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...

Financial markets are rattled as the Trump administration intensifies its global trade war, triggering widespread volatility across asset classes. U.S. stocks and bonds fluctuated sharply, while the dollar index tumbled for a fourth straight session, underscoring investor anxiety amid mounting geopolitical and economic uncertainty. After the S&P 500 slumped over 2% on Monday, equity futures rose modestly in overnight trading, but underlying tension remains. The dollar extended its slide to a 15-month low as the Federal Reserve’s independence came under threat, with President Trump escalating criticism of Fed Chair Jerome Powell and pushing for immediate interest rate cuts. Investors fear any move to prematurely remove Powell could erode confidence in U.S. monetary policy and the dollar's position as the global reserve currency. Treasuries, traditionally a haven, showed only modest demand, while gold surged to a record $3,444 an ounce, and the yen outperformed its G-10 peers, si...

Netflix ( NFLX ) shares surged Monday morning, climbing more than 2% in early trading, after the streaming giant reported a stellar first-quarter earnings performance. The broader market lagged behind amid renewed U.S.–China trade concerns and political volatility in Washington, but Netflix powered through, defying macroeconomic headwinds and reaffirming its position as a resilient force in entertainment. The company reported $6.61 in earnings per share, beating consensus estimates by 95 cents—a quarterly EPS beat unmatched in more than two years. Revenue came in at $10.54 billion, a 12.5% year-over-year increase and $40 million above forecasts. Operating income rose 27% to $3.3 billion, with margins expanding to 32%, well ahead of internal targets. Analysts say the results ease concerns about consumer pullback following recent price hikes in key markets. Netflix's guidance for the second quarter includes revenue growth of 15% (17% on a currency-neutral basis) and an operating marg...

UnitedHealth Group Inc. ( UNH ) suffered its worst trading day in over two decades on Thursday. Company's shares plummeted more than 22% after missing first-quarter earnings expectations and sharply cut its 2025 profit outlook. The decline, which erased roughly $140 billion in market value, dragged the Dow Jones Industrial Average down 1.2% and sent tremors through the broader healthcare sector. The health insurance behemoth reported adjusted earnings of $7.20 per share, falling short of the $7.29 anticipated by analysts, while revenue climbed to $109.6 billion—a 10% year-over-year increase but still under the $111.6 billion Wall Street forecasted. More damaging, however, was UnitedHealth's slashed forecast for 2025 earnings. The company now expects adjusted earnings of $26 to $26.50 per share, down sharply from its prior guidance of $29.50 to $30 per share. It marks a rare and significant reset for a company that had beaten top-line expectations in 17 of the previous 18 quarte...

United Airlines ( UAL ) beat first-quarter expectations with adjusted earnings of $0.91 per share, topping analyst estimates of $0.74. Revenue hit a record $13.2 billion, a 5.4% year-over-year increase, marking the company’s strongest Q1 performance in five years. Despite a 3.8% dip in domestic revenue, United’s focus on premium international routes paid off: high-margin premium cabin revenue rose 9.2%, while international revenue per seat-mile jumped 8.5% on Pacific routes and 4.7% on Atlantic routes. The carrier’s premium strategy—bolstered by a revamped Polaris business class and increased investment in loyalty programs—helped drive margin growth. First-quarter adjusted pre-tax margin climbed to 3.6%, up from negative 0.6% a year earlier. Total revenue per available seat mile (RASM) rose 0.5%, even as capacity expanded nearly 5%. Two Scenarios, One Strategy In a rare move that underscores the economic uncertainty plaguing the markets, United issued dual forecasts for full-year 2025....

Shares of Nvidia ( NVDA ) plunged more than 7% Wednesday.  The drop came after the semiconductor powerhouse revealed it will take a $5.5 billion charge in its fiscal first quarter, stemming from unexpected U.S. export restrictions on its AI chips bound for China. The disclosure, made in a late Tuesday filing, marks a sharp escalation in the ongoing chip war between Washington and Beijing — and puts Nvidia’s China strategy under intense scrutiny. The U.S. Commerce Department informed Nvidia earlier this month that its H20 chips — specifically designed to comply with previous export restrictions — will now require a license for shipment to China, Hong Kong, and Macau. According to analysts, those licenses are unlikely to be granted. The move effectively halts a revenue stream worth billions and underscores how geopolitical crossfire continues to reshape the landscape for AI and semiconductor players. The H20 chips were developed as a workaround to U.S. regulations imposed during the ...

