The stock market didn't do very well last week, and the downward momentum appeared likely to continue Monday morning on Wall Street. Stock index futures were down slightly, as investors remain concerned about future actions from the Federal Reserve and other central banks around the world.
Some high-growth companies have taken particularly large hits as interest rates have risen, and Nio (NIO -4.48%) saw its shares fall again as it moved forward with plans to get some financing. Yet a variety of media and entertainment stocks moved higher on news that a tentative deal with striking workers could put a painful episode behind them. Here's all the latest on what's driving the market Monday morning.
Nio gets its billion dollars -- at a price
Shares of Nio dropped about 6% in premarket trading on Monday, building on losses from last week. The Chinese electric vehicle (EV) company did what it needed to do to raise capital, but the terms on which it did so show how difficult the current environment is for businesses that want more cash on their balance sheets.
It took until Monday morning for Nio to close on the convertible senior note offerings it had announced early last week. The automaker issued a combination of five-year and six-year notes, and it had to pay up in order to entice investors to purchase the debt. The notes due in 2029 will pay 3.875% annually in interest, with a conversion price equivalent to about $11.12 per share. The 2030 notes have the same conversion price, but pay a higher interest rate of 4.625% annually.
That might not seem too bad in the current environment, but comparing it to the debt that Nio paid off with the proceeds is eye-opening. Nio spent a total of $500 million repurchasing 2026 convertible notes with a 0% interest rate and 2027 convertible notes paying just 0.5%. As a result of the refinancing, Nio has bought itself an extra three years, but the interest cost will be substantial.
It's a tough time for any company needing capital, and Nio still has to handle ultra-competitive conditions in the EV market. The Chinese EV automaker has plenty of promise, but so do many of its rivals.
Media stocks climb
Meanwhile, shares of many media stocks were higher on Monday morning. Paramount Global (PARA -0.38%) climbed 2% in premarket trading, with Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD -0.09%) gaining more than 1%.
Screenwriters have been on strike, bringing Hollywood to a standstill and threatening movie and television production. However, on Sunday, the Writers Guild of America announced a deal with production studio group Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers. The tentative agreement would reportedly cover a three-year period, with early inside reports suggesting that writers got some of the concessions that they had asked for. Full details aren't likely to be available until writers have a chance to vote on the proposal.
Perhaps the biggest concern that many screenwriters have had involves the use of artificial intelligence (AI). AI tools have already emerged to help produce content, and screenwriters fear that further advances in AI will eventually make their jobs obsolete. It will be interesting to see the terms of any agreement on AI use when details get released.
The rise in media stocks suggests that investors are happier to have a deal on the table than they are concerned about any added costs from an agreement. Nevertheless, with considerable competition in areas like streaming video, the worries for the media and entertainment industry are far from over.
