Global Markets
Canadian Markets
Canada’s TSX was trading slightly positive on Thursday, as strong earnings from TD Bank helped offset broader market concerns. TD Bank topped profit estimates, buoyed by strength in its trading and underwriting divisions. However, falling oil and gold prices weighed on the energy and materials sectors, capping broader gains on the TSX.
Meanwhile, the Bank of Montreal issued a cautious economic outlook, forecasting that Canada’s GDP growth could slow from 1.5% in 2024 to just 1.0% in 2025. The bank cited rising geopolitical tensions, including the risk of a U.S. trade war and potential tariffs, as key downside risks to the Canadian economy.
American Markets
In the U.S., stock markets traded mixed. The Nasdaq saw modest gains, lifted by strong earnings results from Snowflake, a data cloud company that exceeded Wall Street expectations. However, broader market sentiment was weighed by weaker-than-expected housing data and growing concerns over the U.S. bond market.
U.S. existing home sales fell 0.5% in April to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.00 million units, according to the National Association of Realtors. This came as a surprise to economists, who had forecast an increase to 4.10 million units. The decline occurred despite a temporary dip in mortgage rates and an uptick in housing supply—factors that typically support home buying. Analysts warn that housing market activity may remain subdued this year as economic uncertainty rises.
Investor sentiment was further dampened by renewed concerns in the U.S. Treasury market. A recent downgrade by Moody’s raised alarm bells over the stability of the world’s largest bond market, triggering a selloff in government debt and contributing to market volatility in the prior session.
European Markets
European markets declined as fresh data revealed that business activity in the euro zone unexpectedly contracted in May, reversing previous signs of recovery. This signaled ongoing weakness in the region’s economic engine and led to broader market declines.
In the UK, the FTSE 100 dropped sharply, driven by mounting concerns over domestic government borrowing. Traders reacted to signs that the UK’s budget position is deteriorating, prompting profit-taking and adding another layer of caution to already fragile global investor sentiment.
Corporate Stock News
Alphabet Inc & Rumble Inc: A U.S. judge dismissed Rumble’s $2B antitrust lawsuit against Google, ruling it was filed too late. Rumble alleged that Google unfairly prioritized YouTube in search results and blocked its app from Android devices.
AT&T Inc & Lumen Technologies Inc: AT&T will acquire Lumen’s consumer fiber business for $5.75B in cash, gaining 1 million customers and expanding its network in key U.S. cities. Lumen’s stock rose 13% post-announcement.
Cigna Group: Will cap out-of-pocket costs at $200/month for weight-loss drugs Wegovy and Zepbound under its pharmacy benefit plans, aiming to provide more affordable access amid rising demand.
Citigroup Inc: Launched “Citi AI”, a suite of internal AI tools available to 150,000 employees in 11 countries. The tools support tasks like policy retrieval, document summarization, and communications drafting.
Ford Motor Co: Sued multiple California law firms alleging fraudulent overbilling under the state’s Lemon Law, claiming losses of $100M and seeking $300M in damages under RICO laws.
Goldman Sachs Group Inc: Merged its Asian investment banking units into one to streamline operations. Iain Drayton will lead the new Asia Pacific division.
Hinge Health Inc: Raised $437.3M in its U.S. IPO, pricing at $32 per share. Despite being below its 2021 valuation, the company will trade under the symbol “HNGE” on the NYSE.
Honeywell International Inc: Acquiring Johnson Matthey’s catalyst tech unit for £1.8B. The deal will return about £1.4B to shareholders and supports Honeywell’s sustainability efforts.
Medtronic Plc: RBC cut its target price from $105 to $101 due to a weaker-than-expected earnings outlook and reduced FY26 EPS estimates.
MercadoLibre Inc: CEO Marcos Galperin will step down at year-end, succeeded by commerce head Ariel Szarfsztejn. Galperin will become executive chairman.
Microsoft Corp: Evercore ISI raised its target price to $515 from $500, citing strong enterprise AI adoption trends.
MNTN Inc: Raised $187.2M in a U.S. IPO, pricing shares at $16. It will trade under the ticker “MNTN”, with a valuation of $1.24B.
Nike Inc: Will raise prices on adult apparel and shoes starting next week. The company will also resume sales on Amazon to regain market share.
Royal Bank of Canada (RBC): Established a new AI and digital innovation team led by Lindsay Patrick and Bobby Grubert, to drive growth through technology across major cities.
Rivian Automotive Inc: Piper Sandler increased its target price to $15 from $13 due to lower long-term capex assumptions.
Sanofi & Vigil Neuroscience Inc: Sanofi will acquire Vigil in a $470M deal, targeting its Alzheimer’s drug candidate. Vigil shareholders may receive $8/share plus a $2/share CVR.
Snowflake Inc: Raised FY26 product revenue forecast to $4.325B. Q1 revenue beat estimates, with product revenue rising 26% YoY. Shares jumped 6% post-announcement.
Target Corp: TD Cowen cut its price target to $105 from $110 after a weak Q1 performance and lowered full-year EPS guidance.
United States Steel Corp: A national security panel submitted its recommendation to President Trump regarding Nippon Steel’s $14.9B acquisition. Trump has 15 days to decide.
Venture Global Inc: Could surpass Cheniere as the largest U.S. LNG producer by 2026 if it proceeds with its 28 mtpa CP2 plant in Louisiana, raising total capacity to 66.5 mtpa.
Walmart Inc: Plans to cut about 1,500 jobs to streamline operations, affecting global tech, e-commerce fulfillment, and advertising divisions.
Zoom Communications Inc:
ZM Raised FY26 revenue guidance to $4.80B–$4.81B, ahead of expectations. Q1 revenue was $1.17B, with adjusted EPS of $1.43. JPMorgan raised its target price on ZM to $85 from $80 after strong Q1 results.
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