Trending Market News

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman publicly criticized Boeing and NASA leadership over the failed Starliner spacecraft mission that stranded two astronauts on the International Space Station for nine months. The agency released a 300-page report detailing technical and oversight failures from the spacecraft's first crewed flight in 2024.

• NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams were left on the ISS for approximately nine months due to Starliner mission failures
• A 300-page investigative report was released examining both technical malfunctions and leadership oversight issues
• The public rebuke from NASA's administrator represents significant accountability measures against Boeing's troubled commercial crew program

Walgreens is laying off over 600 employees across the U.S. following its acquisition by private equity firm Sycamore Partners, including 469 jobs in Illinois and 159 in Texas where a distribution center is closing. The cuts are part of Sycamore's cost-reduction strategy after taking the distressed retailer private last year amid competition from Amazon and Walmart.

• Sycamore Partners is implementing cost cuts including workforce reductions and eliminating paid holidays for some employees while adding products like electronic cigarettes to boost sales
• Walgreens was taken private last year after struggling with costly missteps and margin pressure from lower-priced competitors like Amazon and Walmart
• Sycamore Partners specializes in acquiring distressed retailers for profit, with a portfolio including Staples, Talbots, and Nine West

Johnson & Johnson is preparing a potential sale of its orthopedics unit, DePuy Synthes, which it had previously planned to separate as a standalone business. The unit could be valued at more than $20 billion, with major buyout firms already expressing interest in the acquisition.

• The orthopedics business, known as DePuy Synthes, is attracting interest from large private equity firms
• The potential sale value exceeds $20 billion, representing a significant divestiture for J&J
• This marks a shift from J&J's earlier plan to spin off the orthopedics unit as a separate company

BioNTech filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Moderna in Delaware federal court, alleging that Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine mNexspike violates patents related to BioNTech and Pfizer's Comirnaty vaccine. The legal action marks an escalation in intellectual property disputes between major COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers.

• BioNTech claims Moderna's mNexspike vaccine infringes on patents associated with the Comirnaty shot developed jointly by BioNTech and Pfizer
• The lawsuit was filed in Delaware federal court, a common venue for patent litigation cases
• This represents a significant legal battle between two of the leading mRNA vaccine developers that played crucial roles in the pandemic response

Netflix is considering raising its bid for Warner Bros Discovery, currently at $27.75 per share, as it competes with rival bidder Paramount Skydance for the media company. Warner Bros Discovery owns valuable franchises including 'Harry Potter', 'Game of Thrones', DC Comics, and Superman. The acquisition battle continues as Warner Bros moves toward a March 20 shareholder vote.

• Netflix's current bid stands at $27.75 per share and the company has sufficient cash reserves to increase its offer if necessary
• The acquisition target includes highly valuable intellectual property franchises such as HBO Max, 'Harry Potter', 'Game of Thrones', and DC Comics properties
• Paramount Skydance is the competing bidder, with Warner Bros Discovery shareholders scheduled to vote on March 20

Exxon Mobil is working with Guyana's government to determine total natural gas resources at the Stabroek Block, which currently has an estimated 11 billion barrels of oil equivalent. The resource evaluation will determine the split between crude oil and associated/non-associated gas, critical for planning future gas projects for domestic use and potential exports.

• Guyana's energy minister stated that Exxon needs to complete more evaluation work to determine the exact amount of gas resources at Stabroek Block
• The government prioritizes developing onshore industrial projects using the gas, including data centers and fertilizer plants, before considering exports
• Exxon last updated Stabroek's total resource estimate in 2022 at approximately 11 billion barrels of oil equivalent

Following the U.S. easing sanctions on Venezuela in February 2026 after President Nicolas Maduro's inauguration, international oil companies are reassessing operations in the OPEC nation with vast oil reserves but deteriorating infrastructure. The shift reverses restrictions imposed after Hugo Chávez's 2000s expropriations and opens opportunities for global energy firms, though concerns about debt repayment and investment climate persist.

