Fortnite’s back: Alphabet’s Google loosens Play Store billing and cuts Android fees
Google will allow Android app developers to use their own billing systems and reduce fees, following
Needham lifts Lumentum (LITE) target to $850 as Nvidia optics bet widens
Needham raised its price target on Lumentum to $850, citing Nvidia’s new multiyear laser purchase commitment and $2 billion investment. Lumentum shares fell about 2% to $680.80 in late trading. The Nvidia
Australian stock market today: ASX 200 futures hint at a bounce as RBA decision nears
The S&P/ASX 200 fell 1.94% to 8,901.2 on Wednesday, with BHP down 3.5% and Paladin dropping 8.4%. ASX 200 futures rose 0.3%
New Zealand puts Kimberly-Clark’s Kenvue takeover under review — the March 17 deadline to watch
New Zealand’s Commerce Commission has launched a competition review of Kimberly-Clark’s planned acquisition of Kenvue, with a decision expected by April 28.
BAE Systems share price rises: buyback update and Iran conflict keep BAES.L in focus
BAE Systems shares rose 1.1% to 2,245 pence by 0919 GMT after disclosing the repurchase of 98,810 shares at a VWAP of
Lynas Rare Earths share price dips after Malaysia licence decision — what investors watch next
Lynas Rare Earths shares fell 0.7% to A$18.91 after Malaysia renewed its operating licence to 2036 but required the company to stop
Northern Star Resources share price drops after ex-dividend hit; ASX:NST traders eye gold and April update
Northern Star Resources closed down 2.5% at A$29.93 after trading ex-dividend for a 25-cent interim payout. The ASX 200 fell 1.9% as war and rate concerns hit sentiment. Spot gold rose 1.4% to $5,157 an ounce after recent swings. Northern Star’s next production update is scheduled for April 22.
FuboTV stock gets a fresh ‘Hold’ call: $3.33 target, insider sale and a looming reverse split
Analysts maintained a “Hold” rating on fuboTV with a $3.33 average price target, MarketBeat reported Monday. Shares traded near $1.20 Tuesday, close
Evolution Metals (EMAT) stock dips in premarket after Monday’s 27% spike — what to watch next
Evolution Metals & Technologies Corp. (EMAT) shares fell 3.2% to $9.84 in premarket trading Tuesday, after surging 27.5% to $10.16 Monday. The
GOOG stock price drops as oil spikes on Middle East conflict; what to watch for Alphabet next
Alphabet’s Class C shares fell 2.4% to $304.06 Monday as oil surged over 8% on renewed Middle East tensions, sending volatility to
BWIN stock dips in premarket as Baldwin Insurance tees up Raymond James talk after buyback plan
Baldwin Insurance Group shares slipped 0.9% to $23.02 in early premarket trading Monday, after jumping 25.6% Friday on earnings and a $250
Circle Internet Group stock jumps again as rates drive the USDC story
New York, March 4, 2026, 18:41 EST Circle Internet Group, Inc. shares rose 5.7% on Wednesday to close at $105.27, their third straight day of gains. The stock is up about 10% since Monday’s close. (StockAnalysis) Mizuho Securities lifted its target price on the stock to $100 from $90 and kept a neutral rating, tying the call to the risk that higher oil prices keep inflation sticky. “Rising oil prices could drive up inflation, lowering the odds of rate cuts,” analyst Dan Dolev said, while CEO Jeremy Allaire described the quarter as “another step forward” for the company. (TheStreet) The
Oracle joins White House power pledge for AI data centers as Oracle earnings near
Oracle signed a White House pledge to cover power costs for new AI data centers, joining Google, Microsoft, and Amazon. The agreement aims to prevent rising household electricity bills as data-center construction accelerates. Oracle will report quarterly results on March 10, with investors focused on cloud spending. The pledge is voluntary and lacks enforcement provisions.
Western Digital says AI video boom could lift hard-drive pricing into 2026
Western Digital says top cloud customers have locked in 2026 purchase orders, with some extending to 2028. The company expects mid- to high-single-digit price-per-terabyte gains next year. CEO Irving Tan cited AI video workloads driving sharply higher storage demand. Shares rose about 4% Wednesday; director Martin I. Cole sold 6,000 shares March 2.
Fortnite’s back: Alphabet’s Google loosens Play Store billing and cuts Android fees
Google will allow Android app developers to use their own billing systems and reduce fees, following a settlement with Epic Games that could return Fortnite to the Play Store after five years. The agreement, filed in San Francisco federal court, awaits a judge’s approval with a hearing set for April 9. Google plans to lower its standard in-app purchase fee to 20% and subscription fee to 10%, phasing in changes through 2027.
