Stock Market News — page 24

Stock investors trim gains in top AI chip names, prompting a decline in Sandisk shares as profits are taken across the sector

Wedbush analyst Dan Ives argues Starlink will prop up SpaceX’s profits in the near term, while highlighting Starship as a key asset; the stock activity recently touched the debut price noted in June.

US and European stocks slipped at the start of the second half as US-Iran tensions weighed on sentiment and technology shares that had led the first-half rally retreated, with oil holding lower and a key US jobs report looming.

Micron Technology and General Motors signed a long-term agreement for Micron to supply memory and storage chips used in vehicle production, as GM moves to secure supply and Micron deepens its automotive foothold.

Analysts note that a small group of behemoths powered the Nasdaq-100's first-half rally, with Micron leading the way and contributing a sizable share of index gains, while Nasdaq reported a record-half for listings activity.

Meta signals a cloud business to sell excess AI compute, triggering mixed reactions across AI and cloud equities.

NIO reported June deliveries of 40,597 vehicles and second-quarter deliveries of 107,658, with shares moving lower following the release.

Reports indicate Microsoft plans another round of job cuts, potentially affecting up to 2.5% of employees across multiple units, according to Business Insider sources cited by outlets.

US stocks closed the first half of 2026 strongly, with the Dow up 8.9% and the Nasdaq Composite surging about 21% in Q2 to its best quarter in roughly six years on an AI- and chip-led rally, though futures turned lower into the new quarter ahead of jobs data.

Nike topped Wall Street's quarterly estimates, but the beat was flattered by a roughly $986 million tariff refund that lifted profit and margins, while sales in China fell 12%, leaving questions about the strength of its turnaround.

KKR to acquire EDF’s North American renewable operations for about $4.2 billion, with reports noting a broader plan to develop a Korean energy platform in collaboration with SK Group.

Boeing begins formal contract talks on July 1 with SPEEA, which represents about 17,000 Puget Sound engineers and technical workers across two agreements expiring October 6; the union reported a positive early response as both sides agreed to bargain earlier than planned.

The US Supreme Court agreed to hear Apple's appeal of a contempt ruling in its antitrust fight with Epic Games over App Store fees, taking up the narrow question of whether Apple can be held in contempt for violating the "spirit" of an injunction; arguments are set for the term beginning in October.

US airline stocks rallied about 20% in June, with Delta and United near records, as jet fuel fell well below its April peak alongside crude's slide toward $70 and strong summer travel demand lifted second-half profit expectations, though analysts cautioned the macro-driven move may cool into Q2 earnings.

Major names see new July 15 option series launch across Apple, Amazon and Alphabet, with additional long-dated and sector-linked activity reported by multiple outlets

June consumer confidence rose modestly according to the Conference Board, but the reading came in below economists’ expectations, with the widely watched index and related measures showing divergence.

Lands' End appoints Charlie Cole as chief executive after Andrew McLean's departure, with shares reacting to the leadership change as the company confirms the replacement.

Analysts at Piper Sandler flag a strategy to grow revenue and cut costs as a catalyst for stronger profits and potential multiple expansion in a leading payments company

A strong start to 2026 has positioned small-cap equities for a rare first-half outperformance, while leading S&P 500 stocks have delivered triple-digit gains, underscoring broad strength across U.S. equities.

Indian equities were expected to start on a cautious footing while investors monitored renewed Iran-US dialogue and shifting oil prices

Markets reacted to weekend Iran clashes and a subsequent halt in hostilities, with stocks showing Monday strength as investors weigh implications for energy flows and geopolitical risk

A Supreme Court decision overturns the Humphrey’s Executor precedent, granting Presidents broader power to remove independent regulatory officials, with implications for crypto and broader markets

Alphabet joins the Dow Jones in a technology-forward reshuffle, with shares climbing as it marks its Dow debut while investors weigh AI-related questions surrounding the company.

Honeywell Aerospace began trading on Nasdaq after completing its spin-off from Honeywell, with shares rising on debut.

Comcast plans to separate its media businesses NBCUniversal and Sky from the remaining cable operations, prompting a notable reaction in shares as investors weigh the strategic shift.

Rocket Lab plans to purchase Iridium Communications in a deal valued around eight billion dollars, with Iridium stock trading higher pre-market as investors react to the announced acquisition

Charter Communications jumped on news of a Comcast spinoff, with premarket trading activity highlighting several other names in a broad market move

BT Group and Verizon announce a 50/50 joint venture to combine their international enterprise operations, prompting BT to revise its annual outlook downward.

Reports say Baidu's AI chip unit Kunlunxin plans a Hong Kong listing aimed at a roughly $50 billion valuation, while autonomous-driving firm Momenta looks to raise up to $751 million in the same market.

Wall Street analysts are increasingly optimistic that SpaceX could outrun Nvidia in long-term valuation, with some targets implying a substantial upside beyond today’s levels