Tesla Inc. ( TSLA ) is facing its most significant leadership reckoning yet. According to a report from The Wall Street Journal, members of Tesla's board initiated quiet conversations with executive search firms nearly a month ago to explore potential successors to CEO Elon Musk. This move, undisclosed until now, was reportedly triggered by Musk’s deepening entanglement with the Trump administration and the increasing strain his political affiliations are placing on Tesla’s brand, performance, and shareholder confidence. Whether Musk was informed of these succession efforts remains unclear. What is evident, however, is growing concern among board members—some of whom, like Chair Robyn Denholm, have come under fire for perceived deference to Musk—about the company's future under his leadership. The eight-person board, which includes Musk's brother Kimbal and James Murdoch, is reportedly also considering adding a more independent voice as Tesla’s trajectory becomes increasing...

Coca-Cola ( KO ) delivered a stronger-than-expected first-quarter performance, outperforming both peers and the broader market amid an otherwise underwhelming earnings season.  Despite macroeconomic headwinds—including aluminum tariffs, consumer spending slowdowns in developed markets, and foreign exchange pressures—the beverage giant exceeded Wall Street expectations on both revenue and earnings. Global Demand and Pricing Power Drive Results Global unit case volume rose 2% year-over-year, driven by strong demand in key emerging markets such as India, China, and Brazil. Coca-Cola Zero Sugar led the way with a 14% surge, underscoring the company’s growing appeal among health-conscious consumers. In North America, while volume declined by 3%, an 8% increase in pricing helped offset the drop, reaffirming the company’s robust pricing power and brand loyalty. KO shares are up 16% year-to-date as of April 30, a sharp contrast to the S&P 500’s 5.5% decline and rival PepsiCo’s ( PEP ) ...

The U.S. economy shrank at the start of 2025, marking the first contraction in three years and raising new concerns about growth, prices, and policy. According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, gross domestic product declined at an annualized rate of 0.3% in the first quarter — a sharper drop than the 0.2% slide forecast by economists. That’s a significant reversal from the 2.4% growth logged in the final quarter of 2024. This downturn was largely driven by a surge in imports, which subtracted five full percentage points from the GDP calculation, as businesses rushed to bring in goods ahead of aggressive new tariffs imposed by the Trump administration. The downturn comes just as inflation remains high, complicating the Federal Reserve’s efforts to guide the economy. Inflation Pressure and Policy Crossroads The inflation picture added to the unease. The Fed’s preferred core inflation metric — the Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) index, excluding food and energy — rose 3.5% in t...

Shares of Super Micro Computer ( SMCI ) plummeted over 15% on Wednesday.  The AI-focused server maker sharply cut its third-quarter guidance, delivering a blow to investor confidence already shaken by past controversies. SMCI now expects revenue between $4.5 billion and $4.6 billion, well below its previous forecast of up to $6 billion and far short of Wall Street’s $5.35 billion consensus. Adjusted earnings are projected to land between $0.29 and $0.31 per share, down from the previously guided range of $0.46 to $0.62. The company blamed the shortfall on delayed customer platform decisions, citing a transition in demand from Nvidia’s ( NVDA ) older Hopper GPUs to the upcoming Blackwell processors. As a result, sales that had been anticipated for Q3 appear to have slipped into Q4, further clouding near-term visibility. But many investors aren’t buying the delay narrative. SMCI’s credibility has already taken a hit following last year’s accounting concerns and the resignation of its...

Caterpillar Inc. ( CAT ), a longtime staple of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust’s investment portfolio, is feeling the weight of a slowing global economy. The construction and heavy machinery behemoth reported a steeper-than-expected 10% revenue drop in the first quarter of 2025, falling short of Wall Street estimates with $14.25 billion in sales. Earnings per share also slipped 24% year-over-year to $4.25—below the anticipated $4.30. All three of Caterpillar's core business units—Construction Industries, Resource Industries, and Energy & Transportation—reported year-over-year sales declines, with construction particularly hard hit. The Construction Industries segment saw a 19% plunge, under pressure from high interest rates, falling residential and commercial demand, and aggressive post-sale pricing strategies. Sales in Resource Industries dropped 10% on waning mining equipment demand, while Energy & Transportation dipped 2%, partly offset by continued demand ...

Shares of Starbucks ( SBUX ) plunged more than 9% Wednesday morning, continuing a troubling trend for the coffee chain as its latest earnings report fell short of Wall Street expectations. The drop marks a 7.55% single-day loss, pushing the stock down nearly 4% over the past year — a sharp contrast to the S&P 500's 8.7% gain. The earnings report for Starbucks’ fiscal second quarter paints a sobering picture. Comparable store sales in the U.S. — a crucial barometer of retail health — declined 2%, the fifth straight quarterly fall and significantly worse than analysts’ consensus estimate of a 0.3% dip. The decline was driven by a 4% drop in customer transactions, though that was partially offset by a 3% increase in average spend per order. Overall, global comparable sales were down 1%, with revenue reaching $8.76 billion, narrowly missing expectations. Profit fell over 50% year-over-year to $384 million. Adjusted earnings per share landed at $0.41, falling short of the $0.49 fore...

