Author: PAZAMBA

– President Trump has approved the merger of Nippon Steel with U.S. Steel, creating a partnership expected to create 70,000 jobs and add $14 billion to the economy. The announcement reversed earlier national security concerns under President Biden that had blocked the $14.9 billion acquisition. Following the announcement, shares in U.S. Steel jumped by over 24%.

– Off-price retailer TJX has fallen 3% following disappointing guidance from rival Ross Stores. Despite this, financial expert Jim Cramer sees the dip as a buying opportunity due to TJX’s less direct reliance on Chinese manufacturing, vast vendor network, and strong management. TJX has outperformed the broader market and its retail peers this year.

– Mutual fund capital gains taxes may undergo reform, with lawmakers proposing to defer these taxes until shares are sold. This comes after mutual fund year-end payouts often triggered surprise tax bills for investors. While this could benefit investors currently experiencing hefty taxes, it may also compel some to rethink their investment strategies.

– Meanwhile, Celsius Holdings (CELH), a struggling beverage company, is viewed as experiencing a price rebound and could see its shares rise by $10. Investment website Worth Charting views this as a “bearish-to-bullish” reversal buy.

– Capital One Financial is experiencing a dip, attributed to increasing tariff threats by President Trump against the European Union and Apple. Despite this, its recent acquisition of Discover reinforces confidence in the company, with analysts suggesting significant strategic and financial benefits, including an estimated $2.7 billion worth of expense and network synergies. This view was backed by Jim Cramer of the CNBC Investing Club, who recently increased the weight of Capital One in his portfolio.

In terms of overall market performance, the S&P 500, Dow, and Nasdaq were all down by more than 2% for the week, struggling amid tariff-related tensions and uncertainty over the direction of trade agreements.

Note: The specific numerical values, including the changes in Dow, S&P, and Nasdaq, were not provided in the source text.

In midday trading, Apple saw its shares slide 2.6% after President Trump threatened new tariffs on iPhones made outside the U.S. Ross Stores’ shares also fell 11% after the retailer withdrew its full-year forecasts due to tariff uncertainty. Conversely, Intuit’s stock increased 7.5% following strong quarterly results, with third quarter revenue increasing by 15% to hit $7.8 billion.

Investment firm StepStone Group saw shares rise by over 4% after its fiscal first-quarter results beat expectations. Shares in companies tied to nuclear power, such as Oklo, NuScale, and Cameco, also surged upwards following news that Trump was set to boost nuclear power in the U.S.

However, it wasn’t all good news, as Decker’s Outdoor saw its shares drop 19%, and the human resources software company Workday saw a drop of almost 12%. Booz Allen Hamilton’s shares also dropped by 15% after the consulting firm announced plans to cut 2,500 jobs. Tesla’s stock fell slightly despite analyst Dan Ives from Wedbush Securities raising his price target on Tesla shares.

There’s also major news in the investment sector. Thanks to changes from the Securities and Exchange Commission, the number of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) is due to rise sharply. The change allows traditional mutual fund managers to offer an ETF share class of their existing funds, which could see the current 4,000 ETFs grow to over 7,000 within a month.

Goldman Sachs has identified a handful of stocks that could benefit from President Trump’s new tax bill, including small-cap companies with high capital spending. These include natural gas compression company Kodiak Gas Services, which has seen a 16% decrease in 2025, but has a 30% upside according to Street’s consensus.

Jim Cramer warns after President Trump’s new tariff threat for Apple and European Union suggested a 50% tariff on the EU and a 25% tariff on iPhones not made in the US. The concern around Apple’s production moving to India and potential for a US-made iPhone costing more also shakes up the stock market outlook.

Meanwhile, GE Vernova, a small modular reactor (SMR) maker, saw its stock hit record highs as it struck an SMR deal with the Tennessee Valley Authority, and gained additional support when Trump agreed to allow a New York offshore wind project to move forward. This stock uptick brought positivity to the market amidst the overall sell-offs.

However, as we delve deeper into the political landscape, there are uncertainties abound around tax legislation and potential implications on the performance of various stocks in the market. As such, vigilance remains key in ensuring continued growth and profitability.

