Meta Platforms Inc (NASDAQ:META) is among the 11 best robotics stocks to buy right now. On March 5, analysts at Arete downgraded their rating on Meta Platforms Inc (NASDAQ:META) to Neutral from Buy, while also lowering the price target on the social media giant’s stock to $676 from $732. In its research report, Arete noted its worries that Meta’s heavy investment in AI infrastructure may begin to weigh on profitability, even as the company pushes aggressively into the technology. According to the firm, Meta’s spending trajectory is rising quickly while revenue growth is not keeping pace, a trend that could pressure margins. Notably, the company previously said it expects to spend between $115 billion and $135 billion in 2026, significantly higher than the $72.2 billion in capital expenditure in 2025, factoring into Arete’s concerns about the stock. Arete Downgrades Meta (META) Over AI Spending Concerns Photo by Joshua Hoehne on Unsplash Meta Platforms Inc (NASDAQ:META) appears to be falling behind peers as companies like Alphabet and Amazon command a large share of third-party demand for their cloud services, according to Arete, which also noted that the company’s efforts to pour significant resources into AI-related development and infrastructure have yielded limited financial returns so far. Meta Platforms Inc (NASDAQ:META) engages in the development of social media applications to help people connect and share, find communities, and grow businesses, as well as augmented, mixed, and virtual reality-related consumer hardware, software, and content. While we acknowledge the potential of META as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. READ NEXT: 33 Stocks That Should Double in 3 Years and 15 Stocks That Will...

Broadcom Inc. (NASDAQ:AVGO) is among the 11 best robotics stocks to buy right now. On March 6, DA Davidson raised its price target on Broadcom Inc. (NASDAQ:AVGO) to $375 from $335 while maintaining a Neutral rating on the shares. The firm cited Broadcom’s first-quarter results, which beat consensus estimates by 0.1%, as a factor for setting a higher price target. Broadcom Inc. (NASDAQ:AVGO) attributed the performance to a compute-constrained environment that positions it favorably for the short to medium term. The semiconductor giant’s revenue surged 25% year-over-year to $68.3 billion, while maintaining an impressive gross profit margin of 77%. DA Davidson noted that Broadcom Inc. (NASDAQ:AVGO) communicated a planned roadmap for a 2027 deployment of almost 10 gigawatts of compute, which the firm viewed as a testament to the company’s internal competencies and its position as the leading accelerator alternative to NVIDIA. The analyst also noted that the new price target is based on its projections of a 29-times CY2026 EPS estimate. DA Davidson Raises Price Target on Broadcom (AVGO) Broadcom Inc. (NASDAQ:AVGO) is a global technology company that designs, develops, and supplies semiconductors and infrastructure software solutions. While we acknowledge the potential of AVGO as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. READ NEXT: 33 Stocks That Should Double in 3 Years and 15 Stocks That Will Make You Rich in 10 Years. Disclosure: None. Follow Insider Monkey on Google News.

DA Davidson Raises Price Target on Broadcom (AVGO) Yahoo Finance

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is among the 11 best robotics stocks to buy right now. On March 4, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) unveiled the MacBook Neo, a lower-priced addition to its laptop lineup starting at $599, as it looks to broaden its reach in a price-sensitive PC market while rivals face tighter supply of memory chips. A lower-priced laptop marks one of Apple’s most aggressive entry points into the PC market in years. The new MacBook will be powered by the A18 Pro chip, the same processor that debuted in the company’s iPhone 16 Pro models in 2024. In addition, the tech giant launched a $599 iPhone 17e with higher base storage, while refreshing its MacBook Air and Pro lineup with new M5 chips and standard configurations with larger memory. Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) has a history of selling its MacBook at a lower-than-usual price point, specifically when it introduced a special $699 MacBook Air exclusive for Walmart using its M1 chip, which originally debuted in 2020, after it retired other models with that chip. Nonetheless, the launch of MacBook Neo marks a more direct attempt by Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) to compete with Google-powered Chromebooks and lower-end Windows devices, while also broadening its reach among students and first-time buyers. Apple (AAPL) Launches Budget $599 Macbook in New Device Lineup Copyright: audioundwerbung / 123RF Stock Photo Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) engages in the design, manufacture, and sale of smartphones, personal computers, tablets, wearables, and accessories, and other varieties of related services. While we acknowledge the potential of AAPL as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. READ NEXT: 33 Stocks That Should Double in 3 Years and 15 Stocks That Will Make You Rich in ...

