Beyond Meat's KFC Meatless Chicken

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Beyond Meat's KFC Meatless Chicken

Shares of Beyond Meat (Nasdaq: BYND) jumped 9.06% in after-hours trading on Tuesday after the plant-based meat producer announced that its meatless chicken will be available at KFC restaurants nationwide starting on Monday.

Background: KFC, which is owned by Yum Brands (NYSE: YUM), has been testing plant-based chicken from Beyond Meat since 2019. In fact, Beyond Meat has provided plant-based chicken to Panda Express.

Timing: The nationwide introduction of the meatless chicken, which is available for a limited time, coincides with consumers trying to eat healthier to accomplish New Year’s resolutions.

Big Picture: Beyond Meats had a lackluster 2021, with shares down 50% last year. Meanwhile, Yum Brands was up 29% in 2021.

Final Thoughts: Beyond Meat is still not profitable, but hopes to achieve that next year.

Notables

Notable Earnings Today: Simply Good Foods (Nasdaq: SMPL), RPM International (NYSE: RPM), UniFirst (NYSE: UNF), Saratoga Investment (NYSE: SAR), Resources Connection (Nasdaq: RGP).

Notable IPOs Today: A2Z Smart Technologies Corp. Common Shares (Nasdaq: AZ), Cartica Acquisition Corp Unit (Nasdaq: CITEU), Roth CH Acquisition V Co. Common Stock (Nasdaq: ROCL), AppTech Payments Corp. Common Stock (Nasdaq: APCX).

Notable Equity Crowdfunding Campaigns Ending Today: BEAN (TruCrowd), Hylio (StartEngine), HereYouGo (Wefunder).

Notable Economic Events Today: ADP Nonfarm employment report (8:15 a.m. ET), Markit Composite PMI (9:45 a.m. ET), Services PMI (9:45 a.m. ET), Crude Oil Inventories (10:30 a.m. ET), FOMC Meeting Minutes (2:00 p.m. ET).

Ford Expands Electric Pickup Truck Production

Shares of Ford (NYSE: F) increased 11.67% on Tuesday after the automobile manufacturer said it will nearly double the production of its all-electric F-150 Lightning at its plant in Michigan.

Details: Ford said that it will double the production to 150,000 F-150 Lightning trucks per year due to “unprecedented customer” demand. The company added that it already has nearly 200,000 reservations.

History: It’s been over 20 years since Ford’s stock reached these levels. The stock is up 181% in the past year.

Big Picture: Call it the Tesla (Nasdaq: TSLA) effect, but more Americans are interested in electric vehicles than ever before. This bolds well for Ford and others in the space.

Final Thoughts: Does Ford’s stock have more room to grow? And can the company compete with the other players in the electric vehicle market?

Economic Issues That Might Impact Investments in 2022

There are several emerging economic factors that investors should pay attention to in this new year.

The Fed: It is anticipated that the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates in 2022. If this happens, the success that some stocks had during the pandemic will likely come to an end.

Child’s Play: With Congress failing to reach a deadline, the monthly child tax credit is over. This will impact the spending habits of certain consumers.

No Stimulus: Unlike 2020 and 2021, there will be no federal stimulus, which could dampen consumer spending. However, a new lockdown in 2022 might spur new stimulus.

Final Thoughts: These economic trends will change the course of the stock market for 2022.

Trends to Watch

Taking the Lead: Toyota Overtakes GM as Bestselling Auto Maker in U.S. (The Wall Street Journal)

Quitters: The number of people quitting jobs hit an all-time high in November as openings stayed near record (USA Today)

Kicking the Can Down the Road: SEC Delays Decision on NYDIG’s Spot Bitcoin ETF Proposal (CoinDesk)

Tax Idea: Bitcoin slump offers tax play for investors — for now (CNBC)

New Age Farming: John Deere says its autonomous tractor is ready for production (Engadget)

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