Billionaire investor Ray Dalio warned about the risks of the government bond market due to rising U.S. debt and deficits, pushing the national debt past $36 trillion. Despite concerns, House members approved legislation potentially increasing the national debt with lower taxes and extra military spending. Amid fiscal tension, the 30-year Treasury yield traded at levels not observed since 2023, around 5.14%.

The Trump administration acted to prevent Harvard University from enrolling and retaining international students, citing anti-American, pro-terrorist activity at the campus. As a response, Harvard has called the action “unlawful” and has committed to supporting their international students and scholars. A federal judge has issued an injunction against President Donald Trump and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem from terminating the legal status of current international students.

Jim Cramer’s stock market recommendations include watching President Donald Trump’s tax bill, monitoring the performance of Solar stocks due to lack of tax credits, considering downsizing in Walmart, and attention to Marvell’s potential loss of shares to Broadcom. Other observations included Urban Outfitters showing strong results, Citi lowering its price target on Target, and the investing potential in off-price retailer TJX.

OpenAI’s acquisition of Jony Ive’s AI devices startup io for $6.4 billion may be indicative of a new tech trend. Meanwhile, Nike is resuming direct sales of its products to Amazon in the U.S., and raising prices on various goods. Hinge Health’s opening share price was $39.25 in their IPO on the NYSE after selling 8.52 million shares, raising about $273 million.

U.S. mergers and acquisitions could rebound, following a turbulent period due to the Trump administration’s tariff policies, with the total value of U.S. deals jumping to more than $227 billion in March 2024. Investor Josh Brown suggests that the bond market sell-off may help address some of the stock market’s excesses, with a sharp rise in U.S. Treasury yields expected to impact only the most speculative areas.

Shares of Advance Auto Parts saw significant gains, climbing 55% after a better-than-expected Q3 report. Urban Outfitters also gained 22% after a strong Q1 earnings report. The biggest midday losers were solar stocks, including Sunrun, SolarEdge, and Enphase, who suffered following the passing of the House Republican tax bill which imposes harsher regulations on green energy work.

House Republicans have advanced a multi-trillion-dollar tax and spending bill which could extend Donald Trump’s 2017 tax cuts and overhaul student borrowing, health savings accounts, and car ownership. The legislation may allow higher deductions for state and local taxes, expand child tax credits, provide additional deductions for older adults, establish new accounts for children’s savings funded by the federal government, and create a tax deduction for car owners who pay interest on an auto loan – for the years 2025 to 2028.

Snowflake saw shares jump 12% after reporting better-than-expected Q1 2026 results, with revenue reaching $1.04 billion – marking the first time the company has recorded over $1 billion in sales in a quarter. The recent additions of artificial intelligence services into its data analytics platform have reportedly led to an increase in its customer base, which now stands at 11,000.

US stocks fell sharply on Wednesday over concerns about the nation’s status as a safe place to invest. The Dow closed lower by 817 points (1.91%), the S&P 500 slid 1.61%, and the Nasdaq fell 1.41%, marking the worst day in a month for all three major indexes. The weak demand for US Treasuries has raised concerns, especially after Moody’s downgraded the US government debt last Friday. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to its highest level since February. In other news, Bitcoin surged to an all-time record high above $109,400.

Warren Buffett, during the Berkshire Hathaway annual shareholder meeting, argued in favor of investing in stocks over real estate. According to Buffett, the larger opportunity in the United States lies in the security market more than in real estate. This is supported by the stock market’s performance over the past four decades.

The stock market’s recovery from the tariff-induced slump has increased volatility. JP Morgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon warned that the stock market is underestimating the potential for higher inflation and stagflation. Investment advice includes diversifying away from tech, buying undervalued dividend stocks, investing in high-quality bonds, and using gold as a hedge.

TJX Companies, parent company of T.J. Maxx, Marshalls, and HomeGoods, reported a respectable set of Q1 results and managed to hold its full-year guidance unchanged despite tariff issues. The stock dropped more than 3% following the earnings report, representing a buying opportunity for investors according to some analysts.

