April US inflation came in hotter than expected today. Futures for the SPY S&P 500 ETF and QQQ Nasdaq 100 fell sharply on the print. The data complicates the Fed's path. Rate cut bets are being trimmed. Options traders had already been rotating into defensive names like Prologis and Chubb. Today's number validates that caution.
Wendy's shares jumped after reports that Nelson Peltz's Trian fund is exploring a buyout. Trian is already a major shareholder. A deal would take the burger chain private. It's one of today's highest-impact stories across financial media.
Analysts continued to lift targets across semiconductors and data infrastructure. Vertiv Holdings and Analog Devices both saw consensus targets nudge higher. Bank of America upgraded to Buy with a $300 target. Meanwhile, short interest rocketed to 72.5% of free float — up 20 points in a week. Bears are betting the chipmaker's struggles aren't over.
The week's biggest results come Wednesday. Cisco reports Q3 after the bell. Analysts want to hear about AI networking demand. Alibaba drops quarterly numbers in the morning. Applied Materials also reports this week. Nuclear play Oklo entered a partnership with Idaho National Laboratory ahead of its own earnings — analysts revised forecasts upward ahead of the call.
Apple Chairman Arthur Levinson disclosed $71.2M in share sales. Coca-Cola CEO James Quincey filed a $15.8M disposal. Heavy selling at the top signals insiders are locking in gains at current valuations.
ORTEX Market Intelligence content is generated by AI from a snapshot of ORTEX's proprietary data. Content is informational only and does not constitute investment advice.
