Stock market today: Live updates

Stock market today: Live updates

Stocks close higher after choppy day of trading

Stocks rallied into Wednesday’s close to end the day higher following a surprise beat on January’s retail sales report.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 39 points, or 0.11{ac23b82de22bd478cde2a3afa9e55fd5f696f5668b46466ac4c8be2ee1b69550}, rallying more than 250 points from its intraday low.

The S&P 500 ticked up 0.25{ac23b82de22bd478cde2a3afa9e55fd5f696f5668b46466ac4c8be2ee1b69550}, lifted by shares of SolarEdge and Generac, which gained 9.05{ac23b82de22bd478cde2a3afa9e55fd5f696f5668b46466ac4c8be2ee1b69550} and 8{ac23b82de22bd478cde2a3afa9e55fd5f696f5668b46466ac4c8be2ee1b69550}, respectively. The Nasdaq Composite rose 0.92{ac23b82de22bd478cde2a3afa9e55fd5f696f5668b46466ac4c8be2ee1b69550}, boosted by shares of Airbnb, which surged 13.35{ac23b82de22bd478cde2a3afa9e55fd5f696f5668b46466ac4c8be2ee1b69550} after beating earnings expectations. Gains in Tesla, Rivian and Lucid also helped lead the index higher.

So far, all three indexes are on track to end the week higher. The Dow is currently up 0.76{ac23b82de22bd478cde2a3afa9e55fd5f696f5668b46466ac4c8be2ee1b69550} week to date, while the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq are up 1.40{ac23b82de22bd478cde2a3afa9e55fd5f696f5668b46466ac4c8be2ee1b69550} and 3.01{ac23b82de22bd478cde2a3afa9e55fd5f696f5668b46466ac4c8be2ee1b69550} in the same timeframe.

—Carmen Reinicke

Credo stock falls nearly 50{ac23b82de22bd478cde2a3afa9e55fd5f696f5668b46466ac4c8be2ee1b69550} after internet company says largest client reduced demand expectations

Shares of internet services company Credo Technology have nearly halved in Wednesday’s session as an expected reduction in demand from its largest customer put downward pressure on expected revenue.

The company said its largest customer has reduced its demand forecast due to reasons unrelated to Credo’s performance, according to a filling with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Credo did not name the customer in the filling.

Citing the demand reduction and “macro headwinds,” the company guided its current-quarter revenue to come in between $30 million and $32 million. That’s below the $58.3 million consensus estimate of analysts polled by FactSet.

The company said to expect flat revenue for the full 2024 fiscal year compared with the full 2023 fiscal year. But management did say to expect sequential growth in 2024, while noting that the “long-term financial model remains unchanged.” The company also said it’s managing operating expenses to help support growth and profitability.

Wednesday’s sharp selloff sent the stock into negative territory for the year, last trading down nearly 22{ac23b82de22bd478cde2a3afa9e55fd5f696f5668b46466ac4c8be2ee1b69550} compared with the start of 2023. That marks a turn from the stock’s outperformance in 2022 — its first year as a publicly traded company — when shares ended up just under 28{ac23b82de22bd478cde2a3afa9e55fd5f696f5668b46466ac4c8be2ee1b69550}.

Credo shares were last down 46.3{ac23b82de22bd478cde2a3afa9e55fd5f696f5668b46466ac4c8be2ee1b69550} in Wednesday’s session.

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Dow slips heading into final hour of trading

Stocks were mixed in the final hour of trading Wednesday as investors weighed retail sales and inflation data.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 78 points, or 0.23{ac23b82de22bd478cde2a3afa9e55fd5f696f5668b46466ac4c8be2ee1b69550}. The S&P 500 ticked down 0.04{ac23b82de22bd478cde2a3afa9e55fd5f696f5668b46466ac4c8be2ee1b69550}, lifted by shares of SolarEdge and Generac, which gained more than 8{ac23b82de22bd478cde2a3afa9e55fd5f696f5668b46466ac4c8be2ee1b69550} and 7{ac23b82de22bd478cde2a3afa9e55fd5f696f5668b46466ac4c8be2ee1b69550}, respectively.

The Nasdaq Composite rose 0.55{ac23b82de22bd478cde2a3afa9e55fd5f696f5668b46466ac4c8be2ee1b69550}, boosted by shares of Airbnb, which surged 13{ac23b82de22bd478cde2a3afa9e55fd5f696f5668b46466ac4c8be2ee1b69550} after beating earnings expectations. Gains in Tesla, Rivian and Lucid also helped lead the index higher.

—Carmen Reinicke

Investors are taunting the Fed, top JPMorgan strategist says

JPMorgan’s Marko Kolanovic thinks investors are playing with fire, as stocks continue rising despite the Federal Reserve tightening monetary policy.

“There is an old adage, ‘don’t fight the Fed,’ but this behavior is not just fighting but also taunting the Fed with crypto, meme stocks, and unprofitable companies responding best to Fed communications,” Kolanovic, the bank’s chief global market strategist, said in a note to clients.

— Fred Imbert

U.S. will default on its debt between July and September if Congress doesn’t raise debt ceiling, CBO says

The United States Treasury will exhaust its emergency measures to prevent a debt default sometime between July and September unless Congress raises the $31.4 trillion debt limit, the Congressional Budget Office projected Wednesday.

The latest projection notes that the final date will be determined by tax revenues the IRS receives in April. Should those revenues decline significantly from CBO’s estimates, “the extraordinary measures could be exhausted sooner, and Treasury could run out of funds before July,” CBO director Phillip Swagel said in a statement Wednesday.

The U.S. reached the current debt limit in January of this year, at which point Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen initiated a series of established steps, known as the “extraordinary measures,” that allowed the government to continue borrowing money to meet its obligations.

Read here for the full report.

— Christina Wilkie

Treasury yields suggest longer Fed campaign, not more aggressive hikes: Krosby

 Stocks are slipping and Treasury yields rose following two hotter-than-anticipated reports this week; the January retail sales numbers and consumer price index print.

The data, and how the market is reacting, may not signal that the Fed will deliver more aggressive interest rate hikes, according to Quincy Krosby, chief global strategist for LPL Financial.

“The cyclical orientation of the equity market has held up, but the move up in Treasury yields suggests a longer Fed timeline, but not necessarily returning to a more aggressive rate hike campaign,” she said in a Wednesday note.

The transition to a longer timeline may be important for the market’s outlook, she added.

“The message from the market has been, overall, that cyclical sectors, including technology, can continue to lead the market higher even with higher rates, as long as the market is underpinned by stronger economic growth,” Krosby wrote.

“If the cyclical focus reverts to a more defensive posture, with consumer staples beginning to lead once again, the message will be clear that expectations are inching higher for a marked economic downturn,” she added.

—Carmen Reinicke

Activist firm Engine No. 1 launches new ETF

Investment firm Engine No. 1 debuted its new Transform Supply Chain ETF (SUPP) on Wednesday.

Engine No. 1 is primarily known as the activist investor that successfully pushed for change on ExxonMobil’s board. The firm already has two other ETFs with an ESG-related focus.

The new ETF is actively managed and relatively concentrated, with just 27 equity holdings. Its top holding is Willscot Mobile Mini, a rental company for jobsite offices and storage facilities.

“We’re building a portfolio that capitalizes on the transition from old technologies to new ones, from short-term expediency to long-term value creation, and away from the low-cost-at-all costs thinking of the last 30 years towards a more resilient and modern American economy that is a leader in global competitiveness and that creates well-paying jobs here at home,” Yasmin Dahya Bilger, head of ETFs at Engine No. 1, said in a press release.

The fund has about $10 million in net assets and 0.75{ac23b82de22bd478cde2a3afa9e55fd5f696f5668b46466ac4c8be2ee1b69550} expense ratio, according to its website.

— Jesse Pound

Energy sector is the biggest laggard Wednesday

Energy stocks weighed on the broader market on Wednesday, following the price of oil lower. Shares of Devon Energy shed 12{ac23b82de22bd478cde2a3afa9e55fd5f696f5668b46466ac4c8be2ee1b69550}, the largest loser on the S&P 500, after reporting an earnings miss on Tuesday.

Chevron weighed on the Dow, falling 1.5{ac23b82de22bd478cde2a3afa9e55fd5f696f5668b46466ac4c8be2ee1b69550}. Diamondback energy was one of the top decliners on the Nasdaq, slipping 3.43{ac23b82de22bd478cde2a3afa9e55fd5f696f5668b46466ac4c8be2ee1b69550}.

The Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund shed 2.34{ac23b82de22bd478cde2a3afa9e55fd5f696f5668b46466ac4c8be2ee1b69550}.

