Tuesday’s Insider Trades: Key Buys and Sells in US Stocks Revealed

Investing.com -- Portillo’s Inc. stock dropped 4% in premarket trading after the restaurant chain slashed its fiscal 2025 guidance, citing challenging industry conditions.

The company now expects same-store sales to decline between 1% and 1.5% for the year, a significant downward revision from its previous forecast of 1% to 3% growth. This updated outlook falls short of analyst expectations, which had projected 1.2% growth.

Portillo’s also reduced its revenue forecast to between $730 million and $733 million, abandoning its earlier projection of 5% to 7% growth. The new guidance misses the consensus estimate of $752 million.

Similarly, adjusted EBITDA is now expected to range from $94 million to $98 million, compared to the previous outlook of flat to low single-digit growth and below the $101 million analyst estimate.

For the third quarter, Portillo’s anticipates same-store sales to decline between 2% and 2.5%, well below the 1% growth analysts had expected.

The company attributed the guidance cuts to "pricing and promotional dynamics within the industry" and said it expects current negative trends to continue through the remainder of 2025. In response, Portillo’s announced a strategic reset of its development and growth plans, focusing on core markets to enhance unit economics and position for long-term success.

This article was generated with the support of AI and reviewed by an editor. For more information see our T&C.

Investing.com -- U.S. stock futures mostly rose Wednesday, benefiting from factory prices falling unexpectedly in August, increasing the chances of the Federal Reserve cutting interest rates next week.

At 08:50 ET (12:50 GMT), Dow Jones Futures traded largely flat, while S&P 500 Futures gained 35 points, or 0.5%, and Nasdaq Futures rose 135 points, or 0.6%.

The main averages on Wall Street notched gains in the prior session, all recording new closing highs as sentiment remained buoyed by expectations that a Federal Reserve interest rate cut is coming next week.

A sharp downward revision to U.S. employment figures for the 12 months through March suggested that a possible cooling in the labor market may have been taking place even before President Donald Trump unveiled sweeping import tariffs in April. Bets that the Fed will slash rates by at least 25 basis points at its September 16-17 gathering were little changed following the numbers, while U.S. Treasury yields, which tend to move inversely to prices, moved higher.

PPI data due amid Fed easing hopes

U.S. factory-gate prices unexpectedly fell in August, pointing to easier-than-anticipated inflationary pressures that could bolster the case for the Federal Reserve to slash interest rates at its upcoming policy gathering.

The producer price index decreased by 0.1% last month, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics on Wednesday. Economists had anticipated that the month-on-month figure would climb by 0.3% in August, following a downwardly-revised rise of 0.7% in July.

Investors keep close tabs on the PPI gauge because a section of the data is used to determine a metric of inflation that is preferred by the Fed.

The more widely-watched consumer price index (CPI) is due on Thursday.

Traders now fully see a chance that the Fed will lower rates by at least 25 basis points next week, according to CME’s FedWatch tool. Odds of a more aggressive 50 basis point cut have also risen.

Oracle soars on strong earnings

In the corporate sector, Oracle (NYSE:ORCL) stock jumped premarket with investors excited by a bullish AI-backed outlook. 

Oracle’s MultiCloud database revenue, driven through partnerships with hyperscalers such as Amazon, Google, and Microsoft, surged an astonishing 1,529% in the quarter

The company said it now expects booked revenue at its Oracle Cloud Infrastructure division to surpass half-a-trillion dollars, a robust forecast which analysts said was a sign of solid demand for the group’s relatively low-cost, AI-powered offerings.

GameStop (NYSE:GME) shares rose premarket after the electronics retail company delivered a surprisingly strong second quarter, with revenue rising 22% to $972.2 million from a year earlier.

Elsewhere, Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL) shares slipped as the tech giant unveiled its iPhone 17 lineup and refreshed Apple Watch and AirPods, including the much-anticipated ultrathin “iPhone Air” model. 

Apple’s iPhone 17 Pro will start at $1099, up $100 from the previous pro model, in line with analyst expectations. The tech giant also unveiled a $999 iPhone Air, which replaces the iPhone 16 Plus. The price of Apple’s entry-level iPhone 17 was kept at $799.

Crude gains on heightened tensions

Oil prices rose on heightened geopolitical tensions in the Middle East as well as the prospect of more restrictions on Russian oil potentially denting global supply.

At 08:50 ET, Brent futures gained 1% to $67.04 a barrel, and U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures rose 1% to $63.26 a barrel.

Prices gained in the previous trading session after Israel said it had attacked Hamas leadership in Doha, which Qatar’s prime minister said threatened to derail peace talks between Hamas and Israel, lifting tensions in the oil-rich region.

