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39 stories mentioning ARES

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Wire

Ares Acquires Stake in Rover Pipeline From Blackstone Energy Transition Partners

Ares Management (ARES) said Wednesday funds led by its Infrastructure Opportunities strategy have acquired a 32.4% stake in the Rover Pipeline from funds managed by Blackstone Energy Transition Partners.Rover, operated by Energy Transfer (ET), is a natural gas transmission pipeline that provides critical connectivity from the Appalachian Basin to end markets across North America, it said.Price: $109.94, Change: $-3.08, Percent Change: -2.72%

$ARES$BX$ET
Wire

Autonomous Research Adjusts Price Target on Ares Management to $174 From $190, Maintains Outperform Rating

Ares Management (ARES) has an average rating of overweight and mean price target of $144, according to analysts polled by FactSet.(covers equity, commodity and economic research from major banks and research firms in North America, Asia and Europe. Research providers may contact us here: https://www..com/contact-us)Price: $111.24, Change: $-1.77, Percent Change: -1.57%

$ARES
Wire

Ares Management Promotes Peter Ogilvie to COO

Ares Management (ARES) said Wednesday it has promoted Peter Ogilvie to chief operating officer.Ogilvie previously was partner and head of the Ares Corporate Strategy Group. Prior to joining the company in 2007, he was worked in Credit Suisse's Leveraged Finance and Restructuring Group.Shares of Ares Management were down more than 2% in recent trading activity.Price: $110.70, Change: $-2.29, Percent Change: -2.03%

$ARES
Wire

X-Energy Shares Rise in Nasdaq Debut

X-Energy (XE) shares were up 25% in their Nasdaq debut Friday.The stock opened at $30.11, higher than the initial public offering price of $23 per share.The nuclear reactor developer, which is backed by Amazon.com (AMZN) and Ares Management (ARES), said its upsized IPO of about 44.3 million class A common shares is expected to close on Monday.Price: $28.75, Change: $+5.75, Percent Change: +25.00%

$AMZN$ARES$XE
Wire

Market Chatter: Amazon, Ares Set for Big Windfall From X-Energy IPO

Ares Management (ARES), Amazon (AMZN) and Ken Griffin are set to score large gains from X-Energy's (XE) initial public offering, which is expected to take place Friday at a valuation of over $9 billion, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter.Griffin is poised to register paper gains of about $300 million on a $100 million investment he made about 18 months ago, the people told the media outlet. Ares, which invested over $160 million in X-Energy, is set to make over four times that amount, other people familiar with the matter reportedly said. Amazon owns close to 20% of the nuclear and fuel company, the report said.Ares, Amazon and Griffin didn't immediately reply to requests for comment from.(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.)Price: $259.77, Change: $+4.69, Percent Change: +1.84%

$AMZN$ARES$XE
Wire

Ares, Amazon Set for Big Windfall From X-Energy IPO, The Wall Street Journal Reports

Ares, Amazon Set for Big Windfall From X-Energy IPO, The Wall Street Journal Reports

$AMZN$ARES
Sectors

Sector Update: Financial Stocks Higher Late Afternoon

Financial stocks were advancing in late Friday afternoon trading, with the NYSE Financial Index rising 1.3% and the State Street Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLF) adding 0.9%.The Philadelphia Housing Index popped 3.9%, and the State Street Real Estate Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLRE) was up 1.6%.Bitcoin (BTC-USD) rose 2.8% to $77,288, and the yield for 10-year US Treasuries dropped 6.3 basis points to 4.246%.In sector news, JPMorgan Chase (JPM) and Barclays (BCS) are among the Wall Street banks that recently started trading credit default swaps against flagship private credit funds run by Blackstone (BX), Apollo Global Management (APO) and Ares Management (ARES), the Financial Times reported.In corporate news, Ally Financial (ALLY) shares jumped past 8%. The company reported Q1 adjusted earnings of $1.11 per diluted share, up from $0.58 a year earlier, and above the FactSet consensus estimate of $0.93.Fifth Third Bancorp (FITB) shares rose 1.7% after it reported a surprise Q1 profit on Friday.Truist Financial (TFC) reported Q1 earnings of $1.09 per diluted share, up from $0.87 a year earlier. Analysts polled by FactSet expected $1. Truist shares gained 2.4%.Deutsche Bank (DB) has notified Germany's central bank, Bundesbank, that it may have violated sanctions that limit deposits of Russian individuals to less than 100,000 euros ($118,000), multiple media outlets reported Friday. Deutsche shares were up 2.7%.

