Eli Lilly’s Stock Continues to Rebound as Amazon Expands AI Strategy

## Market Moves: Midweek Matters

Ah, Wednesdays in the Big Apple. You know, just another day where the S&P 500 decides to throw a tantrum, giving up earlier gains as soon as the clock strikes noon. Why the midday slump? It turns out the suspense of tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and Europe had its fair share of drama, courtesy of President Donald Trump. In typical stock fashion, we saw clear winners and losers. Unlike recent trends, technology and industrial stocks were the apple of Wall Street’s eye while health care and consumer staples took a backseat. So, what’s going on with these defensives? Apparently, market jitters about slowing economic activity after a series of underwhelming data.

### Atlanta Fed’s GDPNow and the Soft Data Stint

Speaking of data, our friends at the [Atlanta Fed](https://www.atlantafed.org/cqer/research/gdpnow) decided to be the bearers of sobering news. Their GDPNow forecast slid from a not-so-shabby 2.9% on February 13 to a more modest 2.3% by February 19. Here’s the real kicker: another update’s due on Friday. Can’t wait to see how the numbers fall, right?

### Manufacturing Madness: Eli Lilly Takes the Wheel

In a move that echoes the classic American “Can Do” spirit, [Eli Lilly](https://www.bloomberg.com/quote/LLY:US) decided to drop a cool $27 billion to construct four new manufacturing sites in the U.S. Why? Well, the demand for their knockout injectables, Zepbound and Mounjaro, is skyrocketing. CEO David Ricks is all about revving up the production engines, even mentioning Lilly’s total investments hitting north of $50 billion since 2020. With global factories running non-stop, Lilly’s not pulling any punches. They’re even holding back launches in major markets like India due to capacity constraints.

#### Lilly’s Stance on Tariffs

Ricks isn’t losing sleep over tariff talk just yet. Pharmaceuticals aren’t caught in the tariffs net, but make no mistake, they’re already in chat mode with the Trump administration to shape future policy. Despite the tense trade winds, Lilly’s shares enjoyed a nice pop, riding above $900, a peak not seen since October. Bet those folks over at [JPMorgan](https://www.jpmorgan.com/) are pretty chuffed with their positive catalyst watch as well.

### AI Frontier: Alexa+ Unveiled

Over in the tech corner, Amazon decided to take AI to a whole new level. Enter [Alexa+](https://www.cnbc.com/), now with generative artificial intelligence. Debuting in NYC, CEO Andy Jassy had the crowd at a New York devices and services event buzzing. And guess what? If you’ve got a Prime membership, this brainy assistant’s got your back. Otherwise, it’s $19.99 a month. Apparently, Alexa+ isn’t just about having fun conversations; it’s about making moves and getting things done. Forget chatbots; this AI is the future, or at least that’s what Jassy hopes.

#### Jassy’s Take on the Marketplace

Jassy remains optimistic, even with tariff headwinds. He emphasized that China-based sellers on Amazon should still aim to stay in the marketplace. Sure, some price tags might swell, but hey, isn’t that the nature of global business dynamics?

### In the Earnings Pipeline: Nvidia and Salesforce

As Wednesday’s closing bell flirts with the horizon, we have some heavyweights ready to spill the financial beans. Yes, we’re talking [Nvidia](https://www.cnbc.com/quotes/NVDA) and [Salesforce](https://www.cnbc.com/quotes/CRM). Nvidia, the GPU maestros, always have surprises up their sleeves. Meanwhile, over at Salesforce, all eyes will be on their AI platform, Agentforce, and whether it juices up the sale lanes. Plus, we can’t skip hearing from new exec, Robin Washington. She’s got the combined CFO and COO hats and we’re curious about her thoughts on operational efficiency.

### Upcoming Economic Anticipations

Let’s not forget about the upcoming economic data, with durable goods orders and initial jobless claims on the horizon. And if you’re part of the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you’ll want to stay tuned for trade alerts. Remember, Cramer’s got his rules: after he dishes out an alert, he waits a cool 45 minutes before any action.

For more info on how to play the NYC trading game, check out [Jim Cramer’s Charitable Trust](https://www.cnbc.com/id/106897101).