Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) – In the first quarter of 2024, Apple’s smartphone shipments fell by 10%, challenged by Android competitors. Samsung led with a 20.8% market share, reversing Apple’s position. Apple sold 50.1 million iPhones, down by 5.3 million from the previous year. Sales in China declined by 2.1%. Recently, the stock market reacted to the lack of vision for future growth from Apple. This year, the stocks have been punished, but a revamp of its Mac computer line focusing on artificial intelligence resulted in a 4.3% increase in its shares and added $112 billion to its market value. Apple’s ability to fulfill its growth promises will be crucial to sustain this recovery. Investors are closely watching the integration of AI into its products, especially in the iPhone. Additionally, on Friday, Apple refuted claims by Epic Games of violating a court order on the App Store. Apple argues that Epic is seeking profit by trying to control Apple’s business operations. Moreover, Apple’s CEO, Tim Cook, will announce an increase in investments in Vietnam during his visit to Hanoi. The company plans to increase spending on suppliers and support local initiatives for drinking water in schools.
Salesforce (NYSE:CRM), Informatica Inc (NYSE:INFA) – Salesforce is negotiating to acquire Informatica, a data management services developer, in a potential deal below Informatica’s market price of $38.48 per share. Informatica is majorly controlled by Permira and CPPIB. The transaction would be Salesforce’s biggest deal since acquiring Slack in 2020.
Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) – Microsoft faces challenges with its own cybersecurity protection. Recent hacks have exposed vulnerabilities in its infrastructure, leading to criticism and a commitment to reform. The company is prioritizing measures such as quick vulnerability patches and multi-factor authentication, but critics question its motivation and effectiveness.
Rubrik – The cloud and data security startup Rubrik, backed by Microsoft, plans to raise up to $713 million in an initial public offering. The company intends to sell 23 million shares priced between $28 and $31 each.
Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) – Since Meta blocked news links in Canada last August, Jeff Ballingall, a right-wing meme producer, noted an increase in clicks on his Canada Proud page on Facebook. The block has led to profound changes in how Canadians interact with political information.
Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL) – Alphabet, the parent company of Google, will temporarily remove news links in California for some users while it studies proposed legislation that would require payment for content. The test aims to explore the impact of the legislation, which Google considers uncertain and detrimental to the local news industry.
Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) – A former Amazon software engineer was sentenced to three years in prison for hacking decentralized finance platforms and stealing millions in cryptocurrencies. Shakeeb Ahmed, 34, exploited flaws in smart contracts to profit fraudulently before being sentenced by Judge Victor Marrero.
Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) – US Republican lawmakers criticized the Biden administration after sanctioned Chinese company Huawei launched a laptop with an Intel AI chip. Despite the 2019 sanctions for violations related to Iran, Intel provided the chip under a special license expiring this year.
Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) – Tesla is exploring locations for showrooms in New Delhi and Mumbai ahead of its sales launch in India later this year. The company plans to start with showrooms and service centers in each city, seeking to expand into new markets while facing challenges in the US and China. In the US and Canada, Tesla reduced the prices of its Full Self-Driving (FSD) subscriptions last Friday to boost adoption, now costing $99 per month in the US and C$99 ($71.88) in Canada.
Nio (NYSE:NIO) – The founder of Nio, a Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer, defended the opening of automotive markets to fair and free competition in a speech in the US, citing Tesla’s success in China. He highlighted competition as a growth driver and criticized protectionist policies. The tension between China and the West over exports of Chinese EVs was also addressed.
CarMax (NYSE:KMX) – CarMax launched a $1.25 billion bond sale shortly after falling short of analysts’ fourth-quarter earnings forecasts. The potential offering, structured by Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, could reach $1.6 billion.
Spirit AeroSystems (NYSE:SPR), Boeing (NYSE:BA) – Spirit AeroSystems, a major supplier to Boeing, is reducing overtime and hiring due to a production drop of the 737 MAX jet. The production has been affected by intensified regulatory checks and a slowdown on the assembly line in Seattle, resulting in deliveries halved in March.
