Market Pulse | Top Stories of the Week
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Hello Reader, Here are our Top Stories of the Week for a snapshot of the most impactful news—from market developments to financial advancements. Let's get into it. Airbnb Signals Summer Uncertainty as U.S. Travelers Wait and SeePublished on May 2, 2025 Airbnb’s (ABNB) first-quarter earnings came in ahead of expectations, but markets responded with skepticism.Shares fell nearly 2% on Thursday after the company cautioned about weakening demand, especially in the U.S., where economic uncertainty is changing how people travel. The stock rebounded on Friday, rising 1.7% at the time of writing.The short-term rental giant reported Q1 revenue of $2.27
Instacart Surges on Solid Q1 Recovery and Upbeat Q2 OutlookPublished on May 2, 2025 Shares of Instacart (CART) soared nearly 14% on Friday after the company posted a stronger-than-expected first-quarter performance and issued upbeat guidance for the second quarter. The strong report signals renewed momentum in its core grocery delivery business. The results, while narrowly missing EPS estimates, showed accelerated order growth, robust advertising revenues, and expanding
Amazon Posts Solid Q1, But Uncertain Tariff Outlook Rattles InvestorsPublished on May 2, 2025 Amazon (AMZN) delivered a solid financial performance for the first quarter of 2025, posting its fourth consecutive earnings beat with EPS of $4.59—far surpassing consensus expectations of $1.37.Revenue came in at $155.7 billion, up 8.6% year-over-year, matching Street expectations despite currency headwinds. But while the numbers looked strong at first glance, investors quickly turned cautious.
Apple Takes a Hit as Tariffs and Tepid Growth Rattle InvestorsPublished on May 2, 2025 Shares of Apple Inc. (AAPL) plunged nearly 4% on Friday early trading, dragged down by mounting concerns over tariff-related costs, weak growth projections, and sluggish sales in China.The stock closed at $205.21, shedding more than $130 billion in market capitalization in a single day and marking a 19% decline year-to-date. The selloff followed two notable analyst downgrades and a cautious
Meta’s Earnings Soar on AI-Driven Ad Growth, But Investors Eye Capex RisksPublished on May 1, 2025 Meta Platforms (META) surged past Wall Street expectations in its first-quarter earnings report.The company delivered a powerful message about the enduring strength of its advertising machine and the growing return on its artificial intelligence (AI) investments. The tech giant posted earnings per share of $6.43, crushing the consensus estimate of $5.23 and marking a 37% year-over-year increase.
Microsoft Surges as Azure and AI Drive Record Q3 EarningsPublished on May 1, 2025 Microsoft (MSFT) delivered a decisive beat in its fiscal third-quarter earnings, propelling the tech giant’s shares up more than 8% in Thursday trading.Revenue climbed 13% year over year to a record $70.07 billion, outpacing analysts' expectations and cementing Microsoft’s leadership in cloud infrastructure and enterprise software.Earnings per share came in at $3.46, handily beating Wall Street’s
Qualcomm Delivers Strong Q2, but Soft Outlook and Tariff Risks Weigh on SharesPublished on May 1, 2025 Qualcomm (QCOM) reported stronger-than-expected second-quarter earnings and revenue, driven by surging demand for AI-enabled chipsets across its core segments—handsets, automotive, and IoT. Despite the solid results, shares tumbled more than 8% on Thursday as investors focused on the company’s cautious guidance for the current quarter, which pointed to a potential slowdown exacerbated by U.S
Tesla’s Identity Crisis: Leadership Uncertainty, Political Turmoil, and a Tumbling Stock PricePublished on May 1, 2025 Tesla Inc. (TSLA) is facing its most significant leadership reckoning yet.According to a report from The Wall Street Journal, members of Tesla's board initiated quiet conversations with executive search firms nearly a month ago to explore potential successors to CEO Elon Musk. This move, undisclosed until now, was reportedly triggered by Musk’s deepening entanglement with the Trump administration
Coca-Cola Outperforms in Q1: Earnings Strength, Strategic Agility, and Buffett’s Enduring BetPublished on April 30, 2025 Coca-Cola (KO) delivered a stronger-than-expected first-quarter performance, outperforming both peers and the broader market amid an otherwise underwhelming earnings season. Despite macroeconomic headwinds—including aluminum tariffs, consumer spending slowdowns in developed markets, and foreign exchange pressures—the beverage giant exceeded Wall Street expectations on both revenue and
U.S. Economy Contracts for First Time in Three Years — What It Means for Businesses and FamiliesPublished on April 30, 2025 The U.S. economy shrank at the start of 2025, marking the first contraction in three years and raising new concerns about growth, prices, and policy.According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, gross domestic product declined at an annualized rate of 0.3% in the first quarter — a sharper drop than the 0.2% slide forecast by economists. That’s a significant reversal from the 2.4% growth logged in
AI Server Maker Super Micro Nosedives on Revenue Miss, Qorvo Rallies on BeatPublished on April 30, 2025 Shares of Super Micro Computer (SMCI) plummeted over 15% on Wednesday. The AI-focused server maker sharply cut its third-quarter guidance, delivering a blow to investor confidence already shaken by past controversies. SMCI now expects revenue between $4.5 billion and $4.6 billion, well below its previous forecast of up to $6 billion and far short of Wall Street’s $5.35 billion consensus.