OpenAI announced that it will be buying AI devices startup io for $6.4 billion in an all-equity deal. The acquisition prompts a deeper foray into hardware for the artificial intelligence company. The startup was founded a year ago by Jony Ive and some Apple alumni.

The S&P 500 halted its six-day winning streak, declining 0.39%, largely driven by the dumping of tech stocks. Following suit, Nasdaq Composite slumped 0.38% while Dow Jones Industrial Average surrendered 114.83 points (0.27%). Elon Musk detailed Tesla’s ambitious road plans during a CNBC interview. President Trump tried, unsuccessfully, to win GOP backing for a key tax bill, facing opposition from Republicans desiring higher deductions on state and local taxes. Google announced several new artificial intelligence products, including Google AI Ultra, a subscription service that offers access to Google’s latest AI developments. In partnership with Google, Warby Parker’s shares leaped over 15% as they prepare to produce a range of smart glasses.

On Wednesday, Wall Street anticipated a somewhat lower opening due to rising bond yields. In the corporate scene, Target’s shares tumbled 5.2% after underwhelming Q1 results and a trimming of its full-year sales forecast. In the cybersecurity sector, Palo Alto Networks’ stock dived 6.8% despite better-than-expected earnings results, due to unexpectedly low gross margins for Q3. UnitedHealth’s shares toppled 5.8% following HSBC’s downgrade of the insurer, despite the health sector typically remaining resilient.

On the brighter side, Canada Goose saw its shares rise 19.6% after a strong fiscal Q4 earnings report. Carter’s shares sagged 12.6% after the announcement of a reduced dividend, while Xpeng’s stock rallied 13% with better-than-expected Q1 loss and robust vehicle delivery forecast.

Bespoke Investment encouraged investors to consider allocating a minor proportion of their capital into stocks that could possibly provide returns of more than 1,000% or “10-baggers”. SoundHound AI and Life Time Group are amongst the firms demonstrating potential for hypergrowth. Larger investments into these firms could substantially boost portfolios.

Bitcoin struck a new all-time high, bolstered by factors such as the de-escalation of the U.S.-China trade war and downgrade of U.S sovereign debt. The cryptocurrency’s price climbed 15% in May, benefitting from abundant liquidity in the stock market. Regulatory reform and corporate treasury investment were anticipated to maintain Bitcoin’s upward momentum.

Today, the stock market showed mixed performance with the Dow Jones Index gaining around 0.32%, while the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq saw modest increments of 0.09% and 0.02% respectively. Among the prominent movers in midday trading, D-Wave Quantum’s shares surged by 26% after the announcement of its new computing system, Advantage2. Similarly, Agilysys, an enterprise software developer, saw its stocks rally by 21% following robust Q4 performance.

Also enjoying gains were sports and equipment maker, Amer sports, biotech firms Moderna and Pfizer, ImmunityBio, AI firm Pony AI, and Hewlett Packard Enterprise. Notable losers in today’s stock landscape include cruise line operator Viking Holdings, building materials producer Eagle Materials, and software company Schrodinger.

Today’s biggest news was Tesla CEO, Elon Musk, revealing plans to launch its robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, by June end. Meanwhile, Alphabet announced a new AI subscription service, Google AI Ultra, that provides exclusive access to its latest AI products.

The financial sphere also saw widespread discussion regarding the JPMorgan CEO’s comments about market complacency in the face of geopolitical and macroeconomic risks. In other relevant news, Home Depot confirmed it will not be increasing prices in response to tariffs, differing from retail giant Walmart’s strategy.

Lastly, Lisa Su, the CEO of Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), was in focus after the company sold off the server manufacturing business of recently acquired ZT Systems to Sanmina for $3 billion. Despite being lower than the anticipated $5 billion sale, it highlights AMD’s competitive stance in the server rack design market.

In today’s market, the S&P 500 declined slightly after experiencing six positive sessions, negatively affected by the U.S. government debt downgrade by Moody’s. In the face of economic uncertainties, Jim Cramer of the CNBC Investing Club advised focusing on companies performing well, such as Home Depot which reiterated its full-year guidance and expressed plans to maintain pricing despite tariffs.

