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April 30, 2025

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Tesla: The Breakout to Bolster the Bulls

Stock 4 Mins Read

Shares of Tesla Inc. (TSLA) have been decidedly rangebound over the last two months, bouncing between support around $220 and resistance at $290. The recent price action, as well as the momentum characteristics, have confirmed this sideways trend for TSLA. How the stock exits this consolidation phase could make all the difference!

In this article, we’ll look at this intriguing technical setup, showing how changes in momentum could confirm a new breakout phase. From there, we’ll examine how we can use a “stoplight” technique to better define risk and reward for this leading growth stock.

It’s Definitely Time to Go Fishing

Jesse Livermore famously said, “There’s a time to go long, time to go short, and time to go fishing.” And were he alive today, I think the chart of Tesla would definitely elicit a “time to go fishing” mindset for Livermore.

With the stock bouncing consistently between clear support and clear resistance, this appears to be in a straightforward consolidation phase.

After peaking in December 2024 around $480, TSLA dropped to a March 2025 low around $220. From there, the price has rotated between the 200-day moving average as resistance and that $220 level as support. To be clear, the countertrend rallies in March and April have been impressive, but they have not yet provided enough upside pressure to propel Tesla back above the crucial 200-day moving average.

Momentum Indicators Confirm the Sideways Trend

As we love to highlight on our daily market recap show, RSI can be such a valuable tool to assess the interplay between buyers and sellers. During a bullish phase, the RSI usually ranges between 40 to 80, as dip buyers use pullbacks to add to existing positions.

We can see this pattern from June 2024 through the end of January 2025, as the RSI remained above 40 on pullbacks within the bullish trend phase. Then, in February 2025, the RSI pushed below 40 as TSLA broke below its 50-day moving average. We’ve color-coded this section red, showing how the entire range of the RSI drifted lower during a clear distribution phase.

Over the last six weeks, the RSI has been in a tight range between 40 and 60. As the price of Tesla has remained rangebound, the momentum readings suggest an equilibrium between buyers and sellers. Until the RSI breaks out of its own sideways range, the chart is suggesting we wait for new information to change the picture.

A Breakout Above $290 Would Suggest a Bullish Resolution

So if we apply a “stoplight technique” to the chart of Tesla, we can better visualize how we might approach this stock from a technical perspective as we negotiate an end to this consolidation pattern.

If we see a positive resolution to the pattern, and TSLA is able to finally clear price resistance and the 200-day moving average around $290, that would indicate a new accumulation phase with further upside potential. A break below $220, on the other hand, would suggest a lack of willing buyers at support and, most likely, a new distribution phase.

As long as TSLA remains below $220 and $290, Jesse Livermore would suggest we “go fishing” instead of taking a shot at an underwhelming chart!

One more thing… I’ve heard from many investors that struggle with selling too early, leaving potential future gains on the table.  Is there anything more painful than that?  My recent video may give you some ideas of how to address this in your own investment process.

RR#6,

Dave

P.S. Ready to upgrade your investment process? Check out my free behavioral investing course!

David Keller, CMT

President and Chief Strategist

Sierra Alpha Research LLC

Disclaimer: This blog is for educational purposes only and should not be construed as financial advice. The ideas and strategies should never be used without first assessing your own personal and financial situation, or without consulting a financial professional.

The author does not have a position in mentioned securities at the time of publication. Any opinions expressed herein are solely those of the author and do not in any way represent the views or opinions of any other person or entity.

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Personalized Options Trading Strategies: Discover High-Yield Covered Calls and Spreads with the OptionsPlay Add-On

Stock 3 Mins Read

If you’ve been exploring ways to take your options trading to the next level, the OptionsPlay Add-On for StockCharts is the single most impactful upgrade you can make. And now, it’s even better.

Courtesy of a big and highly-anticipated update, the Strategy Center within the OptionsPlay Add-On now runs directly on your ChartLists—allowing you to discover optimal Covered Calls, Short Puts, Debit and Credit Spreads, and Iron Condors on the stocks you follow or scan for. This new feature turns OptionsPlay into a fully personalized strategy engine, delivering the options ideas you need, when you need them.

What Makes the OptionsPlay Add-On So Powerful?

