Optimism continues to reign in European markets. Nevertheless, a drop in shares of struggling Credit Suisse Group AG has weighed on investor sentiment. Harris Associates has reportedly sold its entire stake in the lender after nearly two decades of ownership. Premarket trading is calm, although shares of Tesla and Apple Inc. have risen. The latter is preparing to release its next line of laptops and desktops, while the electric vehicle maker has slashed car prices for the second time this year.

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Premarket

Tech giant Apple added 1.4% after jumping 3% on Friday. A rise was contributed to the news that Morgan Stanley affirmed its rating on the company, noting that its stock has huge upside potential next year. The firm predicts that Apple’s shares could rise by more than 20% over the next 12 months.

Facebook parent Meta’s stock was flat in premarket trading after a more than 6% gain on Friday. Its rally was attributed to the fact that tech giant Meta announced a drastic price drop for its higher-end VR headset Quest Pro. Wall Street was also optimistic about the potential of Meta AI. Barclays named Meta as one of the AI beneficiaries, while Morgan Stanley called the company the best bet in the field.

Shares of First Solar traded almost unchanged in premarket trading after a 6% rise on Friday.

Marvell Technology lost 7.3% on Friday after the company reported mixed quarterly results and provided weak guidance. Shortly after, shares advanced slightly to close the day at -4.2%. The firm said it expects first-quarter earnings of 29 cents, short of the expected 41 cents.

Asana’s stock jumped by 9% after DA Davidson upgraded its rating on the software stock to buy from neutral.

As for the technical analysis of the S&P 500 index, demand for risky assets persists. The index will extend gains only if bulls manage to drive the price to $4,064 today. In this case, the way to $4,091 will open. Furthermore, bulls need to regain control of the $4,116 mark, which will put an end to a bear market. In this case, one can expect a more confident rally to $4,150. In the event of a decline amid strong US data as well as lower demand, buyers are expected to take the lead in the area of $4,038. Its breakout will quickly drag the trading instrument down to $4,010 and pave the way to $3,980.

The material has been provided by InstaForex Company – www.instaforex.com

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