Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) – In the first quarter of
2024, Apple’s smartphone shipments fell by 10%, challenged by
Android competitors. Samsung led with a 20.8% market share,
reversing Apple’s position. Apple sold 50.1 million iPhones, down
by 5.3 million from the previous year. Sales in China declined by
2.1%. Recently, the stock market reacted to the lack of vision for
future growth from Apple. This year, the stocks have been punished,
but a revamp of its Mac computer line focusing on artificial
intelligence resulted in a 4.3% increase in its shares and added
$112 billion to its market value. Apple’s ability to fulfill its
growth promises will be crucial to sustain this recovery. Investors
are closely watching the integration of AI into its products,
especially in the iPhone. Additionally, on Friday, Apple refuted
claims by Epic Games of violating a court order on the App Store.
Apple argues that Epic is seeking profit by trying to control
Apple’s business operations. Moreover, Apple’s CEO, Tim Cook, will
announce an increase in investments in Vietnam during his visit to
Hanoi. The company plans to increase spending on suppliers and
support local initiatives for drinking water in schools.
Salesforce (NYSE:CRM), Informatica
Inc (NYSE:INFA) – Salesforce is negotiating to acquire
Informatica, a data management services developer, in a potential
deal below Informatica’s market price of $38.48 per share.
Informatica is majorly controlled by Permira and CPPIB. The
transaction would be Salesforce’s biggest deal since acquiring
Slack in 2020.
Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) – Microsoft faces
challenges with its own cybersecurity protection. Recent hacks have
exposed vulnerabilities in its infrastructure, leading to criticism
and a commitment to reform. The company is prioritizing measures
such as quick vulnerability patches and multi-factor
authentication, but critics question its motivation and
effectiveness.
Rubrik – The cloud and data security startup
Rubrik, backed by Microsoft, plans to raise up to $713 million in
an initial public offering. The company intends to sell 23 million
shares priced between $28 and $31 each.
Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) – Since Meta
blocked news links in Canada last August, Jeff Ballingall, a
right-wing meme producer, noted an increase in clicks on his Canada
Proud page on Facebook. The block has led to profound changes in
how Canadians interact with political information.
Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL) – Alphabet, the parent
company of Google, will temporarily remove news links in California
for some users while it studies proposed legislation that would
require payment for content. The test aims to explore the impact of
the legislation, which Google considers uncertain and detrimental
to the local news industry.
Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) – A former Amazon software
engineer was sentenced to three years in prison for hacking
decentralized finance platforms and stealing millions in
cryptocurrencies. Shakeeb Ahmed, 34, exploited flaws in smart
contracts to profit fraudulently before being sentenced by Judge
Victor Marrero.
Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) – US Republican lawmakers
criticized the Biden administration after sanctioned Chinese
company Huawei launched a laptop with an Intel AI chip. Despite the
2019 sanctions for violations related to Iran, Intel provided the
chip under a special license expiring this year.
Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) – Tesla is exploring
locations for showrooms in New Delhi and Mumbai ahead of its sales
launch in India later this year. The company plans to start with
showrooms and service centers in each city, seeking to expand into
new markets while facing challenges in the US and China. In the US
and Canada, Tesla reduced the prices of its Full Self-Driving (FSD)
subscriptions last Friday to boost adoption, now costing $99 per
month in the US and C$99 ($71.88) in Canada.
Nio (NYSE:NIO) – The founder of Nio, a Chinese
electric vehicle manufacturer, defended the opening of automotive
markets to fair and free competition in a speech in the US, citing
Tesla’s success in China. He highlighted competition as a growth
driver and criticized protectionist policies. The tension between
China and the West over exports of Chinese EVs was also
addressed.
CarMax (NYSE:KMX) – CarMax launched a $1.25
billion bond sale shortly after falling short of analysts’
fourth-quarter earnings forecasts. The potential offering,
structured by Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, could reach $1.6
billion.
Spirit AeroSystems (NYSE:SPR),
Boeing (NYSE:BA) – Spirit AeroSystems, a major
supplier to Boeing, is reducing overtime and hiring due to a
production drop of the 737 MAX jet. The production has been
affected by intensified regulatory checks and a slowdown on the
assembly line in Seattle, resulting in deliveries halved in
March.