Needham lifts Lumentum (LITE) target to $850 as Nvidia optics bet widens
Needham raised its price target on Lumentum to $850, citing Nvidia’s new multiyear laser purchase commitment and $2 billion investment. Lumentum shares fell about 2% to $680.80 in late trading. The Nvidia deal may support a fifth U.S. laser plant by 2028, pending regulatory approval.
Morgan Stanley layoffs: Wall Street bank cuts 2,500 jobs across all divisions
Morgan Stanley has cut about 2,500 jobs across all divisions, roughly 3% of its workforce, according to the Wall Street Journal. The layoffs began last week and peaked Wednesday. The bank did not immediately comment, and Reuters could not independently verify the report. Roles affected include private bankers, back-office staff, and some mortgage-related positions.
Strategy Inc surges with bitcoin above $72,000 as latest filing details fresh buys
Strategy Inc shares jumped about 10% Wednesday as bitcoin topped $72,000. The company disclosed it bought 3,015 bitcoin for $204 million, bringing total holdings to 720,737. Strategy also raised its STRC preferred stock dividend rate for March to 11.50%. The firm sold over 1.7 million common shares and 71,590 preferred shares in the latest period.
Meta signs White House power pledge as AI data centers put U.S. electricity bills in focus
Meta, Amazon, Google, Microsoft, OpenAI, Oracle, and xAI signed a White House pledge to cover new power and grid costs for data centers, aiming to prevent higher household electricity bills. The Trump administration announced the agreement as AI-driven data center expansion faces local opposition and scrutiny over energy use. Critics say the voluntary pledge may be difficult to enforce and may not address power supply delays.
Gold price today rebounds above $5,100 as Iran war keeps safe-haven demand alive
Gold rose 0.7% to $5,120.71 an ounce Wednesday as the Middle East conflict escalated and the dollar eased. Oil prices jumped over 8% after Iran said the Strait of Hormuz was closed. U.S. ISM services PMI hit 56.1 in February, while ADP reported a 63,000 rise in private payrolls. The Federal Reserve is expected to hold rates steady at its March meeting.
Wall Street snaps back: Nasdaq leads as Iran diplomacy talk cools oil fears
Nasdaq rose 1.29% and S&P 500 gained 0.78% Wednesday after reports Iran may be open to talks and the White House moved to limit oil-market disruption. Investors weighed Middle East war risks against strong U.S. economic data. Fed officials gave mixed signals on whether oil-driven inflation could delay rate cuts.
Broadcom stock after earnings: AI chip outlook tops estimates, buyback in focus
Broadcom shares rose 1.1% to $317.53 in after-hours trading after forecasting second-quarter revenue of about $22 billion, topping analyst estimates. First-quarter revenue climbed 29% to a record $19.31 billion, with AI chip sales up 106% year-on-year to $8.4 billion. The company authorized a new $10 billion share buyback and kept its dividend unchanged. Investors await further details on margins and AI demand in the earnings call.
Amazon stock price jumps after $427 million Virginia campus buy puts AI data centers back in view
Amazon shares rose 3.9% to $216.77 in after-hours trading Wednesday after announcing a $427 million purchase of George Washington University’s Virginia Science and Technology campus in Ashburn for new data-center capacity. The company faces zoning hurdles and local power constraints for the site. Investors await Friday’s U.S. jobs report as Amazon projects $200 billion in 2026 capital expenditures.
SoFi Technologies’ Mastercard stablecoin deal puts SoFiUSD settlement in focus as CEO buys $1 million of SOFI stock
SoFi will partner with Mastercard to settle card payments using its SoFiUSD stablecoin, the companies said Tuesday. CEO Anthony Noto bought 56,000 shares for about $1 million, according to a regulatory filing. SoFi shares rose 0.8% to $18.75, while Mastercard slipped 0.1% on Wednesday. SoFiUSD is issued by SoFi Bank and backed one-for-one by cash.
Micron stock jumps 6% as AI server memory push sharpens focus on March 18 earnings
Micron shares rose 5.6% to $400.78 Wednesday, rebounding after Tuesday’s 8% drop. The company began shipping samples of a new 256GB low-power server memory module aimed at AI data centers. Wall Street remains divided on how long tight memory pricing will last ahead of Micron’s March 18 results. The stock remains below its Jan. 30 high of $455.50.
