Key Highlights in Finance News Today: Apple, Jobs Data, Amgen, Cloudflare, Sony & Apollo Bid for Paramount

In today’s financial news, U.S. stock futures are on the rise as investors eagerly await the release of the monthly jobs data and digest a plethora of earnings reports. Apple (AAPL) shares are soaring following the tech giant’s impressive earnings report and announcement of a record-breaking $110 billion buyback program. Meanwhile, Amgen (AMGN) is experiencing a surge in its stock price after beating earnings expectations and making progress in its experimental weight-loss drug MariTide, a development that is causing stocks in rivals Novo Nordisk (NVO) and Eli Lilly (LLY) to decline.

On the other hand, Cloudflare is facing a sharp decline in its stock price after issuing a disappointing sales outlook for the current quarter. The global cloud services provider is struggling with tightening budgets among enterprise customers and fierce competition in the cybersecurity industry.

In a separate development, Japan’s Sony Group and private-equity firm Apollo Global Management have reportedly submitted an all-cash $26 billion bid for Paramount Global. This bid comes amidst ongoing merger talks between Paramount and Skydance Media, with shareholders expressing concerns about the deal.

Overall, investors are keeping a close eye on these developments as they navigate the current market landscape. Stay tuned for more updates as the day unfolds.