Quantinuum, a quantum computing unit under Honeywell was spotlighted after securing a $1 billion deal with Qatar. Jim Cramer suggested that the unit could provide untapped value beyond Honeywell’s ties to aerospace, energy, and automation.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is considered to be more important than tariffs to the stock market, according to Josh Brown, CEO of Ritholtz Wealth Management. Artificial intelligence was mentioned 2.6 times more frequently than the term “tariff” in the latest round of S&P 500 earnings reports, implying AI’s central role in the market’s performance.

Despite missing its earnings expectations, Home Depot’s shares managed to resist the larger market decline due to its 9.4% YoY rise in revenue to $39.86 billion, outperforming the expected $39.31 billion. The home improvement retailer also plans to maintain product pricing in spite of increased tariffs.

Notable gains have been witnessed by RBC Bearings, an industrial company, with a net sales increase of 10.6% for Q4 and 14.1% for fiscal 2025 in its aerospace and defense branches. Further growth is expected as demand continues to rise in these sectors.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has confirmed that he will continue to lead the electric vehicle manufacturer for the next five years, ensuring a degree of control over the company. Despite a recent slip of 20% in automotive revenue and a 71% decline in Q1 2025 net income, Tesla’s shares remain relatively stable.

Jamie Dimon, CEO of JPMorgan Chase, expressed concern over market complacency, speculative U.S. deficits, tariffs, and international tensions. He projects S&P 500 earnings growth to drop to 0% from an estimated 12% earlier this year. This follows the recent downgrading of the U.S. credit rating by Moody’s due to the ballooning government debt burden.

Despite economic worries and market volatility, stocks showed resilience with Capital One announcing the closing of its $35 billion acquisition of Discover Financial after overcoming a major lawsuit. Shares of Capital One rose 1% to roughly $199 each on this news.

Pertaining to investment banking, JPMorgan anticipates a “mid-teens” percentage decline in the Q2 revenue compared to the year-earlier period, while expecting a “mid-to-high” single-digit percentage increase in trading revenue.

President Donald Trump’s announced tariffs and their potential impact on inflation caused market jitters and a sell-off in high-value companies. However, Nvidia, a leading AI chipmaker, saw its stock rise by 16% last week after launching new AI technology and making deals in the Middle East.

Shares in Apple were down following concerns over the tech giant’s AI efforts and its partnership with Alibaba, signaling possible obstacles amid the US-China trade situation. Other significant share price moves were observed in UnitedHealth, which saw its stock rise by 7%, and Reddit, whose shares dropped by over 4%.

Overall, despite the caution infused in the market due to the credit downgrade and tariff issues, strengths were exhibited by some players, notably Capital One, Nvidia, and UnitedHealth.

Investors are shifting their focus towards European stocks due to Moody’s downgrade of the U.S. government debt, according to CNBC’s Jim Cramer. German and Spanish equity markets have shown significant growth in 2025, while the U.S. S&P 500 has had a turbulent year due to fears about President Trump’s aggressive tariff policies potentially leading to recession. Despite a recovery rally where Trump paused his steep tariffs and U.S.-China tensions cooled, S&P 500 lost 0.3% on Monday.

The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note rose above 4.5% indicating investors are selling U.S. bonds. Moody’s downgrade, from its highest-possible rating to its second-best designation, arises from concerns about the national debt. This could result in higher costs of borrowing for consumers due to higher interest rates. The 30-year U.S. bond yield traded above 5% and the 10-year yield topped 4.5% on Monday.

Top gaining stocks in the aerospace defense industry are Axon Enterprise (AXON) and RTX Corp (RTX). Axon raised its revenue guidance for 2025 due to strong demand for both hardware and software, while RTX focuses on aircraft engines, avionics, missile defense systems, satellites, and cybersecurity solutions.

