Shares of Nvidia (NVDA) set a fresh record intraday high Thursday as a blowout earnings report from supplier Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSM) eased concerns that the semiconductor market was stalling.

TSMC posted a 54% year-over-year jump in profit and a 39% rise in revenue in the third quarter on artificial intelligence (AI) chip sales, and the company predicted demand would continue into the future. 

That offset news earlier this week from Dutch semiconductor maker ASML Holding (ASML), which warned that the recovery in non-AI chips was taking longer than anticipated.  

Adding to the positive feelings about Nvidia were comments from billionaire investor Stanley Druckenmiller about his sale of the company's shares. The Duquesne Family Office CEO said in an interview with that "it was a big mistake" to dump all his stake, adding, "I'm licking my wounds from a bad sale there."

Nvidia shares were recently up 2.7% to $139.39 after earlier Thursday touching a record $140.89. They have nearly tripled since the beginning of 2024.

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Delta Air Lines (DAL) reports third-quarter results before the bell next Thursday, Oct. 10, its first report since July's worldwide IT outage caused by a CrowdStrike (CRWD) software update forced the carrier to cancel thousands of flights, costing it an estimated $500 million.

Analysts expect a slight year-over-year gain in revenue to $15.69 billion, with net income projected to tick lower to $1.10 billion, according to analysts' consensus estimates compiled by Visible Alpha.

All 10 analysts covering Delta tracked by Visible Alpha have a "buy" or equivalent rating on the airline's stock, with an average target price of $61.40, about 30% above Thursday afternoon's share price of $47.38.

In July, Delta posted record second-quarter revenue, but a number of costs rose at least 20%, leading profit to come in well below what analysts had expected, and shares fell 4% that day.

Revenue could continue its strong pace set in the first two quarters of the year, as airlines have said travel demand has remained strong, with July 4 travel setting TSA checkpoint records. However, Delta is also likely to have lost out on some revenue and incurred costs handling the mid-July IT outage.

Delta's Q2 results came about a week before the IT outage that hindered Delta's operations for several days. Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Ed Bastian estimated that the canceled flights and compensation for passengers cost the airline at least $500 million.

Delta was the hardest hit of the major airlines, and said it has considered legal action against CrowdStrike and Microsoft (MSFT), but the tech companies have said they aren't responsible for the age of Delta's IT infrastructure or how the airline responded to the outage.

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The Nigeria Police Force has arrested some policemen attached to the Zone 16 Command in Yenagoa, Bayelsa for their alleged involvement in a N3 million extortion case.

This was disclosed by the Force Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, on Thursday, September 5, 2024.

The officers allegedly extorted the said sum from a Ghana-based Nigerian man, identified as Liberty Kelechi Isaac, at g¥npoint on Monday.

Speaking with newsmen, Isaac said: “My name is Liberty Kelechi Isaac. I am from Nguru Nworie autonomous community in the Aboh Mbaise Local Government Area of Imo State. I am based in Ghana. I have not been to Nigeria for six years now. I came to Nigeria to attend a friend’s traditional wedding in Bayelsa State.

After attending the traditional wedding and we were driving back to Imo State and around Udi axis some policemen flagged us down. We stopped and they asked me to unlock my phone. I asked them why and they said I must open my phone. I reminded them that the Inspector General of Police asked Nigerians not to allow policemen on the road to access their phones. Immediately I said that, they started b£3ting me.

I asked them to take me to a police station but they refused. So instead of me to di3 I obeyed them. Immediately they accessed my phone, they went to my messages log and saw a N10 million bank alert. Immediately they saw the alert they shouted ‘na dem’. At that point the b£3ting increased.

They said that if I don’t give them N6 million they will k33l all of us. Out of fear I started negotiating with them and at the end of the day I transferred N3 million to them in two bank accounts they provided and they drove with us and stopped us at Ahoada in Rivers State and drove back.

I transferred N2 million to one Yusuf Mustafa of Moniepoint Microfinance Bank and I also transferred N1 million to one Jerry Ventures of Moniepoint Microfinance Bank.”

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Shares of ServiceNow (NOW) traded at an all-time high Thursday, a day after the software and IT services provider posted better-than-expected results and boosted its guidance as demand for its artificial intelligence (AI) platform boomed.

The company reported third-quarter adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of $3.72, with revenue rising 22% year-over-year to $2.80 billion. Both exceeded forecasts. Subscription revenue gained 23% to $2.72 billion, and professional services and other revenue was up 14% to $82 million. 

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Bill McDermott said both existing and new customers are "doubling down on their investments in ServiceNow as the AI platform for business transformation." Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Gina Mastantuono added that the release of its new Xanadu platform "marks our most comprehensive set of new AI innovations yet, further fueling our durable topline growth and margin expansion."

The company now sees full-year subscription revenue in the range of $10.655 billion to 10.660 billion, up from its previous outlook of $10.575 billion to $10.585 billion.

Along with the financial news, ServiceNow announced that former Google (GOOGL) Cloud and Oracle (ORCL) executive Amit Zavery would become the new Chief Product Officer and Chief Operating Officer beginning on Oct. 28. 

ServiceNow shares recently were up 5.5% to $957.47 after earlier touching an all-time high of $979.78. They have added more than a third of their value this year.

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