Crowd of businessmen with multiple expressions

"We're actually trying a totally different AI strategy to a lot of companies, we're doubling down on agentic AI, yeah." (Getty Images)

Corporate America won't shut up about agentic AI, or AI in general

In fact, executives are saying the word “AI” more than they’re saying “earnings” on earnings calls.

Hyunsoo Rim, David Crowther

At its annual developer conference Monday, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang unveiled a jaw-dropping number that briefly sent the chipmaker’s shares soaring: at least $1 trillion in expected revenue from its next-generation AI chips through 2027.

The demand, Huang said, is largely driven by the rise of “AI natives” like OpenAI and Anthropic, which have pushed computing demand for Nvidia’s GPUs “off the charts.”

Indeed, boardrooms have been consumed by AI for a while now, with executives increasingly talking about the two-letter technology more than the results they’re there to discuss. According to Bloomberg data, S&P 500 executives said the word “AI” nearly 5,000 times on S&P 500 calls in the first quarter alone, outpacing the word “earnings” by more than 1,200 mentions.

But for C-suite folks looking to juice their stock price, it's not enough to be talking about chatbots or generative AI. The AI term you have to work into your conference call spiel is agentic AI. That is, systems that don't just answer your questions but actually do things for you, from booking a meeting to filing an expense report.

Pointing to OpenClaw — the viral open-source tool that lets anyone build and run AI agents — Huang called it “the new computer,” adding that “every company in the world today needs to have an OpenClaw strategy.” Nvidia, for its part, unveiled its own NemoClaw on Monday, a more secure, enterprise-ready version that allows companies to deploy agents safely.

And corporate America is catching on fast. While mentions of “AI agents” and “agentic AI” on S&P 500 earnings calls were virtually nonexistent until late 2024, now they’re in the hundreds, rising more than fivefold over the last five quarters to 245 mentions in Q1 2026, per Bloomberg data.

Reducing agents

Wall Street likes talk of "agents" because the implication is fewer employees. Just recently, we've seen a big round of layoffs at Block, 10% of jobs slashed at Atlassian, and reports of huge cuts at Meta, with AI-powered efficiency gains promised in each case.

Mastercard recently launched an agentic AI tool to provide small businesses with C-suite level solutions. Meanwhile, JPMorgan Chase’s chief analytics officer told CNBC last September that the bank’s end goal is one where “every process is powered by AI agents,” with internal demos already generating a full investment banking deck in 30 seconds. Major retailers have also jumped in, with Walmart, Target, and Home Depot having partnered with tech providers to deploy agentic AI tools across their operations, from pricing to inventory. PepsiCo, maker of Cheetos, Lays, and Mountain Dew, wants to be completely agentic first.

Even the companies most bruised by the agentic AI wave are trying to embrace it. After a massive sell-off in software stocks earlier this year on fears that AI agents could displace traditional Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) models, Nvidia said on Monday it’s teaming up with a slate of software firms — including Adobe, SAP, and Salesforce — to build and run AI agents using the chipmaker’s Agent Toolkit platform. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em. Or at least ask your AI agent what to do next.

Matt Phillips3h

Space, drone, and satellite stocks continue their Iran war-driven rally

Space, drone, and satellite stocks like Rocket Lab, Redwire, Intuitive Machines, AST SpaceMobile, and Planet Labs are outperforming both broader indexes and the thematic baskets of momentum stocks and shares with high retail sentiment with which they are often lumped.

There’s little clear news on the tape to attribute for the move higher. (Though the FAA did announce a streamlining of launch licensing rules that cover a number of these companies, including Rocket Lab and Firefly Aerospace, as well as Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s commercial space giant, SpaceX.)

More broadly, the outbreak of war with Iran has burnished the space, drone, and satellite sector in the eyes of investors, as the conflict underscores the importance of the three technologies to the future of defense. And in a world where nations are growing unsure of traditional alliances, countries across the board will look to boost their own capabilities. (Belgium just announced that it has selected Redwire, for example, to provide its first national security satellite system. Belgium!)

