NEWS

OMAHA, Neb. — Valmont Industries Inc. shares rocketed more than 13% in early trading Tuesday after the infrastructure and agriculture products maker posted stronger-than-expected first-quarter results and raised its full-year 2026 earnings guidance, highlighting robust demand in North American utility markets and effective pricing strategies.

NEW YORK — GameStop Corp. shares rose modestly in early trading Tuesday, climbing to $25.21 as the video game retailer continued to draw attention following its recent launch of Power Packs, a digital trading card platform that lets collectors buy packs to unlock real PSA-graded physical cards stored securely in a vault.

NEW YORK — Avis Budget Group Inc. shares continued their meteoric rise Tuesday, surging more than 15% in early trading to $700.51 as one of the most intense short squeezes in recent memory showed no signs of easing, with short interest exceeding 50% of the float and hedge funds scrambling to cover positions.

NEW YORK — Tesla Inc. shares edged lower in morning trading Tuesday, dipping 0.42% to $390.86 as Wall Street positioned for the electric vehicle maker's first-quarter earnings report due after the bell on Wednesday, with focus squarely on robotaxi progress, capital spending plans and the outlook for autonomy amid slowing vehicle delivery growth.

NEW YORK — The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed more than 210 points in early trading Tuesday, pushing the blue-chip index above 49,653 as investors brushed aside lingering Middle East tensions and focused on corporate earnings momentum and signs of diplomatic progress in U.S.-Iran talks.

CANBERRA, Australia — In a surprise move that could ease pressure on Australian beef exporters amid tightening quotas, China has granted export licences to eight new Australian meat facilities, including two abattoirs and six cold storage distribution centres, just months after imposing safeguard tariffs aimed at protecting its domestic cattle industry.

World oil prices slipped modestly Tuesday amid tentative optimism over U.S.-Iran diplomatic efforts, with Brent crude hovering near $94.70 per barrel as traders weighed mixed signals from the Middle East against lingering threats to global energy supplies.

LONDON — The FTSE 100 index rose modestly Tuesday, climbing 0.14% to 10,623.74 by mid-morning trading as cautious optimism over potential U.S.-Iran diplomatic progress helped steady investor nerves following weeks of geopolitical volatility in the Middle East.

OMAHA, Neb. — Warren Buffett, the legendary investor who built Berkshire Hathaway Inc. into a trillion-dollar powerhouse over six decades, continues to wield influence at the conglomerate even after stepping down as CEO at the end of 2025.

SYDNEY — The S&P/ASX 200 index closed slightly lower Tuesday, but a handful of standout stocks defied the broader market weakness, posting solid gains on the back of company-specific developments and sector tailwinds.

SYDNEY — Australia's fuel crisis, triggered by disruptions from the ongoing Middle East conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran, showed tentative signs of stabilization Tuesday as national petrol stockpiles climbed to 46 days of emergency supplies, yet diesel shortages continued to hammer rural communities, transport operators and food supply chains.

SYDNEY — The S&P/ASX 200 index closed fractionally lower Tuesday, shedding 3.9 points or 0.04 percent to finish at 8,949.4 as investors adopted a wait-and-see stance ahead of a critical Middle East ceasefire deadline and weighed mixed signals from commodity prices and domestic sectors.

King Charles III led the tributes to his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II, on what would have been her 100th birthday if she was still around.

Chinese President Xi Jinping directly addressed the issue involving the Strait of Hormuz, urging the US and Iran to keep it open.

NEW YORK — Hertz Global Holdings Inc. shares rose 4.44% in midday trading on April 20, 2026, climbing 33 cents to $7.76 as investors weighed early signs of operational improvement against persistent challenges in the car rental giant's path to sustainable profitability.

NEW YORK — Shares of USA Rare Earth Inc. climbed more than 8% in early Monday trading on April 20, 2026, rising $1.60 to $21.55 after the company announced a major $2.8 billion deal to acquire Serra Verde Group, a move that instantly expands its access to producing mines and all four key magnetic rare earth elements while strengthening its position in the global supply chain.

NEW YORK — Shares of Kaspi.kz JSC surged more than 7% in early Monday trading on April 20, 2026, rising $6.69 to $91.60 as investors cheered the Kazakh fintech giant's recent approval of a substantial cash dividend and growing confidence in its super app ecosystem amid regional expansion.

NEW YORK — TopBuild Corp. shares skyrocketed more than 16% in early Monday trading on April 20, 2026, surging $67.80 to $478.11 after the leading insulation and building products installer agreed to be acquired by QXO Inc. in a $17 billion cash-and-stock transaction that values the company at a substantial premium.

NEW YORK — Shares of Nektar Therapeutics surged more than 19% in early Monday trading on April 20, 2026, climbing $16.58 to $101.44 as investors cheered positive 52-week topline results from the Phase 2b REZOLVE-AA clinical trial of the company's lead immunology candidate, rezpegaldesleukin, in patients with severe-to-very-severe alopecia areata.

NEW YORK — The Dow Jones Industrial Average edged lower in early Monday trading on April 20, 2026, dipping 12.22 points, or 0.025%, to 49,428.12 as investors weighed fresh geopolitical risks in the Middle East that sent oil prices climbing and stock futures lower.

A tsunami warning has been issued for certain parts of northern Japan following a magnitude 7.5 earthquake that hit the country.

SYDNEY — Zip Co Ltd shares climbed 7.73 percent to close at A$2.51 on Monday, extending gains for the Australian buy-now-pay-later provider after last week's strong third-quarter results and an upgraded full-year profit forecast that highlighted accelerating growth in its key U.S. market.

World petrol prices jumped sharply Monday amid renewed tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, with Brent crude climbing more than 5% to trade near $95-96 per barrel as Iran reimposed restrictions on the vital shipping lane following a brief reopening, sending shockwaves through global energy markets and raising concerns about prolonged supply disruptions.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Iran has reimposed restrictions on the Strait of Hormuz, shutting the critical waterway to most commercial shipping less than 24 hours after declaring it fully open, escalating a high-stakes maritime standoff with the United States that threatens global oil supplies and has already driven volatile swings in energy prices.

SYDNEY — Australian motorists are seeing modest relief at the bowser this week as national petrol prices continue to fall slowly following government intervention and improving fuel stocks, yet analysts warn that long-term price stability hinges on fragile developments in the Middle East and could take months to fully materialise.

Australia will take part in keeping the Strait of Hormuz open and safe if and when a deal is reached amid the ongoing Iran war.

Doctors and nurses are increasingly dominating Australia's fast-growing cosmetic injectables sector, with many clinicians choosing to step away from high-pressure hospital environments to establish their own practices and apply their medical expertise in a more balanced, flexible and patient-focused setting.

SYDNEY — The S&P/ASX 200 index traded virtually flat in thin afternoon trade Monday, closing down a negligible 2.0 points, or 0.02 percent, at 8,944.9 as investors weighed escalating tensions in the Middle East against hopes for renewed diplomacy and shifting commodity prices.

SYDNEY — Australians are ditching petrol pumps for electric vehicle showrooms in record numbers as a severe fuel crisis triggered by conflict in the Middle East sends petrol and diesel prices skyrocketing and leaves hundreds of service stations dry.