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Luke Kawa1/6/26

Strategy jumps as MSCI allows digital asset treasury companies to stay in global indexes

In a massive reprieve for Strategy, index provider MSCI is letting digital asset companies stay in its benchmarks, sending shares sharply higher in after-hours trading.

The index provider had floated a proposal in which firms where crypto holdings are more than 50% of assets would be excluded from its global indexes, but has decided not to proceed with this for now.

“MSCI has determined at this time not to implement the proposal to exclude digital asset treasury companies (‘DATCOs’) from the MSCI Global Investable Market Indexes (‘MSCI Indexes’) as part of the February 2026 Index Review,” it announced in a statement.

Getting kicked out of key indexes would have caused funds to flow out of Strategy, the largest digital asset treasury company, and its peers.

“At this time,” of course, means the door is open to reconsidering this down the road, as MSCI plans on having a broader review and consultation on the treatment of DAT companies.

“Distinguishing between investment companies and other companies that hold non-operating assets, such as digital assets, as part of their core operations rather than for investment purposes requires further research and consultation with market participants,” according to MSCI.

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Stocks continue winning streak on ceasefire optimism

Reports of an agreement between Israel and Lebanon to begin negotiations raised optimism for a sustained ceasefire.

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Software stocks fall as ebbing geopolitical risks prompt renewed focus on long-term disruption

In fact, it’s never been more likely that if semis are outperforming the S&P 500, software is lagging.

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Matt Phillips6h

Sandisk jumps as Bernstein raises price target to a Wall Street high of $1,250

Sandisk spiked Thursday as Bernstein boosted its earnings estimates for the company, with analysts raising their price target to $1,250 from $1,000, the most optimistic view of the 23 analysts polled by Bloomberg.

The gains come amid a fairly subdued day for broad indexes and other AI memory plays like Micron, Seagate Technology Holdings, and Western Digital.

Bernstein’s more bullish view comes after a surge in prices of NAND flash memory based on AI demand. (NAND flash is used for long-term data storage and is also a key input to consumer products like phones and other devices.)

“Memory prices continue to surprise to the upside with NAND showing the strongest increases and continued acceleration,” Bernstein wrote.

The analysts — led by Mark C. Newman — raised their base case for next fiscal year’s adjusted earnings per share by 58% to $144, from $91. (That new forecast now blows away the Wall Street consensus estimate of $94.07, per FactSet.) The new price target implies a gain of roughly 50% from where the stock is currently.

Bernstein analysts even threw out a “blue-sky scenario” price target of $3,000 for Sandisk, should an even more bullish scene play out for both earnings and market valuations.

Up nearly 250% this year, Sandisk has been the best-performing stock in the S&P 500. It reports earnings on April 30 after the close.

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Infleqtion soars after announcing it’s providing upgraded quantum hardware to the International Space Station

Quantum technology firm Infleqtion is booming in early trading after announcing that it would be providing upgraded quantum hardware to the International Space Station as part of a cargo mission slated to launch as early as Friday.

The equipment “is designed to support the stable and simultaneous production of dual-species quantum degenerate gases using rubidium and potassium atoms, one of the long-standing scientific objectives of the mission,” per the press release, and will expand the Cold Atom Laboratory’s ability “to investigate ultracold matter and demonstrate advanced quantum sensing in space, under real operating conditions.”

After the close on Wednesday, the company said it was targeting sales of $40 million this year, which if achieved would have revenue growth accelerating to 23% from 12% in 2025.

“Space remains a particularly important market for us in a major area of growth,” CEO Matt Kinsella said during a conference call on Wednesday, highlighting that the company has partnered with NASA for over a decade.

Read more: Infleqtion CEO Matt Kinsella on how the newly public quantum computing company is “following in the footsteps of Nvidia”

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Matt Phillips8h

Intel announces custom chip collaboration with Google Cloud for AI

Intel shares rose early Thursday after it announced a new multiyear collaboration with Alphabet’s Google Cloud division on AI infrastructure.

The deal includes co-development of custom chips for Google’s needs, a program that Intel says is “reinforcing the critical role of CPUs and custom infrastructure processing units (IPUs) in scaling modern, heterogeneous AI systems.”

Shares popped into positive territory on the premarket announcement.

Intel, Google Deepen Collaboration to Advance AI Infrastructure

Intel, Google Deepen Collaboration to Advance AI Infrastructure

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