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<ul class="summary-list"><li>Stocks rose Thursday as investors digested strong retail sales data and more earnings.</li><li>Retail sales data showed US consumer spending remains robust, with monthly spending up 0.4%.</li></ul>US stocks climbed on Thursday as traders saw better-than-expected retail sales data and continued to digest strong corporate earnings reports.The Dow Jones Industrial Average added to record levels achieved at Wednesday's close. Bond yields rose, with the 10-year Treasury up six basis points to 4.075%. September's retail sales report showed consumer spending remains strong, with monthly spending up 0.4% from August, just above a Dow Jones consensus estimate of 0.3%.Retail sales climbed 1.7% compared to a year ago, according to Commerce Department data released Thursday.The strong spending data comes on the heels of a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/september-jobs-report-unemployment-rate-nonfarm-payroll-growth-federal-reserve-2024-10">blockbuster September jobs report</a>, and further solidifies assessments that the US economy is strong and that the Federal Reserve may not need to cut rates as steeply or quickly as previously thought. Weekly jobless claims were lower than expected at 241,000, a 19,000 decline from the week before, according to Labor Department data released Thursday. Economists had forecast 260,000 weekly claims. Here's where US indexes stood shortly after the 9:30 a.m. opening bell on Thursday:<ul><li><a target="_blank" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/index/s&amp;p_500?utm_source=markets&amp;utm_medium=ingest%3Futm_source%3Dmarkets&amp;utm_medium=ingest&amp;utm_medium=ingest&amp;utm_source=markets&amp;utm_medium=ingest&amp;utm_source=markets">S&amp;P 500</a>: 5,873.45, up 0.53% </li><li><a target="_blank" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/index/dow_jones?utm_source=markets&amp;utm_medium=ingest%3Futm_source%3Dmarkets&amp;utm_medium=ingest&amp;utm_medium=ingest&amp;utm_source=markets&amp;utm_medium=ingest&amp;utm_source=markets">Dow Jones Industrial Average</a>: 43,279.21, up 0.47% (+201.51 points)</li><li><a target="_blank" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/index/nasdaq_composite?utm_source=markets&amp;utm_medium=ingest%3Futm_source%3Dmarkets&amp;utm_medium=ingest&amp;utm_medium=ingest&amp;utm_source=markets&amp;utm_medium=ingest&amp;utm_source=markets">Nasdaq composite</a>: 18,523.24, up 0.85% </li></ul>Meanwhile, a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tsmc-stock-price-q3-earnings-chip-stocks-asml-nvidia-amd-2024-10">highly anticipated report</a> from chipmaker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company came in strong, showing net income surpassed estimates while net revenue for the quarter rose 36% compared to the same last year."We have talked to our customers all the time, including our hyperscaler customers who are building their own chips. And almost every AI innovator is working with TSMC," TSMC chairman and CEO C.C. Wei said.Shares of TSMC rose 7% after the opening bell, pulling other chip stocks higher. Nvidia was up almost 2%, and AMD was up over 1%.TSMC's optimism about demand for AI tech follows a <a target="_blank" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/chipmakers-tumble-asml-guidance-semiconductor-nvidia-chip-growth-2024-10?_gl=1*1isprkj*_ga*MTY3OTgyNjg0MS4xNzIxMDE2MDM2*_ga_E21CV80ZCZ*MTcyOTE2NTYwMS4yODIuMS4xNzI5MTY3OTk1LjM0LjAuMA..">chip sector sell-off</a> earlier this week when chip machine maker ASML slashed its sales guidance on weaker demand from chipmakers.TSMC joins a string of strong earnings reports this week. Morgan Stanley and United Airlines posted strong results on Wednesday. Netflix will report third-quarter results after the close on Thursday. Here's what else is going on Thursday:<ul><li>A number of bank research desks are <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/stock-market-outlook-sp500-targets-bull-market-goldman-ubs-bmo-2024-10?_gl=1*njfdt3*_ga*MTY3OTgyNjg0MS4xNzIxMDE2MDM2*_ga_E21CV80ZCZ*MTcyOTE2NTYwMS4yODIuMS4xNzI5MTY2MzczLjYwLjAuMA..">boosting their S&amp;P 500 price targets</a> in recent weeks as the bull market charges on.</li><li>China could raise nearly <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-economy-beijing-stimulus-1-trillion-debt-package-fiscal-deficit-2024-10">$1 trillion of fresh debt</a> in the next 3 years to revive its economy, according to a report from Caixin Global.</li><li>The US freight recession is showing <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/author/filip-de-mott">early signs of recovery</a> as trucking company JB Hunt posted a rare earnings beat on Tuesday.</li></ul>In commodities, bonds, and crypto:<ul><li>Oil futures fell. <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/commodities/oil-price?type=wti">West Texas Intermediate crude</a> dipped 0.2% to $70.22 a barrel. <a target="_blank" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/commodities/oil-price?utm_medium=ingest&amp;utm_source=markets">Brent crude</a>, the international benchmark, fell 0.3% to $74.01 a barrel.</li><li><a target="_blank" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/commodities/gold-price?utm_medium=ingest&amp;utm_source=markets">Gold</a> rose 0.33% to $2,700.4 an ounce.</li><li>The 10-year Treasury yield was up six basis points to 4.075%.</li><li><a target="_blank" class="" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/currencies/btc-usd">Bitcoin</a> dipped 1.5% to $66,761.</li></ul>

