By Francesca Fontana

Moderna Inc.

The race for a coronavirus cure is picking up speed. This summer three experimental vaccines will enter Phase 3 trials, the final stage of testing meant to determine their safety and effectiveness, The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday. Moderna's vaccine is set to be first, followed by one co-developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca PLC and one by Johnson & Johnson. Moderna shares gained 3.2% Wednesday.

Simon Property Group Inc.

Simon Property Group has decided to empty a big shopping bag. The landlord is terminating its $3.6 billion deal to acquire rival mall owner Taubman Centers Inc., the latest sign of the intense pressure the retail sector is contending with during the coronavirus pandemic. Taubman described Simon's attempt to terminate the deal as "without merit" in a statement Wednesday afternoon and said it still considers Simon to be bound by the agreement. The pandemic has resulted in an explosion of requests for rent relief, retailer bankruptcies and store closures, putting pressure on all landlords including Simon, to conserve cash. Simon shares fell 4% Wednesday.

ViacomCBS Inc.

" Cops" is off the air as antipolice sentiment builds in the U.S. The long-running reality show, which showed the police in a favorable light, was canceled by ViacomCBS unit Paramount Network on Tuesday. The A&E network has also pulled its "Live PD" program. The cancellations come after the killing of George Floyd, a black man, while being arrested by a white Minneapolis police officer. The death sparked nationwide protests. Other entertainment content is being re-examined in the wake of the social movement. AT&T Inc.'s HBO Max streaming service pulled "Gone With the Wind" from on Tuesday for its long-criticized romanticism of slavery. ViacomCBS shares lost 8.7% Tuesday.

Microsoft Corp.

Some of the biggest names in tech are having second thoughts about allowing police to use their facial-recognition tools. Microsoft's president said Thursday that the company won't sell the technology to U.S. police until there is a national law regulating its use. The pledge comes amid widespread concern about how the software's potential for racial bias as outcry about police tactics grows. Amazon.com Inc. on Wednesday also placed a one-year moratorium on law-enforcement use of its facial-recognition software, and International Business Machines Corp. earlier this week said it had stopped developing and offering facial-recognition software. Microsoft shares fell 5.4% Thursday.

Apple Inc.

Businesses are announcing big-dollar initiatives to promote racial justice following Mr. Floyd's killing. Apple said Thursday it would devote $100 million to a racial-justice initiative that aims to invest in education, economic equality and criminal-justice reform with a goal of increasing opportunities for people of color. A couple of hours later, Susan Wojcicki, chief executive of the YouTube arm of Alphabet Inc.'s Google, said the video platform would create a $100 million fund aimed at amplifying content from black creators, in addition to highlighting racial-justice issues through its official channel. Apple shares fell 4.8% Thursday.

Boeing Co.

Boeing grounded plans to make 125 new jets this year amid a potential glut of new planes that airlines can't afford. Spirit AeroSystems Holdings Inc., the company's biggest supplier, said late Wednesday it had been asked by Boeing to freeze a recently restarted production of parts for the 737 MAX. More than half the world's fleet has been parked after travel restrictions and weakening economies brought much of the global airline industry to a halt. Boeing halted MAX production in January, and the U.S. aerospace giant has delivered just 60 jets this year. Boeing shares plummeted 16% Thursday.

Goldman Sachs Group Inc.

The pandemic is complicating the outlook for the nation's largest banks now that interest rates may stay near zero for years. Federal Reserve officials on Wednesday projected no interest rate increases through 2022 and said they were studying how to provide more support to an economy battered by the new coronavirus and related shutdowns. Lower interest rates make it more difficult for banks to profit from lending, a key revenue source. The Fed also predicted that some damage to the labor market could last for years. Bank stocks fell the next day, with Goldman Sachs shares losing 9.1% Thursday.

Write to Francesca Fontana at francesca.fontana@wsj.com