Battalion Oil Corporation taps new investor for $15 million at $5.50 as BATL stock swings
Battalion Oil Corporation said it will raise about $15 million in a private placement at $5.50 per share, with net proceeds of $14.1 million expected. The unnamed institutional investor deal is set to close March 4. Shares surged to $29.70 Tuesday before falling 33% to $18.58 Wednesday. The company recently sold West Quito Draw assets for $60.1 million.
WBD stock slips as Fitch downgrade clouds Paramount’s $31 buyout — what to watch next
Warner Bros. Discovery shares fell 0.6% to $28.02 Wednesday, staying below Paramount’s $31-a-share cash offer after Fitch cut Paramount’s credit rating to junk. FCC Chair Brendan Carr indicated a fast review of the deal, but political and market concerns remain over debt and media consolidation.
Ross Stores (ROST) stock jumps nearly 7% as spring outlook, buyback plan draw buyers
Ross Stores shares rose 6.9% to $211.35 Wednesday after reporting fourth-quarter sales up 12% to $6.6 billion and earnings per share of $2.00, both above guidance. Comparable store sales climbed 9%, and the company launched a $2.55 billion share buyback and raised its dividend. Executives cited strong traffic and broad gains across categories. Ross forecast 7%–8% comparable growth for the current quarter ending May 2.
Western Digital stock jumps as CEO flags hyperscaler orders through 2028
Western Digital shares jumped 6.3% to $266.36 Wednesday afternoon, rebounding with storage peers after executives cited longer cloud customer order commitments and a firmer price outlook. CEO Irving Tan said top hyperscale clients have placed orders through 2028. Traders are watching Friday’s U.S. jobs report and the Fed’s March meeting for signals on rates and risk appetite.
Hilton takes over ex-Palazzo Versace on Australia’s Gold Coast — LXR brand lands in 2027
Hilton signed a deal to manage and rebrand the former Palazzo Versace hotel on Australia’s Gold Coast under its LXR luxury label, with reopening set for 2027 after renovations begin in coming months. The hotel, currently trading as The Imperial, will remain open during the overhaul. Hilton shares were down 0.3% at $305.05 in New York afternoon trading. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Exelon stock price today: EXC edges higher as KeyBanc lifts target; yields and dividend in focus
Exelon shares rose 0.7% to $49.31 in Wednesday afternoon trading after a session range of $48.65 to $49.32. The company declared a $0.42 per share dividend, payable March 13. KeyBanc raised its price target to $44 but kept an Underweight rating. The 10-year U.S. Treasury yield climbed to 4.082%.
ServiceNow stock rises as CEO share-buy filing lands and Morgan Stanley chat nears
ServiceNow shares climbed 1.3% to $114.66 Wednesday afternoon, rebounding after weeks of losses but still 46% below last July’s high. CEO William McDermott bought nearly $3 million in shares last week, according to an SEC filing. The company recently expanded its buyback authorization by $5 billion. McDermott is scheduled to speak at a Morgan Stanley conference later Wednesday.
IREN Limited stock jumps as bitcoin rallies; crypto miners back in play
IREN shares jumped 12% to $43.59 on Wednesday as bitcoin surged about 7% near $73,700. Trading volume in IREN topped 25.8 million shares. Marathon Digital and Riot Platforms also rose, gaining about 7% and 7.5% respectively. The moves followed a volatile stretch for crypto-linked stocks.
Cisco stock (CSCO) rises as Splunk lands a telecom win and investors eye the next readout
Cisco shares rose 2.1% to $80.64 in afternoon trading Wednesday after announcing TPG Telecom will use Splunk software to upgrade security and operations across Australia. The move comes as Cisco highlights AI and security offerings at industry events and ahead of management’s appearance at a Morgan Stanley tech conference Thursday.
AST SpaceMobile stock jumps after Telus signs Canada satellite-to-phone deal, takes equity stake
TELUS will take an equity stake in AST SpaceMobile and invest in ground infrastructure to support satellite-to-phone service across Canada, the companies said Wednesday. AST shares rose about 12% after the announcement. Service is planned for late 2026 using standard smartphones and low-Earth-orbit satellites. AST reported Q4 revenue of $54.3 million and a net loss of $74 million.
US stock market today: S&P 500, Nasdaq climb on ADP jobs, ISM services; Beige Book next
U.S. stocks rebounded Wednesday afternoon, with the S&P 500 up 0.9% and Nasdaq gaining 1.5% by 1:41 p.m. ET, led by tech shares. ADP reported 63,000 private jobs added in February, while ISM services PMI hit 56.1, its highest since July 2022. U.S. crude inventories rose by 3.475 million barrels. The Fed Beige Book is due at 2 p.m. ET.