Morgans AM Tuesday, 11 April 2023

US equity markets resumed trading after the Good Friday long weekend with modest gains, climbing in the final hour of the session as investors digested last Friday’s (7 April) non-farm payrolls report and eyed the latest inflation figures and the start of the first quarter earnings season later this week – Dow rose +101-points or +0.30%. The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported Friday (7 April) that Exxon Mobil Corp (down -0.44%) has held informal talks with Pioneer Natural Resources Co (up +5.79%) about a possible acquisition. If a deal happens, it likely won’t come until later this year or next year, the WSJ report said. The broader S&P500 edged +0.10% higher, with Industrials (up +0.90%) and Energy (+0.65%) leading six of the eleven primary sectors higher overnight. Tesla Inc lost -0.30% after the company announced another round of price cuts on some vehicles in an attempt to spur demand. The electric vehicle maker also confirmed plans to build a megapack battery factory in Shanghai capable of assembling 10,000 giant batteries annually. The Nasdaq dipped -0.04% after dropping as much as -1.40% earlier in the session, with Apple Inc down -1.60% after market intelligence provider International Data Corp reported that global personal-computer shipments sank 29% from a year ago on weak demand, excess inventory and a worsening economic environment. Google parent Alphabet Inc lost -1.83%. Micron Technology Inc rallied +8.04% after its rival Samsung Electronics announced that it plans to cut memory chip production in the near term. A number of Wall Street analysts said the move could accelerate a return to supply-demand balance and potential rebound in the chipmaking sector. The small capitalisation Russell 2000 edged 0.13% higher. Tupperware Brands Corp sank -48.76% after the food-storage products maker issued a going-concern warning late Friday (7 April), saying it had hired financial advisers to help steer it through near-term challenges.