Stocks end higher as stimulus hope continues The major averages finished the week with an advance as signs mount that Democrats and Republicans have not given up on agreeing on another coronavirus relief package. In a reversal from his call earlier in the week that he was advising his team to stop negotiations, President Trump is now imploring lawmakers to "Go Big!" in terms of fiscal stimulus. ECONOMIC EVENTS: In the U.S., wholesale inventories rose 0.4% and sales increased 1.4% in August. In energy news, Baker Hughes reported that the U.S. rig count is up 3 to 269 rigs. On the D.C. front, Larry Kudlow, Director of the National Economic Council, said President Donald Trump has "approved a revised package" and "would like to do a deal" to provide more economic stimulus. Subsequently, Kate Davidson of The Wall Street Journal reported via Twitter, citing sources, that Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin is preparing to present House Speaker Nancy Pelosi with a $1.8T counteroffer when the two speak today. Later, Politico's Jake Sherman reported that the White House's top-line number for a stimulus deal is $1.8T and the line Republicans "can't cross" is $2T. Meanwhile, Drew Hammill, Pelosi's deputy chief of staff, said via Twitter: "The Speaker and Secretary Mnuchin spoke at 1:40 p.m. via phone for just over 30 minutes. Today, the Secretary returned to the table with a proposal that attempted to address some of the concerns Democrats have. [...] Of special concern, is the absence of an agreement on a strategic plan to crush the virus. For this and other provisions, we are still awaiting language from the Administration as negotiations on the overall funding amount continue." TOP NEWS: Shares of NXP Semiconductors ($NXPI) were 5% higher following the company's pre-announcement of better than expected preliminary results for the September quarter. NXP Semi cited material improvement in demand across all end markets, particularly in the automotive and mobile end markets. Shares of HCA Healthcare ($HCA) rose 1.6% after the hospital operator announced its expects revenue that topped the consensus forecast. HCA also said that as result of the conservative approach the company took, which included "a number of actions to meet the operational and financial challenges this global health crisis was expected to present," that HCA Healthcare is able to return, or repay early, all of its share of Provider Relief Fund distributions of approximately $1.6B and approximately $4.4B in Medicare accelerated payments. In M&A news, Cara Lombardo and Dana Cimilluca of The Wall Street Journal reported AMD ($AMD) is in advanced discussions to purchase rival Xilinx ($XLNX) in a deal that could be valued at over $30B. Following the report, Citi analyst Christopher Danely said such a deal would represent a roughly 20% premium to Xilinx's current stock price of $105.99. While the deal would be accretive to AMD given its low margins, there is a "good chance" Xilinx management is against being acquired given its dominant and improving position in the high-margin programmable logic device market, says the analyst. Qualcomm ($QCOM) reportedly made an offer to buy Xilinx several years ago, which if true was likely turned down, and Xilinx management is likely to do same to AMD, contends Danely, who believes Xilinx management is against the company getting taken over. As theater operators and film makers continue to adjust to the pandemic, Disney ($DIS) took what may turn out to be an important step, announcing that Pixar film "Soul" will be streaming exclusively on Disney+ on December 25, 2020. MAJOR MOVERS: Among the noteworthy gainers was Extreme Networks ($EXTR), which rose 12.2% after it raised its Q1 adjusted earnings guidance. Also higher was Opko Health ($OPK), which gained 1% after subsidiary BioReference Laboratories announced the beginning of its COVID-19 testing program for New York City schools. Among the notable losers was Amgen ($AMGN), which declined 1.4% after Truist analyst Robyn Karnauskas downgraded the stock to Hold from Buy with a price target of $251, down from $268. INDEXES: The Dow rose 161.39, or 0.57%, to 28,586.90, the Nasdaq gained 158.96, or 1.39%, to 11,579.94, and the S&P 500 advanced 30.30, or 0.88%, to 3,477.13.Source: (Briefing.com)(theFly.com) Disclosure: I may trade in the ticker symbols mentioned, both long or short. My articles represent my personal opinion and analysis and should not be taken as investment advice. Readers should do their own research before making decisions to buy or sell securities. Trading and investing include risks, including loss of principal. If you liked this article, please click the LIKE (thumbs up) button. Feel free to leave any comments, question, or opinions. (Sign-up if you haven't already done so). Follow us/bookmark us and check back occasionally for additional articles or comments on our page... Wild Tiger Trading - start/main page. . Want to trade some of these stocks?Are you interested in trading stocks to supplement your income or make a living? Maybe become a professional trader? 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