BUSINESS

SYDNEY — Energy and healthcare names dominated the S&P/ASX 200's biggest gainers Monday as renewed uncertainty over the U.S.-Iran naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz pushed oil prices higher, providing a modest cushion for resource-exposed stocks even as the broader index slipped 0.39% to close at 8,926.0.

SYDNEY — The S&P/ASX 200 index closed lower Monday, shedding 34.6 points or 0.39% to finish at 8,926.0 as renewed uncertainty over the fragile U.S.-Iran ceasefire and fluctuating oil prices rattled Australian investors. The benchmark slipped from Friday's close of 8,960.6, with the day's trading range stretching from a high of 8,960.6 to a low of 8,889.6 amid cautious sentiment across global markets.

NEW YORK — Global oil prices jumped sharply Monday as President Donald Trump ordered a U.S. naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, reigniting fears of prolonged supply disruptions in the world's most critical energy chokepoint.

NEW YORK — The abrupt failure of U.S.-Iran peace negotiations in Pakistan and President Donald Trump's immediate order to blockade the Strait of Hormuz sent shockwaves through world financial markets Monday, driving oil prices above $103 a barrel and triggering sharp declines in global stock indexes as investors priced in prolonged energy disruptions and higher inflation risks.

SUGAR LAND, Texas — Applied Optoelectronics Inc. (NASDAQ: AAOI) has emerged as one of the hottest — and most volatile — plays in the artificial intelligence data center boom of 2026, with shares surging more than 1,140% over the past year to trade around $150 as of April 10. The company's aggressive push into high-speed 800G and 1.6T optical transceivers for hyperscale customers has fueled explosive revenue guidance, yet Wall Street analysts remain divided, with consensus price targets well below current levels and warnings of significant execution risks.

JERSEY CITY, N.J. — Shares of Organon & Co. surged more than 27% on April 10, 2026, closing at $8.83 after reports emerged that India's Sun Pharmaceutical Industries is nearing a potential $12 billion all-cash takeover offer for the women's health and biosimilars specialist, injecting fresh drama into a stock that has struggled with flat growth and heavy debt.

SAN JOSE, Calif. — As artificial intelligence infrastructure spending surges, semiconductor connectivity specialist Astera Labs Inc. finds itself at the center of Wall Street's bullish bets for 2026, with most analysts rating the stock a moderate to strong buy and average price targets implying 30% to 50% upside from current levels despite recent volatility.

SEATTLE — As Amazon.com Inc. navigates a pivotal year for its cloud-computing powerhouse and e-commerce empire, Wall Street is overwhelmingly bullish on the stock heading into the rest of 2026, with average price targets suggesting 20% upside from current levels and some analysts forecasting gains as high as 50%.

SYDNEY — Global oil prices stabilized near $96 per barrel for Brent crude on Sunday, April 12, 2026, providing modest relief to Australian motorists after weeks of volatility triggered by Middle East conflicts, though domestic petrol and diesel prices remain elevated and diesel shortages persist in some regions.

NEW YORK — NVIDIA Corp. (NASDAQ: NVDA) shares closed at approximately $188.63 on April 10, 2026, with Wall Street analysts maintaining a strong consensus "Buy" or "Strong Buy" rating as the company rides explosive demand for its AI GPUs, particularly the Blackwell platform, despite concerns over lofty valuations and potential slowdowns in hyperscaler capital spending.

NEW YORK — Palantir Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: PLTR) shares traded near $128 as of April 10, 2026, with Wall Street issuing a Moderate Buy consensus amid explosive commercial momentum from its Artificial Intelligence Platform (AIP) and steady government contract wins, though some analysts caution that the stock's premium valuation leaves limited room for error.

SYDNEY — Australia's major airports descended into widespread disruption on Sunday as 29 flights were cancelled and 183 others delayed across key hubs including Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth, leaving thousands of passengers stranded during the busy post-Easter travel period.

NEW YORK — Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOGL) shares traded around $317 as of April 10, 2026, with Wall Street maintaining a strong consensus "Buy" or "Moderate Buy" rating amid robust AI-driven growth in Google Cloud and Search, even as the company prepares for sharply higher capital spending that could pressure near-term margins.

