Honeywell (NASDAQ:HON) – Honeywell announced the acquisition of CAES Systems for $1.9 billion, focusing on expanding its aerospace and defense technology operations. Under the leadership of CEO Vimal Kapur since June 2023, Honeywell seeks growth in automation, future aviation, and energy transition, consolidating its third major deal of the year.

Sarepta Therapeutics (NASDAQ:SRPT) – The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved expanded indications for Elevidys, Sarepta Therapeutics’ treatment for Duchenne muscular dystrophy. The drug is now approved for both ambulatory and non-ambulatory individuals with confirmed DMD gene mutations, aged four and older. Sarepta Therapeutics surged 33.6% in pre-market trading.

Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD) – Gilead Sciences closed up 8.5% on Thursday after a study showed its semi-annual antiviral injection, lenacapavir, effectively prevented HIV in all female participants tested in South Africa and Uganda. This could potentially expand the market for HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). Gilead’s shares rose 5.3% in pre-market trading.

Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO) – The World Health Organization (WHO) issued a warning about counterfeit batches of Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic, used for diabetes and obesity, found in Brazil, the UK, and the US. These counterfeit products pose health risks due to incorrect ingredients or the presence of harmful substances like insulin.

Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) – Nvidia’s put options trading on Thursday saw significant volume, with 365,000 contracts at a $135 strike price and 250,000 at a $130 strike price. This increased the put-to-call ratio to 0.70 from 0.58 a few days prior. Volatility in Nvidia’s stock led to an intraday movement of over 6%, peaking and then falling 3.5%, closing at $130.78, putting Microsoft’s market capitalization back on top. Nvidia’s recent rise as the world’s most valuable company is driven by its AI chip leadership, with revenues expected to double to $120 billion. Despite risks of overvaluation and competition, investor optimism is sustained by the company’s innovation and profitability potential, with a P/E ratio starting the year at 25, now at 45, modestly above the five-year average of 41. However, not all investors are optimistic. Paul Wick of Seligman Investments has been reducing his Nvidia holdings due to concerns about profit growth prospects and high valuations. He compared Nvidia’s current situation to Cisco’s boom during the dot-com bubble, highlighting dependence on a few large customers as a significant risk. Nvidia shares fell 1.0% in pre-market trading.

Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL) – A judge from Brazil’s Superior Court ended the investigation into Google and Telegram, accused of coordinating opposition to an anti-fake news bill, due to a lack of evidence for criminal proceedings.

Oracle (NYSE:ORCL) – Oracle plans to invest over $1 billion in Spain over 10 years, focusing on artificial intelligence and cloud computing. This investment aims to expand local capabilities, help companies adopt the cloud and comply with European regulations, and strengthen strategic partnerships like Telefónica España.

Autodesk (NASDAQ:ADSK) – Autodesk confirmed its annual shareholder meeting will occur on July 16, after a judge rejected Starboard Value’s attempt to delay it. Starboard sued the company seeking to postpone the meeting to nominate new directors following allegations of lack of transparency about accounting practices.

Micron Technology (NASDAQ:MU) – Micron is developing a project for up to four semiconductor factories in Syracuse but faces delays due to the discovery of endangered bats. This complexity highlights the challenges of combining industrial expansion with stringent environmental requirements, despite strong government support and plans to start construction in 2025.

Advanced Micro Devices (NASDAQ:AMD) – Advanced Micro Devices’ shares rose 4.5% on Thursday, driven by analyst Harsh Kumar’s optimistic outlook from Piper Sandler on its AI server business. Kumar highlighted AMD’s strong chip performance and its direct competition with Nvidia, along with expansion potential with key customers like Microsoft and Meta. AMD shares fell 0.55% in pre-market trading.

LendingTree (NASDAQ:TREE), Snowflake (NYSE:SNOW) – Hackers are auctioning consumer data from LendingTree’s subsidiary QuoteWizard after a data breach in a Snowflake-hosted database. LendingTree is investigating the impact and cooperating with Snowflake and Mandiant to understand the extent of the leak and its causes.