$ALLY$APO$ARES$BCS$BX$DB$FITB$JPM$TFC
Sectors

Sector Update: Financial Stocks Rise Friday Afternoon

Financial stocks were advancing in Friday afternoon trading, with the NYSE Financial Index gaining 1.9% and the State Street Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLF) climbing 1.8%.The Philadelphia Housing Index jumped 5.1%, and the State Street Real Estate Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLRE) was up 1.6%.Bitcoin (BTC-USD) popped 3.7% to $77,919, and the yield for 10-year US Treasuries dropped 7.7 basis points to 4.23%.In sector news, JPMorgan Chase (JPM) and Barclays (BCS) are among the Wall Street banks that recently started trading credit default swaps against flagship private credit funds run by Blackstone (BX), Apollo Global Management (APO) and Ares Management (ARES), the Financial Times reported.In corporate news, Fifth Third Bancorp (FITB) shares gained 2.2% after it reported a surprise Q1 profit on Friday.Truist Financial (TFC) reported Q1 earnings of $1.09 per diluted share, up from $0.87 a year earlier. Analysts polled by FactSet expected $1. Truist shares rose 3%.Deutsche Bank (DB) has notified Germany's central bank, Bundesbank, that it may have violated sanctions that limit deposits of Russian individuals to less than 100,000 euros ($118,000), multiple media outlets reported Friday. Deutsche shares were up 3.3%.

$APO$ARES$BCS$BX$DB$FITB$JPM$TFC
Wire

Rothschild & Co Redburn Adjusts Ares Management Price Target to $144 From $161, Maintains Neutral Rating

Ares Management (ARES) has an average rating of overweight and mean price target of $149.94, according to analysts polled by FactSet.(covers equity, commodity and economic research from major banks and research firms in North America, Asia and Europe. Research providers may contact us here: https://www..com/contact-us)Price: $120.79, Change: $+4.57, Percent Change: +3.93%

$ARES
Wire

Sector Update: Financial Stocks Softer Late Afternoon

Financial stocks fell in late Thursday afternoon trading with the NYSE Financial Index and the State Street Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLF) each easing 0.2%.The Philadelphia Housing Index dropped 0.5%, and the State Street Real Estate Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLRE) rose 0.8%.Bitcoin (BTC-USD) gained 0.4% to $75,140, and the yield for 10-year US Treasuries advanced 2.7 basis points to 4.309%.In economic news, US initial jobless claims last week fell to 207,000 from a downwardly revised 218,000 in the previous week, compared with expectations for a smaller decrease to 213,000 in a survey of analysts by Bloomberg.US industrial production fell by 0.5% in March, compared with expectations for a 0.1% increase in a Bloomberg survey, and following an upwardly revised 0.7% increase in February.The Philadelphia Federal Reserve's monthly manufacturing index rose to 26.7 in April after increasing to 18.1 in March, compared with expectations for a decline to 10 in a survey compiled by Bloomberg.The New York Federal Reserve's services index improved to minus 14 in April from minus 22.6 in March, compared with minus 20 expected in a survey compiled by Bloomberg.In regulatory news, the US Securities and Exchange Commission is seeking public comment in support of a comprehensive review of the Consolidated Audit Trail and other such audit trails used in the regulation of the country's securities markets.In corporate news, Charles Schwab's (SCHW) Q1 results rose amid a surge in client assets, even as revenue fell short of Wall Street's estimates. The shares fell 7.7%.Goldman Sachs (GS) rates-trading business faced pressure in Q1 as Iran-related market volatility led to losses on certain positions, Reuters reported. The bank posted a 10% drop in fixed-income, currencies and commodities revenue to $4 billion, driven by weaker results in interest-rate trading, mortgages, and credit products, the report said. Goldman shares were little changed.Marsh & McLennan (MRSH) shares climbed 4.6% after the company reported Q1 adjusted net income and revenue that surpassed analysts' estimates.The National Basketball Association is in early discussions with private credit firms, including Apollo Global Management (APO), Ares Management (ARES) and Sixth Street about funding a potential European basketball league expansion, Bloomberg reported. Apollo shares rose 0.1%, and Ares fell 2.7%.

