Amazon's $3 Trillion Milestone and $8 Billion Lantheus Deal Lead a Week of Mega-Mergers, Blockbuster Earnings and High-Profile IPO Debuts 

Mumbai, Aug 7: Wall Street witnessed a flurry of company-specific developments during the trading week ended August 7, 2026, ranging from mega-merger announcements and blockbuster earnings beats to strategic investments and high-profile initial public offerings. Investors navigated a complex landscape of deal-making, operational performances, and capital-raising activities across multiple sectors, with technology, healthcare, energy and consumer discretionary stocks experiencing significant price movements driven by corporate actions. 

Amazon Tops $3 Trillion Market Cap as Shares Hit Record High After Strong Q2 Results 

Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) crossed the $3 trillion market capitalisation milestone for the first time on August 3 as its shares climbed about 4.58% to a record high of $284.02, following stronger-than-expected second-quarter earnings. The e-commerce and cloud computing giant reported adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of $1.97, beating analyst estimates of $1.82, while revenue rose to $200.61 billion, ahead of the expected $196.47 billion. Amazon Web Services (AWS) generated $42.2 billion in revenue, topping forecasts of $40.54 billion, driven by robust AI-related cloud demand. 

CEO Andy Jassy raised the company’s 2026 capital expenditure forecast to $220 billion, from $200 billion, citing surging AI infrastructure demand and stating capacity is expected to remain constrained through 2028. The results demonstrated Amazon’s continued dominance in cloud computing and its ability to capitalise on the AI boom. In pre-market trading on August 3, Amazon shares soared as much as 15.32%, reflecting the magnitude of the earnings surprise. 

Apple Drops 7% as Q4 Guidance Disappoints Despite Strong iPhone Sales 

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) shares fell sharply on August 3, declining over 7% in pre-market trading to $308.91, after the company’s fourth-quarter guidance failed to meet investor expectations. While Apple reported third-quarter revenue that beat estimates, with iPhone revenue up 22% and total revenue rising 16% , the company’s Q4 guidance disappointed the market.  

Management cited 3nm SoC chip capacity constraints and rising memory costs as headwinds, projecting that normalised gross margins would be compressed by approximately 160 basis points. Apple reported revenue of $109.4 billion and EPS of $2.02, beating estimates. However, service revenue and China sales missed expectations due to currency headwinds. 

SpaceX Beats Every Estimate in First Post-IPO Earnings Report, Yet Shares Tumble on AI Capex Concerns 

Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (NASDAQ: SPCX) delivered stronger-than-expected second-quarter results in its first earnings report as a public company on August 4. The Elon Musk-led company reported revenue of $7.81 billion, a 92% year-on-year jump, beating estimates of $6.93 billion. The company reported a loss of $0.09 per share, significantly better than the $0.26 loss anticipated by analysts. Starlink revenue, which accounted for over half of total revenue, rose 66% , and revenue from SpaceX’s AI business surged about 250%. The company said it expected a $100 billion revenue run-rate by December. 

However, the stock fell 7.5% in after-hours trading after rising 9.4% during the day to close at $125.33, as investors focused on soaring capital expenditures, which ballooned to more than $18 billion from $2.83 billion a year earlier. AI capital spending jumped to $15.83 billion from $749 million a year earlier. The stock has declined 8% since its June IPO that valued SpaceX at about $1.75 trillion. 

Advanced Micro Devices Drops Despite Earnings Beat on In-Line Guidance 

Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (NASDAQ: AMD) fell 8% in after-hours trading on August 4 after second-quarter earnings that beat estimates failed to offset in-line third-quarter guidance. Revenue reached a record $11.5 billion, up 50% from a year earlier, with adjusted earnings of $1.66 per share against the $1.60 expected. Data Center revenue outperformed projections, but gross margins posted only a narrow improvement over expectations. For a stock up 142% year to date, mild outperformance led investors toward booking profits. 

