Corporate results:
- Broadcom announced on Thursday evening that it expected sales of $10 billion this year from chips designed for artificial intelligence. However, the group did not update its annual forecast of $50 billion in global sales, which disappointed investors, sending the stock down 2.5% in pre-market trading.
- HelloFresh issues a major warning.
- Informa raises its earnings forecasts due to the return of live events.
- Marvell Technology lost 5.8% in premarket trading after the semiconductor group reported quarterly sales below market expectations, against a backdrop of weak demand in its wireless infrastructure markets.
- Gap jumped 6.4% in pre-market trading after the ready-to-wear group reported better-than-expected fourth-quarter results, thanks to the dynamism of the Gap and Old Navy brands amid a recovery in retail sales.
- Costco Wholesale was down 4% in pre-market trading after reporting fourth-quarter sales below expectations.
- DocuSign forecasts total annual sales of between $2.92 and $2.93 billion, ahead of analysts' forecasts of $2.91 billion, according to LSEG data..
In other news:
- Bayer gains the support of one of its major shareholders, Harris Associates, for its decision to delay consideration of a demerger.
- Iberdrola has launched an offer at USD 34.25 per share ($2.48 billion) to buy the remaining free float (18.4%) of its US subsidiary Avangrid.
- Novo Nordisk expects China to approve its weight-loss drug Wegovy this year.
- Mondi to buy DS Smith at GBX 373 per share.
- Huawei's chip renaissance is supported by LAM Research and Applied Materials, according to Bloomberg.
- Frasers places its Matches online store into administration.
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Hungarian group Ganz Mavag offers to buy Spanish train manufacturer Talgo for EUR 5 a share, or €619 million.
- INWIT will invest around €800 million by 2026.
- China is preparing a $27 billion-plus fund to accelerate the development of cutting-edge technologies to counter U.S. restrictions, Bloomberg reported Friday.
- Boeing announced on Thursday evening that it was revising the way it pays bonuses to its employees in order to place greater emphasis on quality and safety, as this year's operational targets are focused exclusively on these two elements.
- Eli Lilly - The FDA, the US health authority, postpones by several months the announcement of its opinion on donanemab, an experimental treatment for patients with early-stage Alzheimer's disease.
- Tapestry, Capri Holding - European competition authorities will decide by April 15 whether to allow Coach parent Tapestry to buy Capri Holdings, owner of the Michael Kors and Versace brands, in an $8.5 billion deal, shows a European Commission notice.
- UnitedHealth Group announced Thursday evening that its online platform for pharmacy services was fully operational again after a February 21 cyberattack on its Change Healthcare technology division.
- Goldman Sachs announced on Friday its intention to withdraw from commercial banking in Japan, a business it launched in April 2023 and which provides treasury services including deposits, cash management and cross-border payments.