Earnings Are Beating, The Ceasefire Is Extended, and the Nasdaq Is at a Record

The Iran war isn't over, but Wednesday proved the market has moved on. Trump extended the ceasefire, and the Nasdaq set a new all-time high.

Oil crossed $100 because Iran seized two ships in the Strait, and the market logged that fact and kept climbing. Today's edition has every move that mattered.

Rising geopolitical tensions have pushed oil sharply higher — and renewed focus on energy equities.

For investors, the key question is which companies could thrive if prices remain elevated.

Zacks’ latest report reviews three oil stocks worth attention in this environment.

[Access the report]

Stocks rose after Trump extended the U.S.-Iran ceasefire overnight, citing Tehran's "seriously fractured" government.

Boeing shares rose 5% after reporting a smaller-than-expected quarterly loss, while GE Vernova surged 12% after its first-quarter revenue topped expectations, and more than 80% of S&P 500 companies reporting have beaten expectations so far, according to FactSet data.

Oil crossed $100 per barrel in Brent terms as Iran seized two container ships in the Strait of Hormuz despite the extended ceasefire, keeping energy markets on edge even as equity investors largely looked past the geopolitical noise.

The session's message was clear: this market is now running on earnings, and earnings are delivering.

United Airlines (NASDAQ: UAL) just revealed something much bigger than a routine pricing adjustment.

The company is preparing to fully pass rising fuel costs onto customers, with fares potentially increasing by up to 20% over time.

That signals a clear shift in how United plans to protect its business in a volatile cost environment.

This is not a short-term reaction. It is a structural move that shows United is no longer willing to absorb cost shocks the way airlines often did in the past.

A Clear Shift in Strategy

Airlines have historically taken partial hits on fuel costs to stay competitive.

United is now moving toward a model in which those costs are passed through more aggressively and consistently.

You are looking at a company that is prioritizing margin stability over price sensitivity.

That approach changes how the business operates. It reduces earnings volatility, but it also puts more pressure on customer demand to hold up under higher pricing.

Profitability Comes First Now

United is targeting stronger margins and is aligning its pricing model to support that goal. Instead of reacting to cost increases, it is building a system that quickly reflects those increases in customer prices.

Your view of United should shift from a reactive airline to one actively shaping its financial outcomes.

You could be seeing the early stages of a more disciplined airline industry, where protecting margins becomes just as important as filling seats.

ExxonMobil (NYSE: XOM) just made another decisive move in Guyana, reinforcing one of the most important growth stories in global energy.

The company has awarded a new offshore development contract to Saipem for its Longtail project in the Stabroek block. 

This marks yet another step in a region that has already become central to Exxon’s long-term production strategy. The choice of partner matters here.

Exxon is returning to Saipem, a signal of confidence in a relationship that has already delivered multiple large-scale offshore projects.

Same Partner, Bigger System

Exxon is no longer experimenting in Guyana. It is repeating a model that works, using the same contractors, playbook, and infrastructure approach to scale faster with less risk.

You are looking at a company that has turned exploration success into an operational system that can be replicated across discoveries.

That consistency creates an advantage. It reduces delays, improves efficiency, and enables Exxon to move more quickly from discovery to production than in less-structured projects.

Momentum That Is Hard to Ignore

Exxon is stacking projects to compound growth. Each new development builds on existing infrastructure, partnerships, and expertise, making the next one easier to execute and potentially more profitable.

This is where scale becomes powerful.

You could see Guyana continue to expand as a centerpiece of Exxon’s global portfolio, because the company is not just developing oil fields here, it is building a long-term production ecosystem.

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Google (NASDAQ: GOOGL) just made one of its clearest moves yet in the AI race.

The company is restructuring its enterprise AI offerings under a new “Gemini Enterprise” banner, positioning AI agents at the center of its plans to monetize artificial intelligence.

This is not a product update; it is a shift in how Google positions AI inside real business operations. The timing matters.

Enterprise customers are quickly becoming the most reliable source of AI revenue, and Google is now leaning fully into that demand.

