Here Are Friday's Biggest Analyst Calls: Nvidia, Apple, Netflix, JPMorgan, Affirm, UnitedHealth, WeRide & More
Wall Street analysts issued a flurry of high‑profile calls on Friday, with Bank of America reiterating Apple as a buy and Nvidia as Outperform at a $265 price target, while Morgan Stanley named UnitedHealth and Affirm as top picks. Mizuho downgraded NXP Semiconductors to Sell, citing softening auto demand, and upgraded STMicroelectronics and Texas Instruments to Outperform. Several biotech and specialty‑pharma firms, including Corvus, Repligen and Amneal, received new buy initiations, underscoring growing investor appetite for niche drug makers. JPMorgan was added to BofA’s US‑1 list, replacing Goldman Sachs.
If a Violent Downturn Strikes the Market, New ETF Strategies May Be Vulnerable. Here's Why
MFS Investment Management warned that newly‑launched ETF strategies built on complex derivatives and opaque markets could crumble in a violent market downturn. The firm highlighted liquidity shortfalls, especially for private‑credit and equity‑linked note ETFs, as the primary vulnerability. Amplify ETFs’...
Some Grocers Are Using AI to Cut Food Waste and Boost Profit Margins
Grocers are deploying AI platforms such as Flashfood to dynamically price perishable items, turning potential shrink into revenue. By targeting discounts to items near their best‑by dates, retailers like Kroger have cut waste by roughly 27% while driving extra traffic...
Goldman Sachs Bond Traders Stumbled as Wall Street Rivals Thrived: 'A Fire Is Being Lit Under' Them
Goldman Sachs’ fixed‑income division posted a 10% revenue decline in Q1, falling $910 million short of analyst forecasts. The miss contrasted sharply with rivals—JPMorgan, Morgan Stanley and Citigroup—who posted double‑digit gains in bond trading. Analysts attribute Goldman’s underperformance to misplaced bets on...
Iran War Damaged as Much as $58 Billion of Energy Infrastructure, Rystad Estimates
Rystad Energy estimates that the Iran‑Israel conflict has inflicted $34 billion to $58 billion in damage on regional oil, gas and petrochemical infrastructure. More than 80 energy facilities have been struck, with over a third suffering severe damage. Iran’s own network bears...
S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite Close at Fresh Records as Traders Look Past Iran War Fears: Live Updates
U.S. equity markets closed at fresh all‑time highs on Wednesday, with the S&P 500 ending at 7,022.95 and the Nasdaq Composite at 24,016.02. The Nasdaq’s rally was the fastest swing from oversold to overbought on record, pushing its RSI above 70...
Lumen Technologies' High-Stakes Fiber Bet Nearly Bankrupted It. Now, It's Powering Its AI Future
Lumen Technologies, after narrowly avoiding bankruptcy, has slashed debt and sold its consumer business, now focusing on AI networking and cloud services built on its extensive fiber infrastructure. A new AWS Interconnect partnership sparked a >10% share rally, highlighting the...
White House Budget Chief Russell Vought Won't Estimate Iran War Cost in Testimony
White House Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought told the House Budget Committee he could not provide a ballpark figure for the ongoing Iran war, despite mounting pressure for supplemental funding. A Harvard analysis estimates the conflict could...
JPMorgan Tops Estimates on Wall Street Results, Dimon Flags 'Increasingly Complex' Economic Risks
JPMorgan Chase reported first‑quarter earnings of $5.94 per share, beating analysts’ forecasts as revenue rose 10% to $50.54 billion. Fixed‑income trading surged 21% to $7.08 billion and investment‑banking fees jumped 28% to $2.88 billion, driving the beat. The bank trimmed its full‑year 2026...
S&P 500 Futures Continue Higher a Day After Benchmark Wipes Out Iran War Losses: Live Updates
U.S. equity futures rose on Tuesday, with the S&P 500 up 0.3% and the Nasdaq‑100 gaining 0.5%, as technology stocks such as Oracle and SanDisk led the rally. The market shrugged off a setback in U.S.–Iran peace talks and a...
Wholesale Prices Rose 0.5% in March, Much Less than Expected Despite War Impact
The U.S. producer price index (PPI) rose 0.5% in March, well below the 1.1% consensus estimate. Core PPI, which strips out food and energy, increased only 0.1% month‑over‑month. On an annual basis, the all‑items PPI jumped 4%, the fastest 12‑month...