Apple (AAPL) Launches Budget $599 Macbook in New Device Lineup Yahoo Finance

Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) is among the 11 best robotics stocks to buy right now. On March 4, data from the transport research firm New Automotive indicated that U.K. sales of Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) fell sharply in February. The organization noted that Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) sold 2,208 vehicles in February, down 45.2% from a year earlier. Meanwhile, Chinese electric car rival BYD saw its sales rose 40.9% year-over-year to 968 units, indicating that while Tesla still has the lead, its advantage is weakening as its rivals are catching up. Tesla’s February sales also fell in Italy, Denmark, and Sweden, pointing to broader challenges in Europe. Tesla (TSLA) Sees UK Sales Drop 45% in February Copyright: wolandmaster / 123RF Stock Photo While Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA)’s delivery patterns are typically volatile, year-to-date figures are down 5%, meaning the decline is likely to draw scrutiny, according to New Automotive, which added that the U.S. electric car maker’s position in the U.K. has weakened amid intensifying competition from Chinese brands such as BYD and SAIC-owned MG, as its ageing model line-up struggles to keep pace. Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) engages in the design, development, manufacture, and sale of electric vehicles and energy generation and storage systems. While we acknowledge the potential of TSLA as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. READ NEXT: 33 Stocks That Should Double in 3 Years and 15 Stocks That Will Make You Rich in 10 Years. Disclosure: None. Follow Insider Monkey on Google News.

Tesla (TSLA) Sees UK Sales Drop 45% in February Yahoo Finance Singapore

Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) is among the 11 best robotics stocks to buy right now. On March 4, data from the transport research firm New Automotive indicated that U.K. sales of Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) fell sharply in February. The organization noted that Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) sold 2,208 vehicles in February, down 45.2% from a year earlier. Meanwhile, Chinese electric car rival BYD saw its sales rose 40.9% year-over-year to 968 units, indicating that while Tesla still has the lead, its advantage is weakening as its rivals are catching up. Tesla’s February sales also fell in Italy, Denmark, and Sweden, pointing to broader challenges in Europe. Tesla (TSLA) Sees UK Sales Drop 45% in February Copyright: wolandmaster / 123RF Stock Photo While Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA)’s delivery patterns are typically volatile, year-to-date figures are down 5%, meaning the decline is likely to draw scrutiny, according to New Automotive, which added that the U.S. electric car maker’s position in the U.K. has weakened amid intensifying competition from Chinese brands such as BYD and SAIC-owned MG, as its ageing model line-up struggles to keep pace. Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) engages in the design, development, manufacture, and sale of electric vehicles and energy generation and storage systems. While we acknowledge the potential of TSLA as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. READ NEXT: 33 Stocks That Should Double in 3 Years and 15 Stocks That Will Make You Rich in 10 Years. Disclosure: None. Follow Insider Monkey on Google News.

Fabien Galthié hopes ballet excursion helps side put Scotland loss behind them for Saturday’s Six Nations finale A night at the opera may not be to every Frenchman’s taste these days, but for Fabien Galthié the outing will have been an integral part of his team’s Six Nations finale preparations. Two evenings out from their clash against England, Les Bleus were set to leave their training camp to watch rehearsals for a performance of the ballet Romeo and Juliet at the Opéra Garnier in central Paris. “It’s important for us to take a step back,” the head coach explained. “We’re going to be meeting the lead dancers, watching them at work, speaking to them, and experiencing that legendary venue.” Continue reading...

