The stock market started 2023 with the major indexes hitting resistance at key levels, but did bounce Friday as the December jobs report showed wage growth slowing. Tesla stock plunged on weaker-than-expected Q4 deliveries and big price cuts in China, as well as in Japan and Australia. China EV giant BYD also fell short of estimates, but still hit a record, along with Li Auto and Nio.
General Electric broke out as its long-awaited spinoff of GE HealthCare took place. Tech companies and more showed off their latest or upcoming wares at CES 2023 in Las Vegas.
Analyst concerns about Microsoft cloud computing hit the software giant. Salesforce.com will cut 10% of staff, while Amazon.com nearly doubled its layoff plan to over 18,000 jobs.
Economic Data Hint At Recession
The U.S. added 223,000 jobs in December, more than expected, while the jobless rate tumbled to match a 50-year low. But the workweek grew shorter for a second straight month, so aggregate hours worked actually contracted. Meanwhile, wage growth slowed to 4.6%, well below views. Meanwhile, the ISM manufacturing index fell further below the break-even level. The ISM services index shocked with a 6.9-point plunge in December to 49.6, with new orders diving.
Stock Market Choppy
Although the stock market started 2023 with indexes hitting resistance, tame wage growth in the jobs report and a surprisingly weak ISM services index fueled stocks Friday. The Dow broke above key levels. Tesla, Apple and Microsoft were notable growth stock losers, along with health insurers such as UnitedHealth. But mining, industrial and housing stocks are looking strong. Crude oil prices fell sharply, while natural gas plunged to a one-year low. The 10-year Treasury yield tumbled.
Tesla Slashes Prices After Sales Miss
Tesla delivered 405,278 EVs in Q4, up 31% vs. a year earlier and 18% above its prior record of 343,830 in Q3. But that fell short of lowered views, even with price cuts and big year-end discounts in its major markets to boost sales. Production exceeded deliveries significantly again, even with Shanghai suspending output in the final week of 2022. A few days later, Tesla slashed prices in China, Japan and Australia. Tesla stock, already in free fall, plunged to fresh bear market lows.
China EV Makers' Sales Rise
EV and battery giant BYD and startups Li Auto and Nio all reported record sales in December, though BYD and Nio both faced significant Covid impacts. XPeng deliveries also rebounded. All four China EV stocks jumped on deliveries, but then gave up substantial gains Friday following Tesla's price cuts.
BYD formally unveiled its super-premium brand Yangwang, which means "look up." It showed a heavy-duty off-road SUV with crabwalk capability, as well as a sports car. Pricing and launch dates are unknown.
Salesforce, Amazon Plan Big Job Cuts
Salesforce.com will cut 10% of its staff, or 8,000 positions for the cloud software pioneer. Amazon.com said that its ongoing layoffs will top 18,000. In November, the e-commerce and cloud-computing giant said it was starting to cut 10,000 positions. Those add to sizable overall tech layoffs in recent months. Along with a UBS downgrade of Microsoft on weakening trends, the job cuts bode ill for tech prospects.
U.S. Auto Sales Fell In 2022
U.S. auto sales came in at 13.9 million for 2022, capped by a slightly stronger-than-expected December. Full-year sales fell 8% from 2021 and 20% from the peak in 2016 as Covid pandemic-fueled chip and related supply disruptions linger into the new year. General Motors reclaimed the U.S. sales crown from Toyota Motor. Ford Motor was the No. 2 EV maker by sales in 2022, well behind Tesla. Fourth-quarter sales grew 41% for GM and 13% for Toyota year over year, suggesting that supply issues continue to improve. Analysts expect a stronger 2023 for U.S. new vehicle sales. But U.S. and global demand concerns continue to mount, with used-car prices already down sharply in recent months. Shares of GM and Ford rallied after their sales reports.
Defensive Food Stocks Go On Offense
Conagra Brands and Lamb Weston easily beat fiscal Q2 earnings estimates as price hikes offset input cost inflation. But supply-chain issues and inflation-weary shoppers will continue to weigh on volumes, Lamb Weston warned. Conagra reported a 27% EPS jump as revenue climbed 8.3%. Lamb Weston more than doubled EPS as sales jumped nearly 27%. Packaged food peer Simply Good Foods posted a 2% earnings decline but edged past estimates. CAG stock popped and LW stock jumped, both to new highs. But SMPL stock tumbled.
GE Jumps On HealthCare Spinoff
General Electric completed the spinoff of its health care unit, an important milestone as it looks to emerge as a higher-growth, aviation-focused company. Next up is the early 2024 spinoff of GE's power and renewable energy businesses, as a separate traded company called GE Vernova, in early 2024. That will set the stage for a pure-play GE Aerospace company. GE HealthCare Technologies popped 8% in its trading debut. GE stock hit its best level since April. The GE breakup was announced in 2021, after the industrial giant saw earnings and cash flow crumble.
Ex-FTX CEO Pleads Not Guilty; Silvergate Dives
Sam Bankman-Fried pleaded not guilty on all eight criminal charges related to the collapse of his crypto exchange FTX. SBF could face up to 115 years in prison if found guilty on all charges. His trial date is set for Oct. 2. Silvergate Capital reported a $718 million loss during its preliminary Q4 results late Wednesday. The cryptocurrency banker had to cover $8.1 billion in customer withdrawals as its digital asset deposits tumbled 68% during the quarter. SI stock dropped 42% on Thursday following the news.
T-Mobile Subscribers Mixed
T-Mobile US preannounced mixed Q4 operational results. The wireless phone company said it added 927,000 postpaid phone subscribers, in line with estimates. Prepaid subscribers rose by 25,000, well below estimates of 80,000. T-Mobile added 524,000 home broadband subscribers, most using its 5G network. That missed estimates of 555,000. Verizon Communications CEO Hans Vestberg said the Dow wireless giant expects positive consumer postpaid phone additions in Q4, rebounding from a loss of 189,000 in the September quarter. He said capital spending in 2024 will fall 23% to around $17 billion, with Verizon's 5G network largely built out by then.
News In Brief
Apple iPhone maker Foxconn said Dec. revenue rose 14% vs. Nov., down 12% vs. a year earlier. Foxconn said operations are now near "normal" at a massive iPhone plant in China.
Novocure rocketed Thursday after reporting that adding its tumor treating fields medical device to standard drugs led to improved overall survival in late-stage lung cancer patients. China partner Zai Lab also soared.
Walgreens Boots Alliance reported a 31% EPS decline with sales down 1.5%, both beating. But the Dow Jones drugstore giant tumbled.
Lindsay earnings shot up 432% vs. a year earlier, crushing Q1 views. But the irrigation systems maker slightly missed with a 6% revenue gain. Shares initially popped on results, but pared daily gains and fell for the week.
Bed Bath & Beyond plunged Thursday as the struggling housewares retailer and erstwhile "meme stock" issued a "going concern" warning. Shares extended losses after The Wall Street Journal reported that BBBY is planning to file for bankruptcy in the coming weeks.
World Wrestling Entertainment jumped as ex-CEO Vince McMahon, who quit last year following a sexual-harassment scandal, plans to return and sell the entertainment company, The Wall Street Journal reported late Thursday.
Aehr Test Systems earnings shot up 220% vs. a year earlier. Fiscal Q2 revenue rose 54% to $14.8 million for the chip-testing firm with exposure to the EV market. AEHR stock surged Friday but after tumbling for several weeks.
