Midday stock movers: General Motors, GE Aerospace,…

Midday stock movers: General Motors, GE Aerospace, First Solar

The stock market is trading lower midday.

The S&P 500 lost 0.25% and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite dropped 0.21%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average traded just below flat, down 0.04%. The Russell 2000 Index fell 0.47%.

S&P 500 big stock movers today

Five S&P 500 stocks making big midday moves are:

General Motors (GM) +9.2%
Philip Morris International (PM) +7.9%
Quest Diagnostics (DGX) +7.1%
Norfolk Southern (NSC) +4.4%
Charter Communications (CHTR) 3.3%

The worst-performing five S&P 500 stocks with the largest midday drop are:

Genuine Parts (GPC) -19.9%
Paccar (PCAR) -8.7%
GE Aerospace (GE) -7.7%
Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) -7.4%
Nucor (NUE) -7.3%

Stocks also worth noting include:

Nvidia (NVDA) -0.7%
Apple (AAPL) -0.9%
Amazon (AMZN) +0.2%
Microsoft (MSFT) +1.7%
AMD (AMD) -3.7%

GE Aerospace raised its full-year profit forecast for the third time in seven months, now expecting adjusted earnings of $4.20 to $4.35 per share for 2024, up from its previous estimate of $3.95 to $4.20 per share.
Richard Baker/Getty Images

GE Aerospace plunges after revenue miss

GE Aerospace stock fell 8% after missing on revenue in the third quarter.

The defense company reported adjusted earnings per share of $1.15, which only beat consensus estimates by 1 cent. Revenue of $8.94 billion missed analysts’ estimates of $9.05 billion.

The company raised its full-year profit forecast for the third time in seven months, now expecting adjusted earnings of $4.20 to $4.35 per share for 2024, up from its previous estimate of $3.95 to $4.20 per share.

“The GE Aerospace team delivered strong results, with demand driving orders up 28%. We grew earnings 25% and produced substantial free cash flow, both largely driven by services.” GE Aerospace CEO Larry Culp said. “Given the strength of our results and 4Q expectations, we're raising our earnings and cash guidance for the year.”

GE Aerospace is a manufacturer of jet engines for commercial and military aircraft. It became an independent company in April 2024 after spinning off from GE.

General Motors surges on earnings beat

General Motors jumped 7% and topped the S&P 500 after the automaker posted Q3 results that beat analyst expectations.

The company reported adjusted earnings of $2.96 per share on revenue of $48.76 billion, surpassing analysts' expectations of $2.43 per share on $44.59 billion.

GM also raised its full-year outlook. It now expects adjusted earnings of $10 to $10.50 per share, an increase from the previous estimate of $9.50 to $10.50 per share.

“In the third quarter, we grew U.S. retail market share with above-average pricing, well-managed inventories and below-average incentives. In China, sales improved from the second quarter, and dealer inventory fell sharply. In addition, we remain on track to reach our 2024 EV production and profitability targets,” the company said in a statement.

First Solar pops after analyst upgrade

First Solar added 3% after Citi upgraded the stock to buy from neutral with a price target of $254, up from $200, thefly.com reported.

The update was made ahead of the Q3 results and the U.S. elections. According to a Citi analyst, First Solar is well-positioned to benefit regardless of the election outcome.

More Tech Stocks:

A Democratic victory could lead to the most immediate recovery in the company’s shares, while a Republican win may result in higher tariffs, leading to a long-term recovery, Citi says.

First Solar is a U.S.-based renewable energy company that specializes in designing and manufacturing solar panels.

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