Stock market today: Indexes gain after strong retail sales data

<div type="image" title="For the unversed, trading in futures and options can be akin to setting their hard-earned money on fire" height="900" width="1200" msid="114064202" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;For the unversed, trading in futures and options can be akin to setting their hard-earned money on fire&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> Once upon a time, there thrived a wild, wild land. Here, it was all about super high monetary stakes, lightning-fast trade deals, and bucketloads of money shifting hands every single second. This wilderness lured millions of individuals with the promise of super duper high returns. But, at what cost? Welcome to the unforgiving, ultra-risky wild west of <keyword id="19991165" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-equity-markets" source="keywords">Indian equity markets</keyword> called the <keyword id="145718" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Futures-and-Options" source="Orion">futures and options</keyword>. Here, everyone seems to just fly right through the bright red-flagged warnings of financial risks to earn even a fraction of these promised returns. Most burn themselves in the process, but carry on nevertheless, as if nothing ever happened. <h2>Chasing the cloudy profits</h2>The data conclusively proves that every 9 out of 10 individuals only lost their hard-earned money in this land. But hey, what do the numbers know? Some hide their losses out of shame, some out of fear. The proponents, meanwhile, proudly boast unusually high returns on their investments, some open social media channels while others encourage their friends and family to take the plunge. Naturally, news of this unstoppable and humongous en-masse migration to the F&amp;O (futures and options) town has reached sheriff <keyword id="19901201" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="SEBI" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="SEBI" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="SEBI">SEBI</keyword>, galvanising them into action. After all, it was time to put a leash on this madness and save the common man. The inhabitants of this town doubled in the last 2 years, from 51 lakh in FY22 to 96 lakh in FY24—99.8% of whom were small and mid-income traders. But profits? Well, that's a different, rather completely absent story. <h2>Que Sera Sera, much?</h2>A recent report by SEBI (Securities and Exchange Board of India) that studied profits and losses made by traders in the equity derivatives segment between FY22-24 exposed the mad mania of futures and options trading in India, especially since the pandemic. Per the report, 91.1% of individual traders, or about 73 lakh traders had only lost money trading in futures and options in FY24. Between FY 22-24, over 1 crore traders, or about 92.8% of individual traders, had lost Rs 2 lakh each. But once bitten, twice shy? Well, not in this case. More than 75% of individuals, who had only made losses trading in F&amp;O in FY22 and FY23, continued to trade vigorously in FY24 as well, without any changes in the bottom line, which remained deep in red and negative. So, then all these traders must be uber-rich, with tons of cash and not much care to spare? Nope. 76% of traders in the F&amp;O space in FY24 had an annual income of less than Rs 5 lakh. 2 years ago, their share stood at 71%. And their choice of poison? Options! In FY24, 60% of traders made losses trading in futures, but a whopping 91.5% burnt their funds trading in options. Mind you, futures are riskier than options. With futures, which require significant capital investment, the buyer and seller both are contractually bound to adhere to the pre-determined strike price of the futures or options contract, irrespective of whether the prevailing prices are higher or lower (and thus, resulting in losses for either the buyer or seller). With options, since this adherence ain't necessary, individuals end up taking debt to take highly leveraged positions while trading here. <h2>Scale of the explosion</h2>Anyone who trades even infrequently will tell you that a demat account is the mitochondria or powerhouse of the trading cell. As of August 2024, India had over 17.1 crore <keyword id="20957284" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="demat-accounts" source="keywords">demat accounts</keyword>, which are a prerequisite for trading in the markets. India is the 9th biggest country in the world, in terms of total demat accounts. Did you know that our demat accounts are at par with the entire population of Bangladesh? Talk about scale! Just 4 years ago, in March 2020, this number was a mere 4 crore. Naturally, the total F&amp;O turnover on both <keyword id="20004725" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="NSE" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="NSE" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="NSE">NSE</keyword> and BSE has hit the roof, and also broken it. As of October 4, 2024, the total futures and options turnover on NSE stood at a massive Rs 4,78,27,27,750.30 crore. Good luck counting the thousands! <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none;" class="redcator-table-advance"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Year </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Total Turnover (Both Futures and Options) (In Rs Crore) </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">2020-21 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">64,36,03,951.51 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">2021-22 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">1,69,52,33,134.47 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">2022-23 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">3,82,23,26,468.06 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">2023-24 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">7,99,27,67,152.43 </td></tr></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody></table>Source : NSE Another metric that underlines the meteoric growth of trading in India is the collection of STT or <keyword id="20930760" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Securities-Transaction-Tax" source="keywords">Securities Transaction Tax</keyword>. As of September 2024, India's STT mop-up had gone past Rs 26,000 crore. Traders have to pay STT whenever they buy or sell any security in the market. So, more trading brings in more STT, and hence, more revenue for the government, so they're not really complaining. After all, this is certainly what they'd call enviable growth. As of August 2023, our STT collection stood at about Rs 21,599 crores. And in FY20-21, India's STT collection had been Rs 16,000 crore. If only our salaries also managed to grow at this rate! <h2>So, what's happening?</h2>Two things. One, it's the big bulls who are raking in all the moolah. And it's the younger lot (those aged under 30) who are propping them up for this. In FY24, 43% of individual traders in the market were less than 30 years of age. In just one year, this number has swelled by 12 percentage points from just 31% of individual traders. But who says ageing is bad? Wrinkles and silver hair seemingly have a propensity of incurring lesser losses in the market. In FY24, only 79% of traders aged above 60 years made losses, as compared to 93% of those aged below 30. Small and mid-income traders, which make up 98% of the total trader base, witnessed average losses per person of Rs 65,000 and Rs 1.5 lakh in FY24 in futures and options, respectively. The winner here? Clearly, the big bulls, who declared an annual income of over Rs 1 crore, ended up with average profits of Rs 96,000 per person this year. <h2>What’s the sheriff up to?</h2>The government has finally swung into action, hiking the STT rate for F&amp;O during this year’s budget. Effective October 1, 2024, the STT on futures stands at 0.02%, up from 0.0125%. For options, it was upped to 0.1% versus 0.0625% previously. Small margins, but huge impact oncoming. Says Puneet Sharma- CEO and Fund Manager at Whitespace Alpha, “SEBI aims to enhance market stability while safeguarding investor interests, reflecting the regulator's intent to balance risk management with market participation”. But this might come with its own share of challenges, too. “Stricter norms around leverage, transparency, and capital adequacy could limit the ability of investors to determine their own risk appetite, thereby stifling innovation in trading strategies. Over-regulation in an environment that thrives on strategic flexibility and creativity could dampen the market’s dynamism, affecting India's competitiveness in the global derivatives landscape”, he observes. SEBI recently came out with a set of guidelines that aim to thwart <keyword id="19972907" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="retail-investors" source="keywords">retail investors</keyword>' participation in futures and options and hinder them from taking undue risks. Here's a quick recap of what's to come for the residents of the F&amp;O town Margin Requirements: To battle the high volatility and chaos which is generally seen on expiry days(i.e the last mandated date, post which an option becomes invalid), SEBI will put in place an extreme loss margin (ELM) of 2% for all open short options on the day of expiry. Translation? Traders will need to pony up more cash upfront, leaving them with fewer funds to take on risky bets. It ain't a choice: No more of one expiry every single day! Going ahead, an exchange like BSE or NSE will just be able to offer weekly expiries, that too, only on one benchmark index, as opposed to an entire buffet it currently offers. At present, NSE offers weekly options contracts for its financial index, bank and midcap indices. But say goodbye to this, and hello to derivatives on only 1 index per exchange. Raising the bar: Effective November 30, 2024, the minimum contract value for index derivatives will be upped to Rs 15 lakh, from the present Rs 5-10 lakh. The hope is that by making it ultra-expensive to enter these trades, investors will be dissuaded from taking on risky trades. Pay upfront: Starting February 2025, those trading in options will have to pay the entire options premium upfront, even before their trades are executed. This is because options generally carry very high leverage, and paying a significant sum upfront can force traders to think twice. Invigilation Pro Max: Starting April 1 2025, to make sure that the number of positions for equity index derivatives does not slyly slip over the mandated limit, especially on expiry days when trade volumes are huge, the exchanges will have to take a minimum of 4 position snapshots randomly. The question is, will these injections of sobriety be enough to calm down the steroid-fed bull of the futures and options market in India? Well, only time and market turnover will tell! For more insights into the financial markets and business news, stay tuned to our site and social media handles. And don’t forget to subscribe to Business Insider India’s newsletters for your weekly dose of Simply Put! Disclaimer: The content on this website is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as investment advice. We recommend readers consult certified, qualified and registered advisors for professional and personalised financial advice.

