- GRIT
- Posts
- 👉 Will Meta's Streak Continue?
Welcome to your new week.
Let’s dive right into this shortened week in the markets.
Join the FIRE Revolution with Tailored ETFs
Are you ready to take the next step for your financial future with a FIRE mindset (Financially Independent, Retire Early)?
Discover the new FIRE ETFs tailored for the modern investor:
FIRE Funds™ Wealth Builder ETF (FIRS) – Focuses on long-term growth to potentially accumulate the wealth you need for an early retirement.
FIRE Funds™ Income Target ETF (FIRI) – Focuses on a steady income stream with a target yield of at least 4% annually, which could be more desired if you’re closer to retirement.
These ETFs are crafted to align with the principles of Financial Independence, Retire Early (FIRE). Simplify your investment strategy and help accelerate your path to financial freedom.
Key Earnings Announcements:
An eclectic week of earnings is highlighted by Alibaba, Baidu, Block, Carvana, Grab Holdings, Medtronic, Mercado Libre, Occidental Petroleum, and Walmart.
Monday (2/17): Presidents Day Holiday, Transocean
Tuesday (2/18): Arista Networks, Baidu, Occidental Petroleum
Wednesday (2/19): Analog Devices, Carvana, Cheesecake Factory, Etsy, Fiverr, Garmin, Grab Holdings, Toast, Wingstop, Wix.com
Thursday (2/20): Alibaba Group, Block, Booking Holdings, Dropbox, Mercado Libre, Rivian, Shake Shack, Unity, Walmart, Wayfair
Friday (2/21): Arbor, Atmus
What We’re Watching:
Alibaba (BABA)
Alibaba Cloud just launched Qwen2.5-VL — a new AI model family for text and image analysis. The move comes amid surging AI momentum for BABA as it races to compete with China’s rising AI powerhouse — DeepSeek. Recently, cloud revenue has been accelerating and AI-related sales posted triple-digit growth for five straight quarters.
The excitement around Alibaba’s potential AI partnership with Apple in China has only added fuel to the rally — sending BABA’s stock +50% in a month. As AI investment ramps up, the company is betting big on cloud and AI-driven growth, despite short-term profitability pressures.
Alibaba Group (BABA) Stock Performance, 5-Year Chart, Seeking Alpha
Walmart (WMT)
Walmart continues to dominate in an inflationary environment, posting strong market share gains, earnings beats, and a +22% surge in e-commerce sales. Revenue hit $169.6B — beating expectations with same-store sales up +5.5%. Automation is a key driver; 65% of stores will be automated by 2026 with improving margins, which hit 2.92% — near a 5-year high.
Cash flow is surging as well, with FCF up 26% Y/Y to $15.37B.
Despite its rally, Walmart’s conservative guidance and strong cash flow growth suggest further upside. With steady consumer demand and a 40% projected increase in international e-commerce sales by 2025, Walmart should remain a winner in this volatile economic environment.
Walmart, Inc. (WMT) Stock Performance, 5-Year Chart, Seeking Alpha
Investor Events / Global Affairs:
Apple’s product launch, Meta’s winning streak, and a major consumer goods conference.
Apple New Product Launch
Apple may launch its first products of 2025 this week, skipping a spring event in favor of press releases. Expected announcements include the iPhone SE 4, which will adopt an iPhone 14-like design, and the M4 MacBook Air.
The iPhone SE 4 could feature an A17 Pro or A18 chip, 8GB of RAM, Apple Intelligence, and a 48MP camera. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman previously reported a mid-week release, and macOS 15.2 code references suggest an imminent M4 MacBook Air launch. A leaker on X also shared model identifiers for the new MacBooks. Apple may also introduce new AirTags and an updated iPad Air before WWDC 2025.
Apple, Inc. (APPL) Stock Performance, 5-Year Chart, Seeking Alpha
“Tim Cook's recent social media teaser for an Apple "launch" on February 19 is widely expected to relate to the fourth-generation iPhone SE. While the post confirms at least one product unveiling, it also suggests the company will not be holding a full-fledged event in the next few weeks.
Historically, Apple has used press releases to introduce products when the updates are more iterative, but the company has also hosted entire events for relatively modest announcements, such as the "Scary Fast" event in October 2023, which only saw the reveal of the M3 MacBook Pro and iMac models.”
Meta Platforms (META) Looks to Continue Historic Run
Meta Platforms has surged +25.8% in 2025, extending a record-breaking 20-day winning streak and gaining +55% over the past year. The stock’s momentum is fueled by the company’s aggressive AI investments, including a newly announced push into AI-powered humanoid robots. CEO Mark Zuckerberg committed up to $65 billion in AI spending this year, calling 2025 a defining year for the technology.
Meta’s strong Q4 earnings report showcased a +21% revenue increase to $48.39 billion and a +50% rise in EPS to $8.02, reinforcing investor confidence. Analysts remain bullish, with Tigress Financial setting a $935 price target and UBS projecting $786, citing AI-driven growth and improving engagement. While Big Tech faces headwinds, Meta continues to thrive — cementing its leadership in AI and digital advertising.
Let’s see if this unreal winning streak will continue this week!
Meta Platforms (META) Stock Performance, YTD Chart, Seeking Alpha
“The OpEx and 1Q25 revenue guidance have now set up META shares to exceed estimates on the top and bottom line throughout 2025.”
CAGNY Conference
The Consumer Analyst Group of New York (CAGNY) Conference kicks off this week, featuring top consumer goods giants like Kraft Heinz (KHC), Coca-Cola (KO), Procter & Gamble (PG), Nestlé, and more.