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XLE

Stocks mixed at midday

Stocks were mixed at midday on Wednesday as investors weighed hotter-than-expected retail sales and inflation data.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average shed 162 points, or 0.48{ac23b82de22bd478cde2a3afa9e55fd5f696f5668b46466ac4c8be2ee1b69550} and the S&P 500 lost 0.36{ac23b82de22bd478cde2a3afa9e55fd5f696f5668b46466ac4c8be2ee1b69550}. The Nasdaq rose 0.11{ac23b82de22bd478cde2a3afa9e55fd5f696f5668b46466ac4c8be2ee1b69550}, boosted by a rally in tech shares such as Tesla and Airbnb.

—Carmen Reinicke

Rally won’t last as Fed moves closer to 6{ac23b82de22bd478cde2a3afa9e55fd5f696f5668b46466ac4c8be2ee1b69550} on interest rates, Niles says

The Federal Reserve could move interest rates closer to 6{ac23b82de22bd478cde2a3afa9e55fd5f696f5668b46466ac4c8be2ee1b69550}, said Dan Niles, founder of the Satori Fund. And he said that could be bad news for those hoping for a continued market rally.

“I think the Fed, quite honestly, is going to get higher to 6{ac23b82de22bd478cde2a3afa9e55fd5f696f5668b46466ac4c8be2ee1b69550} before they stop raising,” Niles said on CNBC’s “Tech Check.”

The central bank last hiked interest rates by 25 basis points at its meeting earlier this month. That moved the target rate for interest rates to between 4.5{ac23b82de22bd478cde2a3afa9e55fd5f696f5668b46466ac4c8be2ee1b69550} and 4.75{ac23b82de22bd478cde2a3afa9e55fd5f696f5668b46466ac4c8be2ee1b69550}.

Market observers and participants have disagreed on when the Fed will stop raising interest rates. Those predictions have helped drive positioning so far this year.

Meanwhile, the market has rallied since the start of the new year as investors looked past a negative 2022. The Nasdaq Composite has led the averages up, gaining 14.5{ac23b82de22bd478cde2a3afa9e55fd5f696f5668b46466ac4c8be2ee1b69550} since the start of the year as investors grew increasingly optimistic about growth stocks on hopes that the Fed will change course on its interest rate hiking campaign.

But Niles said that rally may fade into the second half of the year, as data more clearly shows investors shouldn’t be overly optimistic just yet.

“A lot of things that are driving the market … so far in the first half of the year, you’re not going to be able to disprove until the back half of the year,” he said.

— Alex Harring

Jefferies downgrades American Eagle Outfitters

American Eagle Outfitters could be in trouble going forward, according to Jefferies. 

Analyst Randal J. Konik downgraded the retailer to hold from buy. The analyst sees the stock underperforming in a likely recession and resulting slowdown in consumer spending. He also lowered his price target to $16 from $18. The new target is just below where American Eagle closed Tuesday.

Konik also cut his sales growth outlook for 2023, expecting revenue to stay flat for the year.

CNBC Pro subscribers can read more about his downgrade here.

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Narrower breadth + overbought conditions + rebounding dollar = S&P 500 ‘consolidation phase,’ Katie Stockton says

U.S. stocks have been in a “consolidation phase” the past two weeks, driven by “intermediate-term overbought conditions,” narrower breadth in the number of stocks rallying, a stronger dollar and a greater number (10{ac23b82de22bd478cde2a3afa9e55fd5f696f5668b46466ac4c8be2ee1b69550}+) of stocks whose weekly stochastics readings have broken down, said Fairlead Strategies’ founder and technical strategist Katie Stockton in a note Wednesday.

Stochastics are a technical indicator showing when stocks may be overbought or oversold.

Adding to downward pressure on market sentiment has been weaker base and precious metals prices, especially copper, gold and silver. Gold prices are below their 50-day moving average and copper is testing its 50-DMA, Stockton said, limiting risk appetites.

Another straw in the wind is weakness in homebuilding stocks, which are now “showing signs of exhaustion in absolute and relative terms” after serving as a source of positive relative strength for the past year, Stockton added. Investors should be wary of the SPDR S&P Homebuilders ETF (XHB) and
iShares US Home Construction ETF (ITB) falling below their 20-day moving averages for signs of “a significant loss of momentum.”

— Scott Schnipper

DigitalBridge is a promising buy, says Deutsche Bank

There’s a big buying opportunity in DigitalBridge, an under-the-radar digital infrastructure company, according to Deutsche Bank. 

Analyst Matthew Niknam initiated the stock with a buy rating and a price target of $18 per share, implying upside of 26.3{ac23b82de22bd478cde2a3afa9e55fd5f696f5668b46466ac4c8be2ee1b69550} from Tuesday’s close.

Niknam said the company’s high-growth model and sector resilience make it a promising buy even ahead of a potential economic downturn. DigitalBridge owns, operates and invests in cell towers, data centers and other infrastructure-related businesses.

CNBC Pro subscribers can read more about his valuation here.

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Bulls slip from highest reading since 2021 in latest Investors Intelligence survey

The degree of bullishness among financial newsletter writers dipped to 45.1{ac23b82de22bd478cde2a3afa9e55fd5f696f5668b46466ac4c8be2ee1b69550} from 48.6{ac23b82de22bd478cde2a3afa9e55fd5f696f5668b46466ac4c8be2ee1b69550} (highest since Dec. 2021) in the latest weekly survey of financial newsletter writers by Investors Intelligence, which said “Bull counts in the mid-40’s are not yet suggestive of tops, especially if the overall trend is shifting positive.”

The pullback in stocks last week led the percentage of bears to grow to 26.8{ac23b82de22bd478cde2a3afa9e55fd5f696f5668b46466ac4c8be2ee1b69550} in the latest week from 25.8{ac23b82de22bd478cde2a3afa9e55fd5f696f5668b46466ac4c8be2ee1b69550} the week before. At the October 2022 low, bearishness stood at 44.1{ac23b82de22bd478cde2a3afa9e55fd5f696f5668b46466ac4c8be2ee1b69550} and at the mid-June 2022 low it was 44.1{ac23b82de22bd478cde2a3afa9e55fd5f696f5668b46466ac4c8be2ee1b69550}. Investors Intelligence says those latter readings suggest elevated levels of cash available to put to work in stocks, and a diminished degree of risk in the market.

Those in the “correction” camp expanded to 28.1{ac23b82de22bd478cde2a3afa9e55fd5f696f5668b46466ac4c8be2ee1b69550} from two weeks at 25.7{ac23b82de22bd478cde2a3afa9e55fd5f696f5668b46466ac4c8be2ee1b69550}.

The so-called “bull-bear spread” stands at +18.1 points, down from 22.9 points last week, and the 13th straight week when bulls outnumbered bears. Last week’s 22.9-point spread was the widest since January 2022, when stocks were at all-time highs, an d above the August 2022 high of 17.5 points.

Still, Investors Intelligence said, “Those are not yet suggestive of tops.”

 — Scott Schnipper

Goldman has ditched plans for a direct-to-consumer credit card

A Goldman Sachs Group Inc. logo hangs on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange in New York, U.S., on Wednesday, May 19, 2010.

Daniel Acker | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Goldman Sachs dropped plans to develop a Goldman-branded credit card for retail customers, another casualty of the firm’s strategic pivot, CNBC has learned.

CEO David Solomon told analysts in late 2021 that the bank was developing its own card, which would’ve made use of the platform Goldman created for its Apple Card partnership.

But when it scaled back plans to become the primary bank for the masses, the rationale for a Goldman card evaporated, said one of the people, who declined to be identified speaking about a former employer.

The bank’s ambitions in consumer finance outstripped its ability to execute on them, Solomon acknowledged last month.

—Hugh Son

Warren Buffett’s latest changes to Berkshire portfolio trigger stock moves

New York Fed manufacturing comes in better than expected

The New York Fed’s Empire State manufacturing index showed a smaller-than-expected decline in business activity for the month of February.

The index came in at -5.8. However, that’s well above a previous print of -32.9. It’s also above a Dow Jones consensus estimate of -20.3.

“Twenty-six percent of respondents reported that conditions had improved over the month, and thirty-two percent reported that conditions had worsened,” the New York Fed said.

— Fred Imbert

Stocks open lower after retail sales beat

Roblox stock pops after surpassing bookings expectations

Shares of gaming company Roblox soared 15{ac23b82de22bd478cde2a3afa9e55fd5f696f5668b46466ac4c8be2ee1b69550} after the company reported $899.4 million in fourth-quarter bookings, surpassing the 875.3 million bookings expected by analysts, according to FactSet’s StreetAccount. The company reported a fourth-quarter revenue of $579 million, up 2{ac23b82de22bd478cde2a3afa9e55fd5f696f5668b46466ac4c8be2ee1b69550} year-over-year, but falling short of Wall Street’s expectations of $613 million.

