Circle's Shares Plunge 19% Following Tether's Audit Announcement
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Mar 24 2026
0mins
Should l Buy EL?
Source: CNBC
- Stablecoin Market Turmoil: Circle's shares plummeted approximately 19% after rival Tether announced it hired a Big Four accounting firm to audit its USDT reserves, raising concerns over transparency in the stablecoin market and potentially undermining investor confidence and market stability.
- SAP Rating Downgrade: SAP's stock fell 4% following JPMorgan's downgrade from overweight to neutral and a price target reduction from €260 to €175, with analysts noting that the company's cloud backlog is likely to decelerate further as the migration base matures, increasing uncertainty around future performance.
- Surge in Optical Component Demand: Applied Optoelectronics saw a 14% increase in shares after announcing a new order for 800G data center transceivers from a major hyperscale customer, which not only boosts revenue expectations but also strengthens its market position in the optical manufacturing sector.
- Network Equipment Market Shift: Netgear's stock surged 16% after the FCC banned imports of consumer routers made abroad due to national security risks, a policy change that is likely to enhance Netgear's competitive advantage in the domestic market.
Trade with 70% Backtested Accuracy
Stop guessing "Should I Buy EL?" and start using high-conviction signals backed by rigorous historical data.
Sign up today to access powerful investing tools and make smarter, data-driven decisions.
Analyst Views on EL
Wall Street analysts forecast EL stock price to rise
18 Analyst Rating
8 Buy
9 Hold
1 Sell
Moderate Buy
Current: 75.340
Low
70.00
Averages
106.76
High
130.00
Current: 75.340
Low
70.00
Averages
106.76
High
130.00
About EL
The Estee Lauder Companies Inc. is a manufacturer, marketer and seller of skin care, makeup, fragrance and hair care products. Its products are sold in over 150 countries and territories under a number of brand names, including Estee Lauder, Aramis, Clinique, Lab Series, Origins, M.A.C, Bobbi Brown Cosmetics, La Mer, Aveda, Jo Malone London, Bumble and bumble, Darphin Paris, TOM FORD, Smashbox, AERIN Beauty, Le Labo, Editions de Parfums Frederic Malle, GLAMGLOW, Kilian Paris, Too Faced, Dr.Jart+, and the DECIEM family of brands, including The Ordinary and NIOD, and BALMAIN Beauty. It is a licensee for fragrances, cosmetics and/or related products for AERIN, BALMAIN, and Dr. Andrew Weil. Its skin care products include moisturizers, serums, cleansers, toners, exfoliators, facial masks, body care, sun care products and others. Its makeup products include foundations, powders, concealers and setting sprays, lipsticks, lip liners and lip glosses, and mascaras, eyeshadows and eyeliners.
About the author

Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
- Dividend Increase: Procter & Gamble raised its quarterly dividend from $1.0568 to $1.0885 per share, resulting in an annual payout of $4.354 and a forward yield of 3%, reflecting the company's ongoing commitment to shareholder returns.
- Dividend King Status: This increase positions P&G among only five companies that have raised dividends for over 70 consecutive years, further solidifying its status as a Dividend King and attracting income-focused investors.
- Market Competitiveness: As the largest household and personal products company globally, P&G demonstrates resilience with an operating margin exceeding 20%, despite facing consumer spending challenges, showcasing its ability to maintain stability during economic fluctuations.
- Investment Opportunity: The recent stock sell-off has pushed P&G's dividend yield to a five-year high, with a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.4 and a forward P/E of 20.8, presenting an attractive buying opportunity for value investors looking to anchor their passive income portfolios.
See More
- Dividend Increase: Procter & Gamble raised its quarterly dividend from $1.0568 to $1.0885 per share, resulting in an annual payout of $4.354 and a forward yield of 3%, demonstrating the company's resilience amid economic slowdowns.
- Industry Position: As the largest household and personal products company globally, P&G ranks third in market capitalization among U.S. consumer staples, trailing only Walmart and Costco, highlighting its strong competitive edge in the market.
