Vera Tikhonova Ford Motor ( F ) pushed higher again Friday as investors looked favorably on the automaker's first large-scale battery storage framework agreement. The automaker said the deal positions Ford Energy as a key BESS supplier for EDF Power Solutions’ growing portfolio of grid-scale energy storage projects across the U.S. Deliveries under the agreement are expected to begin in 2028. Ford ...
Vera Tikhonova Ford Motor ( F ) pushed higher again Friday as investors looked favorably on the automaker's first large-scale battery storage framework agreement. The automaker said the deal positions Ford Energy as a key BESS supplier for EDF Power Solutions’ growing portfolio of grid-scale energy storage projects across the U.S. Deliveries under the agreement are expected to begin in 2028. Ford ( F ) said the agreement underscores the scale of demand emerging for domestically supplied, utility-grade energy storage and reflects both companies’ commitment to accelerating the deployment of reliable, long-duration storage infrastructure that strengthens the U.S. power grid. Morgan Stanley analyst Andrew Percoco thinks the agreement could just be the first of several large customer announcements this year. The firm thinks the auto stock could trend towards its $21 bull case as the market begins placing a higher multiple on the energy business. "Specifically, we estimate that Ford's energy business could generate ~$0.10 of EPS once ramped to 20 GWh of capacity," updated Percoco. On a broader scale, Ford's ( F ) partnership with CATL is seen as reflecting a broader inflection in battery demand in the U.S. The shift from EV-led growth toward structurally stronger energy storage applications is being driven by the rapid growth of AI inference workloads, which is making power demand more volatile and peak-heavy, according to Percoco. In addition, ESS is increasingly being deployed as a practical mitigation to traditional power capacity constraints, including limited availability of gas turbines, grid congestion, and long interconnection timelines. Another key factor is the growing penetration of renewables, which require storage to balance intermittency, updated Percoco. Shares of Ford Motor ( F ) rallied 8.3% in early afternoon trading to trade at their highest level of the year and narrow the market cap to rival General Motors ( GM ), which is down 2.6% on a year-to-date ...
Puig Brands plunged on Friday following the collapse of a proposed combination with Estee Lauder Cos. that would have created one of the world’s largest fragrance and skincare companies. Deborah Aitken, Bloomberg Intelligence Luxury Goods Analyst discussed the merger with Scarlet Fu and Isabelle Lee. (Source: Bloomberg)
Puig Brands plunged on Friday following the collapse of a proposed combination with Estee Lauder Cos. that would have created one of the world’s largest fragrance and skincare companies. Deborah Aitken, Bloomberg Intelligence Luxury Goods Analyst discussed the merger with Scarlet Fu and Isabelle Lee. (Source: Bloomberg)
Shares of Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) are up 11% at midday Friday, with Skyworks Solutions (NASDAQ:SWKS) higher by 9% and Qorvo (NASDAQ:QRVO) tacking on 7%. The mobile and RF (radio frequency) chip trade is rallying broadly, but the bid is concentrated in the smaller, more focused names in the group. Investors are picking pure-play winners while passing ... Qualcomm Surges 12%, Skyworks Rallies 9%, Qor...
Shares of Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) are up 11% at midday Friday, with Skyworks Solutions (NASDAQ:SWKS) higher by 9% and Qorvo (NASDAQ:QRVO) tacking on 7%. The mobile and RF (radio frequency) chip trade is rallying broadly, but the bid is concentrated in the smaller, more focused names in the group. Investors are picking pure-play winners while passing ... Qualcomm Surges 12%, Skyworks Rallies 9%, Qorvo Rises 7%: The Mobile Chip Trade Picks Smaller Winners
patpitchaya/iStock via Getty Images In today’s column, we have to talk about Micron Technology, Inc. ( MU ). Folks, we issued a Strong Buy call in December and reiterated a Buy call on April 2, 2026, at $300 when we detailed the peak memory myth . Here we are in late May, and my goodness, we are in a completely different place now. The stock has more than doubled, but that is because earnings esti...
