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Showing posts from May, 2025

Supermicro Surges on $20 Billion Saudi AI Deal, But Reputational Shadows Linger

Super Micro Computer Inc. ( SMCI ), a key player in AI-optimized server infrastructure, made headlines this week with the announcement of a landmark partnership with Saudi-based data center developer DataVolt. Under a newly signed memorandum of understanding (MOU), the two companies aim to build hyperscale, gigawatt-class AI campuses in Saudi Arabia—facilities powered entirely by renewable energy and net-zero technologies. The deal, still pending definitive agreements, carries a minimum product value estimated at $20 billion. Supermicro will supply DataVolt with its ultra-dense GPU platforms, rack plug-and-play systems, and state-of-the-art direct liquid cooling (DLC-2) technologies. These offerings promise to cut power costs by up to 40% and lower total cost of ownership (TCO) by up to 20%, delivering a compelling infrastructure proposition for next-generation AI deployments. "This collaboration will deliver significantly enhanced computing power for the next generation of AI inf...

CoreWeave Shares Surge Despite Debt Concerns as OpenAI Deal Boosts Revenue Outlook

CoreWeave ( CRWV ) delivered its first earnings report as a public company Wednesday evening. The earnings report revealed robust revenue growth driven by surging AI infrastructure demand—but also exposing a high-risk financial profile that rattled investors. Shares of the Nvidia-backed ( NVDA ) AI cloud provider whipsawed Thursday, plummeting 9% early in the session before staging a dramatic reversal and closing the day up more than 22%. The rally came on the heels of CoreWeave’s announcement of a new $4 billion deal with OpenAI and a bullish revenue forecast that outpaced Wall Street expectations. Yet beneath the surface, CoreWeave’s mounting interest costs and aggressive capital expenditures stirred concerns among analysts. The company plans to spend between $20 billion and $23 billion in 2025—well above the $18.3 billion analysts had projected, according to Bloomberg data. DA Davidson analyst Gil Luria responded with a rare downgrade, slashing CoreWeave’s rating to Underperform. “T...

Trump Announces $200B in UAE Deals, Bolstering U.S. Jobs and Global Tech Leadership

President Donald Trump announced over $200 billion in new commercial agreements between the United States and the United Arab Emirates. This agreement marks a significant expansion in economic ties and delivering a broad boost to American industry. Among the most prominent deals, Boeing  ( BA ) and GE Aerospace ( GE ) secured a $14.5 billion order from Etihad Airways for 28 American-made aircraft, including Boeing 787s and next-generation 777Xs powered by GE engines. This deal alone is expected to support 60,000 U.S. jobs across the manufacturing sector. The initiative also includes a $4 billion investment by Emirates Global Aluminum to develop one of the first new primary aluminum smelters in the U.S. in nearly half a century. The Oklahoma-based project will create 1,000 new jobs and double U.S. aluminum production capacity—strengthening domestic manufacturing and critical mineral supply chains. Meanwhile, Holtec International and the UAE's IHC committed to up to $30 billion ...

Cisco Soars as AI and Security Demand Drive Strong Q3 Earnings

AI orders surpass $600 million as Cisco System ( CSCO ) raises full-year outlook. Cisco Systems delivered a standout performance in its fiscal third quarter, riding strong enterprise demand for artificial intelligence, networking, and cybersecurity products. The company reported revenue of $14.15 billion, an 11% increase from the previous year and ahead of Wall Street’s $14 billion consensus. Adjusted earnings came in at $0.96 per share, beating the $0.92 estimate. The stock surged nearly 6% following the announcement, currently at $64.80 — its highest level since February. The surge was driven by robust momentum in Cisco’s AI infrastructure offerings. The company secured over $600 million in AI-related orders during the quarter, exceeding its full-year goal of $1 billion in just nine months. Security was another bright spot, with revenue in that segment jumping 54% year over year to $2 billion. CEO Chuck Robbins said the performance reflects “clear demand” for Cisco’s technology, addi...

Walmart Beats Estimates, Warns of Price Hikes as Tariff Uncertainty Looms

Walmart Inc. ( WMT ) delivered a solid first-quarter performance, surpassing Wall Street expectations on earnings and U.S. sales. But any optimism was tempered by warnings of looming price hikes and economic unpredictability tied to U.S. trade policy. For the quarter ended April, Walmart posted adjusted earnings of $0.61 per share, beating consensus forecasts of $0.58, and reported revenue of $165.6 billion, up 2.5% year over year. U.S. same-store sales rose 4.5%, well above the 3.85% analysts expected, with health, wellness, and grocery categories driving growth. E-commerce also played a significant role, with online sales up 22%—marking the first quarter of global profitability for that segment. Despite the beat, Walmart shares opened sharply lower Thursday, dropping 5% in early trading as executives warned of rising costs driven by tariffs and “substantial uncertainty” for the year ahead. The stock was down 3.2% by mid-morning. Tariff Turbulence Threatens Margins The main source of ...