$APO$ARES$GS$MRSH$SCHW
Wire

Sector Update: Financial Stocks Decline in Afternoon Trading

Financial stocks were lower in Thursday afternoon trading, with the NYSE Financial Index decreasing 0.3% and the State Street Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLF) shedding 0.2%.The Philadelphia Housing Index was fractionally higher, and the State Street Real Estate Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLRE) was adding 0.6%.Bitcoin (BTC-USD) was declining 0.9% to $74,152, and the yield for 10-year US Treasuries was rising 2.3 basis points to 4.305%.In economic news, US initial jobless claims fell to a level of 207,000 in the week ended April 11 from a downwardly revised 218,000 level in the previous week, compared with expectations for a smaller decrease to 213,000 in a survey of analysts compiled by Bloomberg.US industrial production fell by 0.5% in March, compared with expectations for a 0.1% increase in a Bloomberg-compiled survey, and following an upwardly revised 0.7% increase in February.The Philadelphia Federal Reserve's monthly manufacturing index rose further to 26.7 in April after increasing to 18.1 in March, compared with expectations for a decline to a reading of 10 in a survey compiled by Bloomberg.The New York Federal Reserve's services index improved to minus 14.0 in April from minus 22.6 in March, compared with a smaller expected increase to a reading of minus 20.0 in a survey compiled by Bloomberg.In corporate news, Charles Schwab's (SCHW) Q1 results rose year over year amid a surge in client assets, even as revenue fell short of Wall Street's estimates. Its shares fell nearly 6%.Goldman Sachs (GS) rates trading business faced pressure in Q1 as Iran-related market volatility led to losses on certain positions, Reuters reported. The bank posted a 10% drop in fixed-income, currencies and commodities revenue to $4 billion, driven by weaker results in interest rate trading, mortgages, and credit products, according to the report. Goldman shares were up 0.6%.The National Basketball Association is in early discussions with private credit firms, including Apollo Global Management (APO), Ares Management (ARES) and Sixth Street about funding a potential European basketball league expansion, Bloomberg reported. Apollo shares rose 1.2%, and Ares was down 1.5%.

$APO$ARES$GS$SCHW
Sectors

Sector Update: Financial Stocks Mixed Late Afternoon

Financial stocks were mixed in late Wednesday afternoon trading, with the NYSE Financial Index shedding 0.1% and the State Street Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLF) adding 0.9%.The Philadelphia Housing Index was falling 2%, and the State Street Real Estate Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLRE) was decreasing 0.1%.Bitcoin (BTC-USD) was rising 1.5% to $75,233, and the yield for 10-year US Treasuries increased 2.5 basis points to 4.28%In economic news, the New York Federal Reserve's Empire State manufacturing index rebounded to 11.0 in April from minus 0.2 in March, above the expectations for a 0.0 print in a Bloomberg-compiled survey.The National Association of Home Builders' monthly housing market index fell to 34 in April from a revised 38 in March, compared with expectations for 37 in a survey compiled by Bloomberg.In corporate news, Morgan Stanley (MS) plans to raise $10 billion in one of the largest bond sales by a Wall Street bank, following its Q1 results, Bloomberg reported. Morgan Stanley posted stronger-than-expected Q1 results as sharp gains in investment banking and trading activity helped boost revenue to a record. Its shares climbed past 4%.Bank of America's (BAC) Q1 results topped Wall Street's estimates, buoyed by double-digit gains in investment banking and asset management fees, while Chief Executive Brian Moynihan said factors including robust consumer spending indicate a resilient US economy. Its shares rose 2.2%.Pacific Investment Management said it bought the entire $400 million bond issuance from Blue Owl Capital's (OWL) business development company, signaling confidence in a volatile private credit market, Bloomberg reported. Blue Owl Capital shares jumped past 8%.Ares Management (ARES) Chief Executive Michael Arougheti said private credit defaults are relatively contained, with most of the troubles in the sector caused by a lack of liquidity and high interest rates, Reuters reported Wednesday. Ares shares climbed 6%.

