Financial News

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GUIDANCE: (WDFC) WD-40 Expects Fiscal 2026 Revenue Range $630M-655M, vs. FactSet Est of $650.6M

Price: $222.53, Change: $+3.21, Percent Change: +1.46%

European Commission Unveils Updated Energy Market Reporting, Transparency Framework

The European Commission on Thursday published new rules to improve transparency and oversight in energy markets, with changes set to take effect from April 29, 2026.One set of rules introduces a delegated regulation covering inside information platforms and reporting mechanisms, detailing how entities submitting energy market data to the EU Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators are authorized.It also sets out procedures for withdrawing approvals and supervising these entities, aiming to ensure a clear and fair authorization framework.Another set of rules replaces the previous data reporting regulation, introducing updates to how energy market data is submitted to ACER to improve monitoring of wholesale markets.The changes aim to help detect potential market abuse while creating a balanced reporting framework that reduces administrative burden for market participants where possible.The rules will include a transition period after implementation, allowing companies and other stakeholders time to adjust to the updated reporting and compliance requirements.

Sectors1d ago

Sector Update: Financial Stocks Advance Late Afternoon

Financial stocks increased late Thursday afternoon, with the NYSE Financial Index adding 0.3% and the State Street Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLF) up 0.4%.The Philadelphia Housing Index was climbing 1.2%, and the State Street Real Estate Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLRE) rose 0.8%.Bitcoin (BTC-USD) rose 1.1% to $72,174, and the yield for 10-year US Treasuries was slightly lower at 4.29%.In economic news, US economic growth, measured by gross domestic product, was revised lower to a 0.5% increase in Q4 from a 0.7% gain in the second estimate, compared with estimates for no revision in a Bloomberg survey.US initial jobless claims rose to 219,000 in the week ended April 4 from an upwardly revised 203,000 in the previous week, compared with expectations for 210,000 in a Bloomberg poll.In corporate news, Ares Management (ARES) on Thursday agreed to acquire Whitestone REIT (WSR) in an all-cash deal worth about $1.7 billion. Ares shares were fractionally down, and Whitestone jumped nearly 12%.Carlyle (CG) will limit redemptions to 5% for its Tactical Private Credit Fund after receiving repurchase requests amounting to roughly 15.7% of shares outstanding, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing a shareholder letter. Carlyle shares were little changed.Goldman Sachs-backed (GS) Japanese taxi-hailing provider Go plans an initial public offering in 2026 that could raise between 50 billion yen ($314.5 million) and 80 billion yen, Bloomberg reported. Goldman shares shed 0.2%.TPG (TPG) has hired UBS (UBS) and Malayan Banking to help weigh options for Malaysian medical services provider Asia OneHealthcare, Bloomberg reported. TPG shares rose 1.2%, and UBS added 0.3%.

$ARES$CG$GS$TPG$UBS$WSR

Mining & Metals1d ago

KDA Group Names Martin Kirouac Chief Technology Officer of its GTK Unit

KDA Group (KDA.V) on Thursday said it appointed Martin Kirouac as chief technology officer for its subsidiary Groupe Technologique KDA (GTK), effective immediately.Chief Executive Jean-Marc Leveille said that Kirouac's expertise will support GTK as "we are at a critical juncture for the growth and implementation of the corporation's strategic commercialization plan. KDA is experiencing rapid growth and offers a range of technology platforms and services to pharmaceutical and healthcare companies. The corporation will become a key player in technologies and services for the healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors in Quebec, Canada, and internationally."Kirouac has more than 25 years of experience in information technology. He has spent the past decade in the healthcare sector, including work as a solutions architect at UnitedHealthcare. He is also deeply involved in expertise in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and generative AI, the company said.The company's shares closed unchanged at C$0.12 on the TSX Venture Exchange.

$KDA.V

Australia1d ago

Top Cryptocurrencies Rise; Bitcoin Tops $72,000

Major digital assets rose Thursday, with Bitcoin (BTC-USD) topping the $72,000 level.The CoinDesk Market Index, which tracks dozens of digital assets including Bitcoin, rose 0.8% in the past 24 hours. The Nasdaq 100 rose 0.8%, the S&P 500, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average increased 0.7%.Bitcoin rose 1.2% to $72,182, according to CoinMarketCap data. The most popular cryptocurrency's 24-hour trading volume declined 34.8% to $35.4 billion.Ethereum (ETH-USD), the second-largest digital asset by market value, climbed 0.5% to $2,219.XRP (XRP-USD) gained 0.6%, BNB (BNB-USD) added 0.7%, and Solana (SOL-USD) rose 1.2%. Dogecoin (DOGE-USD) climbed 0.8%, while Cardano (ADA-USD) advanced 1.3%.The US 10-year Treasury yield stood at 4.287% at 3 p.m. ET Thursday, down from 4.289% Wednesday, while the five-year yield fell to 3.911% from 3.918%.The total market value of the cryptocurrency industry rose 0.9% in the past 24 hours to $2.44 trillion, with trading volume gaining 1.2% to $148.22 billion.Price: $72198.57, Change: $+1104.81, Percent Change: +1.55%

