^{_{Welcome to the TraderTV Live Morning Research Note. Here's what's making major moves in the market today.}}

0830 - Initial Jobless Claims: Expected 215k; Prior 213k
0830 - Continuing Jobless Claims: Expected 1.87M; Prior 1.85M
0830 - Philadelphia Fed Manufacturing Index: Expected 19,4; Prior 44.3
1000 - US Leading index: Expected -0.1%; Prior -0.1%
1200 - Crude Oil Inventories: Expected 3.2M; Prior 4.07M
1430 - Fed Governor Jefferson Speaks
1430 - Fed Vice Chair Barr Speaks

Palantir

-3.52%

Shares trading lower after a double digit drop yesterday amid reports of Pentagon budget cuts and CEO Alex Karp’s new stock trading plan. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reportedly ordered 8% annual budget cuts over five years, impacting the $850 billion defense budget. The sell-off deepened after Palantir revealed Karp’s plan to sell up to 9.98 million shares, potentially worth $1.23 billion by September 12, replacing a previous, larger plan.

PLTR

Alibaba

10.13%

Alibaba beat Q4 earnings expectations, posting revenue of 280.15B yuan ($39.5B) and net income of 48.95B yuan ($6.72B), driving U.S.-listed shares up 6.6% premarket. Cloud revenue grew 13% YoY, with AI-driven sales accelerating for the sixth straight quarter. Core retail units Taobao and Tmall saw 5% revenue growth, despite concerns over Chinese consumer spending. Alibaba’s AI advancements, including its Qwen 2.5 model, and a partnership with Apple on AI for Chinese iPhones, are key market drivers. Founder Jack Ma's participation in a rare meeting with President Xi Jinping also signals potential regulatory support. Shares have surged ~50% YTD across NYSE and Hong Kong.

BABA

Walmart

-6.97%

Walmart (WMT) reported strong Q4 results, with revenue rising ~4% to $180.55B, beating estimates, while adjusted EPS of $0.66 topped forecasts. U.S. e-commerce sales surged 20%, marking the 11th consecutive quarter of double-digit growth. Comparable sales rose 4.6% for Walmart U.S. and 6.8% for Sam’s Club. The company expects 2025 sales growth of 3%-4% and operating income up 3.5%-5.5%. Walmart raised its dividend by 13% to $0.94 per share. CFO warned of potential tariff risks but emphasized strategies to offset costs. Shares are up ~83% YoY, closing at $104, outperforming the S&P 500’s 4% YTD gain.

WMT

Carvana

-9.68%

Shares are trading significantly lower after Carvana reported Q4 revenue of $3.55 billion, surpassing the $3.31 billion estimate, and earnings of 56 cents per share, beating the 21-cent forecast. Revenue grew 46% year-over-year, with 114,379 vehicles sold, a 50% increase. The company posted $159 million in net income, with a 4.5% net income margin. Shares were coming off a freshly made 52wk high and are still just over 9% short float

CVNA

Microsoft & Quantum Stocks

-0.11%

Microsoft announced its first quantum computing chip, Majorana 1, after nearly two decades of research, leveraging a newly created topological state of matter. The chip uses eight topological qubits and is a step toward Microsoft's goal of scaling to a million qubits. While not yet available via Azure, the company plans to engage with national labs and universities for further development. Quantum computing stocks surged in 2024, with IonQ up 237% and Rigetti soaring nearly 1,500%. Microsoft sees quantum as a key driver for AI and broader innovation, with commercialization potentially before 2030.

MSFT, QUBT, QBTS, RGTI, IONQ

Apple

-0.22%

Apple unveiled the iPhone 16e, a budget-friendly model priced at $599, aiming to attract new customers amid slowing iPhone sales (-1% YoY in Q4). The device features FaceID, Apple’s A18 chip, and the company’s first in-house cellular modem (C1), replacing Qualcomm’s. It supports Apple Intelligence, making it the lowest-cost iPhone with AI capabilities. The 16e replaces the iPhone SE ($429), marking the end of fingerprint scanners in new models. Apple launched it via a press release, continuing its shift away from traditional live events. AAPL traders will watch consumer response and potential supply chain impact.

AAPL

Crypto Stocks

1.19%

Cryptocurrencies surged Wednesday after Donald Trump reaffirmed his goal of making the U.S. the "cryptocurrency capital." Bitcoin rose 1.58% to $96,689, while Ethereum gained 2.13% to $2,716. Dogecoin also climbed 1.90% to $0.2546. Bitcoin’s dominance stayed above 60%, with Ethereum holding 10% market share. Meanwhile, $132.69 million in liquidations occurred as the rally wiped out $75 million in bearish bets. Individual equity names are bouncing with this move

IBIT, COIN, MSTR, MARA, ETH, RIOT

Work Medical Technology Group

85.14%

WORK Medical Technology Group is worth keeping an eye on following their recent earnings release on February 14th, despite a lack of fresh news. The company reported a 15.2% year-over-year decrease in net revenue, falling to $11.5 million for fiscal year 2024, compared to $13.6 million in 2023. They also reported a loss per share of $0.27, a significant drop from the positive earnings per share of $0.01 in the previous fiscal year.

WOK