Stocks sit near record territory as earnings season drives rotation: the S&P 500 hovers near highs, the Dow hits fresh records, while the Nasdaq lags amid profit‑taking. Volatility spiked after gold plunged and OpenAI’s browser launch rattled Big Tech; investors are focused on earnings from Netflix, GM and regional bank signals.
OpenAI has unveiled a browser that integrates ChatGPT directly into web navigation, a move aimed squarely at Google’s Chrome. The launch signals a new front in the browser wars and raises questions about search and ad revenue disruption.
6% – Gold’s one‑day drop, its steepest fall since 2013.
Markets reacted fast to OpenAI’s browser push, sending ripples through Big Tech stocks. Alphabet/Google shares fell as investors priced in new competition for search and browser distribution.
Warner Bros. Discovery confirmed it has received acquisition interest and has opened a strategic review of options. The announcement sparked a sharp move in the stock and puts one of media’s biggest assets on the block.
Galaxy Digital posts $505M profit, assets surge
Galaxy Digital reported a record quarter with $505M net income and strong asset growth, driven by trading gains and expansion of its Helios AI‑compute campus.
More on blockworks.co
Blackstone and TPG moved to take Hologic private in a major healthcare buyout that values the company at roughly $18.3 billion. The deal underscores ongoing private equity appetite for defensive, cash‑generating healthcare assets.
The U.S. government shutdown entered a fourth week, with Senate Republicans meeting the president even as talks stalled. Economists warn the longer the impasse persists the greater the risk of lasting economic damage.
Novo Nordisk chair and directors exit amid board rift
Novo Nordisk said its chair and six directors will step down after a governance dispute with the majority shareholder, creating leadership turmoil at the Wegovy maker.
More on barrons.com
Gold staged a record rally only to suffer a violent reversal, plunging roughly 6% in one session and triggering heavy selling across miners and ETFs. Traders are debating whether this is a temporary unwind or a structural top.
A major AWS outage disrupted dozens of services and highlighted internet reliance on a single cloud provider. Technical postmortems point to a failed DynamoDB update and reveal cascading recovery challenges.
U.S. opens applications to grant energy firms access to cold‑war plutonium stockpiles; USCIS clarifies the new $100,000 H‑1B fee applies only to new applicants living abroad, not internal transfers.
Anthropic is pursuing massive cloud capacity deals as AI firms race to secure compute, with Google a leading target for negotiations. The talks would reshape hyperscaler relationships and lock up critical infrastructure for next‑gen models.
OpenAI is recruiting Wall Street veterans to help train and fine‑tune its next models, paying former bankers premium rates. The hiring push points to growing overlap between finance expertise and AI development.
He is trying to kill NASA
— Elon Musk
Elon Musk publicly clashed with acting NASA leadership amid concerns over program timelines and agency governance. In the fallout NASA said it would reopen the Artemis III lunar lander contract to competitors after SpaceX delays.
Charter Communications announced a round of corporate cuts trimming roughly 1,200 roles as the company streamlines operations. The layoffs are concentrated in corporate and back‑office functions.
Bank of England and senior central bankers warned of systemic risks tied to private credit and recent U.S. failures. Regulators are urging closer scrutiny as market complacency collides with pockets of hidden leverage.
General Motors topped earnings estimates and lifted guidance after beating Q3 expectations, sending the stock sharply higher. Management said tariff headwinds would be smaller than feared, improving the outlook for the year.
Treasury Secretary Bessent confirmed a $20 billion stabilization agreement with Argentina as the U.S. steps into support for the struggling economy. Separately, the U.S. and Australia sealed a major critical‑minerals pact to reduce reliance on China.
Netflix reported strong revenue growth driven by a hit film but posted a profit miss after a tax dispute in Brazil, leaving shares volatile. The earnings show growth from advertising and content, but lingering regional risks weigh on margins.
Oil prices ticked higher on reports the U.S. plans small SPR purchases and private data showing inventory draws. Traders are balancing supply risks and strategic reserve moves amid volatile demand signals.
White House officials said an imminent Trump‑Putin summit will not proceed, dashing expectations of a rapid bilateral meeting. The cancellation highlights diplomatic friction and uncertainty around any potential peace‑broker role.
U.S. authorities flagged an active exploitation of a patched Windows SMB vulnerability and urged rapid updates. Cybersecurity experts also warned of a new generation of AI‑enhanced ransomware that could escalate attacks’ speed and scale.