NEWS
Bulls Need A Powell Put

Source: Tenor

Foreign stocks continued outperforming, with U.S. stocks failing to hold their initial bid into the afternoon. Nvidia’s GTC event failed to deliver any groundbreaking catalyst for the bulls, so now all eyes turn to Jerome Powell and the Federal Reserve. We’ll be hosting tomorrow’s press conference live on Stocktwits to see whether his commentary and updated projections embolden the bears or offer bulls hope. 👀 

Today’s issue covers a prelude to tomorrow’s Fed meeting, Michael Saylor’s new-new strategy, an exclusive interview with Affirm’s CFO, and more. 📰

Here’s the S&P 500 heatmap. 1 of 11 sectors closed green, with healthcare (+0.05%) leading and consumer discretionary (-1.78%) lagging.

Source: Finviz

And here are the closing prices: 

POLICY
The Market’s Fate Rests With Jerome Powell 😬 

With the bulk of earnings season behind us and the geopolitical headlines quieting down, all eyes are turning back to the economy and Fed policy. 🍿 

The CME FedWatch Tool indicates a 100% chance the Fed keeps interest rates unchanged tomorrow and is pricing in a 76% chance of a 25 bp rate cut during its June meeting. That adjustment came after inflation readings backed off, and the economy showed additional signs of slowing in response to tariffs and other news.

With consumer, investor, and business sentiment all falling materially over the last few months, investors now want to hear what the Federal Open Market Committee and its Chairman Jerome Powell think. 👂️ 

While the actual rate decision is unlikely to be a surprise, as 60% of Stocktwits poll voters expect rates to stay steady, the committee will also release its new quarterly projections. Investors will be watching closely to see whether or not growth and inflation expectations, which were ratcheted up marginally in the fourth quarter, are adjusted to reflect recent economic data and geopolitics. 🤔 

Source: Stocktwits

Plus, we’ll be hosting Jerome Powell’s press conference live on Stocktwits at 2:30 pm ET, live on the $SPY symbol page. Tune in to chat about it live! 💻️ 

Also, Nvidia’s GTC Keynote took place today, and the market was seemingly underwhelmed as shares fell nearly 4% on the day. This comes despite a host of updates from the company, but just like its past three earnings reports, expectations may have been far too high for the company to deliver.

We’ll see how the stock reacts in the coming days, but the S&P 500, Nasdaq 100, and other large-cap indexes need Nvidia’s leadership to regain their footing. 🙏 

PRESENTED BY STOCKTWITS
Exclusive Interview: Affirm CFO Rob O’Hare 🧑‍💼 💳️ 

Buy now, pay later stocks are all over the news as Klarna looks to come to market, inking an exclusive deal with Walmart in the process. Plus, the health of the U.S. economy remains at center stage, raising concerns about consumer-linked companies.

So, how is Fintech giant Affirm navigating the current environment? We sat down with CFO Rob O’Hare to answer questions directly from retail investors. You don’t want to miss this. 🤩 

STOCKS
Some Good Ol’ Stock Market Silliness 🤪 

Those who think Strategy’s corporate structure isn’t complex enough are in luck. It announced a new perpetual preferred stock offering under the ticker $STRF.

This differs from the shares it previously issued under $STRK because it pays a higher dividend yield (10% vs. 8%), can only be paid in cash (vs. cash or additional shares), has no conversion rights (none vs. common stock at a premium price), and is issued via a traditional public offering (vs. an at-the-market program). 🪙 

In other words, we’re three months into 2025, and the company has already developed two new vehicles to raise cash and buy more Bitcoin. Still, without momentum in Bitcoin, Strategy’s share price continues to struggle. That’s despite Michael Saylor being on a media marathon, appearing in any publication that will take him, and reiterating his bet that Bitcoin will rally again once investor confidence returns.

