Trending Market News

Google announced its I/O developer conference will be held May 19-20 at its Mountain View headquarters, where the company is expected to unveil updates to its AI models and potentially reveal its smart glasses. Google previously announced it would launch its first AI-powered smart glasses in 2026, entering a market where Meta's Ray-Ban smart glasses have seen strong success with over 7 million units sold in 2025.

• The conference will take place at Google's Mountain View, California headquarters and will be available to stream online
• Google is expected to launch its first smart glasses in 2026, following its 2025 announcement of a smart glasses partnership with Warby Parker
• Meta's Ray-Ban AI glasses have driven market momentum with sales more than tripling in 2025, exceeding 7 million units sold

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission finalized a consent order on Tuesday approving Boeing's acquisition of Spirit AeroSystems. The regulatory approval clears a major hurdle for the aerospace manufacturer to complete its purchase of the key supplier.

• The FTC's consent order indicates the deal received antitrust clearance with certain conditions or requirements
• Spirit AeroSystems is a major supplier to Boeing, making this a significant vertical integration move in the aerospace industry
• The approval finalizes regulatory review, allowing Boeing to proceed with consolidating its supply chain operations

Australia's CSL has signed an exclusive licensing agreement with Eli Lilly to develop and commercialize clazakizumab, an antibody treatment designed to prevent heart-related illness and death in patients with end-stage kidney disease. The deal grants CSL specific rights to advance this therapeutic candidate targeting a vulnerable patient population with significant cardiovascular risk.

• Clazakizumab is an antibody therapy specifically aimed at reducing cardiovascular complications in end-stage kidney disease patients
• The exclusive licensing agreement gives CSL development and commercialization rights for the drug from Eli Lilly
• The deal addresses a critical unmet medical need, as end-stage kidney disease patients face elevated risk of heart-related mortality

Nvidia signed a multiyear deal with Meta Platforms to supply millions of AI chips and central processing units, with an analyst estimating the contract could be worth $50 billion. The agreement includes current Blackwell chips, forthcoming Rubin AI chips, and Grace and Vera processors that compete directly with Intel and AMD products. This deal signals Nvidia's expansion beyond AI accelerators into general-purpose data center processors.

• The deal includes Nvidia's Blackwell and Rubin AI chips plus Grace and Vera CPUs based on Arm technology, marking Nvidia's push into markets traditionally dominated by Intel and AMD
• Analysts estimate the multiyear contract could be worth approximately $50 billion, with Meta believed to be among Nvidia's four largest customers
• Nvidia's Grace processors reportedly use half the power for common tasks like running databases, with the next-generation Vera showing 'very promising' results in Meta's testing

Exxon Mobil's upstream chief Dan Ammann announced the company's commitment to accelerate natural gas development in Guyana, responding to government pressure for increased gas output. The U.S. energy major stated it is ready to match the pace of partners and awaits completion of power plants and government approvals to advance projects including petrochemical facilities.

• Exxon unveiled an early-stage gas plan last year but has made little progress, with projects intended to supply petrochemical plants and data centers
• The company has already constructed a pipeline ready to deliver gas to Guyana, but is waiting for power plants scheduled for completion this year
• Ammann emphasized that gas project advancement depends on government permitting approvals and market frameworks, with Exxon prepared to invest 'in lockstep' once these are in place

Amazon has lost $450 billion in market value during a historic nine-day losing streak, its worst since 2006. The sell-off was triggered by the company's announcement that it plans to spend $200 billion on AI initiatives this year, nearly 60% more than last year and $50 billion above Wall Street estimates. Investors are concerned about whether massive AI investments across the tech sector will generate adequate returns.

• Amazon's planned $200 billion capital expenditure for AI infrastructure (data centers, chips, networking equipment) is nearly 60% higher than last year and exceeds analyst expectations by over $50 billion
• The nine-day losing streak marks Amazon's worst performance since 2006, with the stock potentially tying its longest losing streak on record (10 days) set in 1997
• Wedbush analysts say Amazon is now in 'prove it mode' and will need to demonstrate tangible returns on AI spending before investor confidence returns, with the increased spending remaining an 'overhang' on the stock

SoftBank Group disclosed it completely exited its stake in Nvidia during Q4 2025, according to its 13-F SEC filing. The news caused Nvidia's stock to drop as much as 1.6%, trading at $179.88. The filing compares holdings as of December 31, 2025 versus September 30, 2025, though it does not reflect any position changes made in Q1.

