Kala Pharmaceuticals stock soars after settling $10.6M debt with Oxford Finance

Investing.com -- Veeva Systems (NYSE:VEEV) stock rose 1.6% in after-hours trading Monday following the company’s announcement of a $2 billion share repurchase program.

The life sciences cloud solutions provider said its Board of Directors has authorized the buyback of up to $2 billion of its Class A common stock over a two-year period. The company plans to execute the repurchases through various means, including open market purchases and private transactions.

"The breadth of our multi-product business, paired with a focus on operational discipline, innovation, and customer success, continues to drive financial outperformance and robust cash generation," said Chief Financial Officer Brian Van Wagener in a statement. He added that the company’s strong balance sheet enables it to both invest in growth opportunities and return capital to shareholders.

Veeva noted that the timing and amount of stock repurchases will depend on market conditions, corporate requirements, and other factors. The program does not obligate the company to acquire any specific number of shares and may be suspended or canceled at any time.

The buyback announcement comes as Veeva continues to expand its presence in providing cloud-based software solutions for the global life sciences industry. The company’s products help pharmaceutical and biotech companies manage regulatory compliance, clinical trials, and commercial operations.

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

Investing.com-- The S&P 500 closed higher Monday, underpinned by a rally in financials and energy stocks, with the latter boosted by rising oil prices as investors digested the U.S. attack on Venezuela and the broader geopolitical implications.

At 4:00 p.m. ET (21:00 GMT), the blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 595 points, or 1.2%, the benchmark S&P 500 added 0.6%, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite rose 0.7%.

U.S. forces captured Maduro in a weekend strike, with the Venezuelan leader now set to face drug-trafficking charges in New York. President Donald Trump said that Washington will run Venezuela until a new leader is elected, and that as part of the incursion, major U.S. oil companies will be allowed to move into the country.

Oil prices rebounded from a early-day slump to a more than 1% gain as investors continued to assess the impact of a potential ramp up global supplies following President Donald Trump’s plan to allow U.S. companies to develop Venezuela’s oil infrastructure and eventually ramp up production. 

Venezuela has the largest proven oil reserves in the world. But output from the country has faltered due to aging infrastructure and strict U.S. sanctions.

Still, Oil prices have a long way to recover after falling 18% 2025, their worst in five years, as fears of a supply glut and weakening demand battered crude markets.

Shares of U.S. oil groups Chevron, ExxonMobil, and ConocoPhillips all advanced in early trading, underpinned by the broader higher in energy. 

Much debate is now swirling around the implications of a potential U.S.-driven regime change in Venezuela, a source of uncertainty that has also burnished the appeal of "the liquidity of the dollar," analysts at ING.

Trump on Sunday floated the possibility of a second military strike on Venezuela, if the country’s interim administration did not cooperate.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump also flagged potential action against Colombia over its role in the drug trade, and said Cuba was ready to fall. He reiterated as well his view that the U.S. must control Greenland for national security reasons.

Financials higher as banking stocks continue momentum

Financials also led the broader market move higher, led by a Wall Street banks including Goldman Sachs Group Inc (NYSE:GS), Citigroup Inc (NYSE:C), and State Street Corp (NYSE:STT).

Coinbase Global Inc (NASDAQ:COIN) was also among the biggest gainers, rising more than 7% after Goldman Sachs upgraded the crypto exchange to buy from neutral, citing optimism over further market share gains.

Fresh employment data looms large

Elsewhere, headlining the economic calendar this week is the upcoming release of U.S. employment data for December.

Economists expect the U.S. to have added some 57,000 roles during the final month of 2025, down from 64,000 in November. In October, a spate of government-related spending reductions triggered the sharpest decline in nonfarm payrolls in almost five years.

The cadence of monthly jobs figures is set to normalize after a prolonged, 43-day U.S. government shutdown led to the delay of these crucial reports. The previous batch of jobs data did not include an unemployment rate for October, marking the first gap in a series that stretches back to 1948.

