Mid-Day Links -- February 20, 2024

Locator: 46853INV.

CNBC headlines:

• Ford cuts prices of Mustang Mach-E by up to $8,100
• US Supreme Court won't review Apple's win against $500 million patent verdict, link here:

The justices turned away Zephyr Cove, Nevada-based VirnetX’s appeal of a lower court’s decision to overturn the verdict against Cupertino, California-based Apple that had been reached by a jury in Tyler, Texas. VirnetX had challenged the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s decisions to invalidate its patents. 

Apple and VirnetX have waged a 14-year-long court battle over VirnetX’s internet-security patents that has included several trials and appeals.

• Walmart to buy Vizio; beats on forecast; nice guidance and raises dividend highest it's raised it dividend in ten years. 
• Walmart's dividend announcement speaks volumes: the company sees a great economy going forward.
  
• AbbVie with new CEO
• Cox Communications wins order overturning $1 billion US copyright verdict
• more and more banks hiking S&P 500 target; now commonly seen: 5,400
• Home Depot beats earnings

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Dividend Watch

CAT is downgraded today; shares. CAT generally announces an increase in the dividend early in the summer with a record date of July 17 - 21, or thereabouts, payable a month later, August, making it a nice "off-month" dividend.