Caterpillar Second-Quarter Profit Nearly Doubles on Strong Power and Construction Equipment Demand 

Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE: CAT) reported a second-quarter profit that nearly doubled from a year earlier, with shares surging 6.63% to $885.02 on August 4. The company, seen as a bellwether for the global industrial economy, reported adjusted per-share profit of $8.17, compared with $4.72 per share a year earlier. The company delivered record $20.54 billion in revenue — the first time quarterly sales have crossed the $20 billion mark. Strong demand for construction equipment and power systems supporting AI data centre projects lifted its backlog 92% year over year to $72.1 billion. 

Also Read: How to Invest in the US Stocks From India

Palantir Soars 27% After Revenue Nearly Doubles on Strong AI Demand 

Palantir Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: PLTR) shares surged 27% on August 4 after the company reported second-quarter earnings that exceeded market expectations. Adjusted EPS came in at $0.41, beating the $0.35 consensus, while revenue of $1.94 billion surpassed the $1.81 billion estimate. Revenue nearly doubled 93% year-over-year. US government revenue grew 90% to $809 million, and US commercial revenue surged 149% to $764 million. The company raised its full-year revenue outlook to $8.15 billion–$8.16 billion from $7.65 billion–$7.66 billion. CEO Alex Karp stated the company’s strong growth “looks like it will continue for at least another 18 months”. 

Eli Lilly Raises Full-Year Forecast, Shares Climb on GLP-1 Strength 

Eli Lilly and Co. (NYSE: LLY) shares gained over 5% on August 5 after reporting better-than-expected second-quarter financial results. The company reported quarterly earnings of $8.38 per share, beating the analyst consensus estimate of $6.01 per share. The positive sentiment was reinforced by a federal judge’s dismissal of an antitrust lawsuit brought against Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk. 

Airbnb Surges 7% on Earnings Beat; Trade Desk Tanks 22% on Miss 

Airbnb Inc. (NASDAQ: ABNB) shares surged about 7% after the vacation rental company posted second-quarter earnings of $1.37 per share on revenues of $3.61 billion, outpacing analyst forecasts of $1.25 on revenues of $3.58 billion. 

Trade Desk Inc. (NASDAQ: TTD) shares tanked 22% after the digital advertising company posted second-quarter earnings and revenue that fell below expectations. Adjusted earnings of $0.34 missed the $0.40 consensus estimate, while revenue of $715 million missed the anticipated $751 million. 

Twilio Surges 16% on Strong Guidance; Cloudflare Jumps 17% 

Twilio Inc. (NYSE: TWLO) shares surged about 16% on August 6 after issuing rosy projections for the current quarter. The company sees adjusted earnings of $1.42 to $1.47 per share on revenue of $1.51 billion to $1.52 billion, beating consensus estimates. The company also boosted its full-year revenue growth call to a range of 18% to 18.5% from 14% to 15%. 

Cloudflare Inc. (NYSE: NET) jumped 17% after issuing solid guidance for the full year and current quarter. The cloud cybersecurity company expects adjusted earnings of $0.34 per share on revenue of $736 million to $737 million in the third quarter, beating consensus estimates. 

Datadog Plunges 19% Despite Earnings Beat; McDonald’s Names New US Head After Sales Miss; Merck, Pfizer Gain on Earnings Beats 

Datadog Inc. (NASDAQ: DDOG) plummeted 19.03% on August 6 despite an earnings beat, leading a broad software stock slide. The cloud monitoring platform’s results failed to reassure investors amid growing concerns about AI replacement fears and slowing growth in the software sector. Honeywell Aerospace retreated 23.16% on disappointing quarterly results. Sandisk and Western Digital dropped despite solid earnings. 

McDonald’s Corp. (NYSE: MCD) replaced the head of its US business on August 4 after the company missed second-quarter US sales-growth expectations. Same-store sales grew 0.8% in the quarter, below Wall Street expectations. Shares added 0.97% to $267.93 after adjusted EPS of $3.38 topped estimates, although revenue of $7.10 billion came in slightly below expectations. 

