Paramount Skydance Soars, Amazon Gains, Cava Plunges

On this edition of Stock Movers:

- Paramount Skydance (PSKY) shares climbed as much as 29% on Wednesday, adding to Tuesday’s 8.4% advance. The stock is the top performer today in the S&P 500. Paramount Skydance is the resulting company formed by Paramount Global’s merger with Skydance Media, which was approved by the FCC on July 25; the combined company began trading on Aug. 8. On Aug. 11, Paramount said it has acquired the exclusive rights to show all events from the Ultimate Fighting Championship in the US from TKO Group in a $7.7 billion, seven-year deal. In a research note dated Aug. 12, Evercore ISI media analyst Kutgun Maral wrote that Paramount Skydance’s UFC deal sends a “loud message to Hollywood, sports leagues, and Wall Street alike that the merged company is prepared to invest in its ambitions to empower its creative engines and scale Paramount+ globally”.

- Amazon (AMZN) shares are rising after the company plans to offer same-day grocery delivery in 2,300 cities by the end of the year, more than doubling the current number and marking its latest attempt to muscle into the $1 trillion grocery industry led by its top retail competitor Walmart Inc. Customers will be able to order perishable items such as produce, dairy, meat, seafood and baked goods, alongside frozen foods and household items, the company said in a statement on Wednesday. Same-day grocery delivery is free for Amazon Prime subscribers on orders over $25 in most cities, it said. For non-members, the service carries a $12.99 fee, regardless of order size.

- Cava Group (CAVA) shares plummeted after the company trimmed its annual sales guidance, as skittish diners spent less on restaurant meals. The fast-casual Mediterranean chain now says sales at established locations will expand 6% at most this year, while it previously forecast an increase of as much as 8%. The cut came after quarterly sales grew at the slowest rate since the first quarter of 2021, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.