Midday Market Movers: Micron Jumps on $3 B Investment, While Mara Holdings Surges on Texas Expansion, Paramount Skydance Falls on Antitrust Concern and Other Notable Moves Across Qiagen, AstraZeneca, PepsiCo, Salesforce, Levi Strauss, Cerebras, and Costco

Stocks were active in midday trading, with Micron Technology leading gains after announcing a new $3 billion investment to strengthen the U.S. semiconductor supply‑chain ecosystem. The chipmaker’s share price rose more than 7 %, benefiting from a broader rally in the semiconductor sector. Mara Holdings surged 15 % following the announcement that it will acquire a 1,200‑acre site in Matagorda County, Texas, from HIF USA, a renewable fuels company. The acquisition is expected to more than double Mara’s power capacity to roughly 4.8 gigawatts, with HIF retaining a minority stake. Paramount Global fell 6 % after Reuters reported several states plan to file an antitrust lawsuit against its pending acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery. Qiagen jumped 10 % on Bloomberg reports that private‑equity firms such as EQT, AllianceBernstein and KKR are considering a takeover, with some indicating an offer of at least $50 per share. AstraZeneca declined 6 % after its late‑stage heart‑disease drug, Wainua, missed its primary endpoint. PepsiCo slipped 3 % despite a better‑than‑expected revenue report, as adjusted earnings of $2.20 per share missed analyst consensus. Salesforce dropped 2 % following a KeyBanc downgrade to sector‑weight, citing limited upside visibility. Levi Strauss gained 2.3 % after the denim maker beat second‑quarter earnings and sales estimates. Cerebras Systems rose 11 % after unveiling a major European expansion, with the first data center coming online by year‑end and a plan to reach 2,000 MW of capacity by 2027. Finally, Costco fell 4 % after reporting a slowdown in June comparable‑store sales, which rose 8.8 % year‑over‑year versus a 12.5 % gain in May.

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