Today: 8 April 2026

Merck stock pops on Deutsche Bank upgrade — what to watch ahead of ASCO GU

Merck stock pops on Deutsche Bank upgrade — what to watch ahead of ASCO GU

Merck shares climbed 1.8% to $121.41 in after-hours trading Friday after Deutsche Bank upgraded the stock and raised its price target. The move comes ahead of key cancer study results set for release at the ASCO Genitourinary Cancers Symposium later this month. Merck’s chief marketing officer sold 10,000 shares on Feb. 12. U.S. markets are closed Monday for Washington’s Birthday; trading resumes Tuesday.
Spotify stock rebounds in after-hours as SPOT traders brace for holiday-thinned markets

Spotify stock rebounds in after-hours as SPOT traders brace for holiday-thinned markets

Spotify shares climbed 2.8% to $458.09 in after-hours trading Friday, rebounding from an 8.5% drop the previous day. The company reported 751 million monthly active users and 290 million premium subscribers for Q4, with €4.531 billion in revenue and €701 million operating income. Spotify forecast Q1 operating income above Wall Street estimates after price hikes and user growth. U.S. markets close Monday for Washington’s Birthday.
13 February 2026
Howmet stock price climbs as guidance beats estimates and Wall Street lifts targets

Howmet stock price climbs as guidance beats estimates and Wall Street lifts targets

Howmet Aerospace shares closed up 2.2% at $250.07 Friday after the company forecast higher-than-expected first-quarter earnings and reported a 15% jump in fourth-quarter revenue. CEO John Plant cited a record OEM backlog and strong gas turbine demand. About 2.5 million shares traded. Investors are watching the CAM acquisition timeline and the February 25 dividend payment.
TMUS stock jumps again as T-Mobile buyback plan and euro bond sale take center stage

TMUS stock jumps again as T-Mobile buyback plan and euro bond sale take center stage

T-Mobile shares closed up 2.25% at $219.52, holding gains after management raised parts of its 2026–27 outlook and doubled first-quarter share repurchase targets to $5 billion. The company’s T-Mobile USA unit agreed to sell €2.5 billion in senior notes, with proceeds possibly funding buybacks and refinancing. T-Mobile reported Q4 EPS of $1.88 and postpaid phone net adds of 962,000, but churn rose to 1.02%.
13 February 2026
Morgan Stanley CEO Ted Pick’s pay jumps to $45 million as Wall Street’s $40 million club expands

Morgan Stanley CEO Ted Pick’s pay jumps to $45 million as Wall Street’s $40 million club expands

Morgan Stanley approved $45 million in total compensation for CEO Ted Pick for 2025, up from $34 million in 2024, according to a Wednesday filing. Three-fourths of Pick’s pay is deferred over three years and tied to performance targets. The award follows record 2025 net revenue of $70.6 billion and net income of $16.9 billion. Pick’s package exceeds the $37 million paid to former CEO James Gorman for 2023.
13 February 2026
Ramil Palafox Jailed 20 Years as PGI Global’s $200 Million Bitcoin Ponzi Case Hits Sentencing

Ramil Palafox Jailed 20 Years as PGI Global’s $200 Million Bitcoin Ponzi Case Hits Sentencing

Ramil Ventura Palafox, ex-CEO of Praetorian Group International, was sentenced Thursday in Virginia to 20 years for running a $200 million bitcoin Ponzi scheme. Prosecutors said investors lost at least $62.7 million after putting in over $201 million between 2019 and 2021. The SEC has filed a parallel civil case alleging $198 million in crypto and forex fraud. Palafox pleaded guilty last September.
13 February 2026
Expedia stock (EXPE) slides 5% after outlook puts 2026 margins in the spotlight