SIMPLY PUT: SEBI is on a mission to take on the wild, wild west of futures and options in India. Here’s why, what, and how

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Investment firms want to offer private-credit ETFs to ordinary investors, the WSJ reported. </li><li>It would give retail investors access to a $1.7 trillion market. </li></ul>A booming corner of the financial markets that has only been available to institutions might soon be open to everyday investors. <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.wsj.com/finance/investing/wall-street-races-to-bring-private-credit-to-the-masses-8a25b624?mod=finance_lead_story">According to The Wall Street Journal,</a> some of the biggest private equity and investment management giants want to offer retail investors access to exchange-traded funds backed by private credit. The term broadly refers to loans made to companies and consumers by nonbank lenders. Historically, fund managers have sold "alternative assets" like private debt to institutional investors at a high cost, generating returns of around 10% in recent years — more than they would have seen from investing in the stock or bond markets.Now, as those institutions slow allocations to private credit, the biggest players in the space want to target a new class of investors. According to the Journal, firms like State Street, Apollo Global Management, and BlackRock are working to roll out private credit ETFs to regular investors. The challenge, though, is building a highly liquid ETF out of illiquid private loans. That hurdle is also what will likely draw the eye of regulators as they ensure the ETFs are appropriate for retail investors. But if these ETFs get approved, they will enable regular investors to tap into a booming market, one that BlackRock expects will more than double to $3.5 trillion by 2028. The race to launch private credit ETFs has heated up in recent months.In May, Capital Group and KKR teamed up to start offering funds investing in both public and private assets—including in private credit—starting next year.Last month, State Street proposed a private debt ETF to the Securities and Exchange Commission. The ETF would blend public debt with private debt on mortgage, corporate, and consumer loans purchased from Apollo Global Management. Anna Paglia, State Street's chief business officer, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://investors.statestreet.com/investor-news-events/press-releases/news-details/2024/State-Street-Global-Advisors-and-Apollo-Global-Management-Join-Forces-to-Increase-and-Broaden-Investor-Access-to-Private-Markets/default.aspx">said in a statement</a> the ETF would "democratize access to private asset exposures," and make them "more accessible to a wider swathe of investors.""It is our goal to bring these investments to scale and help facilitate the process of making private assets more accessible and liquid over time. We see this as only the beginning of a new wave of innovation as public and private markets increasingly converge," Paglia said. Alternative assets make up a small share—less than 3%—of individual investors' global investments, KKR's head of Global Client Solutions Eric Mogelof, told the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.wsj.com/finance/investing/wall-street-races-to-bring-private-credit-to-the-masses-8a25b624">Wall Street Journal</a>.But he says there is huge potential for that share to grow by over three times. "We anticipate these allocations to rise to 10% or greater in the future," he told the Journal.

Investing giants want to offer retail traders access to a booming sector of financial markets

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Indexes rose Thursday as investors cheered in a surprise increase in retail sales and lower jobless claims. </li><li>Retail sales jumped 1% in July, surpassing analyst expectations of 0.3%.</li></ul>Indexes rose Thursday as investors priced in an influx of new data on retail sales and jobless claims following the week's encouraging data on inflation. Retail sales were up 1% in July, the Commerce Department said Thursday. That increase, led by spending in the auto and electronics sectors, surpassed expectations of 0.3% from analysts surveyed by Dow Jones."Today's retail sales numbers were a blowout versus consensus, but more importantly it should lay to rest (at least for the moment) all of the doom and gloom that was expressed at the beginning of this month," Chris Zaccarelli, head of investments at Independent Advisor Alliance, said in a Thursday note.Meanwhile, jobless claims last week came in below estimates at 227,000, a 7,000 fall from the week prior. The reading should continue to soothe fears of a coming wave of unemployment after July's jobs data was weaker than expected. Treasury yields rose on the new data, with the 10-year bond yield up 12 basis points to 3.947% as investors dialed back expectations for a jumbo 50 basis point rate cut from the Fed next month. The rebound in retail and upbeat labor data follows a day after consumer inflation figures released Wednesday showed inflation cooled to 2.9% in July, its lowest level in over three years. The Bureau of Labor Statistics said that <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/housing-costs-inflation-cpi-consumer-price-index-shelter-real-estate-2024-8#:~:text=Housing%20costs%20are%20the%20big,its%20lowest%20level%20since%202021.">sticky housing inflation accounted for 90% of the rise in core CPI</a>, making it the biggest factor keeping inflation high.The inflation numbers are still above the Fed's 2% target, but steady progress is being made as it looks to cool the economy without causing a dramatic spike in the unemployment rate. Investors see a 100% chance that the Fed cuts rates in September, with a 65% chance of 25 basis points and a 36% chance of 50 basis, according to the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cmegroup.com/markets/interest-rates/cme-fedwatch-tool.html">CME FedWatch tool</a>.Here's where US indexes stood shortly after the 9:30 a.m. opening bell on Thursday:<ul><li><a target="_blank" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/index/s&amp;p_500?utm_source=markets&amp;utm_medium=ingest%3Futm_source%3Dmarkets&amp;utm_medium=ingest&amp;utm_medium=ingest&amp;utm_source=markets&amp;utm_medium=ingest&amp;utm_source=markets">S&amp;P 500</a>: 5,512.09, up 1.04%</li><li><a target="_blank" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/index/dow_jones?utm_source=markets&amp;utm_medium=ingest%3Futm_source%3Dmarkets&amp;utm_medium=ingest&amp;utm_medium=ingest&amp;utm_source=markets&amp;utm_medium=ingest&amp;utm_source=markets">Dow Jones Industrial Average</a>: 40,476.15, up 1.17% (+468 points)</li><li><a target="_blank" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/index/nasdaq_composite?utm_source=markets&amp;utm_medium=ingest%3Futm_source%3Dmarkets&amp;utm_medium=ingest&amp;utm_medium=ingest&amp;utm_source=markets&amp;utm_medium=ingest&amp;utm_source=markets">Nasdaq composite</a>: 17,415.29, up 1.3%</li></ul>Here's what else is going on today:<ul><li>After selling half its stake in Apple, Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway is <a target="_blank" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/warren-buffett-berkshire-hathaway-ulta-beauty-heico-apple-stock-portfolio-2024-8">betting on a glow-up for Ulta Beauty</a> with a $266 million stake.</li><li>China's population decline is having a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-population-falling-aging-demographic-economy-slowdown-marriage-birth-rates">widespread impact on the world's second largest economy</a> as marriages, diamond sales, and retail spending drop.</li><li>Borrowers are rushing to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mortgage-rates-30-year-refinance-applications-real-estate-housing-market-2024-8">refinance their mortgages</a> as rates tumble to their lowest level in over a year.</li></ul>In commodities, bonds, and crypto:<ul><li>Oil futures rose. <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/commodities/oil-price?type=wti">WTI crude</a> increased 1.6% to $78.17 a barrel. <a target="_blank" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/commodities/oil-price?utm_medium=ingest&amp;utm_source=markets">Brent crude</a>, the international benchmark, rose 1.5% to $80.95 a barrel.</li><li><a target="_blank" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/commodities/gold-price?utm_medium=ingest&amp;utm_source=markets">Gold</a> rose 0.32% to $2,487.50 per ounce.</li><li>The 10-year Treasury yield rose 12 basis points to 3.947%.</li><li><a target="_blank" class="" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/currencies/btc-usd">Bitcoin</a> rose 0.37% to $57,592.39.</li></ul>

Stock market today: Indexes rise after retail sales boosts confidence on the consumer and the economy

