Pulse
Original reporting by Pulse, synthesizing breaking news from multiple sources with AI-powered analysis. Each story combines insights from leading publishers, expert commentary, and real-time data.
Walmart and Costco Outperform as Retail Titans Show Resilience
Walmart and Costco posted strong earnings and stock performance as consumer spending patterns shift, with Walmart’s advertising business expanding 37% and Costco’s membership fees rising 13.6% in Q2 FY2026. Both firms are navigating tariff refunds and operational tweaks while maintaining market leadership.
Amgen Posts $5.6 B Q1 Revenue, Raises 2026 Guidance Amid Pipeline Gains
Amgen announced first‑quarter 2026 revenue of $5.6 billion, up 24% year‑over‑year, and raised its full‑year revenue outlook to $37.1‑$38.5 billion. The biotech giant highlighted strong growth in its lipid‑lowering and rare‑disease portfolios and noted progress on the Meritide program and a new...
Apple Taps Trump-Era Tariff Refunds to Fund US Manufacturing, Boosting Bottom Line
Apple announced $111 bn revenue for Q2 FY2026 and said it is pursuing refunds on duties collected under the Trump administration. CEO Tim Cook pledged to channel any recovered funds into U.S. innovation and advanced manufacturing, underscoring a strategic financial‑management play...
Westwood REIT Posts Q1 2026 Earnings, AUM Hits $18.3B Amid Energy Fund Surge
Westwood Holdings Group (WHG) posted Q1 2026 earnings with total revenue of $25 million and assets under management rising to $18.3 billion, up from $17.4 billion at year‑end 2025. The boost came largely from the Westwood Energy Secondaries Fund 2, which closed with over...
Antimony Scarcity Threatens Supply Chains as Demand Soars for Flame‑Retardants and Batteries
Analysts warn that surging demand for antimony in flame‑retardants and next‑generation batteries could trigger a resource conflict, as the metal’s reserves are concentrated in a handful of countries. At the same time, new financing models such as tokenized mining assets...
Prosecutors Release Six‑Minute Video of Armed Intruder at White House Correspondents’ Dinner
Federal prosecutors posted a six‑minute video showing Cole Allen breach the White House Correspondents’ Dinner security perimeter, brandishing a long gun and shooting a Secret Service officer. The footage, released by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, reignites debate over security protocols...
Bank of England Holds Rate at 3.75% as Energy Shock Fuels Future Hike Concerns
The Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee voted 8‑1 to keep the bank rate at 3.75% on Thursday, citing the risk of material second‑round effects from an energy price shock tied to the Middle East war. The decision signals short‑term...
EVR Products Unveils Expanded Pinch‑Valve Lineup for Abrasive Process Industries
EVR Products announced on May 1, 2026 an expanded industrial pinch‑valve portfolio featuring new elastomer sleeve formulations, refined body designs and broader sizing. The upgrades aim to improve durability and shut‑off performance in high‑abrasive and corrosive process environments across multiple...
Paramount‑Skydance Faces $110 B Merger Lawsuit From Subscribers over Antitrust Concerns
Paramount Global, now under Skydance, and Warner Bros. Discovery are confronting a consumer lawsuit that seeks to block their $110 billion merger. Plaintiffs argue the deal would give the combined firm roughly 24% of theatrical distribution, enabling higher prices and fewer...
Google Teams with OG&E to Power Three New Oklahoma Data Centers
Google has secured a deal with Oklahoma Gas & Electric to power three upcoming data centers in Muskogee and Stillwater. The agreement includes Google covering all connection costs and purchasing power from new solar fields, marking a significant expansion of...
Lazard to Acquire Campbell Lutyens for $575M, Forming Global Private Capital Advisory Leader
Lazard announced a definitive agreement to acquire Campbell Lutyens for an initial $575 million, with up to $85 million in earn‑out, creating Lazard CL – a combined private‑capital advisory unit projected to generate $500 million in 2027 revenue and serve as the firm’s...
Yen Futures Hit Thursday Low as US Equity Futures Stall on Thin Trade
Japanese yen futures slid to their lowest level of the week on Thursday, falling to a spot‑equivalent of 156.5 after a 2.48% rally against the dollar. At the same time, US S&P and Nasdaq futures stalled, with the former up...
