Microsoft reported $3.46 in earnings per share, marking an 18% year-over-year increase, compared to an estimated $3.22. Its revenue jumped by 13% compared to the same period last year and came to $70.07 billion while Wall Street analysts expected $68.42 billion.

The company mostly benefited from the strong performance of its cloud business, which saw a 20% year-over-year increase. The revenue associated with its cloud computing platform Azure grew by 33%, with AI contributing 16 points to the growth. Analysts expected Azure’s revenue to jump by around 30% and AI to contribute 15.6 points of growth.

“We delivered a strong quarter with Microsoft Cloud revenue of $42.4 billion, up 20% (up 22% in constant currency) year-over-year driven by continued demand for our differentiated offerings,” Microsoft executive vice president and CFO Amy Hood shared in a statement.

Microsoft stock closed at $395.26 per share on Wednesday, being 5.57% down year-to-date. The stock then took off in the after-hours, reaching $429.60 per share at one point.

Several other tech stocks rose in the aftermath. Shares of chipmaker Nvidia jumped by 4%, Amazon’s stock rose by 3.08%, and shares of Meta Platforms jumped by 4.2%.

The post Microsoft Stock Soars on Better-Than-Expected Q3 Earnings appeared first on theprimarymarket.com.

Netflix grew its revenue 13% for the first quarter of 2025, reporting $10.54 billion compared to $10.52 billion expected by analysts. The company’s earnings per share came at $6.61 compared to expectations of $5.71 in EPS.

Netflix stock was largely unscathed by the broader dip in the stock market. It jumped by 1.19% on Thursday, closing at $973.03 per share and being 9.73% up year-to-date. It gained another 3.47% in extended trading.

Wall Street analysts now believe that Netflix stock could be a “safe haven” for investors in the volatile stock market. Bank of America’s Jessica Reif Ehrlich said in a note that Netflix is “predictable in an unpredictable world” and kept the Buy rating on the stock with a price target of $1,175.

Pivotal Research’s Jeff Wlodarczak said that Netflix is “likely to be highly resilient” even in the global recession scenario. He raised the stock’s price target from$1,250 to $1,350 while maintaining the Buy rating.

Oppenheimer’s analysts also raised their price target from $1,150 to $1,200 with an Outperform rating while Guggenheim analyst Michael Morris upped his price target to $1,150 from the previous $1,100.

The post Netflix’s Resilience Praised by Wall Street Analysts After Strong Q1 Earnings appeared first on theprimarymarket.com.

The tariffs caused significant turmoil in the stock market, but it was believed that the cryptocurrency market is well-positioned to avoid a similar effect. However, this doesn’t seem to be the case as Bitcoin and altcoins are quickly falling well below their recent all-time highs.  

Bitcoin last traded around $75K in November before embarking on a record-setting rally following the Presidential elections that saw it hit a record price of $109,026.02 in January. The momentum started fading in early February as Bitcoin returned below $100K before trading around $80K throughout March.

After the stock market endured a rough week, which included the Dow Jones Industrial Average posting back-to-back days with losses of more than 1,500 for the first time ever, the crypto market followed over the weekend.

Bitcoin fell to $74,775.61 on Monday morning, marking a 10% dip in 24 hours, before returning to $76K shortly after. Ether, on the other hand, has traded below $1,500 at one point, marking its lowest price since early 2023.

“For a moment, it seemed as though crypto might hold steady, but with the 24/7 nature of crypto markets, investors woke up on Sunday in full ‘sell mode,’” Charlie Sherry, head of finance and crypto analyst at BTC Markets, wrote in a research note.

The post Crypto Rally Loses Steam, Bitcoin Dips Below $75K appeared first on theprimarymarket.com.

23andMe has been recently going through a rough patch, being forced to lay off 40% of its employees in November while halting projects related to the development of therapies. The company is now looking to sell itself and believes Chapter 11 will help speed up the process.

“After a thorough evaluation of strategic alternatives, we have determined that a court-supervised sale process is the best path forward to maximize the value of the business,” Chair Mark Jensen said in a statement.

Wojcicki made several attempts to take the company private again, but her takeover proposals have been rejected by the 23andMe board. Back in February, she offered $2.53 per share, valuing the company at around $75 million. She then came back with another bid earlier this month, offering $0.41 per share.

Following the bankruptcy filing, Wojcicki, who kept her board of directors seat, said she would make a new offer.

23andMe stock closed at $1.79 per share on Friday, already being down 49.58% since the start of the year. It plunged by another 43.58% in Monday’s pre-market trading.