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Intel has been driving lots of retail chatter and stock purchases in recent days.</li><li>The chipmaker's stock has tanked this year, and a poorly timed investment has tickled Reddit users.</li></ul><a target="_blank" class="" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/gamestop-roaring-kitty-gme-stock-price-rally-meme-traders-wallstreetbets-2024-6">GameStop</a>. <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bed-bath-and-beyond-rise-and-fall-photos-2020-1">Bed Bath &amp; Beyond</a>. Intel?The microchip maker isn't an obvious choice to become the next big meme stock, but it's generating a bunch of buzz on Reddit's WallStreetBets subreddit.Early on Thursday, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/intc-stock">Intel</a> ranked fifth on <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://swaggystocks.com/dashboard/wallstreetbets/ticker-sentiment">Swaggy Stocks</a>' list of trending stocks on WSB over the past week, and sixth on <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://apewisdom.io/wallstreetbets/">Ape Wisdom</a>'s list for the past 24 hours.Retail investors have also been piling money into the chipmaker. Vanda Research's retail flow tracker shows it was the fifth most popular stock in the five trading days through August 13, attracting $162 million in net retail purchases.Intel only trailed <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nvidia-secret-sauce-regulators-gpu-chips-jensen-huang-2024-7">Nvidia</a> ($1.4 billion), AMD ($259 million), Palantir ($189 million), and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tesla">Tesla</a> ($164 million). It outpaced the likes of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/apple">Apple</a> ($155 million) and Microsoft ($147 million).Vanda analysts noted that overall net retail purchases have surged this month, "far exceeding even our most bullish expectations" as investors capitalized on the "chunkiest dip since April." Demand has cooled since the start of August but purchases continue to hover near a 12-month high of $1.4 billion a day, the analysts added.<h2 id="6147f58a-e5b6-4b95-915b-ddb73c3e2d40">Why Intel?</h2>Intel stock has plunged by about 60% this year to about $20, its lowest level in over a decade. On August 2, it <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/intel-stock-price-layoffs-weak-guidance-missed-analyst-estimates-semiconductors-2024-8">tanked as much as 30%</a> — its steepest one-day decline in over 30 years — after Intel's second-quarter earnings revealed plans to lay off some 15,000 staff, or 15% of its total workforce, and guided toward lower revenues than Wall Street expected.The company's net assets were valued at $115 billion at the end of June, about $30 billion higher than its current market capitalization.Meme-stock investors are known for finding beaten-down stocks to purchase en masse, but they also love to buy into funny stories and back colorful characters like GameStop guru <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/gamestop-investor-deepfuckingvalue-roaring-kitty-reddit-stocks-wall-street-2021-1-1030022004">Keith "Roaring Kitty" Gill</a>.In Intel's case, some of the excitement seems to have been sparked by a WSB post from the user u/Sad_Nefariousness10. In a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.reddit.com/r/wallstreetbets/comments/1ehjuzj/i_bought_700k_worth_of_intel_stock_today/">post</a> on August 1, the user claimed they'd received an $800,000 inheritance from their grandmother, had invested $700,000 of it in Intel that day, and planned to hold the chip stock for at least 10 years.It appears to have been a dismally timed purchase, given Intel crashed by over a quarter after the market closed that day. The user <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.reddit.com/r/wallstreetbets/comments/1eiktnw/ok_i_definitely_picked_the_wrong_day_to_buy_intel/">posted</a> an update the next day showing their investment had shrunk by $204,000 on paper to below $500,000, but they still planned to hold the stock for the next decade. BI was unable to confirm the posts' veracity.The user's ill fortune sent the forum into fits of laughter, but appears to have spurred others to get in on the joke by investing large sums in Intel stock.BI spoke to four Reddit users who've claimed in recent posts on WSB to have invested in Intel stock. BI has not verified their claims so they should be treated with skepticism. Here are their comments on Intel, lightly edited for length and clarity:<h2 id="47a56c4f-589b-4a63-b3f8-fa0b49fef9a7">1. u/Smallmem</h2>"I'm investing big into Intel primarily because it's a cheap stock basically trading at book value, and investing into it is a bet against international trade; if the US decides to not be completely reliant on <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/chip-tsmc-taiwan-semiconductor-trillion-market-cap-nvidia-ai-asml-2024-7">Taiwan Semiconductor</a>, which I believe it must, Intel stock will rise quickly."The Intel Grandma post was an incredible post because of the incredible timing. You have someone invest $700k of their inheritance into stocks, not even options, and it plummets down $200k by the end of the day; it's hilarious. And the framing of it being his grandma's inheritance has proven even funnier."WallStreetBets has always been about people gambling stupid large sums of money into dumb investments, and it's even funnier when it's in a currently failing company like Intel. I personally posted myself buying Intel because I felt for the kid; he made a gigantic play as his first investment and lost a bunch of money immediately."While most of WallStreetBets (including me) throw money in the trash playing options hoping to score millions and make a funny post on Reddit when we lose, he was planning to set and forget INTC for 10 years! It was terribly unfortunate timing that did him in. He's still holding INTC though, which shows his commitment! I wish him the best."u/Smallmem told BI he's 22, studying for a master's in computer science, and owns around $20,000 of Intel stock. He said Intel is unlikely to take off like other meme stocks as its market value is too high, and there are fewer casual investors who are bored and stuck at home than during the pandemic. But he suggested the buzz around the stock could lead professional investors to buy in, pushing up its price.<h2 id="1dc7ac34-5ef3-4e02-9611-ecbfe9818ac0">2. u/randomGov</h2>"I can buy a 1) nationally strategically important company, 2) with a huge moat (only a few can spend 100+ billion to compete), 3) for less than its TANGIBLE book value, 4) that has spent more than its current market cap on capex into fabs (good chance of future significant returns), 5) making stuff (chips) the future (AI, EVs, and other tech) is built on, 6) with a good chance of being a tech leader."u/randomGOV <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.reddit.com/r/wallstreetbets/comments/1ere2ri/the_halfregarded_grandson/">posted</a> an unconfirmed screenshot of his portfolio showing a $227,000 investment in Intel.<div type="image" title="Laptops with Intel chips on display at CES 2024 in Las Vegas." height="683" width="1024" msid="112566306" hostid="261" sizebytes="72748"></div><h2 id="a324d94e-299a-4ffe-b4af-cf781652477a">3. u/wedge754</h2>"I think it has the potential to become a meme stock, it's not there yet. I think it's oversold and people are forgetting how broad Intel's market actually is. Intel is the US largest chip manufacturer, I don't see them going down without a fight. Most importantly, I'm thinking a new CEO is on the horizon. Intel has a ton of upside potential if they can just get their act together."I've been watching Intel since the COVID/AI boom and how Intel basically stagnated. The recent big drop seemed like the time to jump in — I'm hoping the negative attention puts pressure on them to restructure. The meme posts are just icing on the cake."u/wedge754 told BI he's invested about $25,000 into Intel.<h2 id="9f2bce18-f869-47a7-8817-a1dcfb4a6d98">4. dc_chilling17</h2>"I'm betting big because the outlook for the company is super bright. The market is putting too much weight on margin pressure, which is a direct result of their capex buildout for their foundry business. When the market realizes that Intel is going to be the Fedex to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/chip-tsmc-taiwan-semiconductor-trillion-market-cap-nvidia-ai-asml-2024-7">TSMC</a>'s UPS, and that the margins are being squeezed due to a perfect storm of events vs a flaw in the business itself, things will turn around."They will IPO Altera for north of $30 billion. Mobileye is probably worth $15-20 billion a year from now. Back those out, you're telling me that one of the largest chip companies in the world by revenue, with a monopoly on manufacturing with respect to the West, is worth $30-40 billion?"Meanwhile <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/lisa-su-amd-billionaire-jensen-huang-nvidia-cousin-2024-4">AMD</a>, their little brother with a fraction of the market share and no fabs is worth $220 billion? It's just a market dislocation. I bought Exxon at $39, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/meta">Meta</a> at $89, and now Intel at $19. The play is obvious. The market will wake up to it."dc_chilling17 told BI he has a $1.1 million position in Intel.

