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Major Averages Little Changed as Micron Reports Strong Q4 Earnings
The major averages were little changed to start the month as rising Treasury yields continue to weigh on markets even as Micron reported upbeat Q4 earnings and revenue. Also weighing on stocks was a jump in oil prices as traders await President Trump's next move in the war with Iran.Get caught up quickly on the top news and calls moving stocks with these five Top Five lists.1. STOCK NEWS:Micronreported better-than-expected Q4 results and provided an upbeat earnings and revenue outlook for Q1Accenturereported upbeat Q4 results but provided conservative FY27 earnings guidanceMSG Sports'board of directors approved a spinoff of its Rangers business from its Knicks businessMattelhas drawn takeover interest from Authentic Brands, WSJ reportsGeneral Motorsreported a 6% drop in Q3 U.S. sales, while Toyotareported an 8.4% increase in September U.S. sales on a volume basis, and Stellantisreported "steady" U.S. sales for last quarter2. WALL STREET CALLS:Wells Fargo upgraded BP, downgraded Exxonon relative valuation callOccidentalupgraded to Buy at Goldman SachsBarclays reinstated Williamswith an Overweight, sees growth from behind-the-meter powerEthosdowngraded to Neutral from Overweight at JPMorganArgus upgraded Regeneron, sees attractive entry point after selloff3. AROUND THE WEB:BAE Systemsis weighing a bid for Robin Radar in a potential $2.3B deal, Reuters reportsMetaCEO Mark Zuckerberg helped initiate and draft the principles behind the White House's voluntary AI industry accord, working with Nvidia'sJensen Huang and other executives to address regulatory and safety concerns, Semafor reportsTencenthas signed an estimated $7B, five-year lease with Oracleacross Southeast Asian data centers, giving it access to roughly 100,000 advanced AI chips unavailable in China, FT saysBroadcomis emerging as a uniquely strategic Anthropic partner, spanning compute supply, equipment leasing, and up to $42B of infrastructure financing, Reuters reportsGoogleis paying roughly 100 digital publishers for how much their content contributes to AI Overviews, AI Mode, and Gemini in a pilot, The Information reports4. MOVERS:Synopsysgained after providing guidance for FY27 and announcing its intention to repurchase $1B sharesWave Life Sciencesincreased after announcing FDA feedback supported its pathway for WVE-006Infosyswas higher in New York after partnering with Columbia University to develop its AI R&D activitiesCortevafell after completing the spin-off of its seed and genetics businessNektarwas lower after announcing long-term data on rezpegaldesleukin5. EARNINGS/GUIDANCE:Lyftbacked its outlook for Q3McCormickreported Q3 results and reaffirmed its outlook for FY26Acuityreported Q4 results, with EPS beating consensusCardinal Healthreaffirmed its outlook for FY27Progress Softwarereported Q3 results and provided guidance for both Q4 and FY26INDEXES:The Dow rose 20.51, or 0.04%, to 50,926.56, the Nasdaq gained 10.53, or 0.04%, to 26,871.60, and the S&P 500 advanced 14.91, or 0.19%, to 7,666.45.
Major Averages Decline as Treasury Yields Rise
The major averages were lower near noon to start the month as rising Treasury yields continue to weigh on markets even as Micron reported upbeat Q4 earnings and revenue. Also weighing on the averages is a jump in oil prices, with the commodity above $90 a barrel. Traders await President Trump's next move in the war with Iran and ponder if he will wait until after midterm elections before ordering further military actions.Get caught up quickly on the top news and calls moving stocks with these five Top Five lists.1. STOCK NEWS:Micronreported better-than-expected Q4 results and provided an upbeat earnings and revenue outlook for Q1Accenturereported upbeat Q4 results but provided conservative FY27 earnings guidanceMSG Sports'board of directors approved a spinoff of its Rangers business from its Knicks businessGoogleis rolling out its new frontier model Gemini 4 ArgonConstellationand Amazonannounced a long-term power purchase agreement that will support the continued investment in and expansion of the Calvert Cliffs Clean Energy Center2. WALL STREET CALLS:Wells Fargo upgraded BP, downgraded Exxonon relative valuation callOccidentalupgraded to Buy at Goldman SachsBarclays reinstated Williamswith an Overweight, sees growth from behind-the-meter powerEthosdowngraded to Neutral from Overweight at JPMorganArgus upgraded Regeneron, sees attractive entry point after selloff3. AROUND THE WEB:MetaCEO Mark Zuckerberg helped initiate and draft the principles behind the White House's voluntary AI industry accord, working with Nvidia'sJensen Huang and other executives to address regulatory and safety concerns, Semafor reportsTencenthas signed an estimated $7B, five-year lease with Oracleacross Southeast Asian data centers, giving it access to roughly 100,000 advanced AI chips unavailable in China, FT saysAI holds the promise to accelerate drug development, optimize clinical trials, and bring lifesaving therapies to market faster, and Veeva Systemsis making that transformation happen, Barron's saysBroadcomis emerging as a uniquely strategic Anthropic partner, spanning compute supply, equipment leasing, and up to $42B of infrastructure financing, Reuters reportsGoogleis paying roughly 100 digital publishers for how much their content contributes to AI Overviews, AI Mode, and Gemini in a pilot, The Information reports4. MOVERS:Synopsysgains after providing guidance for FY27 and announcing its intention to repurchase $1B sharesWave Life Sciencesincreases after announcing FDA feedback supported its pathway for WVE-006Infosyshigher in New York after partnering with Columbia University to develop its AI R&D activitiesCortevafalls after completing the spin-off of its seed and genetics businessNektarlower after announcing long-term data on rezpegaldesleukin5. EARNINGS/GUIDANCE:Lyftbacked its outlook for Q3McCormickreported Q3 results and reaffirmed its outlook for FY26Acuityreported Q4 results, with EPS beating consensusCardinal Healthreaffirmed its outlook for FY27Progress Softwarereported Q3 results and provided guidance for both Q4 and FY26INDEXES:Near midday, the Dow was down 276.37, or 0.54%, to 50,629.68, the Nasdaq was down 118.98, or 0.44%, to 26,742.09, and the S&P 500 was down 28.82, or 0.38%, to 7,622.72.