In January, Roblox recorded profits between $213 million and $216 million, and bookings between $267 million and $271 million, implying 19{ac23b82de22bd478cde2a3afa9e55fd5f696f5668b46466ac4c8be2ee1b69550} to 21{ac23b82de22bd478cde2a3afa9e55fd5f696f5668b46466ac4c8be2ee1b69550} year-over-year growth according to Citigroup research. If January bookings continue to follow this trend, the company would be on track to reach $761 million to $772 million in first-quarter bookings, which would surpass the consensus of $736 million, Citigroup Managing Director Jason B. Bazinet wrote in a Wednesday note to clients.

“We believe January trends indicate a stronger start to 1Q23 than what may be embedded in consensus estimates,” Bazinet wrote in the note.

– Pia Singh

Tesla shares tick up after White House says electric vehicle maker will open charging network

Tesla shares added 2.2{ac23b82de22bd478cde2a3afa9e55fd5f696f5668b46466ac4c8be2ee1b69550} in premarket trading following news of an agreement with the White House to open some of its chargers to vehicles made by competitors.

The company has agreed to make at least 7,500 charging stations open to compatible vehicles by the end of 2024, according to the White House. That number includes at least 3,500 of Tesla’s 250-kilowatt Superchargers, which are located along key highway corridors, in addition to the slower destination chargers available at places like hotels and restaurants.

Tesla also agreed to triple the number of superchargers in the U.S. New chargers will be made in Buffalo, NY.

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— John Rosevear, Lora Kolodny, Alex Harring

Retail sales jump 3{ac23b82de22bd478cde2a3afa9e55fd5f696f5668b46466ac4c8be2ee1b69550} in January

U.S. retail sales far exceeded expectations in January despite persistent inflation pressures.

Advance retail sales for the month increased 3{ac23b82de22bd478cde2a3afa9e55fd5f696f5668b46466ac4c8be2ee1b69550}, compared to expectations for a rise of 1.9{ac23b82de22bd478cde2a3afa9e55fd5f696f5668b46466ac4c8be2ee1b69550}, the Commerce Department reported Wednesday. Excluding autos, sales increased 2.3{ac23b82de22bd478cde2a3afa9e55fd5f696f5668b46466ac4c8be2ee1b69550}, according to the report, which is not adjusted for inflation. The ex-autos estimate was for a gain of 0.9{ac23b82de22bd478cde2a3afa9e55fd5f696f5668b46466ac4c8be2ee1b69550}.

The report comes a day after the Labor Department said the consumer price index, a widely followed inflation gauge, reported a larger-than-expected increase for January.

— Jeff Cox, Fred Imbert

Stocks making the biggest moves premarket: Paramount, Kraft Heinz, Tripadvisor and more

Here are the companies making headlines before the bell on Monday:

  • Paramount Global — Shares gained 2.5{ac23b82de22bd478cde2a3afa9e55fd5f696f5668b46466ac4c8be2ee1b69550} premarket after Berkshire Hathaway increased its stake in the streaming giant, according to the latest regulatory filings. Warren Buffet’s firm now owns more than 93 million shares in the entertainment company.
  • Analog Devices — Shares were up 6.7{ac23b82de22bd478cde2a3afa9e55fd5f696f5668b46466ac4c8be2ee1b69550} in premarket trading after the company reported better-than-expected earnings for the fiscal first quarter. The chipmaker posted adjusted earnings per share of $2.75, higher than the $2.61 expected from analysts on FactSet. Its revenue came in at $3.25 billion, above Wall Street’s expectations of $3.15 billion.
  • Kraft Heinz — Shares dropped 2.2{ac23b82de22bd478cde2a3afa9e55fd5f696f5668b46466ac4c8be2ee1b69550} after the food and beverage company said earnings for this fiscal year would be between $2.67 and $2.75 a share. That’s below the consensus estimate of $2.77 a share from analysts collected by FactSet. The company however reported earnings that beat analysts’ expectations for the last quarter.
  • Tripadvisor — Shares of the online travel company soared by 9{ac23b82de22bd478cde2a3afa9e55fd5f696f5668b46466ac4c8be2ee1b69550} after posting fourth-quarter revenue, earnings and cash flow that were higher than analysts’ estimates.

Click here to read more companies making moves before the open.

— Pia Singh

The market’s strong start to 2023 has brought in investors from the sidelines, Ned Davis Research says

Some investors are experiencing FOMO.

Strategists at Ned Davis Research noted that the market’s strong start to the year — the S&P 500 is up 7.7{ac23b82de22bd478cde2a3afa9e55fd5f696f5668b46466ac4c8be2ee1b69550} in 2023 — has brought in some investors who were on the sidelines after a tumultuous 2022.

“The rally caught many investors off guard,” Ned Davis Research said. “The upshot is that fear of missing out (FOMO) has made a comeback. Even some investors who doubt the Fed can engineer a soft landing have begrudgingly gotten on board.”

“A closer look at sentiment data shows a mixed bag. While the widespread pessimism has been relieved, investor sentiment is far from excessively optimistic levels. There is further room to climb the wall of worry,” the firm added.

— Fred Imbert

American Eagle falls after Jefferies downgrade

American Eagle Outfitters shares fell 1.8{ac23b82de22bd478cde2a3afa9e55fd5f696f5668b46466ac4c8be2ee1b69550} after Jefferies downgraded the apparel company to hold from buy.

“Clothing/footwear is typically a low performing category from the start to the exit of the recession and usually recovers with overall spending. On average, over the past 8 recessions, the clothing/footwear category saw no growth until the quarter coming out of the recession,” the firm said.

— Hakyung Kim

UK inflation rate falls lower than expected to 10.1{ac23b82de22bd478cde2a3afa9e55fd5f696f5668b46466ac4c8be2ee1b69550}

The U.K. inflation rate dropped to 10.1{ac23b82de22bd478cde2a3afa9e55fd5f696f5668b46466ac4c8be2ee1b69550} for January, down from 10.5{ac23b82de22bd478cde2a3afa9e55fd5f696f5668b46466ac4c8be2ee1b69550} in December, according to data from the Office for National Statistics.

The rate is lower than Reuters economists’ expectations of 10.3{ac23b82de22bd478cde2a3afa9e55fd5f696f5668b46466ac4c8be2ee1b69550}.

Inflation has consistently fallen after hitting a 41-year high of 11.1{ac23b82de22bd478cde2a3afa9e55fd5f696f5668b46466ac4c8be2ee1b69550} in October.

Full coverage of this story can be found here.

— Hannah Ward-Glenton

Barclays posts 19{ac23b82de22bd478cde2a3afa9e55fd5f696f5668b46466ac4c8be2ee1b69550} slide in annual net profit after costly U.S. trading blunder

Barclays on Wednesday reported a full-year net profit of £5.023 billion ($6.07 billion) for 2022, beating consensus expectations of £4.95 billion but suffering a 19{ac23b82de22bd478cde2a3afa9e55fd5f696f5668b46466ac4c8be2ee1b69550} fall from the previous year’s restated £6.2 billion, partly as a result of a costly trading blunder in the U.S.

Fourth-quarter attributable profit was £1.04 billion, above analyst projections of £833.29 million but down 4{ac23b82de22bd478cde2a3afa9e55fd5f696f5668b46466ac4c8be2ee1b69550} from the £1.08 billion posted in the fourth quarter of 2021.

The British lender took a substantial hit from an over-issuance of securities in the U.S., which resulted in litigation and conduct charges totaling £1.6 billion over the course of 2022.

Barclays shares dropped more than 8{ac23b82de22bd478cde2a3afa9e55fd5f696f5668b46466ac4c8be2ee1b69550} in early trade.

— Elliot Smith

Upcoming homebuilding sentiment data on Wednesday

The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index will be releasing February’s homebuilding sentiment numbers on Wednesday .

The index measures three components: current sales, sales expectations and buyer traffic.

Builder sentiment in the single-family housing market posted an unexpected gain last month, rising for the first time in 12 straight months. Economists had predicted a slight decline. The metric currently stands at 35.

— Hakyung Kim

Stocks making the biggest moves in extended trading

These are a couple of the stocks making the biggest moves after the bell:

  • Airbnb — Shares of Airbnb jumped 10{ac23b82de22bd478cde2a3afa9e55fd5f696f5668b46466ac4c8be2ee1b69550} after the company released fourth-quarter earnings that topped analysts’ expectations. The company reported earnings per share of 48 cents, greater than the estimated 25 cents, according to consensus estimates from Refinitiv. Airbnb posted revenue of $1.90 billion, higher than the forecasted $1.86 billion.
  • Devon Energy — The energy company’s shares fell 5{ac23b82de22bd478cde2a3afa9e55fd5f696f5668b46466ac4c8be2ee1b69550} after the company’s disappointing fourth-quarter earnings report. Devon reported adjusted per-share earnings of $1.66, falling below analysts’ consensus estimate of $1.75, according to Refinitiv. Revenue also came in below Wall Street’s expectations.

