Happy Thursday! Wall Street has been laser-focused on the Fed’s 2% inflation target, however, one Wall Street strategist says higher inflation could actually be 'pretty darn good’ for stocks. Read on to see the data, and how to position your portfolio.

Earnings season is in full swing with four of the Magnificent 7 companies reporting yesterday. Check out the surprising results for Amazon, Meta, Alphabet and Microsoft.

Plus, if you’re looking to level up your options trading skills and better navigate market volatility, check out today’s sponsor and the upcoming free webinar.

In Today's Edition

• MARKET RECAP

• MARKET HEATMAP

• FIVE ZINGERS

• SPECIAL OFFER

EXCLUSIVE: Forget Fed's 2% Goal — Analyst Says Higher Inflation Could Be 'Pretty Darn Good' For Stocks

The wait keeps getting longer as the market looks for inflation to fall back down to 2%.

But what if that target no longer matters, and could stubbornly high inflation actually be a hidden tailwind for stocks?

In an exclusive interview with Benzinga, one of Wall Street’s top strategists reveals how a new line of thinking could change how investors see the road ahead. See why the unexpected trend could work in your favor.

Learn How To Time The Markets With Options In This CBOE And Benzinga Webinar

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Yesterday: U.S. indexes finished mostly lower Wednesday, with the Dow extending its losing streak to a fifth consecutive sessions, pressured by rising oil prices and cautious investor sentiment ahead of major tech earnings. Meanwhile, the Nasdaq and S&P 500 were both little changed, as the Fed held its policy rate steady at 3.50%–3.75%. Additionally, oil prices continued their surge, rising more than 6% and quickly approaching $120 per barrel. Despite macro uncertainty, earnings season has continued to provide support, with roughly 30% of S&P 500 companies reporting, with 82% have beaten EPS estimates by an average of 12%. EPS growth estimates have been revised up to 14%, from 12.1% at the end of the quarter. If achieved, this would mark the sixth straight quarter of double-digit earnings growth.

On Our Radar: Analysts will be paying attention to a plethora of reports today with initial jobless claims, GDP, PCE, and U.S. leading economic indicator taking the spotlight. On the earnings front, all eyes will be on Chevron (CVX) and Exxon Mobil (XOM) which will report before the market opens on Friday.

Shares of Seagate (STX), Starbucks (SBUX), Intel (INTC) and NXP Semiconductors (NXPI) were soaring, while Robinhood (HOOD), Coinbase (COIN) and Teradyne (TER) were among the top laggards on the day. But those weren’t the only companies making big moves. Here’s a look at some of the biggest winners and losers on Wednesday. 

See how the market is moving with our interactive heatmap. Filter by market cap, or click on any box to explore specific sectors or assets in more detail.

Powell Pivot: Jerome Powell just pulled a move that’s forcing markets to rethink the entire rate-cut playbook. See why investors may be underestimating how quickly the Fed’s outlook is shifting and what it means going forward.

Memory Monopoly: Everyone is watching Nvidia’s next AI superchip—but the real bottleneck isn’t the chip at all, it’s a scarce form of memory that only a few companies can actually produce at scale. Behind the scenes, one supplier may already be positioning itself as the gatekeeper to the next wave of AI performance.

52-Week Highs: Shares of Intel are being fueled by blowout results and aggressive upgrades, even as some Wall Street voices warn the rally may be running ahead of itself. Here’s everything you need to know.

Golden Crossroads: Goldman Sachs still sees gold climbing higher, but the path there is getting more complicated. Read on for all the insights and what could trigger the next big move.

Stock Of The Day: Shares of Centene surged after earnings, and traders are now watching this key price level that could decide whether this breakout keeps running or starts to stall.

The Last 2 Fed Chair Transitions Triggered 8%+ Swings in the S&P Within 30 Days

Whoever replaces Powell will set the trajectory for interest rates, bank regulation, and the dollar for the next four years. Growth stocks, banks, and real estate all move violently on this kind of uncertainty — and the announcement could come sooner than most investors expect. The Investor’s Edge Cheat Sheet maps out how to position ahead of it.

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