Morgan Stanley’s Record Earnings Clouded By $911 Million Archegos Loss

Plus, Johnson & Johnson asked rivals to participate in a trial investigating the potential risk of blood clots following COVID-19 vaccine, GM and LG Chem are investing $2.3 billion in a second EV battery factory, and Dogecoin is sparking bubble concerns.

Stocks were slightly higher at the open on Friday with the Dow rising by 22 points, or less than 0.1%. The S&P 500 added nearly 0.1%, while the Nasdaq rose 0.1%.

Morgan Stanley capped off the big bank earnings this morning, posting better-than-expected results. The bank posted profit of $4.1 billion, or $2.19 a share, more than double the $1.7 billion earnings in the same period the year prior. Revenue surged 61% to a record $15.7 billion, exceeding analysts’ estimates by $1.6 billion, aided by robust revenue from Morgan Stanley’s trading and bank operations. But the record results were stained by a surprise $911 million loss tied to the collapse of Archegos Capital Management. “The current quarter includes a loss of $644 million related to a credit event for a single prime brokerage client, and $267 million of subsequent trading losses through the end of the quarter related to the same event,” Morgan Stanley said in its earnings statement, referring to Archegos. The hit leaves Morgan Stanley as the only major U.S. bank to be nursing losses from the Archegos flameout, and Credit Suisse analyst Susan Roth Katzke said in a note to clients, “This is not going to be well-received given peer performance on this matter.”

Johnson & Johnson reportedly asked rivals Pfizer and Moderna to join it in a study looking into the potential risk of blood clots, but the companies declined saying their vaccines appeared safe and they didn’t see the need to duplicate the efforts of regulators and companies already looking into the rare blood clot issue related to J&J’s vaccine. In a statement, Pfizer said it has worked with other vaccine makers “as appropriate” to fight COVID-19, and will continue to do so, but suggested that the collaboration proposed by J&J would have been duplicative to other efforts. “Pfizer embraces opportunities for scientific exchange when we can make a meaningful contribution that is not being represented by other groups or regulators,” Pfizer said in a statement. The Wall Street Journal reported that only AstraZeneca, whose vaccine has also raised concerns from regulators over blood clots, agreed to participate in the study.

GM and LG Chem announced today that they will invest more than $2.3 billion in a second U.S. battery cell plant for electric vehicles in Tennessee. The plant for their Ultium Cells LLC joint venture will be to support production for GM’s upcoming Cadillac Lyriq crossover and other future EVs at a nearby assembly plant, and construction on the 2.8 million-square-foot facility will begin immediate. “The addition of our second all-new Ultium battery cell plant in the U.S. with our joint venture partner LG Energy Solution is another major step in our transition to an all-electric future,” GM CEO Mary Barra said in a press release. Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas said the Ultium joint venture is a benefit for GM, writing in a note out Wednesday, “In our opinion, GM’s formation of Ultium/Ultium Cells LLC will prove to be a critical point of strategic differentiation that will ultimately drive value creation for shareholders.”

Amazon is experimenting with a premium service that enables customers to choose to have furniture assembled as soon as it arrives at their homes, Bloomberg reported. The feature, if implemented, would put the world’s largest retailer in more direct competition with Wayfair, Best Buy, Home Depot, and Lowe’s, which all offer similar options. The service will reportedly be tested first in Virginia and two other markets, and will require drivers to unpack and assemble the items and remove and return the item on the spot if the customer isn’t satisfied. According to a person familiar with the matter, the installation services may include everything from simple furniture assembly to appliances setups.

And Dogecoin is up more than 190% in the last 24 hours, and up nearly 500% for the week, sparking bubble concerns. The crypto was launched in 2013 as a joke meant to satirize the growth of alt coins by making the doge internet meme into a cryptocurrency, but is now a top-10 digital currency worth $49.32 billion. “Dogecoin’s rise is a classic example of greater fool theory at play. People are buying the cryptocurrency, not because they think it has any meaningful value, but because they hope others will pile in, push the price up and then they can sell off and make a quick buck,” said David Kimberley, an analyst at U.K. investing app Freetrade, adding that “when everyone is doing this, the bubble eventually has to burst and you’re going to be left short-changed if you don’t get out in time. And it’s almost impossible to say when that’s going to happen.”

Stocks We’re Watching

CyberOptcis (NASDAQ: CYBE): CyberOptics shares are up nearly 6% over the last week after the company announced that it will showcase its In-Line Particle Sensor (IPS), WaferSense wireless measurement sensors, and NanoResolution Multi-Reflection Suppression (MRS) sensor for inspection and metrology at the Touch Taiwan Exhibition later this month. “The desire for a contamination-free process environment, coupled with stringent manufacturing requirements are driving the need for a best-in-class process to detect particles in gas and vacuum lines,” said Dr. Subodh Kulkarni, President and CEO, CyberOptics, “The IPS can quickly identify when and where particles originate, as well as the source, saving significant time and expense while maximizing yields and tool uptimes.”

 
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