Australia Stock Market Today: ASX 200 Falls Again as Oil Shock, Woolworths Warning Hit Shares
Australian shares fell for an eighth straight session Thursday, with the S&P/ASX 200 closing down 0.24%
FTSE 100 Today: Why UK Stocks Are Barely Moving as DCC, Unilever and the BoE Dominate London Trading
The FTSE 100 rose 0.10% to 10,222.85 in early London trading, recovering after a 1.2% drop on Wednesday. DCC shares fell 5% after rejecting a £4.95 billion takeover bid from KKR and
Brookfield Renewable Stock Drops 12% Before Q1 Results as BEPC Investors Brace for Friday
Brookfield Renewable Corp’s NYSE shares fell 12.5% to $35.20 on Wednesday, with volume quadrupling the three-month average ahead of first-quarter results due Friday. The drop came despite a higher quarterly dividend and mixed analyst views. The company operates 47 GW of clean energy assets globally. Analysts expect a first-quarter loss of 33.92 cents per share on $1.62 billion in revenue.
Markel Stock Slides After $728 Million Investment Loss Masks Insurance Turnaround
Markel Group posted a $212.3 million net loss for the first quarter, driven by a $728 million investment loss, sending shares down 7.9% to $1,759.21. Operating revenue held steady at $3.55 billion, while adjusted operating income rose 4% to $498 million. Markel Insurance’s adjusted operating income jumped 31% to $369 million. Gross premium volume in underwriting fell 21% after exiting Global Reinsurance.
QQQ Rises Today as Big Tech Earnings Put the Nasdaq 100 Rally on the Line
The Invesco QQQ Trust closed up $3.99 at $661.57 Wednesday as investors positioned ahead of earnings from Microsoft, Alphabet, Amazon, and Meta. Volume topped 30 million shares. Microsoft and Alphabet reported strong cloud and AI-driven revenue growth after the bell. The broader Nasdaq Composite edged up 0.04%, while the S&P 500 slipped 0.04%.
Qualcomm Stock Jumps After Q2 Earnings Beat: Why a Weak Forecast Didn’t Stop the Rally
Qualcomm shares jumped late Wednesday after the company beat adjusted profit forecasts and said China’s smartphone slump may be ending, despite a weak third-quarter outlook. Fiscal Q2 revenue fell 3% to $10.6 billion; adjusted EPS reached $2.65, topping estimates. Handset chip sales dropped 13%, while automotive and IoT revenue climbed. Qualcomm expects Q3 revenue below Wall Street targets due to memory supply issues.
Microsoft Stock Falls After Earnings Beat as Azure Growth Hits 40% and AI Revenue Surges
Microsoft reported fiscal Q3 revenue of $82.9 billion, up 18%, and net income of $31.8 billion, up 23%, beating analyst estimates. Azure revenue jumped 40%, and AI business annual run rate hit $37 billion, up 123%. Shares fell over 2% after hours as investors focused on rising capital expenditures, which climbed 49% to $31.9 billion. Free cash flow dropped to $15.8 billion from $20.3 billion a year earlier.
Meta Stock Slides as $145 Billion AI Spending Plan Overshadows Blowout Earnings
Meta Platforms shares dropped about 5% in after-hours trading Wednesday after the company raised its 2026 capital spending forecast to $125–$145 billion. First-quarter revenue rose 33% to $56.31 billion, beating estimates, while net income reached $26.77 billion, boosted by an $8.03 billion tax benefit. Meta expects second-quarter revenue of $58–$61 billion. Daily active users across its apps increased 4% to 3.56 billion.
Chipotle Stock Jumps After Chicken Bet Breaks Its Sales Slump
Chipotle Mexican Grill reported a 0.5% rise in first-quarter comparable sales, reversing recent declines and beating analyst expectations. Total revenue rose 7.4% to $3.09 billion, while shares jumped 7% in after-hours trading. Operating margin narrowed to 12.9% from 16.7% a year earlier. Menu items like Chicken al Pastor and Honey Chicken drove increased restaurant visits.
