Investing.com - Here are three things that flew under the radar this week.
1. Dangerous Charts for Disney
The enthusiasm for Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) as a business has been red hot this year, with its control of the Marvel and Star Wars universes and streaming service Disney+ going live in the U.S. and Canada launching Nov. 12.
That positive feeling has finally been reflected in the company’s shares, which had been trading in range of at most $30 for the last four years, but broke out in April, according to technical analyst Rob Moreno.
But the outlook for Disney shares is bearish on daily and weekly timeframes as the charts indicate a head-and-shoulders pattern, Moreno wrote on Rightview Trading.
“Head-and-shoulders patterns are reliable technical patterns that often appear at significant market tops,” he said.
“The daily head and shoulders pattern is clearly defined and a confirmed break below neckline support projects significant downside (for Disney),” he added.
2. Inflation Expectations Temper Again
U.S. consumers’ inflation expectations hit a new low, according to a recent survey by the New York Federal Reserve released this week.
The Survey of Consumer Expectations for August showed another decline in expectations for a rise in prices.
The median expectations for inflation in a one-year time horizon fell 0.2 percentage points last month to 2.4%, which is a series low for the survey, which goes back to June 2013.
On a three-year time horizon, the median expectation dipped 0.1 percentage point to 2.5%.
“The median one-year ahead expected price change in gas, medical care, a college education, and rent all fell in August,” the New York Fed said. “Notably, the measures for price change in medical care and rent both reached new series’ lows.”
3. Texas Instruments Gets a Vote of Confidence
Semiconductor stocks took a blow this week after Micron Technology (NASDAQ:MU) shares sank on concerns about the company’s guidance on gross margins.
And Bank of America Merrill Lynch weighed in on the sector with a mixed outlook.
Merrill upgraded Texas Instruments (NASDAQ:TXN) to buy from neutral, while also cutting Maxim Integrated (NASDAQ:MXIM) to underperform from neutral.
“We believe the difference in portfolio and solid track record of (free cash flow) returns positions TXN to outperform MXIM over the next twelve months,” Merrill analyst Vivek Arya said in a note.
He raised the price target on Texas Instruments to $150 from $145 and lowered it on Maxim to $60 from $67.