Poland stocks higher at close of trade; WIG30 up 0.43%

Investing.com -- ImmunityBio (NASDAQ:IBRX) stock rose 3.9% Friday after the European Medicines Agency (EMA) recommended granting conditional marketing authorization for its bladder cancer therapy ANKTIVA in the European Union.

The immunotherapy company received the positive recommendation for ANKTIVA in combination with Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) to treat BCG-unresponsive non-muscle invasive bladder cancer with carcinoma in situ. This marks the first immunotherapy for this condition to receive such a recommendation in Europe, where patients currently face limited options beyond surgical bladder removal.

The EMA’s decision was based on results from a single-arm clinical trial involving 100 adults with BCG-unresponsive NMIBC. The study showed a 71% complete response rate, with responses lasting up to 54+ months and averaging approximately 27 months. Complete response rates were 66% at 12 months and 42% at 24 months.

"ANKTIVA represents an important evolution in the treatment of NMIBC CIS, strengthening the immune response and improving the durability of BCG," said Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, Founder and Executive Chairman of ImmunityBio.

Unlike the U.S., where only one BCG substrain is approved, Europe has authorized approximately six major BCG substrains, making the standard-of-care therapy widely available across the region.

The recommendation builds on existing approvals in the U.S. and United Kingdom. Bladder cancer is the fifth most common cancer in the European Union, with more than 150,000 people diagnosed with NMIBC annually.

As part of the conditional authorization, ImmunityBio will continue following trial participants and submit long-term safety and efficacy data to the EMA. The agency’s opinion will now be forwarded to the European Commission for final approval.

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

Investing.com -- Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG) stock rose 3.3% after the fast-casual restaurant chain announced the opening of its 4,000th location, marking a significant milestone in its expansion strategy.

The new restaurant, located in Manhattan, Kansas, features Chipotle’s signature Chipotlane drive-thru pickup lane and the company’s new High-Efficiency Equipment Package. This technology upgrade includes improved cooking equipment designed to increase production capacity while maintaining food quality standards.

This milestone puts Chipotle more than halfway toward its long-term goal of operating 7,000 restaurants across the U.S. and Canada. Since CEO Scott Boatwright joined the company in 2017, Chipotle has added approximately 1,700 new locations, representing a 70% increase in its restaurant footprint over eight years.

The company plans to open between 315 and 345 new restaurants for the full year 2025, with at least 80% featuring Chipotlanes. Looking ahead to 2026, management anticipates opening 350 to 370 new locations, including 10 to 15 international partner-operated restaurants.

Chipotle’s international presence now includes over 100 restaurants outside the United States, with 75 in Canada, 28 in Europe, and 11 partner-operated locations in the Middle East. The company recently opened its first Chipotlane outside North America in Kuwait and has signed agreements to expand into Mexico, South Korea, and Singapore in 2026.

To commemorate the 4,000-restaurant achievement, Chipotle’s executive leadership team and restaurant leaders rang The Opening Bell at the New York Stock Exchange.

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

Investing.com -- Oracle Corporation (NYSE:ORCL) stock fell 5% on Friday, extending its recent decline after Bloomberg reported that the company has delayed the completion of data centers for OpenAI to 2028 from the original 2027 target.

The postponement is primarily attributed to labor and material shortages, according to people familiar with the project who asked not to be identified. Oracle has been working to fulfill a $300 billion contract to provide computing power for training and running OpenAI’s models since the agreement was signed this summer.

Despite the delays, the timeline for these U.S. projects remains ambitious, as they are set to become some of the largest data centers in the world. The news comes just a day after Oracle shares closed sharply lower following softer-than-expected quarterly results.

The broader market also struggled on Friday, with the S&P 500 falling 1.25% and the Nasdaq dropping 2%. Broadcom’s latest results added to growing concerns about a potential bubble in artificial intelligence stocks, compounding worries that had already been sparked by Oracle’s disappointing performance.

Oracle’s stock decline contributed to the technology sector’s weakness, which has been weighing on major indices as investors reassess valuations in the AI space.

Investing.com -- Mizuho upgraded Cousins Properties to Outperform and named it a top pick for fiscal 2026, saying the market has already priced in heavy pessimism about Sunbelt office demand while leasing trends and supply pressures are starting to improve in key markets such as Austin and Atlanta.

The broker set a new price target of $29 and said CUZ’s valuation sits well below historical averages despite what it sees as lower execution risk than peers.

Mizuho said Office REITs have lagged this year on macro worries, but the sub sector now trades at roughly 11 times FFO, a 45% discount to the broader REIT group.

It expects the sector to post limited earnings growth in FY26 as slower occupancy conversion, dilutive sales, refinancing costs and higher capital expenditure weigh on results. It forecasts Office FFO growth of about 1% next year compared with 4% for REITs overall.

Within the group, Mizuho said positioning and regional debates will drive volatility in FY26. It prefers East Coast landlords such as Vornado and Boston Properties and is Neutral on Kilroy and Hudson Pacific.

But it said recent underperformance in Sunbelt names has created an opening, making CUZ an attractive tactical rotation.

CUZ is down 18% this year versus REITs up 1% and now trades at about 8.5 times FFO, below its five year average of 11 times.

The broker said the stock’s current risk premium of about 420 basis points is also 60 basis points wider than pre pandemic levels, suggesting investors have already priced in significant risk.

Mizuho said fundamentals in CUZ’s core markets show signs of stabilisation. Austin posted negative absorption for three straight quarters, but availability fell slightly in the third quarter and sublease space shrank.

Leasing volume more than doubled from the prior quarter. Atlanta logged its first quarter of positive absorption in a year, with a 15% rise in leasing. Mizuho said construction pipelines in both markets have pulled back, reducing supply pressure.

The firm said CUZ faces less execution risk than peers as it targets 90% occupancy by late 2026, supported by a record leasing pipeline and low near term lease expirations. It also cited balance sheet flexibility, noting leverage of about 5 times compared with peers closer to 8 times.

Mizuho’s FY26 FFO estimate of $2.91 is in line with consensus and its FY27 forecast of $3.06 is slightly higher. The broker said its $29 target assumes a 10 times FFO multiple and an improving set up for Sunbelt office demand.

It highlighted risks including potential large tenant move outs, weaker market recoveries and broader macro pressure on REITs.