Oracle Corp. (NYSE:ORCL) is among the 11 best robotics stocks to buy right now. On March 6, analysts at TD Cowen lowered the price target on Oracle Corp. (NYSE:ORCL) to $250 from $350 while maintaining the stock’s Buy rating. The lower price target on Oracle Corp. (NYSE:ORCL) reflects the analysts’ new projections of a 27x multiple from the projected earnings per share of $7.26 for calendar year 2027. The firm also expects revenue growth to inflect from approximately 12% in constant currency in the first half of fiscal 2026 to over 18% in the second half. Operating income growth is projected to accelerate from approximately 10% in the first half to roughly 20% in the second half. In its report, TD Cowen noted that it expects Oracle Corp. (NYSE:ORCL) to report a strong fiscal third quarter, driven by Oracle Cloud Infrastructure’s growth accelerating to approximately 80% in constant currency, up from roughly 65% in the second quarter. The analysts project growth could reach approximately 100% in the fiscal fourth quarter as additional capacity continues to come online. TD Cowen also cited enterprise checks, data center checks indicating accelerated builds in Texas, and new financing developments as encouraging factors for the stock. Analyst Lowers Oracle (ORCL) Price Target Over Valuation Oracle Corporation (NYSE:ORCL) provides information technology-related products and services to enterprises through its main business segments: Cloud and License, Hardware, and Services. The company is based in Austin, Texas, and was founded in June 1977. While we acknowledge the potential of ORCL as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. READ NEXT: 33 Stocks That Should Double in 3 Years and 15 Stocks That Will Make You Ri...

Analyst Lowers Oracle (ORCL) Price Target Over Valuation Yahoo Finance

格隆汇3月13日｜市场消息：伊拉克预计很快将恢复通过土耳其的石油运输，此前伊朗战争迫使该国关闭了其在波斯湾的南部出口码头。

Honda said it expects to take a nearly $16 billion loss as it pivots away from EVs.

财联社3月13日讯（编辑 牛占林） 中东战争引发的化肥价格飙升，正从华尔街蔓延至美国腹地，推动化肥生产商的股价大幅上涨，同时迫使农民在春耕季节到来之际做出艰难抉择。 联合国贸易和发展会议近日发表报告指出，包括运费、船用燃料费和保险费在内的航运成本也在攀升，导致整个化肥供应链运输成本增加。 投资者押注，美国化肥生产商将在中东生产商无法从波斯湾出口产品的情况下抢占更多市场份额。同时，由于美国天然气价格相对海外竞争对手更低，这些企业的利润率也有望扩大。 中东地区的战事已经阻断了全球大量氨、尿素、硫磺和磷酸盐的供应。此外，约20%的全球液化天然气(LNG)供应也受到影响，而欧洲及其他地区的化肥生产商高度依赖这些天然气资源。 自美国和以色列开始轰炸伊朗以来，欧洲基准天然气价格已上涨约60%。相比之下，美国天然气期货仅上涨约14%，这使美国国内化肥生产商以及其他以天然气为重要投入的产业(包括钢铁、塑料等)获得了成本优势。 在整体市场低迷的背景下，投资者正从上市公司中寻找潜在受益者。 许多投资者将目光集中在CF工业身上，这家公司消耗大量天然气来生产氮肥。周四盘中，其股价大涨逾12%，创下历史新高。今年以来，该公司股价已上涨超过75%，成为今年最热门的股票之一。 瑞穗证券分析师Edlain Rodriguez表示，投资者预计CF工业能够提高化肥价格，使其与全球竞争对手保持一致，而这些海外竞争对手需要通过更高售价来弥补天然气成本的上涨；与此同时，CF工业自身的原材料成本仍将保持相对稳定。 他补充说：“他们获得的优势来自于美国天然气价格与欧洲天然气价格之间的差距。这种差距越大，他们的处境就越有利。” 北美另外两家大型化肥供应商Mosaic和Nutrien的股价今年以来也均上涨超过30%。 对于已经面临成本压力的美国农民而言，中东局势导致某些化肥价格上涨约30%。而这种冲击恰好发生在农民规划春季播种的关键时期。 通常情况下，农民会在秋季就采购大部分农资。但近年来，由于连续丰收导致农产品价格下跌，再加上特朗普政府实施的关税政策削弱了出口市场并推高了成本，许多美国农民的财务状况变得相当紧张。 比往年更多的农民选择等到春季才开始采购，因为他们预计会收到特朗普政府120亿美元农业救助计划的补贴支票。 去年年底，由于现金紧张，美国农民减少了化肥采购量。开采加拿大西部钾肥以及佛罗里达中部磷矿的Mos...

