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S&P 500 Flat as Materials Lead While Financials and Communication Services Lag U.S. sector performance was mixed on Monday, with

U.S. sector performance was mixed on Monday, with the S&P 500 up just 0.05% as gains in materials, consumer staples and health care offset...

09-22-26

Meta Muse AI may throw gas on the labor displacement problem — but it's not all doom and gloom

Monthly jobs reports will take on greater weight as AI displaces workers.

finance.yahoo.com 09-22-26

Samsara Launches MCP to Bring Live Operational Data Into AI Tools Samsara launched Samsara MCP, a Model Context Protocol connection

Samsara launched Samsara MCP, a Model Context Protocol connection that allows customers to bring live operational data from its platform into third-party AI assistants,...

09-22-26

Palo Alto Networks Launches AI-Powered Continuous Offensive Security Service With OpenAI and Anthropic Models Palo Alto Networks launched Unit 42

launched Unit 42 Continuous Frontier AI Defense, a new agentic offensive security service that uses advanced models including OpenAI’s GPT-5.6-Cyber and...

09-22-26

Amgen Stock Jumps 4% After Positive Phase 3 Dazodalibep Results in Sjögren’s Disease Amgen shares rose 4% to $408.88 after

Amgen shares rose 4% to $408.88 after the company reported positive topline results from the Phase 3 OASIZ 301 study of dazodalibep in adults...

09-22-26

Accenture and Google Cloud Team With Volvo Cars on AI-Powered Automotive Software Platform Accenture and Google Cloud said Volvo Cars

said Volvo Cars has become the lead industry partner for Horizon, an open-source software development platform designed to help automakers...

09-22-26

Keysight Expands Satellite Direct-to-Device Testing Coverage for NR-NTN Keysight Technologies expanded its certification-ready testing portfolio for 5G non-terrestrial networks after

Keysight Technologies expanded its certification-ready testing portfolio for 5G non-terrestrial networks after securing new Radio Resource Management validations at the Global Certification Forum’s latest...

09-22-26

Adobe and Jet2 Partner to Bring Agentic AI Personalization to Holiday Travel Adobe and Jet2 announced a multi-year strategic partnership

announced a multi-year strategic partnership aimed at using agentic AI to deliver more personalized travel experiences to millions of holidaymakers. Jet2...

09-22-26

Accenture Edge and AWS Launch Six AI and Cloud Offerings for Mid-Market Companies Accenture and Amazon Web Services expanded their

Accenture and Amazon Web Services expanded their collaboration with six ready-to-deploy offerings aimed at helping mid-market companies adopt AI, modernize cloud infrastructure and strengthen...

09-22-26

FDA Updates Merck’s WINREVAIR Label With HYPERION Pulmonary Hypertension Data Merck said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved an

Merck said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved an update to the label for WINREVAIR to include efficacy and safety data from the...

09-22-26

Apple Launches New Mac mini and Mac Studio With M6 and M5 Ultra Chips Apple said its latest Mac mini

Apple said its latest Mac mini and Mac Studio models are now available, expanding the company’s desktop lineup with new Apple silicon aimed at...

09-22-26

NVIDIA Launches Isaac ROS 5.0 With Agentic AI Tools for Robotics Development NVIDIA released Isaac ROS 5.0, expanding its open-source

NVIDIA released Isaac ROS 5.0, expanding its open-source robotics platform with new agentic AI capabilities designed to help developers build, customize and deploy robotics...

09-22-26

S&P 500

S&P 500 Flat as Materials Lead While Financials and Communication Services Lag

U.S. sector performance was mixed on Monday, with the S&P 500 up just 0.05% as gains in materials, consumer staples and health care offset weakness in financials and communication services.

Materials led the market with a 1.88% gain, followed by consumer staples at 1.25% and health care at 0.73%. Information technology also outperformed, rising 0.55%, while industrials edged up 0.05%.

On the downside, financials were the weakest sector, falling 1.72%. Communication services declined 0.87%, while energy lost 0.43%. Consumer discretionary slipped 0.18%, real estate fell 0.11% and utilities declined 0.08%.

The broad dispersion suggests investors were rotating toward defensive and commodity-linked sectors while taking profits in parts of the financial and communication-services space. Technology remained relatively resilient, helping keep the broader S&P 500 near flat territory.

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Global Finance News 09-22-26

U.S. Stocks Mixed as Tech Gains Offset Dow Weakness, ADP Data Shows Firmer Hiring

U.S. stocks traded mixed Tuesday, with technology shares outperforming while the Dow Jones remained under pressure.

The S&P 500 was nearly flat, up 0.08% at 7,770.63. The Nasdaq gained 0.55% to 27,270.74, supported by strength in technology and growth stocks, while the Dow Jones fell 0.41% to 51,837.62.

Fresh labor-market data added a somewhat firmer signal to the session. ADP’s weekly employment estimate showed private-sector employment increased by 20,000, up from 16,300 previously. The improvement suggests hiring momentum remained positive, even as other recent indicators have pointed to some moderation in broader economic activity.

Investors are still balancing the Federal Reserve’s recent 25-basis-point rate increase against signs of softer growth. Flat August industrial production and a decline in the U.S. Leading Index have raised concerns about economic momentum, while the stronger ADP reading points to continued resilience in the labor market.

Lower oil prices are also helping ease inflation concerns, with Brent crude trading below $100 as Middle East supply fears moderate. That backdrop is supporting rate-sensitive growth stocks, particularly technology, while more cyclical Dow components remain weaker.

For now, the market is showing a clear divergence: technology shares continue to lead, while investors weigh resilient employment against tighter monetary policy and softer industrial indicators.

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WS Investor 09-22-26

Weekly market commentary | BlackRock Investment Institute

Stay tuned for insights on hot topics and latest trends in the financial market via the Weekly commentary by the BlackRock Investment Institute.

(blackrock.com)

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The Investor 09-21-26

U.S. Stocks Rally as AI Shares Surge and Falling Oil Prices Ease Inflation Fears

U.S. stocks traded sharply higher Monday, led by technology shares as falling oil prices and lower Treasury yields improved risk sentiment.

The S&P 500 rose 0.95% to 7,723.01, while the Dow Jones gained 0.43% to 51,903.85. The Nasdaq outperformed with a 1.53% advance to 26,927.20.

Technology and AI-related stocks were the main drivers of the rally. Chipmakers including AMD, Intel and Micron posted strong gains, while Meta also advanced as investors returned to AI-related names after last week’s concerns over the pace of artificial-intelligence development eased.

The broader market also benefited from a sharp decline in crude oil prices. Brent fell back toward $100 a barrel as concerns over Middle East supply disruptions eased, helping reduce inflation pressure and pushing the 10-year Treasury yield below 5%.

Improving U.S.-China sentiment added to the positive backdrop, with investors looking ahead to high-level discussions covering trade, technology and AI.

For now, the combination of lower energy prices, easing bond yields and renewed enthusiasm for AI is supporting a broad risk-on move, with the Nasdaq clearly leading the major U.S. indexes.

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The Investor 09-21-26

U.S. Stocks Slip as Weak Industrial Data and Higher Yields Offset Fed-Driven Optimism

U.S. stocks traded modestly lower Friday as investors weighed softer economic data against lingering confidence in the Federal Reserve’s inflation-fighting stance.

The S&P 500 fell 0.20% to 7,622.67, while the Dow Jones declined 0.34% to 51,602.07. The Nasdaq was down 0.13% at 26,383.07, giving back part of its earlier gains.

The session followed Thursday’s rally, when falling oil prices and lower long-term Treasury yields helped investors respond positively to the Fed’s 25-basis-point rate increase. The central bank raised its benchmark range to 3.75%–4.00%, and Chair Kevin Warsh emphasized that inflation remains too high, reinforcing confidence that the Fed is prepared to act against persistent price pressures.

Friday’s economic data were less supportive. U.S. industrial production was unchanged in August, missing expectations for a 0.3% increase, while manufacturing output fell 0.3% after seven consecutive monthly gains. The U.S. Leading Index also declined 0.1%, pointing to some moderation in near-term economic momentum.

At the same time, Treasury yields remained an important headwind. The 10-year yield has recently traded near 5%, keeping pressure on equity valuations, particularly in growth-sensitive sectors. Brent crude’s retreat below $100 has helped ease some inflation concerns, but investors remain focused on whether the Fed will deliver another rate increase later this year.

For now, Wall Street appears caught between confidence in the Fed’s inflation response and concern that tighter monetary policy, high yields and slowing industrial momentum could weigh on growth.

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WS Investor 09-18-26

U.S. Stocks Rally as Technology Leads Broad Market Gains

U.S. stocks traded firmly higher Thursday, with the S&P 500 up 1.09% as investors extended the positive reaction to the Federal Reserve’s latest policy decision.

Technology led the advance, with the S&P 500 Information Technology sector rising 2.10%. Consumer Discretionary gained 1.63%, while Utilities, Materials and Real Estate also posted solid gains.

The broad participation suggests investors were not only buying growth stocks but also rotating into rate-sensitive sectors. The market’s strength comes after the Federal Reserve raised rates by 25 basis points to 4.00% on Wednesday, a move that appears to have increased confidence that policymakers are taking inflation risks seriously while avoiding a more aggressive tightening step.

Most sectors were higher, with Health Care up 0.47%, Industrials up 0.40%, Communication Services up 0.25% and Financials up 0.16%. Energy was nearly flat, while Consumer Staples was the only sector in negative territory, down 0.21%.

The strong performance in technology and discretionary shares indicates improving risk appetite, while gains in utilities and real estate suggest investors are also responding positively to the broader interest-rate outlook.

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The Investor 09-17-26

U.S. Stocks Rally as Fed Rate Hike Boosts Confidence in Inflation Fight

U.S. stocks opened sharply higher Thursday, with investors responding positively to the Federal Reserve’s interest-rate decision and signs that policymakers remain committed to bringing inflation under control.

The S&P 500 rose 0.93% to 7,621.95, while the Dow Jones gained 0.52% to 51,730.65. The Nasdaq led the advance, climbing 1.28% to 26,312.06 as technology shares attracted renewed buying.

The gains followed Wednesday’s Federal Reserve decision to raise its benchmark rate by 25 basis points to a 3.75%–4.00% range. Although the move was widely expected, the unanimous decision under Fed Chair Kevin Warsh appeared to strengthen investor confidence that the central bank is prepared to address persistent inflation pressures.

Sentiment was also supported by a pullback in oil prices, easing some concerns that high energy costs could add further inflation pressure. Reuters reported that U.S. stock futures had already moved higher before the opening bell as lower crude prices reinforced the positive reaction to the Fed decision.

Still, the Fed maintained a hawkish stance, with most policymakers indicating that another rate increase could be appropriate before the end of the year. For now, however, markets appear to be focusing on the credibility of the Fed’s inflation response.

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WS News 09-17-26

U.S. Stocks Rise as Tech Gains Offset Fed Rate Concerns After Strong Retail Sales

U.S. stocks traded mostly higher Wednesday, with the S&P 500 up 0.37% to 7,613.62 and the Nasdaq gaining 0.69% to 26,160.05. The Dow Jones was nearly flat, slipping 0.08% to 52,048.87, as technology stocks led the market higher ahead of the Federal Reserve’s policy decision.

Fresh economic data showed that U.S. consumers remain surprisingly resilient. Retail sales jumped 1.2% month over month in August, beating the 0.8% forecast and reversing July’s 0.5% decline. Core retail sales were even stronger, rising 1.4% versus the 0.6% expected. The data adds to evidence that the U.S. economy continues to carry solid momentum.

The strength of consumer spending also complicates the interest-rate outlook. Markets are pricing a roughly 90% probability that the Fed will raise rates by 25 basis points later Wednesday, as policymakers confront persistent inflation and the inflationary impact of higher energy prices. The 10-year Treasury yield, which recently crossed 5% and reached its highest level since 2007, eased to around 4.97%, providing some relief for growth and technology stocks.

Oil prices also pulled back after their recent surge, with Brent falling around 1.5% today.

Investors are now focused on the Fed decision and Chair Kevin Warsh’s comments for clues on whether an expected rate increase represents a one-time response to renewed inflation pressures or the beginning of a broader tightening cycle.

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WS Investor 09-16-26

U.S. Stocks Fall as 10-Year Yield Hits 5% and Oil Fuels Fed Hike Fears

U.S. stocks traded lower Tuesday as surging Treasury yields, elevated oil prices and renewed geopolitical tensions outweighed signs of continued job creation.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.96%, while the Nasdaq Composite declined 0.58% and the S&P 500 lost 0.44%. The benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury yield climbed above 5%, reaching its highest level since 2007 as investors prepared for Wednesday’s Federal Reserve decision. Markets are pricing a roughly 90% probability of a 25-basis-point rate hike.

