Luca Moschini is the founder of SharperTrades and a trading and investing educator focused on market structure, price action, and options. A US swing trader with Nasdaq and NYSE recognition, he also co-created the DarkOption Flow fintech platform.
Sector
U.S. airlines are facing mounting pressure as a government shutdown disrupts airport operations while oil prices surge above $100 per barrel, increasing fuel costs and raising concerns about travel delays during the busy spring travel season.
Price Action
This week’s market reactions revealed a consistent pattern: investors focused less on headline earnings beats and more on forward outlooks, rising costs, and macro uncertainty, driving sharply different reactions across companies and sectors.
Earnings
El Pollo Loco (LOCO) shares surged after the restaurant chain reported improving sales trends and stronger fourth-quarter profitability. Investors responded to the company’s return to positive comparable sales and growing confidence in its menu innovation and operational strategy.
Earnings
Ulta Beauty (ULTA) shares fell after the beauty retailer reported strong fourth-quarter results but issued weaker-than-expected guidance for the year ahead. Investors focused on slowing projected sales growth and rising operating costs despite solid holiday performance.
Earnings
Dick’s Sporting Goods (DKS) shares climbed after the retailer reported stronger-than-expected quarterly earnings and sales. Investors are now focused on the company’s guidance and how the recently acquired Foot Locker business performs during its first full year under Dick’s ownership.
Earnings
Dollar General (DG) shares declined after the discount retailer reported stronger-than-expected quarterly results but issued a fiscal 2026 outlook that fell short of Wall Street expectations. Investors focused on the company’s slower projected sales growth despite solid recent performance.
Innovation & Tech
Nebius (NBIS) shares surged after Nvidia (NVDA) announced a $2 billion investment in the AI cloud company as part of a strategic partnership to expand hyperscale computing infrastructure for artificial intelligence workloads.
Earnings
Oracle (ORCL) shares jumped after the company reported stronger-than-expected earnings and raised its long-term revenue forecast to $90 billion by fiscal 2027, driven by rapid growth in cloud infrastructure and AI-related demand.
Sector
Rivian (RIVN) shares moved higher after an analyst upgrade highlighted the upcoming launch of the company’s R2 electric vehicle platform, a lower-cost model designed to expand Rivian’s reach into the mass-market EV segment.
Earnings
United Natural Foods (UNFI) reported mixed quarterly results as revenue declined year over year while profitability improved. The company raised its earnings outlook but lowered its full-year sales guidance, prompting a cautious market reaction.
Earnings
NIO (NIO) shares jumped after the Chinese electric vehicle maker reported a surprise fourth-quarter profit, record vehicle deliveries, and strong revenue growth, signaling improving financial performance in the competitive EV market.
Macro
Oil prices surged toward $120 per barrel before plunging below $90 after comments suggesting the Iran war could end soon. The volatile move triggered sharp swings across global markets as investors reacted to supply disruptions and shifting geopolitical headlines.