Trump Media & Technology Group (NASDAQ:DJT) – After regulators allowed potential stock dilution, Trump Media’s stock closed down 14.6% on Thursday and declined for five consecutive trading sessions, losing 33.9% during that period. The Securities and Exchange Commission approved the company’s registration statement and resale of shares and warrants this week. The stock rose 2.3% in pre-market trading on Friday.

AT&T (NYSE:T) – California rejected AT&T as the “provider of last resort,” preventing it from ending essential landline services for over 580,000 households. The decision aims to protect continued access to voice and 911 services, requiring AT&T to maintain these services until modern alternatives are available.

American Airlines (NASDAQ:AAL) – The American Airlines flight attendants’ union did not reach an agreement in the latest negotiations, moving closer to a strike. However, a strike requires permission from the National Mediation Board, a lengthy and complex process, making effective strikes difficult.

Southwest Airlines (NYSE:LUV) – The FAA is investigating an incident involving Southwest Airlines flight 4069, which departed from Las Vegas and descended abruptly to a low altitude near Oklahoma City’s airport on Wednesday. The minimum altitude alert sounded, and the crew was notified by an air traffic controller. The investigation follows multiple recent incidents with the airline.

United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL) – A United Airlines aircraft, an Airbus SE A320, departed Bradley International Airport in Hartford en route to Denver International Airport but had to return to Connecticut after losing part of its engine cowling during takeoff on Thursday. There were no injuries, and the FAA is investigating the incident.

Boeing (NYSE:BA), Spirit AeroSystems (NYSE:SPR) – Boeing is close to finalizing the repurchase of Spirit AeroSystems after progress in negotiations with Airbus over program division. The deal aims to resolve a conflict over Airbus component manufacturing while Boeing seeks to strengthen its supply chain after 737 MAX issues. Additionally, Boeing is shifting engineers from the experimental X-66A project to support the production and delivery of the 737-7, 737-10, 777-9, and 777-8F models. This move aims to accelerate deliveries while maintaining commitments to customers and advancing zero-emission aviation goals with the X-66A in partnership with NASA.

Joby Aviation (NYSE:JOBY) – Joby Aviation received FAA approval to use its in-house software, ElevateOS, to manage air taxi operations, such as pilot workload and passenger coordination. Preparing for a 2025 launch, Joby plans to integrate the software with Uber and Delta Air Lines, facing technological and regulatory challenges.

Hertz Global Holdings (NASDAQ:HTZ) – Hertz plans to raise $750 million through secured notes to strengthen its balance sheet, facing challenges after losses with electric vehicles. The company faces high depreciation pressures and expectations of significant losses, alongside a strategic adjustment to reduce reliance on these vehicles.

General Motors (NYSE:GM) – Cruise, General Motors’ unit, received the maximum penalty for lacking transparency about an accident involving its autonomous vehicle in California. The fine totals $112,500, highlighting rigorous scrutiny of autonomous vehicle safety by regulators.

Ford Motor (NYSE:F) – Jim Farley, CEO of Ford, is tackling high recall costs, amounting to $4.8 billion annually. To improve quality, Farley adopted a strategy of retaining redesigned models for up to six weeks for additional checks, aiming to reduce future failures and warranty costs.

Toyota Motor (NYSE:TM) – Toyota suspended production and delivery of the Grand Highlander and Lexus TX SUVs due to an issue with the driver’s side curtain airbag. This affects 145,000 model year 2024 vehicles in the US, where the airbag may not deploy correctly if the driver’s window is down during certain crashes.

VinFast (NASDAQ:VFS), BYD (USOTC:BYDDY) – Electric vehicle sales are rapidly growing in Southeast Asia, with the Chinese BYD and Vietnamese VinFast leading the way. These brands are entering a market previously dominated by Japanese and Korean manufacturers. According to Counterpoint Research, EV sales in the region doubled in the first quarter compared to the previous year, while combustion car sales fell 7%. In Canada, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government is considering imposing tariffs on electric vehicles made in China. This move aligns with similar policies in the US and the EU, which have already announced or plan to increase tariffs to curb these imports.

