LifeMD, telehealth stocks surge after adding Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy pill to offerings

Investing.com -- Jabil Inc. (NYSE:JBL) stock fell 5.8% on Monday after the manufacturing solutions provider announced it had acquired Hanley Energy Group, a data center power management company, for approximately $725 million.

The all-cash transaction, completed on January 2, 2026, includes potential contingent consideration of up to $58 million subject to future revenue thresholds. Hanley Energy Group specializes in energy management and critical power solutions for data center infrastructure.

The acquisition aims to strengthen Jabil’s position in the growing AI data center market by expanding its power management capabilities. Hanley Energy Group brings 850 employees across 13 global locations, with headquarters in Stamullen, Ireland, and Ashburn, Virginia.

"Data center power management will only become more critical as hyperscalers ramp the availability of their AI technologies," said Ed Bailey, Jabil’s SVP and Chief Technology Officer, Intelligent Infrastructure. "This acquisition of Hanley Energy Group, coupled with our growing thermal management capabilities, aligns well with Jabil’s strategy to deliver custom solutions for the world’s AI leaders across the data center lifecycle."

The deal is expected to complement Jabil’s existing power management solutions and extend its service capabilities to the rack level within data centers. TM Capital served as Hanley Energy Group’s financial advisor for the transaction, while UBS Investment Bank advised Jabil.

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

Investing.com -- Estrella Immunopharma Inc (NASDAQ:ESLA) stock tumbled 8.6% on Monday after the clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company announced it had entered into definitive agreements for an $8 million registered direct offering and concurrent private placement.

The offering, priced at-the-market under Nasdaq rules, consists of 5,063,290 units priced at $1.58 each, with each unit containing one share of common stock or one pre-funded warrant, plus one and a half investor warrants. The investor warrants are exercisable at $1.39 per share.

The transaction involves a single healthcare-focused institutional investor and is expected to close around January 6, 2026, subject to customary closing conditions. Aegis Capital Corp is acting as the exclusive placement agent for the offerings.

Estrella Immunopharma, which develops CD19 and CD22-targeted ARTEMIS T-cell therapies to treat cancers and autoimmune diseases, intends to use the proceeds for general corporate purposes and working capital.

The company’s stock decline reflects typical market reaction to equity offerings that can potentially dilute existing shareholders. The pre-funded warrants included in the offering are immediately exercisable at an exercise price of $0.00001, while the investor warrants have an exercise price of $1.39 per share.

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

Investing.com - Canada’s main stock exchange jumped on Monday, a positive start to the first full trading week of 2026 as investors assessed the implications of an audacious U.S. strike against Venezuela.

By 12.21 ET, the S&P/TSX 60 index standard futures contract had risen by 17 points, or 0.93%.

The S&P/TSX composite index jumped 352 points or 1.1% at 32,235.96.

Index gained 170.61 points, or 0.5%, at 31,883.37 on Friday, kicking off the new year on an upbeat note. In 2025, the average climbed by 28.25%, notching its largest increase in 16 years.

Despite headwinds facing the Canadian economy, an increase in gold prices, as well as a decline in domestic interest rates and ongoing enthusiasm around artificial intelligence, helped to mitigate these pressures last year.

U.S. stocks higher with Venezuela strikes in focus

The blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Average had risen by 466 points, or 1.0%, the benchmark S&P 500 had increased by 38 points, or 0.6%, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite had ticked up by 132 points, or 0.5%.

The benchmark S&P 500 and blue chip Dow Jones Industrial Average both eked out gains on Friday, as the inaugural session of 2026 was highlighted by advances in shares of semiconductor giants Nvidia and Intel. Both indices snapped four-day losing streaks in the process.

Analysts are eager to see if U.S. stocks can post yet another year of increases, after all three of the major averages on Wall Street notched double-digit jumps in 2025. It was the third consecutive year in the green for the S&P, Dow, and tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite, matching a run previously recorded between 2019-2021.

