Financial News

CoreWeave Signs AI Cloud Deal With Anthropic; Shares Jump

CoreWeave (CRWV) shares jumped Friday after the artificial intelligence cloud computing company struck a deal to support the development and deployment of Anthropic's Claude AI models.Under the multiyear agreement, the Amazon-backed (AMZN) AI startup will use CoreWeave's cloud platform to run workloads at production scale. It will bring computing capacity for Anthropic online later this year.CoreWeave shares were up nearly 11% in Friday afternoon trade, bringing its year-to-date gains to 42%."AI is no longer just about infrastructure, it's about the platforms that turn models into real-world impact," CoreWeave Chief Executive Michael Intrator said. "It's exactly the kind of real-world deployment of AI that CoreWeave was built for."The company said the collaboration with Anthropic will initially target a phased infrastructure roll-out, with the potential to expand over time.Anthropic didn't respond to' request for comment.On Thursday, CoreWeave agreed to supply AI cloud capacity to tech giant Meta Platforms (META) in a $21 billion deal as the companies expanded their partnership.CoreWeave said Friday that nine of the leading 10 AI model providers now use its platform.Separately, the company said Friday it priced an upsized private offering of $3.5 billion of 1.75% convertible senior notes due 2032, with settlement expected Tuesday.Earlier this week, Broadcom (AVGO) agreed to produce AI chips for Alphabet's (GOOG, GOOGL) Google and expanded its collaboration with Anthropic.Price: $102.98, Change: $+10.98, Percent Change: +11.93%

NexLiving Communities Q4 Funds From Operations Rise 53%

NexLiving Communities (NXLV.V) Friday said fourth-quarter funds from operations (FFO) jumped 53%.The multi-family real-estate company said FFO rose to $2.0 million, or $0.06 per share, from $1.3 million, or $0.04 per share, in the previous corresponding quarter,Net operating income increased 7.4% to $5.3 million, a statement said.NexLiving also said Ahmed Shethwala has been promoted to chief financial officer, effective immediately. Shethwala joined the company in 2022 and has served as vice president, finance since 2024.He succeeds Glenn Holmes, who is retiring from the role.NexLiving shares were last seen up $0.03 to $1.98 on the TSX Venture Exchange.Price: $1.98, Change: $+0.03, Percent Change: +1.54%

Market Chatter: Blackstone Weighs $2 Billion IPO for Data Center Acquisition Company

Blackstone (BX) is mulling an initial public offering that could raise $2 billion for an acquisition firm that will acquire data centers, Bloomberg reported Friday, citing people familiar with the matter.Blackstone's offering is being led by Goldman Sachs Group (GS) and could start formal marketing as soon as this month, the people told Bloomberg. Citigroup (C) and Morgan Stanley (MS) are among the financial institutions leading the deal, one of the people said, according to the news outlet.Blackstone, Goldman, Citi and Morgan Stanley didn't immediately reply to requests for comment from.(Market Chatter news is derived from conversations with market professionals globally. This information is believed to be from reliable sources but may include rumor and speculation. Accuracy is not guaranteed.)Price: $113.80, Change: $-3.11, Percent Change: -2.66%

Update: Market Chatter: EQT, KKR Show Interest in PolyPeptide Takeover

(Updates with KKR's response to a request for comment.)EQT AB and KKR (KKR) are among private equity firms showing takeover interest in PolyPeptide Group, Bloomberg reported Friday, citing people with knowledge of the matter.Advent has also been reviewing a possible acquisition of the Swiss contract drugmaker, the report said.KKR declined to comment, while EQT didn't immediately reply to a request for comment from.(Market Chatter news is derived from conversations with market professionals globally. This information is believed to be from reliable sources but may include rumor and speculation. Accuracy is not guaranteed.)Price: $90.17, Change: $-2.66, Percent Change: -2.87%

