Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META) will release its fourth-quarter financial results after the closing bell on Wednesday, Jan. 29.

Analysts expect the Menlo Park, California-based company to report quarterly earnings at $6.77 per share, up from $5.33 per share in the year-ago period. Meta projects quarterly revenue of $46.99 billion, compared to $40.11 billion a year earlier, according to data from Benzinga Pro.

The company has beaten analyst estimates for revenue in nine straight quarters.

With the recent buzz around Meta, some investors may be eyeing potential gains from the company’s dividends too. As of now, Meta offers an annual dividend yield of 0.30%, which is a quarterly dividend amount of 50 cents per share ($2.00 a year).

To figure out how to earn $500 monthly from Meta, we start with the yearly target of $6,000 ($500 x 12 months).

Next, we take this amount and divide it by Meta’s $2.00 dividend: $6,000 / $2.00 = 3,000 shares.

So, an investor would need to own approximately $2,022,990 worth of Meta, or 3,000 shares to generate a monthly dividend income of $500.

Assuming a more conservative goal of $100 monthly ($1,200 annually), we do the same calculation: $1,200 / $2.00 = 600 shares, or $404,598 to generate a monthly dividend income of $100.

Note that dividend yield can change on a rolling basis, as the dividend payment and the stock price both fluctuate over time.

The dividend yield is calculated by dividing the annual dividend payment by the current stock price. As the stock price changes, the dividend yield will also change.

For example, if a stock pays an annual dividend of $2 and its current price is $50, its dividend yield would be 4%. However, if the stock price increases to $60, the dividend yield would decrease to 3.33% ($2/$60).

Conversely, if the stock price decreases to $40, the dividend yield would increase to 5% ($2/$40).

Further, the dividend payment itself can also change over time, which can also impact the dividend yield. If a company increases its dividend payment, the dividend yield will increase even if the stock price remains the same. Similarly, if a company decreases its dividend payment, the dividend yield will decrease.

META Price Action: Shares of Meta gained by 2.2% to close at $674.33 on Tuesday.

Read More:

• Jim Cramer Recommends Buying ‘Fabulous’ BlackRock, Calls Coterra Energy The ‘Cheapest’ Natural Gas Company

Gainers

Symbol	Name	Price	Change ($)	Change (%)	Volume
(NYSE:XLC)	The Communication Services Select Sector SPDR Fund	102.10	0.68	0.67	284
(NYSE:XLY)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Consumer Discretionary	232.40	0.80	0.34	601
(NYSE:XLI)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Industrial	138.29	0.03	0.02	1.2K

Losers

Symbol	Name	Price	Change ($)	Change (%)	Volume
(NYSE:XLE)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Energy Select Sector	89.2677	-0.232	-0.26	19.5K
(NYSE:XLU)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Utilities	76.4000	-0.180	-0.24	10.6K
(NYSE:XLV)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Health Care	146.2400	-0.280	-0.20	2.4K
(NYSE:XLF)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Financial	51.2500	-0.070	-0.14	59.5K
(NYSE:XLRE)	Real Estate Select Sector SPDR Fund (The)	41.4100	-0.040	-0.10	495
(NYSE:XLK)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Technology	233.5800	-0.060	-0.03	9.6K

Pulled from Benzinga Pro data this sector movers alerts can help traders understand macro-level market trends. Traders often look for sector movers to provide high-level analysis on which sectors are over- or under-performing to make better investing decisions on exchange traded funds (ETFs) or individual tickers in those sectors.

To read more about sector movers, click here.

Electric vehicle company Tesla Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) is likely to put an emphasis on future new models and technology progress for autonomous vehicles when the company reports fourth-quarter financial results after market close Wednesday.

Earnings Estimates: Analysts expect Tesla to report fourth-quarter revenue of $27.13 billion, up from $25.17 billion in last year’s fourth quarter, according to data from Benzinga Pro.

The company has missed analyst revenue estimates in four of the last five quarters and six of the last 10 quarters overall.

Analysts expect Tesla to report fourth quarter earnings per share of 74 cents, up from 71 cents per share in last year’s fourth quarter. The company has missed analyst earnings per share estimates in four of the last five quarters.