patpitchaya/iStock via Getty Images In today’s column, we have to talk about Micron Technology, Inc. ( MU ). Folks, we issued a Strong Buy call in December and reiterated a Buy call on April 2, 2026, at $300 when we detailed the peak memory myth . Here we are in late May, and my goodness, we are in a completely different place now. The stock has more than doubled, but that is because earnings estimates have more than doubled in that time. We remain optimistic, but we do have a suggestion. If you have these types of gains, consider taking something off. The market has a lot of macro issues to deal with when it comes to inflation, rates, and pressure on consumers from high energy and utility prices. One can argue that the semi industry is a bit insulated from such macro pressures, but even they have operating and shipping costs. The real question we have is whether the euphoria has fully baked in expectations. Considering what we have heard from Micron and others in their earnings reports and conference calls, there is reason to be bullish on the space, but the stocks have largely cooked in most of these expectations. Thus, we suggest sticking with a core position, but taking a little off to buy yourself something nice. Operationally, the story has only improved since our last coverage. And the earnings, well, they have been great. Looking back at the fiscal second quarter results reported in March, we saw a massive beat. We are talking about earnings of $12.20 per share on revenues of $23.86 billion, obliterating expectations. And in the weeks since the report, the demand for high-bandwidth memory ("HBM") and data center solutions has only surged. Estimates have come up dramatically, and memory pricing has also expanded thanks to the demand. As we look ahead to the earnings coming in late June, the consensus for the quarter that is about to end next week is for EPS of $19.15 . This is a dramatic 900% year-over-year increase. Moreover, the growth is anticipated to con...
Midnight Studio/iStock via Getty Images Stock of Sellas Life Sciences Group, Inc. ( SLS ) has skyrocketed 94% after my Sell rating in January, but, in my opinion, nothing fundamental has changed to warrant such appreciation. Data by YCharts As per my last update, as of December 26, Sellas had 72 of the 80 events that were required to trigger the final analysis of REGAL ( NCT04229979 ). REGAL is a ...
Midnight Studio/iStock via Getty Images Stock of Sellas Life Sciences Group, Inc. ( SLS ) has skyrocketed 94% after my Sell rating in January, but, in my opinion, nothing fundamental has changed to warrant such appreciation. Data by YCharts As per my last update, as of December 26, Sellas had 72 of the 80 events that were required to trigger the final analysis of REGAL ( NCT04229979 ). REGAL is a Phase 3 trial that evaluates Sellas’ lead product candidate, Galinpepimut-S, or GPS, which is a peptide immunotherapy that's being tested in AML patients in second remission (AML CR2). The trial is lasting much longer than management had originally expected. Bulls will associate this with patients living longer on GPS, and bears will argue that the delay in events is due to the “best available treatment” (BAT) arm living longer. Management recently disclosed that REGAL had accrued 78 events as of May 11. So, we are just two events away from the final readout. Given that Sellas' market cap is approaching $1.5 billion after nearly doubling since my last look, I wanted to do a deeper dive into the actual opportunity in AML CR2 ahead of the REGAL results. I also make the argument that the trial taking even longer than expected is more likely to be a bad omen for Sellas than it is a good omen. Given that its fundamentals, which I perceive as poor, remain unchanged, and its stock is far more expensive, I take on an even more cautious stance below. Recent Developments Originally, management was expecting the 80th event to happen before the end of 2025 , but here we are in May 2026 with just 78 events recorded. This implies that the extended survival times could be coming from the control group receiving BAT, or they could be coming from GPS. It could also be a combination of the two. And, remember, the bar for GPS is high . The target Hazard Ratio (HR) is 0.636. So, for instance, if the median overall survival, or mOS, for the control cohort is 12.5 months, GPS would need to gener...
Tulsi Gabbard Resigns As Director Of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard is stepping down from her role as Director of National Intelligence (DNI) to support her husband, Abraham, as he battles an extremely rare form of bone cancer, according to Fox News . Gabbard informed President Donald Trump of her decision during a meeting in the Oval Office on Friday. Her last day at the Office of the Direct...
Tulsi Gabbard Resigns As Director Of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard is stepping down from her role as Director of National Intelligence (DNI) to support her husband, Abraham, as he battles an extremely rare form of bone cancer, according to Fox News . Gabbard informed President Donald Trump of her decision during a meeting in the Oval Office on Friday. Her last day at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) will be June 30, 2026 . In her formal resignation letter, obtained exclusively by Fox , Gabbard expressed deep gratitude to Trump, writing: "I am deeply grateful for the trust you placed in me and for the opportunity to lead the Office of the Director of National Intelligence for the last year and a half. Unfortunately, I must submit my resignation, effective June 30, 2026. My husband, Abraham, has recently been diagnosed with an extremely rare form of bone cancer." She added that her husband "faces major challenges in the coming weeks and months," and that she must step away from public service to be by his side. "Abraham has been my rock throughout our eleven years of marriage... His strength and love have sustained me through every challenge. I cannot in good conscience ask him to face this fight alone while I continue in this demanding and time-consuming position." Gabbard noted the significant progress made during her tenure, including major declassification efforts (more than half a million pages), reducing the size of the intelligence community and saving taxpayers over $700 million annually, dismantling DEI programs, and establishing a "Weaponization Working Group" to address government weaponization. Today, with great humility and sincere appreciation, I shared the below letter with President Trump. It has been a profound honor to serve the American people as DNI. pic.twitter.com/iBi6eURzvE — DNI Tulsi Gabbard (@DNIGabbard) May 22, 2026 The news comes roughly a week after a controversy involving the CIA reclaiming approximately 40...