Citigroup ( C ) and Bank of America ( BAC ) posted standout first-quarter results, spearheading a rally across the banking sector as market volatility underpinned record-breaking trading revenues. Shares of BAC surged 4.30%, while Citigroup rose 4%, both outperforming peers including Goldman Sachs ( GS  +1.80%) and Morgan Stanley ( MS  +2%). Citigroup’s trading operations delivered a 12% year-over-year revenue increase to $6 billion, with a 23% surge in equity markets revenue and 8% growth in fixed income. Bank of America’s performance was equally strong, with trading revenue up 9% to $5.66 billion — its highest in over a decade — and equity trading alone climbing 17% to a record $2.2 billion. The gains were fueled by heightened client activity amid uncertainty tied to President Trump’s trade tariffs, which have injected renewed volatility into the markets. Altogether, the top five Wall Street banks raked in nearly $37 billion in trading revenue, reinforcing the sector’s resil...

Streaming giant surges as internal targets reveal bold revenue and subscriber ambitions. Netflix ( NVDA ) shares jumped over 6% Tuesday after The Wall Street Journal reported that the company laid out aggressive long-term targets during an internal business review. The streaming leader aims to more than double its annual revenue to $80 billion and reach a $1 trillion market capitalization by 2030—up from roughly $419 billion today. Achieving that valuation would put Netflix in elite company alongside tech heavyweights like Apple ( AAPL ), Microsoft ( MSFT ), and Alphabet ( GOOG ). Shares traded at $982.36 by midday, making Netflix the best performer in the S&P 500 on the day. The stock is up 58% over the past 12 months, far outpacing the index’s 7.2% gain. Investors are taking the announcement seriously. Despite near-term macroeconomic headwinds, including global trade tensions and slowing foreign tourism to the U.S., Netflix’s growth story remains compelling, underpinned by subscr...

Amid escalating trade tensions between the United States and China, Beijing has halted shipments of seven critical rare earth elements, invoking national export control laws. These laws now require opaque and lengthy licensing processes.The move, which affects vital materials like yttrium, dysprosium, and terbium, threatens to choke global supply chains in defense, automotive, and clean energy sectors. The export restrictions, widely seen as a direct counter to Washington’s sweeping tariffs, have already paralyzed cargo flows. Chinese traders report export delays of at least 60 days, with the potential to extend much longer. Some suppliers have declared force majeure to avoid breach of contract penalties, underscoring the seriousness of the disruption. China currently dominates the global rare earth market, producing about 90% of the world’s supply. Analysts warn that this monopoly gives Beijing powerful leverage, but it also risks long-term consequences. Buyers are now accelerating ef...

Goldman Sachs ( GS ) reported stronger-than-expected first-quarter earnings on Monday, powered by surging trading revenue amid turbulent financial markets. The Wall Street giant posted a 15% year-over-year increase in profit, reaching $4.74 billion, or $14.12 per share—well above analysts' forecasts of $12.33. Revenue climbed to $15.06 billion, up 6% from the same period last year. The firm’s trading desks capitalized on sharp market swings sparked by the White House’s sudden imposition of new tariffs. Total trading revenue rose to $8.59 billion, the bank’s highest quarterly figure since 2009. Equities trading jumped 27%, while fixed-income, currencies, and commodities (FICC) revenue grew 2% from a year earlier and 61% from the previous quarter. The firm also posted record revenues in both equities and FICC financing. Shares of Goldman Sachs rose nearly 2% in early trading Monday following the release. Dealmaking Slows as Clients Grow Cautious While Goldman’s trading units thrived,...

Nvidia Corp. ( NVDA ) is bringing artificial intelligence infrastructure production home. In a landmark announcement this week, the AI chipmaker unveiled plans to build up to $500 billion worth of AI-related infrastructure in the United States over the next four years. Working with a global roster of partners including Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. ( TSM ), Foxconn, and Wistron, Nvidia will anchor manufacturing and assembly of its next-generation Blackwell AI chips and supercomputers in Arizona and Texas. TSMC has already begun production of Blackwell chips at its new facility in Phoenix, Arizona, while Foxconn and Wistron are setting up supercomputer plants in Houston and Dallas, respectively. The facilities are expected to reach mass production within 12 to 15 months. Together, the projects span over a million square feet of manufacturing space, marking a strategic pivot away from Nvidia’s traditional reliance on overseas manufacturing. CEO Jensen Huang framed the move as bo...