Top Midday Stories: Stocks Down, Oil Up as Trump Vows Strong Response to Iran Attacks; Vertiv Q2 Revenue Misses Estimates
All three major US stock indexes were down in late-morning trading Wednesday after President Trump vowed to hit Iran hard in response to recent attacks on US forces in Jordan and ahead of the Federal Reserve's decision on interest rates to be announced in the afternoon.In company news, Vertiv Holdings (VRT) reported Q2 adjusted earnings Wednesday of $1.52 per diluted share, up from $0.95 a year earlier and above the FactSet consensus analyst estimate of $1.42. Second-quarter revenue was $3.27 billion, up from $2.64 billion a year ago but below the FactSet consensus of $3.38 billion. For full-year 2026, the company expects adjusted diluted EPS of $6.65 to $6.75, above the FactSet consensus of $6.49. Vertiv said it expects Q3 adjusted diluted EPS of $1.77 to $1.83, in line with the FactSet consensus of $1.79. Vertiv shares were down 12.8% around midday.CBIZ (CBZ) agreed to be acquired by Grant Thornton Advisors in an all-cash deal with an enterprise value of $5 billion, the companies said Wednesday. Under the deal terms, CBIZ shareholders will receive $55 in cash per share, the companies said. CBIZ shares were up 16.8% around midday.The UK's Competition and Markets Authority said Wednesday it is investigating whether Microsoft (MSFT) provided pertinent information on changes to Microsoft 365 personal and family subscription plans. Microsoft shares were up 0.3%.NextEra Energy (NEE) and Brookfield (BN) are part of a strategic partnership group that will develop a data center campus at the Energy Department's Paducah Site in Kentucky for $100 billion, according to a joint statement. Big Rivers Electric Power, Jackson Purchase Energy Cooperative and Paducah Power System are also in the partnership. NextEra shares were down 0.1%, while Brookfield shares were down 2.2%.Morgan Stanley's (MS) mortgage bankers have allegedly been pressured to approve mortgages for wealthy clients despite underwriting concerns, The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday, citing current and former employees, emails and internal documents. Morgan Stanley shares were down 3.3%.Price: $54.55, Change: $+7.85, Percent Change: +16.81%