Tesla previously announced its fourth-quarter vehicle production and delivery figures. The company produced 459,445 vehicles and delivered 495,570 vehicles in the quarter. While the deliveries were a record in the fourth quarter, the company’s 1.79 million vehicles delivered in 2024 marked a year-over-year decline from 1.81 million in 2023. This was the first annual deliveries decline in company history.

Read Also: US Electric Vehicle Sales Hit Record 1.3 Million Units In 2024, Despite Tesla Declines: Top 10 Bestselling Models

What Analysts Are Saying: Analysts were mixed on the short-term outlook for Tesla after the company’s fourth-quarter delivery report. They continue to show questions for the short term with many bullish outlooks on the EV stock for the long term.

Goldman Sachs analyst Mark Delaney recently highlighted the Model Y update, automotive market share and a consumer survey in a new investor note.

The analyst maintained a Neutral rating with a price target of $345.

“Mix and how fast Tesla ramps up production of the refreshed version will help determine the effect on blended ASPs. We believe the new version offers several good enhancements,” Delaney said of the Model Y refresh.

Ahead of Tesla’s fourth-quarter financial results, Delaney highlighted five of the top items to watch.

1. Automotive non-GAAP gross margins
2. Vehicle delivery outlook for 2025
3. Progress with FSD and AI-related efforts
4. Growth in other segments, including Services and Energy
5. Progress with Optimus and expectations on ramp timing

“We believe a key debate in the market will be whether Tesla can grow more meaningfully in 2025/2026, driven by a refreshed Model Y and a new lower-cost model or models,” Delaney added.

Morgan Stanley analysts said the key topic for Tesla’s earnings report and conference call will be if the company is sticking with a delivery growth target of 20% to 30% for 2025. The analysts said growth of 10% to 20% is more likely with pressures on the EV market, increased competition for the sector in China and the potential of federal tax credits going away.

The analysts said production ramp-up of the Model Y refresh, FSD progress and any updates on the Optimus humanoid bot will also be key topics to watch.

Morgan Stanley has an Overweight rating on Tesla and $430 price target.

On the other side of the bull case for Tesla is Bank of America analyst John Murphy who downgraded Tesla from Buy to Neutral earlier this month and raised the price target from $400 to $490.

Murphy shared a Tesla sum-of-the-parts valuation and what could have the highest impact on the future of the company.

Tesla has long-term catalysts, but the rise in the stock price in 2024 could put valuation into question, Murphy said in the note. “Valuation captures much of long-term potential from autos, robotaxi, other and execution risk is high.”

Murphy added that there is still upside to Tesla stock, but the price increase limits the long-term potential.

Tesla’s robotaxi segment is called the biggest opportunity by Murphy, a segment that he believes could account for nearly 50% of the company’s valuation and be worth $420 billion in the U.S. and over $800 billion globally in the future.

Key Items to Watch: Delivery guidance for 2025 remains the biggest item for most analysts and investors. Outside of that there are multiple areas that people will be watching Thursday.

This includes the potential end of the $7,500 federal tax credit for EVs. Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who supported Donald Trump in the 2024 election, has supported this potential end as it could be good for his company and bad for competitors.

Analysts may try to get Musk to comment on the timing of the end of the credit and if it could lead to a short-term demand spike.

As a close ally of Trump, another topic could be autonomous vehicle testing on roads. Trump previously said he would ban autonomous vehicles from roads, which could cause harm to Tesla. An update on where things stand would likely be well received by investors if Trump has reversed his stance.

With the promise of new models in 2025, investors and analysts will also be looking for commentary on the timing of this and any hints at what this means.

TSLA Price Action: Tesla stock is down 0.3% Wednesday versus a 52-week trading range of $138.80 to $488.54. Tesla stock is up 108% over the last year, with the majority of gains coming after Trump won the election.

Read Next:

• Tesla Q3 Earnings Highlights: EPS Beat, Revenue Miss, Shares Climb On 2025 Timeline For Lower-Cost EVs

Photo created using artificial intelligence via MidJourney.