Expect insights on pricing, demand trends, and macro pressures from major food, beverage, and household brands. With consumer spending in focus – any major shifts in strategy could move markets.
View the full schedule here: CAGNY Conference Schedule
Major Economic Events:
Empire State Manufacturing Survey and Fed Meeting Minutes.
Monday (2/17): Presidents Day Holiday, Fed Gov Bowman Speaks, Fed Gov Waller Speaks, Philly Fed President Harker Speaks
Tuesday (2/18): Empire State Manufacturing Survey, Fed Vice Chair Barr Speaks, Home Builder Confidence Index, San Fran Fed Pres Daly Speaks
Wednesday (2/19): Building Permits, Fed Vice Chair Jefferson Speaks, Housing Starts, Minutes of Fed’s January FOMC Meeting
Thursday (2/20): Chi Fed President Goolsbee Speaks, Fed Vice Chair Barr Speaks, Fed Gov Kugler Speaks, Initial Jobless Claims, Philly Fed Manufacturing Survey, U.S. Leading Economic Indicators
Friday (2/21): Consumer Sentiment (final), Existing Home Sales, Fed Vice Chair Jefferson Speaks, San Fran Fed Pres Daly Speaks, S&P Flash U.S. Manufacturing PMI, S&P Flash U.S. Services PMI
What We’re Watching:
Empire State Manufacturing Survey
New York’s Empire State Manufacturing Index plunged to -12.6 in January (from 2.1) — missing forecasts and marking the sharpest contraction since May 2024. New orders (-8.6) and shipments (-1.7) declined, while inventories grew and delivery times lengthened slightly.
Employment held steady, but the average workweek shrank, hinting at weaker demand. Price pressures ticked up but remained muted overall. Despite the slump, businesses are optimistic about future conditions — a key signal for the months ahead.
Read more here: Empire State Manufacturing Survey
“After holding steady last month, manufacturing activity declined in New York State in January. Price increases, while subdued, picked up. Firms grew more optimistic that conditions would improve in the months ahead.”
FOMC Meeting Minutes
The Fed held rates steady at 4.25%-4.5% in January — pausing after three cuts in 2024. Chair Powell signaled no rush to cut further because of inflation. The Fed noted solid economic growth, a stable job market, and lingering inflation concerns — removing its prior reference to progress toward the +2% inflation target.
With uncertainty ahead, policymakers remain data-dependent — keeping markets on edge for the next move.
Read more here: Federal Reserve issues FOMC statement
“With our policy stance now significantly less restrictive than it had been and the economy remaining strong, we do not need to be in a hurry to adjust our policy stance.”
The author, publisher or insiders of the publisher may currently have long or short positions in the securities of the companies mentioned herein, or may have such a position in the future (and therefore may profit from fluctuations in the trading price of the securities). To the extent such persons do have such positions, there is no guarantee that such persons will maintain such positions.
Grit is a publisher of financial information, not an investment advisor. Grit does not provide personalized or individualized investment advice or information that is tailored to the needs of any particular recipient. Grit does not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the information provided in this page. All statements and expressions herein are the sole opinion of the author or paid advertiser.
THE INFORMATION CONTAINED ON THIS WEBSITE IS NOT AND SHOULD NOT BE CONSTRUED AS INVESTMENT ADVICE, AND DOES NOT PURPORT TO BE AND DOES NOT EXPRESS ANY OPINION AS TO THE PRICE AT WHICH THE SECURITIES OF ANY COMPANY MAY TRADE AT ANY TIME. THE INFORMATION AND OPINIONS PROVIDED HEREIN SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN AS SPECIFIC ADVICE ON THE MERITS OF ANY INVESTMENT DECISION. INVESTORS SHOULD MAKE THEIR OWN INVESTIGATION AND DECISIONS REGARDING THE PROSPECTS OF ANY COMPANY DISCUSSED HEREIN BASED ON SUCH INVESTORS’ OWN REVIEW OF PUBLICLY AVAILABLE INFORMATION AND SHOULD NOT RELY ON THE INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN. INVESTORS SHOULD OBTAIN INDIVIDUAL INVESTMENT ADVICE BASED ON THEIR OWN CIRCUMSTANCES BEFORE MAKING AN INVESTMENT DECISION
No statement or expression of opinion, or any other matter herein, directly or indirectly, is an offer or the solicitation of an offer to buy or sell the securities or financial instruments mentioned.
Cover image source: Pressfarm
The author, publisher or insiders of the publisher may currently have long or short positions in the securities of the companies mentioned herein, or may have such a position in the future (and therefore may profit from fluctuations in the trading price of the securities). To the extent such persons do have such positions, there is no guarantee that such persons will maintain such positions.
Any projections, market outlooks or estimates herein are forward looking statements and are inherently unreliable. They are based upon certain assumptions and should not be construed to be indicative of the actual events that will occur. Other events that were not taken into account may occur and may significantly affect the returns or performance of the securities discussed herein. The information provided herein is based on matters as they exist as of the date of preparation and not as of any future date, and Grit undertakes no obligation to correct, update or revise the information in this document or to otherwise provide any additional material.
Grit does not accept any liability whatsoever for any direct or consequential loss, however arising, directly or indirectly, from any use of the information contained herein.
By using the Site or any related social media account, you are indicating your consent and agreement to this disclaimer and our terms of use. Unauthorized reproduction of this newsletter or its contents by photocopy, facsimile or any other means is illegal and punishable by law.
Please read: Terms of Use, Privacy Policy, Disclosure Policy and Disclaimer Policy
If you have any questions please contact us at [email protected]
Reply