Here Are Tuesday's Biggest Analyst Calls: Apple, Tesla, Amazon, GM, Crocs, Viking, Alphabet, Ford & More
Wall Street analysts issued a wave of upgrades, initiations and downgrades on Tuesday, spanning technology, automotive, consumer and healthcare stocks. Citi launched coverage of quantum‑computer firm Infleqtion with a Buy rating and a $20 target, while UBS upgraded Ford to...
Asia Markets Trade Lower as Oil Surges After U.S. Moves to Blockade Iran Ports
Asian equity markets slipped on Monday as the United States moved toward a naval blockade of Iranian ports, reigniting fears of a protracted U.S.–Iran conflict. Crude prices surged, with West Texas Intermediate up 8.5% to $104.82 a barrel and Brent...
Why Pressure Is Mounting at Oil Giant BP Ahead of Its Annual General Meeting
BP faces mounting shareholder pressure ahead of its April 23 AGM as the Local Authority Pension Fund Forum, Glass Lewis, ISS and Legal & General recommend voting against the chair and several board‑backed resolutions. The board seeks to retire two climate‑reporting proposals, arguing they...
Judge Told to Reconsider National Security Implications of Halting Trump's White House Ballroom
An appeals court panel ordered a federal judge to revisit the national‑security implications of halting President Donald Trump’s $400 million White House ballroom project. The panel said it lacks sufficient information to determine how much of the construction can be paused...
Intel Leads the List of Most Overbought Stocks After This Week's Comeback Rally
Intel topped CNBC Pro’s list of most overbought stocks this week, surging nearly 25% and posting a 14‑day RSI of 75. The rally was fueled by an expanded AI‑focused partnership with Google and Intel’s involvement in Elon Musk’s Texas‑based Terafab...
How Kodak Is Trying to Turn Around Its Business After Teetering on Bankruptcy
Eastman Kodak, under CEO Jim Continenza, has revived its legacy film business while tackling a heavy debt load. After a 31% jump in fourth‑quarter gross profit to $67 million and a $40 million reduction in interest expense, the company reports a near‑100%...
A Little Known Semiconductor Packaging and Testing Stock Is Poised to Gain in AI Boom. Why Analysts Like It
Amkor Technology, a specialist in semiconductor packaging and testing, has surged 47% this year and is up nearly four‑fold over the past twelve months as AI‑driven demand spikes. The company benefits from $7 trillion in projected global data‑center spending by 2030...
Berkshire Electric Utility's Court Win Could Save It Billions
A Oregon Court of Appeals ruled that PacifiCorp, Berkshire Hathaway Energy’s electric utility, must revisit a class‑action jury instruction that previously tied liability for four wildfires to thousands of plaintiffs. The decision could shave more than $1 billion off the utility’s...
Brent Oil Spot Price Above $120 in Sign that Iran Ceasefire Can't Solve Deep Disruption
Brent spot oil surged to $124.68 per barrel on April 8, roughly $30 above the June futures contract, underscoring persistent market tightness. Although the U.S.–Iran cease‑fire trimmed the premium by about $20, the spot price remains elevated, indicating that the five‑week...
Stock Futures Are Little Changed After Dow Posts Best Day Since April 2025 Following Ceasefire Deal: Live Updates
U.S. stock futures were essentially flat Wednesday night after the Dow posted its strongest session since April 2025, climbing more than 1,300 points (2.85%). The rally followed President Donald Trump’s announcement to suspend attacks on Iran for two weeks, a move...
OpenAI Will Allocate IPO Shares to Retail Investors as It Preps for Debut, CFO Says
OpenAI announced it will reserve a portion of its upcoming IPO for individual investors, targeting roughly $1 billion through private placements with major banks. CFO Sarah Friar highlighted the move as a way to build trust and treat the $852 billion‑valued company...
Modelo Maker Constellation Brands Withdraws 2028 Guidance Due to Uncertainty
Constellation Brands pulled its fiscal 2028 outlook, citing lingering macro‑economic uncertainty, even as it posted a stronger fourth‑quarter performance. Adjusted earnings per share came in at $1.90 versus the $1.72 consensus, and revenue reached $1.92 billion, beating expectations. Net income swung...
