Wall Street Futures Edge Higher as Iran Tensions and AI Optimism Shape Markets 
Broadcom Eyes $35 Billion AI Chip Financing Deal With Apollo and Blackstone 
Dollar Slips as Strong U.S. Jobs Data Reduces Fed Rate Cut Expectations 
Oil Prices Rise Amid Strait of Hormuz Tensions and U.S.-Iran Ceasefire Uncertainty 
Saudi Aramco Q1 Profit Jumps 25% as Strait of Hormuz Crisis Reshapes Oil Exports 
AWS Data Center Overheating Disrupts Cloud Services in Northern Virginia 
Dell Stock Hits Record High After Trump Endorsement, AI Server Demand Fuels Rally 
Asian Currencies Slip as US Dollar Gains on Rising Iran Tensions and Awaited Jobs Data 
US-Iran Ceasefire Under Pressure as Fresh Strait of Hormuz Clashes Shake Oil Markets 
TikTok Nears $400 Million Settlement With Trump Administration Over Child Privacy Lawsuit 
Gold Prices Rise as Weaker Dollar and Iran Ceasefire Hopes Boost Safe-Haven Demand 
European Stocks Fall as US-Iran Conflict Rekindles Energy Supply Fears 
Nike Tariff Refund Lawsuit Sparks Consumer Backlash Over Price Increases 
Asian Stocks Slide as Iran Tensions Escalate Despite Strong Weekly Gains 
Philips Reaffirms 2026 Outlook After Strong Q1 Sales and Margin Beat 
Infineon Raises 2026 Outlook as AI Data Center Chip Demand Surges 
Trump-Xi Meeting 2026: U.S.-China Trade Tensions Escalate Ahead of Beijing Summit 
Microsoft Corp. signed a 10-year contract with NVIDIA which will make Activision games available on the latter’s gaming platform. Then again, this will only happen if Microsoft is granted approval to go ahead with its acquisition of the game and publishing company.
Rival companies and regulators were against the completion of the Microsoft and Activision merger as they could also see many disadvantages if the $69 billion deal is completed. As per Reuters, British regulators said earlier this month that the tie-up may harm gamers by diminishing the rivalry between PlayStation and Xbox.
Moreover, the officials said it may also result in higher prices, fewer choices, and fewer innovations for players around the world since Microsoft and Activision will become one. It was said that this latest deal with NVIDIA may ease up the concerns and soothe sides who are against the deal.
This is because the agreement between Microsoft and NVIDIA also serves as an assurance that there will be more ways for consumers to obtain games under Microsoft. The Xbox maker’s president, Brad Smith, said during a press conference on Tuesday that with the NVIDIA deal, he is now more optimistic that its buyout of Activision will be completed.
In any case, this contract will allow gamers to stream Xbox PC titles on smartphones, Chromebooks, PCs, GeForce NOW, and other devices. Activision Blizzard game titles for PCs like “Call of Duty” will also be streamable once Microsoft’s purchase of Activision is allowed to be completed.
“Xbox remains committed to giving people more choice and finding ways to expand how people play,” Phil Spencer, Microsoft’s gaming chief executive officer, said in a press release. “This partnership will help grow NVIDIA’s catalog of titles to include games like 'Call of Duty' while giving developers more ways to offer streaming games. We are excited to offer gamers more ways to play the games they love.”
Photo by: Turag Photography/Unsplash
