Stock market live updates: Nasdaq record, Ackman trims Chipotle, Amazon all-time high

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Around midday ET, the major averages were trading higher, recovering from losses earlier in the day as Amazon shares climbed to all-time highs. The Dow traded around 50 points higher, or 0.2%, while the Nasdaq hit a record. The S&P 500 was up 0.3%. If those gains hold, it would be the fifth positive day on Wall Street in six. —Imbert

The S&P 500‘s recent low of $3,225.52 on Jan. 31 coincides with the biggest number of global Google searches for “coronavirus,” Bespoke Investment Group pointed out in a tweet on Monday. When stocks hit their lows, the deadly Chinese virus searches peaked. With a large amount of Chinese factories closed, investors are worried about the virus’s impact on China’s supply chain and a possible dent to global growth. The S&P 500 is currently trading up 0.34% at $3,338.91 per share. – Fitzgerald

Strategist Jeffrey Saut put out a note Monday reminding investors of an old market saw: “In secular bull markets most of the surprises come on the upside.” Nevertheless, he concedes he was surprised by last week’s market performance amid the coronavirus scare. “We were surprised by last week’s upside action since we turned cautious on stocks around mid-January,” he wrote. A new all-time high came even as the coronavirus story worsened. “Then there is the mess surrounding the Iowa caucuses and Nancy Pelosi’s shredding of the State of the Union speech,” Saut added. — Lewis.

As stocks recover to trade near record highs, oil and copper prices continue to dip to multi-month lows. The divergence between the different assets caught the attention of some on Wall Street, calling for the gaps to shrink. “If the stock market is right, copper and oil are buys here,” Peter Boockvar, chief investment officer at Bleakley Advisory Group, said in an email. “If stocks are not, then something should give and this gap should narrow.” The S&P 500 had its best weekly performance since June last week, while oil has fallen for five straight weeks. “This said, I’m not always a fan of this kind of analysis as stocks are a long duration asset but the visual and action is worth paying attention to,” Boockvar added.— Li

The Nasdaq rallied 0.5% to a new intraday high, led by a 1.7% jump in Amazon shares, which also scored a record. The Dow is now up about 110 points to its session high. The declines in Exxon Mobil and Goldman Sachs capped the gains in the 30-stock benchmark. —Li

Longtime activist investor Bill Ackman trimmed by 1% his stake in Chipotle Mexican Grill, one of Pershing Square’s best investments in recent years. Filings at the Securities and Exchange Commission show Ackman’s Pershing Square sold about 215,000 shares on Feb. 6 and Feb. 7 for about $860 per share. Pershing Square Holdings, which first invested in Chipotle at around $405 per share, soared 58% in 2019, making it one of the globe’s best-performing hedge funds last year. The fund has touted Chipotle both as a smart investment as well as a return juggernaut since its initial investment in 2016. Chipotle, which returned 93% last year, accounted for 14.7% of Pershing Square Holdings gross returns in 2019. —Franck

Tesla‘s reputation as a volatile stock has been well deserved thus far in 2020. The electric car maker’s stock has posted a move of less than 1% in just five of the 26 trading days this year through Friday’s close. By comparison, the S&P 500 has had just five moves of at least 1% all year. Tesla was headed for another major move on Monday, trading more than 5% higher. —Imbert

The Dow was quick to bounce back from a 106.85-point loss, trading back around the flatline after its initial decent at the open. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite also rebounded from their slight losses at the open. Shares of Amazon and Microsoft are leading the comeback—Imbert

Apple’s iPhone production in China remains uncertain amid the coronavirus outbreak. Apple supplier Foxconn was approved to resume production in Zhengzhou, a key manufacturing plant in the region, Reuters reported Sunday, but so far only 10% of the workforce has returned. The tech giant has shut down all stores and offices in the country. Shares of Apple are down 0.4% in morning trading. —Li

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell about 100 points, on track for its second straight day of losses, as fears around the deadly coronavirus linger. Apple is the biggest loser in the 30-stock index, down more than 1%. The S&P 500 dipped about 0.3% at the open, following a 3% rise last week, which is the benchmark’s best weekly performance since June. —Li

The rebound in stocks despite the lingering coronavirus fears showed that the bull market is still strong, Morgan Stanley’s Michael Wilson said in a note to clients, and supports his first-half bull case of 3500 for the S&P 500. If economic growth snaps back after the virus is contained, the market may finally see a sustained rotation into smaller cap and value stocks, Wilson said, after several smaller rotations in recent years. “Bottom line, the liquidity-driven bull market is intact but it’s too early to bet big on new trends in cyclical value or small-caps,” Wilson wrote. — Pound

Tesla‘s stock rose as much as 9% in premarket trading on Monday as shares were poised to begin another week of speculative trading. Part of the reason appears to be positive news from China on Friday, as the Shanghai municipal government said it would help companies like Tesla “resume production as soon as possible.” The stock is set to open near the $800 level. —Sheetz

Shares of Yum China slid 1.3% after Chinese state-run media Global Times reported a KFC worker was confirmed to have the deadly coronavirus. Yum China has temporarily closed about a third of its restaurants in China, and those still open have seen sales drop dramatically. The company warned last week that coronavirus could lead to operating losses in its first quarter. —Li

Shares of mall operator Taubman Centers jumped 53% during Monday’s premarket trading after the company said it would be acquired by competitor Simon Property Group for $52.50 per share, valuing the company at about $3.6 billion. Taubman owns, manages or leases 26 super-regional shopping centers in the U.S. and Asia, a press release said. — Stevens

Loews, the conglomerate that owns businesses in insurance, hospitality, energy and packaging, on Monday reported a sharp rebound in fourth-quarter profit and better-than-expected revenues. Loews posted net income of $217 million, or 73 cents a share, compared to a loss of $165 million, or 53 cents a share in the year-ago period. The company mainly credited increased net investment income at its CNA Financial business for the better profit and revenue results for the three months ended Dec. 31. The stock rose more than 3.5% before the opening bell. —Franck

Though conventional wisdom in the 2020 election cycle thus far has been that markets would sell off if Democrats nominate Sen. Bernie Sanders for president, that appears to be changing according to Raymond James. Analyst Ed Mills writes that conversations with investors have revealed that many believe the nomination of the self-described democratic socialist would not only make President Donald Trump‘s reelection more likely, but perhaps increase the odds of an all-Republican government.That’s why stocks haven’t swooned in reaction to the Vermont senator’s recent success in Iowa or expected victory in the New Hampshire primary, Mills wrote, as Wall Street views a second Trump term as a positive for the market. —Franck

Canaccord Genuity on Monday announced it upgraded its 2020 outlook for U.S. equities, telling clients it sees the S&P 500 at 3,440 by December. Strategist Tony Dwyer cautioned, however, that he’s neutral on the stock market until S&P 500 earnings show more robust signs of growth and the threat of the coronavirus has passed despite positive fiscal and monetary policy backdrops. His new target implies just 3.4% upside between Friday’s close and the end of 2020. —Franck

Shares of shipping company FedEx rose nearly 2% in premarket trading on Monday following an upgrade to buy from neutral from UBS. The firm said the risk/reward for the company appears “skewed to the upside.” With shares down 12% in the past 12 months, now is a good time to buy, according to UBS. The analyst also hiked his price target to $187 per share from $161 per share. —Fitzgerald