Cryptocurrency markets rebounded sharply last week, fueled by a wave of institutional investment into Bitcoin-related exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Funds tracking Bitcoin and Ether attracted over $3.2 billion in inflows, Bloomberg data show. The iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) led the charge, securing nearly $1.5 billion — its largest weekly intake this year. Other Bitcoin-focused ETFs, including ARK 21Shares Bitcoin ETF (ARKB) and Fidelity Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund (FBTC), also reported substantial inflows of $620 million and $574 million, respectively. Ether products, meanwhile, posted their first net inflows since February, signaling a broader revival in digital asset markets. Bitcoin prices rallied approximately 10% last week, climbing toward $94,000, the best performance since the days following the U.S. presidential election. The resurgence came as risk assets broadly advanced, with the S&P 500 gaining 4.6% amid hopes of easing trade tensions. “Net spot ETF inflows, which are a b...

Domino’s Pizza ( DPZ ) reported first-quarter earnings that outpaced expectations, signaling resilience in an otherwise challenging environment for U.S. restaurants. The pizza giant posted earnings of $4.33 per share, a 21% increase from a year ago, beating analysts' average forecast of $4.06. Total revenue for the quarter came in at $1.11 billion, up 2.5% year-over-year but slightly below Wall Street’s target of $1.13 billion. While earnings benefitted from aggressive share repurchases over the past year, the company faced setbacks in its home market. Same-store sales in the U.S. fell 0.5%, missing expectations for a modest rise. Economic uncertainty, compounded by elevated inflation and weakened consumer sentiment, especially among lower-income households, weighed heavily on domestic performance. Still, Domino’s shares have remained resilient, rising about 16% year-to-date, even as the broader S&P 500 has declined. The company reaffirmed its annual goal of 3% growth in U.S. c...

International Business Machines Corp. ( IBM ) announced plans Monday to invest $150 billion in the United States over the next five years, a sweeping move aimed at reinforcing its leadership in advanced computing. The announcement places IBM among a growing list of major corporations boosting American operations following President Donald Trump's return to office and his administration's renewed focus on reshoring manufacturing. The company said more than $30 billion of the investment will be dedicated to research and development efforts, particularly around its mainframe and quantum computing initiatives. IBM CEO Arvind Krishna emphasized the company's historical commitment to American jobs and innovation, saying, "Technology doesn’t just build the future — it defines it." This substantial commitment will expand operations at IBM’s manufacturing hub in Poughkeepsie, New York, a cornerstone facility where over 70% of the world’s financial transactions by value are...

The earnings season has arrived with heavy expectations for Big Tech, as Tesla ( TSLA ), Apple ( AAPL ), Microsoft ( MSFT ), Meta ( META ), and Amazon ( AMZN ) prepare to report in a market fraught with fears of trade wars and economic slowdown. Despite widespread uncertainty, analysts remain firm in their forecasts, expecting the so-called "Magnificent Seven" — which includes Tesla — to deliver an average of 15% profit growth in 2025. Tesla, however, stands out for a different reason. After enduring a disastrous first quarter, during which deliveries fell 13% year-over-year and the company missed key financial metrics, CEO Elon Musk took center stage. In a pivotal earnings call, Musk assured investors of his renewed focus on Tesla, signaling a potential turning point for the electric-vehicle pioneer. Tesla’s stock responded with a 9.8% surge last week, riding a broader recovery in Big Tech, even as concerns about tariffs and shrinking margins loom large. Tesla Bets Big o...

Skechers ( SKX ) reported a strong start to fiscal 2025, with record first-quarter sales of $2.41 billion—a 7.1% year-over-year increase—driven by growth in both international and domestic markets. Earnings per share came in at $1.17, matching Wall Street expectations, while the wholesale and direct-to-consumer channels posted gains of 7.8% and 6.0%, respectively. Despite these figures, the company’s stock plunged over 7% Friday morning after management withdrew its full-year guidance, citing "macroeconomic uncertainty stemming from global trade policies." The move startled investors and sparked broader concerns across the footwear sector, already strained by rising tariffs and unpredictable policy shifts. John Vandemore, Skechers’ chief financial officer, said during the earnings call that the current environment is “as uncertain as it was during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic,” emphasizing that the suspension of guidance was not tied to consumer demand. Tariff Trou...

Intel’s ( INTC ) first quarterly report under newly appointed CEO Lip-Bu Tan surprised Wall Street—just not in the way investors had hoped. The company beat expectations on both earnings and revenue, reporting adjusted earnings per share of $0.13 on revenue of $12.7 billion, well above the consensus forecast of $0.01 on $12.3 billion in sales. Yet the optimism was short-lived. Shares tumbled more than 7% on Friday after Intel issued a second-quarter outlook that came in well below expectations. Intel said it expects revenue between $11.2 billion and $12.4 billion for the current quarter, versus analysts’ forecast of $12.8 billion. The company also projected it would break even in adjusted earnings per share—well under the seven cents analysts had penciled in. The disappointing guidance was attributed largely to front-loaded customer demand in anticipation of new U.S.-China tariffs, and broader uncertainty in the global economy. Intel CFO David Zinsner acknowledged the cautious tone: “T...

Alphabet ( GOOG ) delivered a powerful performance in the first quarter, with earnings and revenue surpassing Wall Street expectations and sending its stock soaring. Revenue surged 12% year-over-year to $90.2 billion, while net income jumped an eye-catching 46% to $34.5 billion, or $2.81 per share. Operating income rose more than 20%, with margins expanding to 34%. Advertising revenue topped $66.8 billion, and Google Cloud brought in $12.2 billion, up from $9.5 billion in the same period last year. CEO Sundar Pichai highlighted the growing momentum of Gemini 2.5, Google’s latest AI model, which is now integrated into search and cloud services. “Our AI roadmap is really gaining steam,” he said, signaling further Gemini deployments across Google’s platforms. Alphabet also announced a 5% dividend hike to $0.21 per share and unveiled a massive $70 billion share repurchase plan—a capital return strategy that dwarfs most of its peers. Stock Buyback Signals Confidence Despite Legal and Compet...