Daily Briefs

• Palantir Technologies continues to establish itself as a leading force in the world of data analytics and artificial intelligence.
• The company’s recent financial results reveal a mixed but overall positive picture, showcasing strong revenue growth and solidifying its position as a key player in both the government and commercial sectors.
• Palantir’s focus on leveraging AI to solve complex problems at scale is clearly paying off, with impressive strides in revenue and customer acquisition.

• Crude oil prices ended Monday lower but fell less than other commodities and equities. WTI dropped 0.79% and Brent fell 0.66%, while the S&P 500 declined 3%.
• Crude oil prices were supported by rising Middle East tensions, the shutdown of Libya’s largest oil field, and a sharp decline in the DXY.
• Henry Hub futures fell 1.27% due to surplus stockpiles, cooler US weather forecasts, and the impact of Hurricane Debby.

• Wheat, Corn and Soy gained on Monday even as US indices and commodities tumbled over recession woes. 
• Weaker dollar supports stronger US exports of agri-commodities. Grains and oilseeds rise as dollar weakens.
• Technical indicators and fundamental outlook remains bearish for agri-commoties. IV remains subdued at multi-month lows. 

• S&P Global demonstrated a robust performance in the second quarter of 2024, marking significant milestones and strategic advancements, achieved amidst a backdrop of market variability.
• The company reported a 16% increase in total revenue, adjusted for divestitures, with highlights including a notable spike in transaction revenue in the Ratings division by over 60%.
• This division’s success was propelled by increased activity in the public and private markets, notably a 70% boost in private market rating services.

• Apple achieved a record $85.78B in Q3 revenue, up 5% YoY, and earnings per share rose 11% to $1.40, exceeding expectations and reflecting strong financial health. 
• IPhone revenue was $39.3B, surpassing the $38.81B estimate. Despite a 1% YoY decline, iPhone sales showed growth on a constant currency basis, contributing significantly to overall revenue.
• Services revenue reached a record $24.2B, growing 14% YoY. The gross margin was 46.3%, slightly above estimates, despite challenges from foreign exchange and product mix changes.

• The milder drop in crude oil prices was reflected in energy stocks on Monday, with most major oil and gas companies, outperforming the S&P 500.
• Most of the oil companies’ volume PCR was elevated on Monday and Friday, with Haliburton’s volume PCR exceptionally high at 3.66 on Monday (5/Aug).
• On 5/Aug, all major energy companies saw a rise in implied volatility due to recession fears, except Shell, whose IV dropped slightly to 20.01% from 20.28% on Friday.

• IGT announced split with slot machine operator merging with EVRI
• Lottery business retains ownership, manages lotteries for 92 customers worldwide
• EVRI to borrow $3.7bn for debt refinance, distribute $2.2Bn to Lottery business; estimated tax leakage of $100m for taxable accounts

This content is sourced through publicly available sources and has been machine generated. Information displayed is for general informational purposes only. This article was originally published 3 months ago on Value Investors Club.

• Ferrellgas is the second-largest retail propane distributor in the United States, serving various customer segments such as residential, commercial, industrial, agricultural, and wholesale.
• The company has a strong logistics network and holds a significant market share in the domestic tank exchange business through the Blue Rhino brand.
• Founded in 1939 in Atchison, Kansas, Ferrellgas has a history of growth through organic expansion and acquisitions, successfully navigating a post-bankruptcy reorganization and currently led by Executive Chairman James Ferrell.

This content is sourced through publicly available sources and has been machine generated. Information displayed is for general informational purposes only. This article was originally published 3 months ago on Value Investors Club.

• Aon plc has delivered a robust performance for the second quarter of 2024, marked by a clear focus on delivering on its three-dimensional, three-year strategic plan known as the “3×3 plan.” This approach underscores Aon’s commitment to strengthening offerings across risk capital and human capital solutions, all promoted through its Aon client leadership model.
• The acquisition of NFP, welcoming 7,700 new colleagues, has played a pivotal role, adding substantial scale and extending Aon’s capabilities in critical business areas.
• Baptista Research looks to evaluate the different factors that could influence the company’s price in the near future and attempts to carry out an independent valuation of the company using a Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) methodology.

• Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) reported robust financial results for the second quarter of 2024, delivering a noteworthy performance across several key segments.
• As highlighted in the earnings report, AMD achieved a year-over-year revenue increase of 9%, totaling $5.8 billion.
• This growth was driven chiefly by strong sales in the Data Center and Client segments, which compensated for the declines in Gaming and Embedded segment revenues.