Home Improvement Giant Nails Holiday Sales

A home improvement giant is up 3% after stronger-than-expected holiday sales, an off-price retail major just posted an earnings beat, and an AI and cloud computing stock is soaring after avoiding Nasdaq delisting. Here’s what’s moving the markets today.

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Futures 📈

What to Watch

Earnings:

• NVIDIA Corporation [NVDA]: Aftermarket

• Salesforce, Inc. [CRM]: Aftermarket

• Synopsys, Inc. [SNPS]: Aftermarket

• Snowflake Inc. [SNOW]: Aftermarket

• Agilent Technologies, Inc. [A]: Aftermarket

• eBay Inc. [EBAY]: Aftermarket

Economic Reports:

• New home sales [Jan]: 10:00 a.m.

• Atlanta Fed President Raphael Bostic will speak at 12:00 p.m.

Home Improvement

Lowe’s Stock Rising After Strong Holiday Sales and Pro Business Growth

Lowe’s [NYSE: LOW] reported stronger-than-expected fourth-quarter earnings today, with revenue reaching $18.6 billion, surpassing analysts’ expectations of $18.3 billion.

Adjusted earnings per share are at $1.93, ahead of Wall Street’s estimate of $1.84.

Same-store sales edged up 0.2% in the quarter, marking the first positive growth in nearly two years.

The retailer attributed the improvement to strong sales in its professional contractor segment, a successful holiday season, and post-hurricane rebuilding efforts.

However, the company also noted that lingering weakness in do-it-yourself (DIY) discretionary spending partially offset these gains.

Lowe’s stock is up 3.3% in premarket trading.

CEO Marvin Ellison is confident in the long-term stability of the home improvement industry, stating that the company is well-positioned for an eventual recovery.

Despite the optimism, Lowe’s issued a cautious forecast for 2025. The retailer expects total revenue between $83.5 billion and $84.5 billion, with same-store sales projected to remain flat or grow by up to 1%.

Lowe’s guidance is below Wall Street’s expectations, reflecting continued consumer restraint on large-scale home projects due to high interest rates.

The company’s outlook closely aligns with Home Depot [NYSE: HD], which also forecasted a modest 1% growth in same-store sales for the year.

Discount Retail

TJX Posting Strong Q4 Earnings, Sees Moderate Growth in Fiscal 2026

TJX Companies [NYSE: TJX] delivered strong fourth-quarter performance, surpassing Wall Street expectations on both earnings and revenue.

The off-price retail giant reported Q4 GAAP earnings per share (EPS) of $1.23, exceeding forecasts by $0.06.

Revenue has reached $16.35 billion, slightly ahead of estimates by $110 million, though reflecting a 0.4% decline year-over-year.

Comparable store sales are up by 5% during the quarter, driven by higher customer traffic, significantly outperforming the company’s initial projections.

The retailer continues to see strong demand across its discount fashion and home goods segments.

Looking ahead to fiscal 2026, TJX anticipates consolidated comparable store sales growth of 2% to 3%.

The company expects its full-year pretax profit margin to range between 11.3% and 11.4%, slightly below last year’s 11.5%.

Fiscal 2026 diluted EPS is projected to be between $4.34 and $4.43, representing a 2% to 4% increase over last year’s $4.26.

For the first quarter of fiscal 2026, TJX forecasts comparable sales growth of 2% to 3%. However, it expects a lower pretax profit margin of 10.0% to 10.1%, down from 11.1% in the prior year.

Q1 EPS is projected to range between $0.87 and $0.89, reflecting a 4% to 6% decline from last year’s $0.93.

AI & EV Supply Chain (Sponsored)

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With industry leaders Robert Friedland and Rob McEwen backing the project and a fully funded exploration program through 2025, this company could become a key player in supplying the metals driving the world’s most important industries.

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Data Analytics and Risk Assessment

Verisk’s Q4 Revenue Up 8.6%, Full-Year Income Jumps 24%

Verisk [NASDAQ: VRSK] reported strong fourth-quarter and full-year 2024 financial results, with solid revenue growth and increased shareholder returns.

The company’s Q4 revenue is up 8.6% year-over-year to $736 million, maintaining the same growth rate on an organic constant currency basis.

Full-year revenue is touching $2.88 billion, marking a 7.5% increase from 2023.

Income from continuing operations in Q4 rose 11.6% to $204 million, while adjusted EBITDA expanded by 9.9% to $398 million.

For the full year, income from continuing operations surged 23.7% to $951 million, reflecting the company’s operational efficiency and revenue expansion.

Verisk also announced a 15% increase in its quarterly dividend, raising it to $0.45 per share, payable on March 31, 2025.

In addition, the company initiated a $300 million accelerated share repurchase program in Q4 as part of its strategy to enhance shareholder value.

Another key development is Verisk’s divestiture of Atmospheric and Environmental Research (AER), which was sold for $7.1 million as the company continues to streamline its business.

Cognition Therapeutics, Inc. [CGTX] - Last Close: $0.52

Cognition Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharma company developing therapies for diseases like Alzheimer’s and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB).

Its shares are up more than 30% after successfully passing a pre-defined futility analysis in its Phase 2 MAGNIFY trial for zervimesine (CT1812).

Super Micro Computer, Inc. [SMCI] - Last Close: $45.54

Super Micro Computer, Inc., is a leading high-performance AI and cloud computing server provider.

Its shares are surging 24% before the opening bell today after it filed its long-delayed financial reports, avoiding a potential Nasdaq delisting.

ZoomInfo Technologies Inc. [ZI] - Last Close: $9.53

ZoomInfo Technologies is a leading provider of B2B intelligence software.

Its shares are soaring in premarket trading after beating Q4 earnings expectations and issuing a strong 2025 revenue and profit forecast.

Mineral Industry (Sponsored)

This Canadian Mining Company Could Power the AI and EV Revolution

AI and EVs are booming, and at the heart of these industries lies a critical need for metals like copper, nickel, and PGMs. As demand for clean energy and advanced technology accelerates, companies securing these resources are becoming essential players in the global supply chain.

That’s why one Canadian mining company is making headlines. Their high-grade polymetallic discovery in Quebec is drawing comparisons to Russia’s Norilsk Mine—one of the world’s richest deposits.

With industry legends Robert Friedland and Rob McEwen backing the project and a fully funded exploration program through 2025, this could be a rare opportunity for investors seeking exposure to the metals fueling the future.

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Everything Else

• BP will scale down renewable ambitions and ramp up oil and gas investments.

• Alibaba's new AI video model aims to set industry standards in visual content creation.

• Intuit beats expectations with AI-driven growth and tax season momentum.

• Workday reports strong earnings as federal sales and AI adoption accelerate.

• Coupang posts strong earnings and doubles operating income with strategic investments.

• Axon’s cloud and TASER segments drive growth, boosting shares by 12.7%.

• Strategic acquisitions and third-party management growth drive Extra Space Storage’s results.

• GM balances shareholder rewards with EV investments in its latest financial strategy.

• Chile enforces emergency measures after nationwide blackout halts transportation and businesses.

• Meta exploring AI data center sites in Louisiana, Wyoming, and Texas.

That’s all for today. Thank you for reading. If you have any feedback, please reply to this email.

Best Regards,

— Adam Garcia
Elite Trade Club

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