Wall Street continued to lose ground on Friday, extending the massive losses recorded during the previous session. The Nasdaq led the decline again, falling by 1.6%.
Certain defensive stocks have held out against the recent selling pressure. Packaged food stocks continued to advance on Friday, helped in part by strong earnings from Post Holdings (POST). The sector also saw gains in household names like J.M. Smucker (SJM) and Campbell Soup (CPB).
NRG Energy (NRG) also showed strength on an otherwise down day. The stock rallied on strong quarterly results. Meanwhile, Unum Group (UNM) received an earnings-related boost as well, marching to a fresh 52-week high.
Looking to some of the day's standout decliners, FuboTV (FUBO) and Under Armour (NYSE:UAA)(UA) both dropped more than 20% following the release of their financial figures.
Sector In Focus
Amid the selling of the last several days, some defensive stocks have managed to draw bids, even as the overall market has stumbled. The packaged food sector has held up well, bolstered by recent earnings reports that showed these consumer stalwarts have maintained pricing power in the face of significant inflationary pressures.
Post Holdings (POST), the maker of products like Raisin Bran cereal and Peter Pan peanut butter, topped projections with its top and bottom lines, thanks in part to proactive pricing increases. The stock rose 7% on the news.
POST's earnings beat followed a similar report from competitor Kellogg the previous day. K rose an additional nearly 4% in Friday's action.
Elsewhere in the sector, J.M. Smucker (SJM) and Campbell Soup (CPB) both rose about 2% on Friday.
Standout Gainer
NRG Energy (NRG) received a boost from stellar quarterly results, climbing nearly 10% on the session.
The power company reported a Q1 profit of $1.73B, reversing a loss of $82M last year, when the bottom line was hurt by the impact of Winter Storm Uri. NRG said it also benefited from mark-to-market gains on economic hedge positions.
NRG closed at $41.40, an advance of $3.65 on the day. With Friday's rally, the stock recorded its highest close since January.
Standout Loser
Disappointing results led to substantial selling pressure for FuboTV (FUBO). Shares of the streaming TV service cratered 21%.
FUBO reported a quarterly loss that deepened from last year and came in wider than analysts had projected. Revenue more than doubled from last year but also failed to meet the expectations of Wall Street experts.
The firm's forecast likewise came as a negative surprise to investors. FUBO predicted a figure between $225M and $231M. Analysts were targeting a figure close to $245M.
FUBO crashed to an intraday 52-week low of $2.87 early in Friday's trading. The stock recovered some of its losses by the close but still ended at $3.25, a decline of 87 cents on the session.
Looking longer-term, the stock has been falling steadily since early November, when the stock challenged the $35 level. FUBO has lost more than 90% of its value over the past six months.
Notable New High
Citing a favorable business environment and the waning impact of COVID on its customers, insurer Unum Group (UNM) reported better-than-expected Q1 results, sparking a nearly 14% rise in its share price. The advance took the stock to a new 52-week high.
UNM easily beat expectations with its Q1 profit, with an adjusted operating EPS figure that exceeded analysts' consensus by more than 70%. Adjusted operating income rose 48% from last year.
Looking ahead, the company raised its forecast, saying it now projected adjusted operating EPS growth of 15% to 20%.
UNM finished Friday's trading at $36.31, a gain of $4.39 on the session. Shares also reached an intraday 52-week high of $36.51.
The stock has seen intermittent buying interest since hitting a 52-week low of $22.25 late last year. UNM has advanced 63% since hitting that nadir.
Notable New Low
A surprise loss sparked a wave of selling in shares of sports apparel maker Under Armour (UAA)(UA). The stock plummeted almost 24%, falling to a new 52-week low.
The company reported a loss for the Q1, disappointing analysts, who had projected a profit. The firm's revenue result was also unimpressive, with the top line rising about 3% to $1.3B.
UAA gave an upbeat forecast for annual revenue growth but warned that its gross margins would contract amid inflationary pressure and ongoing supply chain challenges.
Dragged down by the margin concerns, UAA retreated $3.40 to close at $10.89. During the session, the stock reached an intraday 52-week low of $10.39.
Friday's slide took the stock below recent support, renewing a decline that began in late November, when the stock set a 52-week high of $27.28. Shares have fallen 60% since that peak.
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