Novo Nordisk $NVO has formally terminated its partnership with Hims & Hers Health Inc. $HIMS, citing violations related to the compounding and promotion of non-FDA-approved versions of Wegovy, its prescription obesity drug. The Danish pharmaceutical company said the telehealth provider engaged in unauthorized sales under the guise of personalized medicine.
Aflac Inc. $AFL has confirmed a significant cybersecurity breach, potentially compromising Social Security numbers, insurance claims, and sensitive medical data of its clients. The incident marks a serious escalation in a wave of targeted cyberattacks against U.S. insurance providers and underscores rising systemic vulnerabilities in the sector. The breach, disclosed on Friday, positions Aflac, the second-largest provider of supplemental insurance in the United States with billions in annual revenue and millions of policyholders, as the most high-profile victim in this recent string of attacks.
Nike Inc. $NKE and Kim Kardashian’s shapewear label, Skims, have reportedly postponed the debut of their much-anticipated co-branded venture, NikeSkims. Originally slated for a Spring 2025 release, the project has encountered delays in the manufacturing phase, pushing back the introduction of the collection to an unspecified date later this year.
XRP $XRPUSD has recorded a 2.24% intraday gain, reaching $2.198 as of the latest CoinMarketCap data. The move follows a volatile consolidation phase and reflects renewed positioning among traders. Despite broader crypto market fluctuations, XRP's relative strength places it in a favorable technical posture just below the $3.00 resistance. The token remains within a medium-term uptrend, rebounding from last week's lows. Notably, the last time XRP dropped below $3 was in February, reinforcing the psychological significance of the current zone.
Novo Nordisk A/S $NOVO-B.CO has overtaken SAP SE $SAP to regain its position as the most valuable publicly traded company in Europe. The Danish pharmaceutical giant's market capitalization rose to $365 billion as of 10:20 a.m. in Copenhagen, narrowly surpassing SAP’s $364.3 billion valuation. The resurgence in share price—up as much as 2.3% on Friday—followed an announcement that Novo will advance its experimental obesity drug, amycretin, to late-stage clinical development. The decision came after favorable feedback from global health regulators, boosting investor confidence in Novo’s future growth pipeline.
The UK government has selected Rolls-Royce Plc $RR.L to supply the technology for Britain’s first small modular reactor (SMR), marking a strategic milestone in the country’s nuclear energy agenda. The selection concludes a competitive tender launched nearly two years ago to find a cost-efficient and scalable model for next-generation nuclear infrastructure. The SMR initiative is designed to support the UK’s energy transition goals by enabling faster and less capital-intensive deployment of nuclear power. With the decision, Rolls-Royce emerges as the core technological partner in the UK’s broader ambition to reinvigorate its civil nuclear capability.
Spain's telecom sector may be on the verge of a new consolidation wave as Telefónica S.A. $TEF and MasOrange reportedly engaged in informal discussions over a potential deal involving Vodafone $VOD.L Spain. Although no official agreement has been announced, the reported talks suggest strategic interest in reshaping the competitive landscape following Zegona Communications Plc’s €5 billion acquisition of Vodafone's Spanish assets in 2024. Such consolidation moves are emerging amid intense margin pressure in European telecoms, driven by infrastructure investment demands and slowing subscriber growth.
At midday on Wednesday, the primary US stock benchmarks signaled stability despite divergent sector performance and underwhelming macroeconomic readings. The S&P 500 $^SPX hovered near the flatline, with five of its 11 sectors posting gains. The tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 $^NDX inched up by 0.1%, brushing aside headwinds from the softening labor market and subdued service sector output. The Dow Jones Industrial Average $^DJI was unchanged, reflecting restrained investor sentiment.
Brazil’s state-controlled oil major, Petrobras $PETR3.SA, has confirmed a downward revision of gasoline prices for distributors starting June 3. The modified rate, as stated in the company announcement, will reflect a reduction of 5.6%, bringing the average figure down to 2.85 BRL (0.5005 USD) per liter. This adjustment corresponds to a decrease of 0.17 BRL per liter. The initiative forms part of Petrobras’s dynamic pricing policy and positions the firm to better respond to shifting market realities.
NTT Docomo Inc., a major Japanese mobile operator, is reshaping its competitive positioning by acquiring a majority stake in SBI Sumishin Net Bank Ltd. This 420 billion JPY (2.9 billion USD) transaction is designed to reinforce Docomo’s financial services portfolio, enabling it to diversify beyond saturated telecom revenues and tap into Japan’s rapidly expanding digital banking sector.
Wall Street encountered a notable halt in momentum as market participants positioned ahead of Nvidia Corp.'s $NVDA highly anticipated earnings release. The S&P 500 $^SPX, after a previous session of upward movement, faced a sharp pullback near session lows by 14:52 New York time before stabilizing. This moderation in risk appetite coincided with broader unease surrounding global technology policy and fiscal developments.
WiseTech Global Ltd. $WTC.AX, a prominent Australian shipping technology developer, has announced its largest-ever acquisition, targeting the parent entity of E2open Holdings Inc. $ETWO. The deal, valued at $2.1 billion USD, marks a major advancement in WiseTech’s ambition to solidify its position within the global logistics and supply chain technology landscape.
