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US STOCKS-Wall St closes higher fueled by tech rally, soft inflation data
Micron jumps on strong AI demand Trump Media soars on $6 bln merger with TAE TechnologiesAnnual consumer prices rise less than expected in November Indexes end up: Dow 0.14%, S&P 0.79%, Nasdaq 1.38%By Abigail Summerville and Johann M Cherian Dec 18 (Reuters) - Wall Street's main index...Reuters
Thu, Dec 18
FedEx up after posting higher quarterly profit, raising annual forecast
Shares of FedEx FDX.N rise 2.6% to $294.60 after the bellFDX reports Q2 adj. profit of $1.14 billion, or $4.82 per share, up from $990 million, or $4.05 per share, a year agoCompany now sees annual profit per share between $17.80 and $19, raising lower end of its previous $17.20 to $19 forecast rang...Reuters
Thu, Dec 18
LIVE MARKETS-Stemming the slide
Main US indexes end green, but off highs; Nasdaq out front, up ~1.4%Cons Disc leads S&P sector gainers; Energy weakest groupDollar, crude up slightly; gold slips; bitcoin off ~1%US 10-year Treasury yield dips to ~4.12%Welcome to the home for real-time coverage of markets brought to you by Reuter...Reuters
Thu, Dec 18
Dell and HP fall as Micron forecast stirs cost fears
Shares of Dell Technologies DELL.N down 3.2% and HP Inc HPQ.N losing 3.5% on Thur, missing out on tech rally sparked by an outsized profit forecast from Micron Technology MU.OWhile strong AI-related demand for MU's memory chips lifted many tech stocks and helped push the S&P 500 tech sector ...Reuters
Thu, Dec 18
US STOCKS-Wall St closes higher fueled by tech rally, soft inflation data
Micron jumps on strong AI demand Trump Media soars on $6 bln merger with TAE TechnologiesAnnual consumer prices rise less than expected in NovemberBy Abigail Summerville and Johann M Cherian Dec 18 (Reuters) - Wall Street's main indexes closed higher on Thursday as a soft inflation report...Reuters
Thu, Dec 18
Instacart falls after co to pay $60 mln to settle FTC claims it deceived shoppers
Shares of online grocery delivery platform Instacart CART.O fall about 1.4% to $45.02Instacart agrees to pay $60 million to settle the FTC's allegations of misleading consumers about Instacart+ membership benefits and free delivery offers, as per court filingsFTC alleges Instacart misled consume...Reuters
Thu, Dec 18
EMERGING MARKETS-LatAm stocks rebound after US inflation data; Argentinian equities soar
Stocks up 1.1%, currencies flatArgentine stocks lead gainsMexico's central bank lowers rateUkraine clinches deal to restructure debtBy Niket Nishant and Twesha Dikshit Dec 18 (Reuters) - Latin American stocks advanced on Thursday, bouncing back from a near three-week low a day earlier, with ...Reuters
Thu, Dec 18
GLOBAL MARKETS-Stocks rise, Treasury yields edge down as US inflation softens
Stocks rise on softer inflation, sunnier tech sentimentUS CPI report for November softer than expectedBoE cuts rates, ECB stays putOil settles higher, Treasury yields take a dipBy Sinéad Carew and Amanda Cooper NEW YORK/ LONDON, Dec 18 (Reuters) - MSCI's global equities gauge rose on Thursda...Reuters
Thu, Dec 18
EXPLAINER-How US marijuana reclassification could help cannabis companies
Dec 18 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order recommending the loosening of federal regulations on marijuana to reclassify it as a less dangerous drug.Trump's order directs his attorney general to quickly move ahead with reclassifying marijuana, according to senior adm...Reuters
Thu, Dec 18
BREAKINGVIEWS-First Brands prompts a fresh read of Chapter 11
By Sebastian Pellejero NEW YORK, Dec 18 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Bankruptcy finance is meant to be the quieter corner of corporate calamity. Yet the $1.1 billion loan keeping auto parts supplier First Brands afloat now trades like distressed debt. The case is unusually tangled, but the market v...Reuters
