Stock market today: S&P 500, Nasdaq rise as softer inflation data lifts rate outlook. 3 hours ago 44 5 minutes read U.S. stocks edged higher on Thursday as another encouraging inflation report helped ease fears of a near-term Federal Reserve rate hike, while investors worked through a busy round of corporate earnings. The S&P 500 gained about 0.5%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite advanced roughly 0.7% as growth stocks benefited from a friendlier rate backdrop. The Dow Jones Industrial Average bucked the trend, slipping about 0.1% as the blue-chip index struggled for direction. Thursday's gains followed Wednesday's cooler consumer inflation report, with softer producer prices adding to evidence that inflation pressures may be stabilizing despite continued uncertainty surrounding energy markets and the Strait of Hormuz. Market movers: * Omeros (OMER) +29% - Shares surged after the biotech company delivered better-than-expected second-quarter results as the commercial rollout of YARTEMLEA gained momentum, with gross revenue from the drug reaching $32.2 million, up 190% from the first quarter. Omeros also swung to adjusted net income of $1.8 million from a $17.1 million adjusted loss in Q1 and ended the quarter with $132 million in cash and short-term investments. * Birkenstock (BIRK) +13% - Shares jumped after the footwear company posted stronger-than-expected fiscal third-quarter results, with revenue climbing 13% year over year to €719.5 million as direct-to-consumer and wholesale sales both posted double-digit growth. Investors welcomed the company's ability to maintain full-price demand despite pressure on discretionary spending, although tariffs, currency headwinds and Middle East tensions remain potential drags on margins. * IREN (IREN) +11% - Shares rallied after the AI infrastructure company completed and received acceptance for its first AI Cloud deployment for Microsoft under their $9.7 billion, five-year cloud services agreement. The 50-megawatt Horizon 1 deployment is now operational at IREN's Childress, Texas campus, while the company continues targeting 480 megawatts of gross AI Cloud capacity in 2026 and 1.2 gigawatts in 2027. * Microsoft (MSFT) +2% - Shares rose after JPMorgan lifted its price target on the software giant to $625 from $550 while maintaining an Overweight rating, citing accelerating opportunities across Copilot and AI infrastructure. The firm sees AI spending supporting faster Azure and Microsoft 365 Commercial Cloud growth, with Copilot potentially adding between $24 billion and $41 billion in revenue. * Cerebras Systems (CBRS) -10% - Shares plunged after the AI chipmaker delivered weaker-than-expected second-quarter revenue and a steep adjusted earnings miss despite continued rapid growth in its core business. Revenue climbed 74.3% year over year to $180.1 million but fell short of consensus, while management projected full-year core revenue of $880 million to $890 million. * Cisco Systems (CSCO) -7% - Shares fell despite the networking giant beating fiscal fourth-quarter expectations and delivering guidance above Wall Street forecasts, highlighting how demanding expectations have become for companies tied to the AI infrastructure boom. Revenue increased 18% year over year to $17.3 billion, while Cisco expects roughly $7.5 billion in AI-related hyperscaler revenue in fiscal 2027 after hyperscaler orders more than doubled in the latest quarter. * Virgin Galactic (SPCE) -5% - Shares dropped after the space tourism company pushed the beginning of commercial service to February 2027 from the fourth quarter of 2026 as it works through additional avionics and systems installations. Virgin Galactic said demand remains strong and its $750,000 ticket tranche is oversubscribed, but the latest delay extends the wait for meaningful commercial revenue. * JD.com (JD) -4% - Shares declined after the Chinese e-commerce company reported better-than-expected quarterly results but showed signs of softer top-line momentum, with product revenue falling 5.4%. Service revenue grew 6.8% and profitability improved significantly, but cautious consumer spending, intensifying competition and a 10.4% increase in fulfillment expenses kept investors focused on the challenges ahead. Softer inflation data gives the Fed more breathing room. Thursday's Producer Price Index added to evidence that inflation pressures are beginning to cool. Producer prices rose less than economists had expected, while core measures showed slower price growth on both a monthly and annual basis. The report followed Wednesday's Consumer Price Index, which showed annual inflation easing to 3.4% in July from 3.5% in June. Together, the reports have encouraged investors to scale back expectations for a September rate hike, particularly after July's surprisingly weak employment report showed the U.S. economy losing 23,000 jobs. That does not mean the inflation fight is over. Price growth remains well above the Federal Reserve's 2% target, leaving policymakers with an uncomfortable mix of softer employment and still-elevated inflation. The question increasingly facing markets is whether recent moderation will prove durable enough