Intel is having a meme-stock moment. 4 retail investors explain why they're betting on the chipmaker. 

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Carvana's stock has surged over 7,000% since December 2022, reaching a $52 billion valuation.</li><li>The company was near bankruptcy in 2022 amid financial struggles and high interest rates.</li></ul><a target="_blank" class="" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/aapl-stock">Carvana</a> investors have been on a roller coaster ride over the past couple of years, and for those who could hang on, it's paid off big time.The used-car dealer, famous for its car tower vending machines, was <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/used-vehicle-retailer-carvana-bankruptcy-car-buyers-inventory-2022-12">on the verge of bankruptcy</a> in December 2022, and its stock price crashed 98% to a valuation of about $400 million.The stock has since soared more than 7,000% to a $52 billion valuation, and its latest earnings release shows that the company is hitting new records. In its third-quarter earnings report, Carvana reported record adjusted EBITDA of $429 million on about $3.7 billion in revenue, far surpassing Wall Street estimates.Meanwhile, total cars sold surged 34% to 108,651 units in the quarter. Shares of Carvana surged about 22% on Thursday following the results, trading at $248.82 as the market headed into the close. "Carvana's exceptional results underscore our position as the fastest-growing and most profitable automotive retailer," Carvana CEO Ernie Garcia said.It's a remarkable turnaround for a company that <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/carvana-stock-price-used-cars-interest-rates-dollar-morgan-stanley-2022-11">was virtually left for dead by investors two years ago</a> when it experienced a credit crunch due to an overextended balance sheet and a weakening consumer outlook. It didn't help that funding options dried up as the Federal Reserve aggressively hiked interest rates in 2022 and 2023.Carvana successfully <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.ft.com/content/6bdbd28e-2586-46a9-b082-04f5dbeeb637">fended off creditors,</a> including Apollo Global Management, and convinced them to take a $1.3 billion haircut on their underwater bonds as the company raced to slash costs and right-size its business.The massive bet, led by CEO and founder Ernie Garcia, paid off, and it appears Wall Street is starting to play catch-up on the Carvana story.More than 10 Wall Street firms raised their price targets on Thursday following the company's solid earnings results. According to Bloomberg data, the average Carvana price target is around $200, still below the $255 per share price at which the stock traded Thursday afternoon, leaving room for more potential upgrades in the future.JPMorgan raised its price target for the stock to $300 per share and reiterated its "Overweight" rating in a note on Thursday."3Q24 results should be seen as a clearing event that is likely to diminish any lingering concerns/skepticism around CVNA's recent progress on unit economics with focus shifting to the unique benefits of the operating model and widening moat vs peers, reinforced by the recent foray into commercial - retail marketplace that unlocks a significant profit opportunity with infrastructure and resources to scale," JPMorgan said.Despite the strong rally over the past 22 months, Carvana stock is still 32% below its record high of $376.83 reached in August 2021. Here's a look at the company's stock price since going public in 2017.<div type="image" title="Carvana stock price" height="887" width="1737" msid="114826413" hostid="261" sizebytes="34346"></div>

Carvana stock was nearly wiped out in 2022. It's rallied more than 7,000% since.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Weak retail sales data on Tuesday sent bond yields lowers</li><li>Month-to-month sales rose 0.1%, below estimates.</li></ul>US stocks edged up on Tuesday after retail sales data for May came in weaker than expected, sending Treasury yields lower.The <a target="_blank" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/index/s&amp;p_500?utm_medium=ingest&amp;utm_source=markets">S&amp;P 500</a> and <a target="_blank" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/index/nasdaq_100?utm_medium=ingest&amp;utm_source=markets">Nasdaq</a> continued their record-setting run, with investors eyeing the impact of a less robust consumer on the outlook for rate cuts.US consumers appeared to cut back last month, with month-over-month sales rising 0.1% in May, below estimates. Prior months were also revised lower. Sales climbed 2.3% year-to-year.Investors this year have grown sensitive to signs of economic weakness, and markets will want to see how this could play into the Federal Reserve's monetary policy plans.Treasury yields responded by dropping about three basis points to 4.25%."The much anticipated retail sales report pushed Treasury yields lower as it came in weaker than estimates, but it was the downward revision for two previous months that has analysts concerned that lower and middle income wage earners are under pressure from both prices and higher prices," Quincy Krosby, chief global strategist for LPL Financial, said Tuesday morning. "Should employment data, particularly initial unemployment claims, continue to indicate a more defined softening in the labor market, the Fed may—as Fed Chair Powell suggests —need to recalibrate its timetable for commencing policy easing."So far, most investors continue to bet on the first rate cut to happen in September, according to the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cmegroup.com/markets/interest-rates/cme-fedwatch-tool.html?redirect=/trading/interest-rates/countdown-to-fomc.html">CME FedWatch Tool</a>, though recent comments from the Fed put the date of the first cut at the December policy meeting.Here's where US indexes stood shortly after the 9:30 a.m. opening bell on Tuesday:<ul><li><a target="_blank" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/index/s&amp;p_500?utm_source=markets&amp;utm_medium=ingest%3Futm_source%3Dmarkets&amp;utm_medium=ingest&amp;utm_medium=ingest&amp;utm_source=markets&amp;utm_medium=ingest&amp;utm_source=markets">S&amp;P 500</a>: 5,483.03, up 0.18%</li><li><a target="_blank" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/index/dow_jones?utm_source=markets&amp;utm_medium=ingest%3Futm_source%3Dmarkets&amp;utm_medium=ingest&amp;utm_medium=ingest&amp;utm_source=markets&amp;utm_medium=ingest&amp;utm_source=markets">Dow Jones Industrial Average</a>: 38,848.97, up 0.18% (-70.87 points)</li><li><a target="_blank" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/index/nasdaq_composite?utm_source=markets&amp;utm_medium=ingest%3Futm_source%3Dmarkets&amp;utm_medium=ingest&amp;utm_medium=ingest&amp;utm_source=markets&amp;utm_medium=ingest&amp;utm_source=markets">Nasdaq composite</a>: 17,874.40, up 0.08%</li></ul>Here's what else happened today:<ul><li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/job-market-fed-rate-cuts-outlook-economy-recession-goldman-sachs-2024-6">Three weak spots in labor that could trigger steeper Fed cuts</a>, according to Goldman Sachs.</li><li>Microsoft could <a target="_blank" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/microsoft-stock-ai-spending-investing-copilot-azure-nvidia-dan-ives-2024-6?_gl=1*utt1s1*_ga*MTMxNDIwNDI1Ni4xNjc1Njg3OTU4*_ga_E21CV80ZCZ*MTcxODcxMjk1MS4zMzcuMS4xNzE4NzE0ODMyLjE5LjAuMA..">climb 24% to $550 thanks to AI monetization</a>, Wedbush Securities says.</li><li>Treasury secretaries Janet Yellen and Larry Summers have <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-tariff-income-tax-proposal-stagflation-yellen-summers-trade-war-2024-6">blasted Trump's plan to replace the income tax with tariffs</a>.</li><li><a target="_blank" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/stock-market-outlook-what-needs-to-happen-avoid-decline-tech-2024-6?_gl=1*11fgr4w*_ga*MTMxNDIwNDI1Ni4xNjc1Njg3OTU4*_ga_E21CV80ZCZ*MTcxODcxMjk1MS4zMzcuMS4xNzE4NzE0OTg0LjYwLjAuMA..">Here's what needs to happen for stocks to avoid a 23% correction</a>, according to JPMorgan's Kolanovic.</li></ul>In commodities, bonds, and crypto:<ul><li>Oil futures rose. <a target="_blank" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/commodities/oil-price?type=wti&amp;utm_medium=ingest&amp;utm_source=markets&amp;utm_medium=ingest&amp;utm_source=markets">West Texas Intermediate</a> crude oil was up 0.25% to $80.50 a barrel. <a target="_blank" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/commodities/oil-price?utm_medium=ingest&amp;utm_source=markets">Brent crude</a>, the international benchmark, edged 0.2% higher to $84.46 a barrel.</li><li><a target="_blank" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/commodities/gold-price?utm_medium=ingest&amp;utm_source=markets">Gold</a> inched up to $2,336 per ounce.</li><li>The 10-year Treasury yield slid three basis points to 4.25%.</li><li><a target="_blank" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/currencies/btc-usd?utm_medium=ingest&amp;utm_source=markets">Bitcoin</a> fell by 1% to $64,648.</li></ul>