SYDNEY — Australia is navigating a persistent fuel crunch triggered by the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran and the resulting disruptions to global oil shipments, even as a fragile ceasefire in the Middle East has begun easing some international price pressures.

SPARKS, Nev. — Tesla Inc. is on the verge of high-volume production for its long-delayed electric Semi truck, with CEO Elon Musk on Friday spotlighting an exclusive inside look at the company's massive new factory in Nevada as the assembly line comes to life.

Fabrinet shares surged more than 7% in morning trading Friday, climbing to $663.65 as investors rewarded the precision manufacturing specialist's deepening role in powering artificial intelligence data centers through advanced optical components and expanded production capacity.

LandBridge Company LLC shares surged more than 6% in morning trading Friday, climbing to $68.05 as investors bet on the Permian Basin land owner's growing role in powering the artificial intelligence data center explosion through strategic leasing deals and its vast surface acreage.

Super Micro Computer Inc. shares jumped more than 7% in morning trading Friday, climbing to $24.93 as investors appeared to look past recent governance and legal concerns and focused instead on the company's explosive growth in AI-optimized servers amid unrelenting demand from hyperscalers building massive data center infrastructure.

Alphabet Inc. Class C shares inched up modestly Friday, trading around $316.80 after gaining 0.43 cents or 0.14%, as investors weighed the tech giant's accelerating artificial intelligence initiatives against plans for record capital spending that could pressure near-term margins.

NEW YORK — IREN Ltd. shares jumped more than 8% in morning trading Friday, climbing to $40.21 as investors embraced the former Bitcoin miner's aggressive pivot into artificial intelligence infrastructure, highlighted by plans to scale its GPU fleet to 150,000 units and target billions in annualized AI cloud revenue.

NEW YORK — Fluence Energy Inc. shares climbed more than 7% in morning trading Friday, reaching $14.56 as investors bet on the battery storage company's strong positioning in the surging U.S. energy storage market fueled by artificial intelligence data centers, grid modernization and supportive domestic manufacturing policies.

NEW YORK — Credo Technology Group Holding Ltd. shares surged more than 10% in morning trading Friday, reaching $119.23 as investors piled into the high-speed connectivity specialist amid unrelenting demand for its solutions powering massive AI data center buildouts.

NEW YORK — Texas Pacific Land Corp. shares jumped more than 10% in morning trading Friday, climbing to $417.06 as investors appeared to shake off recent volatility tied to the passing of a major shareholder and renewed optimism around the company's diversification into AI infrastructure and data centers on its vast West Texas holdings.

HONG KONG — Li Auto Inc. shares climbed more than 3% Friday on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, closing at HK$74.20 after adding HK$2.30, as investors cheered a strong March delivery rebound and anticipation for the upcoming launch of the refreshed flagship Li L9 amid a competitive but recovering Chinese new energy vehicle market.

NEW YORK — Ivanhoe Electric Inc. shares rose sharply in morning trading Friday, gaining about 7.77% to $13.87 as investors bet on the company's role in bolstering domestic supplies of copper and other critical minerals amid growing demand from electrification, data centers and national security initiatives.

MELBOURNE, Australia — Telix Pharmaceuticals Ltd. shares surged more than 7% Friday as the Australian radiopharmaceutical company received a key regulatory boost in the United States, highlighting its growing role in precision oncology diagnostics and therapeutics.

NEW YORK — Astera Labs Inc. shares jumped more than 10% in early trading Friday, climbing to around $142.62 as investors piled into the semiconductor company riding the AI infrastructure boom.

Shares of Organon & Co. skyrocketed more than 17% in early trading Friday, April 10, 2026, surging to $8.12 as rumors of a potential takeover bid circulated on Wall Street, injecting fresh excitement into the struggling women's health pharmaceutical company that has languished near multi-year lows for much of the year.

NEW YORK — The S&P 500 climbed to 6,837.97 and the Nasdaq Composite reached 22,951.16 in early trading Friday, April 10, 2026, extending a powerful relief rally sparked by the U.S.-Iran ceasefire and hopes that weekend negotiations in Islamabad will stabilize global energy markets and reduce geopolitical tensions.