NVDA Q3 Earnings Alert: Why our AI stock picker is still holding Nvidia stockRead More

Big Tech surges as reports impress in coronavirus downturn

Published 30/07/2020, 11:39
© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: The logos of Amazon Apple Facebook and Google
US500
-
GOOGL
-
AAPL
-
AMZN
-
IXIC
-
META
-
GOOG
-

By Noel Randewich

(Reuters) - Shares of Apple (O:AAPL), Amazon (O:AMZN) and Facebook (O:FB) surged in extended trading on Thursday, with Alphabet (O:GOOGL) also climbing, as quarterly reports from the Big Tech quartet added fuel to Wall Street's four-month rally.

With the four companies reporting on the same day for the first time ever, Apple, Amazon and Facebook each jumped 5% or more. Alphabet traded up about 0.5%.

Together, the four account for nearly a fifth of the S&P 500's stock market value. Index funds tracking the S&P 500 (SPX) and tech-heavy Nasdaq (IXIC) rose 0.8% and 1.6%, respectively, suggesting traders expect Wall Street to open sharply higher on Friday.

Deemed "stay-at-home" winners as millions of Americans were ordered indoors to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, shares of the largest U.S. technology companies have hit record highs in recent months at a time when the benchmark S&P 500 (SPX) is up less than 1% on the year and the coronavirus pandemic has thrown the economy into its steepest contraction since the Great Depression.

Thursday's reports reinforced investors' expectations that those deep-pocketed companies will emerge from the coronavirus crisis stronger than their smaller competitors.

Apple delivered year-on-year revenue gains across every category and in every geography, as consumers working and learning from home during the COVID-19 pandemic turned to its products and services.

The iPhone maker also announced a four-for-one stock split, as of the start of trading on Aug. 31. Apple's stock has surged over 300% since its last stock split, in 2014.

Amazon posted the biggest profit in its 26-year history as online sales surged.

With marketers slowing advertising spending due to the economic downturn, Facebook reported an 11% increase in revenue, its slowest growth since its 2012 initial public offer. But it beat analysts' expectations that revenue would sink 3%, according to IBES data from Refinitiv.

Also hit by the recession, Google-parent Alphabet's quarterly sales fell for the first time in its 16 years as a public company, but the decline was less than expected as many advertisers stuck with the most popular online search engine during the pandemic.

Graphic: Big Tech gets bigger - https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/mkt/qzjvqwyxzvx/Pasted%20image%201596039504826.png

Alphabet's Google and Facebook received particularly sharp jabs on Wednesday from Democrats and Republicans in the U.S. Congress who say they have crippled smaller rivals in the quest for market share, the latest blows in an increasingly threatening regulatory landscape.

Prior to Thursday's after-hours surge, Amazon had gained 64% year to date, while Apple was up 29% and Facebook and Alphabet had each risen about 14%.

"Even the bears will say that these are fantastic companies and they are not going to stop being fantastic," said Nicholas Colas, co-founder of DataTrek Research.

© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: The logos of Amazon Apple Facebook and Google

"The unifying factor is they have the ability to both grow and control their cost structures through the pandemic. That is always a good place to start from when you have a downturn."

Latest comments

Risk Disclosure: Trading in financial instruments and/or cryptocurrencies involves high risks including the risk of losing some, or all, of your investment amount, and may not be suitable for all investors. Prices of cryptocurrencies are extremely volatile and may be affected by external factors such as financial, regulatory or political events. Trading on margin increases the financial risks.
Before deciding to trade in financial instrument or cryptocurrencies you should be fully informed of the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience, and risk appetite, and seek professional advice where needed.
Fusion Media would like to remind you that the data contained in this website is not necessarily real-time nor accurate. The data and prices on the website are not necessarily provided by any market or exchange, but may be provided by market makers, and so prices may not be accurate and may differ from the actual price at any given market, meaning prices are indicative and not appropriate for trading purposes. Fusion Media and any provider of the data contained in this website will not accept liability for any loss or damage as a result of your trading, or your reliance on the information contained within this website.
It is prohibited to use, store, reproduce, display, modify, transmit or distribute the data contained in this website without the explicit prior written permission of Fusion Media and/or the data provider. All intellectual property rights are reserved by the providers and/or the exchange providing the data contained in this website.
Fusion Media may be compensated by the advertisers that appear on the website, based on your interaction with the advertisements or advertisers.
© 2007-2024 - Fusion Media Limited. All Rights Reserved.