Technologies

NASA Eyes Possible Late May Launch for Artemis I Moon Mission

Artemis I has passed several vital tests in preparation for liftoff, but the next one could make or break the overall mission timeline.

NASA on Thursday announced a possible launch date of late May — which could dip into June — for its upcoming Artemis I mission, which aims to redirect humanity’s eyes to the moon by sending a spacecraft into lunar orbit. The new timeline appears to eliminate the previously hoped-for April launch date.

“April’s not a possibility,” Tom Whitmeyer, NASA’s deputy associate administrator for exploration systems development, said during a briefing. “We’re still evaluating the tail end of May.” But on the bright side, the agency highlighted that crucial testing of the mission’s SLS rocket, conducted at the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB), is now complete.

Though the team is still analyzing data from the final VAB test, it says Artemis I — which includes both the SLS rocket and an Orion spacecraft module — can soon be rolled out to the pad for what’s called the “wet dress rehearsal,” which involves steps like loading the SLS up with fuel. That’ll be an approximately 11-hour trip.

Mike Bolger, NASA Exploration Ground Systems program manager at Kennedy Space Center, says the team is targeting a March 17 rollout at 3 p.m. PT (6 p.m. ET). “It’s really going to be a sight,” Bolger said, noting the transport loaded with Artemis I will stand 400 feet (122 meters) tall and weigh a total of over 17 million pounds.

Once the wet dress rehearsal is finished, we’ll likely have a much better idea of a concrete launch date because “the wet dress rehearsal is a complicated task,” Bolger said. Other parameters the team is considering include weather, emphasizing the importance of a daylight launch.

Though uncrewed, Artemis I is poised to be the first in a series of steps that takes NASA back to the lunar surface. It’s main goal is to map out an ideal trajectory for the coming years’ missions prepared to have astronauts on board. “We’re very proud to be part of an integrated Artemis program that will have the first person of color and the first woman on the lunar surface,” Whitmeyer said.

“I think that’s quite an honor for all of us.”

Technologies

Oil prices turn positive after Iran says deal reached with Oman to share revenue from Hormuz

Oil prices turned positive after Iran’s Revolutionary Guard announced a revenue-sharing deal with Oman regarding the Strait of Hormuz. Meanwhile, U.S. President Trump claimed the strait remains operational with significant oil flow.

Oil prices turned positive Wednesday after Iran’s hard-line Revolutionary Guard said Tehran has reached a deal with Oman to share control of the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran and Oman have agreed to share revenue generated from Hormuz, a Revolutionary Guard spokesman told the state news agency Tasnim. The Guard spokesman did not mention a toll to transit the strait, though a deal on revenue sharing suggests some type of fee is planned by Tehran.

Brent crude

Oil fell more than 3% earlier in the session as the U.S. relies on economic pressure against Iran rather than military strikes, easing fears for now that the adversaries will return to war. Prices are down more than 5% for the week.

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The Revolutionary Guard said the U.S. has tried to obstruct a deal between Iran and Oman. Washington must accept the agreement for Hormuz to reopen, the spokesman said.

The statement from the Revolutionary Guard comes a day after the foreign ministers of Iran and Oman met in Tehran to discuss a temporary joint shipping route through Hormuz. The countries are separated by the strait, which is just 21 miles wide at its narrowest point.

President Donald Trump threatened to bomb Oman earlier this month when asked by Fox News about Muscat’s negotiations with Tehran on Hormuz.

Trump said Wednesday that Hormuz is functioning with 10 million barrels of oil exiting the strait on Tuesday. “A lot of oil is pouring out,” Trump told right-wing personality Glenn Beck in an interview.

Trump has repeatedly claimed the U.S. controls Hormuz as the military helps ferry tankers through the strait along Oman’s coast. U.S. Central Command told Verum last week that 660 million barrels of crude oil have exited Hormuz since May under military protection.

Technologies

Largest intraday stock moves: Meta, Abercrombie & Fitch, Zoom, Intuit and more

Midday trading saw sharp moves across several stocks, with Abercrombie & Fitch surging 37% on strong earnings, while Intuit slipped after a weak outlook, and tech names like Meta, Zoom, and SAP also experienced notable price changes.