Chevron (NYSE:CVX), Hess (NYSE:HES), Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM) – An arbitration panel between Chevron and Hess, delayed by the non-appointment of the third arbitrator, is postponing the decision on Hess’s $53 billion sale to Chevron in Guyana. The dispute involves Exxon’s right of first refusal over Hess’s operations in the country, impacting the transaction’s conclusion.

Nikola (NASDAQ:NKLA) – Nikola announced a 1-for-30 reverse stock split to meet Nasdaq requirements, aiming to increase the share price. The move comes after disappointing first-quarter revenues and a significant drop in shares, which hit a historic low of 40 cents.

Mastercard (NYSE:MA), Visa (NYSE:V) – China is negotiating with Visa and Mastercard to reduce foreign card transaction fees in the country, aiming to facilitate payments for international visitors, according to Bloomberg. The proposal is to lower the fee from 2% to 1.5%.

PayPal (NASDAQ:PYPL) – PayPal hired Srini Venkatesan from Walmart as its new chief technology officer to lead advancements in artificial intelligence, information security, and product engineering. He brings significant experience in digital transformation and technology leadership, highlighting the company’s renewed focus on innovation and personalization to drive global commerce.

Upstart (NASDAQ:UPST) – Castlelake, a private credit lender, will acquire up to $1.2 billion in installment loans from Upstart to expand its presence in the retail lending sector. Investors are seizing opportunities in risky loans, driven by less restrictive regulations and high interest rates.

PicPay – The Brazilian mobile banking app with 35 million active customers owned by J&F Investimentos SA, is seeking an initial public offering in the U.S. in collaboration with Citigroup. The company intends to proceed as soon as market conditions allow, after having reported a net profit in 2023 and reached operational breakeven for the first time.

JPMorgan Chase (NYSE:JPM) – JPMorgan sees signs of recovery in the Chinese economy, which could revitalize its business in the country after a slow period. Mary Erdoes, the bank’s CEO of asset and wealth management, noted that despite previous challenges, there is growing optimism, particularly since March.

Citigroup (NYSE:C) – US regulators rejected Citigroup’s recovery plan, known as a “living will,” which outlines procedures in case of bankruptcy. The decision, based on deficiencies in the bank’s data controls, raises doubts about Citi’s ability to reorganize without risks to the financial system. Additionally, Germany fined Citigroup around $13.94 million for failures in its trading system controls after a 2022 incident involving erroneous orders of $1.4 billion. The BaFin regulator criticized Citi for not preventing errors that could disrupt the financial market.

HSBC (NYSE:HSBC) – Danielle Johnson, formerly of Goldman Sachs, was appointed global head of institutional clients at HSBC, bringing over 20 years of experience in relationship management and equity sales in the US. She will strengthen HSBC’s client coverage, based in New York and reporting to global banking coverage directors.

NatWest Group Plc (NYSE:NWG) – J Sainsbury Plc, a London-based supermarket chain, agreed to transfer its banking business to NatWest for $159 million (£125 million), aiming to divest personal loans, credit cards, and deposits. This decision reflects the difficulty supermarkets face in effectively competing in the financial sector against traditional lenders.

BlackRock (NYSE:BLK) – Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) announced that after being acquired by BlackRock for $12.5 billion, it will retain control of its operations. This comes amid criticism in Malaysia, a Muslim-majority country, against airport privatization due to alleged ties between BlackRock and Israel. Malaysia, which supports Palestine, protested GIP’s participation due to BlackRock’s investments in Israel, currently in conflict with Hamas. The $3.9 billion airport privatization has faced opposition similar to previous boycotts of Western brands.

Coinbase (NASDAQ:COIN) – Coinbase launched a $2 million campaign targeting Latino voters in the US, promoting cryptocurrencies for remittances, highlighting lower fees with USD Coin.