Stock market today: Indexes rise as traders assess weak May retail sales data

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Grocery chain Asda is calling workers back to the office three days a week from January.</li><li>The British retailer says it will improve on-site catering and provide better bathrooms for staff.</li></ul>Stuart Rose, chair of grocery store Asda and a veteran of British retail, says the company will improve bathroom facilities and on-site food as it mandates a return to the office for corporate staff.Rose, who has also held leadership roles at major UK retailers Marks &amp; Spencer, Argos, and Topshop, said last week that from January, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://corporate.asda.com/20241105/a-message-from-stuart-and-rob-putting-ourselves-back-in-the-service-of-our-customers">all Asda corporate staff must be in the office three days a week.</a>After the announcement, Rose said in an interview with <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2024/nov/09/in-no-great-rush-to-get-back-to-the-office-uk-home-workers-may-not-have-a-choice">The Observer</a> that having too many staff based at home was "not a satisfactory way of working," particularly in a "fast-moving consumer goods industry.""It's not always as efficient with those teams working together in terms of online, in terms of Zoom calls," he told the outlet.Asda said it will "improve the working environment" in its offices as part of the RTO push.That includes "a better catering offer, an on-site Asda Express, a more welcoming atrium, more meeting spaces, quiet-space working pods, upgraded toilets, new chairs and redecoration."A spokesperson confirmed to Business Insider that in November, the grocery chain cut 475 management roles and announced a major restructuring amid slowing sales.Rose has taken on a leading role in Asda's transformation after one of the grocery chain's owners, Mohsin Issa, stepped down from running day-to-day operations in September.In 2021, Issa, along with his brother Zuber and private equity firm TDR Capital, purchased a majority stake in Asda from its previous owner, Walmart.Asda said that its RTO policy, combined with the restructuring and job cuts, would bring the business "in line with our competitors and the wider market, allowing us to build high-performing teams with a collaborative culture and respond to what our business needs the most."Rose is not alone in wanting his employees back in the office. While many bosses are firm advocates for the potential productivity gains of in-person work, some <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="c-link" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/rto-policies-dont-improve-employee-performance-company-value-controlling-bosses-2024-1">studies</a> have found that hybrid working does not affect productivity.As the pandemic years fade further into the past, more CEOs have been returning to policies similar to those that existed in most corporate environments pre-2020. In recent months, companies like <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/dell-staff-return-office-order-sparks-panic-parents-childcare-wfh-2024-10">Dell</a> and <a target="_blank" rel="" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-ceo-return-to-office-mandate-5-days-week-2024-9?utm_source=Iterable&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=campaign_Insider%20Today,%20September%2017,%202024">Amazon</a> have announced that staff must be back in the office five days a week.Asda's chair told The Observer he thinks demand for hybrid work has swung too far in favor of workers."Hybrid working wasn't invented in the pandemic," Rose said. "It has to fit the business's needs."Experts say workers still have some say in the working culture debate. If RTO policies become too strict, top talent will simply leave to find a system that works for them, Ravin Jesuthasan, a respected future-of-work researcher, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ravin-jesuthasan-why-companies-enforce-rto-mandates-future-of-work-2024-8">previously told Business Insider.</a>If the labor market swings back around to favor workers, organizations will be under more pressure to meet their employees on their terms, the author "The Skills-Powered Organization" said.Nick Bloom, a Stanford economist and a leading expert on remote work, previously told <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/wfh-remote-work-findings-rto-nick-bloom-2024-10">BI he believed</a> working from home is "here to stay," citing big steps in technology such as video calls and virtual reality.In a presentation published in September, Bloom shared that surveys in 2021 had shown that, on average, employees regarded the right to work two or three days a week from home as valuable as an 8% pay rise, based on 17,087 responses.

Better catering and nicer bathrooms will help get workers back to the office, says this retail CEO

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Wisp, an online pharmacy, said sales of birth control surged after Donald Trump's election win.</li><li>Wisp's CEO told BI that women were "taking action" amid future uncertainty.</li></ul>Wisp, an online pharmacy focused on sexual and reproductive health, says sales of birth control and emergency contraception have surged in the United States in the last week.The company says that's because <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/abortion-pill-women-stockpile-mifepristone-trump-presidency-experts-2024-4">women are stockpiling reproductive healthcare</a> products now that Donald Trump is headed back to the White House.Wisp, which serves over 1.2 million patients nationwide, reported a 1,000% increase in emergency contraception purchases from November 5 to November 6. Wisp CEO Monica Cepak told Business Insider that women are "taking action as they navigate the uncertainty of these next few years.""This data indicates to us that women are really scared and are using this moment in time to take back agency over their reproductive rights by stockpiling things like emergency contraception and investing in preventive reproductive health," Cepak said.In his first term, Trump put three conservative justices on the Supreme Court, which then <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/supreme-court-abortion-decision-final-ruling-scotus-roe-v-wade-2022-6">overturned Roe v. Wade</a>. The decision undid nationwide abortion protections and allowed 13 states to pass laws that effectively banned abortion.Earlier this year, Trump took credit for ending the decadeslong precedent of legalized abortion nationwide. "I did it, and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-abortion-roe-v-wade-supreme-court-gop-primary-2024-1">I'm proud to have done it</a>," he said. "Nobody else was going to get that done but me, and we did it, and we did something that was a miracle."In the 24 hours after Election Day, Wisp said it saw a 1,650% increase in new patients purchasing emergency contraception. There was a 600% increase in medication abortion sales and a 50% increase in birth control sales.Overall, Wisp's reproductive health sales (of emergency contraception, birth control, and medication abortion products) doubled compared to the week prior to the election, the company told Business Insider."We expect that momentum to sustain over the next few weeks and months," Cepak said.The purchases came from women in both anti-abortion states as well as states with widespread access to reproductive healthcare. Emergency contraception purchases surged in Texas, Indiana, and Oklahoma, where there are strict restrictions, but sales also increased in states like California and New York."Despite being states where reproductive rights are fully protected, we're seeing women take precautionary measures as the future remains uncertain," Wisp said in a statement.Amy Hagstrom Miller, the founder of Whole Woman's Health, which operates abortion clinics in multiple states, said her organization is also seeing a surge in demand for contraceptive and abortion medication."We are seeing an increased demand for emergency contraception, long-acting contraception, advanced provision of medication abortion, and we are seeing online telemed provision of these things, which I think has really reached a lot of people in states where abortion is banned," Hagstrom Miller said.The Democrats saw the abortion issue as a strength after performing well in the<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/midterms-2022-pro-choice-votes-helped-democrats-defy-election-blues-2022-11"> 2022 midterms</a>. As a result, the Trump campaign <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/abortion-pill-women-stockpile-mifepristone-trump-presidency-experts-2024-4">worked to distance itself</a> from the issue during the presidential election. In March, he floated a national ban at about 16 weeks of gestation. A month later, he said he wouldn't sign a national abortion ban.At a press panel on Thursday for Abortion Access Now, a national coalition advocating for abortion rights, representatives from different reproductive rights organizations reflected on the election results and the path forward."Trump ran from his record and lied about his position on abortion. Even Trump knows how unpopular abortion bans are," Kimberly Inez McGuire, the executive director of URGE: Unite for Reproductive &amp; Gender Equity, said at the panel. "We know that people in this country bristle at the thought of politicians interfering with abortion decisions."On <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/election-results-trump-harris-presidential-election-2024-11">Election Day</a>, voters turned out in favor of abortion rights in 7 out of 10 states that had it on the ballot."Abortion was on the ballot, abortion won, but the election and the results, particularly for the White House, make it really clear that the path for reproductive freedom will continue to be a long one," Mini Timmaraju, the president and CEO of Reproductive Freedom for All, said at the panel. "It won't be won or lost in a single election."

