Market Overview - On September 17, 2025, U.S. stock markets exhibited mixed performance, influenced by the Federal Reserve's interest rate decision and significant corporate news [1][11] - The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose by 304.25 points, closing at 46,062.15, a gain of approximately 0.66%, while the S&P 500 fell by 4.86 points to 6,601.90, a decrease of 0.07%, and the Nasdaq Composite dropped by 95.59 points to 22,238.37, down 0.43% [2] Federal Reserve Decision - The Federal Reserve cut interest rates by 25 basis points, marking the first rate cut of the year, amid signs of a weakening labor market [3] - Investors are awaiting the FOMC meeting minutes and updated "dot plot" projections for insights into future rate paths and economic outlook [3] Corporate News - Nvidia (NVDA) shares declined by approximately 1.6% due to reports that China's internet regulator instructed major tech firms to cease purchasing Nvidia's AI chips [5] - Oracle Corporation (ORCL) shares increased by 1.5% as it is part of a consortium to keep TikTok operational in the U.S. [6] - Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (CMG) shares rose by 1.9% after announcing an additional $500 million for share buybacks, raising total authorization to approximately $750 million [6] - ADTRAN Holdings, Inc. (ADTN) stock plummeted by 15.1% following a $150 million convertible senior notes offering [7] - Dave & Buster's Entertainment, Inc. (PLAY) shares fell by 16.7% after reporting second-quarter earnings significantly below estimates [7] - Workday (WDAY) shares surged by 6.9% after Elliott Investment Management disclosed a stake of over $2 billion in the company [8] - StubHub (STUB) debuted on the NYSE at $23.50 per share following its IPO [9] - General Mills, Inc. (GIS) reported a 7% decrease in net sales for Q1 fiscal 2026, but a 108% increase in operating profit due to a yogurt divestiture [10] - Manchester United plc (MANU) reported an increase in commercial revenue for the 2025 fiscal fourth quarter and full year [10]

Market Overview - The Dow Jones increased by 450.24 points, or 0.98%, reaching 46,208.14, while the S&P 500 rose by 7.91 points, or 0.12%, to 6,614.70, and the Nasdaq decreased by 57.05 points, or 0.26%, to 22,276.91 following a 25 basis point interest rate cut by the Federal Reserve [1][7] - Defensive sectors such as consumer staples and healthcare saw gains of 1.2% and 0.6%, respectively, which helped mitigate declines in tech stocks on the S&P 500 [4][7] Company Performance - New Fortress Energy surged by 26.5% after securing a liquefied natural gas supply agreement with the Puerto Rican government [6][8] - Workday's stock rose by 8% after activist investor Elliott Management disclosed a stake exceeding $2 billion in the company [6][8] - Lyft's shares jumped by 13.8% following news of a collaboration with Alphabet's Waymo to launch autonomous cab rides in Nashville next year, while rival Uber's stock fell by 5% [6][8] Sector Analysis - The financial sector rebounded with a 1% increase, highlighted by American Express's 2.7% rise to a record high [4][7] - A broader semiconductor index was poised to end a nine-session winning streak, the longest since September 2017, influenced by Nvidia's 3.1% decline due to regulatory actions in China [3][7] Economic Context - Concerns regarding the Federal Reserve's independence have eased with the swearing-in of economic adviser Stephen Miran as a Fed Governor and a court ruling against President Trump's attempt to dismiss Governor Lisa Cook [5][7] - Historically, September has been a challenging month for U.S. equities, with the S&P 500 averaging a 1.5% decline since 2000 [5][8] Market Dynamics - Advancing issues outnumbered decliners by a ratio of 2.22-to-1 on the NYSE and 1.73-to-1 on the Nasdaq, indicating overall market strength [7][8] - The S&P 500 recorded 14 new 52-week highs and one new low, while the Nasdaq Composite noted 75 new highs and 26 new lows [8]

Activist investor Elliott Investment Management said it has taken a $2 billion stake in Workday, sending shares of the human resources software provider sharply higher on Wednesday. https://t.co/XkHNQhpo9e ...

