Rare Earths Rally, Defense Prints Cash, but Payments and Consulting Crater

Critical minerals surged on fresh U.S. stockpile plans, defense manufacturing scored a major contract win, while payments and research services took heavy hits from earnings misses and demand weakness.

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U.S. stocks tumbled after technology shares led a sector rotation lower amid disappointing earnings and profit-taking in AI-related names, while surging Treasury yields pressured equities, and a reported U.S. shoot-down of an Iranian drone near a navy carrier added geopolitical jitters.

PepsiCo (NASDAQ: PEP) is making a clear strategic pivot by cutting prices on core snack brands like Lay’s and Doritos after signs that consumers are pushing back hard. The move shifts focus away from margin defense and toward restoring volume and trust.

For years, PepsiCo leaned on pricing to offset inflation and protect profits. Now you are seeing the limits of that strategy as food budgets tighten and snack purchases become easier to delay.

Snacks Are the Crown Jewel

Snacks are not just another category for PepsiCo; they are a core profit engine and a major driver of shelf dominance. Losing momentum here risks long-term relevance, especially as eating habits evolve.

By pairing price cuts with single-serve formats and value multipacks, PepsiCo is trying to protect brand strength while restoring affordability. This is where execution matters more than messaging.

Discipline Without Desperation

The pricing reset is being framed as targeted, not reckless. PepsiCo is tightening costs, refreshing product positioning, and avoiding broad discounting that could damage brand equity.

Instead of forcing pricing power in a fragile consumer environment, the company is choosing to defend share and rebuild loyalty. If you track consumer staples closely, this is PepsiCo admitting the cycle has changed and adjusting before it breaks.

Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) has cleared an important strategic hurdle after mid-stage data showed its experimental obesity injection delivered meaningful weight loss with once-monthly dosing. That shift alone reframes how the therapy could fit into long-term treatment plans.

In a market dominated by weekly injections and emerging daily pills, convenience is becoming a real competitive lever. When you think about chronic use, fewer injections can matter as much as headline efficacy.

A Reset After Early Missteps

The data represent a turning point for Pfizer after earlier obesity setbacks forced the company back to the drawing board. Preparing a broad slate of late-stage trials signals this program is now central, not optional.

Monthly dosing gives Pfizer room to compete without chasing absolute weight-loss numbers alone. If you follow the space closely, differentiation now lives in adherence and persistence, not just percentage points.

Bigger Than One Drug

Success would strengthen Pfizer’s internal medicine franchise and prove it can scale innovation into late-stage execution. It also places the company back inside one of the most important healthcare spending shifts underway.

Execution risk remains high as larger trials test durability, safety, and real-world outcomes. Still, Pfizer is no longer watching the obesity boom from the sidelines. What matters for you is that the company is reentering the race with a strategy built for long-term use rather than short-term hype.

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SLB (NYSE: SLB) has secured a five-year development contract for Kuwait’s Mutriba oil field, stepping into one of the country’s more unforgiving reservoirs. The project deepens SLB’s partnership with Kuwait Oil Company as Kuwait pushes production higher without wrecking long-term field performance.

Mutriba runs deep, hot, and sour, the kind of environment where small mistakes turn into expensive ones fast. SLB’s scope covers field design, development planning, and production management, placing it inside the decision-making loop rather than on the sidelines.

Contractors Are Out, Partners Are In

National oil companies are moving away from juggling endless contractors and toward partners who stay through the ugly parts. Complex fields demand continuity, accountability, and someone who owns the outcome.

SLB fits that shift. Its subsurface modeling and integrated execution reduce guesswork as conditions change underground. If you are watching how national producers choose partners, this deal shows they want fewer vendors and more responsibility in one place.

This Is Where Power Builds

Long-term development contracts do not just add revenue; they add influence once a company is embedded at the field level, data, optimization, and technical memory compound over time.

For SLB, Mutriba strengthens its grip as a long-haul development partner rather than a tools supplier. That is why you should see this deal as a quiet power move in countries like Kuwait.

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NioCorp Developments Ltd [NB] $7.50 (+21.75%)

NioCorp surged after rare-earth stocks rallied on reports that the Trump administration is planning “Project Vault,” a nearly $12 billion effort to stockpile critical minerals like rare earths.

Velo3D Inc [VELO] $15.32 (+21.59%)

Velo3D jumped after its key manufacturing partner, Mears Machine Corporation, announced a major defense contract with a top U.S. OEM, which will involve Velo3D printers and is expected to deliver $100 million in revenue.

DaVita Inc [DVA] $134.80 (+21.23%)

DaVita rose after posting strong Q4 2025 earnings, with adjusted EPS beating estimates by 5.1% and revenue surpassing expectations by 2.7%.

CorVel Corporation [CRVL] $51.58 (-26.05%)

CorVel fell after posting modest December-quarter growth with revenue up 3% to $236 million and EPS of $0.47, tempered by short-term operational headwinds and a higher effective tax rate.

Gartner, Inc [IT] $160.04 (-20.93%)

Gartner dropped sharply after forecasting 2026 revenue and adjusted EPS below expectations, as enterprise spending cuts and AI automation reduced demand for its consulting and insights services.

PayPal Holdings, Inc [PYPL] $41.90 (-19.92%)

PayPal plunged after reporting weaker-than-expected Q4 results, compounded by the surprise announcement that CEO Alex Chriss would be replaced by HP's Enrique Lores.

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