Investment Strategies 28 February 2026 - 3 March 2026

Whirlpool shares fell 1.7% to $62.97 in premarket trading Tuesday after the company cut its 2026 adjusted earnings outlook to about $6 per share, down from $7, following a $1.1 billion equity and preferred offering. The stock dropped 6.4% Monday. CFO Roxanne Warner said most proceeds will pay down debt. Stifel lowered its price target to $68 and maintained a Hold rating.

Wesfarmers shares fell 0.55% to A$79.62 as the S&P/ASX 200 dropped 1.34% on Tuesday, pressured by rising oil prices and higher bond yields. Oil climbed for a third session, with Brent at $79.44 a barrel amid Middle East tensions. RBA Governor Michele Bullock cited persistent inflation risks, keeping rate expectations in focus ahead of the March 17 policy decision.

Johnson & Johnson shares closed up 0.05% at $248.56 in after-hours trading Monday after Bank of America raised its price target to $253. The company scheduled a first-quarter results call for April 14 at 8:30 a.m. ET. Shares traded between $246.87 and $251.71 during the session, with volume near 8.7 million. J&J remains involved in ongoing talc litigation.

Microsoft shares rose 1.4% to $398.30 Monday, outperforming a flat S&P 500 as U.S. crude jumped 6% after U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran. Oil’s surge revived inflation concerns and rate speculation. Investors shifted focus to March 6 U.S. payrolls data and further moves in crude. Microsoft’s Middle East investments and AI growth remained in focus.

Rocket Companies shares fell 1.8% to $17.87 in premarket trading Monday after short interest surged nearly 50% to 54.43 million shares as of Feb. 13, according to MarketBeat. Investors are watching for management comments at a Morgan Stanley conference and Friday’s U.S. jobs report for signals on interest rates.

Sunrun shares plunged 35.11% to $13.25 Friday after the company projected 2026 cash generation below some analyst expectations and received multiple downgrades. Trading volume topped 56 million shares. Jefferies and GLJ Research cited concerns over growth, cash flow, and tightening tax equity funding. SolarEdge and First Solar also fell as investors eyed macroeconomic data and interest rate signals.

Palantir shares climbed 4% in premarket trading Monday to $142.73 after UBS upgraded the stock to “Buy” with a $180 target, citing a recent 35% pullback. The company last reported quarterly revenue of $1.41 billion and forecast full-year 2026 revenue above $7.18 billion. Traders are watching for Friday’s U.S. jobs report amid ongoing volatility in AI-related stocks.

Lockheed Martin shares jumped about 8% in early premarket trading Monday, indicated at $708.95 after closing at $658.08 Friday, following U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran. RTX and Northrop Grumman also traded higher. Lockheed goes ex-dividend Monday ahead of a $3.45 payout due March 27. U.S. stock index futures fell over 1% as oil surged on Middle East tensions.

Aristocrat Leisure closed down 1.8% at A$47.23 in Sydney after disclosing a buyback of 563,499 shares for A$27.1 million on Friday. The company has repurchased about 15.6 million shares since the program began, totaling roughly A$954 million. Its on-market buyback is set to run until March 2027, up to A$1.5 billion. Half-year results are due May 13.

KKR shares fell 6.3% to $87.68 Friday, nearing a 52-week low amid a broad selloff in alternative-asset managers. Investors cited renewed concerns over private-credit liquidity and valuation risks following turbulence at Blue Owl Capital. KKR will hold a shareholder vote on charter changes April 21. The next key data is U.S. payrolls on March 6.

NextEra Energy shares rose 2.6% to $93.77 Friday on heavy volume after the company priced a $2 billion equity-units offering set to settle March 3. The gain reversed most of Thursday’s 3.3% drop. Each $50 unit carries a 7.375% annual distribution rate and includes interests in two debentures. Investors await the deal’s close and the U.S. jobs report next week.

Procter & Gamble shares rose 2.11% to $167.20 on Friday, outperforming a falling market. Trading volume reached 14.8 million shares, above the 50-day average. The stock remains about 7% below its 52-week high. Investors now await the March 6 U.S. jobs report and P&G’s April 24 earnings call.

Coherent shares closed up 3.5% at $258.93 Friday after volatile trading and heavy volume. CEO Jim Anderson and CFO Sherri Luther will speak at a Morgan Stanley conference in San Francisco on March 3. Traders are watching for updates on data-center optics demand and spending. The next scheduled company event is a Technology Innovation Briefing on March 17 in Los Angeles.

Johnson & Johnson shares closed up 2.0% at $248.43 Friday, hitting a 52-week high as investors favored healthcare stocks at month-end. Trading volume reached 16.4 million shares. The stock was little changed after hours. J&J faces over 67,000 talc lawsuits, with a Pennsylvania jury awarding $250,000 in February; the company plans to appeal.

JPMorgan shares closed at $300.30, down 1.9% Friday, as U.S. bank stocks slid on renewed credit concerns and fallout from the collapse of UK lender Market Financial Solutions. Geopolitical tensions after U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran have disrupted oil shipments, raising volatility risks when markets reopen Monday.

Home Depot shares rose 1.5% to $380.72 Friday, ending a two-day slide as trading volume topped 4.8 million. The company reported a 3.8% drop in Q4 sales to $38.2 billion, with comparable sales up 0.4% and a 1.3% dividend increase. Mortgage rates, housing turnover, and tariffs remain key factors for the sector.

Caterpillar shares fell 1.34% to $742.83 Friday and slipped further after hours as hotter U.S. wholesale inflation data stoked rate hike concerns. The U.S. producer price index rose 0.5% in January, above forecasts. About 3.44 million Caterpillar shares traded. Markets are closed until Monday.

NextEra Energy shares rose 1.9% to $93.77 Friday after pricing a $2 billion equity-units offering at $50 each, with a 7.375% annual distribution. The deal is set to close March 3, with an option for underwriters to buy up to $300 million more. A subsidiary also sold €1.75 billion in junior subordinated debentures. The stock traded ex-dividend for a $0.6232 payout.

Coherent shares rose 3.5% to $258.93 at Friday’s close. CEO Jim Anderson and CFO Sherri Luther will speak at the Morgan Stanley TMT conference in San Francisco on March 3. The company reported $1.69 billion in quarterly revenue and $0.76 GAAP EPS on Feb. 4, citing strong datacenter demand. Investors await management’s outlook on capacity and demand.