By Dhirendra Tripathi
-- Stocks pushed higher, putting the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average in reach of new record highs on continued strong earnings reports heading into the final half-hour of trading.
Health care stocks were in the spotlight on Wednesday, with strong outlooks from Anthem Inc (NYSE:ANTM) and Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT). Both raised full-year profit forecasts, sending their shares higher. Biogen Inc (NASDAQ:BIIB) also raised its full-year guidance.
Reuters reported that analysts expect S&P 500 earnings to rise 33% from a year earlier, citing Refinitiv data.
The day’s momentum started building Tuesday night with the release of earnings by Netflix Inc (NASDAQ:NFLX). The streaming giant said its smash hit "Squid Game" brought in more customers than expected.
Electric vehicle maker Tesla Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) is next up after tonight’s closing bell. Its shares drifted higher during the session and investors are waiting to hear what CEO Elon Musk says about costs and production during a time of supply shortages. Tesla also has a stake in bitcoin, which shot above $66,000 on Wednesday.
The supply chain disruptions combined with labor market shortages and the impact of the Delta variant of Covid-19 led to a slowdown in the economy, according to the Federal Reserve's Beige Book, which was released Wednesday.
Economic activity grew at a modest to moderate rate, according to the majority of Federal Reserve Districts in the periodic sampling of local economic activity. Several Districts noted, however, that the pace of growth slowed.
Here are three things that could affect markets tomorrow:
1. Chip profits
Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC)’s third quarter earnings per share is seen coming in at $1.11 on revenue of $18.24 billion, according to analysts tracked by . Investors hope to hear an update on production. Earlier this week, Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL) unveiled new computers powered by its own chip as it steers away from using Intel chips.
2. AT&T earnings
AT&T Inc (NYSE:T) is seen reporting a third-quarter revenue of $41.67 billion and earnings per share of 78 cents. The company is in a deal to separate its studio and streaming business Warner Media and merge it with Discovery Inc Class A (NASDAQ:DISCA) as it pivots to focus on traditional telecommunications and its 5G expansion.
3. Snap shot
Snap Inc (NYSE:SNAP)’s third-quarter loss per share is seen coming in at 9 cents while revenue is expected to be $1.1 billion. The social media company will update investors on metrics such as average monthly users.