Market Overview - The S&P 500 Index is down -0.17%, while the Dow Jones Industrials Index is up +0.77%, and the Nasdaq 100 Index is down -0.80% [1] - Weakness in chipmakers, particularly Nvidia, which is down more than -2%, is impacting the broader market due to regulatory actions from China's Cyberspace Administration [2][11] - The overall market is negatively affected by the decline in major technology stocks, with Amazon, Tesla, and Meta Platforms all down more than -1% [12] Economic Indicators - US housing news showed weaker-than-expected results, with August housing starts falling -8.5% month-over-month to 1.307 million, below expectations of 1.365 million [3] - Building permits also fell unexpectedly by -3.7% month-over-month to a 5.25-year low of 1.312 million, against expectations of an increase [3] - MBA mortgage applications rose +29.7% in the week ended September 12, with refinancing applications up +57.7% [4] Federal Reserve Actions - The Federal Reserve approved a quarter-percentage-point rate cut and indicated two additional cuts are expected before the end of the year due to concerns over the labor market [1][5] - The market anticipates a total of about 70 basis points in rate cuts by year-end, with a focus on the Fed's new economic forecasts [5] Company-Specific Developments - Uber Technologies is down more than -4% following insider selling by CEO Khosrowshahi, who sold $28.6 million in shares [13] - Manchester United reported a Q4 loss and cut its 2026 revenue outlook, leading to a decline of more than -6% in its stock [12] - Roivant Sciences is up more than +12% after its drug met primary endpoints in a Phase 3 trial [14] - Workday is up more than +8% after an upgrade from Guggenheim Securities [14] - Walmart is up more than +2% following a price target increase from Bank of America [15]

Market Overview - The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose by 461.88 points, up 3.10 points (+0.67%), while the S&P 500 edged down 0.1% and the Nasdaq Composite slipped 0.5% by midday [1][29] - The market is pricing in a nearly 96% chance of a 25 basis point cut by the Federal Reserve, with analysts closely watching the updated dot plot for potential additional cuts before year-end [2][16] Sector Performance - Nvidia fell nearly 3% after China banned its AI chip sales to domestic tech giants, while Tesla and Uber also struggled [3] - Workday surged over 8% on activist investor support, indicating strong market interest in companies with robust backing [3] - Oracle dipped 2.7% despite strong AI cloud demand, highlighting the market's focus on corporate earnings and regulatory developments [4] Economic Indicators - Housing starts and building permits for August fell to 1.307 million and 1.312 million respectively, weaker than the expected 1.37 million, intensifying expectations of Fed rate cuts [5][29] - The labor market showed signs of slowdown, with August job growth adding only 22,000 jobs and unemployment rising to 4.3%, the highest since 2017 [18] Small-Cap Performance - Small-cap indexes gained modestly, reflecting improving investor optimism amid softer macroeconomic data and expectations of Federal Reserve rate cuts [7][21] - The Russell 2000 index of small caps rose 0.9%, indicating better performance relative to large caps [23][30] Sector-Specific Movements - Financials and banking sectors typically rally on rate cuts due to cheaper borrowing costs, although they experienced a small decline on this particular day [27] - The technology sector remains a top performer, buoyed by the AI boom and growth expectations, despite some volatility post-announcement [27] - Utilities have risen as bond yields fell in anticipation of the rate cut, reflecting their defensive appeal amid market uncertainties [27]

