Oaktree Specialty Lending Stock (NASDAQ: OCSL)

Oaktree Specialty Lending (NASDAQ:OCSL) Stock

OAKTREE SPECIALTY LENDING CO

Oaktree Specialty Lending

Oaktree Specialty Lending Corp is a specialty finance company. The company provides lending services and invests in small and mid-sized companies. The company's investment objective is to maximize its portfolio's total return by generating current income from debt investments, and to a lesser extent, capital appreciation from equity investments. The company provides customized, one-stop credit solutions to companies with limited access to public or syndicated capital markets.

Oaktree Specialty Lending Corporation - Closed End Fund

Oaktree Specialty Lending Corp

Stephens &amp; Co. analyst Jim Salera reiterates Papa John's International (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PZZA#NASDAQ">PZZA</a>) with a Overweight and maintains $50 price target.

News

Price Target

Reiteration

Analyst Ratings

PZZA

Stephens & Co. Reiterates Overweight on Papa John's International, Maintains $50 Price Target

Needham analyst Serge Belanger reiterates NewAmsterdam Pharma Co (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NAMS#NASDAQ">NAMS</a>) with a Buy and maintains $40 price target.

NAMS

Needham Reiterates Buy on NewAmsterdam Pharma Co, Maintains $40 Price Target

<a href="https://www.ft.com/content/094e755d-448d-405e-aa01-f768584c4a16" title="https://www.ft.com/content/094e755d-448d-405e-aa01-f768584c4a16">https://www.ft.com/content/094e755d-448d-405e-aa01-f768584c4a16</a>

Tech

NVDA

XPEV

Financial Times Reported  Xpeng Claims Its Self-designed Turing Processors Outperform Those Of Nvidia

An Atari 2600 chess cartridge has humiliated OpenAI's vaunted ChatGPT, highlighting the limits that large language models still face outside pure text.
What Happened: Citrix engineer Robert Caruso <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/posts/robert-jr-caruso-23080180_ai-chess-atari2600-activity-7337108175185145856-HSP0/">pitted</a> ChatGPT-4o against Video Chess (1979) through an emulator and watched the bot "get absolutely wrecked on the beginner level," he wrote on LinkedIn.
Caruso said the 90-minute match went downhill immediately: the bot "confused rooks for bishops, missed pawn forks and repeatedly lost track of where pieces were," first blaming Atari's pixel icons and then floundering even after he switched to algebraic notation.
The system begged to restart several times before the 1.19 MHz console sealed the win.
Chess has long served as a yardstick for machine intelligence. IBM's (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/IBM#NYSE">IBM</a>) Deep Blue dethroned the world champion, then Garry Kasparov, in 1997, but ChatGPT is a language generator and not a search-heavy chess engine, and therefore unlikely to serve that purpose well.
See also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/06/45899881/apple-study-asks-whether-ai-can-think-for-itself-experts-say-its-limits-are-human-made">Apple Study Asks Whether AI Can Think For Itself: Experts Say Its Limits Are Human-Made</a>
Developers have tried to bridge the gap with plugins such as ChessGPT, yet the model still stumbles at board-state memory and legal-move tracking, as Caruso states.
Why It Matters: The flop arrives as ChatGPT jostles with Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>) (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>) Google's Gemini, Microsoft's (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>) Copilot and Anthropic's Claude for everyday users. Alphabet recently expanded new <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/25/05/45537306/google-unveils-total-reimagining-of-search-with-chatbot-style-feature-to-compete-with-openai">Gemini AI additions</a> to its search engine. OpenAI, for its part, rolled out a more "reliable" GPT-o3 Pro model earlier this week, hoping to keep developers loyal.
OpenAI on Monday said its annualized revenue run rate has <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/06/45852700/openai-surges-past-10-billion-in-annualized-revenue-amid-record-chatgpt-use-leaves-rivals-like-amazon-backed-anthropic-behind">climbed to $10 billion</a>, nearly doubling the $5.5 billion it posted at the end of 2024. The figure, which excludes Microsoft licensing fees and other one-off deals, reflects recurrent sales driven by ChatGPT's growing base of 500 million weekly active users as of March.
The company is reportedly <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/04/44580172/openai-finalizes-historic-40-billion-funding-round-valuing-company-at-300-billion-with-backing-from-softbank-and-microsoft">seeking up to $40 billion</a> in a SoftBank-led funding round that could push its valuation to $300 billion. Rival Anthropic, backed by Amazon (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMZN#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>) and Alphabet, has crossed a $3 billion run-rate after securing $3.5 billion in capital, giving it a $61.5 billion valuation.
Image via Shutterstock
Read next: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/06/45899475/craig-federighi-says-building-a-chatbot-was-never-the-goal-promises-apple-intelligences-focus-is-to-meet-you-where-you-are">Craig Federighi Says &#8216;Building A Chatbot&#8217; Was Never The Goal, Promises Apple Intelligence&#8217;s Focus Is To &#8216;Meet You Where You Are&#8217;</a>

