FDA Appointment Sends Pharma Stocks Soaring

FDA Appointment Sends Pharma Stocks Soaring

ETFs tracking global drugmakers hit a record high after the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) named Richard Pazdur, the agency’s top cancer drug regulator, as head of its Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. Pazdur is a 26-year FDA veteran and founding director of its Oncology Center of Excellence. The news lifted the VanEck Vectors Pharmaceutical ETF [PPH] to record highs, Seeking Alpha outlined. 

Anthropic Announces Building Frenzy

The startup plans to invest $50bn in US artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure, building new data centers in New York and Texas with UK cloud startup Fluidstack, the Financial Times reported. “We’re getting closer to AI that can accelerate scientific discovery … Realizing that potential requires infrastructure that can support continued development at the frontier,” said CEO Dario Amodei. 

Brussels Renews Google Assault

Brussels is set to launch a new probe into Alphabet over how Google ranks news outlets. The European Commission will investigate claims that Google downranks publishers featuring “third-party” sponsored content, which media groups say is vital to their business. The case falls under the Digital Markets Act, with potential fines reaching up to 10% of global revenue for non-compliance.

As Losses Widen, Can Oklo Turn Hype into Profit?

Oklo [OKLO] has been one of 2025’s most explosive nuclear energy stories. The stock has surged more than 390% year-to-date, peaking in October 15 at an all-time high price of $193.84. However, during Q3, Oklo logged a loss from operations of $36.31m as well as a net loss per share of $0.20 in Q3. OPTO details the rest of the results, and wonders how the firm will bounce back from this underwhelming outcome. 

Cisco: Q1 Earning Beat

The tech leader [CSCO] kicked off fiscal 2026 with a strong first quarter, surpassing guidance on both revenue and earnings. CEO Charles Robbins highlighted record Q1 revenue, driven by a 10% rise in product sales. Hyperscaler AI infrastructure orders totaled $1.3bn, with roughly $3bn expected for the full year. Total revenue rose 8% to $14.9bn, non-GAAP net income reached $4bn (+9%) and EPS $1.00 (+10%). 

Robotmaker’s “Inflection Point”

Serve Robotics [SERV] reported strong Q3 2025 results, hitting a milestone of 1,000 deployed robots. CEO Ali Kashani described it as an “inflection point,” highlighting nearly 100% delivery reliability, a 66% quarterly volume increase and coverage of 3,600 restaurants — a 45% jump from Q2. Total revenue rose 210% year-over-year to $687,000, led by $433,000 fleet revenue and $254,000 software revenue. 

Circle Drops Post-earnings; Wood’s ARK Swoops In

Circle Internet Group [CRCL] specializes in blockchain infrastructure and stablecoins, including the widely used USD Coin [USDC] and the Euro Coin [EURC]. CRCL stock dropped over 10% after earnings earlier this week. Regardless, Cathie Wood’s ARK Invest purchased approximately $30.5m of CRCL shares. OPTO examines the company’s impressive results, and unpacks what Wood might see in the stock.