Benzinga examined the prospects for many investors’ favorite stocks over the last week — here’s a look at some of our top stories.

The three major averages posted weekly gains, with the S&P 500 rising 1.36% and up over 19% for 2024, while the Dow gained 1.62% and the Nasdaq advanced 1.49%.

The Federal Reserve cut interest rates by 50 basis points in September, surprising many economists who expected a smaller 25-basis-point reduction.

Fed Chair Jerome Powell emphasized the need to act early to support the labor market, noting that strong employment requires proactive measures. While hinting at potential future cuts, Powell framed this move as a recalibration rather than a broader policy shift, stressing data-driven decision-making.

Benzinga provides daily reports on the stocks most popular with investors. Here are a few of this past week’s most bullish and bearish posts that are worth another look.

The Bulls

“Palantir ‘Key Enabler’ Of Clients’ Businesses, Says Bullish Analyst, As CEO Alex Karp Touts 10-Fold Growth From Current Levels,” by Shanthi Rexaline, highlights Palantir Technologies Inc‘s (NYSE:PLTR) potential tenfold growth as CEO Alex Karp emphasizes the company’s role in accelerating client success, with BofA Securities maintaining a bullish outlook and a $50 price target.

“Walmart Division Sam’s Club Raises Wages For Hourly Associates: A Strategic Move To Stay Ahead In Retail,” by Anusuya Lahiri, details Walmart Inc.‘s (NYSE:WMT) Sam’s Club wage increase for nearly 100,000 frontline workers, with hourly pay rising 3%-6% as part of a strategy to enhance worker retention and performance.

“Dogecoin Will Outperform Bitcoin In 2025, Vows Trader: Here’s What The ‘Follower Effect’ Means,” by Khyathi Dalal, shares a crypto trader’s belief that Dogecoin (CRYPTO: DOGE) will outperform Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) in 2025, benefiting from its rapid growth and leveraging Bitcoin’s trajectory via the “follower effect.”

For additional bullish calls of the past week, check out the following:

Qualcomm Analyst Sees Opportunity In ‘Regaining Share With Samsung’ After Apple Revenue Squeeze

MicroStrategy 2X Leveraged, Inverse ETFs Are Here, Offer ‘Unparalleled Access To MicroStrategy’s Bitcoin Exposure’

Nvidia Considers $165M OctoAI Acquisition, Aims to Strengthen AI and Cloud Dominance

The Bears

“Apple iPhone 16 Pre-Orders Show Possible Low Demand, One Sign Could Point To Company Break With This Employee Rule,” by Chris Katje, highlights concerns over weaker-than-expected demand for Apple Inc‘s (NASDAQ:AAPL) iPhone 16, with an analyst citing early pre-order data of 37 million units and employee discounts available unusually early as potential warning signs.

“Home Depot Agrees To Settlement, While Overbought Signals Warn Of Potential Sell-Off,” by Mark Putrino, reports on Home Depot Inc‘s (NYSE:HD) nearly $2 million settlement for overcharging allegations. At the same time, technical indicators suggest the stock may face a sell-off due to overbought conditions.

“Brace For Stagflation After Fed’s Benevolence, Warns Analyst, Raising 5 Corporate Red Flags: ‘Inflation Is Transitory Mistake All Over Again’,” by Shanthi Rexaline, discusses Gordon Johnson‘s warning that the Federal Reserve‘s recent rate cuts could lead to stagflation, citing downturns at Skechers U.S.A., Inc. (NYSE:SKX) and FedEx Corp. (NYSE:FDX) as red flags.

For more bearish takes, be sure to see these posts:

Donald Trump Can Cash Out His Trump Media & Technology Stock, Keep Company Control: Here’s How Many Shares He Owns

‘Mass Slaughter’: Wealth Manager Warns Of Market Correction, Digital Disruption As ETF, Passive Investing Goes Up And To The Right

EXCLUSIVE: Options Expert Warns Of ‘Terrible Week’ After Friday’s Triple Witching

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This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.