First Solar Posts Record $1.0 B Q1 Net Sales on 31% Module Volume Surge
First Solar posted a record $1.0 billion in first‑quarter net sales, driven by a 31% rise in module volume and a 47% gross margin. The company highlighted near‑full U.S. plant utilization, a growing backlog and the rollout of its CURE technology,...
JLL Posts 11% Q1 Revenue Rise on Organic Service Growth and AI Adoption
Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) posted an 11% jump in first‑quarter revenue, largely from organic growth in its real‑estate services and a high single‑digit rise in software revenue. The earnings beat highlights expanding demand for technology‑enabled leasing, AI tools and premium...
Seaport Therapeutics Upsizes IPO, Raises $255 Million at $18 per Share
Boston‑based Seaport Therapeutics priced an upsized IPO of 14.16 million shares at $18 each, pulling in about $255 million in gross proceeds and valuing the company near $912 million. The offering, underwritten by a consortium led by Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan, marks a...
AI Saves Payroll Time as Compliance Costs Bite Small Businesses
ADP reported that its AI‑driven Assist tools shave roughly 30 minutes off each payroll run, a boon for small employers struggling with compliance. At the same time, TriNet disclosed a 12% decline in worksite employees for small firms after health‑fee...
AMD Secures Multi‑GW AI Chip Deals with OpenAI and Meta, Targets 60% Data‑Center Growth
AMD announced that its AI accelerator chips will be deployed in large volumes for OpenAI and Meta, representing several gigawatts of silicon and a multibillion‑dollar revenue runway. Management projects more than 60% annualized growth in its data‑center business over the...
DOJ‑Backed Medicare Portal Leaks Providers' Social Security Numbers
The Department of Government Efficiency’s Medicare provider directory inadvertently published Social Security numbers of doctors and clinics, exposing sensitive data for weeks. CMS officials say the breach stems from mis‑entered data, and the administration is scrambling to remediate the flaw.
Taconic High School Secures $4 Million for New Plumbing Program Amid $70 Million State CTE Boost
Taconic High School in Pittsfield has been awarded a $4 million grant to launch a vocational plumbing program, part of Governor Maura Healey’s $70 million career‑technical education (CTE) package for nearly 30 schools. The funding is expected to help create up to...
Dynatrace Adds AI Coding Agent Monitoring to Track Adoption, Costs and Reliability
Dynatrace announced expanded AI observability for five major coding agents, letting engineering leaders see adoption rates, token consumption, tool behavior and runtime impact. The move addresses growing DevOps concerns over cost, reliability and governance of AI‑driven development tools.
Michigan Townships Battle Microsoft and Others Over Hyperscale Data Centers and Grid Strain
Michigan townships are confronting proposals from Microsoft and other tech giants to build hyperscale data centers, sparking fierce community opposition over electricity demand, water use and zoning authority. About 600 residents attended a Gaines Township meeting to debate a rezoning...
Bankers Warn of Imminent Crash as IMF Flags Systemic Risks
Leading bankers at the IMF’s finance ministers meeting warned that the global banking system, including investment banks, faces a crash risk as debt ratios surge past 140% of GDP. IMF officials highlighted the combined strain of the Middle East oil...
Rivian Posts 11% Q1 Revenue Rise as COO Javier Varela Drives Production Scale
Rivian Automotive reported first‑quarter 2026 revenue of $1.4 billion, an 11% year‑over‑year increase, and highlighted Chief Operations Officer Javier Varela’s role in scaling vehicle output and expanding software services. The earnings call also revealed a narrowed net loss, a $4.8 billion cash...
Garmin Cuts Epix Pro Gen 2 Price by 50%, Undercutting Samsung and Google
Garmin announced a 50% price cut on its Epix Pro Gen 2 Sapphire Edition, now $500 on Amazon, slashing the $1,000 MSRP. The steep discount positions the health‑focused watch as a compelling alternative to Samsung’s Galaxy Watch and Google’s Pixel Watch...
Southern Berkshire Ambulance Asks Voters for $86,900 Boost as Insurance Reimbursements Fall Short
Southern Berkshire Ambulance Squad is petitioning Great Barrington voters to approve an extra $86,899 after the Select Board trimmed its original funding request. The plea underscores a growing mismatch between rising emergency‑service costs and stagnant insurance reimbursements that is straining...