Check out the full list here.

— Hakyung Kim

Stock futures open lower

Mullen Automotive Provides Fiscal First Quarter 2023 Business Update

Mullen Automotive Provides Fiscal First Quarter 2023 Business Update
Mullen Automotive, Inc.

Mullen Automotive, Inc.

Momentum Building for All Mullen Automotive Brands

Mullen-GO (formerly I-GO) Now Available at Newgate Motor Group

Newgate Motor Group is authorized distributor of Mullen-GO for Ireland and UK.

Newgate Motor Group is authorized distributor of Mullen-GO for Ireland and UK.

BREA, Calif., Feb. 14, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — via InvestorWire — Mullen Automotive, Inc. (NASDAQ: MULN), an emerging electric vehicle (“EV”) manufacturer, today announced a financial update for its fiscal first quarter in 2023 ending December 31, 2022.

Fiscal First Quarter 2023 and Recent Highlights Include:

  • Mullen completed the purchase of ELMS’ (Electric Last Mile Solutions) assets in an all-cash $105 million purchase in November 2022 on the heels of the successful acquisition of a controlling interest in Bollinger Motors in September 2022.

  • The Company has over $100 million in cash (includes restricted cash available for Company use) available for operations and investment at December 31, 2022. The Company has additional committed capital of $90 million expected to be received prior to the end of April 2023.

  • Secured exclusive sales, distribution and branding rights to the new compact electric vehicle, the Mullen-GO (formerly I-GO), and made initial delivery to distribution agent.

  • Mullen Receives Purchase Order from Randy Marion Automotive Group for 6,000 Class 1 EV Cargo Vans valued at approximately $200 million.

  • Mullen Automotive Announces Results of Special Shareholder Meeting with Favorable Outcome.

  • Mullen Automotive, Loop Global and Menzies Aviation Pilot Electric Vehicles and Charging Infrastructure at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).

  • Launched “Strikingly Different” US Test Drive Tour of the Mullen FIVE EV Crossover on October 27, 2022, in Pasadena, CA, and continued through nine cities across the southern states, concluding with the successful close on Dec. 16th in Charlotte, NC. The second leg of the tour will continue in the Summer of 2023 and include the debut of the Mullen FIVE RS.

Management Commentary

“In a very short period of time we have built Mullen into an emerging leader in the electric vehicle (EV) industry, accomplishing a number of synergistic acquisitions, forging key partnerships and achieving important milestones,” said David Michery, Mullen’s CEO and Chairman. “With the launch of the Mullen Five Tour and our acquisitions, we are in a unique position among new electric vehicle producers, with both retail and commercial vehicles coming to market. With the recent addition of Bollinger and ELMS, we now have the portfolio in place from class 1 through 6, allowing us to drive the company toward production of our industry-leading electric vehicles.”

Electric Last Mile (ELMS) Update

ELMS (Electric Last Mile Solutions), the $105 million all cash acquisition of assets in November included: the factory in Mishawaka, Indiana, providing Mullen with the capability to produce in excess of 50,000 vehicles per year, all intellectual property, including all manufacturing data that is required for the assembly of the Class 1 van and Class 3 Cab Chassis, all inventory including finished and unfinished vehicles, part modules, component parts, raw materials, tooling all property including equipment, machinery, supplies, computer hardware, software, communication equipment, data networks and all other data storage.

Mullen-GO (formerly I-GO) Status

In addition, our move into Europe took important first steps in our fiscal second quarter commencing January 1, 2023, as we made initial delivery to our marketing, sales, distribution, and servicing agent, Newgate Motor Group. The first Mullen-GO vehicles are available for pre-order at an expected starting price of $11,999 plus VAT and local transportation charges. There is high demand for ready-to-market compact electric vehicles in Europe and Mullen has seized the opportunity to extend its branding and marketing reach to the European market through its partnership with the manufacturers of the Mullen-GO.

Mullen Signs First Commercial Dealership Partner in Charlotte, NC

Mullen announced a purchase order for 6,000 Class 1 EV cargo vans from Randy Marion Isuzu, LLC (“RMI”), a member of the Randy Marion Automotive Group (“RMA”) in mid-December. The firm order agreement is valued at approximately $200 million. RMA is Mullen’s first commercial dealer partner to offer sales, service, and parts for Mullen Automotive’s commercial vehicle lineup.

Menzies Aviation Partners with Mullen in LAX Pilot Program

Last week, we announced that Menzies Aviation, with over 8,000 vehicles in its global fleet, has started the evaluation of Mullen Class 1 EV cargo vans along with EV charging infrastructure from Loop Global across its operations at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). Mullen and Menzies have commenced a 60-day pilot program that will evaluate the Class 1 electric vehicle (EV) cargo vans in several use cases across Menzies’ LAX operations.

Positive Implications of Special Shareholder Meeting Results

Concerning the Special Meeting of Mullen Shareholders, after removing certain items initially slated for consideration by Shareholders, all remaining proposals were approved. This included the implementation of a reverse stock split, which the company does not plan to enact in the event the stock eclipses the $1 mark between now and September 6th. Should the price of the Mullen common stock not reach $1 per share, management plans to implement the reverse split at a magnitude determined at that time.

Also at the Special meeting, shareholders approved the proposal to increase the Company’s authorized Common Share capital from 1.75 billion to 5 billion shares. The Company’s authorized preferred stock is 500,000,000 shares. As a result, Mullen’s authorized capital stock increased from 2.25 billion shares to 5.5 billion shares.

Mullen FIVE Completes Successful U.S. Test Drive Tour in Late 2022

In the first fiscal quarter, we completed the FIVE EV Crossover “Strikingly Different” test drive tour, a successful national tour of nine cities. We experienced an overwhelming response from the consumer. In the Summer of 2023, Mullen will be launching the second leg of the “Strikingly Different” Tour with a focus on the East Coast, Midwest and northwest before finishing up in northern California. The second leg of the tour will feature the Mullen FIVE RS, which is a high-performance EV sport crossover featuring 1,100 horsepower, a top speed of 200 mph and acceleration from 0-60 mph in just 1.9 seconds.

Mullen Production Outlook

Looking forward, quite simply our objective is to move our commercial vehicles from product development to production, including the necessary steps of completing certification. As we have said, retail production of the Mullen FIVE and the Bollinger B1 and B2 are planned to be in our Mishawaka, Indiana facility, while the commercial vehicles are planned to be assembled and manufactured in our Tunica, Mississippi facility. Our current plan is to start production of the Mullen FIVE in the fourth quarter 2024, first quarter of 2025. Bollinger B4 start of production is planned for the first quarter of 2024.

Financial Results

The Net loss attributable to common shareholders was $376.9 million and $156.1 million for the three months ended December 31, 2022, and 2021, respectively. The net loss per share was $0.28 for the three months ended December 31, 2022, as compared to a net loss per share of $8.93 for the three months ended December 31, 2021. Weighted average shares outstanding were 1.36 billion at December 31, 2022 and 17.5 million at December 31, 2021.

The $220.9 million or 142{ac23b82de22bd478cde2a3afa9e55fd5f696f5668b46466ac4c8be2ee1b69550} increase in net loss attributable to common shareholders was primarily due to a $164.0 million increase in non-cash financing expenses and $59.6 million increase in operating losses for ramping-up development efforts and reflecting the addition expenses from the acquisition of Bollinger Motors and the purchase of ELMS assets.

Following is our unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations for the three months ended December 31, 2022, and 2021:

MULLEN AUTOMOTIVE INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
(unaudited)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    

Three months ended December 31, 

 

 

 

2022

 

    

2021

 

 

OPERATING EXPENSES

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

General and administrative

 

$

64,996,011

 

 

$

12,901,084

 

 

Research and development

 

 

8,622,009

 

 

 

1,157,323

 

 

Total Operating Expense

 

 

73,618,020

 

 

 

14,058,407

 

 

Loss from Operations

 

 

(73,618,020

)

 

 

(14,058,407

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other financing costs – initial recognition of derivative liabilities

 

 

(255,960,025

)

 

 

(108,979,229

)

 

Gain / (loss) extinguishment of debt, net

 

 

(6,412,170

)

 

 

74,509

 

 

Revaluation of derivative liabilities

 

 

(40,781,976

)

 

 

(10,618,382

)

 

Interest expense

 

 

(2,828,089

)

 

 

(3,226,769

)

 

Loan amortization expense

 

 

 

 

 

(19,212,176

)

 

Deferred tax benefit

 

 

493,654

 

 

 

 

 

Other income (expense), net

 

 

645,881

 

 

 

(41,096

)

 

Net loss before accrued preferred dividends and noncontrolling interest

 

 

(378,460,745

)

 

 

(156,061,550

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interest

 

 

2,184,959

 

 

 

 

 

Net loss attributable to shareholders

 

 

(376,275,786

)

 

 

(156,061,550

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Accrued preferred dividends

 

 

(638,677

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net Loss attributable to common shareholders

 

$

(376,914,463

)

 

$

(156,061,550

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net loss per share

 

$

(0.28

)

 

$

(8.93

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Weighted average shares outstanding, basic and diluted

 

 

1,360,570,075

 

 

 

17,471,173

 

 

For the quarter ended December 31, 2022, there were significant, non-cash expenses (approximately $306.0 million) relating to debt and equity issuances and non-cash interest. It is useful to review the operating and investing sections of the cash flow report to understand cash spend for the quarter given the large amount of non-cash charges.