• Chevron operates four joint ventures with PDVSA producing 240,000-250,000 bpd and exported up to 150,000 bpd to the U.S. in late 2025, with potential to grow production 50% short-term
• European companies face massive unpaid debts: Repsol is owed 5 billion euros, Eni is owed $3 billion by end-2025, and ConocoPhillips continues pursuing $12 billion in expropriation claims
• Gas projects remain stalled despite new licenses, with Shell's Dragon field and BP's Manakin-Cocuina awaiting development while Chinese state companies expand presence despite U.S. concerns about geopolitical rivals

Visa announced the acquisition of Argentine payment platforms Prisma and Newpay from private-equity firm Advent International to expand its presence in Argentina. The deal, with undisclosed financial terms, is expected to close in Q1 2026 and will enable Visa to accelerate adoption of advanced payment technologies including tokenization and biometric authentication in the country.

• The acquisition will help Visa fast-track deployment of tokenization, biometric authentication, and intelligent risk management tools for Argentine consumers and businesses
• Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed, with closing expected in the first quarter of 2026
• Visa sees significant opportunities to expand digital payments adoption and modernize financial services infrastructure across Argentina

American Airlines has selected CFM International's LEAP-1A engines to power future deliveries of its Airbus A321neo aircraft. CFM, jointly owned by GE Aerospace and France's Safran, will also provide long-term maintenance support for the engines. This continues American's existing relationship with CFM, whose LEAP engines already power the carrier's current A321neo fleet.

• The engine selection applies to 85 A321neo jets from American's March 2024 order of 260 total aircraft, with the remainder split between Boeing and Embraer
• CFM International competes with RTX unit Pratt & Whitney to supply engines for Airbus narrowbody aircraft
• Airlines typically favor single engine types across fleet segments to simplify operations and reduce costs; financial terms were not disclosed

Wayfair reported its first annual sales increase since 2020, with revenue growing 5.1% to $12.5 billion in 2025. The online furniture retailer beat Wall Street expectations for Q4 on both revenue and earnings, driven by rising order volumes and improved customer acquisition despite a contracting furniture market.

• Q4 revenue reached $3.34 billion, up 7% year-over-year, exceeding the $3.30 billion expected by analysts
• Adjusted EBITDA hit $224 million for the quarter, surpassing the $200 million forecast and marking continued profitability improvements
• Wayfair gained market share with three consecutive quarters of new customer growth while the overall furniture category contracted in the low single digits in Q4

Hims & Hers Health announced a $1.15 billion acquisition of Australian digital health company Eucalyptus to expand its telehealth services internationally. The deal provides entry into Australia and Japan while strengthening presence in the UK, Germany, and Canada. The acquisition comes as Hims & Hers faces regulatory challenges after the FDA forced withdrawal of its $49 Wegovy copy.

• Eucalyptus operates consumer brands including weight-loss program Juniper and men's telehealth brand Pilot, serving over 775,000 customers
• $240 million will be paid in cash at closing, with the deal expected to complete in mid-2026
• The expansion follows recent setbacks from FDA crackdown that forced Hims & Hers to withdraw its newly launched weight-loss pill competing with Novo Nordisk's Wegovy

Bayer stated that a U.S. executive order invoking measures to ensure domestic glyphosate supply will not cause shortages in other countries, emphasizing American farmers' need for access to the herbicide. The statement follows Bayer's warning last August that it might halt U.S. glyphosate production without regulatory changes to address ongoing litigation. The company is the sole U.S. producer of glyphosate, though large volumes of generic versions are imported from China.

• Bayer reached an agreement this week to pay up to $7.25 billion to resolve tens of thousands of lawsuits claiming glyphosate causes cancer
• The U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear Bayer's appeal that could sharply limit its liability, after the Trump administration supported Bayer's position that federal regulation should take precedence over state laws
• Bayer is the only company producing glyphosate in the United States, while the U.S. farming sector also imports large volumes of generic copies from China

Nissan is recalling 642,698 Rogue vehicles in the United States across two separate recalls due to issues that could cause a loss of drive power. The recall was announced by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on Thursday.

• The recall affects only Nissan Rogue models and involves two distinct safety issues
• The defects could result in loss of drive power, creating potential safety hazards for drivers
• NHTSA officially announced the recalls, making them mandatory for affected vehicle owners

Google and Sea Ltd announced a strategic partnership on February 19 to develop AI tools for Sea's e-commerce platform Shopee and gaming unit Garena. The collaboration will focus on building an AI agentic shopping prototype and transforming game development productivity, as global tech firms push to monetize AI models with capabilities beyond basic query responses.