Whether you’re a beginner looking for guided trade setups or a seasoned options trader managing multiple strategies, the OptionsPlay Add-On brings you three core advantages:

1. Trade the Highest Potential Setups.

Every list of stocks is analyzed in real time to identify the highest yielding strategy—whether income-oriented like a Covered Call or directional like a Debit Spread—complete with strategy scores, max gain/loss, break-even points, and probability of success, so you are only trading the highest potential setups.

2. Find New Ideas & Generate Ideas from your Lists.

Up until now, users have relied on daily trade ideas curated by the OptionsPlay team. These are still available—and still quite valuable. But now, you can apply the same strategy engine to your own ChartLists: your holdings, your watchlists, and your scans.

This means you can:

  • Identify the highest-yielding Covered Calls on the stocks you own
  • Trade the best-scoring strategies on the technical breakouts you’re tracking
  • Get paid the largest discounts to buy the stocks you love with Short Puts

All ranked—automatically.

3. Fully Personalized to You.

You can customize your options strategies for:

  • Preferred Option Strategy & Outlook
  • Days to expiration
  • Strike Selection
  • Risk tolerance

With one click, OptionsPlay surfaces only the trades that fit your profile in under two seconds, so you can make decisions faster and with full confidence.

Why the ChartList Integration Changes Everything

Your ChartLists represent your research, your insights, and your trading edge. Now, instead of scanning for the best options strategies on our list of ideas, you can apply them directly to the stocks you’ve chosen to follow.

This is especially powerful if you:

  • Manage a long-term portfolio and want to generate income
  • Actively trade sectors, earnings setups, or technical breakouts
  • Prefer scanning based on technical criteria before looking at the options chain

With this new integration, you can:

  • Launch the Strategy Center
  • Select Any ChartList
  • Instantly see top-ranked strategies for each stock
  • Customize based on your preferences
  • Analyze and trade immediately

Pro Tip – Maximize StockCharts & OptionsPlay Scanning

  1. Create a Technical Scan using StockChart’s Advanced Scan Workbench
  2. Save your Scan Results to a ChartList or Schedule your Scan to replace your ChartList
  3. Open the OptionsPlay Strategy Center
  4. Select Your ChartList and see the best options strategies on your Scan Results
  5. Trade your best technical setups with the highest yielding options strategies

Final Thoughts

OptionsPlay was already a powerful companion for options traders on StockCharts. But this latest update transforms it into something even more valuable—a personalized trading assistant that works with your existing workflow.

Whether you’re trading for income, growth, or hedging risk, the OptionsPlay Add-On gives you the structure, confidence, and efficiency to act decisively.

Add the OptionsPlay Add-On to your StockCharts account todayand unlock the power of strategy-driven trading on your terms.

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Big Tech, Big Data, Big Moves: Why This Week Could Be a Market Game-Changer

Stock 5 Mins Read

Speaking overall, the stock market hasn’t changed course after last week’s bounce; the upside momentum is still here, albeit acting a little tentative. One piece of news that may have helped move the market higher on Tuesday, though, was President Trump’s decision to scale back on auto tariffs.

Investors seem to be looking forward to any news of progress on trade negotiations and key economic data, namely Q1 GDP, March personal consumption expenditures price index (PCE), and the April jobs report. There are also some important earnings this week, including META Platforms, Inc. (META), Microsoft Corp. (MSFT), Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN), and Apple, Inc. (AAPL), among others. So, don’t be surprised if there’s some turbulence this week.

Recent economic data hasn’t moved the needle much. The latest JOLTS report showed fewer job openings in March, but layoffs declined. This indicates the labor market is still strong. The April nonfarm payrolls report on Friday will bring more clarity.

Consumer confidence took a hit, falling to its lowest reading since May 2020. This drop reflects concerns about tariffs and how they might push up prices. The bottom line is that consumers are nervous about what’s ahead.

Technical Update

Despite its bounce, the S&P 500 ($SPX) is still down around 9.0% from its February high, but up about 15% from its April lows. The weekly chart below has the Fibonacci retracement levels from the October 2022 lows to the February 2025 highs. The index bounced off its 50% retracement level and is now above its 38.2% level. It’s also trading below its 40-week simple moving average (SMA), which is the equivalent of a 200-day SMA.

