Intel's Strong Earnings Boost Chip Stocks

The major averages had a mixed session following a surge in chip stocks after strong earnings, particularly from Intel. The macro headwind, meanwhile, remains oil and geopolitics. Crude continues to be volatile amid renewed tensions in the Middle East, including shipping disruptions and military activity tied to the ongoing U.S.-Iran conflict. Of note, a Pakistani government official told MS NOW that Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is anticipated to arrive in Islamabad on Friday and that talks between the U.S. and Iran will likely occur there.In other news, Jeanine Pirro, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, said the Department of Justice will close its investigation into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. Pirro added in her statement on the matter, however, that she "will not hesitate to restart a criminal investigation should the facts warrant doing so."Get caught up quickly on the top news and calls moving stocks with these five Top Five lists.1. STOCK NEWS:Intelreported muchand provided upbeat Q2 earnings guidanceProcter & Gamblereportedand maintained its core FY26 earnings outlookMaxLinearshares soared after itswas followed by upgrades at Needham and Roth CapitalMetato deploy Amazon Web Services'Graviton processorsGooglewill invest up to $40B in Anthropic,2. WALL STREET CALLS:Intelto Buy or equivalent ratings at Citi, Evercore ISI and Roth Capital after earningsDA Davidson alsoAMDto Buy after the big Intel beatSportradarto Hold at JefferiesBloomin' Brandsto Underweight at JPMorganMoffettNathansonDraftKingsand Flutter Entertainmentto Neutral amid prediction markets "clouds"3. AROUND THE WEB:Googleand Microsoftwill bed to lease a SoftBankU.S. data center, Nikkei Asia reportsFordhas discussed bringing Chinese automaker Geely'stechnology to the U.S., WSJ reportsSun Pharmaceutical is set to make a binding offer of $13B for Organon, The Economic Times reportsSpruce Point Management announces a long position in Zoom Communications, saying it sees "material upside potential" in the sharesNvidiahas yet to sell H200 AI chips to Chinese companies, citing difficulties obtaining permission from the Chinese government faced by potential buyers, Reuters says4. MOVERS:PagerDutygained after a rumor an activist targeting the company wasNewmontincreased after, with EPS and revenue beating consensusX-energyrose after itfollowing the IPO priced at $23 for the small modular nuclear reactor developerCharterwas lower after, with EPS missing consensusCourserafell afterand provided guidance for Q2 and FY265. EARNINGS/GUIDANCE:Gentexand raised its guidance for FY26Moogand raised its guidance for FY26, with CEO Pat Roche commenting, "Our teams delivered another outstanding quarter"HCA Healthcare, with EPS in-line with consensusSLBand increased its guidance for FY26, with CEO Olivier Le Peuch commenting on "a challenging start to the year" amid widespread disruptions in the Middle EastApogee Enterprises, with EPS higher year-over-yearINDEXES:The Dow fell 79.61, or 0.16%, to 49,230.71, the Nasdaq gained 398.09, or 1.63%, to 24,836.60, and the S&P 500 advanced 56.68, or 0.80%, to 7,165.08.