Media Publisher Steals the Show With 120% Gains

Good Afternoon! 

Hey, everyone. It's Adam from Elite Trade Club. 

Here’s what moved the market today.

Technology

From cockpit shading systems to energy-efficient building glass, their technology powers global leaders like Boeing, Mercedes-Benz, and National Geographic.

Their projected $240M revenue from aerospace positions them as an AI-driven market disruptor you can’t ignore.

Markets 📈

The market couldn’t find its bearings today, resulting in losses for several U.S. indexes. The Nasdaq Composite was hit the worst, slipping over half a percent from yesterday.

  • DJIA [-0.31%]

  • S&P 500 [-0.47%]

  • Nasdaq [-0.52%]

  • Russell 2K [-0.17%]

Market-Moving News 📈

Technology

Meta's AI Investments and Strategic Moves in Focus Ahead of Earnings Report

Meta is preparing to release its fourth-quarter earnings, with analysts anticipating strong results. The company's expected earnings per share are $6.77, and revenue is forecasted to reach $47.03 billion. Shares have risen considerably since last fall when the company shared an announcement about an increase in its 2024 capital expenditure guidance. Despite some initial concern over heavy investments in artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure, Meta's strategy appears to have gained investor confidence.

CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently revealed plans to significantly boost capital expenditures to $60-$65 billion in 2025 as part of Meta's AI push. This move was well-received by investors, who are more supportive of AI spending than previous investments in the metaverse. The high costs of AI development are increasingly under scrutiny, especially in light of claims from a Chinese lab about a more efficient language model.

As Meta navigates its AI investments, investors are also eager to understand how the ongoing shifts in the social media landscape, including TikTok’s challenges, might impact Meta’s business. The company has introduced incentives for creators to promote Instagram across other platforms and is testing ads on its Threads platform, signaling a strategic response to changing market dynamics. However, some concerns remain about the potential risks from relaxed content moderation policies.

Restaurants

Starbucks Charts Path to Recovery With New Strategies

Starbucks is refining its operations under new CEO Brian Niccol, who outlined a restructuring plan to improve efficiency and support long-term growth. The company, which recently reported better-than-expected quarterly earnings, is making changes to streamline its business while focusing on expansion.

As part of the restructuring, Starbucks is scaling its menu by 30% and adjusting its store development strategy to target under-penetrated U.S. markets. The company also prioritizes operational efficiency without pursuing its previously announced $4 billion cost-saving goal for 2028.

While Starbucks has not disclosed the number of job cuts, Niccol acknowledged that layoffs are part of the restructuring process, emphasizing the need for a more structured support system to enhance accountability and store-level execution.

The company also reaffirmed its commitment to customer and employee safety, stating it would take action to improve security at its locations as needed.

With competition in the coffee market increasing, Starbucks is working to strengthen its digital ordering experience and refine store operations. Investors will watch how these strategic shifts impact the company’s long-term profitability and brand positioning.

AI-Driven Gaming

New Jersey's record-breaking $2.4 billion iGaming revenue last year is proof: the iGaming market is booming.

And at the forefront of this growth is a standout company that's redefining the industry.

While competitors focus on low-margin sports betting, this company is targeting high-margin VIP players—the whales who spend big and stick around. With $2.13 earned for every $1 spent on marketing, a 20% player retention rate (double the industry average), and 60% revenue growth in 2023, the numbers speak for themselves.

Couple this with a proprietary AI-powered platform and a bold move into the lucrative Latin American market, and this company is poised to capture even more market share.

As NJ's iGaming milestone shows, this is a sector with no signs of slowing down.

Self-Driving Automobiles

Waymo Expands Autonomous Vehicle Testing to Over 10 New Cities in 2025

Waymo, Alphabet’s self-driving division, revealed plans to broaden its testing of autonomous vehicles across more than 10 new cities in 2025. This decision follows successful trials in various regions, showing the technology’s ability to adjust to different environments.

The expansion will include testing in cities like San Diego and Las Vegas, in addition to the ongoing trials in areas such as Upstate New York and Tokyo. A small fleet of less than 10 vehicles will be deployed to each location, where human specialists will remain behind the wheel during testing.

The testing will initially focus on the most complex driving environments, including city centers and busy highways. Each city will see manual driving for several months to ensure smooth adaptation before further automation steps are considered.

Waymo's move comes on the heels of expanding its autonomous ride-hailing service to Miami, aiming to strengthen its position in the competitive market. Despite its progress, the company faces increasing scrutiny from safety regulators, particularly after several incidents involving autonomous vehicles. To support its growth, Waymo recently closed a $5.6 billion funding round, with backing from Google’s parent company, Alphabet.

Top Winners and Losers 🔥

36kr Holdings Inc [KRKR] $9.42 (+122.17%)

36kr Holdings surged as more eyes turned towards Chinese offerings, even resulting in a temporary trading halt.

Nextracker Inc [NXT] $49.24 (+24.28%)

Nextracker saw significant share price gains after updating the world on its impressive third-quarter earnings.

Brinker International, Inc [EAT] $179.79 (+16.26%)

Brinker decimated its Q2 earnings estimates today, resulting in a huge share price hike.

Bakkt Holdings Inc [BKKT] $18.90 (-28.38%)

Bakkt Holdings lost ground following an announcement from Trump Media that the company’s share price was over-inflated.

Manhattan Associates Inc [MANH] $222.84 (-24.49%)

Manhattan Associates revealed it would miss full-year profit estimates, causing shareholders to reconsider their investment.

Teva Pharmaceutical Inc [TEVA] $18.54 (-13.89%)

Teva Pharmaceutical posted lackluster revenue numbers in its Q4 report, causing shares to sag.

Crisis to Opportunity

As wildfires rage and hurricanes leave devastation in their wake, one company is stepping in—not just to clean up, but to profit.

Securing contracts worth up to $35M, this company is turning debris into dollars, capitalizing on the booming demand for scrap metal and disaster recovery services.

With a growing presence in a $42B market, it’s positioned to be a major player in the rebuilding efforts across the U.S.

Disaster recovery is big business—and this stock could be one of the biggest winners.

That's it for today! Please, write us back, and let us know what you think of the Closing Bell Roundup. We're always eager to hear feedback!

Thanks for reading. I'll see you at the next open! 

Best Regards,
Adam G.
Elite Trade Club

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