Point72 Forms New Executive Committee as AUM Hits $50 Billion
Point72 Asset Management announced a new five‑member executive committee, headed by founder Steve Cohen, as the firm’s assets under management climbed to $50 billion. The reshuffle formalizes a leadership structure that has evolved alongside a near‑five‑fold AUM increase and a tripling...
Ad Council and NHTSA Unveil 'Never Happens' Hot‑Car Safety PSAs
The Ad Council and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration launched new public‑service ads on May 1, 2026 as part of the "Never Happens" campaign. The pro‑bono effort, developed by agency Chemistry, targets parents and caregivers to stop child heatstroke...
Mason & Associates Cuts $5.7M Stake in Pacer Cash Cows Growth ETF
Mason & Associates Inc sold 161,704 shares of the Pacer US Large Cap Cash Cows Growth Leaders ETF (COWG) for an estimated $5.67 million, cutting its position to 88,667 shares worth $2.91 million. The move shrinks the ETF’s share of Mason’s U.S....
China Grants Zero‑Tariff Access to 53 African Nations, Boosting Emerging‑Market Trade
China has rolled out an expanded zero‑tariff regime for goods imported from all 53 African nations with which it maintains diplomatic ties. The policy, announced on May 1, aims to deepen trade links and counter rising protectionism, offering a potential...
Hilton Posts 3.6% RevPAR Rise in Q1 2026, Announces Record Development Pipeline
Hilton Worldwide posted a 3.6% year‑over‑year rise in systemwide comparable RevPAR for the first quarter of 2026 and disclosed a record development pipeline of 3,768 hotels, underscoring resilient demand and aggressive growth targets.
Herb Morgan Pushes FI$Cal Modernization as Key to California’s $350B Budget Transparency
Herb Morgan, a former Wall Street CIO, is making FI$Cal modernization the centerpiece of his campaign for California State Controller, pledging a real‑time, AI‑enabled financial reporting platform. The effort targets the state’s $350 billion budget, aiming to flag suspicious spending daily...
United Pilot Reports Possible Drone Strike at 4,000 Ft over San Diego, FAA Launches Probe
A United Airlines 737 pilot reported striking a red drone at roughly 4,000 feet while landing at San Diego International Airport, prompting an FAA investigation. The incident exceeds the legal ceiling for civilian drones and raises fresh scrutiny of autonomous aerial...
Baxter Names Anita Zielinski Interim CFO as Q1 Loss Triggers Finance Shake‑up
Baxter International announced that Anita Zielinski will serve as interim chief financial officer while reporting a first‑quarter net loss of $15 million. The medical‑device maker posted $2.7 billion in revenue, a 3% rise on a reported basis, but adjusted earnings per share...
Apple Appoints John Ternus as CEO, Tim Cook to Become Executive Chairman
Apple announced that longtime hardware chief John Ternus will take over as chief executive on Sept. 1, with Tim Cook moving to executive chairman. The change comes after a record‑breaking second‑quarter that posted $111.2 billion in revenue and highlighted rising memory‑chip costs.
Sony Confronts Backlash over New PlayStation DRM that Displays 30‑day Playtime Timer
Sony has responded to growing criticism after a 30‑day online‑validation DRM appeared on PlayStation consoles, showing a countdown timer that limits offline play. The company’s support bots confirmed the feature, while users and insiders debate whether it’s a bug or...
Viavi Solutions Beats Q3 2026 Estimates, Raises Q4 Guidance, Stock Jumps 15%
Viavi Solutions reported Q3 fiscal 2026 revenue of $406.8 million, surpassing analyst expectations and delivering EPS of $0.27. The company also lifted its Q4 revenue guidance to $427‑$437 million and adjusted‑EPS outlook to $0.29‑$0.31, prompting the stock to rally more than 15%...
Verizon CEO Dan Schulman Unveils AI Push and 13,000‑Job Cut to Revive Growth
Verizon CEO Dan Schulman announced a sweeping AI‑focused transformation and the largest layoff in the company's history, cutting 13,000 jobs. The moves come as the $200 billion telecom rebounds with a 16% stock gain since October and upgraded full‑year earnings guidance.