As the saying goes, there are many possible reasons for an insider to sell a stock, but only one reason to buy -- they expect to make money. So let's look at two noteworthy recent insider buys. At MannKind, a filing with the SEC revealed that on Tuesday, Chief Executive Officer Michael Castagna bought 100,000 shares of MNKD, for a cost of $2.59 each, for a total investment of $259,000. Castagna was up about 11.0% on the purchase at the high point of today's trading session, with MNKD trading as high as $2.88 at last check today. MannKind is trading down about 1.1% on the day Thursday. This buy marks the first one filed by Castagna in the past year. And at Sempra, there was insider buying on Wednesday, by Director Richard J. Mark who bought 2,692 shares at a cost of $93.30 each, for a trade totaling $251,164. Sempra is trading up about 0.8% on the day Thursday. VIDEO: Thursday 3/12 Insider Buying Report: MNKD, SRE The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Intel (INTC) Aims Break-Even Margins for Foundry Business by 2027 MSN

Intel Corp. (NASDAQ:INTC) is among the 11 best robotics stocks to buy right now. On March 4, Intel Corp. (NASDAQ:INTC) CFO Dave Zinsner shared that the company is targeting break-even margins for its foundry business by 2027, driven by external customer engagements and new process technologies. Speaking at the Morgan Stanley Technology, Media & Telecom Conference, Zinsner shared that Intel Corp. (NASDAQ:INTC)’s foundry business, which provides end-to-end semiconductor manufacturing services such as design, fabrication, packaging, and testing for external users, is expected to have a meaningful improvement in margins for 2026 compared to last year. At the conference, Zinsner added that Intel Corp. (NASDAQ:INTC) is aiming to set gross margins for its foundry business at around 40% on its path to break even by 2027. However, the executive pointed out that these earnings projections may change if the company decides to notch external achievements for the foundry business, noting that these adjustments may end up harming the unit’s profitability in the near term but could mean extra revenue opportunities in the long run. Zinsner also shared that Intel Corp. (NASDAQ:INTC) is developing a multi-year capital expenditure plan aligned with CPU demand and foundry opportunities. Intel (INTC) Aims Break-Even Margins for Foundry Business by 2027 Photo by Slejven Djurakovic on Unsplash Intel Corp. (NASDAQ:INTC) designs, manufactures, and sells computer products and technologies, including computers, networking components, data storage, and communications platforms, as well as full-stack solutions created from the foundry industry ecosystem. While we acknowledge the potential of INTC as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI sto...

Intel Corp. (NASDAQ:INTC) is among the 11 best robotics stocks to buy right now. On March 4, Intel Corp. (NASDAQ:INTC) CFO Dave Zinsner shared that the company is targeting break-even margins for its foundry business by 2027, driven by external customer engagements and new process technologies. Speaking at the Morgan Stanley Technology, Media & Telecom Conference, Zinsner shared that Intel Corp. (NASDAQ:INTC)’s foundry business, which provides end-to-end semiconductor manufacturing services such as design, fabrication, packaging, and testing for external users, is expected to have a meaningful improvement in margins for 2026 compared to last year. At the conference, Zinsner added that Intel Corp. (NASDAQ:INTC) is aiming to set gross margins for its foundry business at around 40% on its path to break even by 2027. However, the executive pointed out that these earnings projections may change if the company decides to notch external achievements for the foundry business, noting that these adjustments may end up harming the unit’s profitability in the near term but could mean extra revenue opportunities in the long run. Zinsner also shared that Intel Corp. (NASDAQ:INTC) is developing a multi-year capital expenditure plan aligned with CPU demand and foundry opportunities. Intel (INTC) Aims Break-Even Margins for Foundry Business by 2027 Photo by Slejven Djurakovic on Unsplash Intel Corp. (NASDAQ:INTC) designs, manufactures, and sells computer products and technologies, including computers, networking components, data storage, and communications platforms, as well as full-stack solutions created from the foundry industry ecosystem. While we acknowledge the potential of INTC as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI sto...