• SoftBank fully dissolved its Nvidia position between September 30 and December 31, 2025, as revealed in mandatory quarterly 13-F filing
• Nvidia shares fell 1.6% following the disclosure, trading at $179.88 on Tuesday morning
• The filing has a 45-day lag and does not capture any trades or position changes that may have occurred in the current quarter

Germany's IG Metall union filed a criminal complaint against Tesla's Berlin factory manager Andre Thierig, accusing him of spreading false allegations and defamation. The dispute stems from Tesla's criminal complaint last week against a union member for allegedly secretly recording a works council meeting. The escalating legal conflict highlights deteriorating relations between the union and the U.S. automaker over workers' participation rights.

• IG Metall is seeking a temporary injunction to prohibit Thierig from making further allegations and is preparing a lawsuit against Tesla for obstruction of union activities
• The conflict originates from Tesla's criminal complaint against an IG Metall member for allegedly recording a works council meeting at the Berlin-area plant
• Union representative Jan Otto stated that legal action is not their preferred method but necessary when a company 'fights workers' participation and union work so aggressively'

Ford is investing $5 billion in next-generation electric vehicles featuring 48-volt electrical architecture, a technology Tesla pioneered with the Cybertruck. The new system will debut in a $30,000 small electric pickup truck in 2027 and aims to reduce EV costs to levels comparable with gas-powered vehicles. Ford expects this technology to help it compete against Tesla and Chinese automakers in global markets.

• The 48-volt system reduces wiring by over 4,000 feet and 22 pounds compared to Ford's first-gen electric SUV, improving efficiency and allowing additional electrical bandwidth
• Ford's new EV platform will reduce parts by 20%, use 25% fewer fasteners, require 40% fewer workstations, and enable 15% faster assembly time
• The automaker is also adopting Tesla-pioneered gigacasting technology, replacing 146 structural components in current models with just two large cast parts in the new pickup

Bayer is planning a $10.5 billion settlement to resolve current and future cancer lawsuits related to its Roundup weedkiller, according to Bloomberg. The settlement includes $7.5 billion for a class-action case covering claims over a 20-year period and $3 billion for existing U.S. cases. This comes after Bayer already paid $10 billion to settle most Roundup lawsuits pending as of 2020, but new cases have continued to emerge.

• $7.5 billion proposed class-action settlement through Missouri state court aims to cover both filed cases and potential claims over a 20-year period
• $3 billion designated for existing U.S. cases where plaintiffs claim Roundup caused non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and other cancers
• New lawsuits have continued since 2020 despite Bayer's previous $10 billion settlement, as the company failed to secure a deal covering future cases

Several European nations are independently cracking down on social media companies over child safety concerns, particularly AI-generated sexual content and adolescent addiction, despite risks of diplomatic tensions with the U.S. These national actions reflect frustration with the pace of EU enforcement under the Digital Services Act, though individual countries face similar legal and diplomatic challenges as Brussels.

• Spain, Britain, and Ireland have launched investigations into Meta, X, and TikTok over AI-generated child sexual abuse imagery and data privacy violations
• Six European countries (France, Spain, Greece, Denmark, Slovenia, Czech Republic) are pursuing social media bans for adolescents, with Germany and Britain considering similar moves
• U.S. President Trump has threatened tariffs and sanctions against European tech regulation, while the EU's Digital Services Act allows fines up to 6% of global revenue for non-compliance

Raspberry Pi's stock surged 42% in a two-day rally after CEO Eben Upton purchased approximately 13,224 pounds worth of shares in the company. The jump followed months of decline and was fueled by social media speculation that demand for its low-cost single-board computers could increase for running AI agents like OpenClaw.

• The stock had previously fallen below its 280-pence IPO price earlier in February, but the rally brought gains to the roughly $800 million company
• Social media users claimed buyers are hoarding Raspberry Pi devices as cheaper alternatives to '$500-plus Apple products' for AI projects
• In January, the company projected 2025 core earnings ahead of expectations but warned of uncertainty in 2026 due to memory supply and pricing volatility

Iran partially closed the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, citing security precautions during Revolutionary Guards military drills, as the U.S. and Iran hold nuclear talks in Geneva. The strait is a critical oil chokepoint through which about 13 million barrels per day of crude oil transit, representing roughly 31% of global seaborne crude flows.

• The temporary closure marks the first time Iran has shut parts of the strait since U.S. President Donald Trump threatened military action in January
• About 13 million barrels per day of crude oil transited the Strait of Hormuz in 2025, accounting for 31% of global seaborne crude flows according to Kpler data
• Oil prices rose slightly on the news, with Brent crude up 0.1% to $68.71 per barrel and U.S. WTI futures up 1.4% to $63.82

Ocular Therapeutix announced that its experimental eye drug Axpaxli outperformed Regeneron's approved treatment Eylea in a late-stage trial for wet age-related macular degeneration, marking the first time an investigational drug has shown superior results to an approved treatment in an FDA-standard trial. The disease affects about 1.7 million Americans and is a leading cause of blindness among the elderly.

