Coffee With Greta: Waiting For Earnings
Register now for Wednesday's free pro trader Q&A on LinkedIn with options specialist Dan Darrow!
DJIA Futures: -88 (-0.3%)
SPX Futures: -6 (-0.1%)
NASDAQ Futures: +1 (+0.01%)
Good morning friends!
Futures are mixed as a new week begins and traders look ahead to more key second-quarter earnings this week.
Let’s get right to it!
Ford Cuts F-150 Lightning Prices
Ford (F) shares are down 0.7% ahead of the open after slashing prices on its electric F-150 Lightning pickup truck.
The automaker said some of the least expensive versions of the truck would see prices fall by nearly $10,000 while the higher trim versions will fall by at least $6,000.
The cuts reduce the entry-level price to about $50,000 and the extended-range Platinum trim starting price to about $92,000.
Ford says the cuts come after its efforts to boost production and lower costs for battery minerals were successful.
The company is also implementing factory upgrades that are expected to triple its output of the truck.
Ford’s Dearborn factory where the Lightning is made will be closed for several weeks to make those upgrades.
Tesla Builds First Cybertruck
Tesla (TSLA) shares are rising 1.9% in premarket trade after the company successfully built its first Cybertruck.
In a tweet over the weekend, the electric automaker said, “First Cybertruck built at Giga Texas!”
The announcement came four years after CEO Elon Musk unveiled the prototype and two years behind schedule.
Tesla was initially supposed to begin in late 2021.
Musk has blamed supply chain issues for the delays.
Microsoft, Sony Sign Call of Duty Deal
Activision Blizzard (ATVI) shares are up 3.9% ahead of the open amid hopes Microsoft’s (MSFT) acquisition of the company will go through.
This comes after Microsoft signed a binding, 10-year agreement with Sony (SONY) to keep Activision’s Call of Duty games on Playstation consoles after the acquisition.
Microsoft’s Gaming CEO said, “We are pleased to announce that Microsoft and PlayStation have signed a binding agreement to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation following the acquisition of Activision Blizzard.”
Regulators had previously expressed concern about Microsoft’s power over the gaming market if the acquisition was approved, with fears the company would make Activision’s games “exclusive” to its own consoles.
Microsoft’s vice chair said even after the deal closes it “will remain focused on ensuring that Call of Duty remains available on more platforms and for more consumers than ever before.”
Big Earnings This Week
Second-quarter earnings season will pick up steam this week with some big reports set to be released.
The main focus will be on Wednesday afternoon, here’s a look at what’s scheduled:
- Tuesday AM: Bank of America (BAC), Morgan Stanley (MS)
- Wednesday AM: Goldman Sachs (GS)
- Wednesday PM: Tesla (TSLA), Netflix (NFLX), United Airlines (UAL)
- Thursday AM: Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), American Airlines (AAL)