-- Tech stocks were higher Friday afternoon, with the State Street Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLK) rising 1.5% and the State Street SPDR S&P Semiconductor ETF (XSD) gaining 2.6%.
The Philadelphia Semiconductor index added 2%.
In corporate news, Apple (AAPL) recorded a 20% year-over-year increase in smartphone shipments in China during Q1 to become the second-largest seller in the country, Counterpoint Research said Friday. Apple shares climbed 2.9%.
Chevron (CVX), Exxon Mobil (XOM) and other major oil companies received backing from the US Supreme Court on Friday as the court ruled that lawsuits filed by Louisiana officials accusing them of harming the state's coastal areas should be transferred out of the state courts and into federal court, according to a court document.The court issued an 8-0 ruling in a case brought by Plaquemines and Cameron parishes -- one of the 42 lawsuits filed in 2013 by several Louisiana coastal parishes and the state's attorney general seeking billions of dollars from energy firms to cover restoration and remediation costs.The parishes alleged the companies violated state law by failing to secure required coastal use permits, leading to environmental damage along the coastline.In an emailed statement to, Chevron applauded the Supreme Court's decision and said the plaintiffs' claims are "flawed as a matter of both state law and federal law" and it "looks forward to litigating these cases in federal court, where they belong."Shares of Chevron and Exxon Mobil were down 2.4% and 3.7%, respectively, in Friday afternoon trading.Price: $183.67, Change: $-4.48, Percent Change: -2.38%
Allied Strategic Resource (ASR.CN) on Friday said that it plans to change its name to "Americas Uranium Corp." from "Allied Strategic Resource Corp." and begin trading on the Canadian Securities Exchange under the new name at the market open on April 22, 2026.The company said that, concurrently with the name change, it will also change its stock symbol to "NUCA" on the CSE."The name change to Americas Uranium Corp. reflects our clear vision to build a focused uranium company at a time of increasing global demand for nuclear energy," said Nicholas Luksha, Chief Executive Officer. "It underscores our commitment to identifying and advancing high-quality uranium opportunities, not only in established jurisdictions such as the Athabasca basin, but across North and South America as we continue to execute on our growth strategy."Shares were last seen up $0.085 or near 38% at $0.31 on the Canadian Securities Exchange.