FIGURE 1. WEEKLY CHART ANALYSIS OF S&P 500. The index has bounced off its 50% Fibonacci retracement level, and breadth is improving. However, the market appears to be in a wait-and-see mode, and any negative news could send the index lower. Chart source: StockCharts.com. For educational purposes.

It’s encouraging to see the S&P 500 Bullish Percent Index (BPI) above 50%, and the percentage of S&P 500 stocks trading above their 200-day moving average showing slight signs of reversing from a downtrend. However, the S&P 500 appears indecisive and is waiting for some catalyst to move the index in either direction.

Does the daily chart show a different scenario? Let’s take a look.

FIGURE 2. DAILY CHART ANALYSIS OF S&P 500. The 50% Fibonacci retracement level is an important level to monitor since it could act as a support level. Resistance levels to the upside are the 50-day moving average, the 61.8% Fib retracement level, and the 200-day moving average. Chart source: StockCharts.com. For educational purposes.

The daily chart of the S&P 500 above shows the index trading below its 200-day SMA. In addition, the 50% Fibonacci retracement level (from the February 2025 high to the April 2025 low) is acting as a support level. One point to note is the wide-ranging days in April, which have subsided toward the end of the month. This suggests investors have calmed down—the Cboe Volatility Index ($VIX) has pulled back and is now below 30.

The short-term perspective shows the trend is leaning toward moving higher. Keep an eye on the 5500 level as support and the 50-day SMA as the next resistance level. If the S&P 500 can break above the 61.8% Fibonacci retracement level with strong momentum, that’s reason to be optimistic. A break above the 200-day SMA would be more optimistic.

While the S&P 500 is inching higher, something is brewing beneath the surface—a shift toward the more defensive sectors.

Sector Rotation: Defensive Gains

The Relative Rotation Graph below shows that for the week, defensive sectors—Consumer Staples, Utilities, and Health Care—are leading, while offensive sectors, like Technology, Consumer Discretionary, and Communication Services, are lagging.

FIGURE 3. RELATIVE ROTATION GRAPH. Defensive sectors are leading while offensive sectors are lagging. Monitor sector rotation carefully as we head into a volatile trading week. Chart source: StockCharts.com. For educational purposes.

This isn’t unusual, since investors are feeling more cautious and looking for stability.

What’s Ahead?

There’s still key economic data to monitor this week. Here’s what’s ahead:

  • Wednesday: March personal consumption expenditures (PCE), the Fed’s favored inflation measure. A stronger-than-expected number could send the market lower since it may make the Fed more hawkish. There’s also the Q1 GDP growth, which will indicate if economic growth is stalling or continues to be strong.
  • Friday: April nonfarm payrolls will give us an idea of the strength of the labor market. Evidence of a strengthening labor market would reduce the probability of an interest rate cut, which could put pressure on stocks.

Closing Position

The market is feeling cautious, waiting for the next catalyst to send stock prices higher or lower. And any of this week’s events—economic data, big tech earnings, and trade talks—could make or break this week’s price action. However, even if the S&P 500 trends higher, it doesn’t necessarily mean the big tech growth stocks are leading the move higher. Do a sector drill-down from our new Market Summary page and invest accordingly.

Disclaimer: This blog is for educational purposes only and should not be construed as financial advice. The ideas and strategies should never be used without first assessing your own personal and financial situation, or without consulting a financial professional.

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Investing

Refurbishment of Toll Milling Plant on Track

Investing 3 Mins Read

Challenger Gold Limited (ASX: CEL) (“CEL” the “Company”) notes the ASX Release by Austral Gold Limited titled ‘Austral Gold Provides Update on Casposo Plant Refurbishment’ today. The release provides an update on the refurbishment of the Casposo Processing Plant and reports that the refurbishment is on track for the start up of commercial operations in the second half of 2025.