Additionally, Reuters reported that Trump is calling on the European Union to steeply tariff India and China over their buying of Russian energy. Trump has already imposed 50% tariffs on India, and was seen calling for 100% tariffs on New Delhi and Beijing.

Despite being designed to pressure Moscow into ending its long-running war with Ukraine, the move could limit global supplies if top buyers India and China cave in to Western pressure. However, both countries have so far signaled few plans to stop their purchases of Russian oil.

Elsewhere, Poland said it had shot down Russian drones flying over its territory during a widespread attack in western Ukraine -- an incursion that the NATO member described as an "act of aggression."

Ayushman Ojha contributed to this article

Investing.com -- KindlyMD shares fell 30% in premarket trading Wednesday after the health care and Bitcoin treasury company announced a significant Bitcoin-related investment.

The company’s subsidiary, Nakamoto Holdings Inc., agreed to invest up to $30 million in Japanese Bitcoin treasury company Metaplanet Inc. In contrast, Metaplanet shares rose 16% earlier on Wednesday in Japan.

The investment will take the form of international equity financing in Metaplanet stock. According to the announcement, Metaplanet plans to use the proceeds primarily to purchase Bitcoin.

The funding is expected to be completed on September 16, with delivery of shares anticipated the following day on September 17.

"We believe this investment will further strengthen the global network of companies placing Bitcoin at the center of institutional finance," David Bailey, chairman and chief executive officer of KindlyMD, wrote in a release.

This article was generated with the support of AI and reviewed by an editor. For more information see our T&C.

Investing.com – Saudi Arabia stocks were lower after the close on Wednesday, as losses in the Energy & Utilities, Telecoms & IT and Agriculture & Food sectors led shares lower.

At the close in Saudi Arabia, the Tadawul All Share declined 0.30%.

The best performers of the session on the Tadawul All Share were Retal Urban Development Company SJSC (TADAWUL:4322), which rose 2.94% or 0.33 points to trade at 11.56 at the close. Meanwhile, Al Masane Al Kobra Mining Company CJSC (TADAWUL:1322) added 2.63% or 1.70 points to end at 66.40 and Malath Cooperative Insurance Co (TADAWUL:8020) was up 2.36% or 0.30 points to 13.00 in late trade.

The worst performers of the session were Thimar Development Holding Co (TADAWUL:4160), which fell 4.70% or 2.16 points to trade at 43.84 at the close. Scientific and Medical Equipment House Company CJSC (TADAWUL:4014) declined 3.40% or 1.26 points to end at 35.84 and Sinad Holding Co (TADAWUL:4080) was down 3.06% or 0.32 points to 10.15.

Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the Saudi Arabia Stock Exchange by 245 to 84 and 25 ended unchanged.

Crude oil for October delivery was up 1.02% or 0.64 to $63.27 a barrel. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Brent oil for delivery in November rose 0.96% or 0.64 to hit $67.03 a barrel, while the December Gold Futures contract rose 0.04% or 1.52 to trade at $3,683.72 a troy ounce.

EUR/SAR was unchanged 0.04% to 4.39, while USD/SAR unchanged 0.01% to 3.75.

The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.02% at 97.77.

Investing.com -- Bank of America cut its rating on Synopsys to Underperform from Buy on weak outlook for the software maker’s intellectual property business tied to Intel and China, and higher costs from the $35 billion acquisition of Ansys.

Analysts said Synopsys missed about $140 million of expected IP revenue in the third quarter, hit by China export restrictions and uncertainty around Intel’s foundry business, which has historically made up about 12% of sales. The firm cut its earnings forecasts for 2025-27 by as much as 16% and lowered its price target to $525 from $625.

“SNPS is a high quality company but uncertainty over FY26/27, benefits of Ansys acquisition, and n-t IP misses at Intel/China could remain a persistent overhang on the stock,” the note said.

“We downgrade SNPS to Underperform from Buy on: 1) surprising restructuring required in its core IP business, muted FY26 growth and unspecified change in business model including potentially more competition with ARM, 2) persistent uncertainty of foundry potential at top customer INTC (historically ~12% of sales), 3) higher initial integration costs of ~$35bn Ansys acquisition,” analysts wrote.

“Furthermore, SNPS is seeing a greater shift to more customized IP which could provide TAM upside … but requires n-t IP library adjustment resulting in a muted FY26 IP outlook for SNPS.”

Bank of America added that investor positioning in the stock looks “very crowded.”

It contrasted Synopsys with rival Cadence Design Systems, which it called its top pick in electronic design automation.

“We believe the problems outlined by SNPS are company specific as they have relied far more on IP than peer CDNS … who has higher TSMC exposure, stronger HW, stronger profitability, lower stock comp., and avoidance of large M&A.”