BUSINESS

CORNING, N.Y. — Corning Inc. shares climbed more than 3% Thursday to trade around $170.30 as investors rewarded the materials science giant's deepening role in powering artificial intelligence data centers with high-density optical fiber, cable and connectivity solutions amid explosive hyperscale demand.

AMSTERDAM — Nebius Group N.V. shares surged more than 7% Thursday to trade around $134.60 as investors bet big on the fast-growing AI cloud provider's landmark infrastructure contracts with hyperscalers and fresh Wall Street coverage highlighting its role in the artificial intelligence buildout.

LAS VEGAS — CleanSpark Inc. shares climbed more than 5% Thursday to trade around $10.38 as investors cheered the Bitcoin miner's robust March production numbers and accelerating pivot toward artificial intelligence and high-performance computing infrastructure in Texas.

MIAMI — Hut 8 Corp. shares surged more than 3% Thursday to trade around $63.72, extending a blistering multi-day rally that has pushed the stock up sharply in recent sessions as investors pile into the former Bitcoin miner's aggressive shift toward artificial intelligence and high-performance computing infrastructure.

FREMONT, Calif. — Aehr Test Systems Inc. stock rocketed higher Thursday, climbing more than 8% to trade around $68 as investors bet on the semiconductor test equipment maker's surging order book tied to artificial intelligence infrastructure, even after the company posted mixed fiscal third-quarter results.

WATERLOO, Ontario — Shares of BlackBerry Ltd. jumped more than 6% Thursday after the once-iconic smartphone maker posted stronger-than-expected fourth-quarter fiscal 2026 results and issued first-quarter guidance that topped Wall Street forecasts, signaling continued momentum in its shift to enterprise cybersecurity and embedded software.

CEDAR PARK, Texas — Shares of Firefly Aerospace Inc. rose nearly 2% Thursday as the fast-growing space and defense technology company continued to draw attention from investors betting on its expanding role in lunar missions, responsive national security launches and artificial intelligence-enabled spacecraft capabilities.

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Shares of Bloom Energy Corp. surged more than 7% Thursday, blasting past $157 as investors piled into the solid-oxide fuel cell maker amid intensifying demand for reliable on-site power to fuel artificial intelligence data centers and ease grid constraints.

MILPITAS, Calif. — Shares of SanDisk Corp. surged more than 7.5% Thursday, pushing the pure-play NAND flash and solid-state drive maker to fresh record highs near $840 as booming demand for high-capacity storage in artificial intelligence data centers continued to fuel one of the most dramatic rallies on Wall Street in 2026.

AUSTIN, Texas — Texas emerged as the clear winner in corporate headquarters relocations during the first months of 2026, attracting dozens of major companies seeking lower taxes, lighter regulation and business-friendly policies, while California continued to post the steepest net losses of corporate HQs among U.S. states.

SYDNEY — Dozens of major companies consolidated or shifted operations within or away from Sydney in early 2026, with internal office moves and a broader urban-to-regional population shift reshaping the city's business landscape even as new tech and infrastructure projects drew some activity to the area.

GameStop Corp. shares ticked up modestly Thursday as the video game retailer's massive cash reserves and persistent speculation about a transformational acquisition under CEO Ryan Cohen continued to fuel investor interest despite ongoing revenue declines in its core business.

NEW YORK — Shares of Cipher Digital Inc. climbed nearly 10% Thursday as the former Bitcoin mining company, now aggressively pivoting to high-performance computing and AI infrastructure, continued to draw bullish bets from investors betting on its long-term hyperscale data center ambitions.

Shares of AXT Inc. surged more than 11% midday Thursday, pushing the semiconductor substrate maker's stock to fresh highs as investors bet on accelerating demand for its indium phosphide wafers used in artificial intelligence infrastructure and high-speed optical networking.

Shares of Brown-Forman Corp., the maker of Jack Daniel's whiskey, jumped more than 13% midday Thursday, climbing to levels not seen in recent weeks as investors appeared to embrace signs of stabilizing demand for premium spirits and lingering optimism from earlier merger speculation involving French rival Pernod Ricard.

Even after stepping down as CEO of Berkshire Hathaway at the end of 2025, Warren Buffett remains one of the most quoted voices in finance. His simple, folksy sayings on investing, patience and life continue to resonate as markets navigate high valuations, economic uncertainty and rapid technological change heading into 2026.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — With the Strait of Hormuz still facing restricted traffic and lingering uncertainty despite a fragile two-week U.S.-Iran ceasefire announced April 8, 2026, global energy markets and shipping companies are urgently examining alternatives to the narrow waterway that normally carries about 20-21% of the world's oil and significant liquefied natural gas supplies.