$ARES$BAC$MS$OWL
Sectors

Sector Update: Financial Stocks Decline Friday

Financial stocks declined Friday with the NYSE Financial Index decreasing 0.6% and the State Street Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLF) falling 1.1%.The Philadelphia Housing Index was little changed, and the State Street Real Estate Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLRE) rose 0.2%.Bitcoin (BTC-USD) rose 1.8% to $73,058, and the yield for 10-year US Treasuries rose 2.4 basis points to 4.317%.In economic news, US consumer inflation in March accelerated to its highest monthly reading in almost four years as the Middle East conflict drove energy prices higher. The consumer price index advanced 0.9% last month, the fastest pace of growth since June 2022, Bureau of Labor Statistics data showed, matching expectations from a Bloomberg survey of analysts. Prices rose 0.3% in February. Annually, inflation rose to 3.3% versus February's 2.4% increase, falling short of Wall Street's 3.4% projection.US consumer sentiment in April fell to the lowest ever, reflecting heightened worries about higher prices and the overall economic fallout from the Middle East conflict, the University of Michigan's preliminary survey showed. The main sentiment index plunged about 11% to 47.6 from March. Wall Street expected 51.5 print, according to a Bloomberg poll.In corporate news, KKR (KKR) and EQT AB are among private equity firms showing takeover interest in PolyPeptide Group, Bloomberg reported. KKR shares dropped 1.7%.Ares Management (ARES) is planning to launch a flagship US direct lending fund with a preliminary target of $20 billion, smaller than its previous record-breaking investment vehicle of $33.6 billion, Bloomberg reported. Ares shares fell 4.1%.Fair Isaac (FICO) shares dropped 14% after Barclays cut its price target on the stock to $1,950 from $2,400 while maintaining its overweight rating.Blackstone (BX) is mulling an initial public offering that could raise $2 billion for a firm that will acquire data centers, Bloomberg reported. Blackstone shares fell 1.8%.

$ARES$BX$FICO$KKR
Sectors

Sector Update: Financial Stocks Slipping Friday Afternoon

Financial stocks were lower Friday afternoon, with the NYSE Financial Index decreasing 0.6% and the State Street Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLF) falling 1.2%.The Philadelphia Housing Index was down 0.5%, and the State Street Real Estate Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLRE) was little changed.Bitcoin (BTC-USD) was increasing 1.5% to $72,873, and the yield for 10-year US Treasuries rose 2.6 basis points to nearly 4.32%.In economic news, US consumer inflation accelerated to its highest monthly reading in nearly four years in March as the Middle East conflict sent energy prices sharply higher. The consumer price index advanced 0.9% last month, its strongest pace of growth since June 2022, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday. The latest print met a Bloomberg-polled consensus view. Prices rose 0.3% in February. Annually, inflation grew to 3.3% from February's 2.4% rise, falling short of Wall Street's 3.4% projection.US consumer sentiment hit the lowest on record this month, reflecting heightened worries about higher prices and the overall economic fallout from the Middle East conflict, University of Michigan's preliminary survey showed Friday. The main sentiment index plunged about 11% to 47.6 in April from March. That's the lowest print on record, BMO Capital Markets said in a note. Wall Street expected a 51.5 print, according to Bloomberg's poll.In corporate news, Ares Management (ARES) is planning to launch a flagship US direct lending fund with a preliminary target size of roughly $20 billion, significantly smaller than its previous record-breaking investment vehicle of $33.6 billion, Bloomberg reported. Ares shares fell past 5%.Fair Isaac (FICO) shares dropped 13% after Barclays cut its price target on the stock to $1,950 from $2,400 while maintaining its overweight rating.Blackstone (BX) is mulling an initial public offering that could raise $2 billion for a firm that will acquire data centers, Bloomberg reported. Blackstone shares were down 2.3%.

