BUSINESS

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.

Elon Musk's $134B lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft intensifies, with new claims, leadership challenges, and a high-stakes trial set for April 27.

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.

Chinese automakers boost global exports as domestic car sales decline, led by strong EV demand and expanding overseas markets in 2026.

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.