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Dell, Spirit Aerosystems, NYCB, NetApp, Zscaler, Plug Power, SoundHound, and More Stock Market Movers
Stocks traded higher Friday and the Nasdaq Composite continued to outperform after setting a record high in the previous session, its first since 2021.
These stocks were making moves Friday:
Dell Technologies posted better-than-expected fourth-quarter adjusted earnings and revenue as the maker of personal computers continues to see robust demand for artificial-intelligence servers. The company said its backlog of AI servers has now reached $2.9 billion, compared with $1.6 billion last quarter. Dell has shipped $1.5 billion of AI servers over the last two quarters, and said it has a pipeline of interest in AI servers that is “multiples” of the current backlog. Dell also said it was increasing its annual cash dividend 20% to $1.78 a share. Shares surged 28%.
Spirit Aerosystems was rising 14% after The Wall Street Journal reported Boeing was in talks to acquire the troubled parts supplier. Spirit has hired bankers to explore strategic options and has had preliminary discussions with its former owner, the Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter. Boeing spun off Spirit Aerosystems in 2006.
New York Community Bancorp plunged 24% after disclosing that fourth-quarter earnings would take a hit of $2.4 billion from a goodwill impairment charge, and separately that it had identified “material weaknesses” in its loan review process. The weaknesses, the bank said, resulted from ineffective oversight, risk assessment, and monitoring activities. The regional lender also announced CEO Thomas Cangemi would be stepping down after 27 years with the bank.
NetApp was rising 22% after issuing strong guidance for 2024. The data storage company said it expects adjusted profit in the year of $6.40 and $6.50 a share, compared with previous expectations of $6.05 to $6.25. NetApp forecast 2024 revenue of $6.185 billion to $6.335 billion.
Cybersecurity company Zscaler reported fiscal second-quarter adjusted profit that beat analysts’ estimates as revenue rose to $525 million from $388 million a year earlier. Zscaler expects third-quarter adjusted earnings of 64 cents to 65 cents a share on revenue of $536 million. Analysts had been calling for third-quarter earnings of 58 cents a share on revenue of $532 million. Zscaler shares, however, were falling 9.3%.
SoundHound AI, the artificial-intelligence voice technology company, narrowed its losses in the fourth quarter on a sales jump of 80%, boosted by a contribution from “pre-eminent AI chip company,” according to CEO Keyvan Mohajer, who wouldn’t disclose the customer’s name. That company is thought to be Nvidia. The stock though was falling 19% as fourth-quarter sales of $17.1 million missed estimates of $17.7 million. SoundHound also had forecast that it would be profitable in the quarter on the basis of adjusted Ebitda, or earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. But the company actually lost $3.7 million on that basis.
Sweetgreen was up 27% after the salad-restaurant chain issued first-quarter revenue guidance higher than analysts’ estimates. The company said it sees first-quarter revenue of $150 million to $154 million vesus analysts’ estimates of $147.8 million.
Plug Power said doubts about its ability to continue as a “going concern” no longer exist. The stock rose 6.2%. The hydrogen-technology company disclosed in a 10-K filing that losses in 2023 totaled $1.4 billion, or $2.30 a share, compared with losses in 2022 of $724 million, or $1.25 a share.