Economic data offered a mixed picture. Weekly ADP employment growth accelerated to 16,300 from 12,000, suggesting the labor market continues to add jobs. However, the New York Empire State Manufacturing Index dropped to 7.6 in September from 20.6, well below the 14.8 forecast.

Geopolitical risks remain another major headwind. Oil prices have stayed above $100 as renewed attacks involving Iran-aligned Houthis and Saudi Arabia increased concerns over Middle East supply disruptions. Higher energy prices are reinforcing inflation fears.

With bond yields around 5% increasing the relative attractiveness of fixed-income assets and putting pressure on equity valuations, investors are likely to remain cautious ahead of the Fed decision and its guidance on whether additional rate hikes could follow.

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The Investor 09-15-26

S&P 500 Slips as Tech and Industrials Weigh, Communication Services Leads

U.S. stocks traded modestly lower Monday afternoon, with the S&P 500 down 0.24% at 7,638.81 around 1:43 p.m. EDT, as weakness in technology and industrial shares offset strong gains in communication services and health care.

The session showed a sharp divergence across sectors. Communication Services led the S&P 500 with a 2.77% gain, followed by Health Care at 1.39% and Consumer Staples at 1.33%. At the other end, Industrials fell 1.54%, Utilities dropped 1.12%, and Information Technology declined 1.08%.

Technology remained under pressure after calls from leading AI executives to slow development of the most advanced AI models raised questions about the pace of AI infrastructure investment. Semiconductor stocks were particularly exposed, while some large software and internet companies benefited from a rotation within technology-related shares.

Broader sentiment was also pressured by elevated oil prices and Treasury yields. Brent crude traded above $108 following additional Middle East supply disruptions, while the 10-year Treasury yield briefly reached 5%, intensifying inflation concerns. Markets are now pricing a high probability of a Federal Reserve rate hike this week following hotter U.S. inflation data.

Despite these pressures, the S&P 500 had recovered substantially from its intraday lows by early afternoon, suggesting that strength in defensive sectors and selected mega-cap stocks was helping limit the broader market decline.

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WS Investor 09-14-26

09-22-26WS News

Brent Crude

Brent Crude Falls 1.1% as Saudi Pipeline Restarts and Hormuz Reopening Hopes Pressure Prices

Brent crude futures fell 1.14% to around $99.20 a barrel Tuesday, extending recent weakness as improving Middle East supply prospects reduced some of the geopolitical risk premium in oil prices.

The biggest pressure came from Saudi Arabia’s East-West Pipeline. The kingdom has restarted operations after the route was shut following drone attacks, and exports from the Red Sea port of Yanbu could resume. The pipeline had been used to reroute roughly 4 million barrels per day around the Strait of Hormuz, making its restart an important development for regional supply. (Reuters)

Oil prices also weakened after Iran signaled that the Strait of Hormuz could reopen within seven days if the U.S. eases military pressure and lifts its blockade on Iranian ports. The possibility of renewed diplomacy has reduced fears of a prolonged disruption through one of the world’s most important oil transit routes. (Reuters)

At the same time, physical supply flows appear to be adapting. Middle Eastern exporters have increasingly used alternative routes and storage hubs, while Saudi shipments have remained stronger than initially feared.

Still, downside risks are not one-sided. Shipping traffic through Hormuz remains far below pre-conflict levels, and continued regional fighting means oil could remain volatile even if supply conditions improve further.

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WS Investor 09-22-26

Brent Crude Falls 4% as Supply Fears Ease

Brent crude futures fell 4.01% to around $99.71 a barrel Monday, dropping back below the $100 level as traders reduced part of the geopolitical risk premium built into oil prices over the past week.

The decline reflects growing confidence that Saudi crude exports are recovering from recent disruptions and that alternative export routes are helping stabilize regional supply. Reuters reported that Saudi shipments have rebounded sharply in September, easing fears of a prolonged supply shock.

Oil was also pressured by renewed hopes for diplomatic progress involving the U.S. and Iran, which reduced some concern that Middle East tensions could escalate further and disrupt major energy routes.

Despite the pullback, geopolitical risk remains elevated. Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz is still below normal levels, and recent attacks on regional infrastructure continue to leave the market vulnerable to sudden supply disruptions.

For now, Brent’s move below $100 suggests traders are shifting their focus from worst-case supply scenarios toward improving export flows and the possibility of diplomatic de-escalation.

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The Investor 09-21-26

Brent Crude Falls Below $100 as Saudi Supply Concerns Ease

Brent crude futures fell 1.37% to around $98.56 a barrel Friday morning, extending a multi-session decline as fears of an immediate Saudi supply disruption continued to fade.

Oil prices had surged earlier in the week after attacks damaged Saudi Arabia’s East-West pipeline and disrupted loadings from the Yanbu export hub. Since then, Saudi Arabia has begun restoring pipeline capacity and increasing crude movements through alternative routes, including Oman, reducing some of the geopolitical risk premium that had pushed Brent toward $110. (Reuters)

Geopolitical risks remain significant in Middle East and Ukraine, however. That means oil prices could remain volatile even as immediate supply fears ease.

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European Investor 09-18-26

Brent Crude Falls 1.4% as Middle East Supply Fears Ease

Brent crude futures fell 1.44% to around $104.31 a barrel Thursday morning, extending their retreat from this week’s highs as concerns over immediate Middle East supply disruptions eased.

Oil prices came under pressure as Saudi Arabia worked to maintain crude exports following attacks on its East-West pipeline. Saudi shipments are being redirected through Oman’s Sohar port, while expectations that damaged pipeline infrastructure could return to service within days have reduced some of the geopolitical risk premium that recently pushed Brent toward $110. (Reuters)

Prices also reacted to comments from U.S. President Donald Trump expressing hope that the war with Iran was nearing an end, although fighting involving Saudi Arabia and Houthi forces continued to keep regional supply risks elevated. (Internazionale)

Brent nevertheless remains above $100 as Middle East tensions continue to threaten energy flows.

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Global Finance News 09-17-26

Brent Crude Surges Above $109 as Saudi Pipeline Shutdown Deepens Supply Fears

Brent crude surged more than 4% on Monday, climbing to $109.33 a barrel as escalating Middle East disruptions intensified concerns over global oil supplies.

The latest rally followed drone attacks that damaged Saudi Arabia’s East-West pipeline, forcing the key route to remain closed over the weekend. The pipeline has become particularly important because it allows Saudi crude to bypass the Strait of Hormuz and reach the Red Sea. Reuters reported that fresh attacks on Saudi energy infrastructure and vessels in the region have compounded supply concerns.

Risks are also increasing around the Bab el-Mandeb shipping route, while a planned meeting between Iran and Gulf states to discuss shipping through the Strait of Hormuz was postponed. The setback reduced hopes for an immediate diplomatic solution to disruptions affecting some of the world’s most important energy corridors.(Reuters)

Brent has now returned to the $109 area after briefly retreating toward $104 late last week. The renewed surge is likely to keep inflation concerns elevated ahead of this week’s Federal Reserve decision, with higher energy costs adding another complication for the interest-rate outlook.

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WS Investor 09-14-26

Brent Crude Falls 3% as Diplomatic Hopes Trigger Pullback From Near $110

Brent crude futures fell sharply on Friday, retreating 3.02% to $104.38 a barrel after briefly approaching $110 earlier in the session. The decline follows Thursday’s 6.3% surge, when Brent settled at $107.63 amid escalating attacks on shipping in the Middle East.

The pullback came as traders reacted to reports that Gulf ministers are expected to meet Iran next week in an effort to secure temporary access through the Strait of Hormuz. Any improvement in shipping conditions could ease some of the supply-risk premium that has rapidly built into crude prices. (Financial Times)

Still, supply risks remain elevated. Traffic through Hormuz continues to be constrained, while the Iran-aligned Houthis’ seizure of Yemen’s Mocha port has increased concerns over another critical shipping route near the Bab al-Mandeb Strait.

Despite Friday’s decline, Brent remains on track for a weekly gain of roughly 10% and is set to finish the week above $100 for the first time since mid-May, underscoring how strongly the prolonged Middle East conflict continues to influence global energy markets.

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European Investor 09-11-26

Brent Crude Surges Above $105 as Middle East Supply Crisis Deepens

Brent crude oil extended its powerful rally Thursday, climbing 4.28% to $105.54 a barrel as escalating Middle East tensions and severe supply disruptions intensified concerns over global oil availability. Brent has now gained more than 10% over the past five sessions.

A sharp deterioration in Saudi Arabian supply has become a major catalyst. Saudi crude production reportedly fell to around 6.2 million barrels per day in August, down roughly 23% and reaching levels last seen in the 1990s, as regional conflict disrupted exports and shipping routes (Financial Times).

The broader supply picture is also tightening. Flows through the Strait of Hormuz remain severely constrained amid the U.S.-Iran conflict. The disruptions have increased concerns that available supply may struggle to compensate for lost Gulf barrels.

The oil rally is also spilling into global financial markets. U.S. producer inflation accelerated to 5.4% year over year in August, while the 10-year Treasury yield climbed to around 4.92% as investors assessed the risk that higher energy costs could prolong inflation and force the Federal Reserve to maintain tighter monetary policy.

With Brent now firmly above $100, markets are closely watching developments around Hormuz and Saudi production. Further supply disruptions could keep upward pressure on crude prices and reinforce inflation concerns across the global economy.

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The Investor 09-10-26

Brent Crude Touches $100 as U.S.-Iran Conflict Escalates and Supply Risks Mount

Brent crude oil futures climbed to the $100-per-barrel threshold on Wednesday as escalating conflict involving the U.S., Iran and regional allies intensified concerns over Middle Eastern oil supplies.

Brent was trading at $99.97, up $2.05, or 2.09%, after briefly rising above $100 earlier in the session. Reuters reported an intraday high of $100.19, marking the benchmark’s first move above $100 since July 24.

The latest rally follows a sharp escalation in the U.S.-Iran conflict. U.S. forces said they destroyed five Iranian oil tankers on Tuesday, while Iran retaliated by firing ballistic missiles at a U.S.-used base in Jordan and attacking vessels attempting to cross an area of the Strait of Hormuz that Tehran has declared unsafe. (Reuters)

Supply concerns have also increased after Iran-backed Houthis attacked Saudi cities and energy facilities, causing fires and temporarily halting operations at some sites.

Shipping data underline the pressure on regional energy flows. Only six commodity vessels crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, compared with a 10-day average of about 12, according to preliminary Kpler data cited by Reuters.

Brent has now risen roughly 25% since early August as hopes for a lasting resolution to the conflict have faded. A sustained move above $100 would increase inflation concerns globally and could further complicate the outlook for interest rates ahead of upcoming U.S. inflation data and the Federal Reserve’s September meeting.

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European Investor 09-09-26

Brent Nears $100 as U.S.-Iran Tensions Escalate, While Gold Falls on Rate-Hike Fears

Brent crude surged toward the psychologically important $100-per-barrel level on Tuesday as the U.S.-Iran conflict intensified, while gold moved sharply lower as rising oil prices reinforced inflation concerns and expectations for tighter Federal Reserve policy.

Brent futures climbed 2.51% to $98.70 per barrel, reaching an intraday high above $99. The rally comes as shipping through the Strait of Hormuz remains severely disrupted. Geopolitical tensions have continued to deteriorate. Iran has threatened retaliation for further U.S. attacks and warned that energy infrastructure across the Gulf could be targeted. Tehran is also preparing a new restricted maritime zone around the Gulf and Hormuz area. Meanwhile, Iran-backed Houthi forces attacked Saudi energy facilities on Tuesday, further expanding concerns about regional energy infrastructure. (Reuters)

Gold, however, has not benefited from the escalating geopolitical risk. December futures fell *0.83% to $4,439.50*, extending their retreat after Friday’s strong U.S. employment report.

The key connection is oil. Higher crude prices increase the risk that energy costs will reignite inflation, potentially forcing the Fed to maintain tighter monetary policy. Markets are currently pricing roughly a 60% probability of a Fed rate hike. Higher expected rates raise the opportunity cost of holding non-yielding gold.

The U.S.-Iran conflict is therefore producing an unusual divergence: Brent is benefiting directly from fears of physical supply disruption, while gold’s traditional safe-haven support is being overwhelmed by the inflation and interest-rate implications of the oil surge. U.S. inflation data later this week will be crucial for determining whether that divergence continues.

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Global Finance News 09-08-26

Brent Oil Holds Near $97 as U.S.-Iran Conflict Escalates

Brent crude oil traded higher on Monday as escalating military exchanges between the United States and Iran intensified concerns about prolonged disruptions to Middle Eastern oil supplies.