Online sales of Plan B and birth control are surging after Trump's election, retailer says

<ul class="summary-list"><li>US stock futures broadly rose on Friday as declining retail sales offset inflation fears.</li><li>S&amp;P and Nasdaq futures climbed, while the 10-year Treasury yield and dollar were almost flat.</li></ul>US stocks were primed to open higher on Friday as signs of softening consumer demand tempered concerns of stubborn inflation.<a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/futures/s&amp;p-500-futures">S&amp;P 500 futures</a> were up 0.2% shortly after 5 a.m. ET, building on the benchmark stock index's 0.6% gain on Thursday that saw it <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/stock-market-news-today-dow-retail-sales-investors-economy-finance-2024-2">close at a record</a> 5,030 points. <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/futures/nasdaq-100-futures">Nasdaq 100 futures</a> climbed 0.6%, while <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/futures/dow-futures">Dow Jones Industrial Average futures</a> slid by 0.1%.Meanwhile, the key <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/rates/u-s--rates-10-years?miRedirects=1">10-year Treasury yield</a> inched up to 4.264%, close to a two-month high. The <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/index/us-dollar-index">US Dollar Index</a> was almost flat at around 104, well above its December low of under 101.Wall Street was rattled this week after headline inflation in January <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/inflation-cpi-consumer-price-index-january-housing-food-energy-prices-2024-2#:~:text=Inflation%20comes%20in%20hotter%20than%20expected&amp;text=The%20consumer%20price%20index%20rose,month%20over%20month%20in%20January.">didn't drop below 3%</a> as widely predicted. But retail sales slid by a larger-than-expected 0.8% last month, government data revealed on Thursday, helping to allay fears of an overheated economy and persistently high interest rates.Ipek Ozkardeskaya, a senior analyst at Swissquote Bank, suggested in a morning note that investors would have celebrated strong retail sales too, as they'd view it as fresh evidence that a recession has been avoided."We are coming to a point where the economic data becomes meaningless," she said. "Whatever the data prints, the US stock market finds a positive narrative to keep the rally going. It's, of course, blind optimism; investors are blinded by the brilliance of the rate cuts at the tunnel's end.""Today, the US will reveal the latest producer price update," she continued. "The producer price inflation is expected to have slowed in January. And if it didn't, it doesn't matter."Companies slated to report <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/earnings-calendar">earnings</a> later include TC Energy, Vulcan Materials, and Cinemark.On the <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/economic-calendar">economic front</a>, Wall Street will be looking out for not just producer price data, but figures for housing starts in January, and scheduled comments from two Federal Reserve officials, Michael Barr and Mary Daly.

Stock market today: S&P and Nasdaq futures rise as retail sales dip calms inflation fears

<ul class="summary-list"><li>US stocks hit record highs on Monday as investors get ready for a wave of earnings reports.</li><li>Over 80 S&amp;P 500 companies, including Netflix and Goldman Sachs, report earnings this week.</li></ul>US stocks surged about 1% on Monday, driving the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/index/s&amp;p_500">S&amp;P 500</a> and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/index/dow_jones">Dow Jones Industrial Average</a> to record closing highs as investors gear up for a wave of third-quarter earnings this week.Monday's close marked the S&amp;P 500's 46th record close of the year, as investors continue to power <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/stock-market-outlook-bull-rally-anniversary-earnings-interest-rates-sp500-2024-10">the two-year-old bull market higher.</a> The Dow closed above 43,000 for the first time. More than 80 S&amp;P 500 companies are scheduled to report third-quarter earnings results this week, with major names like Netflix, Goldman Sachs, and Morgan Stanley on deck.According to data from Fundstrat, 6% of S&amp;P 500 companies have already reported their results. Of those, 74% beat profit estimates by a median of 6%, while 58% beat revenue estimates by a median of 2%.It's a relatively muted week on the economic data front, with investors likely to focus on the Thursday releases of September retail sales and initial jobless claims.Both data points will give investors insights into the health of the consumer and job market, respectively.There is also some Fedspeak this week, with Federal Reserve Governor Adriana Kugler set to speak on Tuesday.Fed Governor Christopher Waller spoke on Monday, saying that there should be "more caution" on future interest rate cuts as the economy remains on solid footing."I view the totality of the data as saying monetary policy should proceed with more caution on the pace of rate cuts than was needed at the September meeting," Waller said at Stanford University's Hoover Institution.He added: "I will be watching to see whether data, due out before our next meeting, on inflation, the labor market and economic activity confirms or undercuts my inclination to be more cautious about loosening monetary policy."According to the CME FedWatch Tool, markets are pricing in a 25-basis point interest rate cut at both of the Fed's remaining FOMC meetings this year in November and December.Here's where US indexes stood at the 4:00 p.m. closing bell on Monday:<ul><li><a target="_blank" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/index/s&amp;p_500?utm_source=markets&amp;utm_medium=ingest%3Futm_source%3Dmarkets&amp;utm_medium=ingest&amp;utm_medium=ingest&amp;utm_source=markets">S&amp;P 500</a>: 5,859.85, up 0.77%</li><li><a target="_blank" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/index/dow_jones?utm_source=markets&amp;utm_medium=ingest%3Futm_source%3Dmarkets&amp;utm_medium=ingest&amp;utm_medium=ingest&amp;utm_source=markets">Dow Jones Industrial Average</a>: 43,065.22, up 0.47% (+201.36 points)</li><li><a target="_blank" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/index/nasdaq_composite?utm_source=markets&amp;utm_medium=ingest%3Futm_source%3Dmarkets&amp;utm_medium=ingest&amp;utm_medium=ingest&amp;utm_source=markets">Nasdaq composite</a>: 18,502.69, up 0.87%. </li></ul>Here's what else is going on:<ul><li><a target="_blank" class="" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/nvidia-stock-tests-record-highs-wall-street-defends-valuation-blackwell-2024-10">Nvidia stock tested record highs on Monday as analysts at Citi defended the company's current valuation.</a></li><li><a target="_blank" class="" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/stock-market-outlook-overvalued-sp500-bullish-earnings-momentum-rally-valuations-2024-10">Even though the stock market is overvalued by about 8%, Piper Sandler says that's no reason to sell stocks.</a></li><li><a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tesla-stock-robotaxi-cybercab-tsla-fsd-elon-musk-ross-gerber-2024-10">Longtime Tesla investor Ross Gerber had some critical words on the company following its robotaxi event.</a></li><li><a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nike-ceo-elliott-hill-takes-over-faces-challenges-2024-10">It's the first day for Nike's new CEO, Elliott Hill, who started working at the company as an intern in 1988.</a></li><li><a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-economy-saudi-arabia-oil-price-war-supply-opec-cuts-2024-10">Saudi Arabia could create a crisis for Russia's economy by flooding the market with oil.</a></li><li><a target="_blank" class="" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/stock-market-outlook-bull-rally-anniversary-earnings-interest-rates-sp500-2024-10">The bull market in stocks is 2 years old. Here's what tends to happen next.</a></li></ul>In commodities, bonds, and crypto:<ul><li><a target="_blank" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/commodities/oil-price">West Texas Intermediate</a> crude oil was down 2.32% to $73.81 a barrel. <a target="_blank" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/commodities/oil-price">Brent crude</a>, the international benchmark, was lower by 2.05% to $77.42 a barrel.</li><li><a target="_blank" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/commodities/gold-price">Gold</a> was down 0.32% to $2,667.70 an ounce.</li><li>The 10-year Treasury yield was flat at 4.096%.</li><li><a target="_blank" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/currencies/btc-usd">Bitcoin</a> was higher by 4.98% to $65,987.</li></ul>