Federal Reserve policymakers slashed interest rates at the conclusion of each of its last three gatherings in 2025, prioritizing worries over the health of a weakening labor market above signs of sticky inflationary pressures.

The outlook for lower rates has offered some support for stocks, although Fed officials appear to be divided over the path ahead for borrowing costs in 2026.

Meanwhile, a closely-monitored tracker of U.S. manufacturing sector activity is due to be unveiled on Monday. The Institute for Supply Management’s December manufacturing purchasing managers’ index is seen coming in at 48.3, edging up from 48.2 but still within the sub-50 contraction zone.

A gauge of prices paid by businesses in the segment is also anticipated to climb slightly.

Investing.com -- Crinetics Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ:CRNX) stock fell 2.5% in after-hours trading Monday following the company’s announcement of a proposed public offering of $350 million in common stock.

The pharmaceutical company, which focuses on developing therapeutics for endocrine diseases and endocrine-related tumors, also plans to grant underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional $52.5 million of shares. Crinetics noted that the offering’s completion, size, and terms are not guaranteed.

According to the announcement, Crinetics intends to use the proceeds to fund commercial activities for its PALSONIFY™ launch, research and development of product candidates, and other general corporate purposes. The company may also allocate funds toward potential acquisitions or investments in complementary businesses or technologies.

Leerink Partners, J.P. Morgan, Evercore ISI, Piper Sandler, and Cantor are serving as joint bookrunning managers for the proposed offering.

Crinetics Pharmaceuticals is headquartered in San Diego and trades on the Nasdaq under the ticker CRNX.

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

Investing.com -- Zeta Global Holdings Corp. (NYSE:ZETA) stock rose 7% in after-hours trading Monday following the company’s announcement of a strategic collaboration with OpenAI to enhance its AI marketing platform.

The partnership will power Zeta’s "Athena by Zeta" superintelligent agent designed for enterprise marketing. OpenAI’s models will support Athena’s next development phase, creating more intuitive experiences for enterprise marketers. Zeta also announced expanded beta access to Athena’s first two agentic applications, Insights and Advisor, following what the company described as "unprecedented early demand."

The collaboration will align Athena’s product roadmap with advances in OpenAI models, potentially giving Zeta early access to new OpenAI models and features. This integration aims to help enterprises make faster, more confident marketing decisions.

"We’ve formed many partnerships throughout Zeta’s history, but none will be more instrumental than the one we are embarking on with OpenAI," said David A. Steinberg, Co-Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Zeta Global.

Zeta’s Athena platform includes two agentic applications now in beta: Insights, a conversational analytics app delivering instant access to trends and audience opportunities, and Advisor, a goal-driven optimization app that recommends or automatically executes marketing actions based on business objectives.

TKO Group Holdings, which comprises UFC and WWE, was part of Athena’s Early Access Program and reported positive results. Zeta plans to launch Athena to all customers by the end of the first quarter of 2026.

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

Investing.com -- Cyclerion Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ:CYCN) stock soared 44.2% in after-hours trading Monday following the announcement of a strategic collaboration with Medsteer to advance its closed-loop anesthetic platform for treatment-resistant depression.

The Cambridge, Massachusetts-based biopharmaceutical company has entered into an application-specific, exclusive collaboration with Medsteer, expanding their existing development partnership. The agreement aims to integrate Medsteer’s proprietary technology into Cyclerion’s lead program, CYC-126, which is being developed as a novel anesthetic-based therapy for treatment-resistant depression.

CYC-126 is designed as an individualized treatment that combines anesthetic agents with real-time EEG monitoring and algorithm-guided dosing. The approach seeks to guide patients toward brain states potentially associated with antidepressant effects.

"This strategic collaboration with Medsteer marks an important step in advancing our lead program, CYC-126, a potential first-in-class therapy for treatment-resistant depression," said Regina Graul, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of Cyclerion.

The company remains on track to complete device integration and finalize its proprietary drug delivery system ahead of the planned Phase 2 proof-of-concept study initiation in the second half of 2026. Cyclerion plans to target first patient enrollment in Australia under the CTN/HREC pathway, with initial clinical data expected in 2027.