HIGHLIGHTS

  • Austral Gold announced that Casposo Plant refurbishment is advancing safely and efficiently across all core workstreams.
  • Austral update aligns with second independent plant inspection commissioned by CEL.
  • CEL’s inspection was undertaken by the same process engineers that completed the Audit of the Casposo Plant and Restart Plan in December 2024.
  • Key takeaways from the second inspection report commissioned by CEL are:
    • Robust advancement across all key processing areas
    • Progress in line with existing refurbishment schedule
    • Solid-liquid separation capacity (previously identified as a key risk) appears adequate for the required 1000 TPD capacity
    • Sufficient time remaining to complete all maintenance work to meet the commissioning target in Toll Milling Agreement during the second half of 2025.

The Austral update aligns with a second independent plant independent inspection report received by the Company during April 2025. This report was prepared by the leading process group that completed the independent Audit of the Casposo Plant in December 2024 (ASX Release dated 13 December 2024).

Background to Toll Milling

The Company has executed a binding Agreement with Casposo Argentina Mining Limited, the operator of the Casposo Plant located in San Juan Argentina. This Toll Milling Agreement secures processing of a minimum of 450,000t of near surface Hualilan mineralised material over 3 years (ASX Release dated 30 December 2024).

The Casposo Plant, located 170km from Hualilan via established roads, has historically produced over 323,000 ounces of gold and 13.2 million ounces of silver. During operations, the plant achieved average annual production of 40,000 ounces of gold and 1.6 million ounces of silver at recoveries of 90% for gold and 79% for silver. The plant has been on care and maintenance.

The primary objective of this Toll Milling strategy is to capitalise on the current high gold price (above US$3,300/oz) to generate early cash flow. This cashflow will be allocated towards the construction of the standalone Hualilan Gold project including a Flotation with Tails Leach (“FTL”) circuit, a potential Heap Leach (“HL”) pad at Hualilan, and open pit mining fleet.

Click here for the full ASX Release

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

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Investing

INSG: Global Nickel Surplus to Hit 198,000 MT in 2025

Investing 4 Mins Read

Amid rising production and weakening demand, the global nickel market is forecast to swing into a 198,000 metric ton (MT) surplus in 2025, according to the International Nickel Study Group (INSG).

In an April 24 release, the INSG said that world primary nickel production is expected to reach 3.735 million MT this year, outpacing the primary usage forecast of 3.537 million MT for 2025.

The nickel sector recorded surpluses of 170,000 MT in 2023 and 179,000 MT in 2024.

‘The world economy is currently facing changes to national policies, namely related to trade. This will probably contribute to a higher level of uncertainty regarding raw materials markets,’ the group notes.

Prices for nickel, a critical component in stainless steel and electric vehicle (EV) batteries, have struggled under mounting oversupply. After losing more than 7 percent in 2024, nickel prices continued to show volatility in Q1 2025.

Nickel hit five year lows in the US$15,000 per MT range in early April, driven by a combination of global overproduction, tight ore availability and geopolitical tensions, including the escalation of US tariffs on Chinese goods.

Indonesia, the world’s largest nickel producer, is at the heart of these market dynamics. The INSG said ‘delays in the issuance of mining permits’ are creating ore tightness, even as refined production continued at elevated levels.

In 2024, Indonesia mined an estimated 2.2 million MT of nickel, accounting for over half of global output.

However, regulatory uncertainty has compounded challenges for Indonesian producers.

The country’s newly approved royalty hikes, which increase the rate from 10 percent to between 14 and 19 percent depending on nickel prices, have sparked backlash from industry stakeholders. In a letter shared with the government, they called the increases “unrealistic and (not reflective of) the current state of the industry.”

Filipino policymakers have proposed following Indonesia’s earlier example by banning exports of raw nickel, a move that, if implemented, could introduce fresh instability to global supply chains reliant on Southeast Asian ore.

China’s expanding nickel output

In China, the INSG forecasts further growth in primary nickel output in 2025, fueled by expansions in nickel cathode and nickel sulfate production. This growth is expected even as nickel pig iron output declines.

Yet demand in China — the world’s largest nickel consumer — faces headwinds. Tariffs from the US and sluggish activity in key sectors like construction and home appliances have pressured stainless steel demand.

According to the INSG, stainless steel production in China grew 10.6 percent year-on-year in the first quarter of 2025, with analysts expecting another year of surplus.