for the Fed to remain on hold through the rest of the year. Oil and the Strait of Hormuz remain a wild card. Energy prices remain one of the biggest threats to that improving inflation picture. Oil prices moved lower Thursday as the Trump administration shifted its focus from active military operations toward economic pressure on Iran, but uncertainty surrounding shipping through the Strait of Hormuz remains elevated. The disruption matters well beyond energy markets. A prolonged restriction on oil shipments could push crude prices higher again, feed through to transportation and production costs, and complicate the Fed's efforts to bring inflation under control. The dollar is also caught between competing forces. Reduced expectations for Fed tightening could pressure the currency, while continued geopolitical instability and the United States' position as a major energy producer could preserve demand for the dollar as a safe-haven asset. AI earnings put sky-high expectations to the test. Earnings season continues to reveal a striking divide in the AI trade: demand for computing infrastructure remains enormous, but investors are becoming increasingly selective about which companies receive credit for that growth. Cisco's decline despite better-than-expected results offered another example. Its AI-related hyperscaler business continues to expand rapidly, yet strong numbers were not enough to satisfy investors after a powerful run for AI infrastructure stocks. Cerebras faced an even harsher reaction after its revenue and earnings fell short of expectations. At the same time, IREN's Microsoft deployment reinforced the scale of spending still flowing into the sector. Investors will get another important read after Thursday's close when chip-equipment heavyweight Applied Materials reports results, with its outlook likely to provide another window into semiconductor demand and the durability of the AI infrastructure cycle. Looking ahead. Markets now have two encouraging inflation reports in hand, giving investors more reason to believe the Federal Reserve can remain patient after July's weak jobs data. If inflation continues to cool without a deeper deterioration in employment, the prospect of an extended Fed pause could provide support for equities, particularly rate-sensitive technology and growth stocks. But the path remains unusually dependent on developments outside the traditional economic calendar. Oil prices, the Strait of Hormuz, elevated Treasury yields, and increasingly demanding expectations for AI companies all have the potential to quickly shift sentiment. With major indexes hovering near record territory, investors will be looking for confirmation that cooling inflation and resilient corporate growth can keep the rally moving without another shock upsetting the balance.

Omeros sees Unusually large options volume (NASDAQ:OMER). August 13, 2026 Key points. * Unusually high options activity: Traders purchased 12,612 Omeros call options, approximately 235% above the typical volume of 3,762 contracts. * Strong quarterly results and growth outlook: Omeros reported earnings of $0.02 per share versus expectations for a $0.27 loss, while revenue of $28.53 million more than doubled consensus estimates. Strong early demand for YARTEMLEA, reduced C5 competition, debt reduction and share repurchases supported investor confidence. * Shares surged 23.2%: Omeros stock reached $16.90 amid volume nearly four times its average. Analysts maintain a "Moderate Buy" consensus with a $38 average price target, though ratings include both Buy and Hold recommendations. * MarketBeat previews top five stocks to own in September. Omeros Corporation (NASDAQ:OMER - Get Free Report) saw some unusual options trading activity on Thursday. Traders acquired 12,612 call options on the stock. This represents an increase of approximately 235% compared to the typical volume of 3,762 call options. Analysts set new price targets. OMER has been the subject of a number of research reports. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Omeros from a "sell (d+)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. Zacks Research cut Omeros from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, July 13th. Wall Street Zen downgraded Omeros from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Sunday, June 7th. HC Wainwright reissued a "buy" rating on shares of Omeros in a research note on Monday, July 27th. Finally, D. Boral Capital reissued a "buy" rating and set a $36.00 price objective on shares of Omeros in a research note on Tuesday, April 21st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have assigned a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $38.00. Key stories impacting Omeros. Here are the key news stories impacting Omeros this week: * Positive Sentiment: Significant earnings and revenue beats: Omeros reported second-quarter earnings of $0.02 per share, versus analysts' expected loss of $0.27 per share and a $0.53 loss a year earlier. Revenue reached $28.53 million, more than double the $12.69 million consensus estimate. The results improved investor confidence in the company's commercial performance. Omeros Q2 Earnings and