This report is from today’s CNBC Daily Open, our international markets newsletter. CNBC Daily Open brings investors up to speed on everything they need to know, no matter where they are. Like what you see? You can subscribe here.
A screen displays the Dow Jones Industrial Average after the closing bell on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange on Dec. 13, 2023.
Brendan Mcdermid | Reuters
What you need to know today
Dow retreats
U.S. stocks mostly gained on Tuesday with the benchmark S&P 500 marking its third straight record close. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite also closed 0.4% higher. But the blue chip Dow Jones Industrial Average retreated, dipping below the 38,000 level that was crossed for the first time on Monday, following weak corporate earnings.
Netflix’s subscribers jump
Streaming giant Netflix added more than 13 million new subscribers in the fourth quarter, beating Wall Street’s estimates. The stock surged 8% in after-hours trading. Earlier Tuesday, Netflix and TKO Group Holdings announced a 10-year deal that will allow the streaming platform to air WWE’s flagship program “Raw” starting next year.
Haley’s showdown with Trump
Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley is locked in a fierce battle with former President Donald Trump as voters in New Hampshire cast the first primary votes of the 2024 presidential election. It’s crunch time for Haley, who is the last Republican candidate in the field looking to cut into Trump’s lead, after all the others dropped out.
Alphabet cuts ties with Aussie AI firm
Alphabet has severed ties with Appen, the artificial intelligence data company, which played a key role in training Google’s chatbot Bard. Appen, based in Australia, said it had “no prior knowledge of Google’s decision to terminate the contract.”
[PRO] Retail investors wary of Bitcoin
A Deutsche Bank survey found that more than a third of respondents believe bitcoin will fall below $20,000 by the end of this year. The bank polled 2,000 consumers across the U.S., U.K. and Europe after the Securities and Exchange Commission approved the ETFs earlier this month. It showed retail investors aren’t completely sold on the new funds.
The bottom line
The latest batch of corporate earnings was a mixed bag for Wall Street. Several blue-chip companies reported rather lackluster results that dragged the 30-stock Dow into the red in Tuesday’s main trading session.
3M dropped as much as 11% following weak guidance, while D.R. Horton fell more than 9% after the homebuilder missed Wall Street’s consensus estimate for per-share earnings. Lockheed Martin also fell more than 4% after giving a weak outlook.
Still, there were other bright spots that helped to lift the broader market. Most notable was Netflix, which reported earnings after the close.
Shares of the streaming giant jumped more that 8% in extended trading after the company said it added more than 13 million subscribers during the fourth quarter, beating Wall Street’s estimates. This brings its total subscriber count to an all-time high of 260.8 million.
Beyond earnings, investors will also be paying close attention to the Republican primary as voters in New Hampshire cast the first primary votes of the 2024 presidential election. This will be a make-or-break for former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who is looking to challenge former President Donald Trump’s massive lead.
Haley and Trump are the last ones standing in the GOP field, after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis dropped out Sunday.
Results will be tallied in the coming hours and a clearer picture will emerge on whether Haley can stop Trump’s march toward the Republican nomination.
— CNBC’s Hakyung Kim contributed to this report.