The collaboration provides Cyclerion with access to Medsteer’s EEG-guided closed-loop control technology, including computational control modules, control software, and extensive annotated datasets developed across more than 25 clinical settings and over 9,000 patients.

Nicolas Choussat, co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of Medsteer, expressed enthusiasm about the partnership, noting the potential of integrating intelligent software with real-time patient feedback to improve clinical outcomes.

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

Investing.com -- The cryptocurrency sector enters 2026 with characteristic volatility, creating both tremendous opportunities and significant risks for investors. While some stocks delivered eye-popping returns in 2025, others suffered substantial losses. Based on WarrenAI analysis using Investing Pro’s metrics, here are the top five crypto stocks positioned for potential success in 2026.

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1. Bitmine Immersion Technologies (NYSEAM:BMNR)

Currently trading at $33.65, BMNR has delivered an astonishing 310.7% one-year return despite a recent correction (-44.9% over three months). The company holds $14.2 billion in crypto assets and cash, including a substantial Ethereum stake, and has achieved 84.1% revenue growth. However, investors should note InvestingPro’s overvaluation warning, with fair value estimated at $18.34, suggesting potential downside risk. Cathie Wood’s ARK continues to accumulate shares, betting on long-term crypto adoption.

2. Riot Platforms (NASDAQCM:RIOT)

Trading at $14.86 with a more modest 14.7% one-year return, RIOT stands out for its operational efficiency. The company maintains a strong balance sheet with low-cost operations and robust liquidity. Its expansion into AI and HPC data centers offers potential revenue diversification. Analysts remain optimistic, with a consensus target of $26.44 (66.5% upside) and some targets reaching $42.00. Recent developments include a $500 million at-the-market offering and the appointment of a new CFO, signaling a growth phase.

Riot Platforms announced that Jason Chung will become its new Chief Financial Officer on March 1, 2026, and reported producing 428 bitcoin in November 2025. Additionally, the investment firm Citizens reiterated its Market Outperform rating on the company.

3. Marathon Digital Holdings (NASDAQCM:MARA)

At $10.66, MARA has experienced a difficult year with a 49.5% decline, including a 47.3% drop in the past three months. Despite this volatility, the company maintains positive earnings and impressive 69.4% revenue growth. Analysts see significant recovery potential, with an average target of $22.41 (55% upside) and a high target of $30. Technical indicators show mixed signals, but recent lows may attract value investors.

In a recent development, Marathon Digital Holdings received a rating upgrade to Buy from Compass Point, while Cantor Fitzgerald and Rosenblatt both lowered their price targets on the stock. The company also announced a joint initiative with MPLX LP to develop and operate integrated power generation facilities.

4. Strategy Inc (NASDAQGS:MSTR)

Trading at $164.94 after a 53.7% one-year decline, MSTR functions as a Bitcoin proxy with its massive holdings of 672,497 BTC. The company currently trades at 1.3x modified NAV, below its historical premium. Analysts maintain a "Strong Buy" consensus with targets averaging $489.62 (89.9% upside). While currently at 52-week lows, MSTR has raised its preferred dividend and continues its Bitcoin accumulation strategy.

Strategy Inc. acquired an additional 1,229 bitcoins in late December 2025, bringing its total holdings to 672,497. The company also increased the annual dividend rate on its Variable Rate Series A Perpetual Stretch Preferred Stock to 11.00%.

5. Bitdeer Technologies Group (NASDAQCM:BTDR)

At $12.67 following a 55.7% drop in 2025, BTDR represents the most speculative option among the top five. The company faces challenges including negative EBITDA, but offers the highest projected revenue CAGR at 88.2%. Analyst targets average $33.00, with some as high as $43.50, despite InvestingPro’s negative fair value assessment. BTDR’s expansion into AI/HPC and development of new ASIC models could potentially drive a turnaround if successfully executed.

Bitdeer Technologies Group reported producing 526 bitcoins in November, a 251% increase year-over-year, and priced a $400 million convertible notes offering. Separately, Cantor Fitzgerald lowered its price target on the company to $34.00.

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