Brent was trading around $96.75 per barrel, up 0.49%. The latest escalation came over the weekend. U.S. forces struck three Iranian oil tankers on Saturday after Iran launched ballistic missiles at two U.S. Navy ships. Iran subsequently said it targeted three tankers using unauthorized routes through the Strait of Hormuz as well as additional U.S. vessels. (Reuters)

The Strait of Hormuz remains the central risk for crude prices. Tanker traffic through the waterway has fallen to its lowest level since May, while Iran said Monday that it plans to establish a new restricted shipping zone in the Gulf. (Reuters)

Supply concerns are therefore keeping a substantial geopolitical premium embedded in Brent. Further attacks on tankers or a deeper disruption to Hormuz traffic could push oil toward the psychologically important *$100-per-barrel level*, while any meaningful de-escalation between Washington and Tehran could quickly remove part of that risk premium.

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European Investor 09-07-26

09-22-26WS News

09-20-26WS News

NASDAQ:META

Meta Muse AI may throw gas on the labor displacement problem — but it's not all doom and gloom

Monthly jobs reports will take on greater weight as AI displaces workers.

(finance.yahoo.com)

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Global Finance News 09-22-26

Meta Expands Threads Parental Supervision Across Asia-Pacific

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ: META) is rolling out parental supervision tools for Threads across Asia-Pacific, expanding its efforts to give parents greater visibility and control over how teenagers use its social-media platforms.

Through Meta’s Family Center, parents will be able to monitor how much time their teens spend on Threads, establish daily usage limits and block access during selected hours. Parents can also adjust sleep mode, control who can tag their teen and manage certain privacy and sensitive-content settings.

The new controls build on Threads’ existing Teen Accounts, which automatically provide protections including private accounts and restrictions on the content shown to younger users. For teens under 16, parents can determine whether those default protections can be relaxed.

The expansion brings Threads more closely in line with Meta’s broader parental-control framework across its apps as the company continues investing in teen safety and family-management tools.

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WS Investor 09-16-26

Meta Launches Meta One Subscription Service With Expanded AI Features

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ: META) has launched Meta One, a new subscription service spanning Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp and Meta AI, creating another potential revenue stream beyond the company’s core advertising business. Meta said more than 50 features are available at launch, while its subscription products have already accumulated 15 million subscriptions and trials.

Meta One combines premium social-media features with higher usage limits for the company’s increasingly compute-intensive AI tools. Subscribers can generate and edit more images and videos with Meta AI, access additional Instagram AI features and choose between individual app subscriptions and broader Core and Premium bundles. Meta said its basic apps and everyday Meta AI experience will remain free.

The company is also targeting creators and businesses with professional tools, including enhanced profiles, audience-growth features and greater access to Meta Business Agent for automated customer interactions. Meta plans to expand these capabilities with additional AI agents, content-creation tools and business automation features.

Pricing starts at $2.99 per month for individual products and $7.99 for consumer bundles, while creator and business packages begin at $14.99 and extend to as much as $499 per month for the highest-tier plan. The rollout gives Meta another way to monetize its enormous user base and growing AI ecosystem through recurring subscription revenue alongside advertising.

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WS Investor 09-16-26

Meta and Applied Materials Declare Quarterly Cash Dividends

Meta Platforms and Applied Materials announced quarterly cash dividends on September 10, continuing shareholder capital returns at two of the largest U.S. technology companies.

Meta’s board declared a quarterly dividend of $0.525 per share for both Class A and Class B common stock. The dividend will be paid on September 28 to shareholders of record at the close of business on September 21.

Applied Materials separately declared a quarterly dividend of $0.53 per share, payable December 10 to shareholders of record on November 19. The semiconductor equipment company increased its quarterly dividend by 15% earlier this year, from $0.46 to $0.53, marking its ninth consecutive annual dividend increase.

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Global Finance News 09-11-26

Meta Expands WhatsApp Payments in India With New Bill-Pay Feature

Meta is expanding WhatsApp’s role in India’s digital payments market with the launch of a new feature allowing users to pay household and utility bills directly within the messaging app.

The service, powered by India’s Bharat Connect (BBPS) network, provides access to 22,722 billers across 30 categories, including electricity, gas, water, insurance, credit cards, FASTag and loan repayments.

Users can access the service through the ₹ icon in WhatsApp, view upcoming and previous bills, manage multiple accounts and make payments using UPI, debit cards or credit cards. The feature is being rolled out gradually to Android and iOS users across India.

WhatsApp Pushes Deeper Into India’s Digital Economy

The launch expands WhatsApp beyond messaging and commerce into another high-frequency financial activity. The platform already supports services in India such as mobile recharges, metro-ticket purchases and access to government services.

For Meta, integrating recurring payments could increase engagement with WhatsApp’s payments ecosystem and strengthen the app’s position as an everyday digital platform in one of its most important global markets.

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The Investor 09-04-26

Meta Stock Falls 9% Premarket Despite Strong Revenue Growth as Profit Margins Shrink on AI Spending

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ: META) shares dropped 9% in premarket trading on Thursday after the social media giant reported second-quarter results that highlighted the growing cost of its aggressive artificial intelligence investments, overshadowing another quarter of strong revenue growth.

Revenue increased 28% year-over-year to $60.8 billion, driven by continued strength in digital advertising. Ad impressions rose 14%, while the average price per ad increased 12%. Family Daily Active People (DAP) reached 3.60 billion, up 3% from a year earlier, demonstrating continued user engagement across Meta's platforms.

## AI Investment Weighs on Profitability

Despite the robust top-line growth, investors focused on a sharp deterioration in profitability. Total costs and expenses surged 55% to $42.0 billion, reflecting massive AI infrastructure investments, $2.4 billion in legal-related charges and $1.18 billion in severance costs following the company's May workforce reduction.

As a result, operating income declined 8% to $18.8 billion, while operating margin contracted to 31% from 43% a year ago. Net income fell 14% to $15.8 billion, and diluted earnings per share decreased 13% to $6.18.

Meta also spent $31.1 billion on capital expenditures during the quarter and narrowed its full-year capital expenditure guidance to $130-145 billion, reinforcing expectations that AI infrastructure spending will remain elevated.

## Guidance Offers Limited Relief

For the third quarter, Meta expects revenue between $61 billion and $64 billion, while raising the lower end of its full-year expense guidance to $165-169 billion. The company maintained its expectation that full-year operating income will exceed 2025 levels, but investors appeared more concerned about the pace of spending than the revenue outlook.

## What to Watch

The sharp premarket decline suggests investors are becoming increasingly sensitive to profitability as large technology companies continue investing heavily in AI. Going forward, the market will closely monitor whether Meta can translate its record AI spending into stronger earnings growth while preserving operating margins.

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European Investor 07-30-26

Meta Beats Q1 Estimates, But Surging AI Capex Spooks Investors

Meta Platforms delivered a strong Q1 2026, yet shares slid after hours as Wall Street fixated on a massive spending hike.

Revenue climbed 33% year-over-year to $56.31 billion — the fastest growth since 2021 — beating estimates of $55.45 billion. Adjusted EPS came in at $7.31, topping the $6.79 consensus. Ad impressions jumped 19% year-over-year, while average price per ad rose 12%.

The trouble? AI spending. Meta raised its full-year 2026 capex guidance to $125–$145 billion, up from $115–$135 billion, citing higher component pricing and additional data center costs — and that single line item drove a ~6% after-hours decline.

META shares were trading at $613.00 in pre-market, down 8.39%.

Zuckerberg's AI investments have yet to produce new revenue streams but have strengthened the core advertising business. For now, markets want proof the bet will pay off (CNBC).

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WS Investor 04-30-26

Meta Posts 33% Revenue Growth in Q1 2026, Hits $56.3 Billion

Meta Platforms reported first-quarter revenues of $56.3 billion, up 33% year over year, with operating income rising 30% to $22.9 billion at a 41% margin. Net income surged 61% to $26.8 billion, though results were boosted by an $8 billion one-time tax benefit. Daily active users across Meta's family of apps averaged 3.56 billion in March, up 4% from a year ago. Ad impressions grew 19% and average ad prices rose 12%. Capital expenditures reached $19.8 billion for the quarter, with full-year capex guidance raised to $125-145 billion, reflecting higher component costs and expanded data center investment. For Q2, Meta guided revenues of $58-61 billion.

Source: Meta Platforms, Inc. Press Release, April 29, 2026

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Global Finance News 04-29-26

Meta has signed a major agreement with Amazon Web Services to deploy AWS Graviton processors at scale, supporting its next-generation AI infrastructure. The rollout will begin with tens of millions of Graviton cores, with capacity expected to expand as demand grows.

The partnership reflects increasing demand for CPU-intensive workloads driven by “agentic AI,” including real-time reasoning, code generation, and multi-step task orchestration. While GPUs remain key for training models, Graviton chips are positioned to handle large-scale operational AI processes more efficiently.

The deal strengthens Meta’s long-standing relationship with AWS and supports its broader AI strategy, leveraging Amazon’s cloud infrastructure and services to manage billions of AI-driven interactions.
Business Wire

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The Investor 04-26-26

Get Smart: Is It Too Late to Invest in US Stocks?

It’s never about getting the perfect price. It’s about getting the business right — and staying invested long enough for it to matter.

(thesmartinvestor.com.sg)

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European Investor 04-23-26

09-22-26WS News

09-20-26WS News

09-18-26European Investor

US

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WS Investor 09-22-26

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The Investor 09-21-26

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WS Investor 09-18-26

U.S. Pending Home Sales Rise 0.3% in August as GDPNow Holds at 5.1%

U.S. pending home sales rose 0.3% month over month in August, beating expectations for a 0.2% decline and rebounding from a 2.6% drop in the previous month.

The stronger reading suggests some stabilization in housing demand despite elevated mortgage rates and ongoing affordability pressures. Pending home sales track signed contracts and are often viewed as a leading indicator for future existing-home sales.

Separately, the Atlanta Fed’s GDPNow model kept its estimate for third-quarter U.S. economic growth unchanged at 5.1%.

Together, the data point to continued resilience in the U.S. economy. Housing demand showed a modest improvement, while the GDPNow estimate continued to signal strong overall growth momentum in the third quarter.

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The Investor 09-17-26

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WS News 09-17-26

U.S. Housing Starts Fall in August While Philadelphia Manufacturing Beats Forecast

U.S. housing activity weakened in August, with housing starts falling 2.6% month over month to an annualized 1.275 million units. The headline figure came below the 1.320 million market forecast, pointing to continued pressure on residential construction.

Building permits, a forward-looking indicator for future construction, came in at 1.394 million, slightly below expectations of 1.400 million.

At the same time, manufacturing data were stronger. The Philadelphia Fed Manufacturing Index registered 37.8 in September, beating the 31.3 consensus estimate, although it slowed from 47.4 previously.

The data present a mixed picture for the U.S. economy: housing remains under pressure from elevated borrowing costs and affordability constraints, while regional manufacturing activity continues to show relatively strong expansion.

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WS News 09-17-26

U.S. Jobless Claims Fall Below Forecast as Labor Market Remains Resilient

U.S. initial jobless claims fell to 196,000 in the latest week, below the 207,000 market forecast and down from 206,000 previously, pointing to continued strength in the labor market.

Continuing claims also declined to 1.730 million, compared with expectations for 1.780 million and a previous reading of 1.769 million. The drop suggests fewer workers remained on unemployment benefits than economists had anticipated.

However, regional employment data showed some cooling. The Philadelphia Fed Employment Index fell to 11.8 in September from 27.9 previously, indicating that hiring momentum in the region slowed despite remaining in positive territory.

Overall, the claims data suggest layoffs remain relatively limited, while the weaker Philadelphia Fed employment reading points to some moderation in labor demand. The combination could reinforce expectations that the Federal Reserve will continue to watch labor-market conditions closely after its latest rate increase.

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WS News 09-17-26

Federal Reserve Raises Interest Rates to 4.00%

The Federal Reserve raised its benchmark interest rate by 25 basis points to 4.00% on Wednesday, matching market expectations and reversing the previous 3.75% rate level.

The increase comes as the Fed confronts renewed inflation pressures, with policymakers balancing persistent price risks against the potential impact of tighter financial conditions on economic growth.

The widely expected move shifts investor attention to the Fed’s policy statement and comments from Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh for clues about the path ahead.

Markets will be particularly focused on whether Warsh signals that additional rate increases may be needed or suggests that policy could remain at 4.00% while officials assess incoming inflation and labor-market data. Warsh is scheduled to hold the post-meeting press conference following today’s FOMC decision.

The decision also puts Treasury yields, the U.S. dollar and rate-sensitive equity sectors in focus as investors reassess expectations for monetary policy through the remainder of 2026.

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WS News 09-16-26

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WS Investor 09-16-26

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The Investor 09-15-26

09-22-26WS News

09-20-26WS News

09-18-26European Investor

NYSE:AZO

AutoZone Stock Jumps 5.2% After Strong Q4 Earnings and Improving Sales Momentum

AutoZone shares rose 5.2% Tuesday after the auto-parts retailer reported stronger fourth-quarter earnings, higher sales and improving demand trends late in the quarter.