Canadian telecommunications provider Telus Corp. said it’s investigating a cybersecurity incident. The breach involves “unauthorized access to a limited number of our systems,” a spokesperson for Telus Digital said by email. “Upon discovery, we took immediate steps to address the unauthorized activity and secure our systems against further intrusion. We are actively managing the situation and continue to monitor it closely,” they added. Telus, one of Canada’s biggest three mobile and broadband companies, said it’s notifying affected customers. An amorphous extortion group called ShinyHunters contacted Bloomberg News this week claiming they were planning to release a large amount of data stolen from Telus in August in a “supply chain attack.” The group said it sent Telus a ransom note in February that requested a payment in Bitcoin. The amount was redacted from the note seen by Bloomberg. Data belonging to Telus’ customers — which include technology companies and banks — have been exposed in the incident, the hackers claimed. Vancouver-based Telus said it’s working with law enforcement and cyber forensics experts. It added business operations remain fully operational and there’s no evidence of disruption to connectivity or services. Telus didn’t immediately respond to specific claims made by ShinyHunters, or mention the group’s name. Shares traded down 0.6% to C$17.93 at 2:21 p.m. in Toronto.

智利外交部周四表示，智利与美国已签署联合声明，将就关键矿产及稀土问题启动磋商。 声明补充称，首次会议将在未来两周内举行。 智利是全球最大铜生产国，也是第二大锂生产国。 美国副国务卿克里斯托弗・兰多在智利对记者表示：“我相信，美智两国在强化这些矿产的供应链方面大有可为。” 责任编辑：陈钰嘉

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSM) reports Feb 2026 revenue data MSN

The list of reasons to like CrowdStrike is growing, as the contentious world stage increasingly features attacks on digital systems. "The ramp up in cyber terrorism is extraordinary according to CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz," Jim Cramer said Thursday during the Morning Meeting , adding that it's happening "worldwide." In a text message to Jim, Kurtz said: "You will see a lot more companies get targeted that are related to the conflict in Iran. And while the smoke screen of the war is going on, China is ramping up their activities. They are keenly interested in what's going on with the war." The exchange comes on the heels of an apparent Iran-linked cyberattack on Michigan-based medtech company Stryker on Wednesday that disrupted its daily operations. The bad actors targeted Stryker's devices running Microsoft's Windows operating system, including cell phones and laptops. "While the Company is working diligently to restore affected functions and systems access, the timeline for a full restoration is not yet known," Stryker said in a securities filing Wednesday. Shares of Stryker fell 3.6% on Wednesday, and were under pressure again in Thursday's down market. This isn't an isolated incident. Since the start of the war, hacktivists sympathetic to Iranian leadership have been increasing cyber threats on U.S. and its allies, according to a blog post from Symantec, a cybersecurity provider owned by Club name Broadcom . Another example: The Polish government said Thursday it's investigating whether a failed cyberattack on its nuclear research center may be linked to Iran, according to Reuters . Iran's cyberattacks represent a new dimension for the U.S. and its military actions overseas, according to cybersecurity expert David Kennedy . "This is the first time we're actually having a direct conflict with a type of regime that has very capable cyber capabilities," said Kennedy, CEO of cyber consultancy TrustedSec, on Thursday on CNBC's "The Exchange." Iran's goal is "to infl...

格隆汇3月13日｜伊朗伊斯兰革命卫队当地时间12日表示，当日清晨，伊斯兰革命卫队海军对美国海军第五舰队位于巴林的米纳萨勒曼港的总部实施了两波导弹和无人机“精确打击”。据悉，该打击精准命中该基地的“利兹”反无人机系统、遥控浮标存储中心、支援装备中心及燃料罐，以及美方士兵集结中心。行动中使用了多种破坏性无人机、巡航导弹和弹道导弹。

