Lithium in the US: Who’s Leading the Pack?

Lithium in the US: Who’s Leading the Pack?

ExxonMobil [XOM] has won a regulatory dispute against Occidental Petroleum [OXY] over lithium rights in Arkansas, securing a lead in developing one of the US’ largest lithium deposits. The clash highlights intensifying competition among oil majors to tap into domestic critical minerals, as the Trump administration prioritizes lithium independence from China, the Financial Times reported. 

IBM: Full Steam Ahead After Earnings Beat

IBM [IBM] beat Q1 2025 expectations with $14.5bn in revenue and $2bn in free cash flow, its strongest Q1 in years, according to Seeking Alpha. CEO Arvind Krishna credited the company’s hybrid cloud and artificial intelligence (AI) push, noting a $1bn quarter-over-quarter increase in generative AI bookings, now totaling $6bn. Software revenue rose 9%, driven by Red Hat and automation. The firm also teased the z17 launch.

Texas Instruments: Signs of Recovery

Texas Instruments [TXN] reported Q1 2025 revenue of $4.1bn, up 2% on the previous quarter and 11% year-over-year. Industrial markets rebounded after seven weak quarters, while automotive grew slightly. Personal electronics fell on seasonality. Analysts welcomed signs of recovery but flagged concerns over tariffs, inventories and geopolitical risk affecting demand visibility, Seeking Alpha outlined.

APLD Stock: Could Its Latest Pivot Revitalize Applied Digital?

As part of its Q3 2025 earnings release on April 14, data center firm Applied Digital [APLD] announced its plans to sell its cloud services unit, which its clients have reportedly seen as a potential competitor. Meanwhile, financing deals with Macquarie Asset Management and Japan’s SMBC Group are helping it expand its high computing power assets. OPTO examines the investment case for APLD stock amid its latest strategic pivot. 

India Tech: Where Next?

US President Donald Trump’s trade wars are clouding the outlook for India’s $280bn IT export industry, Bloomberg reported, with top firms like Tata Consultancy Services [TCS:NS], Infosys [INFY], Wipro [WIT] and HCL Technologies [HCLTECH:NS] all warning of delayed client spending and budget scrutiny. With 30–60% of revenue tied to the US, the risk of a slowdown is rising. 

Revolut Doubles Profits to £1bn

“2024 was a landmark year for Revolut”, according to Nikolay Storonsky, Founder and CEO of Europe’s most valuable start-up. The fintech more than doubled its pre-tax profits to £1bn in 2024, the Financial Timesreported, with revenue jumping to £3.1bn from £1.8bn, driven by crypto trading. However, Storonsky said, “we’re just getting started,” with a new goal of 100m daily active users across 100 countries.

This India-Based Travel Firm is Poised for Growth

Headquartered in Gurgaon, India, MakeMyTrip [MMYT] provides online travel services to both domestic and global customers. The company’s Q3 2025 results, reported on January 23, saw gross bookings increase 26.8% year-over-year to $2.61bn, while adjusted net profit grew from $38.9m to $44.9m. With Q4 2025 results expected next month, OPTO unpacks why MMYT has only now started to attract significant interest — twenty-five years since its founding.