Fourth-quarter net sales increased 5.6% year over year to $6.6 billion. Total company same-store sales rose 2.7%, or 1.5% on a constant-currency basis, while domestic same-store sales increased 1.6%. International same-store sales jumped 10.7%, though the gain was 1.3% excluding currency effects.

Profitability also improved. Gross margin expanded to 53.3% from 51.5% a year earlier, helped by tariff refunds and a favorable LIFO impact. Operating profit rose 10.1% to $1.3 billion, while net income increased to $931.6 million from $837.0 million. Diluted EPS climbed to $56.05 from $48.71.

Management said sales strengthened during the final eight weeks of the quarter after a difficult start and expects sales growth to accelerate across the U.S., Mexico and Brazil in fiscal 2027.

For the full year, AutoZone generated $20.3 billion in sales, up 7.4%, while diluted EPS increased 5.3% to $152.55. The company also continued aggressive capital returns, repurchasing $2.0 billion of stock during the year.

The 5.2% share-price gain suggests investors focused on the stronger earnings growth, margin improvement and management’s more constructive outlook for fiscal 2027.

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WS Investor 09-22-26

AutoZone Drops 10% as LIFO Charges and International Weakness Disappoint Despite Solid Domestic Results

AutoZone fell sharply today despite reporting a third quarter that showed solid domestic execution, with investors focused on gross margin compression, weak international performance in constant currency and earnings that appear to have come in below elevated market expectations.

Net sales for the 12-week quarter ended May 9, 2026 grew 8.4% to $4.8 billion, driven by domestic same store sales growth of 4.1% and international same store sales growth of 16.6% on a reported basis. The international headline, however, is deeply misleading — in constant currency, international comparable sales grew just 1.6%, as both Mexico and Brazil continued to underperform plan. Total company comparable sales of 3.9% in constant currency represent a solid but unremarkable result for a company trading at a premium multiple.

The gross margin story was the primary source of disappointment. Gross profit as a percentage of sales fell 57 basis points to 52.2%, with management attributing the compression primarily to a 77 basis point non-cash LIFO inventory charge — a real cost that reflects the impact of goods price inflation flowing through inventory accounting. The partial offset from other gross margin improvements was not sufficient to prevent the decline, and in an environment where investors have been watching cost pressures closely across retail, any margin contraction draws scrutiny.

Operating profit grew 6.6% to $923.8 million and operating margin returned above 19%, which CEO Phil Daniele specifically highlighted as a positive milestone. Net income grew to $641.5 million and diluted EPS rose 7.7% to $38.07 from $35.36 a year ago. The company repurchased $586.3 million of stock during the quarter at an average price of $3,582 per share, with $0.8 billion remaining under the current authorization.

On the store count front, AutoZone opened 82 new locations globally in the quarter — 57 in the US, 20 in Mexico and five in Brazil — bringing the total to 7,856 stores worldwide. The company remains on track to open approximately 355 to 365 stores for the full fiscal year.

The 10% decline is steep for a business that delivered positive comparable sales, margin above 19% and continued earnings growth. It likely reflects a combination of the LIFO-driven gross margin miss, the persistent international underperformance in constant currency and an EPS figure that, while growing, may have fallen short of what a richly valued stock required to justify its price. For a company where investors pay a significant premium for consistency, any stumble on margins or international execution carries an outsized punishment.

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WS Investor 05-26-26

AutoZone reported first-quarter sales of 4.6 billion dollars, up 8.2 percent from last year, with total company same-store sales rising 5.5 percent and domestic same-store sales up 4.8 percent. International same-store sales increased 11.2 percent, or 3.7 percent in constant currency. Earnings softened as gross margin declined due to a non-cash LIFO impact, leading to net income of 530.8 million dollars and earnings per share of 31.04 dollars, down from 32.52 dollars a year earlier.

The company continued expanding its footprint, opening 53 net new stores during the quarter, bringing its total to 7,710 across the U.S., Mexico, and Brazil. AutoZone also repurchased 108,000 shares for 431.1 million dollars and ended the quarter with 1.7 billion dollars remaining under its buyback authorization.

Management highlighted strong domestic and international performance and reaffirmed plans for aggressive store growth while maintaining a disciplined focus on earnings, cash flow, and shareholder value.

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The Investor 12-09-25

AutoZone reported fourth-quarter net sales of $6.2 billion, with total company same-store sales up 5.1% and domestic same-store sales up 4.8%, while earnings per share fell 5.6% to $48.71; for fiscal 2025, sales rose 2.4% to $18.9 billion, net income declined 6.2% to $2.5 billion, and the company added 304 new stores globally, ending the year with 7,657 locations.

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The Investor 09-23-25

AutoZone Reports Strong Q3 Sales Growth Despite Margin Pressure; EPS at $35.36

AutoZone announced its third-quarter fiscal 2025 results on May 27, reporting a 5.4% increase in total company same store sales and a 5.0% rise in domestic same store sales. Net sales for the quarter reached $4.5 billion, with diluted earnings per share of $35.36, down 3.6% year-over-year. Net income declined 6.6% to $608.4 million, attributed to margin compression and higher operating expenses.

Gross margin fell to 52.7%, impacted by increased inventory shrink, higher commercial sales mix, distribution center startup costs, and a non-cash LIFO adjustment. Operating expenses rose to 33.3% of sales due to self-insurance costs and growth investments. Operating profit dropped 3.8% to $866.2 million.

Internationally, same store sales declined 9.2% but rose 8.1% on a constant currency basis. The company opened 84 new stores globally, bringing the total to 7,516 locations. Domestic commercial sales rose 10.7%, contributing to overall strong performance.
AutoZone repurchased $250 million in shares during the quarter and ended with $1.1 billion remaining under its buyback authorization. CEO Phil Daniele reaffirmed confidence in the company’s strategic investments and readiness for the summer selling season, emphasizing long-term shareholder value.

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Global Finance News 05-27-25

AutoZone Appoints Rivian CFO Claire Rauh McDonough to Board of Directors

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE: AZO) announced the appointment of Claire Rauh McDonough, Chief Financial Officer of electric vehicle manufacturer Rivian, to its Board of Directors.

McDonough joined Rivian in 2021 following her role as a Managing Director at J.P. Morgan, where she co-led the Disruptive Commerce Group. She also serves on the boards of Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technology LLC.

Executive Chairman Bill Rhodes welcomed McDonough, noting her expertise will bring valuable insight to the board’s discussions. Her appointment increases the total number of AutoZone board members to ten.

AutoZone operates 7,432 stores across the U.S., Mexico, and Brazil and remains the leading distributor and retailer of automotive parts in the Americas.

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ME NEWS 04-24-25

AutoZone Prices $500 Million of 5.125% Senior Notes Due 2030

AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE: AZO) has announced the successful pricing and sale of $500 million aggregate principal amount of 5.125% senior notes due 2030. The transaction was executed through an underwriting agreement with BofA Securities, J.P. Morgan Securities, U.S. Bancorp Investments, and Wells Fargo Securities, acting as joint book-running managers.

The offering closed on April 14, with the notes issued under AutoZone’s existing shelf registration. Proceeds are expected to be used for general corporate purposes. Interest will be paid semi-annually beginning December 15, 2025, and the notes will mature on June 15, 2030.

The notes are senior unsecured obligations, ranking equally with AutoZone’s existing senior debt. They are subject to standard covenants and redemption terms, and provide noteholders with repurchase rights upon a change of control triggering event.

Regions Bank serves as trustee under the indenture, which governs the terms of the offering.

Legal counsel for the offering included Bass, Berry & Sims PLC and Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP. The underwriting agreement and supporting documents, including the officers’ certificate and note form, are filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

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ME NEWS 04-15-25

AutoZone reported a 2.4% increase in net sales for the second quarter of fiscal 2025, reaching $4.0 billion. Domestic same-store sales grew by 1.9%, while total company same-store sales increased by 2.9% when adjusted for currency fluctuations. International same-store sales, however, declined by 8.2% on a reported basis but grew by 9.5% in constant currency.

Gross profit margin remained steady at 53.9%, but operating expenses rose to 36.0% of sales, up from 34.6% last year, due to investments in growth initiatives. Operating profit fell by 4.9% to $706.8 million, and net income decreased by 5.3% to $487.9 million. Earnings per share were $28.29, down 2.1% from the previous year.

During the quarter, AutoZone repurchased 100,000 shares for $329.4 million, with $1.3 billion remaining in its current share repurchase authorization. Inventory levels rose by 10.4% year-over-year.

The company opened 45 new stores, including 28 in the U.S., 13 in Mexico, and 4 in Brazil, bringing its total store count to 7,432. CEO Phil Daniele expressed optimism about the company’s momentum heading into the spring and summer seasons, emphasizing a continued focus on growth in both domestic and international markets.

AutoZone will discuss these results further in a conference call available via its investor relations website.

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WS Investor 03-04-25

09-22-26WS News

09-23-25The Investor

NASDAQ:SNDK

SanDisk Stock Jumps 7.2% as Rosenblatt Initiates Coverage With Buy Rating

SanDisk shares rose 7.2% to $1,893.15 after Rosenblatt Securities initiated coverage on the stock with a Buy rating and a $2,400 price target.

The target implies roughly 27% upside from the latest share price, pointing to a constructive view on SanDisk’s medium-term earnings potential.

Reasons behind the strong move include improving sentiment toward memory and storage stocks, expectations for firmer NAND flash pricing, and growing demand for high-capacity storage tied to AI infrastructure, cloud data centers and enterprise workloads.

SanDisk also benefits from exposure to consumer electronics, PCs and data-center storage, giving it leverage to both cyclical recovery in memory markets and longer-term growth in data generation.

The 7.2% gain suggests Rosenblatt’s bullish initiation added to already positive momentum around memory and storage names.

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Global Finance News 09-22-26

Sandisk Stock Rises 5.9% as JPMorgan Starts Coverage With Overweight Rating

Sandisk (NASDAQ: SNDK) shares rose 5.9% after JPMorgan initiated coverage of the data-storage company with an Overweight rating and a $2,250 price target.

JPMorgan analyst Harlan Sur launched coverage with a bullish view on the stock. With Sandisk trading around $1,618.64, the $2,250 target implies approximately 39% upside from the price shown in the report.

The positive initiation comes as Sandisk operates at the center of the NAND flash memory and data-storage market, a sector benefiting from growing storage requirements associated with AI infrastructure, data centers and increasingly data-intensive computing workloads. Improving memory industry fundamentals can also support pricing and profitability for major NAND suppliers.

Sandisk's strong share-price reaction suggests investors are responding to both JPMorgan's Overweight recommendation and the substantial upside embedded in its price target. The initiation adds another positive signal for a semiconductor and storage company with significant exposure to the expanding AI infrastructure ecosystem.

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Global Finance News 08-14-26

Semiconductor Stocks Fall as China's Chip Breakthrough Pressures Nvidia and the AI Sector

Semiconductor stocks came under pressure on Monday, dragging the Nasdaq lower as investors weighed China's rapidly advancing semiconductor industry against the latest developments in the global AI infrastructure race. Nvidia led the sector's decline, falling more than 4%, while weakness spread across AI and memory chipmakers.

The latest catalyst on the AI front came after reports that Nvidia is in talks to provide roughly $250 billion in financing guarantees for OpenAI's massive AI data center project in Ohio. The proposed 10-gigawatt facility would rank among the world's largest AI infrastructure projects, underscoring the enormous capital being committed to artificial intelligence. While the news reinforces long-term demand for AI hardware, it also highlights the rapidly evolving competitive landscape and the unprecedented scale of investment required across the industry.

Investor sentiment was also weighed down by developments in China. ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT), China's largest memory chipmaker, surged more than 400% in its Shanghai trading debut following Asia's largest IPO of 2026. The emergence of another major Chinese chipmaker renewed concerns that global competition in memory and AI-related semiconductors will intensify. Those concerns were particularly significant for Nvidia, whose growth opportunities in China have already been constrained by U.S. export restrictions.

The weakness extended across the broader semiconductor sector. Memory-related companies including Sandisk, Micron Technology, Western Digital, and SK Hynix posted notable declines, while ASML, AMD, Intel, Marvell Technology, Super Micro Computer, and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) also traded lower as investors reassessed the industry's competitive outlook.

Despite Monday's selloff, the semiconductor industry's long-term fundamentals remain supported by accelerating AI adoption and record investment in data center infrastructure. However, the combination of elevated valuations, China's rapid technological progress, and an increasingly competitive global landscape prompted investors to lock in profits following the sector's strong rally.