The main loser in the stock market today is Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, which is acquiring the bankrupt genetic testing company 23andMe for $256 million. This acquisition includes 23andMe’s Personal Genome Service, Total Health and Research Services business lines. This acquisition does not include the company’s telehealth subsidiary, Lemonaid Health.

Ray Dalio, founder of Bridgewater Associates, warns that the risk to U.S. Treasurys is higher than what Moody’s highlighted mainly due to the risk of the government printing money to pay off its debt. The value of the money they’re giving to the bondholders might decrease, resulting in losses in bondholders’ assets.

This week, the US stock market experienced a rise, with both the S&P 500 and Nasdaq reaching a winning streak thanks to an easing in US-China trade tensions. The S&P 500 surged up approximately 0.7%, achieving gains for five consecutive days, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average noted an increase of 0.8%. Nonetheless, it was the Nasdaq Composite that triumphantly led for the week, attaining gains of about 7%.

Some of the standout performers this week were tech stocks, including Nvidia which achieved a rise of around 16%, while Meta Platforms moved up by 8%. Furthermore, Apple saw a 6% increase and Microsoft experienced a 3% rise. Conversely, UnitedHealth’s stock declined nearly 11% following news that the Justice Department may be investigating the insurer.

In forthcoming weeks, Trump’s trade strategies will remain a focus, along with fiscal responses from other countries. The market’s expectation is for easing of tariff measures, giving investors confidence in US trade deals which has reflected positively on stock performance.

Consumer sentiment fell in May as Americans grew more pessimistic about the inflation outlook. Consequently, there is wariness around potential consumer-facing cost increases resulting from tariffs, despite significant market gains following tariff pauses with China.

These gains came as US and Chinese officials agreed on a 90-day truce in their tariff measures, calming investors’ worries of escalating global trade tensions and potential economic risk. However, despite the temporary alleviation of US-China tariffs, investors are cautioned to remain on guard as bear markets often begin with a double-digit decline.

US stock markets posted significant gains over the past week as trade tensions between the US and China seemed to ease. The Dow Jones Industrial Average surged 1,160.72 points, or 2.81%, closing at 42,410.10 while the Nasdaq Composite added 4.35% and settled at 18,708.34. S&P 500 gained 3.26% to finish at 5,844.19. The improvement followed the US and China’s agreement to temporarily cut tariffs, triggering strong buying enthusiasm.

Technology companies reliant on China, such as Tesla and Apple, experienced significant increases due to the initial China agreement. Tesla’s stock jumped nearly 7%, and shares in Apple and Nvidia gained by 6% and 5%, respectively. Other companies heavily dependent on Chinese goods also saw increases, with Best Buy up 6%, Dell Technologies nearly 8%, and Amazon over 8%.

However, US-China trade war optimism began to fade towards the end of the week, and Walmart warned prices would rise as a result of high tariff costs. Shares in Walmart fell less than 1%.

This week, concerns remain regarding a potential inflation rise. Current expectations for inflation over the next 12 months are at 7.3%, up from 6.5% the previous month. This increase could lead to a cycle of behavior worsening inflation.

Despite these concerns, stocks like Home Depot, Target, and Zoom are expected to draw investor attention in the upcoming week.

The US stock market showcased signs of growth, many of them from IPOs, this week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500 were reportedly up 2.6% and 4.5%, while the Nasdaq Composite saw a leap of over 6%. This good performance was attributed partially to improved trade relations between the US and China. The AI sector also significantly influenced these numbers, especially with the success of companies like eToro and CoreWeave.

The Israel-based stock brokerage platform eToro saw its shares jump nearly 29% in its Nasdaq debut after it priced its IPO above the expected range. The artificial intelligence infrastructure provider, CoreWeave, also had a fantastic week with over 60% growth in shares. This led to an above-expected market cap of approximately $38 billion. Moreover, CoreWeave revealed that Nvidia, a major supplier, holds a seven percent stake in the firm, estimated to be about $2 billion worth.

However, companies such as the online lender Klarna and ticket marketplace StubHub had to delay their long-awaited offerings due to turbulence in the market caused by controversial tariff policies rolled out in President Donald Trump’s second White House term.

