Europe Forges Ahead With Big Tech Crackdown With X Fine, Defying Trump

Investing.com -- DigitalBridge Group Inc (NYSE:DBRG) stock surged 12% before trading was halted for volatility on Friday following a Bloomberg News report that SoftBank Group Corp (TYO:9984) is in advanced talks to acquire the company.

According to the report, the Japanese conglomerate is negotiating a potential deal to buy the New York-listed private equity firm and take it private. The transaction could materialize within weeks, though discussions are still ongoing with no certainty of reaching an agreement.

SoftBank’s interest in DigitalBridge aligns with billionaire founder Masayoshi Son’s strategy to capitalize on the growing demand for computing capacity that powers artificial intelligence applications. DigitalBridge specializes in investing in digital infrastructure assets such as data centers, which have seen increased demand amid the AI boom.

Prior to today’s spike, DigitalBridge shares had fallen approximately 13% this year, giving the company a market value of about $1.8 billion. The potential acquisition would add to SoftBank’s portfolio of technology and infrastructure investments as it positions itself to benefit from the expanding AI ecosystem.

Trading in DigitalBridge shares was halted after the sudden price jump triggered circuit breakers designed to curb excessive market volatility.

This article was generated with the support of AI and reviewed by an editor. For more information see our T&C.

Investing.com – Morocco stocks were higher after the close on Friday, as gains in the Banking, Beverage and Transport sectors led shares higher.

At the close in Casablanca, the Moroccan All Shares rose 0.45%.

The best performers of the session on the Moroccan All Shares were Residences Dar Saada SA (CSE:RDS), which rose 3.67% or 6.35 points to trade at 179.40 at the close. Meanwhile, Involys (CSE:INV) added 3.14% or 6.90 points to end at 226.90 and CFG Bank SA (CSE:CFG) was up 2.88% or 7.00 points to 250.00 in late trade.

The worst performers of the session were Sanlam Maroc SA (CSE:SAH), which fell 7.01% or 140.00 points to trade at 1,858.00 at the close. S2M (CSE:S2M) declined 4.01% or 23.90 points to end at 572.00 and Auto Hall (CSE:ATH) was down 2.91% or 2.75 points to 91.59.

Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the Casablanca Stock Exchange by 26 to 25 and 6 ended unchanged.

Crude oil for January delivery was up 0.67% or 0.40 to $60.07 a barrel. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Brent oil for delivery in February rose 0.68% or 0.43 to hit $63.69 a barrel, while the February Gold Futures contract rose 0.58% or 24.65 to trade at $4,267.65 a troy ounce.

EUR/MAD was down 0.19% to 10.76, while USD/MAD rose 0.08% to 9.24.

The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.01% at 98.94.

Investing.com -- Rubrik shares are up 21% after the cybersecurity and data management firm posted quarterly earnings well above expectations and raised full-year guidance.

The stronger than expected growth in Rubrik’s core backup business and rising traction in newer security products prompted upgrade at William Blair to Outperform.

The data protection software provider is gaining share in the backup and cyber resilience market as companies adopt more cloud workloads and face rising data security needs.

It added that customers are increasingly using Rubrik as a broader platform that spans data protection, cloud workloads and identity security, which is expanding the company’s addressable market.

Rubrik’s third quarter results topped expectations across subscription annual recurring revenue, revenue and profitability. Subscription ARR rose 34%, while revenue grew 48%, helped by a one time benefit tied to customers transitioning to its cloud product.

The company posted its first non GAAP profit and generated record free cash flow of $76.9 million, supported by scale benefits in its software as a service model.

William Blair said Rubrik is showing steady beat and raise performance and expects that pattern to continue into fiscal 2027. The firm noted stronger bookings from customers replacing legacy backup vendors and a rapid build in Rubrik’s identity resilience business, which reached about $20 million in subscription ARR just three quarters after launch.

The analyst highlighted early interest in Rubrik Agent Cloud, a new suite that monitors and governs agent activity for security and operations workflows. The product remains in testing and is expected to be offered separately once commercially ready.

Fourth quarter guidance was also ahead of expectations, with Rubrik projecting 33% revenue growth and improved earnings. The firm said reported revenue growth next year will slow because of the roll off of material rights tied to its cloud shift, though underlying revenue growth should remain above subscription ARR growth.

Valuation is elevated after the stock’s surge in Friday trading but analysts view it as warranted given Rubrik’s growth profile and improving profitability.

Investing.com - Semiconductor customer forward inventory declined by approximately 2 days quarter-over-quarter to 48 days in the third quarter, signaling the end of the prolonged inventory correction that has affected the semiconductor industry, according to recent market analysis from Wolfe Research.

The inventory reduction aligns with typical end-demand patterns heading into the fourth quarter, with aggregate semiconductor inventory now 14 days below its first-quarter 2023 peak and hovering around the 50-day mark for the fourth consecutive quarter, the analysts said in a note.

On an absolute dollar basis, customer inventory rose 8% quarter-over-quarter in the third quarter, consistent with normal seasonal patterns as customers prepare for the holiday season.

Recent positive reports from Analog Devices (favorable earnings) and Microchip Technology (NASDAQ:MCHP) (positive preannouncement) suggest a broader recovery may finally be emerging beyond the artificial intelligence segment that has dominated semiconductor growth. The data indicates that while inventory days remain higher than pre-pandemic levels, the approximately 50 days of inventory appears to be the "new normal" according to anecdotal commentary from semiconductor suppliers and customers.

The first stage of cyclical semiconductor recovery—inventory stabilization—appears complete based on several quarters of data. The industry now awaits the second stage, where demand improves and customers begin replenishing inventory, which analysts believe could materialize in 2026 as global trade potentially stabilizes.

Among cyclical and analog semiconductor companies, Texas Instruments (NASDAQ:TXN) is viewed favorably by Wolfe Research due to derisked numbers and improving free cash flow, along with Microchip Technology for its expected 8% gross margin improvement as charges are eliminated, and NXP Semiconductors (NASDAQ:NXPI) for its leverage to an eventual automotive sector recovery.

This article was generated with the support of AI and reviewed by an editor. For more information see our T&C.

Investing.com -- XCF Global, Inc. (NASDAQ:SAFX) stock rose 4.3% Friday after the company announced development milestones for its second Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) production facility, New Rise Reno 2.

The company has completed initial site work at the new facility, including grading of the 10-acre parcel and construction of access roads. Engineering, design, and project planning are underway, positioning construction to begin in 2026.

XCF plans to invest approximately $300 million in the new facility, which will be located adjacent to its existing New Rise Reno site in Nevada. The expansion will double the company’s total SAF production capacity to approximately 80 million gallons annually.

The new facility will benefit from integration with common infrastructure at the existing site, including gas, water, rail, and personnel offices, as well as pre-treatment, hydrogen production, and logistics infrastructure. This integration is expected to reduce capital costs, lower execution risk, and accelerate time to production.

In November, XCF signed a Memorandum of Understanding with BGN INT US LLC to jointly develop global distribution, marketing, and offtake frameworks across Europe, the Middle East, and other strategic markets.

The expansion comes amid increasing global demand for SAF, driven by tightening mandates in major aviation markets. The U.S. has set targets for 3 billion gallons of SAF annually by 2030, while the European Union’s ReFuelEU Aviation Mandates will require airlines to blend 2% SAF in 2025, increasing to 70% by 2050.

The U.S. SAF market is projected to reach nearly $7 billion by 2030, with global demand expected to exceed $25 billion.

This article was generated with the support of AI and reviewed by an editor. For more information see our T&C.