$ADA-USD$BNB-USD$BTC-USD$DOGE-USD$ETH-USD$SOL-USD$XRP-USD

Sectors1d ago

Sector Update: Energy Stocks Decline Late Afternoon

Energy stocks were lower late Thursday afternoon, with the NYSE Energy Sector Index decreasing 0.5% and the State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLE) falling 1%.The Philadelphia Oil Service Sector Index was up 0.2%, and the Dow Jones US Utilities Index climbed 1%.In sector news, oil prices increased on Thursday as shipment activity through the Strait of Hormuz remained restricted despite a two-week ceasefire between Washington and Iran. The rebound in oil prices follows the sharpest one-day pullback since 2020 in the previous session as the US and Iran agreed to temporarily halt hostilities that had gripped the Middle East.Front-month West Texas Intermediate crude oil rose 5% to $99.24 a barrel, and the global benchmark Brent crude contract was advancing 2.5% to $97.12 a barrel.Henry Hub natural gas futures fell 1.5% to $2.68 per 1 million BTU.US natural gas stocks rose by 50 billion cubic feet in the week ended April 3, larger than the 48 billion increase expected in a survey compiled by Bloomberg as of 7:35 am ET and following a revised increase of 32 billion cubic feet in the previous week.In corporate news, Kosmos Energy (KOS) shares dropped 8.1% after Goldman Sachs downgraded the company's stock to sell from neutral, with a $2.25 price target.Chevron (CVX) expects higher commodity prices driven by the Middle East conflict to boost Q1 earnings in its upstream segment by up to $2.2 billion, though timing impacts could weigh on its bottom line. Its shares were down 1.2%.Exxon Mobil (XOM) is planning an overhaul in the spring and another at the end of the year at its Beaumont refinery in Texas, Reuters reported late Wednesday. Exxon shares shed 0.8%.Energy Vault (NRGV) shares gained 3% after it said Thursday it has agreed to buy a pipeline of battery energy storage system, or BESS, projects in Japan from a local company.

$CVX$KOS$NRGV$XOM

Mining & Metals1d ago

Solaris Secures EIA Technical Approval, Strengthens the Balance Sheet

Solaris Resources (SLS.TO, SLSR) on Thursday said it received the technical approval of the Environmental Impact Assessment for its Warintza Project in southeastern Ecuador.The EIA technical approval reflects a "comprehensive evaluation" of the project's environmental, engineering, and social management plans, including detailed analysis covering environmental baseline studies, water management, biodiversity protection, infrastructure design, geological understanding and community engagement frameworks, the company said in a statement.Following receipt of the EIA technical approval, the Warintza Project will advance through the remaining stages of Ecuador's environmental licensing and development approval process including the government-led Free, Prior and Informed Consultation (FPIC) process.Solaris said following the publication of the pre-feasibility study in November 2025 and the receipt of EIA technical approval, it has satisfied the conditions required to draw down the second tranche under its $200 million financing agreement with Royal Gold, which closed in May 2025. It enables the company to access $50 million in additional funding that further strengthens its balance sheet and provides additional financial flexibility to advance key development activities at Warintza."The EIA review involved rigorous technical evaluation and close collaboration with regulators over an extended period. Achieving this milestone significantly de-risks the project and reflects the strength of our environmental planning and responsible development approach. Importantly, this milestone also enables the company to access the second tranche of US$50 million under our financing agreement with RGLD Gold AG, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Royal Gold, further strengthening the balance sheet as we continue to advance key workstreams across permitting, infrastructure development and district scale exploration at Warintza" chief executive Matthew Rowlinson said,The third tranche of $50 million will become available on the first anniversary of the closing date, subject to completion of all filings necessary to fully perfect Royal Gold's security.Shares of the company were last seen up $0.53 to $13.04 on the Toronto Stock Exchange.Price: $13.00, Change: $+0.49, Percent Change: +3.92%