Merck & Co. (NYSE: MRK) rose 1.31% to $129.45 after second-quarter revenue climbed 5% to $16.61 billion, driven by blockbuster cancer drug Keytruda, whose sales reached $8.37 billion, exceeding estimates. Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) gained 1.98% to $25.54 after reporting adjusted earnings of $0.77 per share on $15.03 billion in revenue, beating Wall Street expectations. 

Curium to Acquire Lantheus Holdings for Up to $8 Billion in Radiopharmaceutical Mega-Deal 

Lantheus Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: LNTH) announced on August 3 that it has agreed to be acquired by Curium, a radiopharmaceutical company backed by CapVest Partners, in a deal valued at up to $8 billion. Under the definitive agreement, Curium US will acquire all outstanding Lantheus shares for $102.50 per share in cash at closing, plus non-transferable Contingent Value Rights of up to $12.00 per share tied to commercial milestones through 2030. The total consideration of up to $114.50 per share represents a 38% premium to Lantheus’ 60-day volume-weighted average price. The combined company would span radiodiagnostics and theranostics, serving oncology, neurology and cardiology patients across more than 70 countries. 

Also Read: How to Invest in S&P 500 Stocks Through Index Funds

Williams Companies Agrees $5.5 Billion Momentum Midstream Deal; Nielsen to Buy DoubleVerify for $2.15 Billion 

Pipeline giant Williams Companies (NYSE: WMB) agreed to acquire rival Momentum Midstream from private equity firm EnCap Flatrock Midstream in a transaction valued up to $5.5 billion. Williams will pay approximately $3.5 billion in cash and assumed debt and roughly $2 billion in Williams equity. With Momentum, Williams gets its hands on over 6,400 kilometres of gathering and transmission pipelines that serve the Haynesville Shale, a giant natural-gas field spanning East Texas and Louisiana. 

Nielsen Holdings entered a merger agreement on August 6, 2026, to acquire DoubleVerify Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: DV) in a deal valued at $2.15 billion. DoubleVerify shareholders will receive $13.60 per share in cash. Nielsen said the acquisition will combine its audience measurement and media intelligence capabilities with DoubleVerify’s media quality verification platform, creating an independent, end-to-end solution spanning audience measurement, media verification and campaign optimisation across digital and traditional media. 

ContextLogic Buys gChem for $850 Million; Esquire Financial Completes Signature Bancorporation Acquisition 

ContextLogic Holdings Inc. announced on August 5 the acquisition of gChem, valuing the company at an enterprise value of $850 million. The deal is expected to close by the end of 2026. 

Esquire Financial Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: ESQ) announced on August 3 the completion of the previously announced acquisition of Signature Bancorporation, Inc., effective August 1, 2026. 

General Motors Extends SAIC Partnership, Apollo Global Invests $1.02 Billion in Starwood REIT Venture 

General Motors Co. and SAIC Motor in China announced a 20-year extension of their SAIC-GM joint venture partnership to 2047 on August 5, reinforcing GM’s long-term commitment to the Chinese automotive market and continued collaboration in vehicle development and manufacturing. Separately, Apollo Global Management Inc. invested $1.02 billion in a joint venture with Starwood Real Estate Income Trust on August 4, acquiring a 41.5% stake in a venture that will own approximately 120 affordable housing properties in the US. 

Braveheart Bio Surges 71% After $382.5M IPO; Attovia Therapeutics Gains 24% After $289M IP; BlossomHill Therapeutics Declines After $150 Million IPO;  

Braveheart Bio Inc. (NASDAQ: BRVE) jumped 71% in its trading debut on August 6, after the clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company backed by a16z raised $382.5 million in an upsized US initial public offering. The shares were trading at $30.84 each, above its IPO price of $18. The San Francisco-based developer of drugs for cardiovascular diseases sold 21.3 million shares for $18 each, having marketed 18.8 million shares for $15 to $17 each. The trading gave the company a market value of $2.18 billion. 

