Intel Stock Soars as Takeover Speculation Spreads | Global News Avenue

Major U.S. stock indexes push up End the week with traders Set a day off Monday is Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the day Donald Trump will be sworn in to begin his second term as president.

Stocks ended the week stronger, coinciding with renewed optimism that the Federal Reserve may continue to cut interest rates in 2025. there are signs Inflation recedes. (Here are four reasons why Inflation remains.)

The S&P 500 rose 1% on Friday. Strength in technology stocks helped the Nasdaq rise 1.5%, while the Dow closed 0.8% higher.

Intel(international trade center) shares soared 9.3%, the best performance in the S&P 500, on reports that the semiconductor giant Possible takeover target. Friday’s gains extend gains in Intel shares earlier this week after the chipmaker said it would transform its venture fund into a separate entity, with the company remaining an investor. Intel’s interim CEO said the move will help the company improve efficiency and maximize the value of its assets.

SLB(SLBThe world’s largest oilfield services company reported better-than-expected fourth-quarter profits, increased its dividend and stepped up share buybacks. Although SLB took a cautious stance on 2025, indicating that year-over-year revenue growth would be limited as high oil supply levels constrain field activity, its shares rose 6.1% after the strong earnings report.

Truist Financial stock (TFC) shares rose 5.9% after the bank holding company beat quarterly sales and profit estimates. Net interest income and non-interest income were up from the same period last year, helping to drive the strong results. Growth in average deposit balances also contributed to Truist’s results, despite a decline in average loan balances.

JB Hunt Transportation Services (JBHT) shares plunged 7.4% on Friday, the biggest decline among S&P 500 stocks, after the shipping company reported fourth-quarter sales and profits. did not meet expectations. Falling sales hurt results, with the company reporting revenue declines across all its divisions. JB Hunt’s chief executive said the company remains committed to repairing margins while dealing with headwinds in the trucking industry.

Eli Lilly and Company (Li Lai) shares fell 4.2%, extending losses earlier this week after the pharmaceutical giant cut its sales guidance. Shares were lower on Friday after the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced it had selected Novo Nordisk’s popular weight loss and diabetes treatment.non-governmental organization) for potential price negotiations, raising concerns that a similar product from Eli Lilly could also come under Medicare scrutiny. Novo Nordisk’s U.S.-listed American depositary receipts fell 5.3%.

Fair Isaac Corp. stock (Fitzgerald), the analytics software company best known for its FICO credit scores, fell 3.5%, giving up gains made earlier in the week after Jefferies raised its price target on the stock. Analysts noted that expectations for the company’s business-to-business transaction volume have increased, but a slowdown in mortgage originations in a high-rate environment remains a concern.