Non-cash charges are detailed in the operating section of the cash flow statement below. Cash flow activity for the quarter ended December 31, 2022, shows a net loss before accrued preferred dividends and noncontrolling interest of $378.5 million, non-cash adjustment add-backs of approximately $347.7 million and operating asset and liability changes of $2.4 million. In summary, cash flows from operating activities were $33.2 million and cash flows from investing activities were $93.7 million (primarily ELMS asset purchase), offset by cash inflows from financing activities of $150.0 million for the three months ended December 31, 2022.


MULLEN AUTOMOTIVE INC.

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(unaudited)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Three Months Ended December 31, 

 

    

2022

 

    

2021

 

Cash Flows from Operating Activities

 

 

  

 

 

  

Net loss attributable to shareholders

 

$

(378,460,745

)

 

$

(156,061,550

)

Adjustments to reconcile net loss attributable to shareholders to net cash used in operating activities:

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

  

 

 

  

Depreciation and amortization

 

 

4,794,327

 

 

 

307,699

 

Officer and employee stock compensation

 

 

36,305,972

 

 

 

1,604,293

 

Revaluation of derivative liabilities

 

 

40,781,976

 

 

 

10,618,382

 

Issuance of shares for services

 

 

4,376,438

 

 

 

2,495,487

 

Issuance of stock to directors

 

 

71,000

 

 

 

 

Other financing costs – initial recognition of derivative liabilities

 

 

255,960,025

 

 

 

108,979,229

 

Gain on conversion of derivative liabilities to common stock

 

 

(9,965,728

)

 

 

 

Non-cash financing loss on over-exercise of warrants

 

 

8,934,892

 

 

 

 

Non-cash interest and other operating activities

 

 

 

 

 

3,062,048

 

Non-cash lease expense

 

 

 

 

 

136,938

 

Amortization of debt discount

 

 

 

 

 

19,212,176

 

Loss on asset disposal

 

 

 

 

 

1,298

 

Loss (gain) on extinguishment of debt

 

 

6,412,171

 

 

 

(74,509

)

Loss on debt settlement

 

 

 

 

 

41,096

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Changes in operating assets and liabilities:

 

 

  

 

 

  

Other current assets

 

 

(8,260,125

)

 

 

(1,226,376

)

Other assets

 

 

(197,199

)

 

 

(1,225,252

)

Accounts payable

 

 

7,724,852

 

 

 

(977,783

)

Accrued expenses and other liabilities

 

 

(1,576,292

)

 

 

(1,468,751

)

Deferred tax liability

 

 

(419,077

)

 

 

 

Lease liabilities

 

 

289,821

 

 

 

(137,228

)

Net cash used in operating activities

 

 

(33,227,692

)

 

 

(14,712,803

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cash Flows from Investing Activities

 

 

  

 

 

  

Purchase of equipment

 

 

(726,482

)

 

 

(10,462,219

)

Purchase of intangible assets

 

 

(74,826

)

 

 

 

ELMS asset purchase

 

 

(92,916,874

)

 

 

 

Net cash used in investing activities

 

 

(93,718,182

)

 

 

(10,462,219

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cash Flows from Financing Activities

 

 

  

 

 

  

Proceeds from issuance of notes payable

 

 

150,000,000

 

 

 

7,300,000

 

Proceeds from issuance of common stock

 

 

 

 

 

10,894,659

 

Proceeds from issuance of preferred stock

 

 

 

 

 

20,000,000

 

Payment of notes payable

 

 

 

 

 

(13,000,351

)

Net cash provided by financing activities

 

 

150,000,000

 

 

 

25,194,308

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Increase in cash

 

 

23,054,126

 

 

 

19,286

 

Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, beginning of period

 

 

84,375,085

 

 

 

42,174

 

Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, ending of period

 

$

107,429,211

 

 

$

61,460

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Supplemental disclosure of Cash Flow information:

 

 

  

 

 

  

Cash paid for interest

 

$

3,056

 

 

$

1,424,345

 

Supplemental Disclosure for Non-Cash Activities:

 

 

  

 

 

  

Debt conversion of common stock

 

$

1,096,787

 

 

$

 

Preferred shares issued in exchange for convertible debt

 

$

 

 

$

24,991,755

 

Convertible notes conversion to common stock

 

$

59,402,877

 

 

$

 

Exercise of warrants recognized earlier as liabilities

 

$

84,799,179

 

 

$

 

The Company has over $100 million in cash (includes restricted cash available for Company use) available for operations and investment at December 31, 2022. The Company has additional committed capital of $90 million expected to be received prior to the end of April 2023. Balance sheets as of December 31, 2022, and 2021 are as follows:

MULLEN AUTOMOTIVE INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(unaudited)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    

December 31, 2022

    

September 30, 2022

 

ASSETS

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

CURRENT ASSETS

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

Cash and cash equivalents

 

$

68,071,635

 

 

$

54,085,685

 

 

Restricted cash

 

 

39,357,576

 

 

 

30,289,400

 

 

Receivable for over issuance of shares

 

 

17,909,254

 

 

 

 

 

Inventory

 

 

6,958,158

 

 

 

 

 

Prepaid expenses and other current assets

 

 

3,260,726

 

 

 

1,958,759

 

 

TOTAL CURRENT ASSETS

 

 

135,557,349

 

 

 

86,333,844

 

 

Property, equipment and leasehold improvements, net

 

 

89,796,658

 

 

 

14,803,716

 

 

Intangible assets, net

 

 

113,377,931

 

 

 

93,947,018

 

 

Deposit on ELMS purchase

 

 

 

 

 

5,500,000

 

 

Accounts receivable from related party

 

 

1,232,387

 

 

 

1,232,387

 

 

Right-of-use assets

 

 

4,763,589

 

 

 

4,597,052

 

 

Goodwill

 

 

92,834,832

 

 

 

92,834,832

 

 

Other assets

 

 

3,389,293

 

 

 

3,345,631

 

 

TOTAL ASSETS

 

$

440,952,039

 

 

$

302,594,479

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY (DEFICIT)

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

CURRENT LIABILITIES

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

Accounts payable

 

$

14,123,277

 

 

$

6,398,425

 

 

Accrued expenses and other current liabilities

 

 

6,225,969

 

 

 

7,185,881

 

 

Dividends payable

 

 

8,400,933

 

 

 

7,762,255

 

 

Derivative liabilities

 

 

261,480,084

 

 

 

84,799,179

 

 

Liability to issue shares

 

 

11,599,598

 

 

 

10,710,000

 

 

Lease liabilities, current portion

 

 

1,696,626

 

 

 

1,428,474

 

 

Notes payable, current portion

 

 

93,837,257

 

 

 

3,856,497

 

 

Other current liabilities

 

 

103,372

 

 

 

90,372

 

 

TOTAL CURRENT LIABILITIES

 

 

397,467,116

 

 

 

122,231,083

 

 

Notes payable, net of current portion

 

 

4,890,475

 

 

 

5,164,552

 

 

Lease liabilities, net of current portion

 

 

3,381,024

 

 

 

3,359,354

 

 

Deferred tax liability

 

 

14,463,705

 

 

 

14,882,782

 

 

TOTAL LIABILITIES

 

 

420,202,320

 

 

 

145,637,771

 

 

Commitments and contingencies (Note 17)

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

Preferred stock, $0.001 par value, 500,000,000 preferred shares authorized

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Preferred Series A; 200,000 shares authorized; 1,924 and 1,924 shares issued and outstanding at December 31, 2022 and September 30, 2022 respectively.

 

 

2

 

 

 

2

 

 

Preferred Series C; 40,000,000 shares authorized; 1,210,056 and 1,360,321 shares issued and outstanding at December 31, 2022 and September 30, 2022 respectively.

 

 

1,210

 

 

 

1,360

 

 

Preferred Series D; 437,500,001 shares authorized; 363,098 and 4,359,652 shares issued and outstanding at December 31, 2022 and September 30, 2022 respectively.

