Adidas AG (ADDYY) predicts falling 2024 sales while it works through its Yeezy inventory; the House of Representatives is widely expected to approve an effective ban on TikTok in a vote today; Boeing’s (BA) delivery delays are forcing carriers to slash growth plans, or to consider ordering planes from rival Airbus (EADSY); Dollar Tree (DLTR) shares are plummeting after earnings; and the U.K. economy is turning a corner. After hitting fresh records, U.S. equity futures are little changed, while bitcoin is over $73,000. Here’s what investors need to know today.
1. Adidas Warns of North American Sales Slump Amid Overstocked Yeezy Inventory
Adidas AG (ADDYY) said sales would decline in its overstocked North American market in 2024, as the German sportswear brand continues to sell off its remaining Yeezy inventory. Adidas’s net sales fell last year, hurt by the canceled Yeezy partnership with the rapper and designer Ye, but the company said it expects a return to growth this year. Currency-neutral sales in North America are expected to decline at a mid-single-digit rate in 2024, but are expected to grow at a mid-single-digit rate worldwide. Adidas shares were little changed. Rival Nike Inc. (NKE) is set to post its third-quarter fiscal results on March 21.
2. House Due to Vote on TikTok U.S. Ban, Sale
The House of Representatives is set to vote today on a new bill that could effectively ban TikTok in the U.S. Approval in the House is widely expected for the bill, which seeks to ban the app in the U.S. or force its sale. TikTok, one of the world’s most popular social media apps, is owned by privately held Chinese firm ByteDance, and Congress has spent years debating the national-security risks of TikTok’s Chinese ownership. Critics argue that TikTok’s parent would share data about American users with the Chinese government or pressure TikTok to promote Beijing’s views. The legislation faces a steeper path in the Senate, although President Joe Biden has said he would sign it if it reaches his desk. Shares in TikTok rival Meta Platforms, Inc. (META), owner of Facebook, were up slightly in premarket trading.
3. Boeing’s Travails Ripple Out to U.S. Airlines’ Growth Plans
Troubled aircraft maker Boeing’s (BA) delivery delays are forcing carriers to change their growth plans, airline CEOs said on Tuesday. Low-cost carrier Southwest Airlines (LUV) said that it plans to slash flight capacity and review its earnings guidance due to lower-than-expected deliveries from the plane manufacturer. Perhaps more troubling for Boeing shareholders, United Airlines (UAL) CEO Scott Kirby said the carrier is considering ordering rival Airbus (EADSY) A321neos to replace previously ordered Boeing 737 Max 10s. Boeing’s crisis has deepened since a door panel blew off on an Alaska Airlines flight in January, leading to the temporary grounding of certain 737 Max 9 aircraft. Boeing shares, which have lost a quarter of their value since the start of the year, were down 0.2% in premarket trading after a 4.3% decline yesterday.
4. Dollar Tree Falls on Quarterly Loss, Plan to Shutter 600 Stores in 1st Half of Fiscal 2024
Dollar Tree (DLTR) shares tumbled nearly 8% in premarket trading after the retail chain posted a quarterly loss and said it would close around 600 stores in the first half. The company’s results had been closely watched to see how lower-income shoppers are faring as inflation takes a toll and the government rolls back aid given out during the pandemic. The chain said it had identified 600 Family Dollar stores for closure in the first half of fiscal 2024 and about 370 more as their leases expire. For the quarter ended Feb. 3, the company swung to a net loss of $7.85 a share from a net profit of $2.04 a share in the same period a year ago. Dollar Tree rival Dollar General (DG) reports quarterly earnings Thursday.
5. U.K. Economy Rebounds in January From Recession Late Last Year
The U.K. economy returned to growth in January, after contracting in the second half of last year, boosted by spending by British shoppers, who benefited from increasing real wages. Britain’s economy was weaker than most of its peers last year. Gross domestic product in the U.K. rose by 0.2% compared with December, according to figures published Wednesday by the Office for National Statistics, marginally more than the 0.1% expected by economists polled by The Wall Street Journal. In December, the economy contracted by 0.1%.