Former England captain Wayne Rooney says Harry Maguire was "very unlucky" to miss out on a place in Thomas Tuchel's World Cup squad this summer. Manchester United defender Maguire, who has made 66 appearances for his country, was part of the England side that reached the semi-finals of the World Cup in Russia in 2018 and the last eight in Qatar in 2022. While injury ruled Maguire out of Euro 2024,...
Former England captain Wayne Rooney says Harry Maguire was "very unlucky" to miss out on a place in Thomas Tuchel's World Cup squad this summer. Manchester United defender Maguire, who has made 66 appearances for his country, was part of the England side that reached the semi-finals of the World Cup in Russia in 2018 and the last eight in Qatar in 2022. While injury ruled Maguire out of Euro 2024, a recent recall for the March internationals had raised the 33-year-old's hopes of making the plane for the tournament in the US, Mexico and Canada. "I think the Maguire one was the big one for me, which was bit of shock, " Rooney said on the Wayne Rooney Podcast. "I think if you look at him on form, I think Harry Maguire is very unlucky not to be in it. Maybe he's [Thomas Tuchel] thinking he doesn't want to be disrespectful to Harry Maguire and take him and not play him. I don't know. "I'm sure they've had conversations. The big call out of the defenders, [was probably] Harry or Dan Burn and Tuchel has obviously chosen to go with Dan. "Even the decisions I don't like I think I've got a trust in Tuchel and in him as a manager from everything we've seen." Rooney, 40, won 120 caps and scored 53 goals for England between 2003 and 2018. And having represented his country at six major tournaments, he believes the England boss has largely made the right calls around the number 10 position, with Morgan Rogers and Jude Bellingham preferred to Phil Foden, Cole Palmer and Morgan Gibbs-White. Rooney said the German's next test will be dealing with the potential furore if Aston Villa's Rogers is selected ahead of Real Madrid's Bellingham. "I think that's a challenge which Tuchel has to be ready for," Rooney added. "I'm sure he's prepared and if he doesn't start, I'm sure he knows what comes with that from the media, from Jude, from Jude's family. "Obviously you've got Jude who's missed camps, but you can't leave him out of the squad. "I think Jude would probably be the one who goes ag...
If it seems like everything is expensive these days, it might not be just because of inflation. When tariffs were raised, those costs were either passed onto consumers or companies. And now that some of the tariffs from the past year have been deemed unconstituitional, companies want their money ...
If it seems like everything is expensive these days, it might not be just because of inflation. When tariffs were raised, those costs were either passed onto consumers or companies. And now that some of the tariffs from the past year have been deemed unconstituitional, companies want their money ...
In recent weeks, Teradyne has reported very large year-over-year revenue growth driven by AI-related semiconductor test demand, announced a US$0.13 quarterly dividend, and disclosed routine insider share sales and a Form 144 filing linked to stock-based compensation. At the same time, Teradyne’s fortunes have become increasingly tied to the AI infrastructure boom, with AI-related orders now repres...
In recent weeks, Teradyne has reported very large year-over-year revenue growth driven by AI-related semiconductor test demand, announced a US$0.13 quarterly dividend, and disclosed routine insider share sales and a Form 144 filing linked to stock-based compensation. At the same time, Teradyne’s fortunes have become increasingly tied to the AI infrastructure boom, with AI-related orders now representing nearly 70% of its revenue mix, amplifying its sensitivity to sector-wide swings sparked by companies like Nvidia. Against this backdrop of AI-fueled demand, we’ll explore how Nvidia-driven semiconductor enthusiasm could reshape Teradyne’s investment narrative and future expectations. The future of work is here. Discover the 34 top robotics and automation stocks leading the charge in AI-driven automation and industrial transformation. Teradyne Investment Narrative Recap To own Teradyne today, you need to believe that AI-driven semiconductor test demand can support elevated orders while the company manages concentrated exposure to that same AI infrastructure trend. In the near term, the key catalyst is continued AI-related test demand tied to names like Nvidia, while the biggest risk is how quickly that demand could cool if hyperscaler or export spending slows. The recent insider sales and Form 144 filing look routine and do not appear to change that core setup. The most relevant update here is Teradyne’s Q1 2026 report, where revenue rose 87% year over year to US$1,282.5 million, largely on AI test demand and with nearly 70% of revenue linked to AI infrastructure. That concentration makes sector sentiment and Nvidia-driven spending patterns central to Teradyne’s near term story, but it also heightens exposure to trade policy, tariffs, and shifts in HBM and data center test spending that could quickly affect order visibility. But while AI demand is powering today’s story, investors should also be aware of how exposed Teradyne remains to cyclical, capex driven semicondu...
