Oracle Corp (NYSE:ORCL, ETR:ORC) shares surged more than 14% to a record high of $201.72 on Thursday, as analysts praised the software giant’s accelerating cloud growth and massive deal backlog, despite concerns over rising capital expenditures and margin pressure.
Oracle reported 11% revenue growth for the fourth quarter, up from 8% the previous quarter, and lifted its full-year 2026 revenue growth guidance to 16%. Perhaps most notably, the company projected a 100% increase in remaining performance obligations (RPO), or backlog, to more than $275 billion — a figure UBS called “extraordinary” and one that “implies more backlog dollar growth than Microsoft is likely to post.”
Shares of GameStop Corp (NYSE:GME) sank 19.5% on Thursday morning after the video game retailer unveiled plans to raise up to $1.75 billion through a private offering of zero-coupon convertible senior notes due 2032.
The offering includes an option for initial purchasers to buy an additional $250 million in notes within 13 days of issuance, the company said.
BioNTech (NASDAQ:BNTX) announced that it is acquiring CureVac (NASDAQ:CVAC), a fellow German mRNA vaccine developer, in an all-stock deal valued at approximately $1.25 billion.
The acquisition aims to combine the two companies’ complementary scientific capabilities, proprietary technologies, and manufacturing expertise of both companies to strengthen BioNTech's research, development, manufacturing, and commercialization of mRNA-based cancer immunotherapy candidates.
Northstar Gold Corp. (CSE:NSG) announced it has defined a high-grade exploration target at the historic Cam Copper Mine, located within the Miller copper-gold property, located 18 kilometres southeast of Kirkland Lake, Ontario.
The newly defined No. 2 Zone Exploration Target is estimated to contain 75,000 to 140,000 tonnes grading between 9% and 18% copper, with a conceptual average grade of 12%, Northstar said on Thursday.
New Era Helium Inc (NASDAQ:NEHC) said its joint venture with Sharon AI, Texas Critical Data Centers (TCDC), is in active talks with large enterprise customers to anchor a planned artificial intelligence infrastructure buildout in Texas.
While no formal agreements have been signed, the company said it is working to align TCDC’s efforts in the Permian Basin with the needs of a high-performance computing deployment.
Oracle Corp (NYSE:ORCL, ETR:ORC) shares were up 9% in pre-market trading after the software giant raised its annual revenue guidance, buoyed by continued growth in demand for its artificial intelligence-focused cloud services.
The company now expects total revenue to reach at least $67 billion in fiscal 2026.
Shares in Bango PLC (AIM:BGO, OTCQX:BGOPF) jumped 11% after the UK-based tech group signed a landmark deal with South Korean telecoms operator KT to support its next-generation subscription bundles, including artificial intelligence services.
KT, which has more than 13.5 million mobile users, will use Bango’s Digital Vending Machine platform to bundle and manage a range of third-party subscriptions, from AI tools to language learning apps, under one roof.
Shares in Boeing Co (NYSE:BA, ETR:BCO) fell 8% after one of its planes crashed after take-off on a flight from India to the UK.
Local authorities said they expected no-one to survive the accident, with 217 adults and 11 children on board the Air India as it crashed near Ahmedabad airport after setting off for London Gatwick. The plane was carrying 53 British passengers and one Canadian.
Airlines and travel stocks fell in Europe and the US, as oil and gold prices also rose amidst heightened geopolitical tensions.
Tensions in the Middle East weighed on expectations for leisure travel, while rising oil prices bode badly for airline and cruise ship profit margins.
Shares in Phoenix Copper Ltd (AIM:PXC, OTCQX:PXCLF) surged 46% after the company signed a letter of intent with a US-based investor for a proposed $75 million bond placement to support its growth ambitions in the American mining sector.
The deal would see the investor subscribe for secured, floating-rate copper bonds yielding at least 8.5% and maturing between 2029 and 2033.