AMZN

GOOG

GOOGL

MSFT

ChatGPT Kept 'Begging To Restart' Before Being Beaten By 1979 Atari 2600 In A 'Beginner Level' Chess Showdown

<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-06-12/mattel-taps-openai-to-help-it-design-toys-other-products" title="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-06-12/mattel-taps-openai-to-help-it-design-toys-other-products">https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-06-12/mattel-taps-openai-to-help-it-design-toys-other-products</a>

Bloomberg Reported Mattel Taps OpenAI To Help It Design Toys, Other Products

A new study from Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAPL#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>) is stirring debate about whether AI models can genuinely reason or simply mimic intelligent behavior. By testing systems like GPT-4 variants and Claude on classic logic puzzles, the research suggests that these tools may stumble when real problem-solving is required.
What Happened: Apple released a study challenging the notion that large language models (LLMs) can logically reason through complex tasks. Ars Technica <a href="https://arstechnica.com/ai/2025/06/new-apple-study-challenges-whether-ai-models-truly-reason-through-problems/">explains</a> that by testing popular models like OpenAI's o1 and o3, Claude 3.7 Sonnet, and DeepSeek-R1 on classic logic puzzles such as Tower of Hanoi and river crossing tasks, the research team discovered that these systems often fail when they encounter unfamiliar challenges that demand systematic thinking.
Even when equipped with established algorithms, the models struggled—highlighting a key gap between performing intelligently and actually thinking logically.
"It is truly embarrassing that LLMs cannot reliably solve Hanoi," said AI researcher Gary Marcus, with co-lead Iman Mirzadeh adding the models' behavior shows "their process is not logical and intelligent."
The study also found that while some models performed better on moderately difficult tasks by implementing step-by-step reasoning, they failed completely as complexity increased, often reducing their reasoning effort instead of expanding it.
This odd drop-off in effort, despite ample computing resources, shows what the researchers call a "counterintuitive scaling limit." Inconsistencies were also seen across a variety of puzzles, suggesting the failures are task-specific rather than purely technical.
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/25/06/45888626/nvidia-apple-amazon-microsoft-and-alphabets-insitutional-investors-sold-8-4-billion-shares-in-q1-filings-reveal">Nvidia, Apple, Amazon, Microsoft And Alphabet&#8217;s Insitutional Investors Sold 8.4 Billion Shares In Q1, Filings Reveal</a>
Why It Matters: Some experts are countering Apple's conclusions, arguing that the apparent reasoning failures in AI models may originate from built-in constraints rather than inherent flaws.
Pierre Ferragu, an analyst at&nbsp;New Street Research, said that the paper is riddled with <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/06/45830549/pierre-ferragu-takes-apple-to-task-for-dismissing-the-ai-revolution-has-its-head-in-the-sand">"ontological nonsense."</a>
Economist Kevin A. Bryan suggested that these systems are trained to use shortcuts under tight computational budgets. He and others note that internal benchmarks show models perform better when allowed more tokens, but production systems restrict this on purpose to avoid inefficiency, meaning the Apple findings might be discovering limits by design, not nature.
Others, like software engineer Sean Goedecke and AI researcher Simon Willison, question whether logic puzzles are even fair tests for language models. Goedecke described DeepSeek-R1's failure on the Tower of Hanoi as a conscious decision to avoid impractical output, not a lack of ability.
Willison added that the test may simply run into token limits, hinting that the paper is more sensational than conclusive. Even Apple's researchers admit the puzzles represent a narrow slice of reasoning challenges and caution against generalizing their results too widely.
The study comes on the heels of the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/06/45844424/apple-wwdc-2025-ios-26-announced-with-liquid-glass-design-new-apple-intelligence-features-and-more">Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC)</a>, where Apple made a range of new announcements about its products. Experts noted the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/06/45851232/apples-lack-of-new-ai-features-at-wwdc-is-startling-expert-says">absence of any new AI features</a> and expressed disappointment, <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-stock-ratings/analyst-color/25/06/45863934/apple-stock-disappoints-after-wwdc-analyst-says-this-price-is-better-entry-level-for-investors">downgrading the company's stock.</a> Shares fell after the event, with many raising questions about Apple's <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/movers/25/06/45892008/apples-ai-future-in-question-stock-falls-after-wwdc-2025-event">AI future. </a> 
Price Action: Apple stock is currently trading at $198.76, down -0.01% pre-market.
Benzinga Edge Rankings show that Momentum stands at 29.72, Value at 9.02, Growth at 32.90, and Quality leads the group with a score of 76.94. For more details, click <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/edge/">here.</a>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/edge/"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="201" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/12041222/image-180-1024x201.png" alt="" class="wp-image-947232" srcset="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/12041222/image-180-1024x201.png 1024w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/12041222/image-180-300x59.png 300w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/12041222/image-180-768x151.png 768w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/12041222/image-180.png 1170w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a></figure>
Read Next:
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/06/45852236/steve-jobs-would-have-fired-everyone-apples-liquid-glass-in-ios-26-gets-roasted-online-dan-ives-calls-wwdc-2025-a-yawner">Steve Jobs Would &#8216;Have Fired Everyone&#8217;: Apple&#8217;s Liquid Glass In iOS 26 Gets Roasted Online — Dan Ives Calls WWDC 2025 A &#8216;Yawner&#8217;</a></li>
</ul>
Photo courtesy: jamesteohart / Shutterstock.com

