Argentine libertarian candidate Javier Milei secured a significant midterm election victory, causing Argentine stocks and bonds to surge dramatically, with investors optimistic about potential economic reforms and market accessibility.

Argentina’s new president Javier Milei faces a general strike after spending just a month in office. What Happened: Protesters have taken to the streets in response to a recent reform bill, and unions have planned a general strike for Jan. 24, while the country’s equity market has started showing signs of strain. The CGT, one of Argentina's oldest and most powerful union groups, announced the planned strike Thursday following a raft of unpopular reforms, including Milei’s decision to sack 5,000 government employees to cut costs. Milei was the unexpected winner of an election run-off in mid-November — a close result — but one that appeared to please the market at first, lifting the Global X MSCI Argentina ETF (NYSE:ARGT), an exchange-traded fund that tracks Argentine stocks, by 24% since the election. Full story available on Benzinga.com

Javier Milei was sworn in as Argentina's new president on Sunday, with a promise of radical change for the nation’s troubled economic landscape. With inflation soaring more than 140%, and amidst a backdrop of relentless economic and political turmoil, Milei’s inaugural address was nothing short of disruptive, signaling a deep rupture with the immediate and historical precedents. Acknowledging the hyperinflationary crisis he inherited, Milei painted a grim picture, projecting potential inflation rates reaching a staggering 15,000%, as local news outlet La Nacion revealed. Despite enduring 12 years of stagflation, the ultra-libertarian president offered a glimmer of hope, assuring the public the catastrophe would only persist for a few more months due to his stringent fiscal policies. “There is light at the end of the tunnel,” he enthused, emphasizing that this time the focus would be on cutting government spending rather than increasing revenues. Manuel Adorni, the presidential spokesperson, ...Full story available on Benzinga.com

Empresa (EDN) has been upgraded to a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), reflecting growing optimism about the company's earnings prospects. This might drive the stock higher in the near term.

U.S. stocks traded mostly lower midway through trading, with the Dow Jones dropping over 100 points on Wednesday. The Dow traded down 0.34% to 33,974.46 while the NASDAQ rose 0.22% to 11,986.30. The S&P 500 also fell, dropping, 0.19% to 4,128.13. Check This Out: Check Out 3 High-Yielding Dividend Stocks In Tech & Telecom Sector From Wall Street's Most Accurate Analysts   Leading and Lagging Sectors Utilities shares traded fell by just 0.1% on Wednesday. Meanwhile, top gainers in the sector included Azure Power Global Limited (NYSE: AZRE), up 4%, and Empresa Distribuidora y Comercializadora Norte Sociedad Anónima (NYSE: EDN), up 1.4%. In trading on Wednesday, energy shares dipped by 2.3%.   Top Headline Retail sales in the US rose 3% month-over-month in January, recording the biggest growth since March 2021 and above market expectations for a 1.8% increase.   Equities Trading UP Roblox Corporation (NYSE: RBLX) shares shot up 22% to $60.91 after the company reported better-than-expected Q4 sales results. Shares of The Trade Desk, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTD) got a boost, shooting 22% to $60.91 after the company reported better-than-expected Q4 adjusted results and issued Q1 revenue guidance above estimates. The company also announced a $700 million buyback. Sera Prognostics, Inc. ...

U.S. stocks pared losses, with the Dow Jones turning higher toward the end of trading on Thursday. The Dow traded up 0.08% to 31,534.26 while the NASDAQ fell 0.90% to 11,709.66. The S&P 500 also fell, dropping, 0.26% to 3,944.60. Also check this: Fear & Greed Index Drops Further As US Stocks Record Losses For Fourth Straight Session Leading and Lagging Sectors Utilities shares rose by 1.3% on Thursday. Meanwhile, top gainers in the sector included Empresa Distribuidora y Comercializadora Norte Sociedad Anónima (NYSE: EDN), up 6% and Cadiz Inc. (NASDAQ: CDZI) up 3%. In trading on Thursday, energy shares tumbled by 2.6%. Top Headline The ISM manufacturing PMI fell to 52.8 in August from 53 in June.   Equities Trading UP   Forma Therapeutics Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: FMTX) shares shot up 49% to $20.00 after Novo Nordisk announced it will acquire the company for $20 per share in cash. Shares of ShiftPixy, Inc. (NASDAQ: PIXY) got a boost, shooting 50% to $21.00. ShiftPixy announced a 1-for-100 reverse stock split. Nutanix, Inc. (NASDAQ: NTNX) shares were also up, gaining 26% to $21.73 after the company reported better-than-expected sales results for its fourth quarter and issued strong revenue forecast.   Equities Trading DOWN Semtech Corporation (NASDAQ: ...