Stock Futures Rise, Alphabet Shares Up 2%
Stock futures rose to start the new month and new quarter as investors continue to buy AI-related stocks. Stocks look to be starting October higher despite persistent oil and rate concerns, with the 10-year Treasury yield climbing to 5.34%, its highest level since 2002.In pre-market trading, S&P 500 futures rose 0.42%, Nasdaq futures were up 0.55%, and Dow futures added 0.39%.Check out this morning's top movers from around Wall Street, compiled by The Fly.HIGHER -Alphabetup 2% after unveiling its latest Gemini modelConstellation Energyup 4% after the company said it signed a 20-year power purchase agreement with AmazonNu Holdingsup 6% after the company said it's not pursuing a deal with Monzo BankOracleup 2% following a report that said Tencentagreed to a five-year lease across the firm's data centers in Southeast AsiaVicorup 14% after raising its Q3 sequential growth guidance to more than 30% from more than 20%Rocket Labup 5% after Citi initiated coverage with a Buy ratingUP AFTER EARNINGS -Accentureup 17%McCormickup 4%Jabilup 1%DOWN AFTER EARNINGS -Microndown 1%Acuitydown 4%Progress Softwaredown 1%LOWER -Liquidiadown another 14% after a court ruling on patent infringement claims, falling further after a plunge yesterday
McCormick to Merge with Unilever Foods, Projecting $20B Revenue in 2025
The company said, "In March 2026, the Company announced the agreement to combine McCormick with Unilever's Foods business, excluding India and other excluded businesses to create a preeminent global flavor-focused company operating in attractive, high-growth categories, with approximately $20B in fiscal year 2025 revenue and a 21% operating margin and strong cash flow generation. The transaction is expected to be accretive to McCormick's net sales growth rate, operating margin, and adjusted EPS with mid- to high-single-digit adjusted EPS accretion anticipated within the first twelve months post-close and mid-to high-teens accretion expected in Year 3. The combined company is expected to realize approximately $600M of annual run-rate cost synergies, net of growth reinvestments and potential dis-synergies, with approximately two-thirds expected to be achieved by Year 2 post-close. The Company also expects to identify approximately $100M of incremental cost and revenue synergies that will be reinvested to further support growth. Cost synergies are expected to be driven primarily by SG&A, procurement, and manufacturing and logistics efficiencies. Integration planning remains on track. McCormick has announced the planned future operating model and leadership team, established a dedicated Integration Management Office, and mobilized 20 cross-functional teams comprising more than 200 employees from McCormick and Unilever Foods. Detailed bottom-up Day 1 planning has identified a clear pipeline of quantified initiatives, supported by defined actions, ownership, timing, and resources. The companies have also established global transition service agreements designed to support business continuity from Day 1 and facilitate a phased exit over approximately two years following close. Lastly, McCormick continues to advance the regulatory approval process, with filings submitted on schedule across jurisdictions. The transaction is expected to close by mid-2027, subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals."
McCormick Reports Q3 Revenue of $2.02B
Reports Q3 revenue $2.02B, consensus $1.98B. Brendan Foley, CEO, stated, "Third quarter results demonstrate the resilience and differentiated performance of our flavor-focused business model in a dynamic operating environment. We delivered strong sales growth, including organic growth across our global flavor portfolio, while expanding our profit margins. Disciplined productivity initiatives helped offset rising input and freight costs, supporting margin expansion and enabling continued investment in our brands to drive long-term profitable growth. Overall, performance reflected solid base business contribution and accretion from the McCormick de Mexico acquisition, where we have substantially completed its integration. Looking ahead, our enhanced margin profile and operational discipline position us to continue investing in our brands, capabilities, and innovation to support organic sales growth and drive long-term shareholder value creation. Our advantaged categories combined with our strong year-to-date performance, including solid organic growth, margin expansion, and robust cash flow, give us confidence in our ability to deliver on our 2026 outlook. We remain confident in the strategic benefits of the proposed combination with Unilever Foods and have made substantial progress on integration planning. We have established the future leadership team and operating model, mobilized cross-functional resources, and developed detailed plans to support business continuity and planned synergy delivery post-close. Finally, I want to recognize the engagement of our employees. Their focus, collaboration, and commitment to serving consumers and customers continue to support our differentiated performance. I also want to acknowledge the teams executing our standalone priorities, as well as those serving on the Integration Team, who are advancing the planning needed to prepare for the proposed Unilever Foods combination. I am grateful for their contributions, which continue to strengthen and sustain our Power of People culture."
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