Update: Shell Confirms Plan to Produce Gas at Venezuela-Trinidad Offshore Field

(Updates with company confirmation in the headline and throughout the story.)Shell (SHEL) confirmed in an email toon Friday that it is in talks with Venezuela to produce natural gas at the Loran-Manatee offshore field, which crosses the border of Venezuela and Trinidad and Tobago.The company expects to produce gas from Manatee in 2027 but has yet to take a final investment decision on the Loran field, according to a spokesperson.Gerald Ramdeen, chairman of Trinidad's National Gas Company, said the state-owned enterprise has increased the capacity of the pipeline that will transport the gas to Trinidad to 1 billion cubic feet per day, according to Reuters.Price: $92.16, Change: $+1.07, Percent Change: +1.17%

Blackstone Considering $2 Billion IPO for Data Center Acquisition Company, Bloomberg Reports

Price: $113.78, Change: $-3.13, Percent Change: -2.67%

SunOpta Says U.S. Regulators Allow an Early End to a Waiting Period for its Acquisition by Refresco

SunOpta (SOY.TO, STKL) on Friday said U.S. regulators allowed early termination of the waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Act, easing the way for its sale to Refresco Holding for US$6.50 per share.The company said the early termination of the waiting period under the HSR Act satisfies one of the conditions to the closing of the arrangement.The company said closing the sale remains subject to remaining regulatory clearance or approval, approval by SunOpta's shareholders and the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, and the satisfaction or waiver of other customary closing conditions.The company's shares were last seen down C$0.03 to C$8.97 on the Toronto Stock Exchange.Price: $8.97, Change: $-0.03, Percent Change: -0.33%

Consumer Sentiment Plunges to All-Time Low Amid Inflation Fears

US consumer sentiment hit the lowest on record this month, reflecting heightened worries about higher prices and the overall economic fallout from the Middle East conflict, University of Michigan's preliminary survey showed Friday.The main sentiment index plunged about 11% to 47.6 in April from March. That's the lowest print on record, BMO Capital Markets said in a note.Wall Street expected a 51.5 print, according to Bloomberg's poll. Annually, sentiment dropped 8.8% this month, the University of Michigan reported.The survey was largely completed before Tuesday's announcement of a two-week ceasefire between the US and Iran. The conflict had spread across the Gulf region, disrupting shipments that triggered a surge in prices.The truce appeared to be holding so far as officials from Washington and Tehran were expected to meet on Saturday in Pakistan, which helped broker the ceasefire."Demographic groups across age, income, and political party all posted setbacks in sentiment, as did every component of the index, reflecting the widespread nature of this month's fall," Surveys of Consumers Director Joanne Hsu said in a statement. "Economic expectations will likely improve after consumers gain confidence that the supply disruptions stemming from the Iran conflict have ended and gas prices have moderated."US consumer inflation accelerated to its highest monthly reading in nearly four years in March as the Middle East conflict sent energy prices sharply higher, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday. The data showed energy price growth jumped about 11% sequentially in March, led by a 21% surge in gasoline, accounting for nearly three quarters of the headline increase.The year-ahead inflation outlook advanced to 4.8% this month from 3.8% in March, the highest since June the University of Michigan survey showed. The five-year inflation forecast jumped to 3.4%.The gauge for current economic conditions slumped 10% month over month to 50.1, while the expectations measure dropped nearly 11% to 46.1."Buying conditions for durables and vehicles worsened, again on the basis of high prices," Hsu said. "Open ended comments show that many consumers blame the Iran conflict for unfavorable changes to the economy."

G2 Goldfields Maintained at Buy at Stifel Canada as It Agrees to be Acquired by G Mining Ventures

Stifel Canada on Friday maintained its buy rating on the shares of G2 Goldfields (GTWO.TO) and its C$8.50 price target after the company agreed to be acquired by G Mining Ventures (GMIN.TO) for shares worth C$3 billion."G Mining Ventures announced an all-share deal to acquire GTWO at an ~80% premium to Wednesday's close. The deal implies total consideration of C$3.0B, or C$10.84/sh (0.212 GMIN shares per GTWO). We are constructive on this transaction, noting combined potential of Oko West and Oko-Ghanie main to produce >500kozpa Au. We see the acquisition implying 0.66x GTWO P/NAV (consensus), higher than the ~0.45x GMIN acquired RGD for in 2024. Further, we note the G3 SpinCo (including Peters Mine) is currently being priced in at ~7-20% (prelim value estimate), providing optionality to continued discovery with a fertile property package and proven mgmt. We see this deal as a sign mid-tier producer/developer M&A is favouring infrastructure proximal, near-term production potential with exploration upside and note OMG under coverage as a natural read through; trading at 0.31x [unfunded, risked 'takeout' NAVPS of C$6.53]," analyst Cole McGill wrote.(covers equity, commodity and economic research from major banks and research firms in North America, Asia and Europe. Research providers may contact us here: https://www..com/contact-us)Price: $10.84, Change: $+0.06, Percent Change: +0.56%

