After a mixed market performance on Tuesday, when major indices slipped at the close despite intraday gains, Wednesday opened on a bullish note.
The S&P 500 rose 0.4%, driven by robust earnings releases and amid geopolitical tensions.
The NASDAQ composite was up 0.6%, crediting, once again, to AI interest.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average, however, slipped 0.04% nearer the closing bell.
The Russell 2000, up 0.8% recorded a second consecutive high on Wednesday.
Gold remains unbeaten, up 1.4%, benefiting from the uncertainty of trade wars, the same geopolitical tensions that caused oil to slip 0.3% on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, President Donald Trump posted that China’s decision not to buy soybeans from the U.S. was purposeful and was “an Economically Hostile Act.”
“We are considering terminating business with China having to do with Cooking Oil, and other elements of Trade, as retribution. As an example, we can easily produce Cooking Oil ourselves, we don’t need to purchase it from China.”
Consequently, the stock price of Bunge Global SA, a global agribusiness and food company, surged 12.9%.
Walmart makes shopping easier with AI; its stock rose 5.9% this week.Image source: Shutterstock
Meanwhile, expansion with artificial intelligence continues to provide gains for associated companies, with Walmart’s stock up 1.7% after a new deal with OpenAI.
AMD continues to gain, with its stock up 9.4% on Wednesday following analyst upgrades and AI deals.
After Etsy became the first to collaborate with ChatGPT’s instant checkout, Walmart is ushering in a new generation of enhanced customer experience by partnering with OpenAI.
“For many years now, eCommerce shopping experiences have consisted of a search bar and a long list of item responses. That is about to change. There is a native AI experience coming that is multi-media, personalized and contextual,” said Doug McMillon, president and CEO, Walmart.
The company stock was up 1.7% on Wednesday, marking a new high at $109.56 and a 20% year-to-date gain.
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This is not Walmart’s first use of AI; it has been successfully using it to enhance its product catalog and reduce fashion production times.
With this new deal, Walmart does not intend to replace human connection with machines; instead, “it’s about using AI to remove friction and make everyday moments easier, smarter and more delightful.”
This will simplify restocking essentials and meal planning. Walmart and Sam’s Club customers can chat and buy products directly through ChatGPT’s instant checkout feature.
DA Davidson’s analyst, Michael Baker, maintained his $117 price target and Buy rating on Walmart, noting that the retail giant will emerge as a winner among traditional retailers in the Agentic Commerce race, as reported by TheFly.
Bunge Global, whose stock soared 12.9% on Wednesday, is a Swiss agribusiness and food company, headquartered in the U.S.
On Wednesday, it reported a change in segment and volume reporting to highlight the key drivers of the company’s results. In its 3Q 2025 reports, it will present the following four segments:
Soybean Processing and Refining
Softseed Processing and Refining
Other Oilseeds Processing and Refining
Grain Merchandising and Milling
The stock gain came after President Trump threatened to cut off imports of cooking oil from China, increasing interest in domestic producers of cooking oil, such as Bunge.
The company’s stock has seen a 19% gain year-to-date, and this segment change follows its merger with Viterra, a Canadian grain-handling business. Bunge estimated its fiscal year 2025 earnings per share outlook in the range of $7.30 to $7.60 for the combined company.
Following the announcement that Oracle will deploy 50,000 AMD chips, Advanced Micro Devices’ stock surged 9.4%, a 97% year-to-date gain for the semiconductor manufacturer.
Oracle will be a launch partner for the first publicly available AI supercluster powered by AMD, with the deployment of 50,000 GPUs scheduled for Q3 2026.
This announcement, after the $100 billion OpenAI and AMD partnership, led Wedbush analyst Matt Bryson to raise the firm’s target price of AMD to $270 from $190. Bryson said AMD has reaffirmed certainty around future GPU demand, and these new agreements will increase future GPU revenues.
HSBC’s analyst Frank Lee also raised the firm’s price target to $310 from $185, keeping a Buy rating.