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European Investor 07-27-26

SanDisk Rallies 7% as Wall Street Turns More Bullish on AI-Driven Memory Demand

SanDisk (SNDK) rose 7% after receiving a series of positive analyst updates that reinforced growing optimism about the memory industry's outlook and the company's position in the expanding AI infrastructure market.

The biggest boost came from Cantor Fitzgerald, which raised its price target on SanDisk from $1,800 to $2,900 while maintaining an Overweight rating. The substantial increase suggests analysts see significantly greater upside potential as demand for storage and memory products continues to benefit from the global AI investment boom.

Adding to the positive sentiment, Mizuho updated coverage with a $2,200 price target, while Bank of America reiterated its Buy rating. The cluster of bullish analyst actions helped strengthen investor confidence and fueled buying throughout the session.

The positive outlook reflects expectations that memory and storage markets are entering a favorable cycle. AI data centers require enormous amounts of high-performance storage to support model training, inference workloads, and the growing volumes of data generated by artificial intelligence applications. As hyperscale cloud providers continue expanding AI infrastructure, demand for NAND flash and related storage products is expected to remain strong.

Investors are also increasingly optimistic that supply discipline across the memory industry will support healthier pricing conditions. After several years of cyclical volatility, analysts expect tighter supply-demand dynamics and rising AI-related demand to contribute to stronger profitability across the sector.

SanDisk is viewed as one of the companies positioned to benefit from these trends, particularly as enterprises and cloud providers continue upgrading storage infrastructure to handle increasingly data-intensive AI workloads. The company's exposure to both enterprise and data center markets has become more attractive as AI adoption accelerates.

The stock's strong move reflects growing investor conviction that the AI infrastructure buildout is creating a multi-year growth opportunity not only for chipmakers and GPU providers, but also for companies supplying the storage technologies needed to support the next generation of data centers.

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WS Investor 06-08-26

SanDisk shares volatile as AI-driven rally meets earnings uncertainty

Shares of SanDisk Corporation (SNDK) showed volatile movement this week, as investors weighed strong AI-driven momentum against heightened expectations ahead of earnings.

The SanDisk Corporation has been one of the top-performing stocks in 2026, driven by surging demand for NAND flash memory used in AI data centers. According to Investopedia, data storage stocks have rallied sharply this year, with SanDisk leading the sector due to strong demand from hyperscalers and ongoing hardware shortages. (Investopedia)

Recent performance has been extraordinary. Reports cited by 24/7 Wall St. indicate the stock has surged more than 60% in April alone and significantly higher year-to-date, reflecting investor enthusiasm around the AI memory boom. (24/7 Wall St.)

However, volatility has increased as earnings approach. Benzinga noted that options markets are pricing in a large potential move of around 16%, highlighting uncertainty around whether results can justify the stock’s rapid rise. (Benzinga)

Fundamentally, the company continues to benefit from strong demand trends. SanDisk previously reported revenue of $2.31 billion with solid growth in data center-related business, supported by increasing engagement with hyperscale customers and expanding AI infrastructure needs. (Sandisk Corporation)

At the same time, some analysts are becoming more cautious. TradingKey highlighted that while AI-driven demand remains strong, the sustainability of the NAND memory cycle and elevated valuations could pose risks if growth slows or supply increases. (tradingkey*com)

Overall, this week’s price action reflects a classic high-growth dynamic: strong long-term fundamentals driven by AI demand, combined with rising short-term uncertainty as expectations become increasingly elevated.

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WS Investor 04-28-26

Sandisk reported a strong fiscal second quarter of 2026, with revenue rising sharply on accelerating demand from AI-driven data center customers.

For the quarter, revenue reached $3.03 billion, up 31% sequentially and above the company’s guidance. GAAP net income totaled $803 million, equivalent to $5.15 per diluted share, while non-GAAP diluted EPS came in higher at $6.20. Datacenter revenue surged 64% sequentially, supported by robust adoption among AI infrastructure builders, semi-custom customers, and large technology companies deploying AI at scale.

Looking ahead, Sandisk expects continued momentum in the fiscal third quarter, forecasting revenue in the range of $4.40 billion to $4.80 billion and non-GAAP diluted EPS between $12.00 and $14.00. Management highlighted improved product mix, accelerating enterprise SSD deployments, and disciplined supply alignment as key drivers supporting sustained growth and profitability.

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WS Investor 01-30-26

AMD, Intel and Oracle Are the New AI Winners — These 5 Could Be Next | Dr Wealth

5 AI stocks ....

(drwealth.com)

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The Investor 10-23-25

09-22-26WS News

09-09-26European Investor

08-29-26WS Investor

08-25-26WS Investor

08-24-26The Investor

NYSE:ACN

Accenture and Google Cloud Team With Volvo Cars on AI-Powered Automotive Software Platform

Accenture and Google Cloud said Volvo Cars has become the lead industry partner for Horizon, an open-source software development platform designed to help automakers build, test and deploy Android Automotive OS software faster.

Volvo Cars is migrating its global AAOS development environment to Horizon, which combines cloud-native development tools, virtual testing environments and AI-assisted workflows. The platform is intended to shorten development cycles and give engineering teams more time to focus on in-car digital experiences.

Accenture and Google Cloud said Horizon can deliver up to 9x faster software testing using virtual Android Automotive environments, reduce infotainment feature development costs by up to 40%, and cut build feedback times from as much as two hours to minutes. The platform also supports remote access to virtual and physical device farms and faster onboarding through virtual workbenches.

The companies said insights from the Volvo collaboration will help refine Horizon and expand its generative AI capabilities for other automakers and industrial manufacturers. Accenture, Google Cloud and Volvo are already working to extend the platform to additional organizations and markets.

The partnership highlights the growing shift toward software-defined vehicles, where faster development, virtual validation and AI-assisted engineering are becoming increasingly important competitive capabilities.

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Global Finance News 09-22-26

Accenture Edge and AWS Launch Six AI and Cloud Offerings for Mid-Market Companies

Accenture and Amazon Web Services expanded their collaboration with six ready-to-deploy offerings aimed at helping mid-market companies adopt AI, modernize cloud infrastructure and strengthen cybersecurity.

The initiative is being delivered through Accenture Edge, a business focused on companies with annual revenue between $300 million and $3 billion. AWS is serving as a foundational partner, providing cloud, security and AI capabilities alongside Accenture’s industry and implementation expertise.

The six offerings include Agentic Data Discovery, AI-Powered Instance Migration, Connected Customer Experience Innovation Services, Optimization Health Check, RAI Red Teaming and Secure Cloud Foundation. They are available through the Accenture AWS Marketplace Storefront and are designed to address data migration, cloud modernization, contact-center AI, cost optimization and AI security.

Accenture and AWS also pointed to work with 407 ETR, where a cloud-based contact-center platform built on Amazon Connect helped support more than 250 employees while achieving 99.9% platform reliability and keeping call and chat abandonment rates at 5% or less.

The collaboration broadens Accenture’s AI and cloud push into the mid-market, where companies often need more standardized and lower-complexity solutions than large enterprises.

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Global Finance News 09-22-26

Accenture Stock Falls 3.4% as Guggenheim Downgrades Shares to Neutral

Accenture shares fell 3.4% to $183.84 after Guggenheim downgraded the stock to Neutral from Buy.

The downgrade added pressure to a stock already facing concerns around the pace of enterprise IT spending and the potential impact of generative AI on traditional consulting and outsourcing models.

Broader probable reasons behind the weakness include investor uncertainty over whether AI will accelerate demand for Accenture’s transformation services or reduce spending on more labor-intensive consulting work. The company is investing heavily in AI capabilities, but markets remain focused on how quickly those investments translate into stronger revenue growth and margins.

Accenture also remains exposed to cautious corporate technology budgets, particularly when clients delay large transformation projects or prioritize shorter-term efficiency initiatives.

The 3.4% decline suggests investors are taking a more cautious view of the near-term risk-reward profile following Guggenheim’s downgrade.

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WS Investor 09-18-26

Accenture and Google Cloud Deepen AI Partnership With New Gemini Enterprise Business Group

Accenture (NYSE: ACN) and Google Cloud are expanding their artificial intelligence partnership with the launch of the Accenture Gemini Enterprise Business Group, aimed at helping companies deploy and scale agentic AI across their operations.

The new group will combine Accenture’s industry expertise with Google Cloud’s Gemini Enterprise technology and AI infrastructure. A major part of the initiative will be the creation of a 1,000-person forward deployed engineer workforce focused on helping enterprises move AI projects from experimentation into production.

The initiative builds on Accenture’s nearly 50,000 Google Cloud-skilled professionals. The companies plan to expand Gemini Enterprise training and certification while developing reusable industry-specific AI solutions, implementation frameworks and dedicated capability centers.

Accenture and Google Cloud highlighted YouTube as an example of their existing collaboration. During periods of high demand for NFL Sunday Ticket, a Gemini Enterprise agent helped improve customer sentiment by 11% while reducing average customer-service handling time by 37%.

The new business group reflects growing enterprise demand for agentic AI systems capable of performing complex tasks and integrating with corporate data and workflows.

For Accenture, the initiative strengthens its position as a major implementation and consulting partner for enterprise AI. For Google Cloud, it expands the delivery capacity available to organizations adopting Gemini Enterprise, potentially accelerating broader commercial adoption of its AI platform.

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The Investor 09-08-26

Accenture to Acquire COMWARE to Expand AI and Digital Services in Japan

Accenture (NYSE: ACN) has agreed to acquire Tokyo-based COMWARE, strengthening its push into Japan’s mid-market technology sector. Financial terms were not disclosed.

COMWARE provides end-to-end IT services and has particular expertise in SAP, CRM and enterprise systems. The company will add more than 180 professionals to Accenture and become part of Accenture Edge, the business launched in June 2026 to help mid-sized companies adopt AI and modernize their operations.

Expanding Accenture’s AI Strategy

The acquisition will strengthen Accenture’s ability to deliver AI-, data- and cloud-powered digital transformation services, particularly to Japanese manufacturers. COMWARE brings experience across discrete manufacturing, chemicals and food industries, along with more than 25 years as an SAP Japan partner.

For Accenture, the deal expands its local talent base and client relationships while supporting its strategy of using acquisitions to accelerate AI-driven digital transformation. The transaction also highlights growing demand among mid-market companies for modernization of core business systems as AI adoption accelerates.

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Global Finance News 08-27-26

Accenture to Acquire McCoy to Expand SAP and AI Capabilities in European Mid-Market

Accenture (NYSE: ACN) has agreed to acquire Dutch SAP transformation specialist McCoy, strengthening its SAP modernization and artificial intelligence capabilities for mid-sized companies across Europe. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Why the McCoy Acquisition Matters

McCoy specializes in SAP solutions spanning ERP, data, enterprise integration, managed services and business applications. The company is a SAP Gold Partner with operations in the Netherlands, Spain and the Philippines and serves industries including manufacturing, high technology, utilities, retail and the public sector.

Following completion, McCoy will become part of Accenture Edge, Accenture's recently launched business targeting mid-market companies with annual revenue between $300 million and $3 billion. The deal is intended to strengthen Accenture Edge's position in the growing EMEA mid-market and expand its SAP modernization capabilities in the Netherlands.

The acquisition will also add more than 380 specialized professionals and McCoy's proprietary SAP accelerators, designed to simplify implementations and accelerate enterprise transformation.

SAP and AI Strategy Converge

A key strategic element is the integration of AI into customers' core SAP environments. Accenture said the combination will help mid-market clients modernize SAP systems faster, integrate AI into business processes and scale new capabilities with less complexity.

For Accenture, the transaction expands its position at the intersection of enterprise AI, cloud and SAP transformation while strengthening its push into the European mid-market. The acquisition remains subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals.

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WS Investor 08-25-26

Accenture Plunges 15% Despite Strong Earnings as Investors Focus on Slower Growth Outlook

Accenture (NYSE: ACN) shares tumbled 15% on Thursday despite reporting solid third-quarter fiscal 2026 results, as investors focused on slowing organic growth, softer bookings, and concerns surrounding the company's exposure to U.S. federal government spending.

The consulting and technology services giant reported third-quarter revenue of $18.7 billion, up 6% year-over-year in U.S. dollars and 3% in local currency. Diluted earnings per share rose 9% to $3.80, while operating margin expanded 20 basis points to 17.0%. The company also generated $3.6 billion in free cash flow and returned $2.2 billion to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases during the quarter.

While the headline results exceeded many expectations, investors appeared disappointed by several underlying trends. New bookings totaled $19.3 billion, slightly below the $19.7 billion reported a year earlier, raising concerns about future revenue growth in an environment where consulting clients remain cautious about discretionary spending.

The market's reaction also reflected concerns about Accenture's revised full-year outlook. The company now expects fiscal 2026 revenue growth of 3% to 4% in local currency. Although management noted that growth would be 4% to 5% excluding an estimated 1% impact from its U.S. federal business, investors remain worried about the potential effects of reduced government spending and contract activity.