Expedia stock (EXPE) slides 5% after outlook puts 2026 margins in the spotlight

Expedia shares fell 5% to $215.89 after the company forecast slower full-year margin gains despite strong bookings. Fourth-quarter revenue rose 11% to $3.55 billion, with gross bookings up 11% to $27 billion. The company declared a $0.48 dividend payable March 26 and reported $1.6 billion left for buybacks. Cantor cut its price target, citing ongoing concerns about AI risks.
13 February 2026
Roku stock price jumps as 2026 outlook tops estimates, putting ad growth back in focus

Roku stock price jumps as 2026 outlook tops estimates, putting ad growth back in focus

Roku shares jumped 9.3% to $90.67 Friday after the company set higher 2026 revenue and profit targets, reporting Q4 net revenue of $1.39 billion and net income of $80.5 million. Roku forecast 2026 net revenue of $5.5 billion and adjusted EBITDA of $635 million. Investors focused on platform revenue, which is expected to rise 18% to $4.89 billion. Attention turns to Q1 performance and ad demand through the Winter Olympics.
13 February 2026
Seagate (STX) stock turns choppy as $600 million notes exchange sets up next-week catalyst

Seagate (STX) stock turns choppy as $600 million notes exchange sets up next-week catalyst

Seagate shares edged up 0.1% to $431.46 Friday after swinging between $402.80 and $438.98. The company agreed to exchange $600 million in 3.50% exchangeable notes for nearly $599.2 million in cash and new shares, with settlement expected around Feb. 17. About $400 million in notes will remain outstanding. Investors await final details on the share issuance and upcoming investor events starting Feb. 25.
13 February 2026
FTSE 100 closes near record as deal buzz lifts London stocks — here’s what moved UK shares

FTSE 100 closes near record as deal buzz lifts London stocks — here’s what moved UK shares

The FTSE 100 closed up 0.42% at 10,446.35, near record highs, with deal activity and rate-cut bets offsetting AI disruption concerns. NatWest dropped 2.5% after posting £7.7 billion in 2025 pretax profit and announcing a £750 million buyback. Defence shares outperformed, while sterling headed for its biggest weekly loss versus the euro in over two months. Bank of England officials pushed back on rapid rate-cut expectations.
Eli Lilly stock price climbs as $1.5 billion pill stockpile sharpens focus on FDA April decision

Eli Lilly stock price climbs as $1.5 billion pill stockpile sharpens focus on FDA April decision

Eli Lilly shares rose 0.6% to $1,044.62 after the company disclosed $1.5 billion in pre-launch inventory for its experimental obesity pill, orforglipron, ahead of an expected FDA decision in April. The company also repurchased $4.1 billion in shares in 2025 and raised its quarterly dividend. Chinese regulators approved Lilly’s mirikizumab for Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. U.S. stocks slipped in midday trading.
Shopify stock price bounces, but investors keep one eye on margins and the Feb. 17 buyback start

Shopify stock price bounces, but investors keep one eye on margins and the Feb. 17 buyback start

Shopify shares rose 1.6% to $112.40 Friday after two days of steep losses, following news its $2 billion buyback program will start Feb. 17. The company missed earnings estimates due to spending on AI and expansion, and its cash-flow margin outlook unsettled investors. Fourth-quarter revenue grew 31% to $3.672 billion. TD Cowen upgraded the stock to “Buy” after the pullback.
13 February 2026
JPMorgan stock price steadies after cash-sweep lawsuit ruling as Fed minutes loom

JPMorgan stock price steadies after cash-sweep lawsuit ruling as Fed minutes loom

A U.S. judge ruled JPMorgan Chase customers can pursue parts of a class action over low cash-sweep interest rates, with shares up 0.2% at $303.36 Friday. JPMorgan named Guy Halamish chief operating officer for data and AI in a new internal shake-up. U.S. stocks edged lower, heading for their worst week since November. Bank shares were mixed in late morning trading.