AAPL

Apple Study Asks Whether AI Can Think For Itself: Experts Say Its Limits Are Human-Made

Cigna Healthcare, the health benefits division of The Cigna Group (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CI#NYSE">CI</a>), is introducing a series of new digital features to improve the customer experience during common health insurance interactions, such as checking benefits coverage, estimating costs and finding care. These enhancements are designed to provide a reliably simple experience for everyday needs and are an important step in delivering on the company's <a href="https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&amp;l=en&amp;o=4447778-1&amp;h=1231182111&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fnewsroom.thecignagroup.com%2F2025-commitments-lets-make-it-better&amp;a=commitment">commitment</a>&nbsp;to make health care easier for customers.
&nbsp;
"We're committed to making our customers' experiences simpler, seamless and more reliable," said Heather Dlugolenski, chief strategy officer, Cigna Healthcare. "That's why we're creating smarter, more connected digital experiences that anticipate our customers' needs while bringing clarity and compassion to everyday moments."
The new digital features, which were developed with rigorous research and testing within a comprehensive artificial intelligence (AI) governance framework,&nbsp;are being made available in a phased rollout through Cigna Healthcare's myCigna member portal. They include:
<ul>
<li>AI-Powered Virtual Assistant: More than a chatbot, this industry-first generative AI tool provides clear, conversational and personalized answers to common questions about benefits coverage, claims and care options. If additional assistance is needed, the virtual assistant seamlessly connects customers to a customer service advocate. Early results show that 2 out of 3 customers who had access to the virtual assistant used it proactively, and more than 4 out of 5 found it helpful.&nbsp;</li>
<li>Personalized Provider Matching: This proprietary matching tool gives customers a tailored list of in-network providers and care delivery methods based on their specific health care needs and preferences. The tool will be integrated soon with the AI Virtual Assistant to help customers quickly find relevant care.</li>
<li>Real-Time Cost Tracking:&nbsp;This redesigned tool provides a simple breakdown of deductibles, out-of-pocket expenses, and integrated bill payments, helping customers track their costs in real time and estimate costs with providers and specialists before engaging.</li>
<li>Smart Claim Submission:&nbsp;This user-friendly feature enables customers to upload bills they receive from physicians and other providers, such as chiropractors or therapists. The tool reads the bill, auto-fills claim details for easy submission, and provides digital updates using plain language on claim statuses and decisions.</li>
<li>Plan Selection Support:&nbsp;Customers who get their health insurance through their employer can compare prices, search for providers, and estimate their potential health care costs when selecting their benefits plan. This helps customers make more informed plan decisions during the open enrollment period.&nbsp;</li>
<li>Early Access to&nbsp;myCigna for New Customers: Customers new to Cigna Healthcare and those with changes to their benefits plans can sign into the myCigna member portal before their plan effective date so they can better plan their health care needs in advance and add their digital ID card to their Apple or Google wallets or provider portals for less paperwork.</li>
</ul>

Cigna Adds AI Tools to Help Customers Track Costs, Find Doctors, and Manage Health Plans

Constellium SE (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CSTM#NYSE">CSTM</a>), a global leader in aluminum solutions and recycling, and TARMAC Aerosave, a pioneer in aircraft &amp; engine storage, maintenance, and eco-responsible dismantling, are proud to jointly announce a major milestone in sustainable aerospace innovation: the successful recycling and remelting of aluminum from end-of-life aircraft into new, high-performance material suitable for future aerospace applications.
This milestone highlights the potential of aluminum to support circular economy goals in aerospace, without compromising material performance. Following months of collaborative research and development, supported in particular by Airbus and ValoER, Constellium has successfully remelted aluminum recovered by TARMAC Aerosave from retired commercial aircraft, producing material that meets the stringent performance requirements for new aircraft manufacturing. The next step will be to scale up this process for industrial application and to extend it to any aluminum alloy used in metallic aircraft, further demonstrating the full recyclability of end-of-life metallic airframes.

