Stock Market Today (LIVE): Easing Energy Prices Reverse Market Losses, OpenAI Explores $10B Private Equity Venture

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11:40 am

OpenAI is in late-stage talks with private equity titans TPG Inc. (TPG 1.54%) and Brookfield Asset Management (BAM +2.31%) to launch a $10 billion joint venture. This strategic vehicle aims to deploy OpenAI’s enterprise tools across the firms’ massive portfolios, potentially securing a $4 billion capital injection. As OpenAI and rival Anthropic both eye potential 2026 IPOs, these partnerships provide a critical moat by locking in corporate adoption. For investors in public PE firms, the deal offers a rare hedge against AI disruption within their diverse holdings.

11:20 am -- PTON +4.45%

Peloton (PTON +4.18%) is shifting gears, announcing a "Commercial Series" of bikes and treadmills designed for high-traffic gym floors. Launching in late 2026 across six countries, the line leverages hardware from its Precor subsidiary to withstand heavy use that original consumer models couldn't handle. With companywide revenue recently dipping 3% and the AI-powered "Peloton IQ" struggling for consumer traction, CEO Peter Stern is leaning on the commercial unit — which grew 10% last quarter — to offset sluggish at-home demand.

10:15 am -- BMRN -0.9%

BioMarin Pharmaceutical (BMRN 1.62%) shares fell 4% Monday after the company scrapped mid-stage trials of its bone disorder treatment, Voxzogo, for three genetic conditions. The decision followed reports of "slipped" hip joints in patients across Turner Syndrome and SHOX-deficiency studies. While the drug remains FDA-approved for achondroplasia, this pipeline contraction limits its total addressable market just as new competition arrives. Investors are now weighing the impact of these safety signals against the company's remaining pediatric growth trials.

10:35 am -- AAPL +1.2%, NKE +1.2%, NTDOY +1.5%

What if your child’s favorite video game or burrito bowl could teach them the power of compounding? Our team is breaking down why companies like Apple (AAPL +1.01%) , Nike (NKE +1.46%) , and Nintendo (NTDOY +0.88%) make the best "first stocks" because they are brands kids already know and love.

We want to hear from you: What was the first stock you bought for your child or grandchild, and what was the "lightbulb moment" that got them interested? Members can share their story in Today's Take!

9:45 am — META +2.2%

By Loren Horst Team Rule Breakers

Meta Platforms (META +2.05%) is planning to lay off roughly 20% of its workforce, according to a report published by Reuters over the weekend. While a Meta spokesperson has called the story "speculative reporting about theoretical approaches," the scale of the layoffs could be staggering – potentially surpassing Meta's 11,000 jobs cut in the prelude to its "year of efficiency" and more than the 16,000 layoffs announced by Amazon.

It was just months ago that CEO Mark Zuckerberg was calling 2026 a year for building personal superintelligence while Meta floated $100 million pay packages toward top AI talent from other companies. But according to Andreessen Horowitz's latest yearly rankings of top generative AI consumer apps, Meta AI comes in at an underwhelming 21st place for monthly active users (MAUs) and 35th place for unique monthly visits.

9:35 am -- META +3.2%, NVDA +2.4%

Wall Street snapped a three-week skid Monday as the Dow jumped 381 points. Easing energy prices provided the primary catalyst, with WTI crude retreating to $95 per barrel following reports that the U.S. will lead a naval coalition to secure the Strait of Hormuz. Tech led the charge as Meta Platforms climbed 3% on restructuring rumors, while Nvidia (NVDA +2.46%) rose ahead of its high-stakes GTC conference. Despite recent volatility, the S&P 500 remains within 5% of its all-time high, buoyed by resilient 2026 earnings forecasts.

8:00 am -- JD +0.64%, AMZN +0.48% in pre-market trading

JD.com (JD +1.70%) has officially launched its Joybuy marketplace across the UK and Northern Europe, signaling a direct assault on Amazon's (AMZN +1.01%) regional dominance. Leveraging its $2.5 billion acquisition of electronics giant Ceconomy, JD is deploying a network of 60 warehouses to offer same-day delivery to 15 million households. The platform features blue-chip partners like L'Oreal and De'Longhi, while undercutting Amazon Prime with a "JoyPlus" subscription priced at just £3.99/month. This aggressive expansion into Europe's lucrative grocery and tech sectors represents a critical attempt by JD to offset sluggish consumer demand and fierce domestic competition from PDD Holdings (PDD +1.66%) in its home Chinese market.

