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Armstrong World raises buyback to $2.5B, boosts dividend

Armstrong World Industries expanded its share repurchase program by $800 million, bringing the total authorization to $2.5 billion and extending the program through December 31, 2029, while also declaring a quarterly dividend of $0.339 per share payable on August 19, 2026 to shareholders of record August 5. The announcements, highlighted by the company’s leadership, underscore its confidence in ongoing cash flow and long-term shareholder value through disciplined capital allocation.

8 sources

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Estee Lauder Target Raised to $80 by Barclays

Analysts largely reiterated upbeat price-target revisions for Estee Lauder Companies, with Barclays lifting its target to 80 and multiple firms maintaining a mix of Hold and Buy ratings, while EL’s latest quarterly results slightly beat estimates. Separately, TD Cowen boosted e.l.f. Beauty’s target to 85 as the company eyes stronger Q1 FY2027 growth and a valuation that supporters argue remains attractive amid broader cosmetic stock interest.

5 sources

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Microsoft funds Mistral Europe expansion

Microsoft and French AI firm Mistral are expanding a multibillion-dollar partnership to deploy Mistral’s Europe-based GPU infrastructure and open models across Azure, Azure Local, and Foundry, boosting European capacity while preserving access to U.S. software and security features. The deal aims to reduce reliance on U.S. technology, support regulated industries, and accelerate broader deployment of Mistral’s Medium 3.5 and OCR 4 models, with Nvidia GPUs and European data sovereignty at its core.

15 sources

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Core AI expands HomeGPT with multimodal design

Core AI Holdings is expanding HomeGPT into a multimodal home design, renovation visualization, and AI-powered residential decision platform, turning a single home photo into interior, exterior, and garden design concepts plus features like item swaps, style matching, and AI video walkthroughs to aid planning before major purchases. The move aims to position HomeGPT as a vertical AI layer for renovation and purchasing decisions amid rising mortgage costs and housing-market uncertainty, with monetization expected through subscriptions and collaboration tools for professionals and designers.

9 sources

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China reportedly cuts Iranian oil purchases by 40%

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says China reduced its imports of Iranian crude by about 40% in recent months, driven by sanctions on privately owned teapot refineries and China’s strategic petroleum reserves. The remarks underscore intensified sanctions enforcement targeting Tehran’s energy sector and could pressure Iran’s oil revenues while signaling potential shifts in global oil dynamics.

9 sources

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Cadrenal Launches Cardiac Acute Care Franchise, Seeks Partners

Cadrenal Therapeutics has reorganized its clinical portfolio into a Cardiac Acute Critical Care Franchise and is launching a structured process to secure strategic out-licensing, portfolio monetization, or commercial co-development partnerships for its late-stage assets, including CAD-1005, frunexian, and tecarfarin. The move aims to maximize asset value through a partnership-driven model, supported by Phase 2 data showing more than a 25% reduction in thrombotic events and by orphan drug designations, with exploration of expanded indications such as Kawasaki disease in pediatrics and broader cardiorenal applications.

5 sources

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Venu Secures $20M Bridge Loan for Sunset Amphitheater

Venu Holding has secured a $20 million bridge loan from Ryan, LLC to fund construction of the 20,000-seat Sunset Amphitheater in McKinney, Texas, with permanent financing expected in the third quarter of fiscal 2026 to cover remaining costs and an opening targeted for early 2027. The financing is non-dilutive and part of Venu’s growth strategy via public-private partnerships, supported by Ryan’s tax and incentives services, as the company continues expanding its entertainment venues.

5 sources

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Tuya Smart Joins Robopoet RMB100M Pre-A Round

Tuya Smart participated in Robopoet’s RMB100 million pre-A financing round with Sequoia China and GSR Ventures, underscoring its strategy to accelerate commercialization of physical AI via its AI cloud platform and devices ecosystem. Robopoet’s Fuzozo AI emotional companion has shown strong domestic demand during the 618 shopping festival, and Tuya has supplied AI cloud services since 2025 while advancing its hardware-friendly AI stack to scale AI-enabled devices.

5 sources

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BAWAG Q2 Profit Up 21%, PTSB Deal Advances

BAWAG Group posted €255 million in Q2 net profit, up 21% year-over-year, with strong ROTCE around 28.7% and robust capital metrics as it eyes a fully self-funded acquisition of Permanent TSB. The deal faces a July 30 shareholder vote and is expected to close in late 2026 or early 2027, pending regulatory and court approvals.

9 sources

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Statkraft narrows Q2 loss on higher Nordic prices

Statkraft posted an improved underlying EBITDA of NOK 6.6 billion in Q2 2026 driven by higher Nordic power prices, but still reported a negative net profit of NOK 1.5 billion due to a 171% Norwegian resource rent tax on hydropower. The company completed strategic divestments, merged fast-charging ventures with Eviny, and reiterated plans to invest NOK 16-20 billion annually while adding more than 600 MW of renewable capacity as hydropower output remained constrained.

5 sources

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Wintrust Q2 Profit Rises to $225M

Wintrust Financial posted solid Q2 results with $225.3 million in net income and $3.30 per share on revenue of about $961 million, a year-over-year rise driven by loan and deposit growth. The bank also reported record first-half net income for 2026, driven by strong net interest income and ongoing balance-sheet expansion, and beat consensus estimates for quarterly earnings per share.

15 sources

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Cardinal Health Plans Acquire AdaptHealth Diabetes Health

Cardinal Health agreed to acquire AdaptHealth's Diabetes Health business and Strive Medical for about $360 million in cash, expanding its home-care footprint and integrating diabetes management and urology supplies into its distribution network. The divestiture aligns AdaptHealth with a focused portfolio while signaling regulatory approval processes and anticipated earnings accretion in the near term.

10 sources

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Trump Tightens Waivers in Defense Supply Chains

"President Donald Trump signed an executive order to tighten defense procurement rules by curbing waivers, requiring contractors to prove domestic sourcing, disclose material origins, and submit mitigation plans while the Pentagon maps supply chains and replaces unreliable suppliers. The move targets reducing reliance on China and other adversaries by accelerating domestic production of critical minerals and related components, with enforcement mechanisms and a planned effective date to phase out prohibited foreign sources.

13 sources