Pfizer Inc. ( PFE ) posted stronger-than-expected earnings on Tuesday, but it wasn’t enough to dispel the cloud hanging over the once-heroic drugmaker.  Long lauded for its central role in the global Covid-19 response, the pharmaceutical giant now finds itself under intense investor scrutiny. While shares climbed nearly 4% to close at $24 following the report, they remain down roughly 13% in 2025 and recently touched their lowest level since July 2012. The New York-based company reported adjusted diluted earnings of $0.92 per share for the first quarter, comfortably beating the $0.67 per-share consensus estimate. Revenue, however, came in slightly short at $13.71 billion, missing Wall Street’s $13.92 billion target. Cost controls, including a 12% year-over-year drop in adjusted operating expenses, helped buoy profitability even as top-line growth faltered. Dividend Strength and Junk Bond Comparisons Raise Eyebrows Pfizer’s share price decline has created an unexpected point of att...

SoFi Technologies ( SOFI ) surged over 8% on Tuesday during early trading after the fintech firm delivered stronger-than-expected first-quarter results and raised its full-year guidance. The earnings beat—combined with a sharp uptick in new members and record fee-based revenue—helped reverse part of the stock’s recent volatility and reinforced investor confidence in the company's long-term strategy. SoFi reported adjusted earnings per share of $0.06 for the March quarter, doubling Wall Street expectations of $0.03, according to FactSet. Revenue climbed 33% to $770.7 million, outpacing analyst forecasts of $738.9 million and marking the firm’s fastest topline growth in five quarters. CEO Anthony Noto credited the performance to across-the-board strength: “We delivered our highest revenue growth rate in five quarters, driven by new records in members, products, and fee-based revenue.” The company added 800,000 new members in the quarter, bringing its total to 10.9 million—up 34% year...

General Motors ( GM ) reported better-than-expected earnings for the first quarter, but the automaker's decision to delay its earnings call and reassess full-year guidance sent shares lower on Tuesday. GM posted adjusted earnings of $2.78 per share on revenue of $44.02 billion, topping Wall Street forecasts of $2.70 EPS and $42.85 billion in revenue. Despite the beat, the stock fell more than 2% as investors reacted to the company’s decision to withhold its full-year forecast. While GM maintained its previously issued FY25 guidance range of $11 to $12 in adjusted EPS, executives acknowledged that the numbers do not account for the potential impact of auto tariffs. The company said it will revisit those projections once the trade landscape becomes clearer. The automaker also announced that its Q1 earnings call, originally scheduled for Tuesday, would be postponed until Thursday. That decision raised eyebrows on Wall Street, as it came amid escalating speculation that the White House...

Cryptocurrency markets rebounded sharply last week, fueled by a wave of institutional investment into Bitcoin-related exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Funds tracking Bitcoin and Ether attracted over $3.2 billion in inflows, Bloomberg data show. The iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) led the charge, securing nearly $1.5 billion — its largest weekly intake this year. Other Bitcoin-focused ETFs, including ARK 21Shares Bitcoin ETF (ARKB) and Fidelity Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund (FBTC), also reported substantial inflows of $620 million and $574 million, respectively. Ether products, meanwhile, posted their first net inflows since February, signaling a broader revival in digital asset markets. Bitcoin prices rallied approximately 10% last week, climbing toward $94,000, the best performance since the days following the U.S. presidential election. The resurgence came as risk assets broadly advanced, with the S&P 500 gaining 4.6% amid hopes of easing trade tensions. “Net spot ETF inflows, which are a b...

Domino’s Pizza ( DPZ ) reported first-quarter earnings that outpaced expectations, signaling resilience in an otherwise challenging environment for U.S. restaurants. The pizza giant posted earnings of $4.33 per share, a 21% increase from a year ago, beating analysts' average forecast of $4.06. Total revenue for the quarter came in at $1.11 billion, up 2.5% year-over-year but slightly below Wall Street’s target of $1.13 billion. While earnings benefitted from aggressive share repurchases over the past year, the company faced setbacks in its home market. Same-store sales in the U.S. fell 0.5%, missing expectations for a modest rise. Economic uncertainty, compounded by elevated inflation and weakened consumer sentiment, especially among lower-income households, weighed heavily on domestic performance. Still, Domino’s shares have remained resilient, rising about 16% year-to-date, even as the broader S&P 500 has declined. The company reaffirmed its annual goal of 3% growth in U.S. c...