US Steel (NYSE:X) – US Steel, an American company, approved with 98% of votes a $14.9 billion acquisition proposal by Japan’s Nippon Steel. The offer of $55 per share faces growing political opposition in the US and regulatory concerns, even after Nippon promised to maintain jobs and honor existing agreements.
BP Plc (NYSE:BP) – The state-owned oil company of the United Arab Emirates considered acquiring BP, but preliminary discussions did not progress. BP, valued at $110.3 billion, faces challenges including reducing fossil fuel production and shifting to renewable energies. The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) is seeking to expand internationally.
Paramount Global (NASDAQ:PARA) – The hedge fund Barington Capital pressured Paramount Global to end its exclusive talks with Skydance Media. Barington, holding 325,000 shares of Paramount, argued that exploring other bidders would benefit all shareholders, concerned about a deal favoring controlling shareholder Shari Redstone.
Roku (NASDAQ:ROKU) – Roku revealed a second cyberattack affecting 576,000 accounts, adding to the 15,000 previously affected. No sensitive information was compromised. The company identified unauthorized purchases in fewer than 400 cases and implemented two-factor authentication to bolster security.
Kraft Heinz (NASDAQ:KHC) – Kraft Heinz revived the Barbie fever with the launch of “Barbiecue,” a partnership with Mattel (NASDAQ:MAT). The pink condiment, labeled as “Heinz Vegan Mayo with barbecue sauce,” evokes a backyard barbecue. The product will be available in the UK and Spain, with plans for global expansion.
McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) – The wage increase for fast-food workers in California led McDonald’s to reintroduce bagel sandwiches and invest $15 million in local advertising to boost sales. Franchisees, concerned about costs, received support from the company to face the new wage legislation.
United Natural Foods (NYSE:UNFI) – JPMorgan Chase is exploring refinancing the outstanding debt of United Natural Foods, aiming for a loan of at least $600 million to replace the current maturity in October of the next year.
Grifols (NASDAQ:GRFS) – The Spanish pharmaceutical company Grifols plans to add independent administrators to its audit and compensation committees to strengthen its governance, after a drop in share price. Denying accusations of overstating profits, the company aims to simplify its market communication and meet its debt payments by 2025.
Medical Properties Trust (NYSE:MPW) – Shares of Medical Properties Trust surged over 15% before market opening on Monday, following the sale of hospital properties in Utah for $886 million. MPT will retain a 25% stake in the venture. The transactions generated $1.1 billion, aiming to reduce debts and for corporate purposes.
JPMorgan Chase (NYSE:JPM) – Vedanta Ltd. (NYSE:VEDL) hired JPMorgan Chase & Co. to facilitate raising 300 million dollars (25 billion rupees) through rupee-denominated bonds, targeting global private credit investors. The funds would support its commercial operations, with an estimated maturity of three to five years.
BlackRock (NYSE:BLK) – BlackRock reached a record $10.5 trillion in assets in the first quarter, with a 36% increase in profit, boosted by rising global stock markets. This uplift in the markets improved its advisory and investment management fees, as announced by the world’s largest asset manager.
UBS Group AG (NYSE:UBS) – The stricter capital requirements proposed by the Swiss government will affect UBS’s growth capacity, according to Finance Minister Karin Keller-Sutter. The Swiss bank will need to hold more capital if the regulatory package, aimed at preventing collapses like that of Credit Suisse, is implemented.
New York Community Bancorp (NYSE:NYCB) – NYCB appointed Craig Gifford as the new CFO, succeeding John Pinto, in an attempt to rebuild investor confidence following financial troubles. Other appointments include Bao Nguyen as general counsel. Shares have fallen 72% this year, but the bank raised $1 billion from investors, including Steven Mnuchin.
Coinbase Global (NASDAQ:COIN) – On Friday, Coinbase requested two courts for permission to appeal part of its ongoing case with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), seeking to accelerate the trial over whether digital assets are considered investment contracts.