$SLS.TO$SLSR

Sectors1d ago

Sector Update: Tech Stocks Higher Late Afternoon

Tech stocks were higher late Thursday afternoon, with the State Street Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLK) up 0.2% and the State Street SPDR S&P Semiconductor ETF (XSD) adding 1.2%.The Philadelphia Semiconductor index climbed 1.9%.In corporate news, Microsoft-backed (MSFT) OpenAI said on X that it is offering a new ChatGPT Pro tier for $100 per month. Also, OpenAI expects to report $2.5 billion in ad revenue this year and $100 billion by 2030, Axios reported. Microsoft shares eased 0.3%.Applied Digital (APLD) shares dropped past 7% following its fiscal Q3 results.CoreWeave (CRWV) agreed to supply AI cloud capacity to Meta Platforms (META) in a $21 billion deal as they expanded their partnership amid robust demand for infrastructure supporting AI workloads. Meta was up 2.7%, and CoreWeave climbed 3.6%.Intel (INTC) and Alphabet's (GOOGL) Google have expanded a multiyear agreement to develop AI and cloud infrastructure using Xeon processors and custom infrastructure processing units, the companies said Thursday. Intel shares gained 4.5%, and Alphabet increased 0.5%.

$APLD$CRWV$GOOGL$INTC$META$MSFT

Sectors1d ago

Sector Update: Health Care Stocks Mixed Late Afternoon

Health care stocks were mixed late Thursday afternoon, with the NYSE Health Care Index adding 0.1% and the State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLV) easing 0.1%.The iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) increased 0.2%.In corporate news, STAAR Surgical (STAA) needs to show that the rebound in China is sustainable after the firm reported much higher preliminary Q1 net sales than consensus, Wedbush said in a note. Wedbush raised the company's price target to $26 from $21, while keeping its neutral rating. STAAR shares jumped 21%.Amazon.com's (AMZN) Amazon Pharmacy said Thursday it is offering Eli Lilly's (LLY) obesity pill Foundayo. Additionally, WW International (WW) said Thursday it is now offering access to Foundayo for weight loss through its Med+ program and affiliated medical groups. Lilly shares rose 0.4%.BridgeBio Pharma (BBIO) is transitioning from a single-asset transthyretin story into a diversified rare disease company, with growth poised to accelerate beyond its ATTR franchise, RBC Capital said in a note. RBC started coverage of the company with an outperform rating and a price target of $100. BridgeBio shares rose 2.7%.Vanda Pharmaceuticals (VNDA) said Thursday it is calling on the US Food and Drug Administration to withdraw a proposal in the regulator's fiscal 2027 Congressional Budget Justification that would extend drug review timelines. Vanda shares were down 0.3%.

$BBIO$LLY$STAA$VNDA

Japan1d ago

US Equity Indexes Rise on Hormuz Opening Speculation, Israel Planning Direct Lebanon Talks

US equity indexes traded up ahead of Thursday's close amid media reports that the Strait of Hormuz is open and Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tel Aviv will begin direct talks with Lebanon to disarm Hezbollah.The Nasdaq Composite rose 0.7% to 22,785.3, with the S&P 500 up 0.6% to 6,821.2 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average higher by 0.6% to 48,203.7, extending gains following a strong rally on Wednesday.UK's ITV network reported that Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh said the Strait of Hormuz is open. Any civilian vessel can pass with guidance from the Iranian authorities, Khatibzadeh told ITV. "Anybody who communicates with the Iranian authority has permission to pass."The two-week ceasefire appeared to be holding up as fewer strikes were reported across the Middle East on Thursday, CNN reported. Israel's attacks on Lebanon were the heaviest since the war started, killing more than 250 people and injuring hundreds on Wednesday, according to Reuters.Further, Netanyahu's proposal to begin talks with Lebanon to disarm Hezbollah, a militant group reportedly fighting as Iran's proxy, addressed concerns raised by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. Tel Aviv's strikes on Lebanon on Wednesday violated the truce deal and, more importantly, would render the upcoming US-Iran peace negotiations in Islamabad meaningless, Reuters cited Pezeshkian as saying.Netanyahu said Israel is planning direct negotiations with Lebanon to establish peaceful relations, but added there is no ceasefire in place as he pursues the talks, according to a CNN report.West Texas Intermediate crude oil futures advanced 4.8% to $99.24, after trading more than 7% higher earlier in the session. Brent crude futures rose 2.4% to $97.12, after climbing almost 5% intraday.