Nebraska Launches Medicaid Work Requirements, Sparking HR Concerns
Nebraska became the first state to enforce federal Medicaid work requirements on May 1, obligating roughly 70,000 enrollees to work, train or attend school. The rollout has ignited alarm among workers, health‑care providers and human‑resources teams that must manage new...
Battlefield Film Triggers Bidding War Among Netflix, Warner Bros., Sony, Universal, Amazon MGM
Netflix, Warner Bros., Sony, Universal and Amazon MGM are competing for the rights to a new Battlefield film directed by Christopher McQuarrie and produced by Michael B. Jordan. The scramble, described as one of the biggest bidding wars of the...
UK Faces Largest Jet Fuel Deficit in Europe as Prices Spike to $209 per Barrel
Allianz’s latest report shows the United Kingdom has the deepest jet‑fuel deficit in Europe, about 200,000 barrels per day, and price spikes from $99 to $209 per barrel. Experts warn the shortfall could trigger widespread flight cancellations and higher ticket...
Oil Prices Hit Four-Year Highs as Iran-Hormuz Tensions Spur UAE Exit From OPEC
Brent crude surged to its highest level since 2022 on April 30, 2026, as the Iran‑Hormuz conflict tightened supply. The same week, the United Arab Emirates announced its withdrawal from OPEC after nearly six decades, citing Hormuz disruptions. The twin...
Madison Wealth Partners Puts $27 Million Into VictoryShares Core Plus Bond ETF
Madison Wealth Partners added 1.23 million shares of the VictoryShares Core Plus Bond ETF (UBND), a $27 million purchase that lifts its holding to 5.6% of its reportable assets. The move underscores a strategic shift toward fixed‑income stability as investors grapple with...
Brent Crude Surges Past $125 Amid Iran‑Hormuz Standoff, Fuel Prices Spike Globally
Brent crude climbed above $125 a barrel on Thursday after Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz and President Donald Trump's hard‑line stance, sending gasoline in the United States past $4 per gallon and lifting UK petrol and diesel to...
STI Climbs 1.1% as DBS Posts Record Q1 Profit, Boosting Singapore Market
DBS Bank reported a net profit of S$2.93 bn for Q1, up 1% year‑on‑year and ahead of forecasts, sending its shares 3.4% higher and pushing the Straits Times Index up 1.1% to 4,912.69. The rally helped offset a week of losses...
FTSE 100 Slides 0.6% as UK Banks and Miners Lose Ground Amid Middle East Tensions
The FTSE 100 fell to 10,293.03, down 59.89 points (0.59%), as UK banking and mining shares retreated amid heightened Middle East conflict concerns and a hawkish Federal Reserve tone. The slide underscores growing risk aversion toward financials and commodities in...
Joby Aviation Launches First eVTOL JFK‑Manhattan Demo, Marking U.S. Air‑taxi Milestone
Joby Aviation flew its production‑prototype electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft from New York’s JFK airport to Manhattan’s West 30th Street heliport, completing the first point‑to‑point eVTOL flight at a major U.S. hub. The 15‑minute demo, part of a ten‑day...
Trump Lifts 10% U.S. Tariff on Scotch Whisky After King Charles' State Visit
President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social that the United States will drop the 10% tariff on Scotch whisky, a gesture he said was prompted by King Charles III and Queen Camilla’s recent state visit. The decision follows months of...
AI Model Outperforms ER Doctors in Emergency Diagnosis, Study Shows
OpenAI's o1 reasoning model outperformed human emergency‑room physicians in a Science‑published study, delivering more accurate diagnoses across simulated and real‑world cases. Researchers say the result underscores the power of large‑scale clinical data and advanced analytics, while warning against replacing doctors...
Park Systems Unveils NX1, First Ambient‑Condition Atomic‑Resolution AFM
Park Systems Corp. has released the NX1, a compact atomic force microscope that achieves true atomic‑resolution imaging in ambient conditions. Developed with Prof. Franz J. Giessibl, the instrument lowers the noise floor by roughly ten‑fold, bringing ultra‑high‑vacuum performance to everyday...
GenOptima Launches AEO‑as‑a‑Service, Guaranteeing AI Assistant Citations
GenOptima announced AEO‑as‑a‑Service (AEOaaS), a new performance‑driven category that promises verified brand citations in AI assistants such as ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity. The model ties fees to actual answer‑engine placement rather than traditional activity metrics, marking a shift in how...