Strategy shares fell 4% on the day and Stocktwits sentiment remains bearish. 🐻 

Source: Stocktwits

Meanwhile, several low-market-cap stocks were trending today despite the market trending lower. Leishen Energy Holding rose 40% today and is surging even further after hours. The low-float Chinese energy stock likely caught a bid based on the BYD electric vehicle news, but investors are digging to find the full story. 🤔 

Source: Stocktwits

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STOCKS
Other Noteworthy Pops & Drops 📋️ 

China’s BYD ($BYDDY) soared to new all-time highs today and sent other electric vehicle makers lower after launching an EV charging system that it says works nearly as fast as a fill-up. These flash-chargers can reportedly provide a full charge for its latest EVs within five to eight minutes, with it planning to build more than 4,000 of the new charging stations across China.

Xpeng Inc. ($XPEV -7%): The electric vehicle maker reported better-than-expected earnings and issued strong first-quarter guidance. CEO He said the company is “well positioned” to expand market share significantly in China and abroad.

Nio ($NIO +3%): The Chinese electric vehicle maker partnered with battery manufacturer Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. (CATL) to jointly build a battery swapping network for passenger vehicles.

UP Fintech Holding ($TIGR +21%): Reported upbeat fourth-quarter earnings, with total revenues rising 77.3% YoY, and it flipped to net income after a net loss in the same quarter last year. Stocktwits sentiment reached ‘extremely bullish’ territory.

BlackSky Technology ($BKSY -8%): The space-based intelligence company recently completed a critical design review with a major international defense customer.

Frontier Group Holdings ($ULCC -3%): The airline announced a bundle of perks, including free checked bags in an apparent swipe at Southwest Airlines. It comes as analysts recently downgraded the stock, citing U.S. macro uncertainty.

Corning ($GLW +1%): The optical communications company raised its first-quarter guidance at an investor event, citing accelerating demand for its AI-focused fiber solutions and expansion into the renewable energy sector.

BigBear.ai ($BBAI -15%): The artificial intelligence software provider announced it would delay filing its 2024 annual report and restate several years’ financials. The restatements are related to the accounting treatment of convertible debt due in 2026. It noted that the adjustments would not impact revenue, gross margin, or operating cash flows from prior periods, but the damage to the stock was done.

STOCKTWITS COMMUNITY
Have Your Voice Heard 📣 

The Stocktwits Cashtag Awards are live, and voting has started! There are over a dozen categories, and we’ll be highlighting one in each newsletter until voting closes.

The Cashtag Legend Award is given to an individual whose groundbreaking contributions have permanently shaped the investing landscape. This honoree embodies innovation, thought leadership, and the profound impact on how investors engage with the markets. Reserved for someone whose influence will be remembered for generations to come. Vote for every Cashtag Award here! 🗳️

Source: Stocktwits

WHAT’S ON DECK
Tomorrow’s Top Things 📋

Economic data: Fed Interest Rate Decision (2 pm), Fed Press Conference (2:30 pm), EIA Energy Inventories (10:30 am), Indonesia Interest Rate Decision (3:30 am). 📊

Pre-Market Earnings: Tencent Holdings ($TCEHY), General Mills ($GIS), Williams-Sonoma ($WSM), Signet Jewelers ($SIG), Ollie’s Bargain Outlet ($OLLI). 🛏️

After-Hour Earnings: Five Below ($FIVE), Capricor Therapeutics ($CAPR), JOYY ($YY). 🎧

P.S. You can listen to all of these earnings calls and more straight from the Stocktwits app or website. You’ll find them on the calendar page and individual symbol pages once they’re set to begin! We’ll see you there. 👍

Links That Don’t Suck 🌐

🧑‍🏫 Learn stock screening strategies from two-time investing champion Mark Minervini*

✈️ Trump nominates Republic Airways CEO as FAA administrator

🤖 Publicis integrates Adobe’s generative AI to scale up personalized content

💊 Patient dies following muscular dystrophy gene therapy, Sarepta reports

🔥 Teslas set on fire with Molotov cocktails and shot with gun in Las Vegas attack

❌ US appeals court rejects copyrights for AI-generated art lacking ‘human’ creator

⚠️ Hundreds of celebrities warn against letting OpenAI and Google ‘freely exploit’ Hollywood

*3rd Party Ad. Not an offer or recommendation by Stocktwits. See disclosure here.

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