Unilever (NYSE:UL) – Unilever announced on Tuesday the spin-off of its ice cream unit, including Magnum and Ben & Jerry’s, into an independent business, accompanied by a cost-cutting program that would cut 7,500 jobs. The initial action resulted in a 3.2% increase in shares in pre-market trading.
Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE:BRK.A) – Berkshire Hathaway has stepped up its share repurchases, indicating that Warren Buffett sees the stock as undervalued and an opportunity to use excess capital. Buying 3,808 Class A shares this year until March 6, it spent between $2.2 billion and $2.4 billion.
Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) – At the annual developers’ conference, Nvidia’s CEO Jensen Huang unveiled a new B200 chip, 30 times faster than its predecessor, along with a suite of software tools. The company aims to maintain its leadership position in the AI industry. With 208 billion transistors, these chips will power new data center products, reinforcing the company’s position as one of the world’s most valuable. Nvidia also announced an expansion of its partnerships with Chinese automakers, including BYD, which will use Nvidia’s new chips to enhance autonomous driving and other digital functionalities. It also unveiled a hardware and software platform for building robots with generative AI capabilities, named Project GR00T, including the “Jetson Thor” computer system and genAI software, enabling robots to mimic human life. Additionally, it launched an AI-powered software platform for 6G technology research, simulating cloud communication environments. Expected to launch commercially around 2030, 6G will require enhanced spectral efficiency in wireless communications. Nvidia’s shares are down -0.57% in pre-market trading.
Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) – Apple faces a lawsuit alleging that AirTags facilitate stalking. Although the judge dismissed some claims, three plaintiffs remain with allegations of negligence and product liability. Apple claims to have implemented robust safety measures.
Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) – Elon Musk revealed that a ketamine prescription has been beneficial for Tesla, in an interview with Don Lemon. Musk, leading Tesla, SpaceX, and X, defended his use of the drug as good for investors, following earlier reports about his drug use. Tesla records a 0.6% pre-market increase, after a 6.3% gain on Monday, being the best-performing stock in the S&P 500 for the day. This increase followed Tesla‘s announcement that it would raise the list prices of the Model Y in the United States and Europe.
Fisker (NYSE:FSR) – Fisker announced on Monday a six-week pause in electric vehicle production and plans to raise up to $150 million in funding through the sale of convertible notes. The company seeks to resolve a cash crisis after missing an interest payment.
XPeng (NYSE:XPEV) – In the last quarter, XPeng announced an adjusted loss of 28 cents per American Depositary Share (ADS) with total revenue of $1.84 billion. The gross margin was 6.2%, lower than the previous year’s 8.7%, but an improvement compared to the -2.7% negative in the third quarter of 2023. XPeng‘s shares in the US register a 3.5% increase in pre-market trading.
Ford Motor (NYSE:F) – Regulators are investigating a fatal accident in Texas involving a Ford SUV that may have used assisted driving technology. The NHTSA has included the incident in its list of investigations, while Ford is actively cooperating.
Embraer (NYSE:ERJ) – Embraer anticipates an increase in aircraft deliveries in 2024, but supply chain challenges limit potential. CEO Francisco Gomes Neto estimates between 125 and 135 executive jets and 72 to 80 commercial planes.
Zscaler (NASDAQ:ZS) – Zscaler has acquired the Israeli AI data startup Avalor, strengthening its cloud security solutions. The $310 million deal reflects the pursuit of innovation and strategic alignment with investors.
Synopsys (NASDAQ:SNPS), SoundHound AI (NASDAQ:SOUN) – Synopsys registered a 2.92% increase in pre-market trading after announcing collaboration with Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) to streamline the chip design process and automotive prototyping through the application of artificial intelligence. Meanwhile, SoundHound AI saw a 2.55% increase after revealing a partnership with Nvidia to integrate an advanced voice assistant in vehicles.
Comtech Telecommunications (NASDAQ:CMTL) – Comtech Telecommunications‘ shares fell 9.8% in pre-market trading after a wider second-quarter loss per share and challenging business conditions. Sales were $134.2 million, while consolidated net bookings dropped to $141.8 million. The CEO expects a recovery in the third quarter.
Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) – Walt Disney received a crucial endorsement from Glass Lewis on Monday, urging shareholders to re-elect all company directors, supporting the current leadership amid a heated boardroom battle. The Glass Lewis recommendation was a setback for Trian Fund Management and Blackwells Capital, who argue for changes in the boardroom to rejuvenate the entertainment giant.
National CineMedia (NASDAQ:NCMI) – National CineMedia exceeded analysts’ expectations in the fourth quarter with earnings per share of 24 cents, above the forecasted 8 cents. Its revenue of $90.90 million was 12.08% higher than the analysts’ estimate of $81.10 million. Shares are up 24.2% in pre-market trading.
WW International (NASDAQ:WW) – WW International shares, formerly known as Weight Watchers, continued their pre-market recovery on Tuesday, driven by expectations surrounding an Oprah Winfrey TV special. Shares rose after the company predicted it would surpass its previous projections.
Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) – Starbucks announced a new global leadership structure on Monday, with Michael Conway appointed CEO of the North America region and Brady Brewer as CEO of Starbucks International. Conway, a partner at the company since 2013, will oversee teams in Asia-Pacific, EMEA, Japan, and international licensed partners, while Brewer will lead international operations. China will remain under regional co-CEOs Belinda Wong and Molly Liu.