 

 

363

 

 

 

4,359

 

 

Preferred Series AA; 1 share authorized; 1 and zero shares issued and outstanding at December 31, 2022 and September 30, 2022 respectively.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Common Stock; $0.001 par value; 1,750,000,000 shares authorized; 1,693,663,180 and 833,468,180 shares issued and outstanding at December 31, 2022 and September 30, 2022 respectively.

 

 

1,693,663

 

 

 

833,468

 

 

Additional Paid-in Capital

 

 

1,189,162,862

 

 

 

947,765,155

 

 

Accumulated Deficit

 

 

(1,266,183,241

)

 

 

(889,907,455

)

 

Non-controlling interest

 

 

96,074,860

 

 

 

98,259,819

 

 

TOTAL STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

 

 

20,749,719

 

 

 

156,956,708

 

 

TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

 

$

440,952,039

 

 

$

302,594,479

 

 

About Mullen:

Mullen Automotive (NASDAQ: MULN) is a Southern California-based automotive company building the next generation of premium electric vehicles (EVs) that are affordable and built entirely in the United States. With an end-to-end ecosystem that supports owners from test driving to financing and servicing through a unique hybrid dealership model, customers are supported through every aspect of EV ownership. Mullen’s EV development portfolio includes the Mullen FIVE EV Crossover, Mullen Commercial Class 1-6 EVs and Bollinger Motors, which features both the B1 and B2 electric SUV trucks and commercial offerings. The Mullen FIVE, the Company’s first electric crossover, is slated for first production builds in 2024 and features an award-winning design and its patented PERSONA technology that utilizes facial recognition to personalize the driving experience for every individual. On Sept. 7, 2022, Bollinger Motors became a majority-owned EV truck company of Mullen Automotive and on Dec. 1, 2022, Mullen closed on the acquisition of all Electric Last Mile Solutions’ (“ELMS”) assets including IP and a 650,000 square foot plant in Mishawaka, Indiana.

For more information, please visit www.MullenUSA.com.

Mullen uses its investor.mullenusa.com webpage and links as a means of disclosing material non-public information and for complying with its disclosure obligations under Regulation FD.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements in this press release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Any statements contained in this press release that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed forward-looking statements. Words such as “continue,” “will,” “may,” “could,” “should,” “expect,” “expected,” “plans,” “intend,” “anticipate,” “believe,” and “estimate,” “predict,” “potential” and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements, many of which are generally outside the control of Mullen and are difficult to predict. Examples of such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: whether the ELMS and Bollinger transactions will prove successful, whether the Mullen-GO (formerly I-GO initiatives) in the UK and Ireland or elsewhere in Europe will prove successful, whether the respective parties obligations under the Randy Marion Automotive Group purchase order will be met, whether the Loop Global and Menzies initiative will be a success, whether the second leg of the “Strikingly Different” test-drive tour event will take place within the time frame expected; or whether development of the Mullen FIVE RS will be implemented in time for the anticipated second part of the test-drive tour. Additional examples of such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: (i) Mullen’s ability (or inability) to obtain additional financing in sufficient amounts or on acceptable terms when needed; (ii) Mullen’s ability to maintain existing, and secure additional, contracts with manufacturers, parts and other service providers relating to its business; (iii) Mullen’s ability to successfully expand in existing markets and enter new markets; (iv) Mullen’s ability to successfully manage and integrate any acquisitions of businesses, solutions or technologies; (v) unanticipated operating costs, transaction costs and actual or contingent liabilities; (vi) the ability to attract and retain qualified employees and key personnel; (vii) adverse effects of increased competition on Mullen’s business; (viii) changes in government licensing and regulation that may adversely affect Mullen’s business; (ix) the risk that changes in consumer behavior could adversely affect Mullen’s business; (x) Mullen’s ability to protect its intellectual property; and (xi) local, industry and general business and economic conditions. Additional factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements can be found in the most recent annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, and current reports on Form 8-K filed by Mullen with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Mullen anticipates that subsequent events and developments may cause its plans, intentions, and expectations to change. Mullen assumes no obligation, and it specifically disclaims any intention or obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by law. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made and should not be relied upon as representing Mullen’s plans and expectations as of any subsequent date.

Contact:

Mullen Automotive, Inc.

+1 (714) 613-1900

www.MullenUSA.com

Investor Relations Contact

investor@Mullenusa.com

Media Contact

media@Mullenusa.com

Wire Service Contact:
InvestorWire (IW)
Los Angeles, California
www.InvestorWire.com
212.418.1217 Office
Editor@InvestorWire.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/90022111-1416-44f4-b261-d8d63223f756

Andrew Turner to Lead Booz Allen’s Commercial Business

Andrew Turner to Lead Booz Allen’s Commercial Business

Booz Allen Hamilton has appointed Andrew Turner to lead the firm’s Global Commercial enterprise. In this role, Turner will provide an built-in eyesight of Booz Allen’s portfolio of cybersecurity providers, together with system, risk administration, incident reaction, cyber defense, cloud, and operational technologies to aid professional consumers accomplish favourable enterprise outcomes and expansion. 

Turner assumes this role immediately after becoming a member of Booz Allen in 2020 and previously serving as the chief technologies officer and sector strategy lead for the firm’s World-wide Commercial enterprise. He delivers extra than 20 a long time of practical experience as a security leader to mission-crucial companies and enterprises, together with serving as a cyber chief to a number of Fortune 500 corporations. Prior to joining Booz Allen, Turner was chief security officer for FIS World-wide (previously Worldpay) and beforehand held senior cyber leadership roles at Visa and Microsoft. 

“Andrew is a multifaceted security leader with a eager being familiar with of the breadth and the depth of our perform innovating in intricate cyber missions,” claimed Horacio Rozanski, Booz Allen’s president and chief government officer. “Our World-wide Industrial business enterprise is nicely-positioned for potential development underneath Andrew’s leadership.”  

Turner has a established observe history of building mature cybersecurity systems intently aligned to driving business and model differentiation. At FIS, he led an built-in security firm, together with details safety, financial crimes, actual physical stability, and organization resilience. He also launched and directed strategic identification, cloud protection, and cyber possibility administration courses and was responsible for the company’s cyber governance, benchmarks, and other connected policies.

“In today’s ever more connected cyber danger landscape, the public and private sectors converge into a solitary, target-wealthy ecosystem,” explained Turner. “This constantly evolving natural environment escalates cybersecurity as a strategic essential for all corporations. That is why I’m thrilled to guide this group in supporting our professional clientele to satisfy their development and business enterprise objectives and transform cybersecurity and danger administration into a sustainable, competitive benefit.”  

Booz Allen Hamilton is a member of the Authorities Technological know-how & Solutions Coalition, a non-earnings organization for government contractors in the homeland security current market.

Read through far more at Booz Allen Hamilton

M&Ms Super Bowl commercial: How ads have become weeks-long campaigns

M&Ms Super Bowl commercial: How ads have become weeks-long campaigns


New York
CNN
 — 

The much-hyped M&M’s Tremendous Bowl commercial that was intended to make clear the position of the brand’s “spokescandies,” which have been place on pause right after they ended up criticized by right-wing pundits, last but not least aired on Sunday, and it was, well, puzzling.

In it, actress and comedian Maya Rudolph tosses handfuls of the vibrant candies in the air, but as an alternative of M’s, they’re emblazoned with “Ma” and “Ya” and illustrations or photos of Rudolph’s face. Rudolph sings that the candies are now loaded with clams. In the video clip, people today choose bites and search disgusted. In the direction of the close, eagle-eyed viewers will have found a distressed seeking Yellow M&M, and the Purple M&M holding up a indicator that claims “HELP!”

Maya Rudolph in an M&M's commercial during Super Bowl LVII.

The brightly-coloured anthropomorphized M&M figures had develop into subject areas of dialogue and criticism from some Eco-friendly M&M lovers right after the characters’ shoe swap from heels to sneakers final calendar year, and once more immediately after a January International Women’s Day marketing campaign featuring female candies prompted cries of “woke!” from correct-wing commentators.

The Tremendous Bowl professional, billed as the summary to weeks-long drama surrounding the status of the “spokescandies,” remaining some viewers scratching their heads.

“Are the M&M’s all right?” 1 particular person asked on Twitter. “Help me realize the #mms “Clams” #SuperBowlAd Critically assistance me,” a different pleaded. Some considered it was dumb, other people humorous.

Now, the brand name assures persons in a press launch, the spokecandies have returned. In a further shorter location airing on Sunday, the characters say in a ‘press conference” that they are glad to be back again. The chyron says: “Back together once more: M&M’s characters return.”

The M&M's are back, according to the brand.

