S&P 500 Rises for Fourth Straight Day; Nasdaq Winning Streak Snapped

Biggest S&P 500 Movers on Thursday

May 15, 2025 06:50 PM EDT

Advancers

Medical equipment maker Steris (STE) topped net income forecasts with its fiscal fourth-quarter results, and its shares surged 8.5% to lead the S&P 500 higher. The provider of infection prevention products reported year-over-year revenue growth across its health care, applied sterilization technology (AST), and life sciences segments.
Although shares of Walmart (WMT) came under pressure after its chief financial officer said elevated tariffs could weigh on profitability, shares of fellow retailer Dollar General (DG) gained 6.0% on Thursday. Analysts have previously suggested that stores like Dollar General and competitor Dollar Tree (DLTR) could have some flexibility to raise prices as competitors across the retail space also begin charging more for products.
Shares of hospital operator HCA Healthcare (HCA) advanced 4.9% after Bank of America boosted its price target on the stock and affirmed its “buy” rating. Analysts pointed to strong demand for HCA’s health care services as well as the company’s effective cost management.

Decliners

The CFO of Fiserv (FI) said the growth trajectory of its point-of-sale platform, Clover, is unlikely to improve this quarter. According to the executive, prior growth for Clover came from the company’s existing clients migrating to the platform, which can’t be repeated. Fiserv shares dropped 16.2% on Thursday, the most of any S&P 500 stock.
UnitedHealth Group (UNH) shares tumbled 10.9% following a report indicating that the Department of Justice is investigating the insurer for potential Medicare fraud. The move lower exacerbates heavy losses for the stock earlier this week after the firm announced the departure of its CEO and suspended its 2025 forecasts.
Shares of First Solar (FSLR) slipped 3.5%, reversing a portion of the strong gains posted earlier this week after a Congressional proposal suggested a relatively bright outlook for solar providers compared with expectations. The proposal from the House Ways and Means Committee would leave a key credit for the solar industry mainly intact.

-Michael Bromberg

Applied Materials Stock Slides as China Sales Shrink

May 15, 2025 06:38 PM EDT

Applied Materials (AMAT) late Thursday reported fiscal second-quarter revenue that missed analysts’ expectations as sales in China declined, news that sent shares of the company lower in extending trading.

The semiconductor equipment manufacturer reported revenue of $7.1 billion, up 7% year-over-year but below the analyst consensus from Visible Alpha. China sales totaled $1.77 billion, representing a quarter of total revenue, down from $2.83 billion accounting for 43% of the company’s revenue a year ago. It was the third quarter in a row that China sales fell from a year earlier.

The company’s adjusted net income of $1.94 billion, or $2.39 per share, rose from $1.74 billion, or $2.09 per share, in the year-ago quarter, topping estimates.

Looking ahead, Applied Materials said it expects fiscal third-quarter adjusted earnings per share of $2.15 to $2.55 on revenue of $6.7 billion to $7.2 billion, slightly above Wall Street’s projections at the midpoints.

Applied Materials shares were down more than 5% in after-hours trading. The stock was up roughly 8% for 2025 through Thursday’s close.

-Andrew Kessel

Meta Reportedly Delaying Launch of AI Model

May 15, 2025 05:33 PM EDT

Meta (META) is reportedly pushing back the launch of its “Behemoth” AI model amid concerns about whether enough improvements have been made compared to previous iterations.

The Facebook parent had originally planned to roll out the new version of its Llama 4 large language model in April, in conjunction with its LlamaCon event for AI developers, The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday. The company has not offered a public timeline for the release. 

The delays have caused frustration with the Llama 4 development team among senior Meta executives, who are considering making management changes to its AI product group, the report said. 

Meta did not immediately respond to an Investopedia request for comment.

The news comes after the social media giant said last month that it plans to boost its capital expenditures this year to $64 billion to $72 billion to grow its AI capacity.

Meta shares slid about 2% Thursday. They’ve added 10% in 2025 so far.

-Andrew Kessel

Quantum, AI Stocks Are Some of The Most Shorted

May 15, 2025 05:10 PM EDT

AI stocks are the hottest trades on Wall Street again. They’re also among traders’ favorite stocks to bet against.

Wall Street regained its risk appetite this week thanks to easing U.S.-China tensions, soft inflation data, and a slew of deal announcements out of President Trump’s Middle East tour. The Cboe Volatility Index (VIX), sometimes called “the fear index,” dropped below 20 for the first time since March on Monday and has held steady since then.