From Tools to Full Platforms

Google is bundling its AI capabilities into a more unified system.

By reworking Vertex AI into Gemini Enterprise, the company is creating a platform where businesses can build, manage, and scale AI applications in one place.

Your focus should move from individual AI features to the broader ecosystem Google is building to keep enterprise customers locked in.

The Real Battle Is Just Starting

Competition in enterprise AI is intensifying fast.

Rivals are pushing coding tools and model access, but Google is betting that agents, governance, and deployment will define the next phase of adoption.

The bigger signal is direction.

You could see Google push deeper into enterprise workflows, because winning here is not about having the best model; it is about becoming the system businesses rely on every day.

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Inhibrx Biosciences [INBX] $115.09 (+36.88%)

Merck & Co, Germany's Merck KGaA, and Japan's Ono Pharmaceutical have all drawn interest in Inhibrx's INBRX-106 cancer immunotherapy.

INBRX-106 is being tested alongside Merck's Keytruda, the world's top-selling cancer drug, and Inhibrx says it believes its drug amplifies Keytruda's efficacy.

Talks are early-stage, and any deal is months away, but a $9 billion asset getting acquired in a $1.69 billion company is enough math to drive a 37% move.

Newsmax [NMAX] $9.24 (+26.92%)

Newsmax is a conservative media company with a $1.21 billion market cap that runs on news-cycle momentum and a thin retail float.

The ceasefire extension kept the Iran war in the headlines, driving viewership at war-sensitive news networks, and the stock caught a momentum bid from retail traders who have repeatedly pushed NMAX into and out of double-digit intraday moves in 2026.

The stock has a 52-week high of $27.49, and at $9.38, the move represents retail speculation on both the Iran narrative and a mean-reversion trade.

POET Technologies [POET] $12.77 (+24.59%)

POET is running for a second consecutive session after clearing its PFIC tax overhang and announcing a $5M+ production order for its Infinity optical engines targeting 400-800G AI data center connectivity.

Volume at 3.35x average and a $1.91 billion market cap confirm this is not a micro-cap momentum trade. Management has $430M in cash and plans to ship more than 30,000 engines in 2026.

The run from $5 in late March to $12.51 today reflects genuine investor repricing of a commercialization story that is now backed by real orders.

Avis Budget [CAR] $443.79 (-37.82%)

Avis Budget is reversing the short squeeze that drove the stock up more than 100% in recent weeks.

The ceasefire extension reduces the urgency of the travel recovery thesis that fueled the run, and the stock remains far above the analyst consensus with no fundamental anchor to slow a momentum exit.

At $514.79 against a market cap of $18.18 billion, CAR is still trading at a significant premium to where it was before the war-driven travel disruption trade began.

Shorts covering less aggressively now that peace looks likely is enough to reverse the squeeze.

Sportradar [SRAD] $13.04 (-22.55%)

Muddy Waters published a new short-selling report on Sportradar on Wednesday, triggering a 20% single-session decline as investors reacted to the firm's allegations against the $4.17 billion sports data and technology company.

Muddy Waters has a track record of targeting high-multiple technology companies with complex financials, and Sportradar's 37x P/E and global sports rights business provide plenty of surface area for a short thesis.

The company has not yet issued a formal response.

NextNav [NN] $17.57 (-22.15%)

NextNav released a preliminary Q1 2026 update revealing production bottlenecks and a growing backlog of shippable orders that are slowing revenue conversion, sending investors a clear message that strong demand is not translating into near-term sales.

A fresh analyst downgrade to Strong Sell added to the selling pressure, and reports of a major institutional shareholder unloading a significant block of shares triggered a cascade exit.

The $2.2 billion Strong Buy-rated company now faces a credibility gap between its demand story and its execution track record.

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That's it for today! Please, write us back, and let us know what you think of the Closing Bell Roundup. We're always eager to hear feedback!

Thanks for reading. I'll see you at the next open! 

Best Regards,
— Adam G.
Elite Trade Club

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