Shares of Cava Group (CAVA +0.23%) initially soared after the Mediterranean fast-casual chain reported fiscal first-quarter results Tuesday afternoon, with the stock opening Wednesday's session at nearly $87. The reaction made sense: revenue jumped 32% year over year, same-restaurant sales reaccelerated to 9.7% from just 0.5% in the prior quarter, and management raised its full-year outlook on nea...
Shares of Cava Group (CAVA +0.23%) initially soared after the Mediterranean fast-casual chain reported fiscal first-quarter results Tuesday afternoon, with the stock opening Wednesday's session at nearly $87. The reaction made sense: revenue jumped 32% year over year, same-restaurant sales reaccelerated to 9.7% from just 0.5% in the prior quarter, and management raised its full-year outlook on nearly every line that matters. But the bulk of that early surge has since faded. As of this writing, the stock is trading at about $81 -- only modestly above where it closed before Cava's earnings release. So, with the underlying business clearly accelerating again, is the stock still a buy? A sharp reacceleration Net revenue in Cava's fiscal first quarter (the period ended April 19, 2026) rose 32.2% year over year to $434.4 million. The bigger story, however, was same-restaurant sales, which grew 9.7% -- a huge rebound. Just look at how same-restaurant sales played out over the chain's last five quarters: 10.8% in fiscal Q1 2025, 2.1% in fiscal Q2, 1.9% in fiscal Q3, and a mere 0.5% in fiscal Q4 2025. That final reading even included a 1.4% decline in guest traffic. Some investors may have feared Cava was on the verge of posting its first negative comparable sales figure since going public. Instead, the chain blew past expectations. The 9.7% growth was driven by a 6.8% rise in guest traffic, with menu prices and product mix accounting for the remaining 2.9%. It also helps to view that 9.7% comp against what's happening elsewhere in fast casual. Both Sweetgreen and Wingstop recently posted weak comparable sales results. Cava's systemwide average unit volume now stands at $3 million, and the company ended the quarter with 459 restaurants -- a 20.2% year-over-year increase. The chain opened 20 net new locations during the period, including new market entries in St. Louis and Columbus. And CEO and co-founder Brett Schulman said on the fiscal Q1 earnings call that early performan...
The S&P 500 Index ($SPX) (SPY) today is up +0.50%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average ($DOWI) (DIA) is up +0.63%, and the Nasdaq 100 Index ($IUXX) (QQQ) is up +0.73%. June E-mini S&P futures (ESM26) are up +0.47%, and June E-mini Nasdaq futures (NQM26) are up +0.73%. Stock indexes are moving higher today, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 posting 1-week highs, and the Dow Jones Industrials posting a n...
The S&P 500 Index ($SPX) (SPY) today is up +0.50%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average ($DOWI) (DIA) is up +0.63%, and the Nasdaq 100 Index ($IUXX) (QQQ) is up +0.73%. June E-mini S&P futures (ESM26) are up +0.47%, and June E-mini Nasdaq futures (NQM26) are up +0.73%. Stock indexes are moving higher today, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 posting 1-week highs, and the Dow Jones Industrials posting a new all-time high. Stocks are supported by hopes that the US and Iran are moving closer to a peace deal. Also, chipmakers and AI-infrastructure stocks are climbing amid the unrelenting enthusiasm for artificial intelligence. In addition, Workday is up more than +3% to lead software stocks higher after reporting better-than-expected Q1 results and giving a positive outlook. Join 200K+ Subscribers: Stocks fell back from their best levels today after the University of Michigan's US May consumer sentiment index was revised lower to a record low, and May inflation expectations were revised upward. Also, hawkish comments from Fed Governor Christopher Waller weighed on stocks when he said he supports making clear that the Fed's next interest rate move is just as likely to be an increase as "inflation is not headed in the right direction." The University of Michigan’s May US consumer sentiment index was revised lower to a record low of 44.8 (data from 1978), weaker than expectations of no change at 48.2. The University of Michigan's US May 1-year inflation expectations rate was revised upward to a 9-month high of +4.8% from +4.5%, stronger than the +4.6% expected. Also, the May 5-10 year inflation expectations rate was revised upward to a 7-month high of 3.9%, stronger than expectations of no change at 3.4%. WTI crude oil prices (CLM26) remain extremely volatile and are susceptible to headlines from the Iran war. Prices whipsawed lower and higher today and are up more than +1% as the Strait of Hormuz remains closed. Crude prices fell into negative territory briefly today following a...