Crude prices choppy

Crude prices whipsawed in European trade on Monday after the U.S. over the weekend captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and said it was taking temporary control of the Latin American country.

Brent oil futures rose 0.1% to $60.81 a barrel by 06:04 ET, while West Texas Intermediate crude futures added 0.2% to $57.44 a barrel. Prices had slumped earlier in the day.

Oil prices were nursing an over 18% slide in 2025, their worst in five years, as fears of a supply glut and weakening demand battered crude markets.

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.

Shares of U.S. oil groups Chevron, ExxonMobil, and ConocoPhillips all surged in premarket trading.

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.

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.

Gold prices gain

Gold prices spiked in European trading following a fresh bout of safe-haven buying prompted by the U.S. military operation in Venezuela.

Spot gold was last up 1.9% at $4,414.40 an ounce by 07:21 ET. U.S. Gold Futures for March delivery climbed 2.2% to $4,426.10.

Gold prices surged over 60% in 2025, reaching a record high of $4,549.71/oz, but heavy profit-taking after that weighed on bullion. Prices have rebounded since then, and are not far from peak levels.

Investing.com -- Barclays downgraded Rapid7 to Underweight from Equal Weight, saying the company’s move away from slower-growing and more competitive parts of the cybersecurity market will take longer than investors expect.

The bank cut its price target to $15 and lowered its growth forecasts, arguing that while the stock looks cheap, a meaningful improvement in growth and valuation depends on a business mix change that is still unfolding.

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Barclays said Rapid7 remains heavily exposed to vulnerability management, a segment of cybersecurity that is growing more slowly than the broader industry.

About 45% of the company’s recurring revenue comes from vulnerability management tools, which help companies find weaknesses in their systems. Barclays said this area is losing priority among corporate technology buyers and is facing tougher competition from larger security firms.

Another roughly 10% of revenue comes from older, legacy products, which Barclays said continue to see customer losses.

That leaves about 45% of revenue tied to detection and response products, which help companies identify and respond to cyberattacks in real time.

Barclays said this detection and response business is the key to Rapid7’s longer-term story. Growth there has been solid, running in the double digits so far in 2025, but it is not yet large enough to offset declines elsewhere.

For overall growth to improve, Rapid7 needs to both reduce customer losses in its older businesses and increase the share of revenue coming from detection and response. That transition is unlikely to happen quickly. Until it does, the firm expects overall growth to remain muted, limiting the chances of a sustained rebound in the stock.

The bank acknowledged that Rapid7 shares trade at a low valuation and that the company has been linked to takeover speculation in the past.

Though Barclays said a higher valuation, whether in public markets or in a potential deal, is unlikely until the business shows clearer progress in shifting toward faster-growing products and stabilising customer churn.

Barclays said valuation alone is not enough to support the stock in the near term, with the pace of the business transition now the key factor for investors to watch.

Investing.com -- As investors look ahead to 2026, BTIG has identified several standout consumer stocks poised for growth despite recent challenges.

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The firm’s analysis points to compelling opportunities across retail, footwear, and food service sectors.

Nike (NYSE:NKE) tops BTIG’s large-cap picks for 2026, with analyst Robert Drbul setting a $100 price target against its current $63.71 price. Despite ongoing challenges, BTIG sees multiple catalysts, including a robust product pipeline, innovation focus, and momentum from the upcoming 2026 World Cup.

The firm expects Nike to return to sustainable sales growth and achieve operating margins above 12% long-term, up from 6.5% in 2025.

In recent developments, Nike received a reiterated Buy rating from Guggenheim, which noted encouraging signs in the company’s North America unit growth, while the company’s CEO also purchased approximately $1 million in stock.

Gap Inc (NYSE:GAP) emerges as BTIG’s top small/mid-cap pick, with a $31 price target versus its current $25.60 price. Analyst Robert Drbul highlights continued strength at Old Navy and momentum at Gap Brand, both benefiting from denim and active wear trends.