$ARES$BX$FICO
US Markets

Nasdaq, S&P 500 Extend Winning Streak as Truce Remains Intact

The Nasdaq Composite and the S&P 500 posted their seventh straight day of gains as a two-week ceasefire between the US and Iran appeared to remain on track.The Nasdaq closed 0.8% higher at 22,822.4, its highest close since Feb. 26 -- two days before the US-Israel war with Iran started. The S&P 500 climbed 0.6% to 6,824.7.The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.6% to settle at 48,185.8, advancing for a second consecutive session.Barring energy and health care, all sectors were in the green, led by consumer discretionary's 2.5% rise.Officials from Washington and Tehran are expected to meet this weekend in Pakistan, which helped broker the truce.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the country would negotiate with Lebanon on disarming Hezbollah, CNN reported Thursday. Iranian state media previously reported that transit through the Strait of Hormuz was halted following Israeli attacks on Lebanon.Oil prices jumped, with West Texas Intermediate crude last up 4.9% at $99.06 per barrel. The benchmark hit up to $102.70 per barrel earlier in the session as shipment activity through the Strait of Hormuz remained restricted. Brent crude climbed 2.4% to $96.99 per barrel.The rebound in oil prices follows the sharpest one-day pullback since 2020 in the previous session following the ceasefire announcement."With a full reopening of the strait unlikely in the near term, oil prices are expected to remain supported, as disruptions linked to reduced output and refinery shutdowns will take time to unwind," ING Bank said in a note.US Treasury yields were declining, with the 10-year rate down 1.5 basis points at 4.29% and the two-year rate falling 2.1 basis points at 3.77%.In economic news, US inflation accelerated sequentially in February as real consumer spending edged higher, with analysts expecting price pressures to intensify due to the spillover effects of the Middle East conflict.The Federal Reserve's preferred inflation metric -- which excludes food and energy -- rose 0.4% month over month, unchanged from January's reading. Annual growth slowed to 3% from 3.1%. All inflation prints met estimates in Bloomberg-compiled surveys."With headline inflation likely to test 4% soon, there is little chance the Fed will ease policy in the near term," BMO Capital Markets said in a note.The US economy expanded at a slower rate in the fourth quarter than previously projected, as consumer spending growth decelerated, the Bureau of Economic Analysis' third estimate showed Thursday."The downward revision to (fourth-quarter) GDP is not a major concern, as it was driven by the volatile inventory component," Oxford Economics Chief US Economist Michael Pearce said in remarks e-mailed to. "Gross domestic income -- a better gauge of underlying activity -- and gross domestic output of private business showed the core of the economy was still expanding at a healthy pace at the end of last year."In company news, CoreWeave (CRWV) agreed to supply artificial intelligence cloud capacity to Meta Platforms (META) in a $21 billion deal as the companies expanded their partnership amid robust demand for infrastructure supporting AI workloads. CoreWeave shares rose 3.5%, while Meta gained 2.6%.Ares Management (ARES) agreed to acquire and take private Whitestone REIT (WSR) in an all-cash deal worth about $1.7 billion. Whitestone shares jumped nearly 12%, while Ares was virtually flat.Brown-Forman (BF.A, BF.B) was approached by Sazerac about a potential transaction amid ongoing discussions with French spirits company Pernod Ricard, The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday, citing people familiar with the matter. The company's class B shares surged nearly 13%, the top gainer on the S&P 500, while its A shares soared 11%.Chevron (CVX) said it expected higher commodity prices driven by the Middle East conflict to boost first-quarter earnings in its upstream segment by up to $2.2 billion, though timing impacts could weigh on the oil giant's bottom line. The company's shares fell 1.3%, among the worst performers on the Dow.Gold was last up 0.4% at $4,795.80 per troy ounce, while silver advanced 0.6% to $76.84 per ounce.