A report on January 27, 2025 shows that Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene from Georgia purchase stock in Hershey (NYSE:HSY), valued between $1,001 and $15,000. According to the January filing, the transaction occurred on January 27, 2025.

At the time of writing, Hershey shares are trading up 0.19% at $154.0.

What Representative Has Been Trading Recently

Over the past three years, Marjorie Taylor Greene executed 163 trades totaling over $1.14 million. The largest of these trades were in Costco Wholesale and Home Depot stock. Some of the key transactions the Rep. has executed recently include:

• Adobe (NASDAQ:ADBE): $1,001 – $15,000 Purchase
• Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN): $1,001 – $15,000 Purchase
• Applied Mat (NASDAQ:AMAT): $1,001 – $15,000 Purchase

Here is a list of Marjorie Taylor Greene’s most recent trades:

Company	Ticker	Stock Type	Amount	Transaction Type	Transaction Date
Adobe	ADBE	STOCK	$1,001 – $15,000	P	2024-12-24
Amazon.com	AMZN	STOCK	$1,001 – $15,000	P	2024-12-24
Applied Mat	AMAT	STOCK	$1,001 – $15,000	P	2024-12-24
Caterpillar	CAT	STOCK	$1,001 – $15,000	P	2024-12-24
Duke Energy	DUK	STOCK	$1,001 – $15,000	P	2024-12-24

To keep an eye on Marjorie Taylor Greene’s trades and other government stock activity, check out our real-time tracking tool!

The Importance of Congressional Transactions

A congressional transaction is when any representative or senator either buys or sells an individual stock.

Anyone working in Congress must file a Periodic Transaction Report to inform the public of their recent transaction within 30 days of being notified of the transaction and within 45 days of the transaction date.

In April 2012, Former President Barack Obama signed the STOCK Act into law. The act prohibits members of Congress from using private information given to them by their position for personal gain such as buying or selling a stock. The act also expanded disclosure requirements for members of Congress by requiring them to file a monthly disclosure.

Why Congressional Transactions Matter

Congressional transactions shouldn’t be the primary reason for an investing decision, but they can be an important factor for an investor to consider.

When a senator or representative makes a new purchase, it could be an indication they expect the stock to rise.

A sale, on the other hand, can be made for a variety of reasons, and may not necessarily mean the seller thinks the stock will go down.

This article was generated by Benzinga’s automated content engine and reviewed by an editor.

Gainers

Symbol	Name	Price	Change ($)	Change (%)	Volume
(NYSE:XLK)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Technology	228.78	1.21	0.53	62.5K
(NYSE:XLU)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Utilities	77.84	0.19	0.24	2.1K
(NYSE:XLE)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Energy Select Sector	90.56	0.20	0.22	11.8K
(NYSE:XLC)	The Communication Services Select Sector SPDR Fund	101.15	0.22	0.21	202
(NYSE:XLV)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Health Care	147.84	0.29	0.19	4.0K
(NYSE:XLI)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Industrial	139.24	0.06	0.04	803
(NYSE:XLF)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Financial	51.43	0.02	0.03	185.5K

Losers

Symbol	Name	Price	Change ($)	Change (%)	Volume
(NYSE:XLRE)	Real Estate Select Sector SPDR Fund (The)	41.70	-0.26	-0.62	610
(NYSE:XLY)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Consumer Discretionary	230.49	-0.83	-0.36	440
(NYSE:XLP)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Consumer Staples	79.88	-0.13	-0.17	7.9K

Pulled from Benzinga Pro data this sector movers alerts can help traders understand macro-level market trends. Traders often look for sector movers to provide high-level analysis on which sectors are over- or under-performing to make better investing decisions on exchange traded funds (ETFs) or individual tickers in those sectors.

For more information on sector movers, click here.

Tesla Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) analyst Mark Delaney highlights the Model Y update, automotive market share, what consumers are saying in a new survey and key questions ahead of the company’s fourth quarter earnings report on Wednesday, Jan. 29.

