Earnings Hit

• US equities closed higher with the S&P 500 rising 0.8% and Nasdaq 100 up 0.8% to new records, while the Dow remained flat. • Apple shares gained more than 5% after reporting strong earnings driven by robust iPhone sales and performance in China. • The rally came amid a pullback in oil prices and positive corporate earnings momentum.

• The S&P 500 rose 0.8% to close above 7,000 points for the first time, while the Nasdaq Composite surged 1.6% to a record high, driven by gains in technology and software stocks and optimism over potential U.S.-Iran peace talks. • Bank of America posted a 17% rise in quarterly profit from strong trading and investment banking fee rebounds, while Morgan Stanley reported a near 30% profit jump supported by record equities trading revenue and improved dealmaking activity. • Stock index futures edged higher after-hours, with S&P 500 Futures up 0.2% to 7,070.75 points and Nasdaq 100 Futures rising 0.3% to 26,440.75 points, reflecting continued market momentum.

Adobe reported Q1 2026 earnings on March 13 beating top and bottom lines but faced declines in annual recurring revenue for its traditional stock photo segment due to AI-generated imagery competition. AI disruption battered the segment, leading to a tough post-earnings stock reaction. ARR imagery revenue fell notably as users shift to generative tools. This underscores AI's transformative pressure on creative software markets.