Attovia Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: ATTO) shares jumped 24% in its trading debut on August 5, after the early-stage drug developer focused on immune system diseases raised $289 million in a US initial public offering. The company priced 17 million shares at $17 each on the Nasdaq Global Market. The stock opened at $21.00 per share and reached a 52-week high of $22.05 during its first trading day. 

BlossomHill Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: BLSM) shares fell 1.6% in their debut on August 7 after the oncology-focused biotech firm raised $150 million in an upsized US initial public offering. The stock opened at $15.75, below the IPO price of $16 each 

River City Bank Prices IPO at $45; BOA Acquisition II Raises $143.75M; TCGX Acquisition Raises $75M 

River City Bank (NASDAQ: RCBC) priced its initial public offering of 2,700,000 shares at $45.00 per share on August 6, with shares expected to begin trading on the Nasdaq Capital Market. 

BOA Acquisition Corp. II announced the closing of its initial public offering of 14,375,000 units at a price of $10.00 per unit on August 5, with the units beginning trading on the Nasdaq Global Market. 

TCGX Acquisition Corp. announced that it priced its initial public offering of 7,500,000 Class A ordinary shares at a price of $10.00 per share on August 4. 

Celestica Plans $3B Equity Offering; Valar Atomics Raises $1B; Prologis Prices $675M Stock Offering 

Celestica Inc. (NYSE: CLS) announced an equity offering totaling $3 billion on August 5 to fund investments in its business to support unprecedented multi-year demand from its customer base for AI infrastructure. Sequoia Capital led a $1 billion equity financing round for US-based small modular reactor startup Valar Atomics on August 3, valuing the company at $6 billion. 

Prologis, Inc. (NYSE: PLD) announced on August 4 the pricing of an underwritten public offering of 15,000,000 shares of its common stock. The offering was expected to close on August 5, 2026. 

Tarsus Pharma Announces $125M Private Placement; Robinhood’s Venture Fund Targets $200M IPO 

Tarsus Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: TARS) announced on August 6 that it has entered into a securities purchase agreement expected to result in gross proceeds of approximately $125 million in an oversubscribed private placement equity financing. 

A newly minted venture fund run by Robinhood (NASDAQ: HOOD) for investing in early-stage companies is aiming to raise as much as $200 million in its US initial public offering, announced on August 3. 

Microsoft, Illinois Tool Works, Broadridge Financial and Others Announce Dividend Hikes and Share Buybacks 

Microsoft announced a $60 billion share buyback programme on August 3 and raised its quarterly dividend by 10% to $0.83 per share. Microsoft shares gained 4.9% on the day, closing at $487.65. Illinois Tool Works approved a $6 billion share repurchase programme on August 7 and increased its regular annual cash dividend by 7% from $6.44 to $6.88 per share.  

Broadridge Financial Solutions raised its quarterly dividend by 12% to $1.09 from $0.975 and authorised a new $1.5 billion stock buyback on August 4. Lincoln National declared a $0.45 per-share quarterly dividend on August 6 and announced plans to resume share repurchases in the third quarter of 2026.  

Advanced Drainage Systems also announced a higher quarterly dividend and updates to its share repurchase programme following its first-quarter results on August 6. 

Also Read : US Stock Market Timings

Moderna Wins FDA Approval for First mRNA-Based Flu Vaccine 

Moderna Inc. (NASDAQ: MRNA) secured US Food and Drug Administration approval for its mRNA influenza vaccine, mFLUSIVA (mRNA-1010), on August 5, making it the first mRNA-based flu vaccine approved in the United States. The vaccine was approved for use in all adults 50 years of age and older.  

The approval marks Moderna’s fourth FDA-approved vaccine and caps off a far-from-straightforward regulatory journey. The FDA had previously opposed the shot, making the approval a significant victory for the company. 

