First Pass

36 stories from 8 sources

AI optimism meets a weaker labor market and uneven gains

Day’s Recap

Supporting Articles

Salesforce shares rose 23% after the company reported stronger second-quarter results, raised its fiscal 2027 outlook, and pointed to faster AI adoption. Agentforce annual recurring revenue increased 240%, while a broader Anthropic partnership reinforced the company's enterprise AI strategy.

2:17 AMEconomic Times

Revised government data show that the U.S. economy created slightly fewer jobs from spring 2025 to spring 2026 than initially reported. The revisions preserve the picture of a sluggish labor market with unusually slow hiring.

11:26 AMMarketWatch

A preliminary benchmark revision shows that US job growth in the year through March was weaker than previously reported. The softer labor-market picture helps explain the Federal Reserve's 2025 rate cuts despite continued inflation pressure.

10:01 AMBloomberg Markets

US companies recorded their highest pre-tax earnings since the end of the Second World War, while employee remuneration declined. The widening gap marks a stronger rise in corporate income than in worker pay.

12:00 AMFinancial Times

Microsoft shares have posted their longest winning streak of the year as investor concerns about AI undermining software businesses ease. An analyst said Microsoft's software provides capabilities that will be critical to AI.

5:34 PMMarketWatch

Gap named Michael Francis chief executive of Old Navy and raised its annual profit forecast, sending shares up as much as 24.1%. The move comes as Old Navy reports declining comparable sales while Gap’s other brands show stronger momentum.

1:17 PMEconomic Times

Other Developments

A curated list of other prominent stories from this day.

Two banks have paused sales of products from Delaware Life, an insurer owned by Mark Walter's holding company, as probes continue. The holding company said there has been no fraud at Delaware Life or affiliated Clear Spring Life and Annuity.

10:43 PMCNBC

A White House teleprompter operator will pay more than $172,000 to resolve a federal regulator’s investigation into alleged prediction-market bets timed around President Donald Trump’s speeches.

9:50 PMBloomberg Markets

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency revised two policies and procedures manuals and proposed changes to its framework for violations of laws and regulations. The OCC said the revisions will direct supervisory attention toward the most significant risks and violations.

6:12 PMPYMNTS

An affiliate of Guggenheim has been buying debt linked to the firm's asset management arm. Investors have closely watched the loan as a proxy for Mark Walter's privately held investment firm.

5:50 PMFinancial Times

KPC Group is working to revive Oceanwide Plaza, the stalled mixed-use development in downtown Los Angeles known as the “Graffiti Towers.” The project’s cleanup and redevelopment have proved difficult after sitting unfinished for roughly seven years, while the firm’s origins trace back to an earlier supertall development ambition in Manhattan.

4:25 PMHousing Wire

Affirm shares rose after the company issued a strong outlook, while its CEO said elevated gasoline prices are weighing on U.S. consumers. The national average gas price has reached $4.09 per gallon, after last falling below $3 on March 2.

4:09 PMCNBC

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