Stock Movers: Oracle's Cloud Growth, Lockheed's F-35 Cuts, Starbucks' China Stake

Oracle's Cloud Growth and AI Focus

• 🚀 Oracle shares surged post-market due to strong fourth-quarter results and optimistic forward guidance for fiscal year 2026.
• 💡 The company projects total cloud growth exceeding 40% for FY2026, signaling a significant push into cloud infrastructure.
• 🎯 Oracle is actively targeting clients focused on artificial intelligence work, including partnerships with OpenAI and xAI.
• 📊 Fourth-quarter cloud infrastructure revenue increased by 52% to $3 billion, contributing to overall cloud sales growth of 27%.

Lockheed Martin's F-35 Order Reduction

• ⚠️ Lockheed Martin shares declined as the Air Force significantly cut its order for F-35 fighter jets by half, from 48 to 24 planes.
• 📉 This reduction reflects Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's plan to shift projected US military spending, aiming for an 8% reduction over five years.
• 🎯 The Air Force is the largest customer for Lockheed Martin, making this cut a notable development for the defense contractor.

Starbucks Explores Stake Sale in China

• ☕ Starbucks shares rose following CEO Brian Niccol's comments about significant interest in a potential stake sale in its China business.
• 📈 The company aims to expand its presence in China from approximately 8,000 to 20,000 stores, seeking a strategic partner.
• 📌 Starbucks is not in a rush to finalize a deal and intends to retain a meaningful stake in the Chinese operation.
• 💡 This move is part of Starbucks' broader turnaround strategy, focusing on increasing foot traffic and leveraging international markets, including new product offerings like protein drinks.