The post 23andMe Files for Bankruptcy, Stock Crashes appeared first on theprimarymarket.com.

Wilson, who serves as Chief U.S. Equity Strategist and Chief Investment Officer for Morgan Stanley, sees the S&P 500 tumbling down as low as 5,500 points in the near future. However, a turnaround in the second half of the year is likely and will put the S&P 500 on track to hit 6,500 by the end of 2025.

Wilson based his prediction on perceived lower fiscal spending and the effects that the recent tariff policy changes will have on corporate earnings. The S&P 500’s performance is expected to be volatile “as the market continues to contemplate these growth risks, which could get worse before they get better.”

The note also indicated that the S&P 500 could sink as much as 20% in case of recession, but that remains an unlikely scenario at the moment.

“We are not there, but things can change quickly and so it’s useful to know the downside in the bear case to manage one’s risk,” Wilson added.

S&P 500 plummeted by 3.32% last week, closing at 5,770.20 points. The benchmark index is down by 1.68% since the beginning of the year.

The post Morgan Stanley Strategist Predicts a 5% Slump for S&P 500 Amid Growth Risks appeared first on theprimarymarket.com.

Apple’s domestic spending will also consist of building a new server manufacturing plant in Houston, Texas, doubling its Advanced Manufacturing Fund, and increasing its commitments to existing U.S. suppliers.

The new manufacturing facility, which is set to open in 2026, will produce servers capable of running the company’s newest AI offering, Apple Intelligence. The Advanced Manufacturing Fund, which helps local businesses, trains workers, and supports advancements in manufacturing technology, will go up from $10 billion to $5 billion. Additionally, Apple committed itself to producing advanced silicone in Arizona and creating 20,000 new jobs in the research and development division.

“We are bullish on the future of American innovation, and we’re proud to build on our long-standing U.S. investments with this $500 billion commitment to our country’s future,” Apple CEO Tim Cook shared in a statement. “From doubling our Advanced Manufacturing Fund, to building advanced technology in Texas, we’re thrilled to expand our support for American manufacturing. And we’ll keep working with people and companies across this country to help write an extraordinary new chapter in the history of American innovation.”

Experts believe that the move is directly tied to recent tariff hikes on imported goods from China. Apple produces the majority of its products in China, and the changes in tariff policy are bound to increase its costs. By increasing its investments in the United States, the company is hoping to get an exemption and avoid raising the prices of its products while retaining the same profit margins.

The post Apple Plans to Invest $500 Billion in U.S. in Next 4 Years, Hire 20,000 People appeared first on theprimarymarket.com.

TikTok, owned by China-based Bytedance, has faced scrutiny from the U.S. government due to national security concerns. Despite being used by more than 170 million Americans, the social video app was briefly banned in January in an effort to force Bytedance to sell its U.S. operations.

Musk has been mentioned as one of the potential bidders for TikTok due to his ties with China, where Tesla has a manufacturing plant. However, the wealthiest man in the world said that he doesn’t have an interest in buying the app.

“I have not put in a bid for TikTok,” Musk said during a recent appearance at a conference in Germany. “I don’t have any plans for what would I do if I had TikTok.”

“I’m not champing at the bit to acquire TikTok,” he added, saying that he doesn’t use the app personally.

After the initial ban, TikTok was temporarily made available again. However, the move was made in order to give Bytedance more time to orchestrate a sale and another shutdown still remains a possibility.

The post Elon Musk is No Longer Interested in Buying TikTok appeared first on theprimarymarket.com.

The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) unanimously voted to pause further rate cuts at the conclusion of its two-day meeting in Washington, D.C. The move was somewhat expected, as policymakers previously indicated the intention to take a patient approach to interest rate changes in 2025.

In a statement released following the meeting, FOMC said that the economic activity in the country continued to expand “solid pace,” while adding that the unemployment rate remains at a low level and that the labor market conditions are “solid.” It also described the inflation as “somewhat elevated.”

“The Committee seeks to achieve maximum employment and inflation at the rate of 2% over the longer run,” FOMC noted. “In considering the extent and timing of additional adjustments to the target range for the federal funds rate, the Committee will carefully assess incoming data, the evolving outlook, and the balance of risks.”

Additionally, Fed chair Jerome Powell said that the U.S. central bank will have to see “real progress on inflation or some weakness in the labor market” before considering further rate adjustments.