Tesla Model Y: The refreshed Model Y, which comes to the U.S. and Europe after a launch in China earlier this month, offers good upgrades, Goldman Sachs analyst Delaney said in the investor note.

The analyst maintained a Neutral rating with a price target of $345.

“Some of the changes made in the refresh, beyond the extended range, include updated exterior lighting, an added screen for the back seat, ambient lighting, and better outside noise reduction,” Delaney said.

The analyst said a new camera on the front bumper could better assist with parking and also could be used for Autopilot and FSD.  

Tesla is offering discounts on Model Y units in inventory ahead of the refresh launch in March.

“Mix and how fast Tesla ramps up production of the refreshed version will help determine the effect on blended ASPs. We believe the new version offers several good enhancements.”

Read Also: Tesla Lost $15 Billion In Brand Value In 2024, Report Says: Did Elon Musk’s Political Push Hurt EV Giant?

Tesla Market Share: The analyst estimates Tesla’s sales in the U.S. were flat in the fourth quarter on a year-over-year basis. Tesla’s market share for the electric vehicle sector in the U.S. likely hit “the mid 40% range,” Delaney said. This would be down from around 50% in the fourth quarter of 2023.

Delaney estimates Tesla’s sales in the European market were down 10% year-over-year in the fourth quarter and its market share went from 16% in last year’s fourth quarter to 13% in this most recent fourth quarter.

The analyst said Tesla’s sales in China are estimated up 16% year-over-year in the fourth quarter and the company had a high-single-digit percentage market share for battery-powered electric vehicles.

Consumer Feedback Survey: Delaney uses data from a HundredX consumer feedback survey to predict Tesla’s demand.

“The survey data still shows a decline for Tesla in the brand/trust metric, whereas the score for the broader industry have been relatively stable. Similarly, Tesla’s net purchase intent scores have declined by more than the peer group,” Delaney said.

The analyst said items like new vehicles and Full Self Driving are keys in potentially reversing the Tesla scores going forward.

Key Items to Watch: Ahead of Tesla’s fourth-quarter financial results, Delaney highlights the top items to watch.

These are the analyst’s key topics for the earnings report:

1. Automotive non-GAAP gross margins
2. Vehicle delivery outlook for 2025
3. Progress with FSD and AI-related efforts
4. Growth in other segments, including Services and Energy
5. Progress with Optimus and expectations on ramp timing

“We believe a key debate in the market will be whether Tesla can grow more meaningfully in 2025/2026, driven by a refreshed Model Y and a new lower-cost model or models,” Delaney said.

The analyst said Tesla is targeting 20% to 30% year-over-year growth in deliveries in 2025.

Delaney said the potential end of the $7,500 federal tax credit for electric vehicles could be a key topic in the company commentary.

On the AI front, Delaney said Tesla is unlikely to hit a goal of being safer than human drivers in the second quarter of 2025. The analyst also questions Tesla’s timeline launch of the Cybercab robotaxi in 2026.

“We expect Tesla to begin very limited robotaxi operations in 2H26.”

TSLA Price Action: Tesla stock is down 3.02% to $394.62 on Monday versus a 52-week trading range of $138.80 to $488.54. Tesla stock is up about 110% over the past year.

Read Next:

• Tesla Analyst On High-Stakes Future: Optimus, Robotaxi, FSD Have Potential, But Execution Risks Loom

Photo: Shutterstock

Coffee retailer Starbucks Corp (NASDAQ:SBUX) is expected to report year-over-year declines for revenue and earnings per share in the company’s first-quarter financial results after market close Tuesday.

Here’s a look at the earnings estimates and key items to watch.

Earnings Estimates: Analysts expect Starbucks to report first-quarter revenue of $9.32 billion, down from $9.43 billion in last year’s first quarter, according to data from Benzinga Pro.

The company missed analyst estimates for revenue in four straight quarters and missed estimates in six of the past 10 quarters.

Analysts expect the company to report earnings per share of 67 cents, down from 90 cents in last year’s first quarter. The company has missed analyst estimates for earnings per share in three of the past four quarters but beaten estimates in five of the past 10 quarters.