Dow JonesNasdaq CompositeS&P 500$ARES$BF.A$BF.B$CRWV$CVX$META$WSR
Sectors

Sector Update: Financial Stocks Advance Late Afternoon

Financial stocks increased late Thursday afternoon, with the NYSE Financial Index adding 0.3% and the State Street Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLF) up 0.4%.The Philadelphia Housing Index was climbing 1.2%, and the State Street Real Estate Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLRE) rose 0.8%.Bitcoin (BTC-USD) rose 1.1% to $72,174, and the yield for 10-year US Treasuries was slightly lower at 4.29%.In economic news, US economic growth, measured by gross domestic product, was revised lower to a 0.5% increase in Q4 from a 0.7% gain in the second estimate, compared with estimates for no revision in a Bloomberg survey.US initial jobless claims rose to 219,000 in the week ended April 4 from an upwardly revised 203,000 in the previous week, compared with expectations for 210,000 in a Bloomberg poll.In corporate news, Ares Management (ARES) on Thursday agreed to acquire Whitestone REIT (WSR) in an all-cash deal worth about $1.7 billion. Ares shares were fractionally down, and Whitestone jumped nearly 12%.Carlyle (CG) will limit redemptions to 5% for its Tactical Private Credit Fund after receiving repurchase requests amounting to roughly 15.7% of shares outstanding, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing a shareholder letter. Carlyle shares were little changed.Goldman Sachs-backed (GS) Japanese taxi-hailing provider Go plans an initial public offering in 2026 that could raise between 50 billion yen ($314.5 million) and 80 billion yen, Bloomberg reported. Goldman shares shed 0.2%.TPG (TPG) has hired UBS (UBS) and Malayan Banking to help weigh options for Malaysian medical services provider Asia OneHealthcare, Bloomberg reported. TPG shares rose 1.2%, and UBS added 0.3%.

$ARES$CG$GS$TPG$UBS$WSR
US Markets

Equities Rise Intraday as US-Iran Ceasefire Holds Amid Hormuz Uncertainty

US benchmark equity indexes were higher intraday as a recent two-week ceasefire between Washington and Iran appeared to be holding, though oil prices rebounded as access to the Strait of Hormuz remained restricted.The Dow Jones Industrial Average and the Nasdaq Composite were up 0.8% each at 48,279.5 and 22,811.7, respectively, after midday Thursday. The S&P 500 added 0.7% to 6,829. Barring energy, all sectors were in the green, led by consumer discretionary.West Texas Intermediate crude was up 2.3% at $96.54 a barrel intraday. The benchmark hit up to $102.70 a barrel earlier in the session. Brent crude edged up 0.6% to $94.96 per barrel.The rebound in oil prices follows the sharpest one-day pullback since 2020 in the previous session as the US and Iran agreed to temporarily halt hostilities that had gripped the Middle East since the end of February."The Strait of Hormuz is not open," Abu Dhabi National Oil Chief Executive Sultan Al Jaber said in a LinkedIn post Thursday. "Access is being restricted, conditioned and controlled."Iranian state media previously reported that transit through the strait was halted following Israeli attacks on Lebanon. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the country would negotiate with Lebanon on disarming Hezbollah, CNN reported Thursday."We continue to contend that actual transit levels through the waterway will remain significantly depressed given that Iran is insisting vessels must coordinate with its military or face destruction," RBC Capital Markets said in a note.Officials from Washington and Tehran are expected to meet this weekend in Pakistan, which helped broker the truce.US Treasury yields were lower intraday, with the 10-year rate down two basis points at 4.27% and the two-year rate dropping 3.4 basis points to 3.76%.In economic news, US inflation accelerated sequentially in February as real consumer spending edged higher, with analysts expecting price pressures to intensify due to the spillover effects of the Middle East conflict.The Federal Reserve's preferred inflation metric -- which excludes food and energy -- rose 0.4% month over month, unchanged from January's reading. Annual growth slowed to 3% from 3.1%. All inflation prints met estimates in Bloomberg-compiled surveys."With headline inflation likely to test 4% soon, there is little chance the Fed will ease policy in the near term," BMO Capital Markets said in a note.Weekly applications for unemployment insurance in the US rose more than expected, while continuing claims reached the lowest level since May 2024, government data showed."The latest jobless claims data offer no evidence that the (US-Israel) war with Iran has had a notable impact on the labor market," Oxford Economics said in a note. "We don't think an upside surprise in one week is sending a signal that labor market conditions are softening."In company news, CoreWeave (CRWV) agreed to supply artificial intelligence cloud capacity to Meta Platforms (META) in a $21 billion deal as the companies expanded their partnership amid robust demand for infrastructure supporting AI workloads. CoreWeave shares were up 6.1% intraday, while Meta rose 3%.Ares Management (ARES) agreed to acquire and take private Whitestone REIT (WSR) in an all-cash deal worth about $1.7 billion. Whitestone shares jumped 11%, while Ares advanced 0.5%.Chevron (CVX) said it expected higher commodity prices driven by the Middle East conflict to boost first-quarter earnings in its upstream segment by up to $2.2 billion, though timing impacts could weigh on the oil giant's bottom line. The company's shares were down 1.4% intraday, among the worst performers on the Dow.Gold was up 0.9% at $4,819 per troy ounce, while silver advanced 1.5% to $76.49 per ounce.