J Studios/DigitalVision via Getty Images Software stocks have crashed. Datadog ( DDOG ) has seen some multiple compression but has still more or less escaped much of the bloodbath. Investors might be hesitant given the deep value seen elsewhere in the sector, but there are clear reasons why DDOG stands to be a winner. The company’s products look ever more important as AI agents stand to take over. I am upgrading the stock to a buy rating. DDOG Stock Price I last covered DDOG in December , where I called it an AI winner but stayed on the sidelines due to valuation. The stock has declined 17% since. Data by YCharts While the rest of the software sector trades at incredibly low valuations, I can see the argument for why DDOG still deserves a premium. It is time for an upgrade. DDOG Stock Key Metrics DDOG is an enterprise software company known mostly for observability products. DDOG’s software is indispensable and mission critical as it enables customers to monitor the health of their infrastructure. 2025 Q4 Presentation DDOG can thus be thought of as a cross between cybersecurity and software infrastructure. With AI agents poised to start doing more work across companies, these kinds of products only become more valuable. 2025 Q4 Presentation In the most recent quarter, DDOG generated 29.1% YoY revenue growth to $953 million, crushing guidance of between $912 million and $916 million. That represented some sequential acceleration from the 28.4% growth rate posted in the third quarter. 2025 Q4 Presentation DDOG can be characterized as a “platform” software company as opposed to a “point product” company. This wide product portfolio helps not only to increase retention but also to drive growth rates. As we can see below, DDOG still has a long growth runway ahead of it for cross-selling new products. 2025 Q4 Presentation This is evidenced by both the company’s high gross retention rates as well as the “about 120%” dollar-based net retention rates. Many years after the pa...

(RTTNews) - Swiss stocks opened on a weak note on Thursday and stayed that way right till the end of the day's session as rising concerns about growth and possibility of monetary tightening by central banks amid escalating tensions in the Middle East rendered the mood bearish. Additionally, news about the US government launching probes into numerous trade partners, including Switzerland, after US President Trump's tariff policy faced legal setbacks last month, weighed on sentiment. Last month, the US Supreme Court prohibited Trump from using another law to impose tariffs by decree. Following the Supreme Court judgement, Trump announced his intention to use other instruments to enforce his tariff policy. US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said on Wednesday that the Section 301 unfair trade practices probe could lead to new levies against countries including Switzerland, China, the European Union, India, Japan, South Korea and Mexico by this summer. The benchmark SMI, which scaled a low of 12,796.65 and a high of 12,909.99 intraday, settled with a loss of 116.43 points or 0.9% at 12,842.16. Holcim shed 3.72% and Roche Holding ended lower by about 3.6%. Galderma Group lost 2.7%, Swiss Life Holding ended 2.3% down, and UBS Group drifted down by about 2.1%. Sika, Alcon and Amrize lost 1.6%, 1.5% and 1.3%, respectively. Lonza Group, Straumann Holding, Julius Baer, Kuehne + Nagel and Richemont ended lower by 0.6%-1.1%. Lindt & Spruengli moved up 4%. Logitech International climbed nearly 2.5% and Givaudan gained 1.4%. Zurich Insurance Group, Swiss Re, Sandoz Group and Nestle gained 0.6%-0.9%. The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Palantir Technologies (NASDAQ:PLTR) is strengthening its relationship with LG CNS as both companies look to accelerate artificial intelligence adoption across LG Group's businesses. The two companies said Wednesday they have expanded their strategic partnership to roll out more AI driven tools and systems throughout the broader LG organization. The collaboration builds on work that started in late 2025, when Palantir's software was first deployed within one of LG Group's affiliates to improve quality management and operational efficiency. Following the early results, the companies now plan to scale the technology across additional parts of LG Group, using Palantir's platforms to help automate processes, analyze operational data, and support decision making across different business units. LG CNS CEO Shin Gyoon Hyun said the deeper partnership represents an important step in expanding the company's AI transformation efforts and pushing its AX, or AI transformation, business onto a more global stage.

