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Top Midday Stories: Visa Shares Rise After Strong Q2 Earnings, $20 Billion Buyback Program; Robinhood Misses Q1 EPS, Revenue Targets

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-- The Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500 Index were down, while the Nasdaq Composite was roughly flat in late-morning trading Wednesday amid an ongoing blockade of Iranian ports by the US and ahead of the Federal Reserve's decision on interest rates in the afternoon.

The US Senate Banking Committee on Wednesday voted 13-11 to advance Kevin Warsh's nomination as the next Fed chair, according to media reports.

In company news, Visa (V) reported fiscal Q2 adjusted earnings late Tuesday of $3.31 per diluted share, up from $2.76 a year earlier and above the FactSet consensus analyst estimate of $3.10. Fiscal Q2 revenue was $11.23 billion, up from $9.59 billion a year ago and above the FactSet consensus of $10.75 billion. Visa said its board authorized a new $20 billion multi-year share buyback program in April. The company also said it has expanded its Agentic Ready program to clients in the Asia Pacific and Latin America regions to prepare the payment sector for AI agent-led commerce. Visa shares were up 8.6% around midday.

Robinhood Markets (HOOD) reported Q1 earnings late Tuesday of $0.38 per diluted share, up from $0.37 a year earlier but below the FactSet consensus of $0.39. First-quarter revenue was $1.07 billion, up from $927 million a year earlier but below the FactSet consensus of $1.14 billion. The company said its board updated its share buyback authorization to $1.5 billion in March. Robinhood shares were down 13.3%.

KalVista Pharmaceuticals (KALV) and Chiesi Group said Wednesday they have entered into a definitive agreement through which Chiesi will acquire KalVista for $27 per share in cash, or about $1.9 billion. The deal is expected to close in Q3, they said. KalVista shares were up 38.9%.

NXP Semiconductors (NXPI) reported Q1 non-GAAP earnings late Tuesday of $3.05 per diluted share, up from $2.64 a year earlier and above the FactSet consensus of $2.98. First-quarter revenue was 43.18 billion, up from $2.84 billion a year ago and above the FactSet consensus of $3.16 billion. For Q2, the company said it expects non-GAAP EPS of $3.29 to $3.72 on revenue of $3.35 billion to $3.55 billion. Analysts polled by FactSet expect $3.21 and $3.28 billion, respectively. NXP shares were up 23.7%.

Seagate Technology (STX) reported fiscal Q3 non-GAAP earnings late Tuesday of $4.10 per diluted share, up from $1.90 a year earlier and above the FactSet consensus of $3.51. Fiscal Q3 revenue was $3.11 billion, up from $2.16 billion a year ago and above the FactSet consensus of $2.96 billion. For fiscal Q4, the company said it expects non-GAAP EPS of $5.00, plus or minus $0.20, above the FactSet consensus of $3.99. Fiscal Q4 revenue is expected to be $3.45 billion, plus or minus $100 million, above the FactSet consensus of $3.16 billion. Seagate shares were up 14.2%.

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Commodities

Market Chatter: UAE Reportedly Reviews Multilateral Ties After OPEC Exit, But No Further Withdrawals Planned

