AI Stock Market News Today

Amazon, Microsoft, and Google all exceeded first-quarter cloud revenue expectations, signaling a massive acceleration in enterprise AI adoption. Google Cloud recorded its fastest growth rate on record, driving a significant surge in Alphabet's share price.

• Google Cloud revenue hit $20.03 billion, a 63% increase
• AWS revenue grew 28% to $37.6 billion

Hershey reports a surge in demand for Ice Breakers and protein bars linked to the rising use of GLP-1 weight-loss medications. Despite a 10% increase in quarterly revenue, the company's shares saw a slight decline in early trading.

• Ice Breakers sales increased over 8% in Q1
• Protein bar sales grew by 17%

Gasoline prices in California have surged to $6 per gallon following the continued closure of a critical global oil export corridor. National averages have jumped nearly 30 cents in a week as hopes for a diplomatic resolution fade.

• California gas prices reached $6.01 per gallon, the highest level since October 2023
• US national average gasoline price rose from $4.03 to $4.30 in one week

Investors are growing concerned as Meta's capital expenditures outpace its revenue growth. The market is questioning whether the company's aggressive AI investments will yield sustainable returns.

• Capital expenditures are currently outpacing revenue growth
• Investor sentiment is shifting toward a demand for AI monetization

Amazon has emerged as the top performer among the 'Magnificent Seven' in 2026, driven by aggressive AI chip adoption. The company is pivoting toward a capital-intensive strategy to secure long-term dominance in cloud computing.

• AMZN is the best-performing 'Magnificent Seven' stock in 2026 YTD
• Meta and Anthropic have signed major deals for AWS custom AI chips

CEO Mattia Binotto discusses the transition of Sauber into a fully integrated Audi factory team. The strategy focuses on operational synergy and technical evolution within the F1 ecosystem.

• Transition of Sauber to a full Audi works team
• Leadership of Mattia Binotto as CEO and Team Principal

U.S. equity markets experienced significant volatility on Thursday as strong results from Caterpillar and Qualcomm drove the Dow higher. However, gains were tempered by investor concerns over increased capital expenditure at Microsoft and Meta.

• Dow Jones rose 530.33 points to 49,392.14
• Qualcomm surged 19.2% and Caterpillar rose 9% on earnings beats

Cole Tomas Allen has agreed to remain in custody pending his trial for the attempted assassination of President Donald Trump. The decision marks a reversal in the defense strategy regarding the suspect's pretrial detention.

• Defendant Cole Allen will remain in jail pending trial
• Defense attorney Tezira Abe confirmed the waiver of detention challenges

A criminal investigation into manipulated weather data in France highlights the fragility of prediction markets. The incident underscores a critical lack of redundancy in the data pipelines used to settle high-stakes financial contracts.

• Criminal probe into CDG weather station data manipulation
• Polymarket and Kalshi expanding into leveraged perpetual futures

Activist investor Jana Partners is calling for a structural overhaul of Markel Group Inc. to improve shareholder returns. The firm is specifically requesting the divestiture of Markel's venture arm and a substantial share repurchase program.

• Call for divestiture of venture arm
• Proposal for $2 billion share buyback

Wells Fargo Chairman and CEO Charlie Scharf highlighted the critical nature of Federal Reserve autonomy in a recent interview. Scharf also addressed the intersection of AI, private credit, and ongoing tensions with Iran.

• Advocated for the independence of the Federal Reserve
• Discussed US economic resilience amid Iran tensions

CEO Leon O. Moulder Jr. has expanded his position in Zenas Biopharma with a million-dollar purchase. Simultaneously, Daniel J. Ivascyn has initiated a new position in the PIMCO Dynamic Income Strategy Fund.

• ZBIO CEO Leon O. Moulder Jr. bought 60,000 shares at $17.79
• Total ZBIO insider investment by CEO over one year reaches $3.43M