At the same tiime, the nickel-intensive EV battery market has been slower to expand than anticipated. Increased reliance on lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries, which do not require nickel, and rising demand for plug-in hybrids over fully electric vehicles, have both dampened growth prospects for nickel demand.

US tariffs deepen market volatility

The Trump administration’s escalating tariffs against China have also weighed heavily on the market — nickel prices dropped 11.5 percent in the week after new tariffs were announced on April 2.

The impact of tariffs on midstram and downstream battery products has been especially severe.

Thomas Matthews, an analyst at CRU Group, explained during a recent webinar that US tariffs on Chinese goods will soon amount to 173 percent for energy storage batteries and 143 percent for EVs.

“We’ve already seen that there was significant amounts of stockpiling prior to the tariffs being implemented,” he said, adding, “But there are also now huge volumes of batteries that are sitting in US bonded warehouses, which is proving to be a major headache for the importers.’ Matthews also noted that although imports of cobalt and lithium remain exempt from new tariffs, “nickel, interestingly, is currently not exempt.”

The INSG’s next meetings are scheduled for October 6, 2025. In the meantime, with surplus forecasts rising and demand signals weakening, nickel faces another challenging year ahead.

Securities Disclosure: I, Giann Liguid, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

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Investing

Crypto Market Recap: Loopscale Faces US$5.8 Million Hack, Coinbase Preps New Institutional Offering

Investing 7 Mins Read

Here’s a quick recap of the crypto landscape for Monday (April 28) as of 9:00 p.m. UTC.

Get the latest insights on Bitcoin, Ethereum and altcoins, along with a round-up of key cryptocurrency market news.

Bitcoin and Ethereum price update

Bitcoin (BTC) was priced at US$94,867.28 as markets closed for the day, up 0.4 percent in 24 hours. The day’s range has seen a low of US$93,589.07 and a high of US$95,212.29.

Bitcoin performance, April 28, 2025.

Chart via TradingView.

Bitwise CEO Hunter Horsley said heightened institutional activity drove Bitcoin’s rally to US$94,000.

In a client note, Greg Cipolaro, the global head of research at NYDIG, said, “Bitcoin has acted less like a liquid levered version of levered US equity beta and more like the non-sovereign issued store of value that it is.” However, it’s worth noting that Bitcoin fell by about US$2,000 after the markets opened in tandem with declining US Treasury yields.

Ethereum (ETH) ended the day at US$1,799.74, a 0.5 percent decrease over the past 24 hours. The cryptocurrency reached an intraday low of US$1,754.97 and a high of US$1,803.29.

Altcoin price update

  • Solana (SOL) ended the day valued at US$148.64, down one percent over 24 hours. SOL experienced a low of US$145.89 and peaked at $150.06.
  • XRP traded at US$2.30, reflecting a 0.8 percent increase over 24 hours. The cryptocurrency recorded an intraday low of US$2.26 and reached its highest point at US$2.31.
  • Sui (SUI) was priced at US$3.61, showing an increaseof 0.6 percent over the past 24 hours. It achieved a daily low of US$3.55 and a high of US$3.73.
  • Cardano (ADA) was trading at US$0.7091, up 1.1 percent over the past 24 hours. Its lowest price on Monday was US$0.6879, with a high of US$0.7136.

Today’s crypto news to know

US$330 million Bitcoin transfer sparks concern

On-chain investigator and analyst ZachXBT has called out a “suspicious transfer” of 3,520 BTC to a new address just after midnight on Monday; the coins were worth approximately US$330.7 million at the time.

“Shortly after the funds began to be laundered via 6+ instant exchanges and was swapped for XMR causing the XMR price to spike 50%,” Zach wrote, adding that the move was “likely a theft” roughly an hour later.

Zach concluded that a longtime holder using major exchanges to suddenly transfer a large sum in many small, costly increments to instant exchanges would be an inefficient method for legitimate use.

To date, there has been no confirmation of anyone coming forward to say they have been robbed. Monero’s price has retracted to near its post-spike price, up 10 percent in 24 hours to US$253.09 at the time of writing.

Loopscale suffers hack, bounty negotiations ongoing

On Saturday (April 26), approximately US$5.8 million of USDC and SOL were stolen from the Solana-based DeFi protocol Loopscale. Roughly US$5.7 million UDSC and around 1,200 SOL were taken from Genesis vaults.

