Stock Movers

On this episode of Stock Movers:
- Nvidia (NVDA) shares traded higher amid a broader relief rally in tech stocks and the S&P 500. The relief brought by the US shutdown’s end gave way to volatility this week as a host of Fed speakers threw cold water on bets for further policy easing. Hot areas favored by momentum traders such as artificial-intelligence whipsawed and Bitcoin was barely up for 2025.
- Walmart (WMT)'s Chief Executive Officer Doug McMillon, who over a decade ushered the big-box behemoth into the Internet age, will retire in February. He’ll be replaced by US head John Furner — long viewed as the heir apparent. Furner, 51, takes over as Walmart faces a fast-moving shift toward artificial intelligence, an uneven US economy, and a rapidly changing global workforce. The company recently inked a partnership with OpenAI, which will allow shoppers to directly make purchases through ChatGPT. The retailer has said automation has helped it keep headcount steady at about 2 million employees globally. Investors were initially rattled by the change at the top, with the company’s shares sliding as much as 3.6% on Friday.
- Nike (NKE) has ended an initiative that gave employees an extra week off each year to promote mental health and wellness. Nike’s annual “Wellness Week,” which started in 2021, had been held each August, with the world’s largest sportswear company powering down its corporate headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon, to give staff more time to unwind. Chief People Officer Treasure Heinle told staff this week that the program was instituted as the world endured Covid-19, but the company is now in a “pivotal moment” that requires changes in how employees approach their work, according to a replay of the meeting reviewed by Bloomberg News. Shares of Nike fell.

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On this episode of Stock Movers:
- Cidara Therapeutics (CDTX) shares rise after Merck agreed to acquire Cidara Therapeutics for $221.50 a share in cash in a tender offer, for a total transaction value of about $9.2 billion. Merck is seeking deals to expand its portfolio of treatments as it prepares for patent losses that are expected to erode its sales over the next five years, including a patent expiration for Keytruda in 2028.
- Stubhub shares tumble as much as 31% on Friday, with analysts surprised that the ticketing platform did not provide a forecast for the current quarter. This is the firm’s first quarterly report after going public in September. Bank of America downgraded the stock to neutral, as the call commentary and lack of 4Q guidance “added estimate uncertainty.”
- Warner Brothers-Discovery (WBD) shares rise after WSJ report that Warner Bros. Discovery is holding an auction process, with Paramount, Comcast, and Netflix preparing bids, according to people familiar with the matter.

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On this episode of Stock Movers:
- Merck (MRK) shares drop after the company agreed to acquire Cidara Therapeutics in a $9.2 billion deal, which is a biotech company developing a flu treatment. Merck will pay $221.50 a share in cash for Cidara in a tender offer, more the twice Thursday’s closing price.
- Walmart (WMT) shares fall after Walmart CEO Doug McMillon said he will retire in February and be replaced by John Furner. Furner has been long viewed as an heir apparent for McMillon and runs the company’s largest business in the US.
- Nvidia (NVDA) shares are little changed. It's set for 2 weeks of declines, the longest streak since early September. Nvidia earnings are next week and over the past year have often been a catalyst to sell; particularly 3-5 days after the event.

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On this episode of Stock Movers:
- Shares of biotech company Cidara Therapeutics (CDTX) surged as much as 106% in premarket trading after Merck agreed to buy the biotech for $221.50 per share in cash, for a total transaction value of about $9.2 billion. Merck is seeking deals to expand its portfolio of treatments as it prepares for patent losses that are expected to erode its sales by $18 billion over the next five years. In 2028, Merck faces a patent expiration for Keytruda, the best-selling drug in pharmaceutical history which accounted for almost half of the company’s revenue last year.
- Stubhub (STUB) shares tumble as much as 20% in premarket trading on Friday as analysts note that it was surprising that the ticketing platform did not provide a forecast for the current quarter. This is the firm’s first quarterly report after going public in September.
- Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) shares rallied ahead of the US market open following a Wall Street Journal report that Paramount, Comcast and Netflix are preparing bids for the media giant. WBD amended the contract of Chief Executive Officer David Zaslav to ensure his stock options remain eligible to vest even if the media company is sold. The change, announced in a regulatory filing Thursday, follows the company’s decision last month to consider strategic options including a possible sale.

