Markets Weigh Jobs Data, M&A, and Earnings Heat

Macro: Jobs Market Holds Firm

US jobless claims fell to 209,000 last week. That is the lowest reading in months. Layoffs remain low despite broader economic uncertainty. The data eases some recession fears. It gives the Fed little reason to rush on rate cuts.

Deals: Parker-Hannifin Writes a $2.5B Check

KKR is cashing out on a big aerospace bet. Parker-Hannifin agreed to buy the aerospace and defense segment of KKR-owned Circor for $2.5 billion. The WSJ reports this represents a massive return on KKR's original Circor investment. Defense M&A is clearly still running hot.

Earnings: Deere and Retailers in Focus

Deere & Company reported this morning. Tariff impacts and farm spending are front of mind. Ross Stores reports after the close today. Costco and Salesforce headline Thursday's session. Analysts cut INTU's target by nearly $48 this week after a softer outlook. Chips remain the bright spot — NVDA and ADI both received target upgrades.

Short Interest: Squeeze Pressure Builds

Li Auto hit 100% utilization — matching its 52-week high. Availability collapsed to 6.7% ahead of its May 28 earnings. That is extreme borrow stress. Wolfspeed also sits at 95% SI of free float with zero shares available to borrow. Xometry saw cost-to-borrow surge 307% in one week as the stock rallied 85% in a month.

Insider Moves Worth Noting

MPWR insiders offloaded over $130M in May. CEO Michael Hsing alone sold $59.3M on May 18. On the buy side, WGS attracted over $82M in fresh institutional insider buying in two weeks — a sharp contrast signalling diverging conviction across sectors.