BUSINESS

Young Australian investors may lose over $50,000 in potential profits due to proposed changes to capital gains tax, sparking concern among first-home buyers and emerging wealth builders.

Commonwealth Bank of Australia shares rose 1.28% as investors responded positively to its strong performance and potential Reserve Bank of Australia rate cuts, boosting confidence in the financial sector.

The ASX 200 index fell slightly as investors awaited the federal budget, balancing optimism in commodities with concerns over policy changes and global tensions.

Navitas Semiconductor's shares surged over 7% due to increased demand for energy-efficient solutions in AI data centres, driven by strategic partnerships and product launches.

In 2026, investors must choose between NVIDIA's AI dominance and Intel's turnaround potential. NVIDIA leads with strong growth, while Intel offers a high-risk, high-reward opportunity.

Palantir shares fell despite strong Q1 earnings and raised guidance, as investors locked in gains. Analysts remain bullish, citing robust growth and AI adoption, but caution on high valuations.

Wolfspeed's stock surged 23% due to AI infrastructure demand and a short squeeze, highlighting its role in silicon carbide semiconductors for AI and EVs.

VNET Group Inc. shares rose over 30% after announcing a strategic investment to enhance its AI infrastructure, signalling strong market confidence and growth potential in China's data center sector.

The Dow Jones fell over 240 points due to unexpected inflation data, delaying Federal Reserve rate cuts and impacting market sentiment. Energy costs and geopolitical tensions contribute to economic uncertainty.

eBay's Q1 2026 results show strong growth, rejecting GameStop's takeover bid. Analysts recommend cautious optimism, focusing on eBay's strategic initiatives and market resilience.

GameStop's $56 billion bid to acquire eBay was rejected, with eBay citing financial and strategic concerns. CEO Ryan Cohen may pursue a proxy fight or sweetened proposal.

NVIDIA and IREN Limited announce a strategic partnership to deploy 5GW of AI infrastructure, combining NVIDIA's computing platforms with IREN's data center expertise, marking a significant AI sector milestone.

The idea of "chucking a sickie" is something that many Aussie workers seem incredibly comfortable doing. Many phone in to work with claims of being too sick to come in, while others are genuinely unwell. When you zoom back and look at the national average, most employees took around 14 sick days in the last year, a staggering 23% increase over the last five years alone.

LONDON — The FTSE 100 pushed higher Wednesday as mining stocks and specialist services firms dominated the leaderboard, with Intertek Group leading gains amid strong sector rotation toward commodities and industrial testing services.

NEW YORK — Oracle Corp. shares closed down 3.62 percent at $186.83 on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, extending recent weakness as investors continued to scrutinize the software giant's aggressive capital spending on artificial intelligence infrastructure and cloud expansion. The decline of $7.01 per share came despite a modest pre-market rebound, reflecting ongoing unease about profitability, execution risks and broader tech sector rotation.

SYDNEY — The S&P/ASX 200 index struggled Wednesday amid banking sector weakness and budget-related concerns, but select stocks delivered standout gains as positive company news and rising commodity prices lifted resource and consumer discretionary names.

SYDNEY — Australia's annual inflation rate cooled to 4.3% in the 12 months to May 2026, down from 4.6% in March, offering the first clear sign that the recent surge driven by global energy shocks may be peaking.

NEW YORK — Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (NASDAQ: AMD) shares pulled back sharply Tuesday, dropping more than 5% to around $434 as investors took profits after a strong run driven by artificial intelligence demand.

SALT LAKE CITY — Shares of PACS Group Inc. (NYSE: PACS) skyrocketed more than 18% in morning trading Tuesday, climbing to $37.92 after the post-acute healthcare provider reported first-quarter 2026 results that handily beat Wall Street expectations and raised its full-year outlook.

GRAPEVINE, Texas — GameStop Corp. shares fell 0.52% to $23.05 in morning trading Tuesday as Wall Street digested the video game retailer's audacious $56 billion unsolicited bid to acquire eBay, which the online marketplace swiftly rejected as "neither credible nor attractive."

NEW YORK — The Dow Jones Industrial Average tumbled 325.36 points, or 0.65%, to close at 49,379.11 on Tuesday, surrendering early gains as escalating uncertainty over the U.S.-Iran conflict and rising oil prices dampened investor sentiment. The blue-chip index erased much of Monday's modest advance, reflecting broader caution across Wall Street even as technology shares provided some support.

NEW YORK — As Bitcoin trades near $81,000 and Ethereum hovers around $2,330 in mid-May 2026, investors face a familiar dilemma: which digital asset deserves capital in what many analysts call a pivotal year for crypto adoption. With spot ETFs driving institutional inflows, clearer U.S. regulation on the horizon and macroeconomic uncertainty lingering, both flagship cryptocurrencies present compelling but distinct cases.

AUSTIN, Texas — Tesla Inc. shares climbed sharply Monday, closing at $445.00, up $16.65 or 3.89%, as investors bet on the electric vehicle maker's accelerating shift toward artificial intelligence, robotics and autonomy despite ongoing challenges in traditional auto sales.

SYDNEY — The S&P/ASX 200 index edged lower on Tuesday, closing at 8,684.4 after shedding 17.4 points, or 0.20%, as healthcare stocks dragged on the broader market while resource names provided some support amid steady commodity prices.

NEW YORK — Navitas Semiconductor (NASDAQ: NVTS) has delivered one of the most explosive rallies of 2026, surging more than 400% year-to-date on the back of its strategic pivot toward high-power gallium nitride (GaN) and silicon carbide (SiC) solutions for artificial intelligence data centers. The question now facing investors is whether the momentum justifies buying at current elevated levels or if it's time to take profits after such a meteoric rise.

NEW YORK — ServiceNow Inc. (NYSE: NOW) shares rose modestly Monday morning to $91.85, up 0.71%, as investors digested the company's major AI announcements from last week's Knowledge 2026 conference and steady execution in the enterprise software market.

NEW YORK — Shares of Liquidia Corporation (NASDAQ: LQDA) surged more than 25% in morning trading Monday to $48.54 as investors cheered the biopharmaceutical company's transformative first-quarter 2026 results, driven by the blockbuster commercial launch of its pulmonary hypertension drug YUTREPIA.

NEW YORK — Vicor Corporation shares skyrocketed nearly 19% in morning trading Monday to $304.17, as investors poured into the high-performance power module specialist amid surging demand for advanced power solutions in artificial intelligence data centers and strong first-quarter results that beat expectations.

NEW YORK — Shares of Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises Inc. (NYSE: BW) surged more than 23% in morning trading Monday to $17.95, extending a remarkable rally as investors rewarded the industrial company's growing role in powering artificial intelligence data centers and its strong first-quarter performance.