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On this episode of Stock Movers:
- Shares of Applied Materials (AMAT) tumbled in premarket trading after the company suffered a sales decline last quarter and predicted another drop in the current period, though the chip-equipment maker sees demand improving in the second half of 2026. Sales will be approximately $6.85 billion in fiscal first quarter, which runs through January, the company said in a statement Thursday. Though that was slightly higher than the $6.81 billion average estimate, it would represent a decline of more than 4% from the year-earlier period.
- Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) shares edged higher in premarket trading following a Wall Street Journal report that Paramount, Comcast and Netflix are preparing bids for the media giant. WBD amended the contract of Chief Executive Officer David Zaslav to ensure his stock options remain eligible to vest even if the media company is sold. The change, announced in a regulatory filing Thursday, follows the company’s decision last month to consider strategic options including a possible sale.
- Shares of Merck (MRK) moved lower ahead of the US market open after word the company is closing in on a deal to acquire Cidara Therapeutics Inc., a biotech company developing a treatment for influenza, according to the Financial Times. The deal would value San Diego-based Cidara at a premium to its current valuation of $3.3 billion and could be announced as soon as Friday, the newspaper reported.

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On this episode of Stock Movers:
- Richemont sales climbed as shoppers from the US to China snapped up the luxury group’s pricey Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels jewelry.
- PPHE Hotel Group's biggest shareholders are considering options for the real estate company behind Park Plaza Hotels in Europe, including contributing capital or selling some of their stakes.
- Ubisoft decided to delay the publication of its first-half financial results on the day that they were due to be released, requesting hat the trading of its shares be halted.

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On this episode of Stock Movers:
- Richemont sales climbed as shoppers from the US to China snapped up the luxury group’s pricey Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels jewelry.
- Siemens Energy raised its mid-term financial targets on strong demand for gas turbines and data center equipment as well as restructuring progress at its Gamesa wind turbine unit.
- Lloyds Banking Group shares dipped on the back of a UK asset sell off on reports that Chancellor Rachel Reeves has dropped plans to raise the headline rates of income tax in the coming budget.

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On this episode of Stock Movers:

• Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) shares rose more than 5% in postmarket trading, after the Wall Street Journal reported that Paramount, Comcast and Netflix are preparing bids for the company, citing people familiar with the matter.
• Cisco (CSCO) shares gained on Thursday after the network-equipment giant boosted its 2026 forecast, showing progress in its effort to capture more artificial intelligence spending. The company, the top maker of machines that run computer networks and the internet, now expects sales of as much as $61 billion in the fiscal year ending in July, it said in a statement on Wednesday. That’s about $1 billion more than it previously expected and higher than Wall Street estimates. Cisco also increased its earnings forecast, which similarly topped analysts’ predictions.
• Tesla (TSLA) is developing support for Apple Inc.’s CarPlay system in its vehicles, according to people with knowledge of the matter, working to add one of the most highly requested features by customers. Shares of the company fell amid a broader selloff in tech stocks.

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On this episode of Stock Movers:
- Google (GOOG) shares drop. This is after news that the company is under investigation by European Union antitrust watchdogs over concerns it unfairly demotes some news results in a probe that risks adding to its €9.5 billion ($11 billion) EU fines tally and worsening fraught relations with the Trump administration.
- Walt Disney (DIS) shares fall after the company reported sales that fell short of Wall Street estimates, with revenue for the fourth quarter at $22.5 billion. The company predicts challenges early in the new fiscal year, including expenses tied to the theatrical release of Zootopia 2 and Avatar: Fire and Ash, which will reduce earnings by $400 million.
- Sealed Air (SEE) shares rose the most intraday since March 2020, to trade as high as $44.27 as people with knowledge of the matter say Clayton Dubilier & Rice is exploring a potential acquisition of the Bubble Wrap maker.

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On this episode of Stock Movers:
- Sealed Air (SEE) shares rose the most intraday since March 2020, to trade as high as $44.27 as people with knowledge of the matter say Clayton Dubilier & Rice is exploring a potential acquisition of the Bubble Wrap maker.
- Cisco (CSCO) shares rose after the maker of networking equipment boosted its adjusted earnings per share guidance for the full year that beat the average analyst estimate as the firm captures more artificial intelligence spending. Analysts, however, note weakness in the company’s security and non-AI businesses.
- Walt Disney (DIS) shares fall after the company reported sales that fell short of Wall Street estimates, with revenue for the fourth quarter at $22.5 billion. The company predicts challenges early in the new fiscal year, including expenses tied to the theatrical release of Zootopia 2 and Avatar: Fire and Ash, which will reduce earnings by $400 million.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.