8:30 am -- NBIS +14.27% in pre-market trading

Meta Platforms (META +2.05%) is doubling down on external infrastructure, signing a massive $27 billion deal with Dutch cloud provider Nebius (NBIS +15.48%). Over the next five years, Nebius will supply Meta with dedicated AI capacity, including some of the first large-scale deployments of Nvidia's (NVDA +2.46%) next-generation "Vera Rubin" chips. This partnership highlights a shifting strategy for Meta; while it remains a "hyperscaler" with its own data center roadmap, the company is increasingly outsourcing specialized compute needs to keep pace with Alphabet (GOOG +0.67%) and Microsoft (MSFT +0.89%). For Nebius, a company birthed from the restructuring of Yandex, the deal cements its status as Europe's premier AI cloud, following a similar $19.4 billion agreement with Microsoft last year.

7:30 am

Nvidia (NVDA +2.46%) today kicks off its annual GTC (GPU Technology Conference) in San Jose, California – in a year when hyperscalers intend to spend more than $600 billion on AI infrastructure. What to expect? Analysts are talking about vertical integration – from chips all the way to full AI systems – and news of future chip generations. Thoughts on the longer-term sustainability of AI spend won't be far from watchers' minds.

7:25 am -- LULU +0.46% in pre-market trading

By Sanmeet DeoTeam Rule Breakers

Over the past year, Lululemon (LULU +2.14%) stock has been cut in half as the dark clouds persist over the company. The pioneer of the athleisure industry is facing stiff competition from the likes of Alo, Vuori & others, its core U.S. market is sluggish and products have become stale and full of controversy (see through leggings anyone?). On top of that, macro concerns with tariffs and corporate governance issues (in search of a CEO, proxy battle) have weighed heavily.

Those are a lot of storm clouds. Can we see through them? If we squint, I think we can. It's only a matter of time before they find a CEO, who hopefully will make some important changes. This will be a true test of the strength of its brand and the loyalty and passion of its customers.

I recently had the chance to trial some alternative data (social media trends, web traffic, etc.) and while the financial metrics show some slowing, the consumer social interest, web traffic and gift card demand still remain high. This may not directly correlate to next week's earnings report but I like to see high consumer and social interest.

The stock looks extremely cheap right now but with earnings coming up, I would wait to digest the earnings and evaluate then.

6:15 am -- BA +0.43% in pre-market trading

Economic officials from Washington and Beijing concluded "remarkably stable" negotiations in Paris, carving out a list of "deliverables" for President Trump's high-stakes state visit to China starting March 31. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Vice Premier He Lifeng reportedly reached tentative agreements on expanding Chinese purchases of American coal, oil, and agricultural goods, including a renewed commitment to 25 million metric tons of soybeans annually. For investors, the most significant tailwinds involve Boeing (BA +1.67%), as negotiators explicitly discussed renewed Chinese orders for jetliners, and the tech sector, with discussions "loosening up" bottlenecks on critical minerals like yttrium. While a final "Board of Trade" mechanism is being developed to manage long-term friction, this weekend's progress suggests a tactical pivot toward balanced, managed trade rather than a return to triple-digit tariff escalations.

6:00 am -- META up 2.98% in pre-market trading

Meta Platforms (META +2.05%) is reportedly preparing its most aggressive headcount reduction to date, with sources indicating that 20% or more of its 79,000-person workforce could be cut. CEO Mark Zuckerberg is pivoting the social media giant toward a leaner, "AI-assisted" operational model to offset a staggering $600 billion infrastructure roadmap. Despite a "speculative" label from company spokespeople, the move aligns with recent comments from Zuckerberg about single individuals now accomplishing tasks that once required entire teams. For investors, the trade-off is clear: Meta is sacrificing its human capital to bankroll the specialized talent and massive compute power needed to rescue its lagging "Avocado" AI models.

5:45 am -- MOH unchanged in pre-market trading

Molina Healthcare (MOH 0.08%) will be deleted from the S&P 500 and simultaneously added to the S&P SmallCap 600, effective prior to market open on March 23, 2026. S&P Dow Jones Indices announced the index rebalance as part of its regular review process.

5:30 am

Stock futures are edging higher Monday as investors look to snap a three-week losing streak for the S&P 500. The focus is squarely on Nvidia (NVDA +2.46%), which kicks off its annual GTC conference today. CEO Jensen Huang is expected to unveil the "Vera Rubin" AI architecture, a successor to the Blackwell line that could redefine data center efficiency. However, the "AI Super Bowl" faces a stiff headwind from the Middle East, where Brent crude has climbed past $105 per barrel following U.S. strikes on Iran's Kharg Island oil hub. While the Federal Reserve is widely expected to hold interest rates steady this week, the energy-driven spike in inflation has traders pricing out any hopes for a rate cut