Loopscale’s analysis reveals that the attackers manipulated Loopscale’s RateX PT token, which allowed them to exploit a flaw in how the system determined the value of deposited assets.

The stolen funds represent around 12 percent of Loopscale’s total value locked.

In response, Loopscale suspended all withdrawals from its vaults and temporarily halted trading. The platform has offered the attackers a 10 percent bounty and said it would not pursue legal action if the remaining 90 percent is returned. According to Loopscale’s update, posted on X on Sunday (April 27) evening, the attackers agreed to return the funds in exchange for a bounty, but said they expected 20 percent. According to the latest update from Etherscan, negotiations are ongoing, and there have been no reports of the funds being returned as of the time of writing.

Strategy stacks US$1.42 billion in Bitcoin

Bitcoin bull Michael Saylor’s firm, Strategy, added another 15,355 BTC to its holdings last week, spending roughly US$1.42 billion between April 21 and 27 as Bitcoin surged past the US$90,000 mark.

According to Strategy’s April 28 filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, the purchase was made at an average price of US$92,737 per Bitcoin, bringing the company’s total haul to a staggering 553,555 BTC — now valued at more than US$50 billion. The move marks Strategy’s largest Bitcoin acquisition since late March and reflects the firm’s aggressive accumulation strategy despite growing market volatility.

On social media, Saylor celebrated the purchase, noting that Strategy’s Bitcoin yield now sits at 13.7 percent year-to-date, and reaffirmed his belief that Bitcoin remains massively undervalued despite its recent rally.

With the company’s market cap pushing toward US$100 billion and Bitcoin trading around US$95,000, Strategy’s latest moves signal continued institutional confidence in Bitcoin as a core asset class.

Grayscale pushes SEC to approve Ethereum ETF staking

Grayscale Investments is renewing pressure on the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to allow staking activities for Ethereum exchange-traded funds (ETFs), highlighting that restrictive rules have already cost US funds more than US$61 million in foregone rewards.

In a high-level meeting with the SEC’s Crypto Task Force, Grayscale executives presented a proposal to amend existing Ethereum ETF filings to permit staking, emphasizing the competitive disadvantage US funds now face compared to their European and Canadian counterparts.

Grayscale argued that staking would not only enhance investor returns but also contribute to Ethereum network security, supporting a more resilient decentralized infrastructure.

The company also laid out a liquidity management plan to address concerns about redemption risks, including credit facilities and liquidity sleeves with custodians like Coinbase Custody.

Coinbase to launch Bitcoin yield fund

Coinbase is set to introduce the Coinbase Bitcoin Yield Fund on May 1, which will offer exposure to institutional investors from outside the US. “This fund is a conservative strategy that seeks a 4-8 percent net return in Bitcoin per year, over a market cycle, with investors subscribing and redeeming in Bitcoin,” the company said on Monday.

The yield will be generated through a cash-and-carry strategy, through the difference between spot Bitcoin prices and derivatives, as Bitcoin itself lacks a built-in mechanism for generating passive income like staking on other blockchains.

According to Coinbase, custodians of the fund will trade using third-party custody integrations to lessen counterparty risk, avoiding higher-risk Bitcoin lending and systematic call selling.

SEC’s Peirce likens US crypto regulation to ‘floor is lava,’ demands real reform

SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce delivered a blistering critique of US crypto regulations, comparing them to the children’s game ‘floor is lava,’ where firms must hop precariously across unclear legal guidelines to avoid regulatory pitfalls.

Speaking at the SEC’s “Know Your Custodian” roundtable on April 25, Peirce criticized the lack of coherent, actionable rules for investment advisers, custodians and exchanges dealing with crypto assets.

She stressed that without clear definitions around securities classifications and custodial qualifications, the industry is being paralyzed by uncertainty, stifling innovation and deterring responsible market participants.

Fellow commissioner Mark Uyeda reinforced Peirce’s warnings, urging the SEC to expand custodial options by recognizing state-chartered trust companies, a move he said is essential to the healthy development of crypto trading platforms and alternative trading systems.

