What Happened?
Shares of exercise equipment company Peloton (NASDAQ: PTON) fell 2.6% in the afternoon session after the major indices continued to retreat (Nasdaq -1.5%, S&P 500 -1.2%) amid profit-taking and renewed concerns about tariffs.
Investor sentiment soured following the release of the latest ISM Manufacturing report, which indicated that manufacturing activity in the U.S. had contracted for the sixth consecutive month. This sluggish economic data, combined with rising Treasury yields, put significant pressure on equities. When bond yields rise, they make stocks appear less attractive to investors. The market weakness reflects concerns over economic health and unfavorable seasonal trends for stocks in September.
The stock market overreacts to news, and big price drops can present good opportunities to buy high-quality stocks. Is now the time to buy Peloton? Access our full analysis report here, it’s free.
What Is The Market Telling Us
Peloton’s shares are extremely volatile and have had 72 moves greater than 5% over the last year. In that context, today’s move indicates the market considers this news meaningful but not something that would fundamentally change its perception of the business.
The previous big move we wrote about was 13 days ago when the stock dropped 4.1% on the news that the major indices continued to pull back, with technology stocks accounting for most of the market's largest decliners. A key reason for this trend is that much of the recent market gains were concentrated in the "AI trade," which includes these large technology and semiconductor companies. So this could also mean that some investors are locking in some gains ahead of more definitive feedback from the Fed.
Despite the downturn, some analysts viewed this as an opportunity to own some of the "Core AI winners." Dan Ives of Wedbush Securities commented, "In our view, the tech bull cycle will be well intact for at least another 2-3 years, given the trillions being spent on AI infrastructure/software/chips/power/apps looking ahead. This remains our tech playbook and investor roadmap."
Additionally, mixed earnings reports from retailers, such as Target, have added to the market's weakness. Investors are closely monitoring these reports for insights into the broader economic health and the potential impact of new tariffs on inflation.
Peloton is down 16% since the beginning of the year, and at $7.42 per share, it is trading 29.8% below its 52-week high of $10.57 from December 2024. Investors who bought $1,000 worth of Peloton’s shares 5 years ago would now be looking at an investment worth $81.43.
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