AI Stocks Today: Big Tech Earnings Just Put the Market’s Hottest Trade on Notice
Alphabet shares jumped over 3% in after-hours trading Wednesday as Google Cloud revenue surged 63% to $20 billion. Meta, Amazon, and Microsoft fell, with Meta dropping more than 6% after raising its 2026 capital spending forecast for AI infrastructure. Amazon’s AWS revenue beat estimates but shares slipped. The four companies are expected to spend over $600 billion on AI infrastructure this year.
Ford’s $1.3 Billion Tariff Refund Lifted Its 2026 Outlook. Aluminum Is The Catch
Ford raised its 2026 profit outlook after a $1.3 billion tariff refund lifted Q1 net income to $2.5 billion and revenue to $43.3 billion. Adjusted EBIT jumped to $3.5 billion from $1 billion a year earlier. The company flagged $2 billion in 2026 commodity headwinds, mainly from aluminum. Ford Model e lost $777 million in Q1, while F-150 inventory dropped 38% in April after Novelis plant fires.
Gasoline Price Today: U.S. Pump Prices Hit $4.23, and the Forecast Still Points Higher
U.S. average gasoline prices rose to $4.229 a gallon Wednesday, the highest since July 2022, according to AAA. Gasoline inventories dropped by 6.1 million barrels last week, falling below the five-year average, the EIA said. Brent crude settled at $118.03 a barrel, with refinery outages and strong demand adding pressure. California posted the highest state price at $5.983 a gallon.
Carvana Stock Jumps After Record Q1 Revenue, Profit Beat Wall Street Estimates
Carvana posted record first-quarter revenue of $6.43 billion, up 52% from a year earlier, and sold 187,393 retail vehicles, a 40% increase. Net income rose to $405 million. Shares climbed about 10% in after-hours trading. Adjusted EBITDA margin slipped to 10.4% from 11.5%, and gross profit per retail unit also declined.
Nebius Stock Jumps as Meta’s AI Spending Reset Puts $27 Billion Deal in Focus
Nebius Group N.V. shares rose 5.3% to $142.73 Wednesday as Meta Platforms raised its 2026 capital spending forecast by up to $10 billion, citing higher data center costs. Nebius has a contract to supply Meta with up to $27 billion in AI cloud capacity. Fourth-quarter 2025 revenue jumped 547% to $227.7 million, but the company reported a net loss of $249.6 million.
Phillips 66 Stock Jumps as Surprise Profit Shows Refining Margins Are Back in Focus
Phillips 66 reported an adjusted first-quarter profit of $200 million, or 49 cents per share, beating analyst forecasts of a loss. Strong refining margins and 95% plant utilization offset $839 million in hedge-related losses. Shares rose over 6% after the results. The company also completed its acquisition of Lindsey Oil Refinery assets in the UK.
Extreme Networks Stock Jumps as Q3 Earnings Beat Puts Cisco, HPE Rivals in Focus
Extreme Networks shares surged 28% after reporting fiscal Q3 revenue of $316.9 million, up 11%, and non-GAAP earnings of 26 cents per share, both above estimates. The company forecast Q4 revenue of $330–$335 million, topping FactSet’s $326.9 million estimate. SaaS annual recurring revenue rose 28.6% to $236.4 million. Net income climbed to $10.6 million from $3.5 million a year earlier.
Dow Drops as Fed Split and Oil Surge Put Big Tech’s $10 Trillion AI Test on the Line
Wall Street’s April rally paused Wednesday as the Fed held rates steady in a split decision and oil surged, with Brent crude up 7.34%. The Dow fell 0.56%, S&P 500 slipped 0.04%, and Nasdaq edged up 0.05%. The Fed’s vote was its most divided since 1992, with eight officials backing the hold and one calling for an immediate cut. Investors awaited earnings from Microsoft, Alphabet, Amazon, and Meta.
Amazon Earnings Beat Estimates as AWS AI Growth Hits 15-Quarter High
Amazon reported first-quarter revenue of $181.5 billion, up 17%, with Amazon Web Services sales jumping 28% to $37.6 billion. Net income reached $30.3 billion, boosted by a $16.8 billion pre-tax gain from Anthropic investments. Free cash flow fell to $1.2 billion as AI-related spending surged. Amazon forecast second-quarter sales of $194 billion to $199 billion, above Wall Street expectations.
