Markets

Stocks stay level as US-China trade talks kick off

Stocks got a small boost as US and Chinese officials met in London to continue trade talks, following temporary tariff cuts from both sides aimed at easing tensions. The S&P 500 eked out a 0.09% gain, well off of session highs, while the Nasdaq 100 added 0.17% and the Russell 2000 climbed 0.57%.

Consumer discretionary, materials, and tech were the top-performing sectors, while utilities and financials lagged. Chip stocks including On Semiconductor and AMD helped fuel the gains, as investors grow hopeful that talks will help loosen semiconductor export restrictions. Meanwhile…

Warner Bros. Discovery shares jumped as much as 10% before closing down 3% after the media giant announced plans to split into two publicly traded companies.

Apple shares ticked 1% lower after the tech giants highly awaited AI software and Apple Intelligence updates missed the mark at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference.

Shares of Robinhood Markets fell 2% after speculation that the brokerage platform would be added to the S&P 500 failed to pan out. (Sherwood News is an editorially independent subsidiary of Robinhood.)

Tesla, which started the day down following two analyst downgrades, managed to end the day up 4.5% after CEO Elon Musk reposted some President Trump-adjacent tweets, signaling a possible cooling to the pair’s public feud.

Shares of IonQ traded up as much as 11%, but gave back much of those gains by the close after the quantum computing company said it would acquire British startup Oxford Ionics.

Metsera jumped nearly 11% after the obesity treatment startup reported encouraging early trial results for its MET-233 drug candidate

Intuitive Surgical sank more than 5% after Deutsche Bank analysts gave stock a rare “sell” rating as competition in the robot surgery space finally starts to heats up.

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WSJ reports GameStop is preparing an offer for eBay and has quietly been building a stake in the company

GameStop is preparing an offer for eBay and has been quietly building a stake in the company, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal, a move it calls “part of CEO Ryan Cohen’s audacious plan to turn the trailer into a $100 billion-plus juggernaut.”

From WSJ:

GameStop, which has a market value of around $12 billion, has been quietly building a stake in eBay’s shares ahead of a potential offer, the people said. EBay is several times GameStop’s size, with a market value of around $46 billion. 

GameStop could submit an offer for eBay as soon as later this month, the people said. 

If eBay isn’t receptive, Cohen could decide to take the offer directly to eBay’s shareholders, one of the people added. Details of the potential offer for eBay couldn’t be learned. 

Shares of GameStop rose 7.4% after hours following the report, while eBay soared 12%. 

GameStop, which has a market value of around $12 billion, has been quietly building a stake in eBay’s shares ahead of a potential offer, the people said. EBay is several times GameStop’s size, with a market value of around $46 billion. 

GameStop could submit an offer for eBay as soon as later this month, the people said. 

If eBay isn’t receptive, Cohen could decide to take the offer directly to eBay’s shareholders, one of the people added. Details of the potential offer for eBay couldn’t be learned. 

Shares of GameStop rose 7.4% after hours following the report, while eBay soared 12%. 

US airlines pop on report Spirit preparing to shut down as government rescue deal fails to gain support

US airlines are spiking on Friday following a Wall Street Journal report that low-budget carrier Spirit Airlines is preparing to shut down. According to CBS News, the airline could cease operations as early as Saturday, barring an intervention.

In late April, President Trump said he would “love somebody to buy Spirit.” The administration weighed a $500 million rescue package, though it received significant blowback from members of Congress and ultimately didn’t receive support from Spirit’s creditors.

On Friday, Trump told reporters that the administration has given Spirit a “final proposal.”

Shares of Spirit’s rivals surged on the report, with budget carriers like Frontier Airlines and JetBlue climbing by double digits. The big four — Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, American Airlines, and Southwest Airlines — rose by low single digits. Alaska Air and Allegiant also saw a bump.

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Estée Lauder gets a glow-up after earnings beat, guidance hike

Estée Lauder shares are soaring after the beauty giant released Q3 earnings results that topped expectations and raised its full-year outlook, while also expanding its restructuring plan.

The key numbers:

  • Revenue of $3.71 billion (compared to analysts’ estimate of $3.69 billion).

  • Adjusted earnings per share of $0.91 (estimate: $0.65).

Estée Lauder also lifted its full-year earnings outlook to a range of $2.35 to $2.45 per share, up from $2.05 to $2.25 previously.

The bottom line is getting flattered by job cuts, with management increasing that target to as many as 10,000 roles, up from a prior range of 5,800 to 7,000, as part of a broader effort to streamline operations and shift toward faster-growing sales channels.

The rally comes after a tough stretch for the stock, which is down more than 20% year to date, with the results inspiring hope that its turnaround efforts will bear fruit.

CEO Stéphane de La Faverie said fiscal 2026 is “promising to be the pivotal year we intended,” with the company expecting to restore organic sales growth and expand margins for the first time in four years.

Amid these positive signals, Estée Lauder flagged risks from tariffs, geopolitical tensions, and potential disruptions tied to the Middle East.

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