US Steel (NYSE:X) – US Steel, an American
company, approved with 98% of votes a $14.9 billion acquisition
proposal by Japan’s Nippon Steel. The offer of $55 per share faces
growing political opposition in the US and regulatory concerns,
even after Nippon promised to maintain jobs and honor existing
agreements.
BP Plc (NYSE:BP) – The state-owned oil company
of the United Arab Emirates considered acquiring BP, but
preliminary discussions did not progress. BP, valued at $110.3
billion, faces challenges including reducing fossil fuel production
and shifting to renewable energies. The Abu Dhabi National Oil
Company (ADNOC) is seeking to expand internationally.
Paramount Global (NASDAQ:PARA) – The hedge fund
Barington Capital pressured Paramount Global to end its exclusive
talks with Skydance Media. Barington, holding 325,000 shares of
Paramount, argued that exploring other bidders would benefit all
shareholders, concerned about a deal favoring controlling
shareholder Shari Redstone.
Roku (NASDAQ:ROKU) – Roku revealed a second
cyberattack affecting 576,000 accounts, adding to the 15,000
previously affected. No sensitive information was compromised. The
company identified unauthorized purchases in fewer than 400 cases
and implemented two-factor authentication to bolster security.
Kraft Heinz (NASDAQ:KHC) – Kraft Heinz revived
the Barbie fever with the launch of “Barbiecue,” a partnership with
Mattel (NASDAQ:MAT). The pink condiment, labeled
as “Heinz Vegan Mayo with barbecue sauce,” evokes a backyard
barbecue. The product will be available in the UK and Spain, with
plans for global expansion.
McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) – The wage increase for
fast-food workers in California led McDonald’s to reintroduce bagel
sandwiches and invest $15 million in local advertising to boost
sales. Franchisees, concerned about costs, received support from
the company to face the new wage legislation.
United Natural Foods (NYSE:UNFI) – JPMorgan
Chase is exploring refinancing the outstanding debt of United
Natural Foods, aiming for a loan of at least $600 million to
replace the current maturity in October of the next year.
Grifols (NASDAQ:GRFS) – The Spanish
pharmaceutical company Grifols plans to add independent
administrators to its audit and compensation committees to
strengthen its governance, after a drop in share price. Denying
accusations of overstating profits, the company aims to simplify
its market communication and meet its debt payments by 2025.
Medical Properties Trust (NYSE:MPW) – Shares of
Medical Properties Trust surged over 15% before market opening on
Monday, following the sale of hospital properties in Utah for $886
million. MPT will retain a 25% stake in the venture. The
transactions generated $1.1 billion, aiming to reduce debts and for
corporate purposes.
JPMorgan Chase (NYSE:JPM) – Vedanta
Ltd. (NYSE:VEDL) hired JPMorgan Chase & Co. to
facilitate raising 300 million dollars (25 billion rupees) through
rupee-denominated bonds, targeting global private credit investors.
The funds would support its commercial operations, with an
estimated maturity of three to five years.
BlackRock (NYSE:BLK) – BlackRock reached a
record $10.5 trillion in assets in the first quarter, with a 36%
increase in profit, boosted by rising global stock markets. This
uplift in the markets improved its advisory and investment
management fees, as announced by the world’s largest asset
manager.
UBS Group AG (NYSE:UBS) – The stricter capital
requirements proposed by the Swiss government will affect UBS’s
growth capacity, according to Finance Minister Karin Keller-Sutter.
The Swiss bank will need to hold more capital if the regulatory
package, aimed at preventing collapses like that of Credit Suisse,
is implemented.
New York Community Bancorp (NYSE:NYCB) – NYCB
appointed Craig Gifford as the new CFO, succeeding John Pinto, in
an attempt to rebuild investor confidence following financial
troubles. Other appointments include Bao Nguyen as general counsel.
Shares have fallen 72% this year, but the bank raised $1 billion
from investors, including Steven Mnuchin.
Coinbase Global (NASDAQ:COIN) – On Friday,
Coinbase requested two courts for permission to appeal part of its
ongoing case with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC),
seeking to accelerate the trial over whether digital assets are
considered investment contracts.
Boeing (NYSE:BA)
Historical Stock Chart
From Mar 2024 to Apr 2024
Boeing (NYSE:BA)
Historical Stock Chart
From Apr 2023 to Apr 2024