Accenture's federal business has increasingly become a focus for investors following recent efforts by the U.S. government to review spending programs and improve efficiency across federal agencies. The acknowledgment that federal contracts are weighing on growth reinforced concerns that government-related demand could remain a headwind in the coming quarters.

At the same time, investors may have been expecting stronger benefits from the ongoing artificial intelligence investment cycle. While CEO Julie Sweet highlighted growing demand for large-scale AI transformation projects and noted that the company has recorded 104 client bookings worth more than $100 million year-to-date, the overall revenue growth rate remained relatively modest compared with some technology and AI-focused peers.

Management attempted to emphasize long-term opportunities by announcing cybersecurity acquisitions, including deals involving Dragos, runZero, and NetRise. The company believes these transactions will expand its addressable market and strengthen its position in operational technology security, one of the fastest-growing segments of enterprise cybersecurity.

Despite Thursday's sharp selloff, Accenture continues to generate strong profitability, substantial cash flow, and industry-leading margins. However, investors appear to be demanding faster growth and clearer evidence that AI-related demand can translate into stronger revenue acceleration.

The stock's decline highlights the market's increasingly high expectations for large technology and consulting firms. Even with earnings growth, margin expansion, and strong shareholder returns, concerns about bookings, federal spending exposure, and moderate growth guidance were enough to overshadow an otherwise solid quarterly performance.

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Global Finance News 06-18-26

Accenture Shares Rise in Premarket After Morgan Stanley Raises Price Target

Accenture (NYSE: ACN) shares gained 1.2% in premarket trading after analysts at Morgan Stanley raised their price target on the consulting and technology services giant to $177 from $169.95.

The new target reflects growing confidence in Accenture's ability to capitalize on rising enterprise spending related to artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and digital transformation initiatives. Investors have increasingly focused on the company's position as one of the leading providers of AI implementation and consulting services as businesses seek to integrate generative AI technologies into their operations.

The upgrade comes as sentiment toward large-scale IT services providers continues to improve. After a period of cautious corporate spending, analysts expect technology investment activity to accelerate, particularly in areas such as AI deployment, cybersecurity, data analytics, and cloud migration.

The positive analyst action helped lift shares in premarket trading, signaling growing investor optimism ahead of the company's upcoming results and outlook updates. Market participants will be closely watching whether accelerating demand for AI-related services can drive stronger revenue growth and support further gains in the stock throughout 2026.

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The Investor 06-15-26

NSK Limited and Accenture have announced a strategic collaboration to drive business transformation through artificial intelligence and digital technologies.

The partnership aims to enhance NSK’s operational efficiency, strengthen governance, and support long-term sustainable growth. Key initiatives include restructuring back-office operations, expanding automation, and increasing transparency across business processes to unlock investment capacity.

NSK plans to reinvest these efficiencies into growth areas such as new product development, sales, and marketing transformation. The collaboration will also focus on improving manufacturing performance through AI-driven decision-making and automation, allowing employees to concentrate on higher-value tasks.

Additionally, Accenture will provide reskilling programs to help NSK’s workforce adapt to digital transformation and develop new capabilities aligned with evolving business needs.

The initiative reflects broader efforts within Japanese manufacturing to improve agility, decision-making speed, and competitiveness in a rapidly changing global environment.

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The Investor 04-27-26

Accenture has invested in Iridius to accelerate the adoption of compliance-focused artificial intelligence in the life sciences sector. The partnership aims to embed regulatory compliance, traceability, and auditability directly into AI systems used by pharmaceutical and healthcare organizations.

By combining Accenture’s industry expertise with Iridius’ compliance-by-design AI platform, the collaboration seeks to streamline processes such as regulatory submissions, clinical development, and manufacturing operations. The initiative is expected to help companies speed up innovation while maintaining strict regulatory standards and data integrity.

Source: Accenture

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Global Finance News 04-24-26

07-06-26WS Investor

06-19-26The Investor

06-18-26WS News

06-11-26European Investor

05-30-26The Investor

NYSE:MRK

FDA Updates Merck’s WINREVAIR Label With HYPERION Pulmonary Hypertension Data

Merck said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved an update to the label for WINREVAIR to include efficacy and safety data from the Phase 3 HYPERION trial in adults recently diagnosed with pulmonary arterial hypertension.

HYPERION enrolled patients diagnosed within the previous 12 months who were at intermediate to high risk of disease progression. Adding WINREVAIR to background therapy reduced the risk of clinical worsening events by 76% compared with placebo, with a hazard ratio of 0.24. A first clinical worsening event occurred in 10.6% of WINREVAIR-treated patients versus 36.9% of those receiving placebo.

The updated label provides additional evidence for using WINREVAIR earlier in the treatment pathway, rather than only later in the disease course. Most patients in HYPERION were already receiving double or triple background therapy, and the treatment effect was consistent across prespecified subgroups.

The FDA update also adds safety information from HYPERION. The most common adverse reactions included epistaxis, telangiectasia and increased hemoglobin, while treatment discontinuation due to adverse events occurred in 3% of WINREVAIR patients.

WINREVAIR is already approved for adults with pulmonary arterial hypertension to improve exercise capacity and functional class and reduce the risk of clinical worsening events. The new label strengthens Merck’s case for broader and earlier use of the drug in PAH care.

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Global Finance News 09-22-26

Merck’s KEYTRUDA QLEX Approved in Japan for All KEYTRUDA Indications

Merck said Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare approved KEYTRUDA QLEX for subcutaneous administration across all indications already approved in the country for intravenous KEYTRUDA.

In Japan, the product will be marketed under the planned name KEYJECT. It can be administered by a healthcare provider in about one minute every three weeks or two minutes every six weeks, making it the first and only subcutaneous immune checkpoint inhibitor available in Japan with administration as short as one minute.

The approval was supported by the Phase 3 MK-3475A-D77 study comparing subcutaneous KEYJECT with intravenous KEYTRUDA, both given every six weeks with chemotherapy in previously untreated metastatic non-small cell lung cancer. The study showed comparable pembrolizumab exposure, while response rates were 45% with KEYJECT plus chemotherapy and 42% with KEYTRUDA plus chemotherapy. No notable differences in progression-free or overall survival were observed.

Merck said the subcutaneous formulation could give patients and healthcare providers greater flexibility by allowing treatment in settings ranging from infusion centers to physician offices and community clinics.

KEYTRUDA QLEX is already approved in the U.S. for the same solid-tumor indications as KEYTRUDA, while subcutaneous pembrolizumab was approved in Europe in 2025.

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European Investor 09-21-26

Merck Wins Positive EU CHMP Opinion for KEYTRUDA-Padcev Bladder Cancer Regimen

Merck said the European Medicines Agency’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use issued a positive opinion recommending approval of KEYTRUDA plus Padcev as perioperative treatment for adults with resectable muscle-invasive bladder cancer.

The recommendation covers use before surgery as neoadjuvant therapy and continued treatment after radical cystectomy as adjuvant therapy. A European Commission decision is expected by the fourth quarter of 2026. If approved, the combination would become the first PD-1 inhibitor plus antibody-drug conjugate regimen in the EU for patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer regardless of cisplatin eligibility.

The CHMP opinion is based on the Phase 3 KEYNOTE-B15 trial. In cisplatin-eligible patients, KEYTRUDA plus Padcev reduced the risk of an event-free survival event by 47% versus neoadjuvant chemotherapy and surgery. The regimen also reduced the risk of death by 35% and produced a pathologic complete response rate of 55.8%, compared with 32.5% in the control group.

The combination is already approved in the U.S. for muscle-invasive bladder cancer regardless of cisplatin eligibility, while the EU previously approved it for cisplatin-ineligible patients.

The latest recommendation could broaden Merck’s position in earlier-stage bladder cancer and further expand KEYTRUDA’s role beyond advanced disease.

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Global Finance News 09-19-26

Merck Stock Rises 2.7% as Argus and Wolfe Research Raise Price Targets

Merck & Co. (NYSE: MRK) shares rose about 2.7% on Tuesday as two Wall Street firms raised their price targets on the pharmaceutical company while maintaining bullish ratings.

Argus analyst Jasper Hellweg raised the firm's price target on Merck to $170 from $145 while maintaining a Buy rating. Wolfe Research analyst Alexandria Hammond was even more bullish, increasing the firm's target to $180 from $155 and maintaining an Outperform rating.

With Merck trading around $154.73, the new targets imply upside of approximately 10% and 16%, respectively.

## Why the Rating Reports Are Positive for Merck

The simultaneous target increases from two firms signal improving expectations for Merck's earnings and valuation.

Merck remains one of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies, with a strong oncology franchise led by Keytruda and a broader pipeline designed to diversify growth over the longer term. The company's position in oncology and continued investment in new medicines remain central to its growth outlook.

Tuesday's 2.7% gain appears to reflect the positive analyst sentiment, with both firms seeing additional upside even after the stock's recent performance.

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WS Investor 08-25-26

Moderna Soars 100%, Merck Jumps 10% After Landmark Phase 3 Cancer Vaccine Results

Moderna shares surged about 100% on Wednesday, while Merck climbed roughly 10%, after the companies announced positive Phase 3 results for their personalized mRNA cancer therapy intismeran autogene in combination with Merck’s blockbuster immunotherapy KEYTRUDA.

The INTerpath-001 trial met both its primary endpoint of recurrence-free survival and a key secondary endpoint of distant metastasis-free survival in patients with completely resected Stage IIB-IV melanoma. The combination produced statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvements compared with KEYTRUDA alone.

A Major Milestone for Moderna’s mRNA Platform

The results are particularly significant for Moderna because they represent the first positive Phase 3 readout for an individualized neoantigen therapy and the first positive Phase 3 study for an mRNA-based cancer therapy. The treatment is individually manufactured using mutations identified from each patient's tumor, with the resulting mRNA therapy designed to train the immune system to recognize and attack cancer cells.

That breakthrough likely explains the much larger reaction in Moderna shares. The results potentially validate the use of Moderna's mRNA technology beyond infectious-disease vaccines and provide important clinical validation for its oncology pipeline.

The companies also said no new safety signals were observed. They plan to present detailed data at an upcoming international medical meeting and share the results with regulatory authorities, opening the path toward potential filing submissions.

Merck Gains as KEYTRUDA Franchise Could Expand

For Merck, the results strengthen the long-term position of KEYTRUDA, its cornerstone cancer therapy. The combination is the first regimen to demonstrate statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvements in both recurrence-free and distant metastasis-free survival compared with KEYTRUDA alone in this adjuvant melanoma population.

Earlier Phase 2b data had already provided encouraging evidence: at five-year follow-up, the combination showed a 49% reduction in the risk of recurrence or death and a 59% reduction in the risk of distant metastasis or death compared with KEYTRUDA alone.

The companies are now studying intismeran across a broader oncology program encompassing nine Phase 2 and Phase 3 trials, including melanoma, non-small cell lung cancer, bladder cancer and renal cell carcinoma.

With Moderna up around 100% and Merck gaining about 10%, the market reaction reflects more than a single successful melanoma trial. Investors appear to be pricing in the possibility that personalized mRNA cancer therapies could become a new treatment platform, with potentially much broader applications if ongoing trials in other tumor types are successful.

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Global Finance News 08-19-26

Merck Stock Edges Higher as Strong Product Growth Offsets Acquisition Charge

Merck (NYSE: MRK) shares rose 0.54% on Tuesday after the pharmaceutical company reported solid second-quarter revenue growth, raised its full-year sales outlook and highlighted multiple regulatory and clinical milestones, despite posting a quarterly loss due to a one-time acquisition-related charge.

Second-quarter worldwide sales increased 5% year over year to $16.6 billion, driven by continued strength in oncology, animal health and recently launched products. The company reported a GAAP loss per share of $0.54 and a non-GAAP loss per share of $0.13, both primarily reflecting a $2.31 per share charge related to the acquisition of Terns Pharmaceuticals.

Oncology and New Product Launches Drive Revenue Growth

Merck's flagship cancer franchise remained the company's largest growth engine.

KEYTRUDA and the newly launched KEYTRUDA QLEX generated combined sales of $8.4 billion, up 5% from a year earlier, with KEYTRUDA QLEX contributing $463 million during its initial launch period.

WINREVAIR continued its rapid commercial expansion, with sales jumping 75% year over year to $588 million, while Animal Health revenue increased 8% to $1.8 billion, providing additional support for overall growth.

Pipeline Momentum and Higher Guidance

Beyond commercial performance, Merck reported several important pipeline achievements during the quarter.

The FDA approved LIPFENDRA, the first once-daily oral PCSK9 inhibitor for lowering LDL cholesterol, while the company also announced positive clinical data for its oncology and HIV programs, including a Phase 3 study evaluating a once-weekly oral HIV treatment developed with Gilead.

