By Marcus Devlin
Two decades covering equity markets. Writes on single stocks, sectors, valuations and the trades behind the tape.
Oil Jumps 9.7% as Trump Reinstates Hormuz Blockade, Tech Stocks Slip
Oil prices spiked and US stocks fell after President Trump said the US is reinstating a naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz and floated a
Jack Daniel's Maker Brown-Forman Begins CEO Search After Rejection of $15 Billion Takeover Bid
Brown-Forman, the spirits company behind Jack Daniel's, has started a CEO search after Lawson Whiting announced his retirement. The transiti
S&P 500 Earnings Growth Target of 23.6% Sets High Bar as Bank Results and Oil Spike Loom
Wall Street heads into second-quarter earnings season with expectations at multi-quarter highs. Major banks report Tuesday, while rising oil
Thomson Reuters Cuts Engineering Roles, Plans 250+ AI Hires in Two-Year Shift
Thomson Reuters is cutting a small number of engineering roles as it pushes AI deeper into its products. The company plans more than 250 net
12 State AGs Sue to Block $110B Paramount-Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery Merger
A coalition of 12 state attorneys general, led by California AG Rob Bonta, has sued to block the proposed $110 billion merger between Paramo
Appeals Court Revives Tylenol Autism Lawsuits, Kenvue Shares Dip
A federal appeals court revived lawsuits alleging Kenvue didn't properly warn that taking Tylenol during pregnancy could be linked to autism
Bank M&A Buzz Lifts US Financials, But Rising Yields Cap Gains
US financial stocks edged higher as bank deal headlines boosted sentiment, led by First Hawaiian's all-stock acquisition of TriCo Bancshares
Meta's $50B AI Pledge Fails to Lift Chip Stocks as Google's In-House Chips Raise Nvidia Doubts
Meta said it will spend more than $50 billion on AI computing infrastructure, yet semiconductor stocks dropped 4.3%. Google's in-house chips
UBS: Mattel's True Value Lies in Entertainment Brands, Not Toys
UBS argues that Mattel's real value is in its evergreen entertainment brands, not its toy manufacturing business. The bank maintains a $28 p
Silverco Starts Drilling at La Negra, Shares Dip 4.5% as Investors Wait on Results
Silverco Mining has started drilling at its La Negra silver project in Mexico, with two rigs now operating as part of a 15,000-metre 2026 pr
BofA Downgrades Papa John's After CFO Exit, Weak Sales Cloud Turnaround
Bank of America downgraded Papa John's after the pizza chain's CFO quit and sales remained soft. The bank warned that management turnover co
TSMC Sales Surge 36% as AI Chip Demand Shows No Signs of Slowing
TSMC's sales jumped 36% last quarter, driven by strong demand from AI giants like Nvidia and Meta. The results suggest the AI boom is still