Securities Disclosure: I, Giann Liguid, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

Securities Disclosure: I, Meagen Seatter, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

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Business

Pfizer CEO says tariff uncertainty is deterring further U.S. investment in manufacturing, R&D

Business 3 Mins Read

Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla on Tuesday said uncertainty around President Donald Trump’s planned pharmaceutical tariffs is deterring the company from further investing in U.S. manufacturing and research and development. 

Bourla’s remarks on the company’s first-quarter earnings call came in response to a question about what Pfizer wants to see from tariff negotiations that would push the company to increase investments in the U.S. It comes as drugmakers brace for Trump’s levies on pharmaceuticals imported into the country — his administration’s bid to boost domestic manufacturing.

“If I know that there will not be tariffs … then there are tremendous investments that can happen in this country, both in R&D and manufacturing,” Bourla said on the call, adding that the company is also hoping for “certainty.”

“In periods of uncertainty, everybody is controlling their cost as we are doing, and then is very frugal with their investment, as we are doing, so that we are prepared for remit. So that’s what I want to see,” Bourla said.

Bourla noted the tax environment, which had previously pushed manufacturing abroad, has “significantly changed now” with the establishment of a global minimum tax of around 15%. He said that shift hasn’t necessarily made the U.S. more attractive, saying “it’s not as good” to invest here without additional incentives or clarity around tariffs.

“Now [Trump] I’m sure — and I know because I talked to him — that he would like to see even a reduction in the current tax regime particularly for locally produced goods,” Bourla said, adding a further decrease would be would be a strong incentive for manufacturing in the U.S.

Unlike other companies grappling with evolving trade policy, Pfizer did not revise its full-year outlook on Tuesday. However, the company noted in its earnings release that the guidance “does not currently include any potential impact related to future tariffs and trade policy changes, which we are unable to predict at this time.”

But on the earnings call on Tuesday, Pfizer executives said the guidance does reflect $150 million in costs from Trump’s existing tariffs.

“Included in our guidance that we didn’t really speak about is there are some tariffs in place today,” Pfizer CFO Dave Denton said on the call.

“We are contemplating that within our guidance range and we continue to again trend to the top end of our guidance range even with those costs to be incurred this year,” he said.

This post appeared first on NBC NEWS

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Business

JetBlue to partner with another U.S. airline in the coming weeks

Business 2 Mins Read

JetBlue Airways is getting ready to announce a partnership with another U.S. airline with a larger network in the coming weeks, the carrier’s president said Tuesday. One possibility: United Airlines.

JetBlue’s leaders have repeatedly said they need a partnership to better compete against larger airlines like Delta Air Lines and United.

JetBlue’s planned acquisition of Spirit Airlines was blocked by the Justice Department last year, while its partnership in the Northeast with American Airlines unraveled after the carriers lost an antitrust lawsuit in 2023.

The New York airline has been in talks with several carriers this year about a partnership. JetBlue’s president, Marty St. George, said on an earnings call on Tuesday that the company expects to make an announcement this quarter. He emphasized that the partner’s bigger network would allow customers to earn and burn loyalty points on JetBlue.

“If you are a customer in the Northeast and you love JetBlue for leisure, but twice a year you have to go to Omaha or Boise, these are places that you can’t earn TrueBlue points on now and when this partnership goes forward, you will be able to,” St. George said.

United Airlines could possibly get a foothold (again) into JetBlue’s home hub of John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York through the partnership. “We don’t engage in industry speculation,” a United Airlines spokeswoman said.

An Alaska Airlines spokeswoman said the carrier doesn’t have plans to partner with JetBlue and is focused on its recent merger with Hawaiian Airlines.

Southwest Airlines declined to comment. A Delta Air Lines spokesman said there was no pending announcement from the carrier about a partnership with another airline.

JetBlue declined to comment further.

American had been in talks to revive a different version of its partnership with JetBlue, but those failed and American said Monday that it sued JetBlue.

“Ultimately, we were unable to agree on a construct that preserved the benefits of the partnership we envisioned, made sense operationally or financially,” American Airlines Vice Chair Steve Johnson said in a letter to employees on Monday.

This post appeared first on NBC NEWS

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