The Club’s 10 things to watch Friday, Feb. 28 1. Stock futures rose after the Federal Reserve’s favorite measure of inflation rose in line with expectations. The personal consumption expenditures index for January increased 0.3% month over month and 2.5% year over year. It’s a decent number, but you’re going to need at least a couple of more trending lower before the Fed cuts rates again 2. Tariff uncertainty continues to plague the market. China vows retaliation to President Donald Trump’s plan to put an additional 10% tariff on imported goods from the country. The rapidly evolving trade policy is making it harder to forecast earnings, and a lot of momentum trades have faded, including bitcoin, which traded below $82,000 this morning. 3. Dell Technologies shares fall after missing revenue estimates and issuing softer-than-expected quarterly guidance. The server maker expects to ship $15 billion AI systems this year, up from $10 billion in fiscal 2025. 4. Barclays bumped up its price target on Dell to $116 a share from $115. Wells lowered its PT to $150 from $160. UBS went to $150 from $158, but told clients the stock can still be bought into the weakness, given Dell’s guidance may be conservative. 5. HP Inc reported an in line quarter and reaffirmed its full-year adjusted eps and free cash flow outlook. It increased its cost savings program by an estimated $300 million. 6. Club name Meta Platforms plans to release standalone artificial intelligence app to compete with ChatGPT, CNBC reported. CEO Mark Zuckerberg has said he wants Meta AI to be the No. 1 AI assistant. As of now, Meta AI is mostly accessed through Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp. 7. JPMorgan lifted its price target on Club stock CrowdStrike $450 a share from $418 and kept its buy-equivalent rating ahead of earnings next week. After a blistering start to the year, CrowdStrike shares have cooled off. 8. Mizuho Securities warned that new restrictions on AI chip exports to China could be coming based on industry headlines and checks with their Washington group. However, analysts said yesterday’s pullback, bakes in some of those headwinds. 9. Nvidia’s declines yesterday really picked up steam in afternoon trading, and Jim Cramer thinks that all the zero-day options activity in the Club name could’ve played a role in that acceleration. The stock ended down more than 8% and was lower again this morning. For Club members, we took a closer look at three underappreciated takeaways from Nvidia’s quarter. 10. Club holding Alphabet is planning layoffs in its human resources and cloud unit, CNBC reported . The Google parent’s new finance chief has said cutting costs is among her top priorities amid its AI investment push. Sign up for my Top 10 Morning Thoughts on the Market email newsletter for free (See here for a full list of the stocks at Jim Cramer’s Charitable Trust.) As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade. Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust’s portfolio. If Jim has talked about a stock on CNBC TV, he waits 72 hours after issuing the trade alert before executing the trade. THE ABOVE INVESTING CLUB INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY , TOGETHER WITH OUR DISCLAIMER . NO FIDUCIARY OBLIGATION OR DUTY EXISTS, OR IS CREATED, BY VIRTUE OF YOUR RECEIPT OF ANY INFORMATION PROVIDED IN CONNECTION WITH THE INVESTING CLUB. NO SPECIFIC OUTCOME OR PROFIT IS GUARANTEED.
In an aerial view, shipping containers are being transported at the Houston Port of Authority on February 10, 2025 in Houston, Texas.
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The Club’s 10 things to watch Friday, Feb. 28
1. Stock futures rose after the Federal Reserve’s favorite measure of inflation rose in line with expectations. The personal consumption expenditures index for January increased 0.3% month over month and 2.5% year over year. It’s a decent number, but you’re going to need at least a couple of more trending lower before the Fed cuts rates again
2. Tariff uncertainty continues to plague the market. China vows retaliation to President Donald Trump’s plan to put an additional 10% tariff on imported goods from the country. The rapidly evolving trade policy is making it harder to forecast earnings, and a lot of momentum trades have faded, including bitcoin, which traded below $82,000 this morning.
3. Dell Technologies shares fall after missing revenue estimates and issuing softer-than-expected quarterly guidance. The server maker expects to ship $15 billion AI systems this year, up from $10 billion in fiscal 2025.