$^DJI$^IXIC$^SPX

Oil & Energy1d ago

Update: Market Chatter: Yanbu Port Loadings Persist After Attack on Key Saudi Pipeline

(Updated with Aramco's response in the eighth paragraph.)Crude shipments from Saudi Arabia's Yanbu port continued Thursday despite an attack on the 7 million barrels per day East-West pipeline, Reuters reported Thursday, citing three sources.Cargo loadings at the Red Sea terminal were continuing after the pipeline strike, with two buyers and one trading source indicating no immediate disruption to export operations.Iran carried out the attack shortly after a ceasefire agreement, targeting the pipeline that serves as Saudi Arabia's main alternative export route, an industry source told Reuters on Wednesday.The source said pipeline flows were expected to be disrupted, with authorities still evaluating the extent of the damage following the incident.Yanbu has become a critical outlet as the Strait of Hormuz faces effective closure, limiting shipments from the Gulf and shifting export reliance toward the Red Sea.Loadings at Yanbu averaged about 3.3 mmb/d in March, sharply higher than about 800,000 b/d in February, with the port capable of exporting up to 5 mmb/d, the report added, citing Kpler's data.Saudi Aramco is diverting about 2 mmb/d of crude flowing through the pipeline to supply its refineries in western Saudi Arabia, according to the report.Aramco declined to comment on' request.(Market Chatter news is derived from conversations with market professionals globally. This information is believed to be from reliable sources but may include rumor and speculation. Accuracy is not guaranteed.)

Australia1d ago

Market Chatter: Blackstone Unit Lends $226 Million for US Outdoor Storage Portfolio

Blackstone's (BX) real estate debt strategies unit has provided a $226 million loan for a group of industrial outdoor storage facilities in the US Sunbelt, Bloomberg reported Thursday, citing JLL Capital Markets.The portfolio includes 46 properties across 15 states, according to JLL, which arranged the financing for the landlord, JIOS, the report said.Blackstone did not immediately respond to a request for comment from.(Market Chatter news is derived from conversations with market professionals globally. This information is believed to be from reliable sources but may include rumor and speculation. Accuracy is not guaranteed.)Price: $116.92, Change: $-0.75, Percent Change: -0.64%

$BX

Sectors1d ago

Sector Update: Consumer Stocks Rise Late Afternoon

Consumer stocks were higher late Thursday afternoon, with the State Street Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLP) increasing 0.8% and the State Street Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLY) rising 1.6%.In corporate news, Netflix (NFLX) may outperform its own guidance for the full year as the impact of earlier-than-expected price increases takes hold, UBS Securities said in a note emailed Thursday. Netflix shares were up 2.8%.Brown-Forman (BF.A, BF.B) was approached by Sazerac about a potential transaction amid ongoing talks with French spirits company Pernod Ricard, The Wall Street Journal reported. Brown-Forman Class A and Class B shares jumped 11% and 13% respectively.StubHub (STUB) will pay $10 million to settle US Federal Trade Commission charges that it deceptively advertised ticket prices by failing to disclose mandatory fees upfront, the agency said. StubHub shares fell 2.8%.Constellation Brands (STZ) shares climbed past 8% after the company reported late Wednesday fiscal Q4 non-GAAP net income and revenue that beat analysts' expectations.

$BF.A$BF.B$NFLX$STUB$STZ

Sectors1d ago

Sector Update: Energy

$KOS

US Markets1d ago

Fourth-Quarter GDP Growth Unexpectedly Revised Lower Amid Weaker Consumer Spending

The US economy expanded at a slower rate in the fourth quarter than previously projected, as consumer spending growth decelerated, the Bureau of Economic Analysis' third estimate showed Thursday.Real gross domestic product increased at a 0.5% annualized rate in the December quarter, down from the 0.7% growth reported in the second estimate. The consensus was for the growth rate to be left unrevised in a survey compiled by Bloomberg.The final reading marks the slowest growth rate in three quarters and follows a 4.4% expansion in the previous quarter, according to government data. The report was delayed due to last year's US federal government shutdown.Growth in consumer spending -- as measured by personal consumption expenditures -- was revised to 1.9% from the 2% rate previously reported, which Wall Street also expected would not change."The downward revision to (fourth-quarter) GDP is not a major concern, as it was driven by the volatile inventory component," Oxford Economics Chief US Economist Michael Pearce said in remarks e-mailed to. "Gross domestic income -- a better gauge of underlying activity -- and gross domestic output of private business showed the core of the economy was still expanding at a healthy pace at the end of last year."Fourth-quarter headline PCE inflation growth was left unchanged at 2.9%. Core PCE inflation -- which excludes the volatile food and energy components -- was also unrevised at 2.7%, official data showed.In 2025, real GDP grew 2.1%, the same rate as previously forecast, according to the report.The BEA said in a separate report Thursday that US inflation accelerated sequentially in February as real consumer spending edged higher. Analysts expect price pressures to intensify due to the spillover effects of the Middle East conflict.