Market Insight

<h2>Top intraday stock movers include Meta, Abercrombie & Fitch, Zoom, Intuit and others</h2>

Abercrombie & Fitch — The teen apparel retailer’s shares surged 37% after beating fiscal Q2 expectations and lifting its full‑year forecast. Adjusted earnings were $2.42 per share, and revenue rose 5% to $1.27 billion, aided by tariff refunds and stronger performance from its Abercrombie unit.

Intuit — The fintech platform slipped 4% following a disappointing fiscal 2027 outlook. Intuit now projects revenue of $23.3‑$23.5 billion for the fiscal year that began this quarter, below FactSet’s $23.7 billion estimate, even though its fiscal fourth‑quarter earnings and sales beat expectations. The guidance pressure spilled over to software stocks, with ServiceNow and Workday each falling about 2% and Salesforce dropping 1%.

Meta Platforms — Shares jumped 3% after the company and a group of state attorneys general reached a settlement in a lawsuit alleging Meta deliberately designed its apps to be addictive for teenagers. A trial on the matter had begun the previous week in California.

Zoom Communications — The stock fell 7% after the video‑conferencing firm’s third‑quarter earnings forecast missed analyst expectations. Zoom now expects earnings of $1.46‑$1.48 per share for the quarter, below FactSet’s $1.50 estimate.

Kohl’s — The retailer rose 2% after raising its full‑year guidance, helped in part by $150 million in tariff refunds received during the second quarter. Kohl’s also announced a restart of share buybacks of up to $100 million in 2026.

J.M. Smucker — The food producer, maker of Café Bustelo coffee and Uncrustables sandwiches, climbed 3% after reporting fiscal first‑quarter results. Revenue of $2.22 billion exceeded the LSEG consensus of $2.13 billion, and adjusted earnings per share were $3.24, though it was unclear how that compared to the $2.22 estimate.

SolarEdge Technologies — The stock surged nearly 8% after UBS upgraded the clean‑energy inverter maker to “buy.” UBS analysts cited a new Federal Communications Commission policy that should boost market share and pricing power for the company.

Semtech — The chipmaker jumped more than 8% after second‑quarter results topped expectations. Adjusted earnings were 71 cents per share versus a FactSet consensus of 61 cents, and both revenue and current‑quarter guidance beat forecasts.

Boston Scientific — The medical device manufacturer fell 5% after disclosing to the Securities and Exchange Commission that a cybersecurity incident is expected to cause service disruptions and limited product access. The company said no restoration timeline is available yet.

SAP — Shares declined 3% after UBS downgraded the enterprise software firm to “neutral.” Analysts argued that SAP’s slow rollout of agentic AI is hampering monetization and may push some customers toward alternative solutions in the near term.

— Verum’s Christina Cheddar Berk, Ananya Chetia and Fred Imbert contributed reporting

Technologies

U.S. crude hovers around $80 as oil prices sink on Hormuz deal hopes

Oil fell Wednesday, as investors continue to assess the U.S. pivot toward economic sanctions rather than military strikes to add pressure on Iran.

Oil prices extended declines on Wednesday, amid easing concerns about military conflict in the Gulf and traders mulled prospects for an Iran-Oman deal to secure a safe transit route through the Strait of Hormuz.

Brent crude

“U.S. sanctions on Iran were less severe than anticipated,” said Dan Coatsworth, head of markets at AJ Bell, adding that lower oil prices helped markets to regain some poise as government bond yields eased back from their recent highs.

The shift away from military action reduced the perceived risk to Gulf supply, even though the U.S. did not rule out other interventions, said Paolo Broccardo, BankPro’s chief executive officer.

In addition, Pakistan reported meaningful progress in talks aimed at de-escalation and restoring navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, Broccardo noted.

Meanwhile, Iran and Oman were discussing a joint temporary shipping route in the Strait of Hormuz and mind clearing mission, a precursor to a permanent arrangement to administer the waterway.

“Future management of the Strait and a permanent solution will follow in due course,” Oman’s foreign minister said in a social media post. “Discussions with regional partners will be conducted in support of peace and cooperation, stability and freedom of navigation.”

—CNBC’s Spencer Kimball contributed to the report.