Caterpillar Falters Despite Record Backlog: Gates-Backed Giant Faces HeadwindsPublished on April 30, 2025 Caterpillar Inc. (CAT), a longtime staple of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust’s investment portfolio, is feeling the weight of a slowing global economy.The construction and heavy machinery behemoth reported a steeper-than-expected 10% revenue drop in the first quarter of 2025, falling short of Wall Street estimates with $14.25 billion in sales. Earnings per share also slipped 24%
Starbucks Stock Tumbles as CEO’s Turnaround Plan Faces Harsh RealityPublished on April 30, 2025 Shares of Starbucks (SBUX) plunged more than 9% Wednesday morning, continuing a troubling trend for the coffee chain as its latest earnings report fell short of Wall Street expectations.The drop marks a 7.55% single-day loss, pushing the stock down nearly 4% over the past year — a sharp contrast to the S&P 500's 8.7% gain.The earnings report for Starbucks’ fiscal second quarter paints a
Pfizer Earnings Beat Offers Flicker of Hope as Stock Trades Near Decade LowsPublished on April 29, 2025 Pfizer Inc. (PFE) posted stronger-than-expected earnings on Tuesday, but it wasn’t enough to dispel the cloud hanging over the once-heroic drugmaker. Long lauded for its central role in the global Covid-19 response, the pharmaceutical giant now finds itself under intense investor scrutiny. While shares climbed nearly 4% to close at $24 following the report, they remain down roughly 13% in
SoFi Surges After Earnings Beat, Raises 2025 Outlook Amid Rapid GrowthPublished on April 29, 2025 SoFi Technologies (SOFI) surged over 8% on Tuesday during early trading after the fintech firm delivered stronger-than-expected first-quarter results and raised its full-year guidance.The earnings beat—combined with a sharp uptick in new members and record fee-based revenue—helped reverse part of the stock’s recent volatility and reinforced investor confidence in the company's long-term strategy.
GM Beats Earnings Expectations but Withholds Outlook Amid Tariff TurmoilPublished on April 29, 2025 General Motors (GM) reported better-than-expected earnings for the first quarter, but the automaker's decision to delay its earnings call and reassess full-year guidance sent shares lower on Tuesday.GM posted adjusted earnings of $2.78 per share on revenue of $44.02 billion, topping Wall Street forecasts of $2.70 EPS and $42.85 billion in revenue. Despite the beat, the stock fell more than 2% as
Bitcoin ETFs See Record Inflows Amid Market VolatilityPublished on April 28, 2025 Cryptocurrency markets rebounded sharply last week, fueled by a wave of institutional investment into Bitcoin-related exchange-traded funds (ETFs).Funds tracking Bitcoin and Ether attracted over $3.2 billion in inflows, Bloomberg data show. The iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) led the charge, securing nearly $1.5 billion — its largest weekly intake this year. Other Bitcoin-focused ETFs, including ARK
Domino’s Pizza Leans on Global Strength as U.S. Consumer Weakness PersistsPublished on April 28, 2025 Domino’s Pizza (DPZ) reported first-quarter earnings that outpaced expectations, signaling resilience in an otherwise challenging environment for U.S. restaurants.The pizza giant posted earnings of $4.33 per share, a 21% increase from a year ago, beating analysts' average forecast of $4.06. Total revenue for the quarter came in at $1.11 billion, up 2.5% year-over-year but slightly below Wall
IBM Bets Big on American Innovation with $150 Billion U.S. InvestmentPublished on April 28, 2025 International Business Machines Corp. (IBM) announced plans Monday to invest $150 billion in the United States over the next five years, a sweeping move aimed at reinforcing its leadership in advanced computing.The announcement places IBM among a growing list of major corporations boosting American operations following President Donald Trump's return to office and his administration's renewed
Tesla’s Critical Crossroads: Can Innovation Revive Its Stalling Growth?Published on April 28, 2025 The earnings season has arrived with heavy expectations for Big Tech, as Tesla (TSLA), Apple (AAPL), Microsoft (MSFT), Meta (META), and Amazon (AMZN) prepare to report in a market fraught with fears of trade wars and economic slowdown.Despite widespread uncertainty, analysts remain firm in their forecasts, expecting the so-called "Magnificent Seven" — which includes Tesla — to
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