As Goldman Sachs analysts put it in a research note from January:

“Companies with native drone and satellite technology cultures like AeroVironment and Rocket Lab may find themselves particularly well positioned. And in Europe, a remilitarization of the Continent is underway that could require a $160bn investment over the next 5 years just to catch up with Russia.”

Since the start of the Iran war, most of these types of shares have handily outpaced the Nasdaq Composite Index. Rocket Lab, Redwire, and Intuitive Machines are all up more than 12% during that period, compared to a Nasdaq that’s just slightly in the red, as of shortly before 12 p.m. ET on Tuesday.

Nvidia keeps giving Wall Street everything it wants — without getting rewarded

Yet another case of good financial news from Nvidia failing to generate an enduring positive reaction.

Luke Kawa3h

Matt Phillips5h

Oklo surges after receiving approval for next phase in the construction of its first reactor

Revenue-free retail favorite Oklo is up in early trading after announcing regulatory updates on its first product, a reactor it calls Aurora, which it has started building at the US Energy Department’s primary nuclear energy research and development center, the Idaho National Laboratory.

Oklo announced that it signed an “other transaction agreement” (OTA) with the Department of Energy early Tuesday. (OTAs are typically used by the federal government to enter into research, prototyping, and production deals with private entities outside of the typical procurement processes.)

Oklo also announced that the DOE’s Idaho Operations Office also signed off on a preliminary safety design review for the reactor, which is expected to be completed sometime in late 2027 or 2028. The company broke ground on the project in September.

Separately, Oklo also announced that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission issued a materials license enabling an Oklo subsidiary to handle, process, and distribute isotopes.

“This is Oklo’s first NRC-issued license and supports the transition from design and planning to real-world execution and progress,” the company said.

Given the close involvement of the federal government in the development of nuclear power plants, Oklo’s close ties to the Trump administration have been seen as an important advantage for the company — but have also drawn scrutiny and criticism.

Energy Secretary Chris Wright was formerly a board member at Oklo, before he was tapped to lead the Trump administration’s Department of Energy.

The department is playing a more prominent role in the nuclear regulatory process under an executive order designed to speed up approval of new nuclear energy technologies.

Separately, Oklo is due to report earnings after the close of trading on Tuesday.

Oklo Announces U.S. Department of Energy Approval for Nuclear Safety Design Agreement of Aurora Powerhouse at Idaho National Laboratory

Separately, Oklo also announced that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission issued a materials license enabling an Oklo subsidiary to handle, process, and distribute isotopes.

“This is Oklo’s first NRC-issued license and supports the transition from design and planning to real-world execution and progress,” the company said.

Energy Secretary Chris Wright was formerly a board member at Oklo, before he was tapped to lead the Trump administration’s Department of Energy.

The department is playing a more prominent role in the nuclear regulatory process under an executive order designed to speed up approval of new nuclear energy technologies.

Separately, Oklo is due to report earnings after the close of trading on Tuesday.

Luke Kawa

The emerging 2-tier system for moving oil through dangerous waters

The road less traveled, or the waters more mined.

J. Edward Moreno5h

Eli Lilly receives its only sell rating as HSBC downgrades, citing smaller market for weight-loss drugs

Eli Lilly slipped in early trading after analysts at HSBC gave the pharmaceutical darling at the center of the obesity drug boom a rare downgrade.

Analysts at the bank cut their rating to “reduce” from “hold.” They cut their price target to $850 from $1,070. The stock closed at $989 on Monday.

“We think Lilly shares are priced to perfection, are uncomfortable with working capital trends, and think medium-term earnings trends are optimistic,” the analysts said.

According to Bloomberg, this is the only sell rating on Lilly among the 38 analysts who cover the stock.

The company has rallied more than 20% in the past year as its obesity drug sales continue to rise, far outpacing its top rival, Novo Nordisk.

But the space is getting increasingly crowded with new entrants and new products from Lilly and Novo, putting downward pricing pressure on their products. HSBC noted that the emergence of cash-pay channels for their drugs makes them subject to economic cycles and seasonality.

And while the introduction of oral options has expanded the market, HSBC analysts said they think “the compliance and persistence of these drugs might disappoint.”

“Whilst the momentum in the launch might be positive, we think oral drug launch expectations for Lilly are too high,” they said.