Reflecting continued business momentum, Merck narrowed and raised its full-year 2026 revenue guidance to between $66.3 billion and $67.3 billion. The company now expects non-GAAP EPS of $2.66 to $2.76, including the financial impact of the Terns acquisition.

What to Watch

Despite the acquisition-related accounting charge, investors appeared encouraged by Merck's underlying operating performance, growing contribution from recently launched medicines and continued pipeline progress. Going forward, markets will monitor the commercial rollout of KEYTRUDA QLEX and LIPFENDRA, continued growth of WINREVAIR, and additional regulatory and clinical milestones expected across Merck's expanding pipeline.

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European Investor 08-04-26

Merck (MRK) Stock Slips Despite Scotiabank Raising Price Target

Merck (NYSE: MRK) shares traded modestly lower on Tuesday despite receiving a higher price target from Scotiabank, as investors remained cautious toward the pharmaceutical giant.

Scotiabank raised its price target to $155 from $136 while maintaining its Sector Outperform rating, signaling continued confidence in Merck's long-term growth prospects despite the stock's recent weakness.

# Scotiabank Sees Greater Upside

The higher price target reflects Scotiabank's positive outlook for Merck's diversified pharmaceutical portfolio and its ability to deliver long-term earnings growth.

The firm remains optimistic about Merck's pipeline, oncology franchise, and ongoing efforts to diversify revenue sources ahead of future patent expirations for key products.

# Long-Term Fundamentals Remain Intact

Merck continues to invest heavily in expanding its product portfolio through internal research and strategic acquisitions while advancing multiple late-stage pipeline candidates.

Analysts expect new product launches and pipeline development to play an increasingly important role in supporting future revenue growth as the company prepares for the eventual loss of exclusivity on some of its blockbuster therapies.

# Why MRK Stock Was Lower

Although Scotiabank raised its valuation target, the positive analyst action was not enough to offset broader selling pressure in the stock.

Investors appeared to remain focused on near-term industry challenges and long-term patent expiration concerns rather than the improved valuation.

Still, Scotiabank's decision to raise its price target while maintaining a Sector Outperform rating reinforces Wall Street's confidence in Merck's long-term earnings potential despite Tuesday's modest decline.

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Global Finance News 06-30-26

Merck & Co., Inc. reported fourth-quarter and full-year 2025 results showing resilient performance driven by oncology and animal health, while highlighting significant progress across its late-stage pipeline.

Fourth-quarter worldwide sales rose 5% to $16.4 billion, with GAAP EPS of $1.19 and non-GAAP EPS of $2.04. For full-year 2025, Merck generated $65.0 billion in worldwide sales, up 1% year over year, supported by 7% growth in KEYTRUDA/KEYTRUDA QLEX sales to $31.7 billion, $1.4 billion in WINREVAIR sales, and strong Animal Health growth of 8%. These gains were partly offset by a sharp decline in GARDASIL/GARDASIL 9 sales.

During 2025, Merck reported positive results from 18 Phase 3 trials, expanded its pipeline through acquisitions and licensing deals, and received FDA National Priority Vouchers for key late-stage assets. Looking ahead, the company expects 2026 worldwide sales of $65.5–$67.0 billion and non-GAAP EPS of $5.00–$5.15, reflecting a one-time charge related to the Cidara Therapeutics acquisition.

Source: Merck & Co., Inc. press release

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WS Investor 02-03-26

Merck Launches ChemiSphere App to Streamline Laboratory Data Access

Merck KGaA has launched the ChemiSphere app, a digital tool that allows scientists to instantly access product documentation and quality data by scanning 2D barcodes on lab products. Built on Merck’s M-Trust platform, the app aims to reduce manual data entry, improve data integrity, and boost efficiency in laboratory workflows.

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WS Investor 12-22-25

Merck Reports Solid Q3 Results and Raises 2025 Outlook on Strong Oncology and New Product Performance

Merck & Co. (NYSE: MRK) posted third-quarter 2025 revenue of $17.3 billion, up 4% year over year, driven by continued strength in oncology and animal health. KEYTRUDA sales rose 10% to $8.1 billion, WINREVAIR surged 141% to $360 million, and CAPVAXIVE contributed $244 million in its launch quarter. GAAP EPS climbed 87% to $2.32, while non-GAAP EPS increased 64% to $2.58. The company raised its full-year sales outlook to $64.5–$65.0 billion and narrowed non-GAAP EPS guidance to $8.93–$8.98.

Merck highlighted major milestones, including FDA approval of subcutaneous KEYTRUDA QLEX, positive Phase 3 results for Enlicitide Decanoate in hypercholesterolemia, and the completion of its acquisition of Verona Pharma, strengthening its respiratory portfolio.

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Global Finance News 10-30-25

09-10-26WS News

08-20-26WS Investor

08-19-26WS News

08-04-26European Investor

NASDAQ:AMZN

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Global Finance News 09-22-26

Amazon to Invest $1.9 Billion in Delivery Service Partner Program in 2027

Amazon said it will invest another $1.9 billion in its Delivery Service Partner program in 2027, supporting higher driver pay, new safety initiatives and expanded use of AI-powered delivery technology.

The company said the investment will help DSP owners raise average Delivery Associate earnings by roughly another $1 to nearly $24 per hour nationwide. Over the past three years, Amazon estimates its investments have supported an average 16% increase in driver pay.

Amazon is also expanding safety technology across its last-mile network. New surround-view cameras are being rolled out to Rivian electric delivery vehicles, while the Amazon Delivery App is adding real-time hazard alerts and automatic route adjustments for weather, accidents and road closures. The company said serious vehicle crashes across the network fell more than 23% last year.

AI is becoming a larger part of delivery operations as well. Amazon’s Wellspring mapping system has identified 202 million parking locations, 2.8 million building entrances and 85,000 mailrooms and lockers since 2024, while AI-based routing is being used to account for real-world conditions such as darkness and parking congestion.

Amazon also plans to expand deployment of its Smart Delivery Glasses to more than 20,000 devices by the end of 2027 and will commit $70 million over five years to community initiatives led by DSP owners.

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European Investor 09-21-26

AWS Launches AI Workflows for Energy and Utilities With Amazon Quick

Amazon Web Services announced new ready-to-use AI workflows for Amazon Quick, targeting energy and utilities companies with industry-specific tools for areas including grid planning, asset management, drilling exploration, compliance and energy trading.

The workflows are designed to connect data from multiple operational systems into a single interface, allowing users to generate recommendations and take actions without building custom applications. AWS said Quick can help with tasks such as scheduling maintenance orders, routing outage workflows and updating compliance records, potentially reducing work that can take weeks to hours.

The offering uses MCP-connected integrations from more than a dozen energy-sector partners. Participants include Accenture, IBM, Hitachi Digital Services, EPAM, Infosys, S&P Global, Seeq, Slalom and other specialized energy and technology providers.

AWS said the integrations are intended to combine generative AI with domain-specific expertise across production monitoring, grid operations, asset maintenance and other energy workflows.

The new capabilities are available to Amazon Quick users in the energy sector, extending AWS’s push to bring industry-specific AI tools into enterprise operations.

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Global Finance News 09-19-26

AWS and Salesforce Expand AI Partnership With Agents, Data and Voice Integrations

Amazon Web Services and Salesforce announced an expanded partnership aimed at bringing enterprise AI agents, CRM data and broader model choice directly into the tools employees already use.

The integrations will make Salesforce business data available inside Amazon Quick, while AWS AI agents will operate directly within Slack. Salesforce Agentforce customers will also gain access to Amazon Bedrock’s selection of foundation models, including models from Anthropic and NVIDIA, with OpenAI models expected to follow.

The companies are also expanding zero-copy connectivity, allowing AI agents to access enterprise data across AWS and Salesforce without requiring companies to migrate or duplicate that information.

Another key development is voice AI: Agentforce Voice and Amazon Connect Customer will support real-time, bidirectional communication between AI agents, while Salesforce is using AWS Trainium chips to power low-latency voice dictation in Slack.

The expansion highlights how Amazon and Salesforce are positioning their cloud, CRM and AI platforms around the growing enterprise shift toward agentic AI.

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The Investor 09-15-26

Regulators target transparency in digital ad auctions amid Google and Amazon cases | Noah Intelligence

Recent legal actions against Google and Amazon spotlight growing concerns over auction fairness and transparency in digital advertising, raising questions about platform control and trust.The latest legal scrutiny of...

(noah-news.com)

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The Investor 09-12-26

Amazon AWS Brings Agentic AI to Wealth Management With Hoxton Wealth

Amazon Web Services is working with international financial advisory firm Hoxton Wealth to deploy agentic AI across wealth-management operations, targeting faster reporting, compliance processes and access to internal expertise.

The collaboration is part of AWS’s $1 billion investment in Forward Deployed Engineering (FDE), an initiative that embeds AWS engineers directly with customers to develop and deploy agentic AI systems. AWS says the approach is designed to move AI applications from concept to production in days rather than months.

AI Cuts Work From Hours to Minutes

Hoxton Wealth is already using AI to generate client reports and personalized presentations, reducing processes that previously took hours to minutes. The company is also developing an AI-powered internal knowledge base that allows advisors to access expertise without relying on a small group of senior employees.

The technology is being applied to compliance as well, with Hoxton saying checks that previously took days can now be completed in a fraction of the time.

For Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN), the project demonstrates how AWS is pushing beyond providing cloud infrastructure and foundation-model access toward directly helping enterprises deploy production-ready AI agents. Financial services could represent a particularly important market as firms seek to automate labor-intensive workflows while maintaining industry-specific compliance requirements.

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Global Finance News 09-05-26

Federal Trade Commission and 22 states sue Amazon over inflated advertising prices

The Federal Trade Commission and 22 states filed a lawsuit against online retailer Amazon on Monday claiming that it defrauded advertising customers. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court in the Western District of Washington, claims that Amazon overcharged 1.2 million advertising customers by misleading them on prices for online auctions for ads. The complaint says Amazon said it was offering competitive prices on several ad products when it was actually inflating auction prices.

(finance.yahoo.com)

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European Investor 09-01-26

Amazon Rises 4.2% as Evercore ISI Raises Price Target to $355

Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) shares rose 4.2% after Evercore ISI maintained its Outperform rating and raised its price target on the stock.

The firm increased its Amazon price target to $355 from $315. With Amazon trading around $267, the new target implies roughly 33% upside from that level.

The bullish rating provides additional support for Amazon shares, with Evercore ISI signaling greater confidence in the company’s earnings and growth potential through the higher valuation target. The 4.2% gain suggests investors are responding positively to the analyst’s more optimistic outlook.

Amazon remains one of the largest beneficiaries of continued growth in cloud computing and artificial intelligence through AWS, while its dominant e-commerce and advertising businesses provide additional earnings drivers. The combination of these businesses strengthens Amazon’s position across several of the technology sector’s major growth areas.

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European Investor 08-28-26

AWS and NVIDIA Expand AI Partnership With 2 Million Additional GPUs

Amazon Web Services and NVIDIA announced a major expansion of their AI infrastructure partnership, with AWS planning to deploy 2 million additional NVIDIA GPUs across its global infrastructure in 2027 and 2028.

The expansion comes as demand for AI computing continues to accelerate. AWS said the new capacity will include NVIDIA Blackwell Ultra, Rubin and Rubin Ultra GPUs, supporting workloads ranging from agentic AI and scientific computing to enterprise automation and robotics.

The partnership extends well beyond GPUs. AWS plans to introduce infrastructure based on NVIDIA’s Vera CPUs, expand NVLink Fusion integration with Amazon’s Trainium chips, and use NVIDIA’s new high-bandwidth memory technology. The companies also plan to build secure AI factories for the U.S. government, including infrastructure incorporating 100,000 GPUs for federal and national-security workloads.

The agreement further expands NVIDIA’s presence across AWS software and services. Nemotron open models will remain available through Amazon Bedrock and SageMaker, while NVIDIA technology will accelerate data processing, vector indexing and Amazon’s robotics development.

The scale of the commitment is another strong signal that hyperscaler AI infrastructure spending remains robust. For NVIDIA, the planned deployment strengthens visibility for demand extending into the Rubin generation through 2028. For Amazon, it significantly expands AWS’s ability to compete for increasingly compute-intensive AI workloads.

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European Investor 08-27-26

Amazon Stock Surges 12% After Blowout Q2 Results Fueled by AWS and AI Growth

Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) shares jumped 12% in premarket trading on Friday after the e-commerce and cloud giant delivered a strong second-quarter earnings report, with accelerating AWS growth, record profitability and robust AI momentum driving investor optimism.