CSTM

Constellium and TARMAC Recycle Aluminum From Retired Aircraft for Future Aerospace Use

<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2025/06/12/nvidia-ceo-if-us-wont-participate-in-china-huawei-has-china-covered.html" title="https://www.cnbc.com/2025/06/12/nvidia-ceo-if-us-wont-participate-in-china-huawei-has-china-covered.html">https://www.cnbc.com/2025/06/12/nvidia-ceo-if-us-wont-participate-in-china-huawei-has-china-covered.html</a>

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, In CNBC Interview Earlier,  Said U.S. Technology Is A Generation Ahead Of China's; Said Huawei Will Take Advantage Of Its Position In China If The U.S. Continues To Restrict Access To The Market

U.S. stock futures were trading lower on Thursday after closing lower on Wednesday. Futures of major benchmark indices declined in premarket.
President Donald Trump announced that a new trade agreement with China had been reached, <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/25/06/45882971/wall-street-eyes-record-highs-as-trump-seals-china-deal-soft-inflation-eases-tariff-jitters">pending final signatures</a> from him and Chinese President Xi Jinping. 
Meanwhile, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent indicated that the Trump administration<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/macro-economic-events/25/06/45898040/scott-bessent-signals-willingness-to-extend-tariff-pause-for-good-faith-negotiations-trump-thinks-not-a-necessity"> might extend the current 90-day tariff pause </a>past July 9 for the United States&#8217; major trading partners, provided these partners demonstrate &#8220;good faith&#8221; in their ongoing trade talks.
The 10-year Treasury bond yielded 4.39% and the two-year bond was at 3.92%. The CME Group's FedWatch <a href="https://www.cmegroup.com/markets/interest-rates/cme-fedwatch-tool.html">tool</a>&#8216;s projections show markets pricing a 99.8% likelihood of the Federal Reserve keeping the current interest rates unchanged in its June meeting.
<figure class="wp-block-table is-style-stripes"> 
<table class="has-fixed-layout">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Futures</td>
<td>Change (+/-)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Dow Jones</td>
<td>-0.55%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>S&amp;P 500</td>
<td>-0.32%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Nasdaq 100</td>
<td>-0.23%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Russell 2000</td>
<td>0.69%</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</figure>
The SPDR S&amp;P 500 ETF Trust (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SPY#NYSE">SPY</a>) and Invesco QQQ Trust ETF (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QQQ#NASDAQ">QQQ</a>), which track the S&amp;P 500 index and Nasdaq 100 index, respectively, were lower in premarket on Thursday. The SPY was down 0.33% at $599.36, while the QQQ declined 0.27% to $530.99, according to <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard">Benzinga Pro</a> data.
Cues From Last Session:
U.S. stocks mostly settled lower on Wednesday, but the energy and utilities stocks bucked the overall market trend, closing the session higher.
Materials, communication services, and consumer discretionary stocks recorded the biggest losses. This occurred amid signs of progress in U.S.-China trade negotiations and cooler-than-expected inflation data.
On the economic front, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that annual consumer inflation rose to 2.4% in May, slightly below the 2.5% forecast.
Core inflation held steady at 2.8%, also coming in softer than expected.
Shares of Chewy Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CHWY#NYSE">CHWY</a>) fell 11% after the company reported first-quarter financial results and issued FY25 sales guidance below estimates.
The Dow Jones index ended one point or 0.0026% lower at 42,865.77, whereas the S&amp;P 500 index fell 0.27% to 6,022.24. Nasdaq Composite declined 0.50% to 19,615.88, and the small-cap gauge, Russell 2000, tumbled 0.38% to end at 2,148.23.
<figure class="wp-block-table is-style-stripes"> 
<table class="has-fixed-layout">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Index</td>
<td>Performance (+/-)</td>
<td>Value</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Nasdaq Composite</td>
<td>-0.50%</td>
<td>19,615.88</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>S&amp;P 500</td>
<td>-0.27%</td>
<td>6,022.24</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Dow Jones</td>
<td>-0.0026%</td>
<td>42,865.77</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Russell 2000</td>
<td>-0.38%</td>
<td>2,148.23</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</figure>
Insights From Analysts:
Analysts at BlackRock detailed their insights on the stock market during their Midyear Forum.
According to its note, their takeaways were &#8220;look through near-term noise; be deliberate about the kinds of risk you're taking; leverage AI; and watch for biases.&#8221;
BlackRock reiterated focusing on the big picture. For all the ups and downs in markets since the start of the year, they agreed that the drivers of the best-performing companies' equity gains have not changed much.
&#8220;Our portfolio managers discussed several other techniques for spotting opportunities. They are leveraging AI to discern the signal from the noise, as well as tracking patterns and sentiment shifts in their own discussions. They also discussed the importance of being aware of and managing behavioral biases, recognizing that people are less likely to take risk when uncertainty is higher,&#8221; the note added.
Meanwhile, after a better-than-expected May inflation print, Ed Yardeni said that &#8220;Trump&#8217;s tariffs might not be as inflationary as feared. In other words, the widely anticipated stagflation scenario remains a no-show.&#8221;
However, the chief economist at LPL Financial, Jeffrey Roach, said, "Surprisingly, new and used vehicle prices declined in May, despite many expecting an increase in prices from tariffs."
According to him, prices for <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/25/06/45899298/automotive-and-apparel-companies-absorbed-tariff-costs-amid-better-than-expected-may-cpi-print-b">apparel and autos</a>, "both highly sensitive to trade conditions, declined in May." Apparel prices also declined in April, indicating that these companies likely "absorbed tariff costs."
"But don&#8217;t expect that to continue," he added.
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/how-to-trade-futures">How to Trade Futures</a>
Upcoming Economic Data
Here&#8217;s what investors will keep an eye on Thursday:
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>The initial jobless claims data for the week ended June 7 and the headline and core producer price index data for May will be released by 8:30 a.m. ET.</li>
</ul>
Stocks In Focus:
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>America&#8217;s CAR-MART Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CRMT#NASDAQ">CRMT</a>) was up 2.01% in premarket on Thursday as analysts expect it to report quarterly earnings of 96 cents per share on revenue of $351.85 million, before the opening bell.</li>
<li>Adobe Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ADBE#NASDAQ">ADBE</a>) rose 0.28% ahead of its earnings, which are supposed to be released after the closing bell. Analysts expect earnings of $4.96 per share on revenue of $5.79 billion.</li>
<li>RH (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/RH#NYSE">RH</a>) fell 0.55% as analysts expect it to report a quarterly loss of 9 cents per share on revenue of $818.12 million after the closing bell.</li>
<li>Lovesac Co. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/LOVE#NASDAQ">LOVE</a>) advanced 3.07% ahead of its earnings, which are supposed to be released before the opening bell. Analysts expect a quarterly loss of 71 cents per share, on revenue of $137.47 million.</li>
<li>Oxford Industries Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/OXM#NYSE">OXM</a>) dropped 9.05% after reporting in-line earnings for the first quarter and issuing second-quarter earnings guidance below estimates. Also, the company lowered its FY25 guidance.</li>
<li>Oracle Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ORCL#NYSE">ORCL</a>) jumped 7.61% after reporting better-than-expected fourth-quarter financial results and issuing upbeat outlook commentary.</li>
<li>Intensity Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/INTS#NASDAQ">INTS</a>) slumped 47.84% after announcing a proposed public offering of its common stock.</li>
</ul>
Commodities, Gold, And Global Equity Markets:
Crude oil futures were trading lower in the early New York session by 1.41% to hover around $67.19 per barrel.
Gold Spot US Dollar rose 0.15% to hover around $3,360.25 per ounce. Its last record high stood at $3,500.33 per ounce. The U.S. Dollar Index spot was lower by 0.52% at the 98.1210 level.
Asian markets ended lower on Thursday except South Korea's Kospi index. China&#8217;s CSI 300, Hong Kong's Hang Seng, Australia's ASX 200, Japan's Nikkei 225, and India's S&amp;P BSE Sensex indices fell. European markets were lower in early trade.
Read Next:
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/25/06/45899298/automotive-and-apparel-companies-absorbed-tariff-costs-amid-better-than-expected-may-cpi-print-b">Automotive And Apparel Companies &#8216;Absorbed Tariff Costs&#8217; Amid Better Than Expected May CPI Print: &#8216;But Don&#8217;t Expect That To Continue,&#8217; Says Expert</a></li>
</ul>
Photo courtesy: Shutterstock