The United Arab Emirates is reviewing its participation in multilateral organizations but is not considering any withdrawals at present, Reuters reported Wednesday, citing a UAE official.The report came a day after Abu Dhabi announced it would leave the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and OPEC+ effective May 1. The official said the broader review focuses on the "utility" of UAE membership in international and regional bodies.The comments have fueled speculation that the UAE could reassess its role in other organizations, including the Arab League and the Gulf Cooperation Council.The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not immediately respond to a request for comment from.The OPEC exit, which involves one of the group's largest producers, has sharpened tensions with Saudi Arabia, OPEC's de facto leader. Relations between Abu Dhabi and Riyadh, long-standing allies, have grown increasingly strained in recent years over oil policy disputes, regional security concerns, and competition for investment and skilled labor, Reuters reported.The reassessment comes amid wider debate in Abu Dhabi over regional alignments following the Iran war, with Emirati officials criticizing the GCC's collective response.Senior UAE official Anwar Gargash said on Monday the GCC's political and military response to the conflict was "the weakest in history," adding that expectations for the Arab League were already low."I expected such a weak position from the Arab League... but I have not expected it from the GCC, and I am surprised by it," Gargash reportedly said.He also said the Gulf's strategy to contain Iran had "failed miserably" and warned that Tehran could remain a long-term threat, according to The National.Gargash said the UAE would "scrutinize" its regional and international relationships to assess the reliability of partners while strengthening its economic resilience. "Strategic autonomy remains the UAE's enduring choice," he said.OPEC+ is expected to approve a modest output increase on Sunday despite the UAE's departure, three sources reportedly told Reuters. The group is likely to raise production targets by about 188,000 barrels per day, roughly in line with last month's 206,000 bpd hike after adjusting for the UAE's exit.(Market Chatter news is derived from conversations with market professionals globally. This information is believed to be from reliable sources but may include rumor and speculation. Accuracy is not guaranteed.)

Oil & Energy

UAE Exit From OPEC Signals Oversupply Risk, Weaker Oil Prices From 2027, Wood Mackenzie Says

The UAE will exit OPEC on May 1, a move that raises risks of oversupply and weaker oil prices from 2027, Wood Mackenzie strategists said in a Wednesday note.The UAE announced its departure on April 28 after reviewing production strategy and capacity plans, aiming to accelerate domestic energy investments, the report noted.The country joined OPEC in 1967 and grew into its second-largest producer by liquids capacity, making the exit a major shift for the group, the report said."As the nation with the second-largest liquids capacity in OPEC, the UAE's exit is momentous," said Simon Flowers, chairman and chief analyst at Wood Mackenzie.He said tensions between the UAE and Saudi Arabia have built over recent years and intensified amid the Iran conflict, contributing to the decision."UAE's departure from OPEC will have minimal impact on market fundamentals in 2026," Flowers said, noting that Gulf producers need months to restore output even if the Strait of Hormuz reopens.He added that losing the UAE will make it harder for OPEC to balance markets and increase the risk of oversupply weakening prices beyond 2026.The UAE committed $145 billion to upstream investment through 2030 to lift output from under 4 million barrels per day in 2020 to 5 million b/d by 2027, Wood Mackenzie macro oils and upstream experts said.Capacity reached about 4.85 million b/d by 2024, widening the gap between production potential and OPEC+ quota limits, the experts said."OPEC+ quotas constrained output well below capacity," Alan Gelder, senior vice president at Wood Mackenzie, said.He said the group raised the UAE baseline from 3.17 million b/d to 3.5 million b/d in May 2022, but the adjustment reflected only partial capacity growth.The UAE accounted for about 14% of OPEC capacity, and its exit reduces the group's influence as it controls a smaller share of the global oil market, Wood Mackenzie said.The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has shut in nearly 2 million b/d of UAE offshore output, limiting supply growth in 2026, and restoring pre-conflict production may take up to six months.The UAE's exit will likely reshape supply dynamics from 2027, as rising market share competition with OPEC could pressure prices if both sides increase output, Wood Mackenzie said.Flowers said the UAE holds lower fiscal breakevens than peers, leaving it better positioned to withstand a prolonged period of lower oil prices.

Australia

Boston Scientific Shares Fall After Daiwa Securities Downgrade

Boston Scientific (BSX) shares fell 3.4% in Wednesday afternoon trading after Daiwa Securities downgraded the stock to neutral from outperform, and lowered its price target to $60 per share from $83 earlier.Trading volume stood at about 12.9 million shares, compared with a daily average of over 17.6 million.Price: $56.49, Change: $-1.96, Percent Change: -3.35%

$BSX