US Stocks Steady as Second-Quarter Earnings Deliver Mixed Signals

US stock markets navigated a busy stretch of second-quarter corporate results this week, with individual share moves diverging sharply even as the broader indices held their ground. Super Micro Computer jumped about 25% after the server maker released preliminary fourth-quarter figures showing profitability well ahead of what investors had anticipated, offsetting revenue that landed near the lower end of its own guidance. GE Vernova moved in the opposite direction, falling more than 7% despite reporting second-quarter revenue of about $11.1 billion and raising its full-year financial guidance; the company pointed to a backlog of roughly $176 billion, continued revenue growth, margin expansion and strong free cash flow generation. Reddit shares slid around 9% following a report that the company had discussed cutting off Google's access to its content for artificial intelligence purposes, leaving the stock down roughly 27% for the year. Executives at brokerage Stifel, which beat expectations for the quarter, described worries over the federal deficit and inflation as routine industry challenges while flagging the rapid rise of artificial intelligence as a more significant emerging risk.