- Financial Health: With earnings per share at $6.75 and free cash flow at $6.09, P&G maintains a solid dividend payout ratio of 61.9%, indicating robust financial health while sustaining dividend growth.
- Market Adaptability: Despite consumer spending challenges, P&G effectively offsets weak performance in North America by leveraging a diversified product portfolio and geographic flexibility, ensuring continued growth in the global market.
See More
- Oil Price Decline: Oil prices fell approximately 10% after Iran declared the Strait of Hormuz open for commercial traffic during a 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, which could negatively impact the earnings of related energy companies.
- Surge in iPhone Shipments: According to CounterPoint Research, iPhone shipments in China increased by 20% in Q1, despite an overall decline in the smartphone market due to soaring memory costs, providing a positive outlook for Apple's primary revenue source.
- Netflix Price Target Cuts: Barclays lowered Netflix's price target from $115 to $110, with Wolfe Research and Rosenblatt also cutting theirs to $107 and $95 respectively, leading to a more than 9% drop in shares, reflecting market concerns about its future performance.
- Target Price Adjustments: Several companies, including Danaher and Abbott Laboratories, saw their price targets cut, with Danaher's target reduced from $220 to $205 due to concerns over its legacy business, while Abbott's target was lowered to $120 by multiple firms, although all maintained a buy rating.
See More
- Incomplete Asset Disclosure: Warsh's financial disclosures indicate assets valued between $135 million and $226 million, but the broad reporting ranges hinder precise wealth calculations, potentially impacting the transparency and credibility of his nomination.
- Ethical Compliance Issues: Warsh is criticized for being the first Fed nominee not in compliance with ethics rules due to his failure to disclose assets exceeding $100 million, raising public concerns about his moral standards and affecting his nomination process.
- Asset Divestment Commitment: Warsh has pledged to divest undisclosed assets within 90 days of confirmation, which, if successful, may alleviate concerns regarding his financial transparency and restore compliance status.
- Impact on Fed Policies: The Fed's 2022 ban on senior officials owning individual stocks and other assets makes Warsh's nomination particularly sensitive, potentially influencing future Fed policy directions and public trust.
See More
- ASML Surpasses Expectations: ASML's first-quarter results significantly exceeded expectations, and the company raised its 2026 guidance, indicating strong demand for semiconductor manufacturing equipment, which could further boost the stock prices of related companies.
- Morgan Stanley's Strong Quarter: Morgan Stanley reported substantial beats in equities and fixed-income trading, leading to a more than 2% increase in its stock price, showcasing its competitive edge in investment banking, with CEO Ted Pick's leadership gaining market recognition.
- Wells Fargo's Underwhelming Performance: Although Wells Fargo reported decent quarterly results, concerns over its private credit portfolio led analysts to lower its price target and remove it from their best ideas list, resulting in the stock stabilizing after a 5.7% decline.
- Johnson & Johnson Price Target Hikes: Following its earnings report, Barclays and Stifel raised Johnson & Johnson's price targets to $255 and $250 respectively, reflecting market optimism about its strong pharmaceutical portfolio, particularly driven by cancer treatments and Tremfya.
See More
- Partnership Extension: Meta and Broadcom have signed a deal extending their partnership through 2029 to design Meta's custom AI accelerators, with an initial deployment of 1 gigawatt and plans to scale to multiple gigawatts, significantly enhancing Meta's computational capabilities in AI.
- Executive Changes: Broadcom CEO Hock Tan has decided not to seek reelection to Meta's board, where he joined in 2024, a move that could impact Meta's strategic decisions and collaborative direction moving forward.
- Positive Market Reaction: Following the announcement of the partnership, Broadcom's shares rose by 3%, indicating market optimism regarding the collaboration, while Meta's stock remained flat, reflecting investor focus on its AI strategy.
- Accelerated AI Investment: Meta plans to invest up to $135 billion in AI in 2023, with recent commitments to deploy 6 gigawatts of AMD GPUs and millions of Nvidia chips, showcasing its ambition in building AI infrastructure.
See More










