-- 加拿大皇家銀行資本市場（RBC Capital Markets）週二在一份報告中指出，國際商業機器公司（IBM）已做好充分準備，將受益於企業對人工智慧和混合雲技術的日益普及。 分析師表示，IBM管理層在Think用戶大會上傳達的總體訊息是，公司致力於使生成式人工智慧和智慧體人工智慧「更易於企業使用，並專注於編排、投資回報率以及合規性和治理」。 RBC表示，IBM的方法使企業無需更改現有基礎設施即可建立人工智慧應用程序，這使其在企業擴大人工智慧應用規模的過程中擁有優勢。 報告還指出，此次大會重點介紹了IBM內部使用的人工智慧開發工具Bob，該工具已顯著提高了生產力。 RBC維持對IBM的「跑贏大盤」評級，但將目標價從330美元下調至300美元。 IBM股價週三下跌1%。
Price: $226.64, Change: $-2.39, Percent Change: -1.04%
Health care stocks were higher late Wednesday afternoon, with the NYSE Health Care Index increasing 0.3% and the State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLV) adding 0.2%.The iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) climbed 2.1%.In corporate news, DaVita (DVA) shares jumped past 21% after Deutsche Bank upgraded the stock to buy from hold and boosted its price target to $220 from $126, a day after the company reported better-than-expected Q1 results.
New for-sale home listings in the US grew at a faster rate annually than sales for the first time this year as elevated mortgage rates stalled recovery, Zillow Group (Z, ZG) said Wednesday.New listings rose 2.1% year over year to 426,356 units in April, while sales eased 0.4% to 323,631 units, according to the real estate marketplace. Active inventory increased 3.7% last month, putting the total number of for-sale homes at 1.3 million."The spring rebound we anticipated at the start of the year and that produced the stronger sales figures in March was put on pause in April by higher rates," Zillow Chief Economist Mischa Fisher said. "Still, someone who held off in 2025 hoping conditions would improve has seen that improvement."Last week, the average interest rate for 30-year fixed mortgages with conforming loan balances of $832,750 or less increased to 6.45% from 6.37% sequentially, a report by the Mortgage Bankers Association showed Wednesday.The monthly mortgage payment on a typical home in the US dropped 3.4% annually to $1,829 last month, while home values rose 0.7% to $366,712, Zillow said.The share of listings with a price reduction was 23.5% in April, down one percentage point from a year earlier, but up 0.9 percentage point sequentially.Despite the recent rise in mortgage rates, buyers who waited out the market of 2025 are entering on slightly better terms this spring, with more options, improved affordability and a little more decision time, according to Zillow."With more homes to choose from and lower monthly costs than a year ago, the math has shifted in favor of buyers even if the moment may not feel like it," Fisher said. "There's still plenty of reason for optimism that we will see a quick rebound if rates cooperate."On Tuesday, government data showed that new-home sales in the US grew past Wall Street's estimates for March, driven by a demand surge in the Northeast region.Price: $44.82, Change: $+1.28, Percent Change: +2.94%
Consumer stocks were higher late Wednesday afternoon, with the State Street Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLP) up 0.4% and the State Street Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLY) rising 1.9%.In corporate news, Restaurant Brands International's (QSR) Q1 earnings and revenue topped Wall Street's estimates Wednesday, while the restaurant operator's comparable sales growth was in line with consensus. Its shares were down 5.9%.