Equities

ADBE

CHWY

CRMT

INTS

LOVE

ORCL

US Stocks Likely To Open Lower: 'Look Through Near-Term Noise, Be Deliberate About The Kinds Of Risk You're Taking, Leverage AI,' Say Experts

Ericsson&nbsp;(NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ERIC#NASDAQ">ERIC</a>) on Thursday <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/pressreleases/25/06/n45898387/ericsson-and-google-cloud-team-up-to-deliver-carrier-grade-5g-core-as-a-service-built-with-ai-at-t" rel="noreferrer noopener">announced the launch</a> of Ericsson On-Demand, a new solution delivering core network services as a true software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform to communications service providers (CSPs).
The platform is designed with Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>) (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>) Google Cloud, leveraging AI infrastructure and Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE), and is managed end-to-end by Ericsson.
The solution will help CSPs to quickly set up and grow core network services, cut operating costs, and gain business flexibility with a fully managed, cloud-native platform.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/06/45854883/ericsson-supermicro-partner-to-bring-5g-powered-ai-to-factories-retail-and-hospitals" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ericsson, Supermicro Partner To Bring 5G-Powered AI To Factories, Retail And Hospitals</a>
At a time when CSPs are under growing pressure to innovate at speed and scale while managing increasing operational complexity, Ericsson&#8217;s On-Demand platform deploys full core in minutes, scales up or down as needed, and allows CSPs to pay only for what they use and need not worry about managing the underlying infrastructure.
Ericsson On-Demand combines telecom-grade reliability with public cloud flexibility. The platform leverages GKE to simplify and improve network availability, in addition to Google Cloud&#8217;s full-stack AI infrastructure, globally across 42 cloud regions and more than two million miles of terrestrial and subsea fiber.
Ericsson On-Demand also helps CSPs add new features to their current systems bit-by-bit without causing any downtime.
Ericsson stock surged over 38% in the last 12 months.
Ericsson&#8217;s&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/04/44823834/ericsson-q4-earnings-sales-climb-3-us-clients-accelerate-purchases-ahead-of-tariffs-eyes-solid-q2-despite-global-tariff-pressures" rel="noreferrer noopener">first-quarter fiscal 2025</a>&nbsp;sales grew&nbsp;3% to 55.0 billion Swedish Krona ($5.15 billion), driven by 20%&nbsp;growth&nbsp;in the Americas market. The revenue beat the&nbsp;consensus of $5.10 billion.
Ericsson reported an EPS of SEK 1.24 (12 cents), topping the consensus of 9 cents.
Bloomberg&#8217;s Matthew Bloxham&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-04-15/ericsson-beats-estimates-as-mobile-operators-buy-more-5g-gear?sref=TBDibEcD" rel="noreferrer noopener">expects</a>&nbsp;Ericsson to outperform analysts&#8217; expectations in the face of global tariff storms through cost-cutting tailwinds, preemptive U.S. inventory restocking, and limited exposure to China-sourced components.
Morgan Stanley&#8217;s&nbsp;Sandeep Deshpande&nbsp;told Bloomberg that Ericsson&#8217;s U.S. business strength was partially driven by customers &#8220;buying products in anticipation of tariffs.
Price Action: ERIC stock closed lower by 0.35% at $8.44 on Wednesday.
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</ul>
Photo via Shutterstock