Fundstrat's Tom Lee Says the Market Has Bottomed, Stocks Are Headed to All-Time Highs
Fundstrat’s Tom Lee announced on CNBC that the equity market has likely bottomed after a U.S.–Iran cease‑fire eased geopolitical tensions, sending stocks sharply higher. He projects the S&P 500 to close 2026 at 7,300, a 7.6% gain, driven by the “Magnificent...
U.S. Has Violated Ceasefire Agreement, Iran Parliamentary Speaker Says
U.S. President Donald Trump affirmed a two‑week cease‑fire with Iran, but Iran’s parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf accused Washington of breaching three elements of Tehran’s 10‑point proposal, including Israel’s attacks on Lebanon, a drone incursion and denial of Iran’s right to enrich...
Pirro's Powell Probe Faces a Difficult Road to Appeal, Former Prosecutors Say
A federal judge quashed U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro's subpoenas in a criminal probe of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, leaving the investigation in limbo. Pirro says she will appeal, but former prosecutors warn the legal path is steep and success...
Trump Administration Finalizes Better-than-Feared Medicare Advantage Payment Rate in Boost to Health Insurers
The Trump administration approved a 2.48% increase in Medicare Advantage payments for 2027, adding roughly $13 billion to insurer reimbursements. This figure far exceeds the 0.09% hike originally floated in January. The larger rate boost lifted UnitedHealth, CVS Health and Humana...
Offbeat Wall Street Research Firm Says It Sent an Analyst to Strait of Hormuz. Here's What They Learned
Citrini Research sent an analyst by boat to Oman’s Musandam Peninsula to watch shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, reporting roughly 15 vessels per day – far below normal but still active. The firm argues that many ships turn off...
These Are Bank of America’s Top Picks for the Second Quarter After a Tough Start to 2026
Bank of America released its high‑conviction, short‑term buy list for Q2 2026, highlighting Meta Platforms, Spotify and Citigroup as top picks. The bank expects Meta to rally about 54% to a $885 target despite recent litigation, while Spotify is projected to...
Nike Is the Most Oversold Stock on Wall Street After a Wild Week of Trading
Nike (NKE) emerged as the most oversold S&P 500 stock this week, with its relative strength index sinking to 15.8. The sneaker giant’s shares tumbled 14% after it projected fiscal fourth‑quarter sales to fall 2‑4%, missing the consensus expectation of a...
U.S.-Iran War 'Tax' Begins to Hit American Businesses and Consumers
The U.S.–Iran war has triggered a sharp rise in diesel and jet‑fuel prices, turning fuel costs into a de‑facto tax on American businesses and consumers. Moving‑company College Hunks sees its fuel expense share double from 3‑5% to 6‑10% of revenue, while...
U.S. Judge Upholds Block on Subpoenas to Fed's Powell, Teeing up Likely Appeal
A federal judge reaffirmed his March ruling blocking subpoenas issued in a criminal probe of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, finding they were intended to pressure him into complying with President Trump’s demand for lower interest rates or resignation. The...
United Unveils Basic Polaris Business Fare in Premium Cabin Overhaul
United Airlines is launching a lower‑priced “Base” Polaris fare for its long‑haul business class, offering a lie‑flat seat but charging extra for seat selection and limiting perks. Base passengers receive only one checked bag, United Club lounge access, and cannot...
One Year on From Trump's 'Liberation Day,' Global Investors Are Rethinking American Exceptionalism
One year after President Donald Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs—34% on China, 20% on the EU and 46% on Vietnam—global markets have re‑evaluated exposure to the United States. The tariffs sparked a sharp sell‑off in U.S. equities, Treasuries and the dollar,...
Fundstrat Says a Bottoming Process in Stocks Has Begun
Fundstrat's technical strategist Mark Newton says the U.S. equity market has entered a bottoming process after a two‑day rally that gave the S&P 500 its strongest day since May. The S&P fell 5.1% in March, its steepest monthly drop since 2022,...
Large Japanese Companies Are More Optimistic Despite Iran Conflict, but Analysts Say This May Not Last
Japan’s quarterly Tankan survey showed large manufacturers’ optimism index climb to 17 in Q1 2026, the strongest level since late 2021, while large non‑manufacturers maintained a multi‑decade high of 36. The upbeat readings lifted the Nikkei 225 by about 4.5%, reflecting hopes that...
NFL Approves Sale of 7% of Las Vegas Raiders at over $11 Billion Valuation
The NFL approved the sale of a 7% stake in the Las Vegas Raiders, valuing the franchise at $11.1 billion. Controlling owner Mark Davis sold the portion to Egon Durban of Silver Lake and Michael Meldman, who must pay a 10% flip‑tax...