Thu, Dec 18
Cannabis stocks rise as Trump signs order to ease US marijuana regulations
Cannabis firms' U.S.-listed shares rise between 1% and 7% in afternoon tradingU.S. President Donald Trump signs executive order recommending the loosening of federal regulations on marijuanaCronos Group CRON.O and Aurora Cannabis ACB.O rise 1.1% and 6.7%, respectivelyTilray Brands TLRY.O jumps 2...Reuters
Thu, Dec 18
Northeast Bank jumps after loan portfolio purchase
Community bank Northeast Bank's NBN.O shares jump 10.5% to $111.30NBN late Wednesday unveiled purchase of commercial real estate (CRE) loans with unpaid principal balance of roughly $525 millionTransaction is expected to close late in the current quarter and have minimal impact on Q2 2026 earnin...Reuters
Thu, Dec 18
US STOCKS-Wall St gains as inflation data and tech stocks fuel rally
Micron jumps on strong AI demand Annual consumer prices rise less than expected in NovIndexes up: Dow 0.34%, S&P 500 1.01%, Nasdaq 1.64%S&P 500, Nasdaq set for biggest daily gain in over three weeksBy Abigail Summerville and Johann M Cherian Dec 18 (Reuters) - Wall Street's main i...Reuters
Thu, Dec 18
Marathon Petroleum falls on CFO transition
Shares of top U.S. refiner Marathon Petroleum MPC.N fall 3.49% to $168.40Company names Maria Khoury as chief financial officer, effective January 19, 2026Khoury will succeed John Quaid, who will remain with MPC for a period of transitionIncluding session's moves, stock up ~20.78% YTDReuters
Thu, Dec 18
LIVE MARKETS-Nike, FedEx ringing in the new US earnings season
Main US indexes green, but off highs; Nasdaq out frontCons Disc leads S&P sector gainers; Energy off mostDollar edges up; crude rises; bitcoin flat, gold slipsUS 10-year Treasury yield edges down to ~4.12%Welcome to the home for real-time coverage of markets brought to you by Reuters reporters. ...Reuters
Thu, Dec 18
Westamerica Bancorp rises after unveiling stock repurchase plan
Community lender Westamerica Bancorporation's WABC.O shares rise 2.3% to $50.86WABC announces stock repurchase plan of up to 2 million of its shares on the open market or in privately negotiated transactions prior to December 31, 2026Plan represents roughly 8% of its outstanding shares as of Sep...Reuters
Thu, Dec 18
Elliott's $1 billion bet on Lululemon fans hopes of a revival
Elliott Management pushes for Jane Nielsen as potential CEOLululemon faces competition from Alo and Vuori, needs fast fashion strategyLululemon shares jump on news of Elliott investmentBy Savyata Mishra and Neil J Kanatt Dec 18 (Reuters) - Elliott Management's $1 billion bet on Lululemon...Reuters
Thu, Dec 18
Western Digital and Seagate on track to be S&P 500's biggest 2025 winners
Western Digital WDC.O and Seagate Technology Holdings STX.O rallying on Thur and on track to be the S&P 500's .SPX top performers in 2025, as the buildout of AI infrastructure fuels massive demand for their hard drives and other data storage devicesBoth cos' shares are climbing more than...Reuters
Thu, Dec 18
PREVIEW: KB Home dips; seen reporting rev decline after the bell
Shares of KB Home KBH.N are down 0.9% on Thurs, with the homebuilder seen reporting a drop in yr-over-yr rev and EPS when it reports quarterly results after the closing bellAnalysts expect Q4 rev at $1.66 bln vs $2.00 bln in the yr-ago period, and EPS of $1.80 vs $2.52 a yr ago, according to LSEGThe...Reuters
Thu, Dec 18
BofA Global raises PT on Old Dominion Freight Line
Shares of U.S. shipping company Old Dominion Freight Line ODFL.O rise 1.48% to $158.04BofA Global Research raises PT on ODFL to $165 from $149, a 5.9% upside to the stock's last closeBrokerage cites ODFL's strong operations, pricing power and expected recovery from trough 2025 earnings justi...Reuters
Thu, Dec 18
