Tesla, ServiceNow report earnings, Boeing strike: Morning Brief

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On today's episode of Morning Brief, Hosts Madison Mills and Seana Smith analyze the market open and break down some of the biggest stories of the trading day.

The Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) led stock gains Thursday morning, moving as high as 0.6% at the market open. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) dipped by nearly 0.3% at the start of the trading day.

Tesla (TSLA) added about $80 billion to its market cap after beating earnings-per-share estimates and announcing it expects to roll out autonomous ride-hailing in California and Texas in 2025. Wedbush Securities Managing Director & Senior Equity Analyst Dan Ives tells Morning Brief that margins were crucial this quarter: "That's been a huge part of the overhang on this story. They beat by 200 bps (basis points). Price cuts in the rearview mirror. And when you combine that with that growth forecast, I think whisper numbers called 10, 11%. They gave 20 and 30%. It's an Aaron Judge-like quarter," Ives states.

As investors now await the rest of the "Magnificent Seven" earnings, Ayako Yoshioka, Wealth Enhancement Group senior portfolio manager, explains that there is a greater emphasis on the tech sector given its concentration in the S&P 500 (^GSPC). However, she notes that CapEx (capital expenditures) spending among hyperscalers will determine their leadership position moving forward. She tells Yahoo Finance, "I think they're going to evaluate it at some point and see whether or not they need to continue at the pace that they've been at over the last few quarters."

ServiceNow (NOW) delivered robust third quarter earnings, exceeding expectations on both revenue and profit. Additionally, the cloud-computing platform raised its subscription revenue guidance. ServiceNow CFO Gina Mastantuono attributes ServiceNow's third quarter success to the company's achievements in generative AI, particularly its Now Assist feature. She calls it "the fastest growing new product in company history," and notes that the technology is "resonating" with businesses.

Union workers rejected Boeing's (BA) latest labor contract proposal, prolonging the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers' (IMA) strike that began in September. The aircraft manufacturer also reported third quarter results on Wednesday, revealing a $6 billion net loss for the quarter, which includes a $2 billion loss in its aerospace and defense programs.

The 10-year Treasury yield (^TYX, ^TNX, ^FVX) is pushing back above 4.2% as investors digest what recent Federal Reserve commentary means for interest rates. Truist Co-Chief Investment Officer & Chief Market Strategist Keith Lerner explains, "What I'm encouraged by somewhat here is that when I look beneath the surface, and I look at what's called credit spreads, so are we seeing something systemic? We're seeing credit spreads near the lows." He continues, "So that's telling me that the yields are moving higher because investors are feeling more comfortable with economic growth. And at the same time, that's paring back on how aggressive the Fed will be."