The Fed’s decision to keep the interest rates unchanged caused a brief slide in the stock market that was diminished in the following hours. Benchmark S&P 500 was down by 0.72% at one point before closing down by 24.57 points or 0.41%.

The post Fed Unanimously Decides to Keep Its Interest Rates Intact appeared first on theprimarymarket.com.

Netflix crossed a major subscriber milestone in the fourth quarter, and its stock quickly soared in the face of the record-breaking gains. Netflix (NFLX) stock jumped over 14% in after-hours trading after the report was published, lifting the streaming company’s stock market value by almost $50 billion.

Several factors contributed to Netflix’s record subscriber count, including its crackdown on password sharing, along with popular live sports events, such as the boxing match between Jake Paul and Mike Tyson and the National Football League games.

In addition to sharing its quarterly report, Netflix also announced another round of price hikes. The standard add-free plan will now cost $17.99 (up from $15.49), while the add-supported plan will cost $7.99 (up from $6.99). The prices will initially be adjusted in the U.S., Canada, Portugal, and Argentina.

“As we continue to invest in programming and deliver more value for our members, we will occasionally ask our members to pay a little more so that we can re-invest to further improve Netflix,” reads Netflix’s letter to investors. 

The post Netflix Shares Soar After Record Quarterly Gains & Price Hikes appeared first on theprimarymarket.com.

Meta’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, announced the news through an internal memo sent to the staff and later shared by Bloomberg News.

“I’ve decided to raise the bar on performance management and move out low-performers faster,” Zuckerberg said. “We typically manage out people who aren’t meeting expectations over the course of a year, but now we’re going to do more extensive performance-based cuts during this cycle.”

According to the memo, the affected employees in the United States will be informed by early February while international employees will be notified at a later date.

Meta employs roughly 72,000 workers, meaning that around 3,600 people are set to be laid off. According to Zuckerberg, the outgoing employees will receive “generous” severance.

The layoffs are part of the company’s efforts to improve efficiency and have the “best people” in anticipation of an “intense year” that will see Meta place an even bigger focus on projects related to artificial intelligence.

Meta’s stock continued this week’s slide on Tuesday, dropping by 2.31% to close at $594.25 per share.

The post Meta to Cut 5% of Its Staff With Focus on “Low-Performers” appeared first on theprimarymarket.com.

Microsoft reported $3.46 in earnings per share, marking an 18% year-over-year increase, compared to an estimated $3.22. Its revenue jumped by 13% compared to the same period last year and came to $70.07 billion while Wall Street analysts expected $68.42 billion.

The company mostly benefited from the strong performance of its cloud business, which saw a 20% year-over-year increase. The revenue associated with its cloud computing platform Azure grew by 33%, with AI contributing 16 points to the growth. Analysts expected Azure’s revenue to jump by around 30% and AI to contribute 15.6 points of growth.

“We delivered a strong quarter with Microsoft Cloud revenue of $42.4 billion, up 20% (up 22% in constant currency) year-over-year driven by continued demand for our differentiated offerings,” Microsoft executive vice president and CFO Amy Hood shared in a statement.

Microsoft stock closed at $395.26 per share on Wednesday, being 5.57% down year-to-date. The stock then took off in the after-hours, reaching $429.60 per share at one point.

Several other tech stocks rose in the aftermath. Shares of chipmaker Nvidia jumped by 4%, Amazon’s stock rose by 3.08%, and shares of Meta Platforms jumped by 4.2%.

The post Microsoft Stock Soars on Better-Than-Expected Q3 Earnings appeared first on theprimarymarket.com.

Netflix grew its revenue 13% for the first quarter of 2025, reporting $10.54 billion compared to $10.52 billion expected by analysts. The company’s earnings per share came at $6.61 compared to expectations of $5.71 in EPS.

Netflix stock was largely unscathed by the broader dip in the stock market. It jumped by 1.19% on Thursday, closing at $973.03 per share and being 9.73% up year-to-date. It gained another 3.47% in extended trading.

Wall Street analysts now believe that Netflix stock could be a “safe haven” for investors in the volatile stock market. Bank of America’s Jessica Reif Ehrlich said in a note that Netflix is “predictable in an unpredictable world” and kept the Buy rating on the stock with a price target of $1,175.

Pivotal Research’s Jeff Wlodarczak said that Netflix is “likely to be highly resilient” even in the global recession scenario. He raised the stock’s price target from$1,250 to $1,350 while maintaining the Buy rating.