ERIC

Ericsson, Google Cloud Launch New Tool To Help Telecoms Build Faster, Smarter Networks

Commodities

Markets

General

Cenovus Energy Has Ramped Up Production At Its Christina Lake Oil Sands Asset Following Wildfire Activity In The Area. Production Operations Restarted On June 3 And Production Was Ramped Up Over The Course Of The Week

Tuniu (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TOUR#NASDAQ">TOUR</a>) sees Q2 sales of $18.052 million-$18.852 million.

Guidance

TOUR

Tuniu Sees Q2 Sales $18.052M-$18.852M

<ul>
<li>Strategic partnership will accelerate global eVTOL adoption by combining Vertical's category leading aircraft with Bristow's global vertical lift operational and safety track record and experience</li>
<li>"Ready-to-fly" model provides Vertical's customers with turnkey access to aircraft, pilots, maintenance, and insurance – lowering barriers to entry</li>
<li>Bristow places pre-order for up to 50 VX4, with option to purchase up to 50 more</li>
<li>Companies exploring Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) services, including battery swapping and field maintenance solutions</li>
</ul>

Contracts

EVTL

VTOL

Vertical Aerospace And Bristow Group Announced An Expansion Of Their Partnership To Bring Advanced Air Mobility Into Commercial Operation

Hooker Furnishings (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/HOFT#NASDAQ">HOFT</a>) reported quarterly losses of $(0.29) per share which missed the analyst consensus estimate of $(0.15) by 93.33 percent. This is a 25.64 percent increase over losses of $(0.39) per share from the same period last year. The company reported quarterly sales of $85.32 million which missed the analyst consensus estimate of $88.87 million by 4.00 percent. This is a 8.82 percent decrease over sales of $93.57 million the same period last year.

Earnings

Earnings Misses

HOFT

Hooker Furnishings Q1 EPS $(0.29) Misses $(0.15) Estimate, Sales $85.32M Miss $88.87M Estimate

Tuniu (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TOUR#NASDAQ">TOUR</a>) reported quarterly losses of $(0.00) per share. This is a 113.33 percent decrease over earnings of $0.03 per share from the same period last year. The company reported $16.19 million in sales this quarter. This is a 8.31 percent increase over sales of $14.95 million the same period last year.