• 74% of patients receiving Axpaxli maintained vision at 36 weeks versus 56% with Eylea; after one year, nearly 66% of Axpaxli patients maintained vision compared to less than half on Eylea
• The trial enrolled 344 newly diagnosed wet AMD patients and demonstrated better fluid control in the eye, with many Axpaxli patients not requiring additional rescue injections for almost a year
• Ocular Therapeutix plans to discuss the data with the FDA and submit a marketing application based on these results

Medtronic exceeded Wall Street's third-quarter profit expectations, driven by strong demand for heart devices and diabetes monitors. The company reported revenue of $9.02 billion versus estimates of $8.91 billion, with adjusted earnings of $1.36 per share. Growth was fueled by surging demand for medical procedures as patients increasingly utilize healthcare services.

• Cardiovascular segment sales jumped 13.8% to $3.46 billion, representing nearly 40% of total sales, led by pulsed field ablation systems and transcatheter aortic valve replacement devices
• The company benefited from broader medtech industry trends including higher medical loss ratios among insurers, indicating increased patient procedure utilization and wider physician adoption of new technologies
• Medtronic competes with Abbott and Dexcom in the expanding continuous glucose monitoring market, where finger prick-free technologies are seeing rapid patient adoption

Compass Pathways announced on Tuesday that its psilocybin-based therapy for depression successfully met the primary endpoint in a late-stage clinical trial. This marks a significant milestone for the drug developer in bringing psychedelic-based mental health treatments closer to potential regulatory approval and commercialization.

• The therapy is based on psilocybin, a psychedelic compound, representing an emerging class of depression treatments
• The successful late-stage study outcome positions Compass Pathways closer to potential FDA approval and market entry
• This development contributes to growing evidence supporting psychedelic compounds as viable options for treating mental health conditions

Guyana's oil sector expansion prospects have improved following the U.S. removal of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, which has eased territorial tensions between the two nations. The development could enable Exxon Mobil and its partners to resume exploration in disputed areas of the prolific Stabroek Block that were previously halted. Industry leaders are gathering at Guyana's Energy Conference to discuss investment opportunities as the country maintains its position as one of the world's fastest-growing economies.

• Exxon-led consortium had halted exploration in about 30% of the Stabroek Block due to Venezuela border dispute; political détente may lift the force majeure on these disputed waters
• Guyana's oil production capacity reached over 900,000 barrels per day in 2025, with plans to increase to 1.15 million bpd through new projects this year
• Chevron believes recoverable resources in Guyana could exceed the current estimate of 11 billion barrels of oil equivalent, signaling strong interest in additional exploration

U.S. Treasury yields declined on Tuesday as investors awaited delayed economic data releases during a holiday-shortened week following Presidents' Day. The 10-year yield dropped over 3 basis points to 4.02%, while the 30-year yield fell to 4.66%, as markets prepared for key reports including December's PCE inflation data.

• The 10-year Treasury yield fell 3 basis points to 4.02%, and the 30-year bond yield dropped 3 basis points to 4.66%
• Investors are expecting critical delayed economic data including November and December housing data and December's PCE index (the Fed's preferred inflation gauge) on Friday
• Markets are pricing in a 90% probability that the Federal Reserve will keep interest rates unchanged in the 3.50%-3.75% range at the next meeting

US healthcare manufacturer Danaher is reportedly nearing a deal to acquire medical technology company Masimo for approximately $10 billion, according to the Financial Times. The acquisition, which has not been independently verified by Reuters, would represent a major consolidation in the medical technology sector.

• The deal is valued at nearly $10 billion, making it a significant healthcare sector acquisition
• Danaher is a US-based healthcare manufacturer looking to expand its medical technology portfolio
• The report comes from unnamed sources and has not been officially confirmed by either company

Goldman Sachs is preparing to remove race, gender identity, sexual orientation, and other diversity-related factors from its board candidate assessment criteria, according to The Wall Street Journal. The move follows pressure from the Trump administration's campaign against DEI practices and a request from a conservative activist group. This decision aligns Goldman with other major financial institutions like Morgan Stanley and Citi that have recently softened their diversity commitments.

• Goldman's board governance committee will remove references to demographic factors including race, gender identity, ethnicity, and sexual orientation while retaining broader diversity criteria like viewpoints and professional experience
• The bank previously eliminated its 'diversity and inclusion' section from annual filings and ended its 2020 policy requiring companies to have at least two diverse board members before receiving IPO advisory services
• The change follows pressure from President Trump's administration and a request from the National Legal and Policy Center, a conservative activist nonprofit organization