AI stocks like Nvidia (NVDA), Palantir (PLTR) and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) have been among the biggest beneficiaries of investors’ subsiding fear. But with stock gains comes speculation that the rally won’t last, and thus more interest from active traders, like hedge funds, looking for opportunities to profit from pullbacks.

Among the stocks least loved by active traders is SoundHound AI (SOUN). Traders have sold short about $1.2 billion of the Nvidia-backed company’s stock, compared with just $340 million of long positions, according to data from market research firm S3 Partners.

 Another notable name: Super Micro Computer (SMCI), shares of which have soared about 40% this week amid a blistering AI rally. The total value of Supermicro short positions exceeds long positions by more than half a billion dollars. 

In dollar terms, SoundHound and Supermicro skew short more than most stocks. But relative to their size, these two stocks have more bullish support than some other hot stocks. Traders have sold short five times as much Rigetti Computing (RGTI) stock as they’ve bought long. Two more quantum computing stocks—IonQ (IONQ) and D-Wave Quantum (QBTS)—have short-to-long ratios exceeding 2:1. 

Other stocks in which short positions are about double long positions include Plug Power (PLUG), Trump Media & Technology (DJT), and GameStop (GME).

-Colin Laidley

Fiserve Plunges as CFO Says Clover Growth to Remain Flat

May 15, 2025 04:27 PM EDT

Shares of Fiserv (FI) tumbled Thursday after CFO Robert Hau said the company expects volume growth of its Clover point-of-sale system this quarter to remain roughly in line with its first-quarter results. 

The stock dropped over 16%, making it the leading decliner on the S&P 500. Fiserv shares have fallen more than 27% since the company reported last month that first-quarter Clover volume grew 8% year-over-year, compared to 14% in the fourth quarter of 2024.

Clover growth is expected to be “generally similar” this quarter, Hau told attendees of a JPMorgan event Thursday, according to a transcript provided by AlphaSense. The CFO noted that some prior Clover volume growth was due to Fiserv’s existing clients converting to the Clover gateway platform last year, which isn’t repeatable.

“So we had a gateway that was non-Clover for clients that we converted over to the Clover Gateway… that doesn’t repeat this year,” said Hau. This gateway headwind is expected to increase this quarter, Hau added.

Hau’s remarks come after Fiserv named former PNC President Michael Lyons as its new chief executive last week. Outgoing CEO Frank Bisignano joined the Trump administration as commissioner of the Social Security Administration following a Senate confirmation hearing.

-Andrew Kessel

UnitedHealth Stock Headed for Worst Month Ever

May 15, 2025 03:57 PM EDT

Shares of UnitedHealth Group  (UNH) plummeted double-digits for a second time this week on Thursday amid reports that the company is being investigated for possible Medicare fraud.

Thursday’s decline put the stock down more than 50% over the past month, its worst such stretch since going public in 1984. The stock is trading at its lowest level in more than five years.

Shares sank more than 20% in a day last month when the company lowered its full-year profit outlook; they tumbled a further 18% on Tuesday when it withdrew its outlook entirely and announced the sudden departure of its CEO.

UnitedHealth shares were down 11% in late trading Thursday, after falling as much as 19% early in the session.

Read the full article here.

-Colin Laidley

Analysts See Nike as Winner in Dick’s-Foot Locker Deal

May 15, 2025 02:28 PM EDT

Wall Street analysts see Nike (NKE) as a key beneficiary from Dick’s Sporting Goods (DKS) acquiring Foot Locker (FL) in a deal valued at around $2.4 billion.

“A better-run FL, combined with a cleaner marketplace and resonant innovation, should support NKE’s recovery,” Jefferies analysts wrote in a note before the expected deal was confirmed. “With shares still below COVID lows, we’d be buyers at current levels.”

The analysts said that Foot Locker being owned by a “highly capable and efficient operator” like Dick’s could improve Foot Locker’s operations. It could also help Nike’s “already robust relationship” with Dick’s, and “enhance NKE’s retail presence and brand consistency.”

Nike represents at least half of Foot Locker’s sales and is the largest contributor to Dick’s footwear sales, per the Jefferies analysts. Analysts from UBS estimated that Nike could be roughly 30% to 35% of Dick’s total sales after the deal is complete, noting that “in some ways, this deal increasingly ties together the fortunes of these businesses.”

Oppenheimer analysts said they expect a combined Dick’s Sporting Goods and Foot Locker to “represent an even stronger distribution partner” for Nike and other leading brands like Under Armour (UAA), positioning the retailers to take advantage of innovation from the brands.