Alibaba (NYSE:BABA) – Alibaba appointed Yan Xiaolei as the new CEO of Freshippo, replacing founder Hou Yi. Hou will retire but continue as a senior advisor. The change is part of Alibaba’s restructuring to regain growth and overcome regulatory challenges.
Kroger (NYSE:KR) – Kroger announced on Monday the definitive agreement to sell its specialty pharmacy business to CarelonRx, a unit of the American health insurer Elevance Health. Financial terms were not disclosed. The sale does not include other Kroger pharmacies.
UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) – UnitedHealth announced on Monday that it advanced over $2 billion in payments to help financially affected healthcare providers due to a cyberattack on its technology unit, Change Healthcare. The company also launched its medical billing software.
Pfizer (NYSE:PFE), Haleon (NYSE:HLN) – On Tuesday, Haleon‘s major shareholder, Pfizer, sold a stake of about $3.9 billion in the consumer health company, reducing its ownership to 22.6%. This is the first sale since Haleon was spun off from GSK and listed in 2022.
AstraZeneca (NASDAQ:AZN) – AstraZeneca announced it would acquire the biopharmaceutical company Fusion Pharmaceuticals for approximately $2 billion in cash, strengthening its focus on next-generation cancer treatments. This is AstraZeneca’s second deal this month, following the acquisition of Amolyt Pharma for $1.05 billion.
Novo Nordisk (NYSE:NVO) – The Novo Nordisk Foundation, the major shareholder of the Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk for obesity, plans to increase its donations outside Denmark, citing global health, climate, and environmental challenges. Most of its revenue already comes from abroad. Additionally, Novo Nordisk will collaborate with Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) to build a supercomputer in Denmark, boosting research in health, life sciences, and green transition. Partly funded by the foundation, it will be one of the world’s most advanced machines.
Acurx Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:ACXP) – Acurx Pharmaceuticals‘ shares declined 26.6% in pre-market trading following the announcement of an offering of common shares. The company, based in Staten Island, New York, plans to use the proceeds for clinical trials and research.
Augmedix (NASDAQ:AUGX) – Augmedix shares saw a 15.9% increase in pre-market trading, driven by fourth-quarter financial results that showed a smaller loss per share and higher revenues. The company develops software for medical documentation. During the fourth quarter, the company said, its operational cash consumption improved to $900,000, compared to $4.4 million in the same period last year. Augmedix reported a fourth-quarter loss per share of 9 cents on revenue of $12.6 million.
Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) – Stephanie Cohen, former global head of platform solutions at Goldman Sachs, left the bank on Monday, joining Cloudflare (NYSE:NET) as its first chief strategy officer. Her departure is the latest in a series of senior executives leaving Goldman.
Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) – Morgan Stanley raised its Brent oil price forecasts to $90 per barrel for the third quarter of 2024, citing tighter supply-demand balances due to OPEC+’s commitment and production restrictions on Russian oil following recent drone attacks on its refineries. The bank also reduced its supply forecast for OPEC and Russia by 0.2-0.3 million barrels per day for the second and third quarters, anticipating a modest deficit in the second quarter, increasing to a larger deficit in the third quarter.
Bank of America (NYSE:BAC) – Bank of America is reducing office space at its central district headquarters in Hong Kong, relocating employees to more accessible locations in Kowloon. Additionally, a Bank of America survey revealed that investors are increasing their exposure to stocks in Europe and emerging markets at the expense of the US and the tech sector. The optimism reflects the highest risk appetite since 2021.
UBS Group AG (NYSE:UBS) – UBS celebrates a year since the acquisition of Credit Suisse, a milestone that boosted its market capitalization above $100 billion, strengthening its global position in wealth management. The deal catalyzed immediate growth and leveraged its presence in the US.
Nomura Holdings (NYSE:NMR) – Nomura appointed Hemish Shah as head of flow rates for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, strengthening its wholesale operations in the region. Shah, formerly of Deutsche Bank, will report to Richard Volpe and Nat Tyce.
Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA) – Mastercard is expanding its reach in international remittances through a partnership with Alipay, offering near-instant transfers to consumers in their digital wallets. China, already a major recipient of remittances, is a key market in this global economic growth.
Robinhood Markets (NASDAQ:HOOD) – Robinhood now offers commission-free trading in the United Kingdom, with over 6,000 US stocks available. However, the addition of margin lending is temporarily suspended while the company continues discussions with the regulator.
DLocal (NASDAQ:DLO) – In the fourth quarter, DLocal reported earnings of 10 cents per share, falling short of analysts’ expectations of 15 cents. Additionally, the Uruguayan cross-border payments company announced the appointment of Mark Ortiz as its new chief financial officer, resulting in a 12.3% drop in shares in pre-market trading.
Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM) – Exxon Mobil‘s CEO Darren Woods stated on Monday that the company seeks to establish its rights over Hess’s assets in Guyana in its dispute with Chevron. Exxon seeks to confirm existing contractual rights but is not looking to acquire Hess.
US Steel (NYSE:X) – Nippon Steel plans to move its US headquarters to Pittsburgh if the acquisition of US Steel is completed, as part of its efforts to secure the deal. The proposed merger, facing resistance, includes employment and investment commitments.