The company has not shared guidance for fiscal 2025 citing the CEO transition to Brian Niccol in 2024.

Read Also: Starbucks Faces Sales Slump But Analysts See Silver Lining With New CEO’s Efficiency Strategy

What Experts are Saying: Bank of America maintained a Buy rating on Starbucks with a $117 price target ahead of the company’s first-quarter results.

Bank of America analysts highlighted the company’s brand strength and the potential to put emphasis on productive areas under new leadership in the January investor note.

RBC Capital reiterated an Outperform rating and $115 price target ahead of the first quarter report.

Data from Placer.ai could serve as a preview of the Starbucks first-quarter same-store sales and overall revenue.

A report highlighting the comparison between Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts showed that both coffee chains had drops in foot traffic in the fourth calendar quarter of 2024. Starbucks first fiscal quarter includes the months of October, November and December.

In the fourth quarter, foot traffic at Starbucks stores were down 2.9% year-over-year, compared to a 0.7% drop for Dunkin’ locations, according to the report.

Here’s how the fourth calendar quarter foot traffic compares to other 2024 calendar quarters:

• Q1: Starbucks +1.1% year-over-year, Dunkin’ +1.9% year-over-year
• Q2: Starbucks +1.9% year-over-year, Dunkin’ -0.7% year-over-year
• Q3: Starbucks -1.8% year-over-year, Dunkin’ -1.3% year-over-year

Overall in 2024, Starbucks foot traffic was “relatively flat” compared to 2023, Placer.ai said. The key here could be the sharp drop off in the fourth-quarter data.

The report showed Starbucks saw visitors stay slightly longer than in the past and most visits happen between the 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. time period, while Dunkin’ got a larger share of foot traffic before 10 a.m. likely due to food options.

One key to watch is Starbucks increased foot traffic related to several key dates. The report showed that three days in the fourth calendar quarter saw large spikes compared to the daily foot traffic average in 2024.

• Red Cup Day (Nov. 14): +40.4% to daily average
• Black Friday: +26.6% to daily average
• Super Saturday: +27.5% to daily average

These three days could provide a boost to Starbucks results in the quarter.

Key Items to Watch: Aside from foot traffic trends and key days in the quarter, there are other key items that investors and analysts are likely watching ahead of the first fiscal quarter.

New reports showed higher coffee future prices, which could put Starbucks margins and hedging strategy in focus. The company could get asked about what it is doing to prevent further price increases in the future for its commodities and pushing increases back to its customers.

Strikes at Starbucks locations in major cities around the Christmas holiday was a big topic during the quarter and the company could share the impact the strikes had and how it is looking to the future as more stores unionize.

Starbucks said it was considering a sale or partial sale of its Chinese segment. The company will share how this segment is performing in the financial results, but most attention will turn to if there is progress in this consideration and how it could help alleviate poor financial results for the region.

Without current fiscal guidance, investors will also be looking for commentary on the company’s growth and initiatives under new CEO Niccol.

“It is clear we need to fundamentally change our strategy to win back customers. ‘Back to Starbucks’ is that fundamental change,” Niccol said after fourth-quarter financial results.

SBUX Price Action: Starbucks stock is up 0.70% to $99.17 on Monday versus a 52-week trading range of $71.55 to $102.56. Starbucks stock is up 6% over the last year.

Read Next:

• Starbucks Faces 34 New Union Complaints Amid Rising Tensions with Workers

Photo: Shutterstock

Gainers

Symbol	Name	Price	Change ($)	Change (%)	Volume
(NYSE:XLP)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Consumer Staples	78.45	0.55	0.70	122.2K
(NYSE:XLV)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Health Care	144.83	0.52	0.36	75.0K

Losers

Symbol	Name	Price	Change ($)	Change (%)	Volume
(NYSE:XLK)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Technology	229.029	-10.271	-4.30	211.7K
(NYSE:XLY)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Consumer Discretionary	226.000	-4.010	-1.75	9.5K
(NYSE:XLC)	The Communication Services Select Sector SPDR Fund	98.720	-1.690	-1.69	38.5K
(NYSE:XLI)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Industrial	139.300	-1.770	-1.26	89.7K
(NYSE:XLU)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Utilities	78.600	-0.890	-1.12	273.5K
(NYSE:XLE)	SPDR Select Sector Fund – Energy Select Sector	91.170	-0.140	-0.16	96.5K
(NYSE:XLRE)	Real Estate Select Sector SPDR Fund (The)	41.520	-0.030	-0.08	12.1K

