Plug Energy (NASDAQ: PLUG) inventory surged by as a lot as 15.3% at its highest level in buying and selling this week earlier than reversing course on Thursday. And on Friday morning, shares of the hydrogen and gasoline cell maker crashed by greater than 8% and have been buying and selling 3.5% decrease for the week via 11 a.m. ET, in response to knowledge offered by .

Plug Energy introduced a brand new technique this week that might usher in some money, however a recent growth in one other a part of the clear power business dampened investor sentiment and despatched the tumbling once more.

Why Plug Energy inventory rose beforehand

This week, Plug Energy introduced it was initiating a brand new gear leasing platform that might assist it elevate $150 million within the mid-to-near time period. To begin, it signed three sale and leaseback transactions price $44 million with GTL Leasing, a lessor of hydrogen storage and transport gear. Personal fairness agency Antin Infrastructure Companions owns a majority stake in GTL.

Beneath such transactions, Plug Energy can obtain lump sum funds for gear akin to trailers and storage tanks whereas retaining the precise to make use of them, giving it speedy entry to funds it will possibly use to cowl its day-to-day operational bills.

Plug Energy inventory may stay risky

Plug Energy is dealing with an ongoing money crunch , and even issued a going concern warning final yr. Its new leasing platform may enable it to lift some money whereas it tries to safe greater funding, akin to a mortgage from the Division of Vitality. Plug Energy has a conditional mortgage assure of as much as $1.66 billion, and says it’s working carefully with the division to finalize the mortgage.

This week, Plug Energy additionally secured an order for 25 megawatts of electrolyzers from Castellon Inexperienced Hydrogen, a three way partnership between power large BP and Spain-based utility operator Iberdrola. Whereas this order alerts a rising curiosity in inexperienced hydrogen, different clear power sources are getting much more consideration.

On Friday, utility large Constellation Vitality introduced plans to restart a shuttered nuclear reactor in Pennsylvania after signing an enormous contract to supply carbon-free electrical energy to tech large Microsoft‘s knowledge facilities. The deal might be a harbinger of extra alternatives to return for nuclear energy, which is cheaper to supply, making it even more durable for firms like Plug Energy to make a compelling case for alternate options akin to inexperienced hydrogen.

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Darden Eating places (NYSE:) has drawn combined views from analysts on Friday, with Evercore ISI upgrading the inventory whereas Bernstein takes a extra cautious stance.

Evercore ISI upgraded Darden to Outperform from In Line, elevating the value goal from $165 to $205, citing elevated confidence in gross sales progress, significantly at Olive Backyard, which makes up 45% of the corporate’s gross sales.

Evercore ISI highlighted new initiatives akin to extra price-point promoting, limited-time affords (LTOs), and the mixing of Uber Eats as key drivers.

“We imagine the corporate will proceed to concentrate on worthwhile gross sales progress permitting EBITDA margin to enhance over the subsequent 12 months,” Evercore ISI mentioned, additionally elevating its fiscal 12 months 2026 same-store gross sales (SSS) progress estimate to three% from 1.5%.

“We additionally stay assured on Lengthy Horn (25% of gross sales) because it continues to realize share,” added the agency.

In distinction, Bernstein downgraded Darden to Market-Carry out from Outperform, citing restricted upside and continued macroeconomic pressures affecting client spending.

The agency famous that Olive Backyard’s same-store gross sales declined by 2.9% within the first quarter of fiscal 12 months 2025, marking the chain’s largest setback in over a decade, excluding pandemic disruptions.

Bernstein famous that whereas administration has shifted to a extra aggressive technique, together with LTOs and price-point promoting, they see potential long-term challenges: “We notice that these makes an attempt could also be masking extra enduring pressures than we had anticipated.”

“With the low frequency within the classes by which Darden operates, we count on it would take a while for customers to note the modifications,” they added.

Bernstein stays involved about labor inflation dangers and the potential affect of tighter immigration controls, which may shrink the labor pool.

Regardless of these considerations, they count on Darden to satisfy its fiscal 12 months 2025 steering of 6-8% EPS progress however revised their value goal all the way down to $180 from $190, noting that the current inventory rally has balanced the risk-reward profile.

Boeing is dealing with one of many hardest instances in its historical past. Lately, 33,000 union after rejecting the corporate’s newest contract provide. The strike has solely added to the corporate’s rising checklist of issues, such because the 737 Max manufacturing points, monetary losses and sinking worker morale.

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The union members, most of them based mostly in Washington state, turned down a proposal to lift wages by 25% over 4 years, as they have been . Boeing’s inventory has dropped by over 6% as a result of rejection and analysts are warning that ranking companies could decrease the corporate’s debt to junk standing.

Boeing’s new CEO, is coming into a turbulent time after lately buying a $4.1 million house in Seattle. He assumed the place following the corporate’s staggering $1.4 billion loss within the 2024 second quarter. Now, he faces a strike that might jeopardize Boeing’s probabilities of restoration.

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To handle these issues, Boeing’s CFO Brian West has devised , akin to stopping new hiring, halting raises, lowering pointless journey and even contemplating short-term layoffs. Boeing additionally plans to spend much less on suppliers and cease shopping for its personal planes, such because the 737 Max, 767 and 777 fashions.

Whereas these measures may assist Boeing lower your expenses within the brief time period, specialists like Jason Walker, a marketing consultant from Thrive HR Consulting, warn they might make issues worse in the long term, as they might additional harm worker morale, which is already low. Walker famous, “Workers have already got a dim view of administration and that is simply going to make it worse. I believe they’re actually in a loss of life spiral of their very own making.”

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The Boeing administration is dashing to succeed in a settlement with the union and forestall extra hurt. West has indicated that he desires to return to the negotiating desk and Ortberg actively participates within the discussions.

An aerospace advisor, James Darcy, cautioned that though resolving the strike is important for Boeing to renew plane deliveries and improve money stream, the settlement circumstances “will do nothing to assist” the corporate’s long-term monetary well being.

Boeing is presently in a weak scenario. For one of many greatest aerospace corporations on this planet, the longer term seems tough, given the mounting distrust between administration and staff, huge monetary losses and an unclear plan of action. It stays to be seen if Boeing can bounce again and win again the belief of each its workers and purchasers.

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