Tuniu Q1 EPS $(0.00) Down From $0.03 YoY, Sales $16.19M Up From $14.95M YoY

Synopsys, Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SNPS#NASDAQ">SNPS</a>) on Wednesday <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/pressreleases/25/06/n45882995/synopsys-achieves-pcie-6-x-interoperability-milestone-with-broadcoms-pex90000-series-switch-at-pci" rel="noreferrer noopener">announced that its</a> collaboration with Broadcom Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AVGO#NASDAQ">AVGO</a>) has achieved interoperability between&nbsp;Synopsys&#8217; PCIe 6.x IP solution and Broadcom&#8217;s PEX90000 series switch.
The interoperability between artificial infrastructure companies will help reduce design risk and accelerate time to market for high-performance computing and AI data center systems.
PCIe switches play a critical role in enabling the scalability required to meet the demands of modern AI workloads.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/06/45801113/keysight-synopsys-team-up-to-fast-track-rf-migration-to-taiwan-semis-n4p-process" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Keysight, Synopsys Team Up To Fast-Track RF Migration To Taiwan Semi&#8217;s N4P Process</a>
Synopsys stock declined over 15% in the last 12 months due to the Trump administration&#8217;s tariff policies.
In May, Synopsys <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/large-cap/25/05/45702912/synopsys-halts-china-sales-after-us-cracks-down-on-chip-design-exports" rel="noreferrer noopener">ordered its China employees</a> to halt services and sales after the new&nbsp;U.S. export restrictions&nbsp;kicked in. Products affected include semiconductor design software and chemicals.
Synopsys also suspended its third quarter outlook (Revenue $1.75 billion–$1.78 billion, Adj EPS $3.82-$3.87).
Synopsys,&nbsp;Cadence Design Systems (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CDNS#NASDAQ">CDNS</a>), and&nbsp;Siemens&#8217;&nbsp;Mentor Graphics control over 70% of China&#8217;s electronic design automation (EDA) software market, which chipmakers can use to design semiconductors ranging from smartphones to computers and cars.
Broadcom stock gained over 69% in the last 12 months, driven by <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/earnings/25/06/45803595/broadcom-q2-earnings-revenue-eps-beat-estimates-driven-by-robust-demand-for-ai-networking-company-sees-acceleration-in-ai-revenue-ahead" rel="noreferrer noopener">continued momentum in</a> AI semiconductor solutions and VMware.
Price Action: AVGO stock is trading lower by 0.83% to $250.80 premarket at last check Thursday.
Read Next:
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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/movers/25/05/45448759/broadcom-unveils-next-gen-optical-chip-tech-to-power-ai-data-centers" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Broadcom Unveils Next-Gen Optical Chip Tech To Power AI Data Centers</a></li>
</ul>
Photo by Gorodenkoff via Shutterstock

AVGO

CDNS

SNPS

Synopsys, Broadcom Team Up To Accelerate High-Performance AI And Computing

Apple&#8217;s (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAPL#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>) senior vice president of Software Engineering, Craig Federighi, says Siri won't morph into a ChatGPT rival anytime soon, insisting that &#8216;building a chatbot&#8217; was never the company&#8217;s goal.
What Happened: Speaking to Tom's Guide after WWDC 2025, Federighi said that Apple Intelligence aims to "meet you where you are," weaving AI into familiar apps rather than forcing users into a dedicated chat experience to get things done.
Federighi acknowledged conversational bots can act "as a therapist" and help people "brainstorm, do all kinds of things," but added that a chatbot was never the plan.
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&#8220;When some of these Siri capabilities I mentioned [last year] didn&#8217;t show up, people kind of went like, well… what happened, Apple? I thought you were going to give us your chatbot. Well, that honestly…was never our goal,&#8221; Federighi explained.
See also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/06/45898644/tim-cook-explains-why-apples-f1-movie-bet-with-lewis-hamilton-serve-more-than-just-iphone-sales">Tim Cook Explains Why Apple&#8217;s &#8216;F1&#8217; Movie Bet With Lewis Hamilton Serves More Than Just iPhone Sales</a>
Federighi said the company postponed last year's high-profile Siri revamp after testing showed version 1 "would not meet our customer expectations or Apple standards," a decision he called proof that "there's no need to rush out with the wrong features." Apple executives chose reliability over deadlines, warning it "would've been more disappointing to ship something that didn't hit our quality standard."
Why It Matters: The Apple SVP&#8217;s stance contrasts with OpenAI chief Sam Altman, who recently hailed ChatGPT as a "<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/06/45809827/sam-altman-says-ai-can-replace-interns-but-gen-z-is-already-treating-it-like-a-work-buddy">life advisor</a>" teens consult before making big decisions.
Instead, Apple is rolling out <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/06/45844424/apple-wwdc-2025-ios-26-announced-with-liquid-glass-design-new-apple-intelligence-features-and-more">on-device tools</a> such as Call Screening and Hold for Me in the Phone app, plus Live Translate across Messages, FaceTime and calls, keeping the assistance "contextually relevant" inside each workflow. The same translation engine will appear across macOS Tahoe, iPadOS 26 and watchOS 26 this fall.
That said, Apple's stock slid for a <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/movers/25/06/45892008/apples-ai-future-in-question-stock-falls-after-wwdc-2025-event">second straight session</a> as analysts called the WWDC 2025 announcements "incremental" and "too little, too late" on artificial-intelligence progress. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the lack of new AI features <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/06/45851232/apples-lack-of-new-ai-features-at-wwdc-is-startling-expert-says">startled</a> him, and Forrester's Dipanjan Chatterjee described the "silence surrounding Siri" as deafening.
Goldman Sachs, however, told clients to <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-stock-ratings/analyst-color/25/06/45860365/goldman-sachs-stays-bullish-on-apple-despite-post-wwdc25-stock-dip-sees-25-upside">look past the sell-off</a>, reiterating its Buy rating and $253 price target that suggests roughly 25% upside.
Read next: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/06/45898547/openai-looks-to-raise-40-billion-from-global-investors-including-saudi-arabias-pif-indias-reliance-industries-to-accelerate-ai-models-and-stargate-report">OpenAI Looks To Raise $40 Billion From Global Investors Including Saudi Arabia&#8217;s PIF, India&#8217;s Reliance Industries To Accelerate AI Models And Stargate: Report</a>
Photo courtesy: DenPhotos / Shutterstock

Craig Federighi Says 'Building A Chatbot' Was Never The Goal, Promises Apple Intelligence's Focus Is To 'Meet You Where You Are'

Texas Capital Securities analyst David Bain initiates coverage on Genius Sports (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GENI#NYSE">GENI</a>) with a Buy rating and announces Price Target of $14.