Pulled from Benzinga Pro data this sector movers alert provides traders with a compiled way to read macro-level market trends. Investors garner a particular interest in sector movers to better determine sectors that are over- or under-performing to make better investing decisions on exchange-traded funds (ETFs) or individual tickers in those sectors.

To read more about sector movers, click here.

Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL) Google prioritized building educational programs to train the workforce on AI to help the workforce grapple with job insecurity following the advent of AI.

Google’s Kent Walker and Ruth Porat are discussing policy recommendations with global governments after CEO Sundar Pichai earmarked $120 million to build AI education programs.

Walker emphasized to Reuters the importance of familiarizing more people, including governments and organizations, with the use of AI tools.

Also Read: Google Taps HTC’s Talent in $250 Million Deal to Lead AR/VR Innovation

Walker told Reuters that Google aims to boost experiments with public-private partnerships.

Recently, Google invested over $1 billion in OpenAI rival Anthropic, whose valuation could reach $60 billion as it bags more funding. Its annualized revenue hit $1 billion in December.

In related news, Microsoft Corp (NASDAQ:MSFT) committed $80 billion to AI-driven data centers for fiscal 2025, and Meta Platform Inc (NASDAQ: META) targeted a $65 billion investment in fiscal 2025 to boost its AI infrastructure.

Some reports indicate that companies are indulging in job cuts and hiring pauses.

Microsoft laid off 10,000 employees in early 2023, representing 4% to 5% of its total staff. In January 2024, following the Activision Blizzard acquisition, Microsoft’s gaming division eliminated 1,900 positions.

Google cut ~12,000 jobs in 2023, affecting ~6% of its workforce. Meta, since November 2022, fired ~21,000 employees, accounting for 25% of its staff. Amazon.Com Inc (NASDAQ:AMZN) eliminated 27,000 roles in 2023.

GOOGL stock surged over 30% in the last 12 months. Investors can gain exposure to the stock through SPDR S&P 500 (NYSE:SPY) and iShares Global Comm Services ETF (NYSE:IXP).

Price Action: GOOGL stock traded lower by 3.76% at $192.68 premarket at the last check on Monday.

Also Read:

• Apple’s iPhone Dependence Remains, But Services, Wearables Offer Growth Potential: Analyst

Photo via Shutterstock

Looking into the current session, Trade Desk Inc. (NASDAQ:TTD) shares are trading at $119.05, after a 0.08% drop. Over the past month, the stock fell by 1.89%, but over the past year, it actually spiked by 66.54%. With questionable short-term performance like this, and great long-term performance, long-term shareholders might want to start looking into the company’s price-to-earnings ratio.

How Does Trade Desk P/E Compare to Other Companies?

The P/E ratio is used by long-term shareholders to assess the company’s market performance against aggregate market data, historical earnings, and the industry at large. A lower P/E could indicate that shareholders do not expect the stock to perform better in the future or it could mean that the company is undervalued.

Compared to the aggregate P/E ratio of the 575.87 in the Media industry, Trade Desk Inc. has a lower P/E ratio of 192.16. Shareholders might be inclined to think that the stock might perform worse than it’s industry peers. It’s also possible that the stock is undervalued.

In summary, while the price-to-earnings ratio is a valuable tool for investors to evaluate a company’s market performance, it should be used with caution. A low P/E ratio can be an indication of undervaluation, but it can also suggest weak growth prospects or financial instability. Moreover, the P/E ratio is just one of many metrics that investors should consider when making investment decisions, and it should be evaluated alongside other financial ratios, industry trends, and qualitative factors. By taking a comprehensive approach to analyzing a company’s financial health, investors can make well-informed decisions that are more likely to lead to successful outcomes.