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HPE soars after DOJ clears Juniper Networks acquisition

The approval ends a months-long legal challenge to the highly anticipated $14 billion takeover deal.

6/30/25 9:25AM

Shares of HP Enterprise jumped 13% Monday morning after the Department of Justice officially cleared its $14 billion acquisition of Juniper Networks. The announcement ends a contentious antitrust lawsuit that had loomed over the deal since January.

The merger would consolidate the three industry major players (HPE, Juniper, and Cisco) down to two, giving the combined company control of about 70% of the enterprise wireless equipment market. HPE says the deal will help it deliver customers more secure, AI-native networking solutions as it ramps up efforts in AI data centers and cloud infrastructure.

“Our agreement with the DOJ paves the way to close HPE’s acquisition of Juniper Networks and preserves the intended benefits of this deal for our customers and shareholders, while creating greater competition in the global networking market,” CEO Antonio Neri said in a statement.

Bank of America analysts raised their price target on the stock to $23 from $20 and reiterated a “buy” rating following the DOJ approval. In addition to overall deal optimism, they noted that the required divestments were modest and projected the deal could lift HPE’s earnings by 8% in 2026, or up to 14% if the company delivers $200 million in expected cost synergies.

HPE shares are down 3% year to date.

Netflix and Disney+ probably only added ad-tier subscribers this year, says Morgan Stanley

As streaming prices climb, ad-free subscribers are becoming a rarity.

Max Knoblauch12/18/25

BLOOD

MONEY

J. Edward Moreno12/17/25

Discount stores are having a moment in America, drawing high- and low-income consumers alike

Everyone loves a deal in 2025 — and Aldi, Walmart, and Dollar Tree are all cashing in.

Millie Giles12/17/25

Max Knoblauch12/16/25

Report: OpenAI won’t pay a dime in cash for its 3-year licensing deal for Disney IP

More financial details behind the landmark deal that will grant OpenAI three years of access to Disney intellectual property are coming out, and they’re pretty surprising.

The deal will reportedly see OpenAI pay zero dollars in licensing fees, instead compensating Disney in stock warrants. It was previously reported that Disney would invest $1 billion into OpenAI as part of the agreement.

It’s very abnormal for Disney to grant anyone access to its massive IP library without a cash payment, and the entertainment juggernaut has been known to strike down even crocheted Etsy Yodas for infringing on its turf. In its fiscal year 2025, Disney booked more than $10 billion in revenue from licensing fees across merchandising, television, and theatrical distribution.

OpenAI Deal to License Disney Characters Is Entirely in Stock

Max Knoblauch12/15/25

Ford says it will take $19.5 billion in charges in a massive EV write-down

The EV business has marked a long stretch of losing for Ford, and today the automaker announced it will take $19.5 billion in charges tied, for the most part, to its EV division.

Ford said it’s launching a battery energy storage business, leveraging battery plants in Kentucky and Michigan to “provide solutions for energy infrastructure and growing data center demand.”

According to Ford, the changes will drive Ford’s electrified division to profitability by 2029. The company will stop making its electric F-150, the Lightning, and instead shift to an “extended-range electric vehicle” that includes a gas-powered generator.

The Detroit automaker also raised its adjusted earnings before interest and taxes outlook to “about $7 billion” from a range of $6 billion to $6.5 billion.

Ford’s write-down is one of the largest taken by a company as legacy automakers scale back on EVs, giving EV-only automakers a market share boost.