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After brutal sell-offs, IBM and Oracle get a glimmer of hope from Anthropic news

Anthropic’s latest announcement seems to be giving a lift to software companies the market was previously viewing as the walking disrupted.

Beleaguered business software stocks like IBM, Salesforce, ServiceNow, and Oracle got a somewhat surprising lift from a flurry of headlines out of Anthropic early Tuesday, after the AI lab announced a series of new plug-ins allowing integrations with companies in a range of industries.

Reuters reports that “Anthropic said its new plug-ins were developed with partners, including LSEG, FactSet, Salesforce’s Slack, and DocuSign.”

Shares of such stocks bounced on the news. They’ve been battered for weeks, with each of the aforementioned companies losing anywhere from 19% to 29% of their value over the past month even after today’s bounce, as investors stared into a future of fruitless struggle for these companies before succumbing to AI mastery and ultimate disruption.

The growing sense of dread surrounding software stocks, underscored by this week’s slump based on nothing more than an analyst’s fictionalized riff on the dystopian future for the sector, suggests that Wall Street is more than willing to buy into the storyline of ruthless technological conquest pushed by Silicon Valley’s AI boosters. Earlier this month, a white paper by a former karaoke company turned trucking AI provider helped demolish billions of dollars of trucking market cap.

But Anthropic’s latest announcements can be read as something of an alternate pathway, suggesting that at least one AI lab’s goal is not to disrupt and destroy other business software giants, but rather to turn them into paying customers.

That would likely be an appealing option for the companies, as their own share prices would benefit from the sprinkling of AI pixie dust that an accommodation with, rather than a death struggle against, AI might bring.

Sure, there would be strategic risks of getting into bed with Anthropic, but after the ride these stocks have had over the last few weeks, those may be risks worth taking.

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SpaceX gets a wave of bullish ratings from Wall Street analysts

SpaceX received more than a dozen positive analyst calls on Tuesday — including from major Wall Street banks — as they initiate coverage on Elon Musk’s space and AI company.

SpaceX went public on June 12 at a $2.2 trillion valuation, the largest debut in history. While the company hasn’t yet posted a profit, it seems to have convinced Wall Street that it will get there and grow its valuation on the way.

Of the at least 17 analysts that gave a rating on Tuesday, all but one gave it a “buy” or “outperform” rating. MoffettNathanson was "neutral."

The ratings come as SpaceX joined the Nasdaq 100 index, a benchmark tech-heavy basket of companies that underpins millions of portfolios. The inclusion adds built-in demand for the stock from index funds and ETFs.

Still, SpaceX fell more than 5% on Tuesday amid a broader sell-off, and is currently effectively flat from its opening price of $150 a share.

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Nike sinks to lowest level since 2014 after warning of “challenged” sales environment in Q4 report

Did Nike do it?

Investors had a mixed reaction after the global sports apparel company reported its fourth quarter earnings on Tuesday after the bell. Shares initially rose 5% as Nike beat out Wall Street expectations amid a hefty tariff refund bonus. However, the stock then sank to its lowest level since August 2014 in postmarket trading.

Here are the Q4 numbers:

  • Revenue of $11.0 billion (estimate: $10.8 billion).

  • Adjusted earnings per share of $0.20 (estimate: $0.12).

Ahead of this report, Nike warned that results would be flattered by a one-time tariff refund (now estimated at roughly $0.52 per share for the bottom line). That gave the company an extra cushion in snapping its streak of seven quarters of year-over-year profit declines.

Over the past year, the company had been punished by tariffs on imported goods, stagnant consumer spending, and increasing competition from other footwear brands like New Balance, Adidas, and Hoka.

Outgoing CFO Matthew Friend deemed it an “increasingly challenging operating environment, where sell-through remains challenged.”

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Rocket Lab deal lifts space stocks

Shares of Rocket Lab are surging after announcing an $8 billion acquisition of satellite communications operator Iridium Communications, helping lift a broader basket of space-related stocks as investors piled back into the sector.

Planet Labs, AST SpaceMobile and Redwire all traded higher alongside Rocket Lab, extending gains in an industry that has drawn enhanced investor attention in recent months in light of the strategic importance that governments place on space and satellite communications infrastructure.

In a presentation, Rocket Lab’s management called the purchase “a shortcut” for its satellite communications business.

Under the terms of the agreement, Iridium shareholders will receive $27 in cash and Rocket Lab stock, valuing Iridium at $54 per share. Backed by a $3.6 billion bridge loan committed by Deutsche Bank and Wells Fargo, Rocket Lab absorbs Iridium’s globally licensed spectrum and an active base of 2.5 million subscribers.

Rocket Lab has also remained one of the most active launch providers in the sector. The company completed its 12th launch of the year last week, maintaining one of the highest launch cadences among commercial space companies.

Today's rally helps offset a brutal stretch for the group. Rocket Lab shares had fallen over 35% over the prior month, while Planet Labs stock was down more than 40% and AST SpaceMobile stock was down around 30% over the same window.

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