TSX up 150 Points at Midday With Miners, Utilities, Leading Gains

The Toronto Stock Exchange is up 150 points at midday with most sectors higher.The best performers are miners and utilities, both up 1.4%. Industrials and telecoms are down 0.5% and 0.8%, respectively.Statistics Canada Friday reported employers added 14,000 jobs in March, n line with economists' expectations, leaving the unemployment rate remained unchanged at 6.7%. Average hourly wages rose 4.7% year-over-year, up from February's 3.9%.Canada's labor market, as Royce Mendes, Head of Macro Strategy at Desjardins, said, showed "some signs of stabilization", however, there are buts about the data. Friday's Labour Force Survey (LFS) showed the Canadian economy added back 14,000 jobs in March, leaving the unemployment rate unchanged at 6.7%. But, Mendes noted, all of the new positions were part-time, with full-time jobs "stable" after a "devastating" decline of 108,000 in February. Mendes also noted while the year-over-year pace of average hourly earnings accelerated in March, the pickup was due to compositional effects as Statistics Canada said average hourly earnings rose just 3.6% when keeping the composition fixed, suggesting wages "aren't actually heating up."The Desjardins tracking for Q1 gross domestic product remains around 1.5% to 2.0%, roughly in line with the Bank of Canada's January forecast. Overall, Mendes said, there's nothing in Friday's LFS to suggest that the economy is perking up. Despite upgrading its oil price forecasts, Desjardins continues to believe central bankers will remain on the sidelines for the remainder of this year, given persistent slack in the economy.

G Mining Ventures Reiterated at Buy at Stifel Canada as It Agrees to Buy G2 Goldfields; Price Target Kept at C$65.00

Stifel Canada on Friday maintained its buy rating on the shares of G Mining Ventures (GMIN.TO) and its C$65.00 price target after the company agreed to acquire G2 Goldfields (GTWO.TO) for shares worth C$3 billion."G Mining Ventures (GMIN) announced a definitive agreement to acquire all outstanding shares of G2 Goldfields in an all-share transaction valued at about C$3.0 billion on a fully diluted equity basis. The transaction strategically consolidates GMIN's fully permitted Oko West and GTWO's Oko-Ghanie, creating a tier-one gold mining hub in Guyana with the potential to produce 500+Koz of gold per year on LOM average basis, including Oko West expected production of approximately 350Koz/yr (FS June 2025) and Oko-Ghanie expected production of 228Koz/yr (PEA December 2025). We estimate the transaction values GTWO at 0.77x on P/NAV and is 6.5% accretive to our GMIN NAVPS including synergies, but excluding the 25%-30% throughput expansion potential at Oko West (1.1% accretive excluding synergies). GMIN plans to move quickly through technical studies with an intention to release a technical report in 2027, targeting expanded production by H1/29," analyst Ralph Profiti wrote.(covers equity, commodity and economic research from major banks and research firms in North America, Asia and Europe. Research providers may contact us here: https://www..com/contact-us)Price: $49.78, Change: $-0.62, Percent Change: -1.23%

Update: Alphabet's YouTube Raises US Premium Subscription Prices

(Updates the first three paragraphs with YouTube's response.)Alphabet's (GOOG, GOOGL) YouTube unit said Friday it is raising the prices of its Premium, Premium Lite and Music Premium subscription tiers in the US.Most individual Premium subscribers will pay $15.99 per month, Music Premium users will be charged $11.99 monthly, and the Family plan will cost $26.99 per month, a YouTube spokesperson said in an emailed statement to.The price adjustments will support creators and maintain ad-free platform features, and YouTube will notify current subscribers by email at least 30 days before their new billing cycles begin, the spokesperson added.YouTube individual Premium customers billed through Apple's (AAPL) App Store face a steeper rate of $20.99 per month, though the video-sharing platform advised users to migrate to direct web billing to secure the standard pricing, multiple media outlets reported.The rate adjustments reportedly also push student and lite tiers up by $1 to $8.99 monthly, while the annual standard individual plan will now cost $159.99, representing a $20 jump.Price: $316.06, Change: $-0.31, Percent Change: -0.10%

