Tesla reported better revenue and earnings in the first quarter - and surprised Wall Street with positive free cash - when compared with last year’s period. The company reported $22.4 billion in revenue for the first quarter, up 16% from the first quarter of last year. Revenue from its automotive business increased 16% from the year prior, and the company said the recent run-up in gasoline prices has helped sales slightly. Energy business revenue, which comes from selling industrial and residential battery storage, was previously a bright spot for the company, but it fell 12% in the first quarter. Even so, Tesla’s net income grew 17%. And despite analyst consensus that the company could have negative free cash flow for the first time in two years, Tesla reported positive free cash flow of $1.4 billion. While first-quarter results showed a rebound over last year, they mark a steady decline in revenue and earnings since the third-quarter peak last year when Tesla’s sales were spurred by an expiring federal tax credit of $7,500 per vehicle. The company presented a large plot of land near its Giga Texas factory where it is preparing for construction on a new facility it says will house the production line for the second generation of Optimus humanoid robots. Tesla shares initially rose as much as 4.4% in after-market trading but were down 0.29% from the closing price after Musk’s call with investors and analysts ended.

On Wednesday, the SMI fell 0.5 percent to 13,068 points. Among individual stocks, ABB stood out as the clear winner of the day with a gain of 3.4 percent, reaching a record high. The industrial conglomerate had reported better-than-expected quarterly results and raised its forecast. Kühne+Nagel rose another 1.0 percent amid ongoing disruptions to shipping traffic in the Gulf region. Among the few gainers was UBS, adding 0.2 percent. Switzerland is making concessions to the major bank regarding capital requirements, which are intended to make it more resilient. Among smaller caps, Sonova dropped 3.0 percent. Australian competitor Cochlear shares had plummeted by 40 percent in Sydney. Huber & Suhner benefited with a further gain of 2.0 percent from the fact that the component developer is strengthening its collaboration with Microsoft Azure Fiber.

Europe
The Stoxx Europe 600 index gave up 0.4% to 613.88 points on Wednesday, weighed down by the ongoing tensions in the Middle East and rising oil prices despite the ceasefire extension announced by Donald Trump. In Paris, the CAC 40 fell 1% to 8,156.43 points, while the SBF 120 dropped 0.9% to 6,183.30 points. In Frankfurt, the DAX 40 shed 0.3%, and the FTSE 100 decreased by 0.2% in London. BUREAU VERITAS (-10.6%): The certification and quality control group confirmed on Wednesday that it was lowering its organic growth target for 2026, after reporting a decline in revenue in the first quarter. EUROFINS (-9.7%): The testing laboratory stipulated on Wednesday its financial targets for the current fiscal year and 2027, despite reporting first-quarter revenue below analysts’ expectations due to unfavorable weather in North America and Northern Europe. REXEL (-4.2%): The electrical equipment distribution group confirmed its targets for 2026 on Wednesday, after reporting an increase in revenue in the first quarter. VUSION (+4%): The electronic label specialist revealed its revenue and margin targets for 2026 on Tuesday evening, following strong sales growth in the first quarter.

United States
Stock investors are willing to bet the worst of the U.S. war with Iran is in the past. All three major U.S. stock indexes climbed Wednesday after President Trump said late Tuesday that he would extend a cease-fire with Iran. The S&P 500 notched its eighth record close of 2026. The S&P 500 rose 1%, while the Nasdaq composite jumped 1.6%, closing at its fourth record high of the year. The Dow industrials advanced 0.7%, or 341 points. Global benchmark crude prices rose 3.5% to $101.91 a barrel Wednesday, settling above $100 for the first time in two weeks. So far, companies’ first-quarter earnings updates have painted a relatively upbeat picture of the American economy: Business at the country’s biggest banks is booming, and company executives have indicated that consumers are still spending. Boeing shares rose 5.5% after the plane maker narrowed its quarterly loss and logged brisk commercial-jet sales. Rising shares of large tech companies including Microsoft, Amazon and Alphabet juiced gains in the major indexes Wednesday. Those stocks have helped lead the market higher in recent sessions, as investors reconsider the titans of the artificial intelligence trade. Smaller tech names also rose: Micron Technology surged 8.5% Wednesday, while flash memory maker Sandisk Corp jumped 8.4%.

Asia
Stocks in Asia mostly fell on Thursday. In Tokyo, the Topix is down 1 percent. The Nikkei 225 index has fallen by 1.2 percent. In Seoul, the Kospi is virtually unchanged. In Shanghai, the Composite Index has dropped by 0.8 percent. The Hang Seng Index in Hong Kong has lost 1.1 percent. SK Hynix has reported record-high quarterly earnings. The South Korean chipmaker and Nvidia supplier’s net profit roughly quintupled in the first quarter. However, the stock cannot escape the pessimistic sentiment and is currently down 0.9 percent. Meanwhile, Samsung Electronics shares are up 1.3 percent.

Bonds
U.S. government debt yields saw little movement on Wednesday, with yields remaining at their recently higher levels. The 10-year Treasury note yield edged up 1 basis point to just under 4.31 percent.

Analysis
Price target for Accelleron: UBS raises to CHF 92 (81) - Buy
Rating for Holcim: Baader Europe upgrades to Reduce (Sell)
Price target for DocMorris: Barclays upgrades to CHF 8 (6) - Equal Weight

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