On the other hand, eight prominent stocks managed to turn green, these include Meta Platforms (up 10%), Goldman Sachs (up 7.6%), Microsoft (up 7.5%), Palo Alto Networks (up 6%), Texas Roadhouse (up 4.6%), Disney (up 0.8%), Nvidia (up 0.4%), and Broadcom (up 0.3%).

On a negative note, shares of UnitedHealth Group plunged by 10% after the Wall Street Journal reported on a DOJ criminal probe into potential Medicare fraud. Finally, Dick’s Sporting Goods announced its plans to acquire Foot Locker in a $2.4 billion deal, while billionaire investor Leon Cooperman revealed his new master limited partnership investment in Sunoco LP.

The stock market had a positive week, with the S&P 500 gaining over 4% and on track for a five-day winning streak, aided by declining interest rates and the 10-year Treasury yield at around 4.4%. Despite the reassurances from Coterra Energy’s CEO, Jim Cramer’s “Mad Money” show didn’t support the oil stock group, citing industry woes. News of delaying AI language model “Behemoth” rollout caused Meta shares to dip. Loop Capital, however, raised Meta’s price target to $888 from $695.

The market managed to recover almost entirely after the initial response to US and China’s earlier tariff announcements. Big Tech companies contributed approximately 60% of the S&P 500’s gains, with Nvidia and Tesla shares climbing over 20% and Meta Platforms and Microsoft rising over 14% this month. Despite this, analysts warned against being overly optimistic, pointing to historical occurrences of double-digit declines following rallies to the S&P 500’s 200-day moving average. Retail giants worried about tariffs’ impacts on consumer prices; Target has already warned of price hikes.

Crypto firm Galaxy Digital started trading on the Nasdaq at $23.50 per share under the ticker GLXY, and its value is said to hinge on crypto and AI’s high-growth areas. Gold prices are believed to have room to move higher, despite the strong recovery in stock markets, with predictions forecasting gold to hit $5,000 next year.

Ned Davis Research caution against going all in on stocks immediately, suggesting investors to wait until they see a fuller picture of tariffs’ effects. The firm’s current strategy suggests maintaining a neutral allocation of 55% stocks, 43% bonds, and 2% in cash. Davis believes that the market’s messages are still mixed, hence the importance of maintaining a neutral stance and being ready for possible adjustments based on new developments.

Coinbase has confirmed an ongoing investigation by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) into whether it overstated its user numbers, which the company claims to be over 100 million. This led to a drop in Coinbase’s stock by 6%. The company has been under pressure due to a hacking incident which is expected to cost Coinbase up to $400 million.

Despite operational issues at Coterra Energy which led to a 9% fall in its stock, overall stocks are rising with the S&P 500 heading towards its fourth consecutive gain and the Nasdaq Composite aiming for its seventh straight positive session. Major companies like Cisco Systems, Walmart and Deere posted better-than-expected earnings which boosted market sentiment.

CoreWeave shares remained flat despite the CEO confirming plans to spend on growth. The company announced plans for a capex of $20 billion to $23 billion for the year, which topped a $4.61 billion estimate for the year from analysts. The stock ended up slightly by 5%.

Major stock indexes like the S&P 500 had a strong week, rising more than 4%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average grew nearly 2%, and the Nasdaq Composite rose over 6%. Individual stock movements were also positive with Nvidia shares turning positive for the year.

D1 Capital, overseen by Dan Sundheim, dumped heavyweight tech and media giants like Meta Platforms and Spotify shares worth over $140 million each in the first quarter. However, it picked up new positions in food and financial stocks such as Charles Schwab and Bank of America, with holdings worth nearly $341 million and roughly $304 million respectively.

It’s worth noting that the Dow, S&P, and Nasdaq numbers were not provided in the article provided.

The stock market was mixed on May 15, with some stocks experiencing significant price fluctuations due to various news impacts. Walmart saw a slight drop in its shares by 1% as the company’s first-quarter revenue fell slightly short of expectations, despite an earnings beat. The retailer expressed concerns about a potential hike in prices due to tariffs.