Nike is in the midst of a turnaround after a difficult 2024 that saw the athletic apparel giant replace its CEO, with analysts warning after recent quarters that the effort will take time. Analysts previously said Foot Locker’s March earnings report showed some evidence that Nike’s plan was working, with new designs resonating with customers.

Nike shares were up 0.5% in recent trading, while Dick’s shares fell 15% and Foot Locker surged 85%.

-Aaron McDade

Foot Locker Jumps 80% After Deal to Be Acquired by Dick’s

May 15, 2025 01:17 PM EDT

Foot Locker (FL) shares soared after the footwear retailer agreed to be purchased by Dick’s Sporting Goods (DKS) in a multibillion-dollar deal.

Shares of Foot Locker were recently up more than 80%, while Dick’s stock was down roughly 15%.

Foot Locker shareholders can receive either $24 in cash for for each of their shares or exchange them for 0.1168 shares of Dick’s common stock, according to the terms of the deal. The transaction, expected to close in the second half of 2025, implies an equity value of around $2.4 billion for Foot Locker and an enterprise value of approximately $2.5 billion.

“By combining with Foot Locker, Dick’s will be poised to serve consumers not only in new locations in the U.S. through Foot Locker’s complementary real estate portfolio, but also internationally for the first time,” the companies said.

Foot Locker has approximately 2,400 retail stores across 20 countries in North America, Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand, and licensed stores in Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

The news confirms a Wednesday report from The Wall Street Journal that said the two were in talks. A deal at the $24 per-share price would top Wall Street’s average price target of below $19, according to Visible Alpha data.

Foot Locker shares closed at $12.87 on Wednesday. Dick’s closed at $209.61.

-Nisha Gopalan

Coinbase Drops as Crypto Exchange Discloses Data Breach

May 15, 2025 12:22 PM EDT

Coinbase Global (COIN) stock fell Thursday after the company said in a regulatory filing that it had been the victim of a cyberattack.

The online cryptocurrency exchange said that it received “an email communication from an unknown threat actor claiming to have obtained information about certain Coinbase customer accounts, as well as internal Coinbase documentation” on May 11. The company added that “the threat actor appears to have obtained this information by paying multiple contractors or employees working in support roles outside the United States to collect information from internal Coinbase systems to which they had access.”

“The communication demanded money in exchange for not publicly disclosing the information,” the filing said. Coinbase said it has not paid the demand and is working with law enforcement. Its investigation is still ongoing, but Coinbase said it expects the incident to cost between roughly $180 million and $400 million “relating to remediation costs and voluntary customer reimbursements.”

Coinbase said no passwords or customer funds were ever accessed. However, it said names, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, last four digits of Social Security numbers, masked bank account numbers, and Coinbase account data like “balance snapshots and transaction history” may have been compromised.

Shares were down about 4% in recent trading, after tumbling more than 8% early in the session. The stock, which is near unchanged since the start of the year, had surged earlier this week on news that Coinbase will join the S&P 500 next Monday.

-Aaron McDade

Alibaba Stock Slides on Disappoint Earnings

May 15, 2025 11:59 AM EDT

Shares of Alibaba Group Holdings (BABA) sank Thursday after the e-commerce and cloud computing giant reported worse-than-anticipated results on slowing Chinese consumer spending and increased competition.

The company posted fiscal 2025 fourth-quarter adjusted earnings per share of 1.57 yuan ($0.22), with revenue increasing 7% year-over-year to 236.5 billion yuan ($32.81 billion). Both missed Visible Alpha estimates.

Sales at the Taobao and Tmall Group, Alibaba’s Chinese e-commerce unit, rose 12% to RMB71.08 billion. They were up 22% to RMB33.58 billion at the Alibaba International Digital Commerce Group, and they grew 18% to RMB30.13 billion at the Cloud Intelligence Group. 

CFO Toby Xu said the company was “confident in our business outlook and will continue to invest in our core businesses to strengthen our competitive advantages.”

U.S.-listed shares of Alibaba were down 8% in late-morning trading. Despite the decline, the stock is up 46% since the start of the year.

-Bill McColl

Walmart Expects Tariffs Will Lead to Higher Prices

May 15, 2025 11:10 AM EDT

Walmart (WMT) CEO Doug McMillon said in Thursday’s earnings call that the retailer will be forced raise prices due to tariffs, even at their recently lowered levels.

