Markets

US stocks slump as oil jumps on renewed Middle East tensions

There’s risk-on/risk-off trading, and then there’s war on/war off trading.

US stocks stumbled on Tuesday after Monday’s more constructive tone on the conflict in the Middle East evaporated by the night, with US President Donald Trump telling Americans to evacuate Tehran last night and calling for Iran’s “UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER” today. Oil prices headed higher while the S&P 500 ended down 0.8% and the Nasdaq 100 and Russell 2000 gave back 1%. Consumer discretionary and healthcare stocks fared the worst, with the latter seeing weakness linked to reports the Trump administration is looking to curb pharma ads.

Every S&P 500 sector ETF finished in the red outside of energy, thanks to the aforementioned rally in crude prices.

Gains were led by Apple circuit board maker Jabil, whose stock jumped almost 9%, hitting a fresh all-time high after topping Q3 results. Declines were led by solar stocks Enphase Energy and First Solar, which both dropped about 24% and 18%, respectively, after the Senate proposed to end clean energy tax credits by 2028. Hydrogen fuel cell company Plug Power fell roughly 17% for similar reasons. Elsewhere…

Shares of JetBlue were trading down almost 8% after CEO Joanna Geraghty informed staff that the carrier would be implementing further cost cuts.

Reddit surged 6%. The company unveiled some new AI advertising tools yesterday, but the stock jumped on the opening of trading this morning amid a surge of options trading.

Verve Therapeutics rose more than 80% after pharma giant Eli Lilly announced that it would buy the gene-editing biotech company.

T-Mobile shares fell over 4% after SoftBank offloaded 21.5 million shares of the telecom company to help fund its growing wave of AI investments

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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.

markets
Jake Lahut

Comcast shares rise on news of NBCUniversal spinoff deal

Comcast rose on the news that the telecom behemoth is spinning off NBCUniversal and Sky from its cable portfolio. 

Comcast initially jumped up to 17% in early trading, with the deal leaving management to focus on its core verticals of cable, wireless, and business services. 

NBCUniversal and Sky will form a new publicly traded company, similar to Versant Media, the holding company of CNBC and MS NOW that Comcast officially spun off in January. Bravo, one of the most lucrative properties that remained at Comcast, will remain part of NBCUniversal in the deal. The Universal theme parks and studios will also come with the new spinoff entity, along with Telemundo and Peacock.

Mike Cavanagh, the co-CEO of Comcast, will become the CEO for NBCUniversal, according to CNBC. 

The spinoff will be completed in about a year, according to a Comcast company statement. Its shareholders will also own shares in NBCUniversal, according to the same statement.

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