Roblox to Launch Roblox Plus Subscription Plan

Roblox (RBLX) said Friday it is launching Roblox Plus, a new subscription plan that will offer value for players and recurring revenue streams for creators.Roblox Plus will be available worldwide, starting April 30, for $4.99 per month, with discounts on in-game purchases and avatar items as well as exclusive platform benefits.The company said it will cover these discounts.Price: $54.67, Change: $-0.51, Percent Change: -0.92%

Imperial Oil Maintained at Hold at TPH Ahead of Q1 Results; Price Target at C$150.00

Tudor, Pickering, Holt on Friday maintained its hold rating of the shares of Imperial Oil (IMO.TO, IMO) with a C$150 price target ahead of the oil producer and refiner's first-quarter results."With our pre-earnings model update this week, we increased our Q1'26 CFPS estimate to C$3.39 from our prior C$2.90, now above Street C$2.97 though recent estimates looking more in-line with current TPHe. While MTM factors aided across the board, Upstream stands out as the driver for our improved earnings estimates, with MTM factors for Downstream partially offset by a true up to or assumptions on capture rate," analyst Jeoffrey Lambujon wrote.(covers equity, commodity and economic research from major banks and research firms in North America, Asia and Europe. Research providers may contact us here: https://www..com/contact-us)Price: $178.16, Change: $+0.68, Percent Change: +0.38%

St. Louis Fed US Q1 GDP Nowcast Estimate 1.992% Gain vs Previous 1.703% Gain

DAX Index Little Changed; German Inflation at Two-year High in March

The blue-chip DAX index finished Friday's session flat at 0.01% in the red, as market watchers focused on the upcoming negotiations between the US and Iran.Hopes for a regional cooling-off period and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz rose after Israel signaled a desire for talks with Lebanon. Tehran has highlighted Israel's ongoing military operations in Lebanon as a major hurdle in its broader ceasefire deal with Washington. The US and Iran are scheduled to hold closely watched negotiations in Pakistan on Saturday.In local economic news, Destatis confirmed in its final data that Germany's annual inflation rate accelerated to 2.7% in March 2026 from 1.9% previously, marking its highest level since January 2024. The core rate, which excludes food and energy prices, was unchanged at 2.5%."The significant increase in the prices of energy products is driving up inflation. In particular, motor fuel and heating oil prices have risen sharply for consumers since the start of the Iran war," Federal Statistical Office President Ruth Brand said.The conflict in the Middle East also impacted Germany's travel industry, according to the ifo Institute's latest business survey. The ifo business climate index for travel agencies and tour operators plunged to -41.7 points from -14.8 points, reflecting sharper pessimism regarding current conditions and future expectations.Additionally, ifo noted that more travel agencies and tour operators are projecting higher costs for travel services in the coming months amid rising fuel costs. "An increase in the inflation rate is likely to strain the travel budgets of many vacationers as the year goes on," industry expert Patrick Höppner said.On the corporate front, Nordex (NDX1.F) secured an order for 13 of its N175/6.X turbines for an undisclosed wind farm project in Spain. The deal includes an initial capacity of 80 megawatts, with an option to expand the total capacity to 120 megawatts. The German wind turbine manufacturer fell 0.39% on Xetra by the end of the trading day.Meanwhile, tech stocks Siemens (SIE.F) and Infineon Technologies (IFX.F) were among the DAX's best performers, gaining by 1.32% and 1.03%, respectively, on the back of a better-than-expected first-quarter revenue for Taiwanese chipmaker TSMC amid increasing artificial intelligence-related demand.