“We will do our best to keep our prices as low as possible, but given the magnitude of the tariffs, even at the reduced levels announced this week, we aren’t able to absorb all the pressure given the reality of narrow retail margins,” McMillon said on the call.

The CEO added that the world’s largest retailer is “positioned to manage the cost pressure from tariffs as well or better than anyone. But even at the reduced levels, the higher tariffs will result in higher prices.

The world’s largest retailer reported adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of $0.61 on revenue that increased 2.5% to $165.61 billion. Analysts surveyed by Visible Alpha had expected $0.58 and $165.99 billion, respectively.

Walmart kept its fiscal 2026 guidance in place, and said it expects second-quarter net sales to increase by 3.5% to 4.5% in constant currency. Last quarter, the company said it expected 3% to 4% net sales growth from fiscal 2025’s $674.5 billion, and adjusted EPS of $2.50 to $2.60 versus $2.51.3

“Given the dynamic nature of the backdrop, and the range of near-term outcomes being exceedingly wide and difficult to predict, we felt it best to hold from providing a specific range of guidance for operating income growth and EPS for the second quarter,” CFO John David Rainey said. “With a longer view into the full year, we believe we can navigate well and achieve our full year guidance.”

Walmart shares were down about 2% recently after having risen in premarket trading soon after the report. The stock entered the day up 7% so far this year.

-Aaron McDade

UnitedHealth Stock Plunges on Report of DOJ Probe

May 15, 2025 10:20 AM EDT

Shares of UnitedHealth Group (UNH) tumbled in early trading Thursday on a report that the U.S. Department of Justice is investigating the embattled health insurance provider for possible criminal Medicare fraud.

Citing people familiar with the matter, The Wall Street Journal reported that the healthcare-fraud unit of the DOJ’s criminal division is overseeing the probe, which is focused on the company’s Medicare Advantage business.

The investigation has been active “since at least last summer,” the Journal said, adding that the DOJ’s “criminal healthcare fraud unit focuses on crimes such as kickbacks that trigger higher Medicare or Medicaid payments.”

The news comes two days after UnitedHealth Group shares plummeted 18% after CEO Andrew Witty stepped down and the firm suspended its 2025 outlook. Shares are down nearly 40% this year entering Thursday.

UnitedHealth Group denied the report. “We have not been notified by the Department of Justice of the supposed criminal investigation reported, without official attribution, in the Wall Street Journal today,” it said in a statement.

“We stand by the integrity of our Medicare Advantage program,” the company added.

The DOJ didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

UnitedHealth shares were down 16% in recent trading, leading decliners on the Dow and S&P 500. The stock has lost nearly half of its value since the start of 2025.

-Nisha Gopalan

Supermicro Levels to Watch Amid Stock’s Recent Surge

May 15, 2025 09:22 AM EDT

Super Micro Computer (SMCI) shares were losing ground in premarket trading after surging Wednesday to their highest level since late February, boosted by a recent AI deal and bullish analyst commentary.

The server maker announced a $20 billion partnership with Saudi Arabian data center company DataVolt late Tuesday, coinciding with Nvidia (NVDA) and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) also announcing deals with firms in the kingdom as President Donald Trump began a four-day trip to the Middle East. 

Sentiment for the stock also received a lift earlier this week after Raymond James named Supermicro a “market leader in AI-optimized infrastructure,” adding that it sits well placed to grow its market share.

Supermicro shares have been on a volatile ride following a difficult period headlined by several delayed filings that saw the stock narrowly avoid a Nasdaq delisting. However, through yesterday’s close the shares had rebounded 63% from their April low. The stock soared 16% on Wednesday and has gained 40% this week alone.

Supermicro shares staged a decisive breakout above the upper trendline of a falling wedge pattern on Tuesday, with the price accelerating above the 200-day moving average in Wednesday’s trading session.

Importantly, Wednesday’s jump occurred on the highest volume since late February, indicating buying conviction by larger market participants. Moreover, the relative strength index confirms bullish price momentum, though the indicator nears overbought levels, increasing the possibility of short-term dips.

Investors should watch key overhead areas on Supermicro’s chart around $50 and $63, while also monitoring support levels near $35 and $26.

The stock was down more than 2% at $44 in recent premarket trading,

Read the full technical analysis piece here.

-Timothy Smith

Major Index Futures Point to Lower Open

May 15, 2025 08:26 AM EDT

Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average were down 0.4%.

S&P 500 futures also fell 0.4%.

Nasdaq 100 futures dropped 0.6%.