Core Insights - Workday demonstrated stronger-than-expected operating margins and rising free cash flow during its Analyst Day, indicating optimism for long-term growth [1][2] - The company has over 75 million users, robust renewals, and expanding AI-driven products, with guidance suggesting higher margins and $15 free cash flow per share by fiscal 2028 [1][4] Financial Performance - Workday reset its subscription revenue guidance to a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13%–14% through fiscal 2028, slightly down from the previous 15% through fiscal 2027 [3] - Management targets operating margins of approximately 35% by fiscal 2028, an increase from the earlier range of 32%–33%, implying annual improvements of around 300 basis points [4] - Free cash flow per share is projected to be about $15 by fiscal 2028, which is 12% above the consensus estimate of $13.50, supported by a $5 billion buyback program [4] AI Initiatives - Workday's AI initiatives are gaining traction, with agentic AI contributing over $150 million in annualized recurring revenue in the second quarter of fiscal 2026, up from less than $50 million a year earlier [5] - Growth could exceed expectations if AI contributions lift net new annual recurring revenue (ARR) above $1.2 billion [6] - Strategic acquisitions like Flowise and Sana are enhancing Workday's AI product portfolio, enabling custom agents and delivering unified enterprise knowledge within workflows [6] Revenue Projections - Analyst projections estimate revenues of approximately $9.52 billion in fiscal 2026 and $10.77 billion in fiscal 2027, with earnings per share (EPS) estimates of $9.09 in fiscal 2026 and $11.29 in fiscal 2027 [6] Comparative Analysis - Workday is compared to Intuit, which has sustained double-digit top-line growth with rising margins, suggesting that Workday could follow a similar trajectory as investors recognize durable growth alongside compounding cash generation [7]

Group 1 - Lyft shares surged after Waymo, a subsidiary of Alphabet, announced an expanded partnership to introduce robotaxi services in Nashville starting next year, while Uber's shares declined [3] - U.S.-listed shares of Alibaba increased following reports that China Unicom will purchase its artificial intelligence semiconductors [3] - Workday's stock was the best performer in the S&P 500 after Elliott Investment Management disclosed a stake of over $2 billion and praised the company's management strategy [2][5] Group 2 - Nvidia shares fell after reports indicated that China has blocked the sale of its AI chips to local tech companies, impacting other chipmakers and AI-related stocks like Broadcom, Oracle, and Palantir [4][5] - Major U.S. equity indexes showed mixed performance ahead of a crucial Federal Reserve interest rate decision, with the Dow rising while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq experienced declines [2][5] - Oil and gold futures saw slight decreases, while the yield on the 10-year Treasury note remained stable [4]

Throughout 2025, one key theme has dominated the rise in the S&P 500: the gains have been concentrated in large-cap tech stocks. And yet there is also been a stark gap between the winners and the losersWith combined experience of covering technology companies on Wall Street and working in Silicon Valley, and serving as an outside adviser to several seed-round startups, Gary Alexander has exposure to many of the themes shaping the industry today. He has been a regular contributor on Seeking Alpha since 2017. ...

Core Insights - Incorta has introduced a new drill-through capability for Workday Adaptive Planning, allowing finance teams to access transaction details behind any number in their reports instantly, enhancing data analysis efficiency [1][2][4]. Group 1: Product Features - The drill-through feature enables finance teams to quickly identify the root cause of variances without the need for manual data extraction or Excel modeling, streamlining the analysis process [2][3]. - Users can access journal entries, sub-ledger details, and ERP context directly from Adaptive Planning, improving workflow and decision-making speed [2][4]. Group 2: Partnership and Innovation - The new integration is part of an expanded partnership between Incorta and Workday, aimed at enhancing enterprise data accessibility and decision-making capabilities for customers [5][6]. - The collaboration reflects Incorta's commitment to innovation and delivering value, helping clients leverage their data for faster and more confident decision-making [6]. Group 3: Company Overview - Incorta is recognized as the first and only open data delivery platform that facilitates real-time analysis of live data across various systems without complex ETL processes, promoting faster insights and reducing technical barriers [7].

Workday Inc (NASDAQ:WDAY) stock is surging today, up 8.6% at $237.92 at last glance, after activist investor Elliott Investment Management unveiled a $2 billion stake in the software name and showed support for the company's leadership. Plus, Workday announced a $4 billion share buyback, just one day after announcing its acquisition of AI firm Sana for roughly $1.1 billion. In response, Piper Sandler upgraded the stock to "neutral" from "overweight," while Guggenheim upped its rating to "buy" from "neutral. ...