The company’s beauty and accessories initiatives are expected to drive sales growth and margin expansion throughout 2026.

Gap Inc. reported better-than-expected third-quarter results, with comparable sales growth of 5%, leading Baird to upgrade the company’s rating to Outperform and several other firms to raise their price targets.

Domino’s Pizza (NYSE:DPZ) joins the large-cap top picks with a $530 price target against its current $416.82 price. Analyst Peter Saleh expects Domino’s to outperform in 2026 as it builds on sales layers to achieve mid-single-digit U.S. retail sales growth.

New menu innovation, third-party delivery growth, and loyalty programs should help the company continue its decade-long trend of gaining approximately 100 basis points of market share annually.

Domino’s Pizza posted third-quarter U.S. same-store sales growth of 5.3%, surpassing consensus expectations, which prompted reiterated Buy ratings from both UBS and Benchmark. The company also announced the resignation of a board member.

Wingstop (NASDAQ:WING) maintains its position as BTIG’s small/mid-cap top pick with a $400 price target versus its current $238.49 price.

Despite lower-income traffic declines, analyst Peter Saleh believes initiatives, including Smart Kitchen technology, loyalty programs, and increased advertising, will generate the anticipated same-store sales recovery in 2026.

Wingstop announced the opening of its 3,000th global restaurant, marking a significant expansion milestone. Following its latest operating results, some analysts lowered their price targets, citing an industry-wide slowdown in customer traffic.

On Holdings (NYSE:ONON) remains a large-cap top pick with a $70 price target against its current $46.48 price. Analyst Janine Stichter views the company as one of retail’s best growth stories, capable of consistently delivering growth exceeding 20%.

BTIG sees a balanced growth profile with opportunities across lifestyle and running segments, distribution channels, and geographies.

More recently, On Holdings has seen continued positive sentiment from analysts, with firms including Piper Sandler and TD Cowen raising their price targets while reiterating Overweight or Buy ratings on the company.

Steve Madden (NASDAQ:SHOO) is selected as BTIG’s small/mid-cap top pick for the first half of 2026 with a $50 price target versus its current $41.64 price.

Analyst Janine Stichter believes the company is at a critical inflection point with moderating tariff headwinds, accelerating organic top-line growth driven by fashion tailwinds, and increasing earnings contributions from the Kurt Geiger acquisition.

Steven Madden reported a third-quarter earnings per share beat, though revenue fell short of forecasts. Following the results and its acquisition of Kurt Geiger, the company received price target increases from firms including Williams Trading and BTIG.

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

Investing.com -- VerifyMe Inc. (NASDAQ:VRME) stock soared 75.6% on Monday after announcing plans to merge with Open World Ltd., a strategic partner for Web3 ecosystem launches.

The proposed merger would create a publicly traded company on Nasdaq under a new ticker symbol, with Open World shareholders owning approximately 90% of the combined entity and VerifyMe stockholders retaining about 10%. Upon completion, Matt Shaw, co-founder and CEO of Open World, would become CEO and Chairman of the combined company.

The merger aims to combine VerifyMe’s precision logistics and brand protection technologies with Open World’s expertise in real-world asset tokenization and blockchain applications. The resulting platform would focus on verified identity, secure data, and trusted on-chain provenance for enterprise-grade applications.

"Today marks a major milestone for Open World," said Shaw. "We’ve been the token launch, innovation and go-to-market partner for Tier-1 Web3 protocols representing over $65 billion in on-chain value, and we’re now extending that playbook into enterprise applications with real-world impact."

The companies have entered a 60-day exclusivity period to complete due diligence and negotiate a definitive merger agreement. The transaction requires approval from boards of directors, shareholders, regulatory bodies, and compliance with Nasdaq listing requirements.

VerifyMe may pay a special one-time cash dividend to stockholders prior to the merger, equal to the amount of cash on its balance sheet exceeding $1 million. The companies cautioned that there is no guarantee the merger agreement will be finalized or the transaction completed.

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