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SMOKE BREAK

Tobacco stocks stay lit as Wall Street tumbles

The companies are weathering the storm because their manufacturing is predominantly domestic.

J. Edward Moreno

Companies that sell cigarettes and other nicotine products some Wall Street traders may be abusing today are up amid a broader market meltdown over President Trump’s tariff announcement.

British American Tobacco (which makes Newports, Camels, and Vuse vapes), Philip Morris International (which makes Iquos vapes and Zyns), and Altria (which makes Malboros and Njoy vapes) all rose more than 2% on Thursday morning. At the same time, the S&P 500 is sinking more than 4%.

Tobacco products are predominately manufactured domestically and are therefore insulated from tariffs. Even Zyn, a product that originates from Sweden, is manufactured in Kentucky.

On top of tariffs, Trump also signed an executive order ending the de minimis treatment that enabled cheap imported goods from China and Hong Kong to enter the US without facing duties. That closes a loophole that allowed Chinese vapes (think Elf bar and Geek bar) to enter the country. Tobacco companies have fought to end the sale of those vapes, which are more popular than domestic versions but don’t have to follow FDA rules.

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SpaceX gets a wave of bullish ratings from Wall Street analysts

SpaceX received more than a dozen positive analyst calls on Tuesday — including from major Wall Street banks — as they initiate coverage on Elon Musk’s space and AI company.

SpaceX went public on June 12 at a $2.2 trillion valuation, the largest debut in history. While the company hasn’t yet posted a profit, it seems to have convinced Wall Street that it will get there and grow its valuation on the way.

Of the at least 17 analysts that gave a rating on Tuesday, all but one gave it a “buy” or “outperform” rating. MoffettNathanson was "neutral."

The ratings come as SpaceX joined the Nasdaq 100 index, a benchmark tech-heavy basket of companies that underpins millions of portfolios. The inclusion adds built-in demand for the stock from index funds and ETFs.

Still, SpaceX fell more than 5% on Tuesday amid a broader sell-off, and is currently effectively flat from its opening price of $150 a share.

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Nike sinks to lowest level since 2014 after warning of “challenged” sales environment in Q4 report

Did Nike do it?

Investors had a mixed reaction after the global sports apparel company reported its fourth quarter earnings on Tuesday after the bell. Shares initially rose 5% as Nike beat out Wall Street expectations amid a hefty tariff refund bonus. However, the stock then sank to its lowest level since August 2014 in postmarket trading.

Here are the Q4 numbers:

  • Revenue of $11.0 billion (estimate: $10.8 billion).

  • Adjusted earnings per share of $0.20 (estimate: $0.12).

Ahead of this report, Nike warned that results would be flattered by a one-time tariff refund (now estimated at roughly $0.52 per share for the bottom line). That gave the company an extra cushion in snapping its streak of seven quarters of year-over-year profit declines.

Over the past year, the company had been punished by tariffs on imported goods, stagnant consumer spending, and increasing competition from other footwear brands like New Balance, Adidas, and Hoka.

Outgoing CFO Matthew Friend deemed it an “increasingly challenging operating environment, where sell-through remains challenged.”

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