Dow JonesNasdaq CompositeS&P 500$ARES$CRWV$CVX$META$WSR
Asia Markets

Exchange-Traded Funds, Equity Futures Lower Pre-Bell Thursday as Fragile Middle East Ceasefire Lifts Oil Prices

The broad market exchange-traded fund SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) was down 0.4% and the actively traded Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) was 0.3% lower in Thursday's premarket activity as doubts over the durability of a Middle East ceasefire lift oil prices.US stock futures were also lower, with S&P 500 Index futures down 0.4%, Dow Jones Industrial Average futures slipping 0.5%, and Nasdaq futures retreating 0.4% before the start of regular trading.US initial jobless claims rose to a level of 219,000 in the week ended April 4 from an upwardly revised 203,000 level in the previous week, compared with expectations for a smaller increase to 210,000 in survey of analysts compiled by Bloomberg.Personal income declined 0.1% in February following January's 0.4% gain, compared with the expected 0.3% gain in a survey conducted by Bloomberg as of 7:35 am ET.US economic growth, measured by gross domestic product, was revised lower to a 0.5% increase in Q4 from a 0.7% gain in the second estimate, compared with estimates for no revision in a survey compiled by Bloomberg as of 7:35 am ET.Wholesale inventory data for February are due to be released at 10 am ET, followed by weekly natural gas stocks data at 10:30 am ET.In premarket activity, bitcoin was down by 0.3%. Among cryptocurrency ETFs, the cryptocurrency fund ProShares Bitcoin Strategy ETF (BITO) was 0.2% lower, Ether ETF (EETH) fell 1.5%, and Bitcoin & Ether Market Cap Weight ETF (BETH) was flat.Power Play:ConsumerThe State Street Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLP) retreated marginally by 0.01%, while the Vanguard Consumer Staples Index Fund ETF Shares (VDC) was 0.01% higher, and the iShares US Consumer Staples ETF (IYK) was up 0.5%. The State Street Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLY) lost 0.1%. The VanEck Retail ETF (RTH) was inactive, while the State Street SPDR S&P Retail ETF (XRT) was 1.3% lower.Simply Good Foods (SMPL) shares were down more than 19% pre-bell after the company posted lower fiscal Q2 adjusted earnings and net sales.Winners and Losers:FinancialThe State Street Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLF) retreated 0.6%. Direxion Daily Financial Bull 3X Shares (FAS) was down 1.7%, while its bearish counterpart Direxion Daily Financial Bear 3X Shares (FAZ) was 1.9% higher.Whitestone REIT (WSR) shares were up more than 11% pre-bell after the company said it has agreed to be acquired by Ares Management (ARES) for $19 per common share or operating partnership unit in an all-cash deal valued at about $1.70 billion. Ares stock was 1.5% higher.TechnologyThe State Street Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLK) retreated 0.2%, and the iShares US Technology ETF (IYW) was 0.1% higher, while the iShares Expanded Tech Sector ETF (IGM) was down 0.1%. Among semiconductor ETFs, the State Street SPDR S&P Semiconductor ETF (XSD) was inactive, while the iShares Semiconductor ETF (SOXX) declined by 0.3%.Aehr Test Systems (AEHR) shares were down more than 2% in premarket activity, a day after the company said it plans to sell up to $60 million of its common shares via an at-the-market offering.Health CareThe State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLV) retreated by 0.1%, the Vanguard Health Care Index Fund (VHT) was down 0.1%, while the iShares US Healthcare ETF (IYH) was flat. The iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) was 0.7% lower.Novartis (NVS) stock was down more than 1% premarket after closing the prior session with a 2% gain. The company said Thursday it will expand its programs to find and treat patients with heart disease and cancer in "hard-to-reach" communities worldwide.IndustrialThe State Street Industrial Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLI) declined by 0.7%, while the Vanguard Industrials Index Fund (VIS) gained 0.4% and the iShares US Industrials ETF (IYJ) was down 0.8%.American Airlines Group (AAL) stock was down more than 1% before the opening bell, a day after the Federal Aviation Administration said the airline should pay a $255,000 civil penalty for allegedly breaching drug and alcohol regulations.EnergyThe iShares US Energy ETF (IYE) was up 0.2%, while the State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLE) advanced by 0.5%.Occidental Petroleum (OXY) stock was up more than 1% before Thursday's opening bell after the company said it had discovered oil at the Bandit prospect, co-owned by Chevron (CVX) and Woodside Energy (WDS), in the Gulf of Mexico. Chevron stock was 0.8% higher, while Woodside advanced 0.5%.CommoditiesFront-month US West Texas Intermediate crude oil rose by 4.4% to $98.57 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Natural gas retreated by 0.2% to $2.72 per 1 million British Thermal Units. The United States Oil Fund (USO) was up by 2%, while the United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG) was 0.3% lower.Gold futures for May were up by 0.1% at $4,781.00 an ounce on the Comex. Silver futures declined by 1% to $74.60 an ounce. SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) was 0.4% higher, and the iShares Silver Trust (SLV) advanced by 0.03%.