Those who have been spending close attention to M&M’s advertisement technique may have understood the narrative development: Right before the industrial by itself aired, M&M’s released Rudolph as its new spokesperson. In movies, Rudolph offered adjustments she’d created in her new function, like putting her individual face on the candies and switching “M&M’s” to “Ma&Ya’s.” M&M’s also shared updates, occasionally downbeat, about the unemployed people: Orange, for instance, designed a Spotify meditation playlist, Yellow tried representing Snickers, and so on.

But if you weren’t shelling out awareness, the final commercial may well be a head scratcher -— just one hazard a manufacturer requires when it takes advantage of a months-lengthy campaign in advance of its Tremendous Bowl professional.

M&M’s lead-up marketing campaign may have been amongst the most intricate, but the model is not alone. In a improve for the a long time-outdated Super Bowl advert wars, it is essentially become a commonplace tactic to use social media to tease, preview and develop excitement in advance of their Tremendous Bowl commercials.

Corporations invest thousands and thousands just for a Super Bowl advertisement slot — reportedly about $7 million for some 30-2nd spots — ahead of investing into the commercials by themselves. Online campaigns, at times bolstered with glossy multi-page print ads like M&M’s, are a way to get the most bang for these bucks by pointing additional people today toward the industrial. Ad previews also give brand names a probability to system-appropriate ahead of the big sport if they get negative comments.

But with so several organizations subsequent this playbook, it turns into even more challenging to break as a result of — acquire viewers by surprise.

Inspite of the large price of a Super Bowl commercial, companies are keen to nab a spot. That is mainly because so several men and women tune in to the sport (very last calendar year, about 208 million) and some of them are just fascinated in the commercials.

“Anything you run through the Super Bowl will mechanically get some awareness, as if it ended up a scheduled clearly show or entertainment,” mentioned Karen North, professor of digital social media at the USC Annenberg Faculty for Interaction and Journalism. “The dilemma is, how do you get interest to you, in individual?”

Social strategies may well make the variation.

Some brand names, like M&M’s, made an elaborate story for its people. Some others just hinted at which superstars would be highlighted in their spots or launched teasers. Doritos turned its campaign into a contest, inviting folks to take part in a TikTok dance levels of competition, with the winner showing in Sunday’s ad. Molson Coors partnered with DraftKings to allow individuals bet on the contents of its advertisement ahead of the match, increasing the stakes for viewers.

Planters this yr aired bits of a roast of Mr Peanut in advance of the game, who infamously “died” in a Super Bowl business in 2020 just before currently being reborn as a infant, itself a very involved, and a great deal criticized, campaign.

In this 2020 ad, Mr. Peanut falls to his death (he later comes back as a baby).

In addition to encouraging men and women to tune in, the campaigns actually acquire some force off the business itself, explained Tim Calkins, a internet marketing professor at Northwestern University’s Kellogg University of Management.

“The Tremendous Bowl is a quite cluttered time,” he explained. Folks get invested in the game, leave the area, scroll by their phones, chat with their good friends. They may transform the Tv off right before some advertisements even air.

By hedging with an on the net marketing campaign, by itself developed to get people today wondering about the manufacturer, “you go into [the Super Bowl] with a much lower hazard profile,” Calkins claimed.

Firms that release advertisements ahead of time can also gauge the public’s response. If it is damaging, they can make variations. GoDaddy, for example, pulled a 2015 advert about a puppy acquiring sold on the internet just after animal legal rights activists and many others criticized the place, and was capable to exchange it with a distinct professional.

The recognition of the approach usually means organizations have to do even far more to stand out.

“As shortly as a thing will work, everyone copies it, and then it no more time works pretty so nicely.” Which is what was occurring “in the run up to the Superbowl,” Calkins stated.

Moreover, hyping the commercials raises now-substantial expectations, mentioned Charles R. Taylor professor of promoting at the Villanova College of Enterprise. A disappointing advertisement can weaken the relaxation of the campaign and chalk up a extremely costly reduction.

“If [the ad] just kind of blends into the qualifications, it challenges derailing your approach,” he said.

The social strategies by themselves have to be powerful, as well. M&M’s bought a good deal of individuals chatting when it said it would place its spokescandies on pause. But handful of persons had been speaking about Ma&Ya’s, or the characters’ lookup for alternate work or hobbies.

And the campaign failed to address that first claim from the company, that the spokescandies were being also polarizing, which lots of saw as a capitulation to people accusations of the brand name being also “woke.” In a press release, M&M’s mum or dad enterprise Mars said it was giving extra grants to “change-creating women” than it had introduced as part of its Women’s Day marketing campaign.

“They unsuccessful to engage us in the story, but they have caught our awareness based mostly on a disaster,” USC Annenberg’s North claimed of the candy brand’s social campaign. “I’m not certain if which is these a favourable move.”

10 Least Innovative Companies That Are Still In Business Today

10 Least Innovative Companies That Are Still In Business Today

In this piece, we will take a seem at the 10 minimum impressive firms that are nonetheless in enterprise currently. For far more companies, head on in excess of to 5 The very least Innovative Providers That Are Nonetheless In Company Currently.

At any time given that Apple launched the initially Iphone, innovation has been one buzzword that hasn’t absent absent either in the corporate world, the media, or enterprise faculties. Each day numerous boardroom conferences are held concentrating on how to be modern, publications fawn more than this organization being modern or that company staying ground breaking, and business educational facilities rack their brains to crack the strategies of innovation once and for all.

With all this buzz, it appears as if innovation is important for a firm’s survival. This perception is even further cemented by the checklist of countless corporations that have long gone out of business mainly because they unsuccessful to see emerging traits. Considering that we started out off with the Iphone, its increase to reputation set two firms out of business. Both of those Nokia and Blackberry failed to see the change that the smartphone would usher in, and even with currently being amongst the most well known phones out there, dropped massively in recognition. Yet another traditional instance is Eastman Kodak Firm (NYSE:KODK). Kodak, which dominated the industry with its movies yet unsuccessful to see the utility that Sony Group Corporation (NYSE:SONY)’s digital stage to shoot camera would offer the buyer, and had to drop accessibility to a rewarding marketplace.

Then, Sony unsuccessful to enjoy how the smartphone would grow to be the go to camera of option for men and women, and the cycle continues. However one more instance is of Intel Company (NASDAQ:INTC). Intel lost a as soon as in a life span probability to dominate the smartphone industry when it turned down Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s legendary founder Mr. Steve Work who needed Intel to structure and manufacture the processor for the Iphone. Now, Apple’s partnership with the Taiwan Semiconductor Producing Company (NYSE:TSM) has produced the latter the world’s premier agreement chip company – and Intel’s greatest rival in the foundry room, a person which at the moment retains the technological edge in chipmaking systems.

Commenting on the believed course of action that went becoming rejecting Mr. Work opportunities, Intel’s then CEO Mr. Paul Otellini described to The Atlantic that whilst his ‘gut’ told him to take the offer you, he resolved to go the other way mainly because:

We ended up not successful it or passing on it, depending on how you want to check out it. And the world would have been a great deal unique if we might completed it. The point you have to remember is that this was right before the Apple iphone was introduced and no one understood what the Apple iphone would do…At the end of the day, there was a chip that they were being fascinated in that they wished to shell out a particular price for and not a nickel additional and that selling price was below our forecasted cost. I couldn’t see it. It wasn’t one of these points you can make up on quantity. And in hindsight, the forecasted charge was incorrect and the volume was 100x what everyone assumed.

Nonetheless, even though innovation is king in engineering, there are industries that you should not transform significantly more than time. These industries often offer with commodities such as coal and oil, or simple items such as cardboard packing containers, tin cans, and glass bottles. Nowadays, we’ll appear at some corporations that have been about for many years and are nonetheless earning the same products and solutions.

10 Least Innovative Companies That Are Still In Business Today

10 Minimum Revolutionary Businesses That Are Continue to In Organization Nowadays

Our Methodology

We scoured by the business enterprise entire world to sift out industries that have remained static around the decades. This lookup led us to determine the oil and fuel sector, the steel sector, cardboard producing, glass bottles, and tin can manufacturing, pipe building, and the airline sector as sectors that both have small home for drastic innovations (Delta Airways right after all is constrained to use the airplane to fly its travellers unless of course SpaceX opens its doorways) or have corporations that have not expanded into new industries or solution marketplaces on their have and have in its place relied on acquisitions to diversify their footprint. The personal companies are mentioned 1st, and the general public entities are outlined in accordance to their sector capitalization.

10 Minimum Progressive Businesses That Are Even now In Enterprise These days

10. Burch Bottle & Packaging, Inc

Burch Bottle & Packaging, Inc is a person of the oldest packaging merchandise companies in the United States. The company was established up in 1983, and because then, it has been production some of the most generally utilized items out there. It serves the wants of just about thirty various industries. Some of these are the foodstuff and beverage, cannabis, honey, drink mixing, sauces, particular care, jars, jellies, and peanut butter sectors. Originally, the firm’s manufacturing unit was found in Watervliet, New York. But Burch Bottle & Packaging moved the factory to Queensbury, New York as part of a $2.5 million invest in of a former print shop.

