Transportation Stocks Making Moves

Transportation stocks are often on the move, but today, they were especially frisky. So, let’s recap some of the biggest movers from the day. 👇

First up is electric vehicle (EV) maker Rivian Automotive, which fell 23% to 3-month lows. Although the company expects third-quarter revenue to align with Wall Street expectations of $1.29 to $1.33 billion, it surprised investors with a plan to offer $1.5 billion in convertible notes. 

The company issued $1.3 billion of convertible notes in March as part of its efforts to slow spending and bolster its balance sheet. But clearly, it still feels the need to raise more cash to compete in the increasingly competitive EV space. 💸

Hyundai and Kia are the latest automakers to adopt Tesla’s EV charging standard beginning in 2024. It joins Ford, General Motors, Nissan, and others who have adopted Tesla’s North American Charging Standard (NACS) as Musk’s alternative inches closer to becoming the official industry standard. 🔌

After days of a stalemate, negotiators for the United Auto Workers (UAW) and Ford have narrowed their differences on pay increases as “really active” talks continue. As the strike continues, its downstream effects are being felt as GM furloughs more workers due to a lack of parts. 📝

Vietnamese electric vehicle maker VinFast Auto caught a slight bid today after reporting a 159% YoY jump in quarterly revenue. However, about 60% of its third-quarter sales went to a single Vietnam fleet operator, and its net loss widened to $623 million as it continued to invest in expansion. And relatedly, China’s Nio was in the news for reportedly losing $35,000 per car it sells. 😮

Meanwhile, French train manufacturer Alstom fell 38% to fresh all-time lows after slashing its cash flow guidance. Its worst trading day in history erased several billion dollars in value from its market capitalization, as its first-half cash flow plunged from negative 45 million euros to negative 1.15 billion euros. It now expects full-year free cash flow in the range of negative 500 to 750 million euros, down from a “significantly positive” forecast earlier in the year. 🚄

$LUNR Reaches A “Tipping Point”

One of the top stories in the market over the last 24 hours has been Intuitive Machines’, which trades under the ticker symbol $LUNR. 📻

The space exploration company’s Nova-C cargo moon lander known as “Odysseus” became the first privately developed spacecraft to land on the lunar surface. It was also the first U.S. spacecraft to soft-land on the moon in over 50 years. 🌝

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Japan’s Nippon Takes Over U.S. Steel

After months of bidding, U.S. Steel finally has a buyer. However, the auction’s winner has some parties concerned. 🤔

Japan’s Nippon Steel emerged as the top bidder for the 122-year-old steelmaker, beating out offers from Cleveland-Cliffs, ArcelorMittal, and Nucor. Its $55 per share price represents a 142% premium to where $X shares were trading before Cleveland-Cliffs’ $35-per-share offer kicked off the bidding war.

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Pfizer’s Flop Continues

It’s been a rough ride for pharmaceutical giant Pfizer since the end of the pandemic, and that rollercoaster ride continues today. 🎢

The company last announced earnings in October but needed to update Wall Street on its 2024 forecast. It cited weak demand for its Covid products as the reason for a weaker-than-anticipated revenue and earnings forecast.

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Apple Drains EV Resources For AI

After ten years of research and development, Tim Apple is finally pulling the plug on Apple’s electric vehicle (EV) project. Because as we all know, EVs have lost their luster and given way to the business world’s new savior…artificial intelligence (AI). 😇

Bloomberg broke the news today, saying the tech giant disclosed the strategy shift internally and surprised the nearly 2,000 employees working on the project. Executives told staffers the project would begin winding down and that many of the car team’s employees would be shifted to its artificial intelligence division, focused on generative AI. 

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