Commodities1d ago

US Biofuels Update: Futures Closed Higher on USDA Report

Biofuels feedstock futures closed higher on Thursday, supported by a strong soybean oil market and a neutral-to-bullish US Department of Agriculture report.The Chicago Board of Trade May soybean futures contract closed 0.28% higher at $11.65 per bushel, while the CBOT May soybean oil futures contract settled 0.42% higher at 67.70 cents per pound.On Wednesday, the May ethanol futures contract on the Nymex ended 1.76% lower at $1.95 per gallon.On Thursday, the USDA reported sales of 136,000 metric tons of corn for delivery to South Korea during the 2025-2026 marketing year.Ethanol makers will use 5.6 billion bushels of corn in the 2025-2026 marketing year that started on Sept. 1, the USDA said in a monthly report Thursday. That's unchanged from the March outlook for 5.6 billion bushels.Total US corn use for 2025-2026 is forecast at 16.47 billion bushels. That's equal to last month's outlook.USDA estimated 350 million bushels of US ending soybean stocks for 2025-2026, unchanged from March and within pre-report expectations. USDA held their demand estimate for the season steady at 4.262 bb, cutting exports by 35 mb but offsetting with increased crush.Biodiesel makers will use 14 billion pounds of soybean oil in the 2025-2026 marketing year that started Oct. 1. That's unchanged from the March outlook, and higher than the 11.8 billion pounds used in the 2024/2025 marketing year.The USDA estimated US soybean oil 2025/2026 ending stocks at 1.84 billion pounds, compared with 1.78 billion in March.

Sectors1d ago

Sector Update: Financial

Financial stocks were advancing in late Thursday afternoon trading, with the NYSE Financial Index adding 0.4% and the State Street Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLF) up 0.3%.The Philadelphia Housing Index was climbing 1.3%, and the State Street Real Estate Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLRE) rose 0.9%.Bitcoin (BTC-USD) rose 1% to $71,832, and the yield for 10-year US Treasuries was slightly lower at 4.29%.In corporate news, TPG (TPG) has hired UBS (UBS) and Malayan Banking to help weigh options for Malaysian medical services provider Asia OneHealthcare, Bloomberg reported. TPG shares were down 0.2%, and UBS added 0.2%.

$TPG

Commodities1d ago

UK to Invest $510.5 Million in Somerset Gigafactory to Boost EV Supply

The UK has unveiled a 380 million British pounds ($510.5 million) grant to support the construction of one of Europe's largest electric-vehicle battery plants, to boost domestic battery manufacturing and reduce reliance on imports, the Department for Business said on Thursday.Peter Kyle, UK Business Secretary, announced the grant for battery maker Agratas to build a gigafactory in Somerset, part of a broader push under the country's Modern Industrial Strategy to bolster advanced manufacturing.The gigafactory is projected to generate about 43 billion British pounds in economic output over 25 years and reduce the UK's reliance on imported batteries.The facility will supply battery cells to Jaguar Land Rover, a key customer, as Britain races to scale up electric vehicle production.The project, which forms part of more than 700 million British pounds in total investment, is projected to support about 4,200 direct jobs and thousands more across the supply chain.The investment comes as the UK seeks to position itself as a competitive hub for battery manufacturing, with ministers citing more than 360 billion British pounds in private investment secured since the launch of the industrial strategy, supporting up to 120,000 jobs.Together with the Agratas funding, the UK government outlined additional support measures for the automotive and manufacturing sectors.The measures include 47 million British pounds for battery research and development, and 190 million British pounds to boost the automotive industry's transition to electrification.Car manufacturers, including Nissan and Jaguar Land Rover, will receive a combined 90 million British pounds under the DRIVE35 program to advance prototype development and new technologies aimed at lowering EV costs.Suppliers in key manufacturing regions such as northeast England and the West Midlands will also be eligible for 100 million British pounds in grants to support the transition to electric vehicle production.

Sectors1d ago

Sector Update: Health Care

$STAA

Sectors1d ago

Sector Update: Tech

Tech stocks were mixed Thursday afternoon, with the State Street Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLK) fractionally lower and the State Street SPDR S&P Semiconductor ETF (XSD) adding 1.2%.The Philadelphia Semiconductor index climbed 1.9%.In corporate news, Microsoft-backed (MSFT) OpenAI said on X that it is offering a new ChatGPT Pro tier for $100 per month. Also, OpenAI expects to report $2.5 billion in ad revenue this year and $100 billion by 2030, Axios reported. Microsoft shares were down 0.5%.

$MSFT