Be in the know. 14 key reads for Friday…

  1. Exclusive: Largest Papa John’s franchisee joins Irth in buyout bid for pizza chain, sources say (reuters)
  2. Despite Record Low Sentiment, US Retail Sales See Strongest Annual Gain In 8 Months (zerohedge)
  3. Consumers Spent More in April Despite High Gas Prices (nytimes)
  4. The North Face And U.S. Ski & Snowboard Enter 8-Year Apparel Deal (forbes)
  5. Inside QXO’s growth plan after $30.2 billion acquisition spree (housingwire)
  6. US business inventories post biggest gain in nearly four years in March (reuters)
  7. China will order 200 Boeing jets, Trump tells Fox News (cnbc)
  8. Trump discloses big buys of shares in Boeing and Nvidia as the companies look set to gain from his China trip (marketwatch)
  9. Exclusive: US clears H200 chip sales to 10 China firms as Nvidia CEO looks for breakthrough (reuters)
  10. Alibaba, Tencent present a tale of two strategies for AI spending (scmp)
  11. China will work behind the scenes to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, Bessent says (cnbc)
  12. JPMorgan Strategist Says Winners in Global Stocks Go Beyond AI (bloomberg)
  13. Kevin Warsh on the Fed, in His Own Words (wsj)
  14. Quest Diagnostics, Altria, and 12 More Stocks That Are Coming Back to Life After a Rough Patch (barrons)

Be in the know. 18 key reads for Thursday…

  1. Canada Goose Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year Fiscal 2026 Results (canadagoose)
  2. Canada Goose shares gain as quarterly results exceed expectations (investing)
  3. Alibaba CEO signals capex boost as China tech giant forges full-stack AI path (scmp)
  4. Alibaba targets $4.4b in AI revenue by 2026 (techinasia)
  5. Alibaba and Tencent now seen as AI plays, not just e-commerce, says analyst (cnbc)
  6. Chinese companies are ramping up homegrown AI chips, even if Nvidia is coming back (cnbc)
  7. China’s Forgotten Tech Trade Is Exploding (zerohedge)
  8. US Treasury’s Bessent expects large Boeing order during China visit (reuters)
  9. Boeing lost China. Trump—and 500 jets—may be about to win it back (fortune)
  10. Xi Tells US CEOs Accompanying Trump That China Will Open Up More (bloomberg)
  11. Bessent Says US, China Discussing ‘Board of Investment’ (bloomberg)
  12. How the U.S. Became the World’s Greatest Energy Exporter (wsj)
  13. Energy Stocks Have Soared. Why the Boom Can Last. (barrons)
  14. Truist tracks Vans TikTok Shop sales amid promotional discipline (investing)
  15. April Consumer Spending Should Remain Solid, Even With Higher Gas Prices (barrons)
  16. What the biggest mid-cycle earnings acceleration on record means for the stock market (marketwatch)
  17. Global Fund Managers Playing Catch-Up May Fuel S&P’s Next Leg Up (bloomberg)
  18. Kevin Warsh Is Confirmed as Fed Chair in 54–45 Senate Vote (wsj)