HTZ Soars +56% on Ackman Stake

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Hertz Global Holdings (HTZ) skyrocketed +56% after news broke that Bill Ackman had taken a significant position in the company. The high-profile backing from Pershing Square sparked renewed investor optimism, signaling potential for strategic turnaround and long-term value creation in the car rental giant.

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QURE Jumps +38% on FDA Breakthrough

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uniQure (QURE) surged +38% after the FDA granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation to AMT-130 for Huntington’s Disease. The milestone validates the therapy’s promise and accelerates its development timeline, fueling biotech investor enthusiasm around a potential first-in-class treatment.

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CERT Gains +11% on $100M Buyback

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Certara (CERT) rose +11% after announcing a $100 million share repurchase authorization alongside preliminary Q1 results. The sizable buyback signals management’s confidence in the company’s fundamentals.

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UNH Plunges -19% on Sharp EPS Cut, Sector Sinks with It

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UnitedHealth Group (UNH) shares collapsed 19% after slashing its full-year EPS forecast to $26–$26.50, well below the prior $29.50–$30 range and consensus expectations of $29.73. The cut reflects a surge in Medicare Advantage costs—particularly from outpatient and physician visits—that far exceeded internal projections. CEO Andrew Witty admitted the firm “did not perform up to expectations” and vowed swift action. The shockwave hit peers including Elevance, CVS, Cigna, and Humana, which collectively shed over $130 billion in market cap. Hospitals like HCA and Tenet, however, rallied on signs of elevated healthcare demand. With insurer sentiment already fragile after 2024’s regulatory setbacks and public scrutiny, the miss dismantled UNH’s reputation as a defensive play amid macro uncertainty.

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Nvidia Sinks -6.9% After $5.5B Hit from New China Export Curbs

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Nvidia (NVDA) fell nearly 7% after disclosing a $5.5 billion charge tied to halted H20 chip exports to China. The AI chipmaker had tailored the H20 model to comply with earlier U.S. restrictions, but new rules from the Trump administration now require licenses for all shipments—effectively shutting down sales to China, which made up 13% of Nvidia’s 2024 revenue. Analysts warned of a strategic blow, noting the abrupt policy shift undercuts Nvidia’s growth and emboldens Chinese competitors like Huawei. The hit comes as Trump ramps tariffs and export controls in his broader decoupling campaign. Nvidia’s Q1 earnings, due May 28, will reveal whether the firm can offset the damage through domestic and non-Chinese AI demand.

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Palantir Rallies on NATO Warfighting AI Deal, ICE Surveillance

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Palantir (PLTR) is in the spotlight after securing two new government contracts: a landmark AI warfighting system with NATO and a $30 million surveillance tech expansion with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The NATO deal—one of the fastest acquisitions in alliance history—will deploy the Maven Smart System (MSS NATO), enabling AI-enhanced intelligence fusion, targeting, and battlefield decision-making. Meanwhile, the ICE contract expands Palantir’s mass-tracking of immigrants with deportation orders. Together, the deals show Palantir’s growing role at the nexus of AI and state power. Investors are viewing Palantir as increasingly central to the new era of tech-driven security infrastructure.

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