Shares of UnitedHealth plunged by 15% following Wednesday’s report that the company is being investigated by the Department of Justice for potential Medicare fraud. The company’s shares have lost almost half their value this year following a string of setbacks.

The sporting goods retailer, Dick’s, saw its shares tumble by 14% after it announced plans to acquire rival Foot Locker for $2.4 billion. In contrast, Foot Locker’s shares rallied by 85% on the announcement.

Shares of the financial technology stock Fiserv plummeted 13% as its second-quarter growth fared similarly to the first quarter’s pace. Meanwhile, shares of the network technology company Cisco surged nearly 6% following better-than-expected third-quarter earnings.

CoreWeave, an artificial intelligence infrastructure company, saw a 5% surge in its share prices post its earnings report. Likewise, the retailer Boot Barn’s shares rose almost 17%, despite missing fiscal fourth-quarter estimates.

Reports from CNBC suggest fatigue among retail investors, indicating limited opportunities for upward movement in U.S. equities. The uncertainty from President Donald Trump’s tariff policies has had a significant impact on the start of the year with the S & P 500 tumbling 18.9% between February and early April. Since then, the index has climbed 18.5%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average and Nasdaq Composite have respectively fallen 1.5% and 1.6% this year.

The stock market today saw mixed performance. Nvidia experienced a notable surge, climbing into positive territory for the year. It observed more than 4% growth in today’s session, raising its weekly gain to over 15%, marking a 0.7% increase for the year. This rise comes after an announced deal with Saudi Arabia to sell over 18,000 AI chips, which could potentially offset any hit from shipping constraints on goods going to China. Alongside Nvidia, Meta Platforms and Microsoft are in the green for 2025 with a year-to-date performance of 12.7% and 7.2% respectively.

The S&P 500 showed muted activity, with investors monitoring ongoing trade relations with China and significant trade agreements in the Middle East, particularly concerning artificial intelligence infrastructure. The aerospace and defense sectors noted considerable gains, with companies like Boeing and GE Aerospace sealing notable deals with Qatar Airways. Honeywell’s quantum computing company, Quantinuum, also finalized a joint venture with a Qatari firm, which might support its future plans to go public.

Capital One is facing a lawsuit from the New York Attorney General, accusing the bank of misleading customers about interest rates on savings accounts. However, this lawsuit is not expected to impact the upcoming merger with Discover Financial, scheduled for completion on May 18.

Truist suggests investing in dividend-paying regional bank stocks, despite the advantages of larger banks. The SPDR S&P Regional Banking ETF has seen gains for four consecutive weeks, with a 5% increase this week, albeit it is still down nearly 2% year-to-date.

The 2024 Sohn Investment Conference held in New York presented multiple investment opportunities. Alexandra Engler of Arene Capital pitched chemical company Celanese as top pick primed for gains. Kristov Paulus from Kultura Capital Management recommended Robinhood, banking on its growth catalysts. Connie Lee of Felis Advantage suggested nCino, a fintech company that provides cloud-based software for banks and financial institutions. Joseph Talia from VictoryArc Holdings proposed the Tel-Aviv Stock Exchange as a potentially valuable under-the-radar investment.

The performance of industrial stocks Honeywell and Dover has significantly improved since the recent easing of trade tensions between the U.S. and China. The companies anticipate reduced tariff exposure due to the temporary reduction in duty rates. Honeywell expects the net impact of tariffs to remain zero after offsetting the imposed tariffs with price escalations and supply chain modifications. Meanwhile, Dover maintains a beneficial position due to its large manufacturing footprint in North America and domestic sales. The company also plans to re-shore a product line made in China by the year-end.

Microsoft is reducing 3% of its workforce, leading to 6,000 layoffs across various departments and levels. It is the company’s largest round of layoffs since 2023. The layoffs are not performance-related; rather, they aim to decrease managerial levels at Microsoft.