Oppenheimer’s analysts also raised their price target from $1,150 to $1,200 with an Outperform rating while Guggenheim analyst Michael Morris upped his price target to $1,150 from the previous $1,100.

The post Netflix’s Resilience Praised by Wall Street Analysts After Strong Q1 Earnings appeared first on theprimarymarket.com.

The tariffs caused significant turmoil in the stock market, but it was believed that the cryptocurrency market is well-positioned to avoid a similar effect. However, this doesn’t seem to be the case as Bitcoin and altcoins are quickly falling well below their recent all-time highs.  

Bitcoin last traded around $75K in November before embarking on a record-setting rally following the Presidential elections that saw it hit a record price of $109,026.02 in January. The momentum started fading in early February as Bitcoin returned below $100K before trading around $80K throughout March.

After the stock market endured a rough week, which included the Dow Jones Industrial Average posting back-to-back days with losses of more than 1,500 for the first time ever, the crypto market followed over the weekend.

Bitcoin fell to $74,775.61 on Monday morning, marking a 10% dip in 24 hours, before returning to $76K shortly after. Ether, on the other hand, has traded below $1,500 at one point, marking its lowest price since early 2023.

“For a moment, it seemed as though crypto might hold steady, but with the 24/7 nature of crypto markets, investors woke up on Sunday in full ‘sell mode,’” Charlie Sherry, head of finance and crypto analyst at BTC Markets, wrote in a research note.

The post Crypto Rally Loses Steam, Bitcoin Dips Below $75K appeared first on theprimarymarket.com.

23andMe has been recently going through a rough patch, being forced to lay off 40% of its employees in November while halting projects related to the development of therapies. The company is now looking to sell itself and believes Chapter 11 will help speed up the process.

“After a thorough evaluation of strategic alternatives, we have determined that a court-supervised sale process is the best path forward to maximize the value of the business,” Chair Mark Jensen said in a statement.

Wojcicki made several attempts to take the company private again, but her takeover proposals have been rejected by the 23andMe board. Back in February, she offered $2.53 per share, valuing the company at around $75 million. She then came back with another bid earlier this month, offering $0.41 per share.

Following the bankruptcy filing, Wojcicki, who kept her board of directors seat, said she would make a new offer.

23andMe stock closed at $1.79 per share on Friday, already being down 49.58% since the start of the year. It plunged by another 43.58% in Monday’s pre-market trading.

The post 23andMe Files for Bankruptcy, Stock Crashes appeared first on theprimarymarket.com.

Wilson, who serves as Chief U.S. Equity Strategist and Chief Investment Officer for Morgan Stanley, sees the S&P 500 tumbling down as low as 5,500 points in the near future. However, a turnaround in the second half of the year is likely and will put the S&P 500 on track to hit 6,500 by the end of 2025.

Wilson based his prediction on perceived lower fiscal spending and the effects that the recent tariff policy changes will have on corporate earnings. The S&P 500’s performance is expected to be volatile “as the market continues to contemplate these growth risks, which could get worse before they get better.”

The note also indicated that the S&P 500 could sink as much as 20% in case of recession, but that remains an unlikely scenario at the moment.

“We are not there, but things can change quickly and so it’s useful to know the downside in the bear case to manage one’s risk,” Wilson added.

S&P 500 plummeted by 3.32% last week, closing at 5,770.20 points. The benchmark index is down by 1.68% since the beginning of the year.

The post Morgan Stanley Strategist Predicts a 5% Slump for S&P 500 Amid Growth Risks appeared first on theprimarymarket.com.

Apple’s domestic spending will also consist of building a new server manufacturing plant in Houston, Texas, doubling its Advanced Manufacturing Fund, and increasing its commitments to existing U.S. suppliers.

The new manufacturing facility, which is set to open in 2026, will produce servers capable of running the company’s newest AI offering, Apple Intelligence. The Advanced Manufacturing Fund, which helps local businesses, trains workers, and supports advancements in manufacturing technology, will go up from $10 billion to $5 billion. Additionally, Apple committed itself to producing advanced silicone in Arizona and creating 20,000 new jobs in the research and development division.

“We are bullish on the future of American innovation, and we’re proud to build on our long-standing U.S. investments with this $500 billion commitment to our country’s future,” Apple CEO Tim Cook shared in a statement. “From doubling our Advanced Manufacturing Fund, to building advanced technology in Texas, we’re thrilled to expand our support for American manufacturing. And we’ll keep working with people and companies across this country to help write an extraordinary new chapter in the history of American innovation.”

