Q2 Earnings Reports, Meme Stocks, and More: Thursday's Top Stock Market Stories

Several companies released Q2 2025 earnings reports on Thursday, with Blackstone beating estimates and Honeywell International slipping despite beating estimates. Maxlinear saw a massive rally after surpassing Q2 estimates, while IBM fell despite beating estimates. Goldman Sachs plans to axe a second round of job cuts after strong Q2 results. Loblaw's Q2 earnings boosted its stock, and American Eagle joined the meme stock rally with a collaboration with actress Sydney Sweeney. Beyond Meat's stock dipped after it couldn't maintain its meme stock rally, and Dow Inc.'s stock dove after a 50% cut to its quarterly dividend. UnitedHealth's stock sank after a Department of Justice probe into its Medicare billings. Nvidia and Advanced Micro Devices stocks gained from the AI action plan, and AMD stock also gained from CEO Lisa Su's praise for America's chip manufacturing plans. NVDA stock was up despite reports of $1 billion worth of chips being smuggled to China.

Thursday marked a day of mixed earnings reports, with several notable companies releasing their Q2 2025 financial statements. Blackstone Inc. (BX) stood out with a strong performance, surpassing analyst expectations and driving its stock price higher. Meanwhile, Honeywell International (HON) saw a similar result in earnings but experienced a stock decline.

Blackstone Inc. (BX)

Blackstone reported a robust Q2 2025, with earnings per share (EPS) of $1.21, surpassing forecasts by 11.01% [1]. Revenue reached $3.71 billion, significantly beating expectations by 32.97%. The company’s stock price rose by 4.18% in pre-market trading to $178.43, reflecting positive investor sentiment. Blackstone’s total assets under management (AUM) increased by 13% year-over-year to $1.2 trillion, while fee-earning AUM rose by 10% to $887 billion, showcasing its strong market position. The company is expanding in private credit and infrastructure sectors, with fee-related earnings and total fee revenues seeing significant growth.

Honeywell International (HON)

Honeywell International also reported Q2 earnings that beat estimates, but its stock price declined. The company reported EPS of $1.35, exceeding forecasts by 4.46%. However, the stock fell by 3.48% in post-earnings trading, likely due to market sentiment and sector-specific concerns.

Other Notable Earnings

- Maxlinear: Maxlinear saw a massive rally after surpassing Q2 estimates, with its stock price surging despite beating expectations.
- IBM: IBM’s stock fell despite beating estimates, possibly due to broader market sentiment and sector-specific challenges.
- Goldman Sachs: Goldman Sachs plans to axe a second round of job cuts after strong Q2 results, indicating ongoing cost management efforts.
- Loblaw: Loblaw's Q2 earnings boosted its stock, reflecting positive performance in the retail sector.
- American Eagle: American Eagle joined the meme stock rally with a collaboration with actress Sydney Sweeney, driving its stock price higher.
- Beyond Meat: Beyond Meat’s stock dipped after failing to maintain its meme stock rally, indicating market volatility in the sector.
- Dow Inc.: Dow Inc.'s stock dove after a 50% cut to its quarterly dividend, impacting investor sentiment.
- UnitedHealth: UnitedHealth's stock sank after a Department of Justice probe into its Medicare billings, reflecting regulatory concerns.
- Nvidia (NVDA) & Advanced Micro Devices (AMD): Nvidia and AMD stocks gained from the AI action plan and CEO Lisa Su's praise for America's chip manufacturing plans, respectively. NVDA stock was up despite reports of $1 billion worth of chips being smuggled to China.

Outlook

The mixed results reflect the diverse challenges and opportunities across various sectors. Companies like Blackstone and Maxlinear demonstrated strong performance, while others faced market headwinds. Investors should continue to monitor earnings reports and market developments for insights into future trends and opportunities.

References

[1] https://www.investing.com/news/transcripts/earnings-call-transcript-blackstone-q2-2025-earnings-beat-forecasts-stock-rises-93CH-4151344