Every weekday, the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer releases the Homestretch — an actionable afternoon update, just in time for the last hour of trading on Wall Street. Markets: The S & P 500 wasn’t doing much Thursday, the second day of the federal government shutdown. The broad market index started the day modestly higher, touching a new all-time intraday high, before fizzling a bit and trading near the flatline. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent telling CNBC that the shutdown may dent gross domestic product certainly did not help market sentiment. In general, our view is that the shutdown will not alter the long-term market trajectory, so we don’t need to make any portfolio moves in direct response. A bright spot within the market Thursday was Nvidia — up about 1% to $189 per share. The Club stock was on pace for a fresh record close and its sixth straight session of gains, its longest winning streak since June. On an intraday basis, Nvidia traded above $190 for the first time ever. Strength in Nvidia and the broader chip complex — the iShares Semiconductor ETF rose around 2% on the day — was helping keep the tech-heavy Nasdaq in positive territory in afternoon trading. Positive chatter: Bank of America expects BlackRock’s net flows to “increase substantially” in the third quarter, citing strength in its fixed income and equity businesses. Net flows – the money invested minus the amount clients withdrew – is among the most critical financial metrics for asset managers. It directly impacts their revenue and growth potential. A big pickup in net flows would be welcome news for investors in light of BlackRock’s rocky quarterly earnings report back on July 15. Not only did the company miss on revenue, but long-term net inflows came up short for the second quarter in a row, which dinged BlackRock stock at the time. However, with a nearly 2% gain in Thursday’s session, BlackRock shares have gained over 4.5% since the day before its mid-July report. Bank of America sees additional upside ahead, as its new price target of $1,396 implies more than 22% upside from Wednesday’s close. BofA, which reiterated its buy rating on the stock, had an old price target of $1,224. The Club has a buy-equivalent 1 rating on shares, with a $1,200 price target. Optimism from the BofA analysts has to do with more than just a rosy third-quarter outlook. Going out further on the horizon, they see BlackRock as “best positioned” among peers to capitalize on growth trends in the asset management industry. This includes the surge of interest in alternative assets , as investors want higher-yielding opportunities outside the public market. BlackRock has made a slew of acquisitions to ramp up its private-markets exposure in recent years, and it may not be done. The Financial Times reported Tuesday that Global Infrastructure Partners, an infrastructure fund acquired by BlackRock last fall, may be nearing a $38 billion deal to buy utilities company AES . The takeover would allow BlackRock to capitalize on the unprecedented demand for power, driven by the boom in AI infrastructure investments. Succession plans: Disney is widely expected to announce CEO Bob Iger’s replacement early next year , and there’s a budding consensus among company executives and industry leaders that Josh D’Amaro, the head of its theme parks unit, will be the choice, Bloomberg News reported on Thursday . The story described it as a “two-horse race” between D’Amaro and Dana Walden, the co-chair of Disney’s entertainment division, which is home to its TV business. Disney did not respond to CNBC’s request for comment. We’re coming up on three years since Iger’s surprise return to the CEO role , replacing Bob Chapek, following a two-plus-year retirement. Investors are hoping for a smoother CEO transition this time around and eagerly await news of Iger’s successor. The CEO search process is being led by the Disney board’s chairman, James Gorman, the former Morgan Stanley CEO who handed over the bank’s reins at the start of 2024. The Club has a favorable view of Gorman and believes he is the right person to lead this process for Disney . Elsewhere on the Disney front, analysts at Jefferies weighed in on the Jimmy Kimmel controversy and its implications for Disney, based on Morning Consult survey data. While the analysts said the data implies Disney’s brand took a hit, it was less pronounced, specifically for Disney+, than the company writ large. That “suggests Disney+ churn may not be as elevated as feared,” the analysts wrote. They reiterated their buy rating and $144 price target. We also have a buy. Our price target is $135. Up next: Not the jobs report, much to the market’s chagrin. With the federal government shutdown still in effect, the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ closely watched nonfarm payrolls report — originally scheduled to be released Friday morning — will be delayed. However, all is not lost on the economic data front. We’re still slated to see the Institute for Supply Management’s gauge of services sector activity at 10 a.m. ET. Additionally, Federal Reserve Vice Chair Philip Jefferson is set to speak at the Drexel Economic Forum on Friday afternoon. (See here for a full list of the stocks in 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.
