Skechers ( SKX ) reported a strong start to fiscal 2025, with record first-quarter sales of $2.41 billion—a 7.1% year-over-year increase—driven by growth in both international and domestic markets. Earnings per share came in at $1.17, matching Wall Street expectations, while the wholesale and direct-to-consumer channels posted gains of 7.8% and 6.0%, respectively. Despite these figures, the company’s stock plunged over 7% Friday morning after management withdrew its full-year guidance, citing "macroeconomic uncertainty stemming from global trade policies." The move startled investors and sparked broader concerns across the footwear sector, already strained by rising tariffs and unpredictable policy shifts. John Vandemore, Skechers’ chief financial officer, said during the earnings call that the current environment is “as uncertain as it was during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic,” emphasizing that the suspension of guidance was not tied to consumer demand. Tariff Trou...

Intel’s ( INTC ) first quarterly report under newly appointed CEO Lip-Bu Tan surprised Wall Street—just not in the way investors had hoped. The company beat expectations on both earnings and revenue, reporting adjusted earnings per share of $0.13 on revenue of $12.7 billion, well above the consensus forecast of $0.01 on $12.3 billion in sales. Yet the optimism was short-lived. Shares tumbled more than 7% on Friday after Intel issued a second-quarter outlook that came in well below expectations. Intel said it expects revenue between $11.2 billion and $12.4 billion for the current quarter, versus analysts’ forecast of $12.8 billion. The company also projected it would break even in adjusted earnings per share—well under the seven cents analysts had penciled in. The disappointing guidance was attributed largely to front-loaded customer demand in anticipation of new U.S.-China tariffs, and broader uncertainty in the global economy. Intel CFO David Zinsner acknowledged the cautious tone: “T...

Alphabet ( GOOG ) delivered a powerful performance in the first quarter, with earnings and revenue surpassing Wall Street expectations and sending its stock soaring. Revenue surged 12% year-over-year to $90.2 billion, while net income jumped an eye-catching 46% to $34.5 billion, or $2.81 per share. Operating income rose more than 20%, with margins expanding to 34%. Advertising revenue topped $66.8 billion, and Google Cloud brought in $12.2 billion, up from $9.5 billion in the same period last year. CEO Sundar Pichai highlighted the growing momentum of Gemini 2.5, Google’s latest AI model, which is now integrated into search and cloud services. “Our AI roadmap is really gaining steam,” he said, signaling further Gemini deployments across Google’s platforms. Alphabet also announced a 5% dividend hike to $0.21 per share and unveiled a massive $70 billion share repurchase plan—a capital return strategy that dwarfs most of its peers. Stock Buyback Signals Confidence Despite Legal and Compet...

Gilead Sciences ( GILD ), the best-performing healthcare stock in the S&P 500 over the past year, released its first-quarter earnings on Thursday after the bell. Despite posting better-than-expected profits and reaffirming its full-year guidance, shares fell sharply in premarket and after-hours trading, highlighting investor caution amid policy uncertainty and flat revenue growth. Mixed Financials: Strong Profit, Weak Sales For the quarter ending March, Gilead reported revenue of $6.67 billion, narrowly missing Wall Street expectations of $6.8 billion and essentially flat year over year. However, the company posted non-GAAP earnings per share of $1.81, beating consensus estimates by three cents. On a GAAP basis, net income was $1.32 billion, or $1.04 per share. Adjusted results excluded merger-related costs and other one-time expenses. Gilead reaffirmed its full-year non-GAAP EPS guidance of $7.70 to $8.10 on product sales of $28.2 billion to $28.6 billion. Despite the earnings bea...

ServiceNow ( NOW ) surged more than 15% on Thursday, notching its sharpest single-day gain since 2013 after reporting a stronger-than-expected first quarter. The Santa Clara-based enterprise software giant posted adjusted earnings of $4.04 per share—beating consensus estimates by $0.21—on revenue of $3.09 billion, up 18.6% year-over-year. CEO William McDermott credited “elite level execution” and accelerating AI adoption for the results, underscoring robust subscription revenue growth and expanding demand from government clients. U.S. public sector sales rose over 30% in the quarter, supported by 11 federal contracts exceeding $1 million, including two above $5 million. “Our AI agents are helping customers, including government agencies, cut costs and increase efficiency,” McDermott said. “You don’t build a defining company by surrendering to uncertainty.” ServiceNow's bullish forecast for subscription revenue in the second quarter—between $3.030 billion and $3.035 billion—sent a s...

Tesla’s ( TSLA ) first-quarter 2025 financial report painted a troubling picture: vehicle deliveries dropped 13% year-over-year, total revenue declined 9% to $19.34 billion, and net income plunged 39%.  Automotive revenue was hit hardest, falling 20% amid deteriorating global EV demand, intensifying price competition, and a stale vehicle lineup. EPS slid to $0.27, missing Wall Street estimates by a wide margin. Gross margin contracted to 16.3%, a sign of growing pressure from price cuts used to fend off rivals, particularly in China. From peak levels, Tesla’s quarterly net income is down 77%, and sales are 25% off their highs. Operating profit has plunged 90% from the $3.9 billion achieved in late 2022. By any metric, it was a dismal quarter. Compared to its peers in the so-called “Magnificent Seven,” Tesla now stands alone in its decline. Meta ( META ), Microsoft ( MSFT ), Alphabet ( GOOG ), Nvidia ( NVDA ), Apple ( AAPL ), and Amazon ( AMZN ) are all either at or near peak s...

First Solar Inc. ( FSLR ) led a surge in U.S.-based solar companies Tuesday after the Trump administration finalized steep new tariffs stemming from a trade investigation initiated during the Biden presidency. The Commerce Department finalized duties that could reach as high as 3,521%, targeting manufacturers in Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, and Malaysia for dumping subsidized products in the American market. First Solar, which helped spearhead the complaint, saw its shares climb over 10% in early trading. The move represents a significant victory for domestic manufacturers, long embattled by low-cost competition supported by foreign subsidies. Other U.S.-based solar names, including Hanwha Q Cells and smaller players like T1 Energy, also posted notable gains. “This is a decisive victory for American manufacturing,” said Tim Brightbill, counsel for the coalition of U.S. producers that initiated the probe. The ruling underscores years-long allegations that Chinese solar firms used Southe...