Dj Juniper Networks Files 8K - Regulation Fd >Jnpr

US benchmark equity indexes ended higher Thursday as markets parsed the latest set of corporate earnings and awaited Apple's results.

IPhone maker Apple is scheduled to report results after Thursday's closing bell, along with payments giant Visa and chipmaker Intel .

* The US economy grew at an annual rate of 2.3% in the fourth quarter, slower than a Bloomberg-compiled consensus of 2.6%. In the third quarter, the economy grew 3.1%.

* Pending home sales in the US unexpectedly declined in December after four consecutive months of gains, the National Association of Realtors said.

"After four straight months of gains in contract signings, one step back is not welcome news, but it is not entirely surprising," NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun said. "High mortgage rates have not significantly dented housing demand due to greater numbers of cash transactions."

* March West Texas Intermediate crude oil closed up $1.08 to settle at $73.70 per barrel, while March Brent crude, the global benchmark, was last seen $0.91 higher at $77.49 despite threats by the Trump Administration to impose 25% tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico, the two largest sources of U.S. oil imports.

* Microsoft issued fiscal Q3 revenue guidance that fell short of estimates, and several analysts on Thursday cut their price targets for the company. That company's shares were down 6.2%.

* Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Juniper Networks said they will "vigorously defend" their proposed deal in court following the US Justice Department's decision to file a lawsuit to block the $14 billion transaction on antitrust grounds. Shares of Hewlett Packard fell 2.2%, while Juniper Networks declined 2.3%.

Tech stocks were mixed late Thursday afternoon, with the Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLK) easing 0.1% and the SPDR S&P Semiconductor ETF (XSD) rising 1.2%.

The Philadelphia Semiconductor index climbed 1.8%.

In corporate news, Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Juniper Networks said Thursday they will "vigorously defend" their proposed deal in court following the US Justice Department's decision to file a lawsuit to block the $14 billion transaction on antitrust grounds. Hewlett Packard shares fell 2.2%, and Juniper was down 2.4%.

STMicroelectronics shares declined nearly 9% after it reported lower Q4 results.

Microsoft issued fiscal Q3 revenue guidance that fell short of estimates, and several analysts on Thursday cut their price targets for the company. Its shares fell 6.3%.

Meta's Q1 revenue outlook fell short of market estimates at the midpoint after the company recorded better-than-expected Q4 results. The shares added 1.9%.

The US Department of Justice filed a lawsuit on Thursday in an attempt to block Hewlett Packard Enterprise's proposed $14 billion acquisition for Juniper Networks , arguing the combination would significantly reduce competition.

In a complaint filed in the Northern District of California, the DOJ said the transaction would "eliminate fierce head-to-head competition" between the second- and third-largest providers of wireless local area network, or WLAN, solutions in the US.

"This proposed merger would significantly reduce competition and weaken innovation, resulting in large segments of the American economy paying more for less from wireless technology providers," Acting Assistant Attorney General Omeed Assefi of DOJ's antitrust division said in a statement.

"Vital industries in our country — including American hospitals and small businesses — rely on wireless networks to complete their missions," Assefi said.

Shares of Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Juniper were down about 2% each in late afternoon trade. The proposed acquisition was announced in January 2024.

In a joint statement, Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Juniper Networks said they strongly oppose the DOJ's decision, calling the regulator's analysis "fundamentally flawed." The companies vowed to defend the transaction in court.

"Consistent with the conclusions reached by all other major antitrust regulators who have reviewed the deal, this transaction brings together two complementary networking offerings and will create a networking player with the scope and scale to more effectively compete with global incumbents," the companies wrote.

The Europe Commission and the UK's Competition and Markets Authority both cleared the deal last year.

A modern network built with artificial intelligence will improve customer experience, create more competition and strengthen the backbone of US networking infrastructure, the companies said.

Tech stocks were higher late Thursday afternoon, with the Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLK) adding 0.4% and the SPDR S&P Semiconductor ETF (XSD) rising 1.8%.

The Philadelphia Semiconductor index climbed 2.7%.

In corporate news, Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Juniper Networks said Thursday they will "vigorously defend" their proposed deal in court following the US Justice Department's decision to file a lawsuit to block the $14 billion transaction on antitrust grounds. Hewlett Packard shares fell 2.1%, and Juniper shed 2%.