Vita Coco Stock Surges After COCO Earnings Beat and Coconut Water Demand Lifts 2026 Outlook
Vita Coco shares jumped 27% Wednesday after first-quarter net sales rose 37% to $180 million, beating analyst expectations. The company raised its 2026 revenue outlook to $720–$735 million and lifted adjusted EBITDA guidance. Diluted earnings reached $0.50 per share, up from $0.31 a year earlier. Gross margin improved to 39.9% despite higher logistics and tariff costs.
Marathon Petroleum Stock Jumps Before Earnings as Refining Margins Put Wall Street on Alert
Marathon Petroleum shares rose 3.2% to $240.05 Wednesday as investors anticipated its May 5 earnings report, following a surge in fuel margins during the first quarter. Phillips 66 and Valero also gained after posting stronger-than-expected results. Marathon’s Robinson refinery in Illinois began planned maintenance in March. U.S. gasoline prices hit $4.18 a gallon, the highest since 2022, according to AAA.
Why MaxLinear Stock Is Surging as AI Data-Center Demand Rewrites the Story
MaxLinear shares rose about 34% to $69.58 on Wednesday after Loop Capital upgraded the stock and raised its target to $75. The surge followed a first-quarter report showing infrastructure revenue up 136% to become the company’s largest segment. Total revenue climbed 43% to $137.2 million. MaxLinear guided second-quarter revenue to $160–$170 million, citing strong demand for data-center optical products.
FuelCell Energy Stock Jumps As AI Power Bet Gets Fresh Boost From Bloom Energy
FuelCell Energy shares climbed $2.75 to $12.69 Wednesday, trading on heavy volume after Bloom Energy raised its 2026 outlook and reported a 130% jump in first-quarter revenue to $751.1 million. Bloom shares surged over 23% after announcing its fuel cells would power Oracle’s planned New Mexico AI data center. FuelCell’s first-quarter revenue rose 61% to $30.5 million, but it posted a $23.7 million net loss.
Plug Power Stock Jumps Before Earnings As Hydrogen Rally Gets New Spark
Plug Power shares rose about 10% to $3.33 Wednesday, trading on heavy volume after Clear Street raised its price target and Bloom Energy reported strong results. Plug will report first-quarter earnings May 11, as investors watch for signs that cost cuts and new orders are improving margins. The company recently won a major electrolyzer contract for a Québec project. Bloom Energy shares surged 23% after posting a 130% revenue jump.
Why Rising Dragon Acquisition Stock Surged as RDAC Seeks More Time for HZJL SPAC Deal
Rising Dragon Acquisition Corp. shares surged over 400% to $21.72 Wednesday after the SPAC proposed extending its merger deadline with HZJL Cayman Limited. The company called a May 28 shareholder meeting to vote on extending the deadline by up to 15 months. Rising Dragon’s board urged shareholders to approve the extension. The HZJL merger has not closed.
Upstart Stock Falls After $1.25 Billion Fortress Deal: Why Investors Are Still Wary
Upstart Holdings shares fell $2.09 to $30.77 Wednesday after announcing Fortress Investment Group affiliates will buy up to $1.25 billion in consumer loans over 15 months. March loan originations rose 60% year over year to $1.263 billion. In 2025, Upstart’s revenue climbed 64% to $1.0 billion, with net income of $53.6 million after a $129 million loss in 2024. Upstart plans to apply for a national bank charter.
Intel Stock Hits Record High as Google AI Chip Report Puts Foundry Turnaround in Play
Intel shares surged 10% Wednesday after reports that Google may use Intel’s EMIB chip-packaging technology in its next AI processor. The stock hit $94.03 before settling at $93.23. Intel recently reported first-quarter revenue of $13.6 billion, up 7% year over year. CFO David Zinsner said some gains came from selling previously shelved chips.
McDonald’s New Refreshers and Dirty Sodas Raise Stakes in Fast-Food Drink Fight
McDonald’s will launch six specialty drinks, including Refreshers and crafted sodas, in U.S. restaurants on May 6. The company is adding beverage specialists to handle the more complex preparation. The move follows the closure of its CosMc’s beverage pilot and comes as fast-food chains compete for afternoon customers and higher-margin sales.