How Ireland Became Dependent on Big Pharma — and the Risks Ahead
Over the past five decades Ireland has transformed into the world’s third‑largest pharmaceutical exporter, with drug manufacturing now contributing roughly 20 % of its GDP. The sector’s rapid growth was driven by generous tax incentives, a skilled workforce and proximity to...
Evercore ISI Predicts 'Inflection Point' Is Days Away, Plans to Commit Capital if S&P 500 Drops to This Level
Evercore ISI managing director Julian Emanuel warned that the market is approaching an inflection point within days, hinging on President Donald Trump's decision on Iran's energy facilities on April 6. He said Evercore will commit new capital if the S&P 500 falls...
JetBlue Airways Raises Checked Bag Fees at Least $4 as Fuel Prices Soar
JetBlue Airways announced it will raise its checked‑bag fees by at least $4 for off‑peak travel and $9 for peak periods, moving the first‑bag price to $39 off‑peak and $49 during peak seasons. The increase follows an 83% jump in...
China Suppliers Warn of Higher Prices for Americans Due to Strait of Hormuz Closure
Chinese exporters warned that U.S. buyers will face higher prices as oil price volatility, sparked by the Iran war and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, raises costs for petro‑based plastics. Manufacturers such as Huijin Trade have already lifted...
Bill Ackman Says It’s One of the Best Times in a Long Time to Buy Quality Stocks
Billionaire investor Bill Ackman told followers that the current market dislocation offers one of the best entry points in years for high‑quality stocks. He highlighted U.S. mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac as "stupidly cheap" and urged investors to ignore...
Back-Up Care Benefits at Work Go Beyond Kids, Aging Parents as More Employers Pay for Pets
Employers are expanding back‑up care benefits beyond children and seniors to include pets, as demand rises amid a national caregiving crunch. A AARP report shows 59 million Americans provided 49.5 billion caregiving hours in 2024, valued at roughly $1 trillion. Survey data reveal...
Here Are the 3 Big Things We're Watching in the Stock Market in the Week Ahead
The market heads into a volatile week as the Iran‑Israel conflict sustains high oil prices and fuels inflation worries. Investors will focus on the March non‑farm payrolls, expected to add about 60,000 jobs, alongside ADP, JOLTS and consumer‑confidence releases. A...
Top Wall Street Analysts Like These Dividend Stocks for Solid Returns
Wall Street analysts highlighted three dividend‑paying stocks—Diamondback Energy, Crescent Energy, and Darden Restaurants—as attractive amid market volatility. Diamondback offers a 2% yield and a projected 22% total return, while Crescent provides a 3.5% yield after a $3.1 billion acquisition. Darden delivers...
This Chinese Gold Play Is Attractive Even as the Metal Sees Big Price Swings, Analysts Say
Laopu Gold, a Hong Kong‑listed Chinese jewelry maker, posted first‑quarter net profit of roughly $521 million, a 160% total‑return surge despite a 20% drop in gold prices to $4,098 per ounce. JPMorgan upgraded the stock to overweight with a price target...
Meta Is Among the Most Oversold Stocks After Another Losing Week on Wall Street
Meta's shares plunged more than 11% last week, pushing its relative strength index to 22.1 and placing the stock among the most oversold on the market. The decline follows two adverse jury verdicts that together impose roughly $377 million in...
A Paramount-Warner Bros. Movie Slate Will Need More Animated Features to Compete with Disney and Universal
The pending Paramount‑Skydance and Warner Bros. merger faces a glaring shortfall in animated content, a segment that now drives the bulk of family box‑office revenue. Over the past decade each studio released only eight animated features, generating roughly $1.1 billion and...
General Electric Is in the Throes of a Major Reversal Lower, Says Carter Worth
General Electric’s shares have surged 833% from a July 2022 low of $37.34 to a February 2026 peak of $348.88, marking one of the longest‑run rallies in recent market history. However, the stock has recently begun to lag its aerospace peers, the...
Epstein Victims Sue Google, Trump Administration for Disclosing Personal Information
A class‑action suit filed in the Northern District of California accuses the Trump administration and Google of publicly exposing the identities of roughly 100 Jeffrey Epstein survivors after the Justice Department’s data release. The complaint alleges Google’s core search engine and...