Revenues Beat Estimates * Positive Sentiment: YARTEMLEA momentum is supporting the outlook: Management highlighted strong early demand for YARTEMLEA, which is becoming an important commercial growth driver. Analysts also cited reduced competition in the C5 market as a positive factor for the product's potential. Omeros Earnings Call: Yartemlia Surge and Leaner Balance Sheet * Positive Sentiment: Balance-sheet and shareholder actions added to the catalyst: The earnings update emphasized debt reduction and a leaner balance sheet, while share repurchases provided an additional potential source of per-share support. OMER Stock Soars After YARTEMLEA Sales Momentum, Debt Reduction and Share Buybacks * Positive Sentiment: Analyst remains bullish: H.C. Wainwright reiterated its Buy rating and maintained a $33 price target, citing YARTEMLEA's launch trajectory and reduced C5 competition. This target is well above the stock's recent trading range and reinforces the bullish reaction to the results. Omeros Maintained at Buy With $33 Price Target * Neutral Sentiment: Reported short-interest data showed zero shares sold short, offering no meaningful short-squeeze or bearish-positioning signal. Omeros stock up 23.2%. Shares of Omeros stock traded up $3.19 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $16.90. The company's stock had a trading volume of 6,079,697 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,637,689. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.22 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.12 and a beta of 2.54. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $10.60 and a 200-day simple moving average of $11.47. Omeros has a 1-year low of $3.94 and a 1-year high of $18.14. Discover more Stock market news Business News Omeros (NASDAQ:OMER - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 13th. The biopharmaceutical company reported $0.02 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.27) by $0.29. The business had revenue of $28.53 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $12.69 million. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Omeros will post -0.94 earnings per share for the current year. Insider activity. In other news, Director Thomas J. Cable sold 7,500 shares of Omeros stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $11.61, for a total value of $87,075.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 35,067 shares of the company's stock, valued at $407,127.87. The trade was a 17.62% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 10.50% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. Institutional investors weigh in on Omeros. Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. State of Wyoming purchased a new stake in shares of Omeros during the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd purchased a new position in Omeros in the fourth quarter valued at about $33,000. Assetmark Inc. acquired a new position in Omeros in the 1st quarter worth about $38,000. Arax Advisory Partners increased its position in Omeros by 56.4% in the 4th quarter. Arax Advisory Partners now owns 5,255 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock worth $90,000 after purchasing an additional 1,894 shares during the last quarter. Finally, International Assets Investment Management LLC increased its position in Omeros by 16.0% in the 1st quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 5,800 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock worth $61,000 after purchasing an additional 800 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 48.79% of the company's stock. Omeros company profile. Omeros Corporation is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of small-molecule and protein therapeutics. The company's research programs target inflammation, complement-mediated diseases and disorders of the central nervous system. Omeros's portfolio encompasses both internally discovered molecules and biologics, reflecting its commitment to advancing treatments for conditions with high unmet medical need. Omeros's first FDA-approved product, Omidria(R)(phenylephrine and ketorolac intraocular solution), is indicated to maintain pupil size by preventing intraoperative miosis and reducing postoperative pain in patients undergoing cataract surgery. Further reading. This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to [email protected]. Continue following MarketBeat Before you consider Omeros, you'll want to hear this. MarketBeat keeps track of Wall Street's top-rated and best performing research analysts and the stocks they recommend to their clients on a daily basis. MarketBeat has identified the five stocks that top analysts are quietly whispering to their clients to buy now before the broader market catches on... and Omeros wasn't on the list. While Omeros currently has a Moderate Buy rating among analysts, top-rated analysts believe these five stocks are better buys. Discover the next wave of investment opportunities with our report, 7 Stocks That Will Be Magnificent in 2026. Explore companies poised to replicate the growth, innovation, and value creation of the tech giants dominating today's markets.