upgraded to Outperform at BMO Capital and raising tgt to $65 saying with an activist (Vision One) now in NGVT, the firm believes investors are better protected from downside risks and should enjoy the coming lift tied to NGVT&#8217;s improved EPS\/FCF.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"page-br mt-5\">\n<p class=\"sector\">Hardware &amp; Software movers:<\/p>\n<ul style=\"margin-bottom:0\">\n<li class=\"page-br\"><b><span class='nt-symbol'>APP <\/span><\/b>shares tumbled early after both Fuzzy Panda Research and Culper Research take a short position in the company. Short seller Fuzzy Panda Research says it is short on APP, alleging the company steals data from Meta, while Culper also announced a short call. APP later came out and defended itself against the allegations. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<ul style=\"margin-top:0\">\n<li class=\"page-br\"><b><span class='nt-symbol'>CHKP<\/span><\/b> was upgraded to Overweight at JP Morgan with $255 tgt as thinks the timing of recent platform investment, along with recent management changes, is significant as the company is well positioned to benefit from a Quantum product cycle gaining momentum.<\/li>\n<li class=\"page-br\"><b><span class='nt-symbol'>KEYS<\/span><\/b> 1Q adj. EPS of $1.82 was a $0.13 beat vs Street driven by revenue and margin upside as 1Q orders grew 4% y\/y; guides Q2 revs $1.27-1.29B vs est. $1.274B and adj EPS $1.61-1.67 vs est. $1.59.<\/li>\n<li class=\"page-br\"><b><span class='nt-symbol'>WDAY <\/span><\/b>Q4 results beat as cRPO growth of 15.2% came in ahead of expectations of 14.3%, and the Company issued better FQ1 cRPO growth guidance of 14.5-15.5% vs the Street&#8217;s 13.9%; also, FY26 subscription revenue growth of ~14% is reiterated, and OM outlook is ticking higher to 28% (vs. 27.5% previously).<\/li>\n<li class=\"page-br\"><b><span class='nt-symbol'>WK<\/span><\/b> delivered solid Q4 results, with a ~$5M topline beat and EPS in-line with Street&#8217;s expectations, as customers over $500K ACV grew 32% y\/y; also provided an upbeat CY26 outlook as subscription revenue growth is expected to remain in the 20% range and margins modestly expand.<\/li>\n<li class=\"page-br\"><b><span class='nt-symbol'>ZETA <\/span><\/b>delivered upside across the board with revenue growth of 50%, 31% organic ex-political, showing no deceleration from Q3; FY\/25 guidance was raised, but Q1 revenue guidance being in-line is the primary area of pushback from strong print.<\/li>\n<li class=\"page-br\"><b><span class='nt-symbol'>ZI<\/span><\/b> shares jumped after Q4 results delivered upside expectations, and Piper upgraded to Neutral though noted that operational challenges remain elevated despite better-than-feared results and Q4 revenue declined y\/y for the third consecutive quarter along with a tepid Q1 outlook. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"page-br mt-5\">\n<p class=\"sector\">Semiconductors:<\/p>\n<ul style=\"margin-bottom:0\">\n<li class=\"page-br\"><b><span class='nt-symbol'>NVDA <\/span><\/b>earnings on tap tonight; all eyes on the face of AI in chipmakers.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<ul style=\"margin-top:0\">\n<li class=\"page-br\"><b><span class='nt-symbol'>SMCI<\/span><\/b> shares surged after the company met a deadline from Nasdaq to submit delayed regulatory filings in order to avoid delisting. After the close on Tuesday, Super Micro filed updated quarterly reports for its fiscal year ended June 30, 2024, as well as quarters ended Sept. 30, 2024, and Dec. 31, 2024.<\/li>\n<li class=\"page-br\"><b><span class='nt-symbol'>ON<\/span><\/b> filed an 8-K and announced on February 24, 2025, that it initiated a Company-wide restructuring plan that will impact all business groups, including the worldwide manufacturing organization.<\/li>\n<li class=\"page-br\">Chinese AI startup DeepSeek on Wednesday introduced discounted off-peak pricing for developers looking to use its AI models to build their own products, its website showed. The company said the cost of using its API, a platform that allows developers of other apps and web products to integrate its AI models, would be up to 75% cheaper.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p>  <meta http-equiv=\"Content-Type\" content=\"text\/html; charset=utf8\"><meta name=\"Generator\" content=\"Microsoft Word 15 (filtered)\"><\/p>\n<style> <!-- body \t{margin:0; \tfont-family:'Roboto',sans-serif} table \t{break-inside:avoid; \tpage-break-inside:avoid; \tmargin-top:5mm} .page-br \t{break-inside:avoid; \tpage-break-inside:avoid} .mt-5 \t{margin-top:5mm} .mt-8 \t{margin-top:8mm} .normal \t{margin:0; \tfont-size:12pt} .body-copy \t{margin:0; \tline-height:115%; \tfont-size:11.5pt; \tcolor:#404040} .subhead \t{margin:0; \tfont-size:14pt; \tcolor:#F79646; \tfont-weight:bold} .sector \t{margin:0; \tfont-size:11.5pt; \tcolor:#404040; \tfont-weight:bold; \tfont-style:italic; \ttext-decoration:underline} .calendar-date \t{margin:0; \tfont-size:18pt; \tcolor:#632423; \tfont-weight:bold; \ttext-decoration:underline} --> <\/style>\n<style>     @media only screen and (max-width: 500px) {       td p.MsoNormal {         text-indent: 0!important;         margin: 0!important;       }     } <\/style>\n<style>div[class*=WordSection]>p {line-height: inherit !important;}div[class*=WordSection] a:not([href]) {color: inherit !important;}<\/style>\n<div>\n<div>_________________________________________________________________<\/div>\n<div>\n<p><em>Market commentary provided by Hammerstone Markets, Inc, a firm separate from and not affiliated with Regal Securities. Regal Securities has not participated in the creation of the content, and does not explicitly or implicitly endorse the content.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Closing Recap Wednesday, February 26, 2025 Index Up\/Down % Last DJ Industrials -186.87 0.43% 43,434 S&amp;P 500 0.91 0.02% 5,956 Nasdaq 48.88 0.26% 19,075 Russell 2000 4.10 0.19% 2,174 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Following a four-day losing streak in the S&#038;P, US equity futures enjoyed overnight gains.&nbsp;With no big economic news this morning and only &#8230; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eoption.com\/market-review-february-26-2025\/\" class=\"more-link\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-24609","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-daily-market-insights","no-post-thumbnail"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.eoption.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24609","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.eoption.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.eoption.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.eoption.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.eoption.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24609"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.eoption.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24609\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.eoption.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24609"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.eoption.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24609"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.eoption.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24609"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}