Welcome to Markets Desk, your midday read on what's moving markets and why.
Bank of America is making a constructive case for Intel, arguing the stock has room to run despite already posting significant gains this year. The logic is institutional underownership — funds simply haven't loaded up on shares yet, and as that changes, buying pressure could push the stock considerably higher.
Shifting to Europe, stocks closed broadly in the green Thursday as investors parsed two major inputs: developments out of the Middle East and the European Central Bank's decision to raise rates. The rate hike signals the ECB remains committed to fighting inflation even as growth concerns linger across the continent.
And in the AI space, Anthropic is adjusting its transparency policies after user backlash. The company behind the Mythos model — now valued at roughly nine hundred sixty-five billion dollars — will begin explicitly notifying users when a request is being rejected or downgraded due to national security concerns, rather than quietly limiting responses without explanation.
That's the tape. Markets Desk, signing off the floor.