Second-quarter net sales rose 20% year over year to $200.6 billion, while operating income climbed 43% to $27.5 billion. AWS revenue surged 37% to $42.2 billion—its fastest growth in 18 quarters—lifting AWS operating income to $16.6 billion. Net income more than tripled to $62.6 billion, or $5.75 per diluted share, although results included a significant gain from the company's investment in Anthropic.

AWS and AI Businesses Power Another Strong Quarter

Amazon's cloud business continued to benefit from booming AI demand. CEO Andy Jassy said AWS's AI business and custom chips business each surpassed a $25 billion annual revenue run rate, while Trainium adoption accelerated through multi-year commitments from Anthropic and OpenAI. Amazon also expanded Bedrock with new frontier AI models, including OpenAI's GPT-5.6, and announced a series of new AI infrastructure and enterprise software products.

Outside the cloud segment, the company reported another strong quarter across its retail and advertising businesses. North America sales increased 16%, international sales rose 15%, advertising continued to post robust growth, and Prime delivery speeds reached new records. Amazon also highlighted expanding adoption of Alexa+, Amazon Business, Amazon Pharmacy and its satellite internet initiative.

Guidance Remains Solid

For the third quarter, Amazon expects net sales between $197.0 billion and $202.0 billion, representing 9% to 12% year-over-year growth, while operating income is projected between $22.5 billion and $26.5 billion, well above the prior year's $17.4 billion. Management noted that AI infrastructure investments remain elevated, with capital spending continuing to support long-term growth.

What to Watch

The strong premarket rally reflects investor confidence that Amazon's AI investments are translating into accelerating cloud growth and expanding profitability. Going forward, markets will closely monitor AWS growth, AI monetization, capital spending, retail margins and the company's ability to sustain double-digit revenue growth while maintaining strong earnings momentum.

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Global Finance News 07-31-26

09-16-26European Investor

09-09-26European Investor

09-02-26Global Finance News

NASDAQ:NVDA

NVIDIA Launches Isaac ROS 5.0 With Agentic AI Tools for Robotics Development

NVIDIA released Isaac ROS 5.0, expanding its open-source robotics platform with new agentic AI capabilities designed to help developers build, customize and deploy robotics applications faster.

The release adds support for ROS Lyrical and Ubuntu 24.04 while introducing reusable AI-agent skills for setup, manipulation and perception tasks. NVIDIA said new agent-ready documentation and workflows can help AI agents translate developer intent into working robotics applications more efficiently.

One of the key upgrades is FoundationPose, which now includes an agent-ready inference library that can track object position and orientation up to 5.5 times faster. NVIDIA also added a standalone pick-and-place skill combining detection, depth estimation and pose output for robotics developers.

The broader ecosystem is also expanding. RealSense, Intrinsic, Magna, Flexiv, Universal Robots, Mentee Robotics and others are using Isaac ROS across applications ranging from industrial automation and machine tending to humanoid robotics and autonomous manipulation.

Isaac ROS 5.0 supports hardware ranging from Jetson Orin Nano to Jetson Thor, allowing developers to move from development to on-device deployment as robotics workloads grow more complex. The software is available now as a free and open-source release.

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Global Finance News 09-22-26

NVIDIA Launches DSX Ready Program for AI Factory Power and Cooling Systems

NVIDIA introduced DSX Ready, a new qualification program designed to help AI factory builders identify power, cooling and infrastructure products that meet applicable NVIDIA DSX reference-design requirements.

The program launches with two initial categories: battery energy storage systems and cooling distribution units. Qualified BESS products include solutions from Hitachi Energy, LG Energy Solution and Tesla, while qualified CDU providers include LG Electronics, LiquidStack and Vertiv.

DSX Ready is intended to reduce integration risk as AI data centers face increasingly tight power, cooling, water and grid constraints. NVIDIA said the broader DSX platform is designed to treat compute, networking, power, cooling, facilities and software as a single coordinated system rather than separate infrastructure layers.

For battery systems, suppliers complete qualification testing and submit supporting data for NVIDIA review. Cooling providers use a self-qualification suite to determine whether specific CDU products meet NVIDIA’s functional requirements. The company emphasized that qualification does not replace site-level engineering.

NVIDIA plans to add more infrastructure and software categories over time. The initiative reflects the growing importance of power delivery and liquid cooling as AI factories scale to support increasingly dense computing systems.

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European Investor 09-21-26

NVIDIA, Google and Emerald AI Launch Alliance to Tackle AI Data Center Power Constraints

NVIDIA, Google and Emerald AI have launched the AI Energy Management Alliance, a new coalition aimed at making large AI data centers more flexible in how they consume electricity and accelerating their connection to power grids.

Power availability has become a major constraint on the expansion of U.S. AI infrastructure. The alliance is developing a framework that would allow AI data centers to adjust electricity consumption according to grid conditions by shifting computing workloads, using energy storage or paired generation, and reducing demand during periods of system stress.

The approach could allow utilities to connect large AI facilities more quickly while reducing the need for costly grid upgrades. AEMA plans to establish standardized performance requirements covering response times, power curtailment, emergency operations and data sharing between data centers and grid operators.

The initiative brings together AI companies, data center operators, power producers, utilities and grid operators. For NVIDIA and the broader AI industry, addressing electricity constraints is becoming increasingly important as rapidly expanding AI computing capacity requires substantially more power infrastructure.

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WS Investor 09-16-26

NVIDIA Brings Perplexity’s Local AI Agent to Windows RTX PCs

NVIDIA said Perplexity Portable Computer is now available on compatible Windows PCs powered by GeForce RTX and RTX PRO GPUs, expanding access to AI agents that can perform complex tasks locally rather than relying entirely on cloud computing.

Portable Computer is a local version of Perplexity Computer designed to plan and execute multistep tasks. NVIDIA GPUs accelerate local models that can analyze data, work across files and handle recurring tasks while keeping sensitive information on the device. Tasks completed locally also do not consume Perplexity Computer cloud credits.

The platform combines local and cloud AI. For more demanding reasoning tasks, the agent can determine that cloud processing is needed and ask for permission before sending information off-device. It can also connect with services including Microsoft Outlook, OneDrive, Word, Google Drive, Gmail, Slack and GitHub.

The development highlights NVIDIA’s push to expand AI computing beyond data centers and into personal computers. Running increasingly capable AI agents directly on RTX hardware could create another source of demand for high-memory GPUs as agentic AI becomes more integrated into everyday professional workflows.

Portable Computer requires a GeForce RTX or RTX PRO GPU with at least 24GB of VRAM, while support for NVIDIA DGX Station is expected later.

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WS Investor 09-14-26

NVIDIA Says Its AI Platform Is Powering the Global Robotaxi Expansion

NVIDIA is expanding its role in autonomous transportation as robotaxi developers, mobility platforms and automakers increasingly adopt the company’s computing technologies to train, simulate and operate driverless vehicles. NVIDIA says every major robotaxi program currently operating at commercial scale uses at least part of its modular technology stack.

The platform combines three major computing layers: NVIDIA DGX systems for AI model training, Omniverse and Cosmos running on RTX PRO servers for simulation and validation, and DRIVE Hyperion with DRIVE AGX Thor for in-vehicle computing. DRIVE Hyperion 10 uses dual Blackwell-based DRIVE AGX Thor chips alongside cameras, radar, lidar and ultrasonic sensors to provide 360-degree perception and redundant computing.

NVIDIA’s ecosystem now spans many of the biggest names in autonomous mobility. Uber plans to scale NVIDIA DRIVE Hyperion-based robotaxis to 28 cities by 2028 and is working with companies including Lucid, Mercedes-Benz, Nuro, Pony*ai, Wayve and WeRide. Lyft, Bolt, May Mobility and Waymo are also using or working with NVIDIA technologies.

Automakers including Mercedes-Benz, Stellantis, Hyundai, Kia, Geely and Zeekr are also integrating NVIDIA technology into autonomous-driving programs, while Tesla uses NVIDIA supercomputers to train its autonomous-driving neural networks.

The expansion positions NVIDIA to capture computing demand beyond data centers as physical AI moves toward commercial deployment in transportation.

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Global Finance News 09-11-26

US Justice Department probes Nvidia's licensing deal with Groq amid antitrust concerns | Noah Intelligence

The US Department of Justice is examining whether Nvidia's licensing agreement with AI startup Groq was structured to evade antitrust scrutiny, signalling intensified regulation of AI industry mergers.The US Department...

(noah-news.com)

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WS News 09-11-26

NVIDIA and Palantir Partner to Bring Sovereign AI to Critical Supply Chains

NVIDIA and Palantir Technologies announced a new collaboration Thursday to develop a sovereign AI stack designed to optimize complex supply chains, with the technology initially being deployed across NVIDIA’s own operations.

The platform combines NVIDIA’s Nemotron open AI models with Palantir Foundry and its Artificial Intelligence Platform, or AIP. Grounded in Palantir’s Ontology, the system is designed to identify supply constraints, improve visibility and help organizations make operational decisions while maintaining control of proprietary data.

NVIDIA is using the technology to manage one of the semiconductor industry’s most complicated supply chains. The company said each Vera Rubin rack requires about 1.3 million parts, with production dependent on coordinated supplies of compute, memory, networking, power, cooling and mechanical components.

The companies plan to extend the technology beyond NVIDIA to industries including manufacturing, energy, healthcare, automotive and aerospace. Customers will be able to deploy the AI stack on-premises, in colocation facilities or in the cloud while retaining ownership and control of their models and operational data.

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The Investor 09-10-26

Nvidia Gains 2.5% as Rosenblatt and Needham Reiterate Buy Ratings

Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) shares rose about 2.5% as two Wall Street firms reiterated bullish ratings on the AI chip leader.

Rosenblatt Securities analyst Kevin Cassidy maintained a Buy rating on Nvidia with a $390 price target, implying substantial upside from the stock’s current price of $234.07.

Needham & Company analyst N. Quinn Bolton also reiterated a Buy rating, setting a $300 price target.

AI Leadership Supports Bullish Sentiment

The positive analyst calls reinforce Wall Street confidence in Nvidia’s position at the center of the artificial intelligence infrastructure market. The company remains the dominant supplier of GPUs used to train and run advanced AI models, while its broader ecosystem spanning networking, software and accelerated computing strengthens its competitive position.

The two price targets indicate different expectations for Nvidia’s upside, but both firms remain bullish on the stock. Rosenblatt’s $390 target is particularly aggressive, representing roughly 67% upside from the indicated price, while Needham’s $300 target implies about 28% upside.

Nvidia’s 2.5% gain suggests the reiterated Buy ratings are adding to positive sentiment around the AI semiconductor leader.

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Global Finance News 09-04-26

NVIDIA to Acquire Hugging Face for $12.93 Billion, Expanding Its Reach Across the AI Ecosystem

NVIDIA has agreed to acquire Hugging Face for approximately $12.93 billion, bringing one of the world’s largest open artificial intelligence developer platforms under the AI chip leader as it expands its influence beyond computing hardware and deeper into the software and model ecosystem.

Hugging Face has become a central hub for open-source and open-weight AI development. According to NVIDIA, more than 18 million developers, researchers and creators use the platform, which hosts over 3 million models, 500,000 datasets and 1 million applications. More than 200,000 companies use Hugging Face to discover, evaluate, customize and deploy AI models.

Importantly, NVIDIA said Hugging Face will remain an open platform rather than becoming tied exclusively to NVIDIA hardware. Developers will continue to be able to choose their preferred models, frameworks, cloud providers, inference services and computing platforms, and NVIDIA compute will not be required to use Hugging Face. The platform will also continue supporting models from competing developers and multi-cloud and multi-accelerator deployments.

The acquisition could significantly expand NVIDIA’s position across the AI technology stack. NVIDIA already dominates the market for accelerators used to train and run advanced AI models, while Hugging Face provides a major distribution and collaboration layer connecting model developers with enterprises and researchers. NVIDIA said it has already published more than 500 models and over 250 open datasets on Hugging Face and describes itself as the platform’s largest contributor of open models and data.

NVIDIA plans to use its infrastructure, engineering capabilities and global reach to improve Hugging Face’s reliability, model evaluation, safety, inference and deployment capabilities while preserving its open ecosystem.

The $12.93 billion deal represents another major strategic expansion for NVIDIA as competition increasingly moves beyond GPUs toward complete AI platforms encompassing chips, networking, software, models and deployment. Owning Hugging Face could give NVIDIA a much broader role in how millions of developers build and deploy AI while maintaining the platform as a hardware-neutral gateway to the wider AI ecosystem.

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European Investor 09-03-26

Nvidia's next act is bigger than selling AI chips: Chart of the Day

CEO Jensen Huang wants Nvidia to become the architecture of AI, not merely its dominant chipmaker.

(finance.yahoo.com)

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WS News 09-02-26

09-18-26WS Investor

09-16-26WS Investor

09-14-26WS Investor

09-12-26European Investor

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