Initiation

GENI

Texas Capital Securities Initiates Coverage On Genius Sports with Buy Rating, Announces Price Target of $14

The University of Tokyo (UTokyo) and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSM#NYSE">TSM</a>) announced on Thursday that they have launched a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/japan" rel="noreferrer noopener">joint research laboratory</a> dedicated to advancing semiconductor research, education, and talent incubation.
Taiwan Semiconductor and UTokyo <a target="_blank" href="https://pr.tsmc.com/english/news/3243" rel="noreferrer noopener">aim to promote</a> advanced research and development in semiconductor technologies, generate innovative solutions, and cultivate semiconductor talent to create and advance sustainable semiconductor technologies.
Since 2019, UTokyo and Taiwan Semiconductor have collaborated on advanced semiconductor research at the university and company levels.
Also Read: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/06/45859582/nvidia-supplier-taiwan-semiconductor-posts-40-topline-growth-in-may-stock-surges" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nvidia Supplier Taiwan Semiconductor Posts 40% Topline Growth In May, Stock Surges</a>
Taiwan Semiconductor and UTokyo have extended their industry-academia partnership to include semiconductor education and next-generation talent incubation.
In 2023, UTokyo adopted Taiwan Semiconductor&#8217;s 16nm FinFET process technology for chip design training.
Located on UTokyo&#8217;s Asano campus in the Hongo district, the Lab will be managed by UTokyo faculty and staff and guided by directors from both UTokyo and Taiwan Semiconductor. It will serve as a central hub for a Strategic Collaboration initiative.
The Lab will facilitate research in semiconductor technologies, with an emphasis on practical applications in the future. It will cover areas such as materials, devices, processes, metrology, packaging, and circuit design.
Additionally, the Lab will explore collaboration through activities such as Taiwan Semiconductor-sponsored project calls and internship opportunities.
Taiwan Semiconductor, along with its Japan Design Center, Japan 3DIC R&amp;D Center, and Japan Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing (JASM) specialty fab, will leverage the Lab to further its next-generation talent development.
Taiwan Semiconductor gained 24% in the last 12 months due to the AI frenzy prompting it to expand beyond Taiwan. However, the Trump administration&#8217;s tariff policies have hurt semiconductor companies.
However, last week, Taiwan Semiconductor CEO&nbsp;C.C. Wei&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/large-cap/25/06/45748492/taiwan-semiconductors-japan-chip-factory-faces-delays-while-us-expansion-takes-priority" rel="noreferrer noopener">blamed traffic jams</a> for hampering the progress of its Tokyo signature chipmaking project. He also highlighted to President&nbsp;Donald Trump the difficulties in completing the Arizona project in five years due to the skilled labor crisis.
Taiwan Semiconductor&#8217;s plan to build a second factory in Japan&#8217;s Kumamoto Prefecture remains vulnerable to the sudden influx of workers from the contract chipmaker&#8217;s first plant, which is damaging the rural infrastructure.
Interestingly, the chipmaker&#8217;s prioritization of the U.S. expansion reduced the urgency of production in Japan.
Reportedly, Taiwan, Japan, and the U.S. are establishing&nbsp;closer trilateral cooperation&nbsp;in&nbsp;the semiconductor industry, forming a &#8220;semiconductor iron triangle.&#8221;
Japanese Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Yasutoshi Nishimura expects collaboration in advanced chips to help develop 5G, self-driving vehicles, and generative artificial intelligence.
Price Action: TSM stock is trading lower by 0.83% to $212.33 premarket at last check Thursday.
Read Next:
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/06/45813754/taiwan-semiconductor-powers-alphawaves-2nm-chip-breakthrough-for-faster-ai-and-hpc-connectivity" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Taiwan Semiconductor Powers Alphawave&#8217;s 2nm Chip Breakthrough For Faster AI And HPC Connectivity</a></li>
</ul>
Photo by Jack Hong via Shutterstock

Asia

Taiwan Semiconductor, University Of Tokyo Launch Joint Lab For Advanced Research And Education

Press Releases

Oaktree Specialty Lending Corporation Announces Third Fiscal Quarter 2024 Financial Results and Declares Quarterly Distribution of $0.55 Per Share

Oaktree Specialty Lending Corporation Schedules Fourth Fiscal Quarter and Full Year 2024 Earnings Conference Call for November 19, 2024

Oaktree Specialty Lending Corporation Announces Fourth Fiscal Quarter and Full Year 2024 Financial Results and Declares Quarterly Distribution of $0.55 Per Share

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