• The companies will jointly explore building an 'AI agentic shopping prototype' on Shopee, which holds 52% market share in Southeast Asia's e-commerce market
• The partnership extends to Sea's Garena gaming unit to use AI solutions for transforming game development productivity
• The move reflects broader industry efforts to monetize AI with advanced capabilities like cross-app shopping and workflow management, following similar initiatives by competitors like Alibaba's Lazada

Walmart will report fiscal fourth-quarter earnings Thursday morning, marking the first earnings under new CEO John Furner who took the role on February 1. Wall Street expects revenue of $190.43 billion as the retail giant pursues growth through digital businesses and AI partnerships, including recent deals with Google's Gemini and OpenAI's ChatGPT.

• Walmart previously guided full-year net sales growth between 4.8% and 5.1%, with investors seeking clarity on future priorities under new leadership
• The earnings report will provide a snapshot of U.S. consumer health amid mixed economic signals including tax cuts, inflation concerns, and potential tariff impacts
• Walmart is expected to lose its title as largest retailer by annual revenue to Amazon, though its stock market value recently topped $700 billion after a December stock split

Microsoft denied that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) uses its technology for mass civilian surveillance, following a Guardian report that ICE more than tripled data stored on Microsoft's Azure cloud platform in six months leading to January 2026. The tech giant confirmed it provides cloud-based productivity and collaboration tools to ICE through partners, amid heightened scrutiny of the Trump administration's immigration crackdown.

• ICE tripled its data storage on Microsoft Azure during a six-month period when the agency's budget and workforce rapidly expanded under intensified deportation operations
• Microsoft stated its policies prohibit technology use for mass civilian surveillance and called for Congress and courts to establish 'clear legal lines' on law enforcement's use of emerging technologies
• The controversy follows similar concerns over Microsoft technology used by Israeli military for alleged mass surveillance of Palestinians, which led to employee protests and service suspension

Vietnamese budget carrier Vietjet has secured a $965 million financing agreement with Griffin Global Asset Management to purchase six Boeing 737-8 aircraft. The deal represents a strategic move by the airline to diversify its international funding sources as it expands its fleet.

• The financing deal is valued at $965 million and covers the acquisition of six Boeing 737-8 jets
• Griffin Global Asset Management is providing the financing for the aircraft purchase
• Vietjet characterized the agreement as a 'significant step' in diversifying its international funding sources

A JetBlue flight bound for West Palm Beach experienced an engine failure during takeoff at Newark Liberty International Airport on Wednesday evening, forcing an emergency return and evacuation. The incident disrupted airport traffic as the FAA temporarily paused some arrivals and launched an investigation, though no injuries were reported among passengers and crew.

• JetBlue Flight 543, an Airbus A320, suffered engine failure around 5:55 p.m. ET with crew reporting smoke in the cockpit
• All passengers and crew evacuated via emergency slides on a taxiway with no injuries reported
• The FAA temporarily paused some arrivals at Newark airport and opened an investigation into the incident

The U.S. Justice Department is investigating the potential impact of Warner Bros Discovery's sale on the theater industry, according to Bloomberg News. The DOJ is meeting with major theater chains to assess whether a sale could result in fewer theatrical film releases and harm moviegoers. This comes as Warner Bros rejected Paramount Skydance's revised $30 billion offer and moves forward with a Netflix merger vote scheduled for March 20.

• Government lawyers are seeking information on how a sale would affect the movie-going public and theatrical film availability
• Warner Bros gave Paramount Skydance seven days to submit a 'best and final' offer to top the existing Netflix agreement, which Paramount called 'unusual'
• Filmmaker James Cameron publicly endorsed Paramount's takeover bid and warned that a Netflix sale would be 'a disaster' for the cinema industry

DoorDash stock dropped 8-10% after reporting disappointing Q4 2025 results and weak Q1 2026 guidance, missing revenue estimates with $3.96 billion versus $3.99 billion expected. The decline stems from investor concerns over the company's heavy spending on technology infrastructure, including building a unified platform integrating DoorDash, Deliveroo, and Wolt, which CEO Tony Xu described as a 'massive and expensive undertaking.'

• Q1 2026 adjusted EBITDA guidance of $675-775 million fell significantly short of the $802 million Street estimate, continuing disappointment from Q3 results
• Despite the miss, operational metrics remained strong with total orders up 32% to 903 million and gross order value jumping 39% to $29.7 billion year-over-year
• The company is investing 'several hundred million dollars' in global tech platforms and AI integration, with the stock down over 20% in 2026 as investors question the aggressive spending strategy