Gold Price Today: Why Bullion Just Fell for a Third Day as the Fed and Iran War Shake Markets
Gold settled 1.02% lower at $4,545.20 an ounce Wednesday, its lowest since March 30, as traders weighed Federal Reserve rate policy and inflation risks from the Iran war. Spot gold touched a one-month low, while silver, platinum, and palladium also fell. Brent crude neared $119 a barrel and Treasury yields rose. The World Gold Council reported Q1 global gold demand up 2% year-on-year to 1,231 tonnes.
Sagtec Global Stock Jumps After Record 2025 Revenue, but Costs Tell a Harder Story
Sagtec Global reported 2025 audited revenue of $19.1 million, up 49%, driven by strong growth in services. Shares surged 38% to $2.35 in U.S. trading after volatile swings. Operating income dropped 9% to $2.1 million and earnings per share fell to $0.09 from $0.16, reflecting higher costs after the Nasdaq IPO. Net cash from operations rose 187% to $4.1 million.
US Stock Market Today: Dow Slides as Fed Decision and Big Tech Earnings Put AI Rally to the Test
The Dow fell 0.59%, S&P 500 dropped 0.24%, and Nasdaq slipped 0.31% as investors awaited the Federal Reserve’s rate decision and earnings from Microsoft, Alphabet, Amazon, and Meta. Brent crude climbed to $118.63, up 6.62%. The U.S. 10-year Treasury yield reached 4.394%. The Philadelphia Semiconductor Index rose 1.8%.
Dow Jones Today: Why the Blue-Chip Index Is Sliding Before Powell, Big Tech and the Oil Shock
The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 320 points, or 0.65%, to 48,821.82 Wednesday afternoon, heading for a fifth straight loss as investors awaited the Federal Reserve’s rate decision and major tech earnings. Brent crude surged 7.14% to $119.20 after reports of a possible extended Iran blockade. Boeing and Goldman Sachs weighed on the Dow, while Amazon rose and Microsoft slipped in midday trading.
General Dynamics Corporation Stock Jumps After Submarine Orders, Gulfstream Jets Lift 2026 Outlook
General Dynamics raised its 2026 profit outlook after first-quarter earnings and revenue topped estimates, sending shares up 10.9% to $347.72. The company reported $1.4 billion in operating earnings and $13.5 billion in revenue, with Marine Systems revenue up 21% on submarine programs. Orders reached $26.6 billion, pushing backlog to $130.8 billion. General Dynamics ended the quarter with $3.7 billion in cash.
Teva Stock Jumps As Branded Drugs Start Carrying The Old Generics Giant
Teva reported first-quarter adjusted earnings of 53 cents per share on $3.98 billion revenue, beating estimates as sales of Austedo, Ajovy, and Uzedy climbed. Shares jumped 11% in New York trading. The company agreed to buy Emalex Biosciences for $700 million upfront, adding a late-stage Tourette syndrome drug candidate. Global generics revenue fell 16% amid increased competition.
Silicon Motion Stock Jumps After Q1 Sales Double and AI Storage Outlook Tops Estimates
Silicon Motion reported first-quarter revenue of $342.1 million, up 105% from a year earlier, and forecast second-quarter sales above Wall Street estimates. Shares rose $45.09 to $194.27 in New York trading. The company cited strong demand for embedded storage controllers and AI-related enterprise storage. CEO Wallace Kou said its MonTitan SSD controller platform will enter volume production this quarter.
Starbucks Stock Surges After Earnings Beat Makes Niccol’s Turnaround Look Real
Starbucks raised its fiscal 2026 outlook after global comparable store sales rose 6.2% in the second quarter, beating analyst estimates. Shares jumped about 10% to $107.03. North American operating margin fell to 9.9% from 11.6% due to higher labor and product costs. The company now expects at least 5% comparable sales growth for the year.
Teradyne Stock Slides After Record AI Quarter. The Guidance Is Why.
Teradyne shares fell 16% to $319.10 Wednesday after the chip-testing company forecast lower second-quarter revenue and profit, despite posting record first-quarter sales of $1.282 billion, up 87% from a year earlier. About 70% of revenue came from AI-related demand, but management warned of “lumpy growth” due to large customer programs.