Alongside with, Saudi Primary Industries Company (TADAWUL:2010.SR), Comcast Company (NASDAQ:CMCSA), and Saudi Arabian Oil Organization (TADAWUL:2222.SR),  Burch Bottle & Packaging, Inc is just one of the the very least modern firms that has managed to stand the examination of time and ongoing functioning profitably.

9. Georgia-Pacific LLC

Ga-Pacific LLC is a subsidiary of Koch industries and a person of oldest paper suppliers in the planet. The firm was established up in 1927 as a lumber business. In its nearly century aged history, the final major improve when it will come to product production and markets came in 1957, when Ga-Pacific LLC made the decision to enter the paper and pulp producing sector. Considering that then, the agency has targeted on focusing on additional of its full addressable marketplace (TAM) as opposed to portfolio diversification to target additional industries and supplemental earnings streams. Through this time period of time, Ga-Pacific LLC has also carried out a string of acquisitions of related companies, which incorporate a buyout of the Fort James Corporation in 2000, which at the time was one particular of the greatest paper companies in the entire world.

The firm was obtained by Koch Industries in 2005 for a whopping $21 billion. Koch in the beginning preferred to emphasis on the design supplies division of Ga-Pacific LLC but finished up maintaining the paper division as nicely. Ga-Pacific LLC is dependent in Atlanta, Ga and some of the products and solutions that it manufactures are bathroom paper, napkins, paper towels, and tableware.

8. Silgan Containers LLC

Silgan Containers LLC is just one of the oldest corporations in America. It was originally set up in 1899 as a condensed milk packaging business. Silgan, in its current kind, came into staying in 1987 as Silgan Company acquired Carnation Corporation’s can division. Carnation was an evolution of the Pacific Coastline Condensed Milk Firm’s can-making division that was set up in 1899. Considering that then, the company has carried out a slew of acquisitions to expand its presence in the container sector. These address 11 various acquisitions because 1987, including the famed Campbell Soup’s can manufacturing functions in 1998. Silgan Containers LLC is headquartered in Woodland Hills, California, and has focused its attempts on creating cans for more than a century now.

7. United States Pipe and Foundry Business LLC

United States Pipe and Foundry Corporation LLC is another century previous company and 1 that has caught to its strengths because getting set up. However, compared with some other providers in our listing that commence out as diverse organizations and progressed into their latest state afterwards on, the United States Pipe and Foundry Corporation LLC is a person of the few companies that has been creating the similar products for extra than 120 several years now. It commenced out as a h2o and wastewater solutions company in 1899, and it continue to can make and sells iron pipes, joint pipes, gaskets, and fittings this kind of as ductile iron fittings, and joint fittings. The enterprise has ductile iron and fabrication services all more than America, in states which includes Texas, California, and Florida.

5. Peabody Electrical power Corporation (NYSE:BTU)

Industry Capitalization as of January 29, 2023: $3.92 billion

Peabody Energy Company (NYSE:BTU) is one particular of America’s oldest businesses. Set up in 1883, the business is headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri. Like other companies on our checklist, it is the least revolutionary when it will come to solution diversification. For more than a century, Peabody Electrical power Company (NYSE:BTU) has merely been mining and offering coal – despite America’s shift absent from the filthy fuel to the cleaner burning purely natural gasoline. Also, the firm observed business enterprise grow in 2022 as the Russian invasion of Ukraine shook up global energy offer chains. Eventually, Peabody Energy Company (NYSE:BTU) is ultimately altering way too, as the organization declared in 2022 that it will create a 3.3 Gigawatt photo voltaic power facility.

38 of the 920 hedge cash polled by Insider Monkey in Q3 2022 had bought Peabody Strength Corporation (NYSE:BTU)’s shares, up from the 30 in the previous quarter – signaling curiosity in the coal marketplace because of to the Russian invasion.

Peabody Power Company (NYSE:BTU)’s largest hedge fund investor is Paul Singer’s Elliott Management which owns 25 million shares that are worth $641 million.

Peabody Strength Corporation (NYSE:BTU), Saudi Arabian Oil Company (TADAWUL:2222.SR), Comcast Company (NASDAQ:CMCSA), and Saudi Fundamental Industries Company (TADAWUL:2010.SR) are some of the top rated, but hugely non ground breaking companies which have stayed in their industries for a long time and not gone out of small business.

Click to continue on reading and see 5 Least Modern Firms That Are Nevertheless In Enterprise Nowadays.

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Disclosure: None. 10 Least Innovative Corporations That Are Even now In Business enterprise Currently is at first revealed on Insider Monkey.

Republicans held a hearing to prove Twitter’s bias against them. It backfired in spectacular fashion

Republicans held a hearing to prove Twitter’s bias against them. It backfired in spectacular fashion



CNN
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Republicans are living in a fact distortion area.

That is the only conclusion that can be drawn from Wednesday’s hearing on Capitol Hill where by GOP lawmakers continued to force a factually unsupported narrative about the federal govt secretly colluding with Twitter to censor the New York Post’s Hunter Biden laptop story in 2020.

Regardless of no real proof to help this weighty and consequential declare, Republicans ended up unrelenting in peddling it to the American general public. At Wednesday’s listening to they showed no regard for misinforming all those who switch to them for exact information and facts or the truth that they were smearing a private company and its former executives in the method.

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, who appears to want to be taken very seriously by the Washington elite though tossing asinine pink meat to the Republican base, claimed Twitter fortunately adopted meant FBI instructions to censor the Hunter Biden tale because they have been “terrified of Joe Biden not winning the election.”

The unsupported claim is nothing at all new for him. Comer has very long pushed the notion that Elon Musk’s release of the so-known as “Twitter Files” confirmed “evidence that the Biden campaign colluded with Large Tech to suppress a story that we now know is 100 {ac23b82de22bd478cde2a3afa9e55fd5f696f5668b46466ac4c8be2ee1b69550} correct.” That, of system, is not what the selectively introduced enterprise files exhibit.

But Comer’s statements get to the heart of the subject: By pushing the narrative that there was “collusion” involving Major Tech and the FBI to “censor” the Post’s Hunter Biden tale, Republicans are not so subtly feeding their election denying foundation explanation to believe that the 2020 election was properly rigged in opposition to Donald Trump.

A edition of this post initially appeared in the “Reliable Sources” e-newsletter. Indicator up for the day by day digest chronicling the evolving media landscape below.

Suitable-wing media retailers and personalities are happy to amplify these statements and unfold them to thousands and thousands of viewers who convert to them for their information. Fox Information, for instance, hyped the GOP promises from the listening to on Wednesday, portraying the nonsense coming out of the listening to as if it were being a really serious affair uncovering considerable wrongdoing.

The details — fact — just do not issue. It didn’t transfer a person Republican when the Twitter executives they experienced subpoenaed in advance of the committee refuted their statements. And it didn’t make any difference considerably to the ideal-wing media equipment that blindly repeated them to their audiences.

“I am aware of no unlawful collusion with, or direction from, any government company or political marketing campaign on how Twitter ought to have dealt with the Hunter Biden laptop circumstance,” James Baker, Twitter’s former deputy counsel, told the committee though underneath oath.

And Matt Taibbi, 1 of the journalists Musk handpicked very last year to comb through Twitter’s internal messages for proof of free speech violations, claimed himself that “there is no proof — that I have found — of any authorities involvement in the laptop computer story.”

This kind of statements from Baker, previous Have confidence in and Security head Yoel Roth, and previous general counsel Vijaya Gadde saturated Wednesday’s hearing — but they fell on deaf ears. Republicans showed, when once more, that they are married to pushing claims that Silicon Valley is intentionally and unjustly censoring conservative views, even when the specifics do not contort with their narrative.

Ironically, the hearing appeared to reveal that Twitter experienced acquiesced to Trump and improved its procedures just after it concluded that he experienced violated its regulations.

Anika Collier Navaroli, a previous senior employee on Twitter’s information moderation crew, testified that the social media enterprise finished its ban on abusive language versus immigrants to “go back again to where by they came from” so that Trump would not confront repercussions for his racist 2019 assault on four minority Democratic congresswomen. “So substantially for bias versus right-wing on Twitter,” Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez replied.

And the listening to hinted that the Trump White Dwelling attempted to censor the speech of at minimum 1 American: Chrissy Teigen. When Teigen called Trump a sequence of expletives in 2019, Navaroli testified that she was told the Trump White Home contacted Twitter and demanded that it be eradicated.

Strangely plenty of, Republicans confirmed no fascination in drilling down on this allegation of censorship. It’s no wonder why.