AMD and Nvidia Surge as Saudi AI Megadeals Redraw Global Tech Map

Advanced Micro Devices ( AMD ) shares jumped more than 5% on Wednesday following a string of developments that reposition the chipmaker at the forefront of the global artificial intelligence (AI) race.  Chief among them: a newly approved $6 billion share buyback authorization—on top of an existing $4 billion plan—and a landmark deal with Saudi Arabian AI firm Humain to co-develop data center infrastructure. The partnership between AMD and Humain, a subsidiary of the Kingdom’s $925 billion Public Investment Fund, aims to roll out 500 megawatts of AI computing capacity spanning Saudi Arabia and the U.S. over the next five years. The total investment could reach $10 billion, making it one of AMD’s most ambitious ventures to date. In a statement, AMD Chair and CEO Lisa Su called the expanded buyback plan a vote of confidence in the company’s “strategic direction, growth prospects, and ability to consistently generate strong free cash flow.” Analysts took note. Bank of America boosted ...

Tesla Stock Surges as Board Weighs New Musk Pay Package, Trade War Eases

Tesla Inc. ( TSLA ) surged again Thursday morning, extending its recent rally as Wall Street digested new developments around CEO Elon Musk's compensation and the resumption of key component shipments from China. Shares rose nearly 3% to $344, outperforming the broader S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average. Central to the uptick is news that Tesla’s board is actively revisiting Musk’s pay, a topic that has long stirred both investor enthusiasm and legal scrutiny. The Financial Times reported that a two-member special committee—Chairwoman Robyn Denholm and board member Kathleen Wilson-Thompson—is exploring alternative compensation for Musk following the Delaware court’s nullification of his 2018 record-setting $56 billion pay package. That package, made up of 304 million performance-based options, was deemed excessive by Chancellor Kathaleen McCormick, citing governance issues and conflicts of interest. Yet, with Musk hinting at stepping back from Tesla unless his influence i...

Coinbase Enters the S&P 500: A Breakthrough Moment for Crypto on Wall Street

Coinbase Global ( COIN ), the largest publicly traded cryptocurrency exchange in the U.S., will officially join the S&P 500 index on May 19. This marks the first time a crypto-native company secures a place in America’s most influential stock benchmark. The move not only catapults Coinbase into elite corporate territory but also represents a watershed moment for the broader digital asset industry. Shares of Coinbase surged as much as 24% following Monday evening’s announcement, touching $254.84 on Tuesday and adding more than $8 billion to its market cap, which now stands at approximately $52.7 billion. The company will replace Discover Financial Services (DFS), which is being acquired by Capital One in a $35.3 billion all-stock deal. Analysts hailed the decision as a milestone for crypto. “It is a watershed moment for Coinbase and the industry,” wrote Oppenheimer’s Owen Lau, who raised his price target for COIN to $293. “Lack of deep institutional ownership was a bear thesis for C...

UnitedHealth Implodes: CEO Resigns, Outlook Withdrawn as Shares Plunge

UnitedHealth Group ( UNH ), the largest healthcare company in the U.S. by revenue, plunged into deeper turmoil Tuesday. The sell-off was triggered by the announcement of the abrupt resignation of CEO Andrew Witty and the withdrawal of its 2025 earnings forecast. Witty, who had led the company since 2021, is stepping down for unspecified “personal reasons,” according to a company statement. The move comes less than a month after UnitedHealth slashed its profit outlook amid soaring medical costs. Stephen Hemsley, who previously served as CEO from 2006 to 2017 and has remained chairman, will return to lead the company during the crisis. UnitedHealth shares tumbled 16.4% on the news, compounding a historic selloff that began in April when the company reported underwhelming quarterly results. In pre-market trading, shares had already dropped over 10%, signaling investors’ growing unease. The reversal in leadership at the $400 billion behemoth underscores broader investor concerns about its ...

On Holding Defies Industry Slowdown With 43% Surge in Revenue

Swiss sneaker maker On Holding ( ONON ) raises 2025 outlook as direct sales, product hype drive growth Record-Breaking Quarter Puts On in the Spotlight Shares of On Holding jumped nearly 12% Tuesday after the Swiss athletic footwear company reported a blowout fiscal first quarter, marked by a 43% year-over-year increase in revenue to CHF726.6 million ($863.5 million). The results easily beat Wall Street expectations and prompted the company to lift its full-year sales outlook despite rising concerns over global trade uncertainty. Investors cheered the momentum, pushing ONON stock to its best day in months. The company matched earnings estimates at CHF0.21 per share while surpassing revenue forecasts by nearly CHF43 million. Gross profit margin edged up to 59.9% from 59.7%, and On maintained its position as one of the few high-growth names in the athletic apparel sector during a time when competitors like Nike and Adidas face slower consumer demand. “The strong momentum of our brand acr...

Wall Street Rallies as U.S.-China Tariff Pause Sparks Market Surge

U.S. equity markets surged Monday after Washington and Beijing announced a sweeping 90-day pause on their escalating trade war, dramatically reducing tariffs on hundreds of billions in goods. The agreement, unveiled after two days of talks in Geneva, triggered a sharp rally across all three major indexes. The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped more than 1,000 points, up 2.5%. The S&P 500 soared 2.66%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite led the charge with a 3.62% gain. The market response reflects broad investor relief at what many feared was becoming a prolonged economic cold war between the world’s two largest economies. The deal, which slashes U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports from 145% to 30%, and lowers China’s retaliatory duties on American goods from 125% to 10%, was described by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent as “substantial progress.” It marks the first face-to-face meeting since the tariff standoff intensified in early spring.   Tech Stocks Lead the Rally Big Tech...