Stock market today: S&P 500 hits another record close as rally presses on amid earnings

<ul class="summary-list"><li>PepsiCo and major banks like JPMorgan and Wells Fargo will kick off earnings season next week.</li><li>Investors expect S&amp;P 500 earnings growth of 4.6% as the stock market trades near record highs.</li></ul>Earnings season is fast approaching, and investors have a lot to be on the lookout for as companies report third-quarter results. <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/pep-stock">PepsiCo</a> will kick off the flurry of reports this Tuesday, followed by earnings from major banks <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/jpm-stock">JPMorgan</a> and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/wfc-stock">Wells Fargo</a> on Friday.With the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/index/s&amp;p_500">S&amp;P 500</a> gaining 5% in the third quarter and trading near record highs, companies have a lot to prove."Given the growth expectations already baked into the market of course we aren't going to want to see any weakness there," Horizon Investments head of research Michael Dickson told Business Insider."We'll need to see EPS expectations exceeded by high single digits in the aggregate to keep the strong year going in my view," he added. According to data from FactSet, Wall Street analysts expect the S&amp;P 500 to see year-over-year earnings growth of 4.6%, which would mark the fifth consecutive quarter of growth.The bottoms-up earnings per share estimate for all companies within the S&amp;P 500 is $60.82 in the third quarter, according to FactSet.Tom Hainlin, an investment strategist at US Bank Wealth Management, told Business Insider that third-quarter earnings results will need to show signs of "waning inflation, moderating interest rates, and stable 2025 earnings projections" to support higher stock prices into year-end.In addition to the actual earnings figures, investors will be monitoring key themes as company executives offer guidance during earnings calls.Here are the big things Wall Street will be watching for. <h2 id="6ea1435c-35de-4b91-a190-e931a5d9858d">AI adoption</h2>There is growing concern that the massive investments being made in AI infrastructure <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ai-impact-overblown-investment-tech-stocks-billions-daron-acemoglu-mit-2024-10">won't actually pay off in the form of higher revenues and profits.</a>"There's almost like a prisoner's dilemma in the market right now, and companies are feeling like they're being forced to invest hand over fist in AI technology, despite lack of revenues being generated," Gabelli Funds managing director John Belton told Business Insider.If tech companies signal that they're cutting spending on AI investments, it could lead to a major unwinding of the current tech boom, so investors will be looking for clues as to how companies are progressing in monetizing their AI investments.There's also the question of sectors other than tech where AI may be having an impact. "A big driver of future growth is going to hinge on how the applications of AI will be broadening out into other sectors such as Healthcare, Industrials, and Aerospace and Defense. These are sectors that are most likely to be phase two beneficiaries of this crucial technology beyond chip makers and data centers," Horizon Investments' Dickson said.<h2 id="ac3f2d29-9ffa-4a02-8886-d18e86e36f86">Consumer health</h2>After <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/ally-financial-stock-price-plunges-cfo-says-consumer-pressures-intensifying-2024-9">a worrying update from lending giant</a> Ally Financial in September and fears of a spending slowdown as pandemic savings dry up, investors will be keenly focused on the strength of the consumer."It will be important to keep a close eye on what the banks say about credit delinquencies and loan quality, along with the retail-focused firms and what they see in consumer spending behavior. GDP-related data shows strong trends here but more timely and granular views will be in focus," Dickson said.Hainlin said he is encouraged by continued growth in consumer spending as credit card defaults "are within normal levels" and the holiday shopping season is right around the corner.But there are some warning signs."While travel remains strong, overall experiences spending appears to have plateaued with consumers redirecting or broadening spending in other sectors. Additionally, lower-income groups are exhibiting signs of financial stress and slowing overall spending," Hainlin said.Earnings guidance from banks, retailers, and consumer discretionary companies should offer the granular views that will help investors assess what to expect from the consumer heading into year-end and in 2025. <h2 id="14095169-d8ee-47c5-81bf-dd9fe87396b8">The impact of lower interest rates</h2>With the Federal Reserve delivering <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/september-jobs-report-fed-rate-cut-outlook-november-labor-market-2024-10">its first interest rate cut of the cycle at the end of last quarter,</a> investors will want to see if lower capital costs have trickled down into company results and/or their guidance.The spotlight will be on rate-sensitive sectors, like banks and utilities, as well as smaller-sized companies which tend to carry more debt, according to Dickson."It will be key to see how mid and small-cap companies respond to falling rates that we've seen over the third quarter. These firms were hurt a lot on a relative basis so if they discuss a meaningful reduction in debt service pressures that would be bullish for a broadening out in those smaller cap names," Dickson said.Lower interest rates also have <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/mortgages/average-mortgage-interest-rate">an outsized impact on the housing market,</a> and homebuilders can offer solid guidance on what they're seeing in that market."Lower mortgage rates are breathing some life back into the housing market, evidenced by a ramp up in weekly mortgage applications by almost 50% since the end of July, to the highest point since mid-2022," Hainlin said.He added: "Lower mortgage rates should push up housing demand, bring some additional inventory online, and provide a modest boost to home sales and housing-related consumer spending."

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