Dow JonesNasdaq CompositeS&P 500$AAL$AEHR$ARES$BETH$BITO$CVX$EEM$EETH$EXI$FAS$FAZ$GLD$IBB$IGM$IGV$IPK$IVV$IWM$IYE$IYH$IYJ$IYK$IYW$NVS$OXY$PMR$QQQ$RTH$SLV$SMPL$SOXX$SPY$UNG$USO$VDC$VHT$VIS$WDS$WSR$XLE$XLF$XLI$XLK$XLP$XLV$XLY$XRT$XSD
US Markets

Ares Management to Acquire Whitestone REIT in $1.7 Billion Take-Private Deal

Ares Management (ARES) on Thursday agreed to acquire and take private real estate investment trust Whitestone REIT (WSR) in an all-cash deal worth around $1.7 billion.Certain Ares Real Estate funds will purchase all Whitestone shares and operating partnership units for $19 apiece, representing a premium of 12% to the firm's closing price as of Wednesday, the companies said in a joint statement. Whitestone's stock climbed 11% in the most recent premarket activity, while Ares fell 1.3%.In March, Reuters reported that several private equity firms, including Blackstone (BX), expressed interest in a potential acquisition of Whitestone."Whitestone's portfolio provides an attractive opportunity to further diversify Ares Real Estate's footprint with necessity-based retail centers in high-demand, supply-constrained metro regions across Arizona and Texas," David Roth, global head of real estate strategy and growth at Ares Real Estate, said in a statement. "Looking ahead, we are confident in Ares' ability to support and expand on the Whitestone portfolio and create value for both communities and investors."As of March 31, Whitestone's portfolio comprised 56 retail properties in Phoenix, Austin, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston and San Antonio.The transaction, which requires approval from Whitestone's shareholders, is expected to complete in the third quarter. Following completion, Whitestone's shares will no longer trade on the New York stock exchange."We are excited to reach this agreement, which delivers significant, immediate and certain value to our shareholders while positioning Whitestone's assets for continued success," Whitestone Chair Amy Feng said.In February, Whitestone said it expected core funds from operations to be in a range of $1.10 to $1.14 per share and operating partnership unit for 2026.

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