ConocoPhillips, Flutter, PacBio and Fuel Tech Announce CEO Leadership Changes 

ConocoPhillips announced that Andy O’Brien, its chief financial officer and executive vice president of Strategy and Commercial, will succeed Ryan Lance as president and chief executive officer, effective September 1, 2026. Konnie Haynes-Welsh, currently vice president of Finance and Controller, will become senior vice president and chief financial officer. Flutter announced on August 5 that Dan Taylor, head of its international division and a company veteran, will succeed Peter Jackson as group CEO on October 1 after Jackson’s nine-year tenure. PacBio appointed Mark Van Oene as president and CEO effective August 5, succeeding Christian Henry after six years in the role. Fuel Tech also appointed Ramesh Nuggihalli as president and CEO, effective August 10, 2026. 

Rocket Lab Wins $397 Million Space Force Contract as Ferguson Enters S&P 500; Goldman Sachs Updates Conviction List and BSF Enterprise Surges 56% 

Rocket Lab Corporation (NASDAQ: RKLB) announced that it has been awarded a $397 million contract by the United States Space Force under the Space-Based Airborne Moving Target Indicator programme. The contract covers the development, launch and operation of multiple satellites, strengthening Rocket Lab’s position in the growing US defence and space infrastructure market. The announcement also attracted investor attention, with shares trading around 3% higher following the news. 

Ferguson Enterprises (NYSE: FERG) joined the S&P 500 effective before the opening of trading on August 5, replacing Electronic Arts after its acquisition. The addition places Ferguson among the large-cap companies tracked by the benchmark index. Separately, ADI Global Distribution Inc. (NYSE: ADIG) was added to the S&P SmallCap 600 on August 4, replacing Hertz Global Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: HTZ). The index changes followed corporate developments that prompted adjustments to the S&P Dow Jones Indices constituents. 

Goldman Sachs also updated its monthly US stock conviction list on August 3. The investment bank added Applied Materials (AMAT), Delta Air Lines (DAL) and Microsoft (MSFT) to the list, while removing Broadcom (AVGO). The changes reflect adjustments to the bank’s preferred US equity selections based on its latest assessment of individual companies and their market prospects. 

The week’s trading was characterised by significant company-specific developments across technology, healthcare, energy and consumer sectors, with mega-mergers, blockbuster earnings and high-profile IPO debuts driving individual stock movements. Amazon’s $3 trillion market cap milestone, Curium’s $8 billion deal for Lantheus, SpaceX’s first post-IPO earnings report, and Moderna’s FDA approval for its mRNA flu vaccine were among the most notable events. Corporate actions including Microsoft’s $60 billion buyback and Illinois Tool Works’ $6 billion repurchase programme reflected strong corporate balance sheets, while index changes and regulatory developments added to the complex landscape of company-specific catalysts. 

Source 

• https://www.nasdaq.com/ 

• spglobal.com/spdji/en/indices/equity/sp-500/ 

• https://www.dowjones.com/ 

• https://www.spglobal.com/spdji/en/indices/equity/dow-jones-industrial-average/ 

• https://www.spglobal.com/spdji/en/indices/equity/sp-500/ 

• https://www.nasdaq.com/market-activity/index/comp 

• https://www.nasdaq.com/market-activity/quotes/nasdaq-ndx-index 

• https://www.spglobal.com/spdji/en/indices/equity/sp-100/ 

• https://www.lseg.com/en/ftse-russell/indices/russell-us 

• https://www.nyse.com/index 

• https://www.nyse.com/index 

• https://www.spglobal.com/spdji/en/indices/equity/dow-jones-transportation-average/ 

• https://www.spglobal.com/spdji/en/indices/equity/dow-jones-utility-average/ 

• https://www.spglobal.com/spdji/en/indices/equity/dow-jones-composite-average/ 

• https://www.nasdaq.com/market-activity/index/sox 
• https://www.cboe.com/tradable_products/vix/