Palantir Deepens AI Partnership With LG TradingView

Facebook Marketplace is rolling out new Meta AI features, including one that automatically replies to messages from interested buyers, Facebook announced Thursday. The social network is also using AI to help sellers list items faster and summarize profiles, and is giving sellers the option to offer shipping on their listings. The company says that since sellers receive a lot of buyer inquiries, it’s making it easier to respond to initial messages with auto-replies powered by Meta AI. Now, when buyers inquire about an item’s availability, sellers can use Meta AI to automatically draft replies using information from their listing, such as the description, availability, pickup location, and price. Sellers can enable, preview, and edit these auto-replies during listing creation. This new feature is designed to address a common pain point for sellers, who often don’t want to spend excessive amounts of time responding to initial or redundant messages, such as asking if an item is available when it’s already marked as available. One seller had even created their own AI tool last year to handle these initial inquiries from interested buyers. Facebook Marketplace also now lets sellers list their items automatically using Meta AI. After uploading an image of an item, Meta AI can create a draft listing, fill in the details, and suggest a price based on similar items in the area. Additionally, buyers will now see a summary of a seller’s Facebook profile at the top of their Marketplace page, including how long they’ve been on Facebook and their number of friends. The overview also includes a summary of their Marketplace activity, such as listing history, the types of items they sell, and their seller ratings. Sellers can now also expand their reach by offering shipping on their listings, Facebook says. And they can generate prepaid shipping labels and easily track every order from a simple dashboard. The new AI features join Facebook Marketplace’s existing Meta AI integrations, ...

stocknshares/E+ via Getty Images Esquire Financial Holdings ( ESQ ) is set to acquire Signature Bancorporation in an all-stock transaction. ESQ shares were 6.69% higher to $105.67 during Thursday afternoon. Signature shareholders will receive a fixed exchange ratio of 2.63 Esquire shares for each stock they own. The company statement said the exchange ratio is subject to an adjustment based on the disposition value of certain Signature Bank loans. Signature has initiated a sale process for Schedule A Loans, with the disposition expected prior to the closing of the deal. The per-share value equates to $260.48 for Signature shareholders based on the March 11 closing price of Esquire, bringing the aggregate transaction value to ~$348.4M. The combined entity is expected to have ~$4.8B in assets at closing. The acquisition is estimated to help Esquire expand into the Chicago market. The transaction is estimated to be 23% accretive to the combined company's 2027 GAAP EPS, while no associated revenue enhancement is projected. The transaction is ~11% accretive to Esquire's tangible book value, and assumes 5% cost savings. The resulting company's board will consist of eleven directors, including nine directors from Esquire and two directors from Signature. Signature Board Chairman Leonard Caronia and CEO Michael O'Rourke are set to join the board of the merged entity. The transaction is set to close in the third quarter. More on Esquire Financial Holdings Esquire Financial Holdings, Inc. (ESQ) Esquire Financial Holdings, Inc., - M&A Call - Slideshow Esquire Financial Holdings: Shares Are Becoming Difficult To Justify Small-cap stocks with lowest dividend yield grade Seeking Alpha’s Quant Rating on Esquire Financial Holdings Historical earnings data for Esquire Financial Holdings

Hailshadow/iStock via Getty Images Let’s have a look at the unique situation of UniQure ( QURE ). It’s a story about central nervous system disease therapy, that’s for sure. And it’s a story about clinical trial design, and it’s also a story about new and challenging modes of treatment working their way into such human trials. But unfortunately, it has turned most of all into a story about regulatory affairs as they are run under the Trump administration. This is all about a potential therapy for Huntington’s disease, and God knows that one could use a few more potential therapies. I’ve written about the disease and its biology several times over the years, most recently here and here , and although there are plenty of mysteries about its etiology, there’s also one thing that’s very clear indeed. The exact protein (Huntingtin, and thus the exact gene) that is behind the disease is well-known, and has been known for decades. Anyone who believes that such knowledge leads quickly to treatments or cures is invited to look at this situation to correct their thinking. One thing that’s been equally clear for that length of time is that (like most single-protein diseases) HD looks like a clear target for gene therapy or related approaches that directly affect the production of the mutant protein. But that has not been easy. As that paper illustrates, all sorts of ideas have been researched - RNA interference, antisense oligos, and more. The latter made it all the way to human trials with Roche ( RHHBY ) and Ionis ( IONS ), an antisense oligo that would bind to the messenger RNA for the mutant Huntingtin protein, but the results were very disappointing , for reasons that are still unclear, at least to me. That agent (tominersen) is still in the clinic years later, and is apparently moving forward in a select population (younger patients, less advanced disease) at the highest dose tested - we shall see. UniQure’s approach is broadly similar, but they’re using RNA interference...