Financial Wire

Top Midday Stories: Hormuz Strait Temporarily Open to Commercial Ships; Netflix Reports Strong Q1 Earnings, But Guidance Disappoints

-- All three major US stock indexes were up sharply in late-morning trading Friday, as Iran Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said on X that the Strait of Hormuz is completely open to commercial ships for the remaining period of the ceasefire between the US and Iran.

In company news, Netflix (NFLX) reported Q1 earnings late Thursday of $1.23 per diluted share, up from $0.66 a year earlier and above the FactSet consensus analyst estimate of $0.76. First-quarter revenue was $12.25 billion, up from $10.54 billion a year ago and above the FactSet consensus of $12.18 billion. For Q2, the company said it expects EPS of $0.78 on revenue of $12.57 billion. Analysts polled by FactSet expect $0.84 and $12.64 billion, respectively. The company also said Chairman and Co-founder Reed Hastings said he will not stand for re-election to the board when his term expires in June. Netflix shares were down 9.4% around midday.

Intel's (INTC) stock was up in morning trading Friday, touching $6.97 earlier, its highest level since August 2000. Intel shares were up 2.6%.

Alcoa (AA) reported Q1 adjusted earnings late Thursday of $1.40 per share, down from $2.15 a year earlier and below the FactSet consensus of $1.53. First-quarter revenue was $3.19 billion, down from $3.37 billion a year ago and below the FactSet consensus of $3.28 billion. Alcoa shares were down 7.5%.

Autoliv (ALV) reported Q1 adjusted earnings Friday of $2.05 per diluted share, down from $2.15 a year earlier but above the FactSet consensus of $1.83. First-quarter revenue was $2.75 billion, up from $2.58 billion a year ago and above the FactSet consensus of $2.62 billion. For full-year 2026, the company said it expects adjusted operating margin of about 10.5% to 11% and operating cash flow of around $1.2 billion. Autoliv shares were up 9.9%.

Truist Financial (TFC) reported Q1 earnings Friday of $1.09 per diluted share, up from $0.87 a year earlier and above the FactSet consensus of $1.00. First-quarter revenue was $5.15 billion, up from $4.90 billion a year ago but below the FactSet consensus of $5.16 billion. Truist shares were up 1.8%.

Fifth Third Bancorp (FITB) reported Q1 earnings Friday of $0.15 per diluted share, down from $0.71 a year earlier and compared to the FactSet consensus of a loss of $0.10. First-quarter revenue was $2.83 billion, up from $2.14 billion a year ago but below the FactSet consensus of $2.85 billion. For full-year 2026, Fifth Third said it expects net interest income of $8.7 billion to $8.8 billion and noninterest income of $4.0 billion to $4.2 billion. For Q2, the company said it expects net interest income of $2.20 billion to $2.25 billion and noninterest income of $1.00 billion to $1.06 billion. Fifth Third shares were up 1.8%.

Price: $97.13, Change: $-10.66, Percent Change: -9.89%

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Search Minerals Announces Junior Exploration Assistance Grant from Government of Newfoundland; Shares Up 37%

Search Minerals (SMY.V) on Friday said that it has been awarded a grant of $91,000 from the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador through the Mineral Incentive Program - Junior Exploration Assistance (JEA) Program."The JEA Program, a key initiative by the Department of Energy and Mines, aims to grow the mineral inventory of the province by supporting projects that advance discoveries toward National Instrument (NI) 43-101 compliant mineral resources," said the company.The company stated that the $91,000 award supported the company's 2025 exploration program at its Critical Rare Earth Element (CREE) district strategically located in southeastern Labrador.In a statement the company noted that, the funding supported "recent operational successes", including the completion of the Fox Run 2025 channel sampling program, which continues to define the high-grade potential of the 63-kilometre-long mineral belt."We are very appreciative of the continued support from the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador," said interim chief executive Jason Macintosh. "These funds are vital for our grassroots and advanced exploration efforts in the Port Hope Simpson - St. Lewis CREE District in southeastern Labrador, allowing us to maintain momentum as we advance our high-priority targets like Deep Fox and Foxtrot toward future production."The company's shares were last seen up $0.105 to $0.39 on the TSX Venture Exchange.Price: $0.39, Change: $+0.11, Percent Change: +36.84%

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Commodities

EMEA Natural Gas Update: Prices Slide as Hormuz Reopening Eases Supply Fears

European natural gas futures remained down in after-hours trading Friday, after an earlier sharp drop on word from both US President Donald Trump and Iranian officials that the Strait of Hormuz had reopened to commercial traffic.The front-month Dutch TTF contract declined 8.03% to 39.015 euros ($46.04) per megawatt-hour, while UK NBP futures fell 7.432% to 98.40 British pence ($1.33) per therm.Prices dipped below 39 euros/MWh, the lowest level since February, before the conflict in the Middle East began.The sell-off followed comments from Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who said the Strait of Hormuz remains fully open under current ceasefire conditions. The statement eased concerns about prolonged disruptions to one of the world's most critical energy transit routes and prompted traders to unwind risk premiums built up during the recent conflict.Remarks from Trump also contributed to market sentiment, as he suggested Iranian concessions could support broader diplomatic progress, though he noted that a US naval blockade would remain in place until negotiations are complete.At the peak of tensions, disruptions near the Strait of Hormuz affected roughly 20% of global LNG flows. The supply shock had pushed Asian import levels to multi-year lows, indirectly benefiting European buyers by reducing competition. With those risks now receding, traders are reassessing the supply outlook, Trading Economics said.Prices were further pressured by weaker demand fundamentals. Unseasonably warm weather and stronger wind power generation across parts of Europe have reduced reliance on gas-fired electricity.Lower prices may support inventory rebuilding ahead of winter as storage levels remain relatively low at 29.55% of capacity, compared with nearly 36% at the same time last year, according to Gas Infrastructure Europe.Concerns about summer energy supply persist. In a Thursday social media post, Atmospheric G2 noted limited precipitation and low snowpack in the Alps, raising the risk of reduced hydroelectric output that could tighten power markets during periods of extreme heat or drought.The US National Weather Service said on Apr. 9 that El Nino conditions are likely to develop by May-July 2026 and persist through the end of the year. Forecasters say this increases the chance of a hotter-than-normal summer, particularly across southern Europe, which could further influence energy demand and market volatility.

Australia

Market Chatter: Patrick Industries Said in Talks to Combine With LCI

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