Replimune's Biologics License Application for Advanced Cutaneous Melanoma Drug Rejected by FDA

Replimune Group's (REPL) biologics license application for vusolimogene oderparepvec was rejected by the US Food and Drug Administration, the regulator said in a complete response letter on Friday.The application was for vusolimogene oderparepvec plus nivolumab to treat adults with unresectable advanced cutaneous melanoma who experienced disease progression with a programmed death receptor-1 blocking antibody-based therapy, the letter said.The regulator and experts unanimously decided that the data presented in the application were "insufficient" to show that the treatment is effective for advanced melanoma, the letter added.Shares of Replimune Group were down 19.5% before being halted on Nasdaq at about 11:02 a.m. ET.Price: $4.76, Change: $-1.15, Percent Change: -19.46%

Petrobras Signs $450 Million Deal for Offshore Fields in Campos Basin

Petroleo Brasileiro has signed a deal to acquire back stakes in two offshore fields from Petronas Petroleo Brasil for $450 million, as the producer consolidates control over key assets in the Campos Basin, the companies said on Friday.The deal will see Petrobras acquire the remaining 50% interest in the Tartaruga Verde field and in Module III of the Espadarte field, restoring full ownership and operating of both assets.Petrobras said the transaction is structured with staged payments, including $50 million paid at signing and $350 million due at closing, subject to adjustments tied to the effective date of July 1, 2025.The energy firm said additional deferred payments of up to $50 million will be made in two installments over the following two years, contingent on the assets' performance.The final consideration will be adjusted to reflect economic results generated by the fields since mid-2025, potentially lowering the overall payout.The companies said the completion of the deal remains subject to regulatory approval from the National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels and other customary conditions.

UK's FTSE 100 Closes Week Flat; AO World Shares Jump

British stocks concluded the trading week flat, with the FTSE 100 down 0.03% on Friday's close amid a quiet day of local economic news and the expected weekend peace talks between the US and Iran."Financial markets breathed a sigh of relief this week as the US and Iran announced a two-week ceasefire. However, the truce looks fragile and the Strait of Hormuz is still effectively closed, so we don't plan any major changes to our UK growth and inflation projections as part of our global forecast update on April 13," Oxford Economics said in a note."The ceasefire lessens the chances of more disruptive outcomes playing out. But even if a full-blown truce is agreed, it will take time for energy production and shipping traffic to return to normal levels," the research firm added. "Our current baseline assumption is that the Strait of Hormuz remains effectively closed until the end of April, with traffic levels rising to around 50% in May and June, before gradually recovering to normality over the following six months."Oxford Economics currently expects the UK's gross domestic product growth to stand at 0.4% in 2026 and 0.9% in 2027, while inflation in the country is projected to reach 4.5% in the fourth quarter of 2026.In corporate news, Kingfisher plc (KGF.L) was one of the blue-chip index's top gainers, rising 2.70% at closing, as it commenced the first tranche of its share repurchase program worth up to 300 million pounds sterling. The British home improvement company will buy back a maximum of 75 million pounds of its shares under the initial tranche, which will be canceled to reduce the company's share capital.Meanwhile, electrical goods retailer AO World (AO.L) expects its adjusted profit before tax for the 12 months ended March 31 to be at the top end of its guidance range of 45 million pounds to 50 million pounds, while total group revenue is anticipated to rise 11%. The stock gained 6.98% at the end of the trading session.

Cenovus Energy Maintained at Buy at TPH Ahead of Q1 Results' Price Target at C$42.00

Tudor, Pickering, Holt on Friday maintained its buy rating on the shares of Cenovus Energy (CVE.TO, CVE) with a C$42.00 price target ahead of the oil producer and refiner's first-quarter results."In our pre-earnings model update, we increased our Q1'26 CFPS estimate to TPHe C$1.40, up from our prior C$0.97, which sits well above Street C$1.09 though we'd anticipate positive estimate revisions in the coming weeks. MTM (mark to market) impacts were the primary driver of our refresh, with our operational assumptions only modestly nudged lower across CVE's segments," analyst Jeoffrey Lambujon wrote.(covers equity, commodity and economic research from major banks and research firms in North America, Asia and Europe. Research providers may contact us here: https://www..com/contact-us)Price: $35.82, Change: $+0.34, Percent Change: +0.96%