Experts believe that the move is directly tied to recent tariff hikes on imported goods from China. Apple produces the majority of its products in China, and the changes in tariff policy are bound to increase its costs. By increasing its investments in the United States, the company is hoping to get an exemption and avoid raising the prices of its products while retaining the same profit margins.

The post Apple Plans to Invest $500 Billion in U.S. in Next 4 Years, Hire 20,000 People appeared first on theprimarymarket.com.

TikTok, owned by China-based Bytedance, has faced scrutiny from the U.S. government due to national security concerns. Despite being used by more than 170 million Americans, the social video app was briefly banned in January in an effort to force Bytedance to sell its U.S. operations.

Musk has been mentioned as one of the potential bidders for TikTok due to his ties with China, where Tesla has a manufacturing plant. However, the wealthiest man in the world said that he doesn’t have an interest in buying the app.

“I have not put in a bid for TikTok,” Musk said during a recent appearance at a conference in Germany. “I don’t have any plans for what would I do if I had TikTok.”

“I’m not champing at the bit to acquire TikTok,” he added, saying that he doesn’t use the app personally.

After the initial ban, TikTok was temporarily made available again. However, the move was made in order to give Bytedance more time to orchestrate a sale and another shutdown still remains a possibility.

The post Elon Musk is No Longer Interested in Buying TikTok appeared first on theprimarymarket.com.

The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) unanimously voted to pause further rate cuts at the conclusion of its two-day meeting in Washington, D.C. The move was somewhat expected, as policymakers previously indicated the intention to take a patient approach to interest rate changes in 2025.

In a statement released following the meeting, FOMC said that the economic activity in the country continued to expand “solid pace,” while adding that the unemployment rate remains at a low level and that the labor market conditions are “solid.” It also described the inflation as “somewhat elevated.”

“The Committee seeks to achieve maximum employment and inflation at the rate of 2% over the longer run,” FOMC noted. “In considering the extent and timing of additional adjustments to the target range for the federal funds rate, the Committee will carefully assess incoming data, the evolving outlook, and the balance of risks.”

Additionally, Fed chair Jerome Powell said that the U.S. central bank will have to see “real progress on inflation or some weakness in the labor market” before considering further rate adjustments.

The Fed’s decision to keep the interest rates unchanged caused a brief slide in the stock market that was diminished in the following hours. Benchmark S&P 500 was down by 0.72% at one point before closing down by 24.57 points or 0.41%.

The post Fed Unanimously Decides to Keep Its Interest Rates Intact appeared first on theprimarymarket.com.

Netflix crossed a major subscriber milestone in the fourth quarter, and its stock quickly soared in the face of the record-breaking gains. Netflix (NFLX) stock jumped over 14% in after-hours trading after the report was published, lifting the streaming company’s stock market value by almost $50 billion.

Several factors contributed to Netflix’s record subscriber count, including its crackdown on password sharing, along with popular live sports events, such as the boxing match between Jake Paul and Mike Tyson and the National Football League games.

In addition to sharing its quarterly report, Netflix also announced another round of price hikes. The standard add-free plan will now cost $17.99 (up from $15.49), while the add-supported plan will cost $7.99 (up from $6.99). The prices will initially be adjusted in the U.S., Canada, Portugal, and Argentina.

“As we continue to invest in programming and deliver more value for our members, we will occasionally ask our members to pay a little more so that we can re-invest to further improve Netflix,” reads Netflix’s letter to investors. 

The post Netflix Shares Soar After Record Quarterly Gains & Price Hikes appeared first on theprimarymarket.com.

Meta’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, announced the news through an internal memo sent to the staff and later shared by Bloomberg News.

“I’ve decided to raise the bar on performance management and move out low-performers faster,” Zuckerberg said. “We typically manage out people who aren’t meeting expectations over the course of a year, but now we’re going to do more extensive performance-based cuts during this cycle.”

According to the memo, the affected employees in the United States will be informed by early February while international employees will be notified at a later date.

Meta employs roughly 72,000 workers, meaning that around 3,600 people are set to be laid off. According to Zuckerberg, the outgoing employees will receive “generous” severance.

The layoffs are part of the company’s efforts to improve efficiency and have the “best people” in anticipation of an “intense year” that will see Meta place an even bigger focus on projects related to artificial intelligence.

Meta’s stock continued this week’s slide on Tuesday, dropping by 2.31% to close at $594.25 per share.

The post Meta to Cut 5% of Its Staff With Focus on “Low-Performers” appeared first on theprimarymarket.com.