Target (NYSE:TGT) – Target is implementing the generative AI chatbot “Store Companion” in 400 stores to improve operational efficiency and integrate new employees. This growing trend in retail, where AI promises to transform operations from customer service to e-commerce optimization, aims to increase productivity and profitability.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) – McDonald’s is set to launch a $5 meal in select US restaurants. The promotion, starting June 25, includes a McDouble or McChicken, fries, Chicken McNuggets, and a small drink. This initiative aims to attract low-income consumers amid rising inflation and competition in the fast-food sector.

Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG) – Chipotle Mexican Grill shares fell 6.1% on Thursday ahead of its stock split, despite recent strong financial performance with rising revenues and profits. The decline may be attributed to profit-taking by institutional investors after significant gains, while the company faces criticism over smaller portions and higher prices.

MGM Resorts International (NYSE:MGM) – MGM Resorts International will introduce online betting with live dealers at its Bellagio and MGM Grand resorts in Las Vegas, a first for Strip casinos. Local dealers will manage games like roulette and baccarat for online customers outside the US, under the “MGM Live” brand.

Boyd Gaming (NYSE:BYD), Penn Entertainment (NASDAQ:PENN) – Boyd Gaming approached Penn Entertainment for a possible acquisition, according to Reuters. Penn, known for its involvement in online gaming and sports betting, has made strategic partnerships, including renaming Barstool Sportsbook to ESPN Bet.

Nike (NYSE:NKE) – Sam Poser, an analyst at Williams Trading, cut Nike’s price target to $75, matching the lowest on Wall Street, citing company stagnation and a lack of attractive new products. He predicts a more than 20% drop in shares, criticizing current management and product strategy.

FedEx (NYSE:FDX) – FedEx shares have been volatile this year, initially gaining over 20% by March but have since moved to a 0.2% loss for the year. With concerns about profits and sales below expectations, the company focuses on cost-cutting and operational improvements to boost margins and returns to shareholders.

Earnings

Smith & Wesson Brands (NASDAQ:SWBI) – In the fourth quarter, Smith & Wesson reported earnings per share of 45 cents, above the 34 cents expected by analysts. The company had revenue of $159.15 million, a 10% increase from the last quarter, and 1.50% better than the $156.80 million forecast. Despite outperforming estimates, shares fell 3.96% in pre-market trading.

Algoma Steel Group (NASDAQ:ASTL) – In the fourth quarter, Algoma Steel reported earnings per share of 7 cents, beating analysts’ expectations of a 1 cent per share loss. However, its revenue of $460.44 million was 19.92% below analysts’ estimate of $575.00 million. Shares are flat premarket.

Kroger (NYSE:KR) – In the first quarter, Kroger reported net income of $947 million, equivalent to $1.29 per share, adjusted to $1.43 per share, beating the FactSet expectation of $1.35. Sales reached $45.269 billion, surpassing the $44.867 billion consensus. Sales grew modestly, driven by lower pricing strategies and promotions. Kroger reaffirmed its annual forecasts despite outperforming in the first quarter, expecting 0.25% to 1.75% same-store sales growth, excluding fuel, and earnings per share between $4.30 and $4.50. FactSet consensus forecasts a 1.1% sales increase and $4.44 earnings per share.

Accenture (NYSE:ACN) – In the fiscal third quarter, Accenture PLC (NYSE: ACN) reported net income of $1.934 billion, or $3.04 per share, adjusted to $3.13, close to the FactSet consensus of $3.16. Total revenue was $16.467 billion, slightly below expectations of $16.548 billion. For the fiscal fourth quarter, the company projected revenue between $16.05 billion and $16.65 billion. For the full fiscal year, adjusted earnings per share are expected to be between $11.85 and $12.00.

Darden Restaurants (NYSE:DRI) – Darden Restaurants reported adjusted earnings per share of $2.65, exceeding expectations of $2.61, but its revenue of $2.96 billion was slightly below the forecast of $2.97 billion. Olive Garden faced a 1.5% sales decline, while LongHorn Steakhouse saw 4% growth. Fiscal 2025 projections include 1% to 2% sales growth, $9.40 to $9.60 earnings per share, and net sales between $11.8 billion and $11.9 billion, with 2% to 3% price increases and capital expenditures of $550 million to $600 million.