Wall St Engine
CHINA FOREIGN MINISTRY:

AS AGREED BY BOTH SIDES, CHINA 🇨🇳 AND THE EUROPEAN 🇪🇺 PARLIAMENT HAVE DECIDED TO COMPLETELY LIFT RESTRICTIONS ON MUTUAL EXCHANGES AT THE SAME TIME
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Wall St Engine
WeRide $WRD and $UBER are expanding their autonomous driving partnership to 15 more cities over the next five years, building on launches in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Uber will manage fleet ops while WeRide’s Robotaxis roll out globally through the Uber app. https://t.co/LIhX3mQUoY
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Wall St Engine
A new bipartisan bill aims to crack down on AI chip smuggling to China by requiring post-sale tracking of chips like those made by Nvidia $NVDA. Lawmakers say the tech to verify chip location already exists and should be used to enforce U.S. export controls.

Source: Reuters https://t.co/wnuEJKpVmB
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Wall St Engine
EU 🇪🇺 SEFCOVIC: ANOTHER €170B US-EXPORTS MAY BE IMPACTED BY TARIFFS; EU-US TARIFF SITUATION IS NOT ACCEPTABLE
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Wall St Engine
The DOJ wants Google to sell its AdX exchange and DFP ad server after a judge ruled it illegally monopolized digital ad markets. “A comprehensive set of remedies…is necessary,” the DOJ said. $GOOGL says divestiture isn’t a viable fix and proposes a compliance monitor instead.
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Wall St Engine
HKMA chief Eddie Yue says Hong Kong has been cutting duration in US Treasuries and diversifying into non-U.S. assets. The Exchange Fund is also shifting currency exposure in its investment portfolio to manage risk.

FWIW, Hong Kong ranks as the 12th largest foreign holder of USTs https://t.co/ELjHI6zi5w
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Wall St Engine
GERMANY'S 🇩🇪 MERZ FALLS SHORT OF MAJORITY NEEDED TO BECOME CHANCELLOR IN FIRST ROUND OF VOTING IN PARLIAMENT
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Wall St Engine
While Apollo flagged liquidity concerns in “off-the-run” credit, PIMCO points to record-high trading volumes and tight IG bid-ask spreads as signs the broader public credit market is holding up just fine. As they put it: “No material signs of stress in public IG credit.” https://t.co/BD4lJzEHgO
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Wall St Engine
JPMorgan Downgrades $SG to Neutral from Overweight, Lowers PT to $25 from $32

Analyst comments: "Sweetgreen is an example of major valuation changes – both positive and negative – that often occur during periods of sales momentum shifts in high-growth small- and mid-cap coverage. We are downgrading Sweetgreen to Neutral with a $25 December 2026 price target for several reasons. First, we see underlying demand trends continuing to soften, with further impact moving into higher-income demographics. Absolute value has become an issue at the brand, with most protein-containing bowls/salads priced at $13–17, or 7–30% higher on average than peers. Loyalty programs can help improve value and customer communication, but they are increasingly considered standard across the restaurant space. Second, restaurant supply growth has been exceeding demand, driving greater consumer choice in a digital world where convenience is commoditized and price transparency is high. Third, Sweetgreen is expected to remain free cash flow negative through FY30, with a minimum $100 million cash balance suggesting low double-digit percentage annual unit growth at best from FY26–30."

Analyst: Rahul Krotthapalli
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Wall St Engine
Morgan Stanley Reiterates Equalweight Rating on $HIMS, PT $40; 'This marked the first time in the company’s history that next quarter revenue was guided below the Street"

"Hims posted a substantial beat in Q1’25 and guided Q2 revenue below the Street and EBITDA essentially in line. Revenue increased 111% year-over-year to $586 million, well ahead of our estimate of $531 million and the Street's $535 million. EBITDA of $91 million beat by $30 million, driven by revenue upside and material leverage in sales and marketing (39% of sales vs. estimated 45%). For Q2, management guided to revenue of $540 million and EBITDA of $70 million at the midpoint, versus Street expectations of $567 million and $71 million. The company reiterated 2025 guidance of $2.3–$2.4 billion in revenue and raised EBITDA guidance by $20 million to a range of $295–$335 million.

Positives include: 1) a 50% EBITDA beat in the quarter, raising 2025 guidance by 7%; 2) expanded weight loss offerings through a partnership with Novo, with management targeting at least $725 million in weight loss revenue in 2025, and citing a 300% year-over-year increase in oral drug subscribers; 3) a new hormone category launch (low testosterone and menopause support) expected by year-end.

Negatives include: 1) gross margin of 73% in Q1, which missed Street expectations by 420 basis points—the second consecutive quarterly miss; 2) this is the first time in the company’s history that next quarter revenue was guided below Street expectations; 3) moderation in sexual health revenue growth as the company shifts mix toward daily use and de-emphasizes on-demand, potentially raising concerns over slowing category growth or rising competition."

Analyst: Craig Hettenbach
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Wall St Engine
GERMAN 🇩🇪 LAWMAKERS WON'T VOTE AGAIN TUESDAY ON MERZ AS CHANCELLOR
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Hidden Value Gems
Thank you for voting! Almost every fifth shareholder plans to sell their stock in the near-term. A bit surprised by the high percentage.

#BRK

If you are a Berkshire shareholder, will you sell some or all of your shares in the next 1-2 weeks following yesterday’s news?
- Yes
- No
- Haven’t decided yet
- Hidden Value Gems
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Wall St Engine
Goldman Sachs Reiterates Neutral Rating on $TSLA, PT $235; Cites FSD Progress

Analyst comments: "On February 25, 2025, media outlets reported that Tesla had pushed an update to some users who had previously purchased Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) software (~$8,750 USD) that included several FSD-like features such as automatic lane change, traffic light detection, and turning capabilities. Tesla noted on its 1Q25 earnings call that it was able to launch supervised FSD in China using minimal localized data by leveraging its more generalized software. However, media reports suggest FSD has historically performed better in the U.S. due to more extensive data and refinement time. Tesla acknowledged the value of localized training and parameters.

Initial reviews indicate FSD in China has performed relatively well despite limited data collection, though some note issues such as confusion around local traffic rules (e.g., entering bike lanes on turns) and sporadic lane errors. Tesla’s FSD is one of several ADAS options in China, where many local competitors already offer such features standard on mainstream vehicles. We believe the level of technology and cost improvements Tesla can achieve with FSD will be critical to its long-term autonomy economics, both globally and in China.

There have also been media reports suggesting China aims to tighten regulations on testing, deploying, and marketing smart driving features. Tesla intends to launch its robotaxi service in Texas starting June 2025, and we believe the vehicle cost structure—approximately $35.5K in COGS globally in 1Q25—could offer a cost advantage in the U.S. market if its technology proves viable. Any future China robotaxi initiative would face a more competitive landscape, and success would hinge on technological development, scale/cost advantages, and regulatory approval."

Analyst: Mark Delaney
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Wall St Engine
$UBER is adding another autonomous partner to its lineup—China’s $PONY AI. The two will launch robotaxi rides in the Middle East this year, starting with safety operators in the vehicles. Fully driverless rides are expected once they get the green light from regulators.
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