In the fintech sector, Chime, a digital banking firm has initiated the process to go public on the Nasdaq and has clarified that it is a technology company, not a bank. The company reported $518.7 million in revenue with 8.6 million active members in the first quarter. It plans to go public under the ticker symbol “CHYM”. Meanwhile, shares of brokerage platform eToro saw a 30% increase in their Nasdaq debut. The Israel-based company raised nearly $310 million from its IPO, shooting its market cap up to $5.6 billion.

In stocks, Incyte, KKR, and Chipotle all present strong bottoming patterns, indicating potential for higher growth despite recent under-performance. As per CNBC’s Pro contributors, it is an indication of expected broad participation in the market and possible sustainable rallies.

And finally, GE Vernova, the recent addition to Jim Cramer’s Charitable Trust’s portfolio saw an almost 4% rise since its addition. The shares of the company are expected to be bought on a downward price movement, as per Jim Cramer. The club has also got its eye on Capital One’s deal with Discover, expected to close on May 19.

1. Airbnb unveiled a redesigned app to increase its service offerings beyond home bookings, including catering and personal training. The changes come after the company’s shares dropped due to disappointing revenue guidance from macroeconomic uncertainties and travel softness amid the pandemic.

2. Nvidia’s agreement to sell around 18,000 AI chips to Saudi Arabian AI startup Humain has significantly impacted the chip giant’s stock, with shares jumping over 6%. This deal is a continuation of Nvidia’s efforts to broaden its customer base beyond American tech companies like Microsoft, Amazon, Meta Platforms, and Alphabet. The AI chips will be used in Humain’s future data centers, contributing to Saudi Arabia’s aggressive push towards economic diversification from oil.

3. Major market shifts include Nvidia and Boeing witnessing a jump in shares, with Nvidia benefitting from its deal with Saudi Arabia’s Humain and Boeing seeing benefits from reported lifted ban on Boeing in China. However, UnitedHealth Group’s stock tumbled by 16% due to the announcement of CEO Andrew Witty’s resignation and withdrawal of its 2025 guidance. Caterpillar also experienced a share boost after an upgrade by Baird.

4. Coinbase’s shares surged by 22% following the announcement that it will replace Discover Financial Services in the S&P 500 index prior to trading on May 19. Other significant market movers include First Solar, due to an upgrade by Wolfe Research, Hertz Global Holdings with a 15% slump after underwhelming Q1 results, and Caterpillar with a share boost from Baird’s upgrade.

5. Following a temporary agreement to reduce tariffs between the US and China, the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed up 1,160.72 points or 2.81%, the S&P 500 progressed by 3.26%, and the Nasdaq Composite rose by 4.35%. However, the exact impact of President Trump’s new executive order aiming to lower prescription drug prices is still uncertain. In other trade news, the US collected a record $16.3 billion in customs duties in April due to Trump’s tariffs. Lastly, UnitedHealth’s CEO, Andrew Witty, is stepping down for personal reasons, leading to a 16% drop in the company’s stock.

In a significant financial fraud case, Peter Coker Jr. has been sentenced to 40 months in prison for his role in artificially inflating the stock share prices of deli owner Hometown International and E-Waste. The scheme led to a market capitalization of $100 million for Hometown International despite it owning only a small money-losing deli in South Jersey. Meanwhile, E-Waste had an even larger market cap, despite having no business operations.

In the stock market, Coinbase shares soared over 22% representing its sharpest rally since President Trump’s election victory due to the crypto exchange’s inclusion in the S&P 500. Inclusion often results in an increase in value as funds aligned with S&P 500 will add the company to their portfolios.

In contrast, Hertz Global saw its shares plummet by over 20% following disappointing first-quarter results and a $250 million stock offering. During the earnings call, the embattled rental car company also announced a strategy to offer fewer cars for rent due to lower bookings and impacts from Trump’s auto tariffs.

In broader market news, Nvidia’s shares rose by more than 5.5% after securing a deal to supply AI chips for Saudi data centers. This news followed an announcement by President Trump that Saudi Arabia will invest $600 billion in the U.S., including $14 billion in products from GE Vernova and $5 billion from Boeing.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has announced his intention to block Department of Justice political nominations in protest of President Trump’s plans to accept a $400 million luxury jet from Qatar.