Stock Market Today

  • VTI Offers Broad Exposure to U.S. Stocks Including Nvidia, Apple, Microsoft
    April 8, 2026, 10:23 AM EDT. The Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF (VTI) provides broad market access with over 3,500 U.S. stocks, spanning large-, mid-, and small-cap sectors. Unlike the S&P 500, which tracks about 500 large-cap firms, VTI holds a majority of publicly traded U.S. companies, weighted by market value. Key tech giants like Nvidia, Apple, and Microsoft dominate the ETF, comprising approximately 16% combined, reflecting the tech sector's 36% share. After recent sell-offs, tech stocks appear attractive based on revised earnings forecasts, with Nvidia trading at a forward earnings multiple of 21.4. However, VTI's market-weighting means investors remain heavily exposed to big tech risks and rewards. For those seeking more balanced exposure without market-weight bias, the Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight ETF may offer less volatility but also different return profiles. Choosing the right vehicle depends on individual investment strategy and risk tolerance.

Latest article

Why IREN Stock Is Back in Focus as AI Ambitions Meet Funding Fears

Why IREN Stock Is Back in Focus as AI Ambitions Meet Funding Fears

8 April 2026
IREN shares rose 1.8% to $35.74 Wednesday as investors assessed its $6 billion share program and shift from bitcoin mining to AI cloud services. The company’s revenue fell to $184.7 million last quarter, with a net loss of $155.4 million. IREN recently announced a five-year, $9.7 billion AI cloud deal with Microsoft. Options trading volume hit 103,000 contracts Tuesday, with sentiment described as mixed.
Amazon Stock Could Jump 50% as Wall Street Reconsiders Its $200 Billion AI Bet

Amazon Stock Could Jump 50% as Wall Street Reconsiders Its $200 Billion AI Bet

8 April 2026
Amazon closed at $213.77 Tuesday, with BNP Paribas maintaining a $320 price target, citing strong AI demand despite Amazon’s planned $200 billion capex for 2026. The company’s February forecast of higher spending sent shares down 11.5% after hours, even as AWS revenue rose 24% to $35.6 billion in the December quarter. Alphabet and Microsoft are also ramping up AI infrastructure spending.
Sensex Soars 2,946 Points, Nifty Near 24,000 After Iran Ceasefire and RBI Pause

Sensex Soars 2,946 Points, Nifty Near 24,000 After Iran Ceasefire and RBI Pause

8 April 2026
The Sensex surged 2,946 points to 77,562.90 on Wednesday, its best day in five years, as a U.S.-Iran ceasefire and steady RBI rates pushed Indian markets higher. Brent crude fell 14.4% to $93.49 a barrel, easing pressure on the rupee, which rose 0.5% to 92.58 per dollar. All 16 major sectors gained, led by financials and auto stocks. The RBI kept its repo rate at 5.25% and forecast slower growth ahead.
Netflix Stock Draws Fresh Institutional Buying Ahead of Earnings After Goldman Upgrade

Netflix Stock Draws Fresh Institutional Buying Ahead of Earnings After Goldman Upgrade

8 April 2026
Stock Yards Bank & Trust Co. increased its Netflix stake by 1,141.9% to 29,074 shares in Q4, while Ethos Capital Management disclosed a new 19,610-share position worth $1.84 million. The moves come ahead of Netflix’s April 16 earnings report and follow a Goldman Sachs upgrade to Buy with a $120 target. Insiders Reed Hastings and Greg Peters sold shares earlier this year under preset trading plans. Netflix last traded at $98.82.
Alphabet Stock (GOOG, GOOGL) Faces Split Fund Bets Ahead of Earnings After Fresh 13F Reports

Alphabet Stock (GOOG, GOOGL) Faces Split Fund Bets Ahead of Earnings After Fresh 13F Reports

8 April 2026
Zevenbergen Capital increased its Alphabet Class A share holdings by 27.4% in Q4, while Lombard Odier and Empirical Wealth Management reduced their Class C positions, according to April 7 filings. Alphabet will report first-quarter results on April 29. GOOG and GOOGL traded near $304 before Wednesday’s U.S. open. The filings reflect holdings as of December 31 and may not show current positions.
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