Daily Markets Briefing — 2026-04-16

# Daily Markets Briefing — 2026-04-16 **Alex:** Welcome back to your morning markets briefing, Jordan! Let's dive right into today's headlines. First up, AI21 Labs is reportedly in acquisition talks with Nebius after talks with Nvidia fell through. What’s going on there? **Jordan:** Hey Alex! Yeah, AI21 Labs initially had discussions with Nvidia that valued the company between $2 billion and $3 billion, but those talks didn’t lead to a deal. Now, they’re in talks with Nebius, an AI infrastructure company, which could be a strategic move to strengthen their tech foundation. **Alex:** Interesting. Speaking of AI, Anthropic just completed a secondary share sale that maintained its valuation of $350 billion. That’s massive! But I heard they’re limiting access to their new AI model, Mythos. Why is that? **Jordan:** They’re being cautious. Anthropic is restricting Mythos to major tech firms to prevent potential cyber threats. It’s a responsible approach, given how powerful AI models can be if misused. **Alex:** Makes sense. Now, moving from AI to marketing tech — Canva’s been busy, acquiring Simtheory and Ortto. What’s the strategy there? **Jordan:** Canva is clearly aiming to enhance its AI and marketing infrastructure. By bringing in Simtheory and Ortto, they’re expanding capabilities from just design to full campaign execution, which can make them a more comprehensive platform for businesses. **Alex:** That’s a smart move. On the retail front, Raymond James upgraded Instacart to Outperform, expecting their new Cart Assistant to boost conversion rates. What’s the scoop on that? **Jordan:** Cart Assistant is an AI-powered feature that helps shoppers complete purchases more efficiently. Raymond James sees this as a potential game-changer in improving Instacart’s sales and overall user experience. **Alex:** Chewy is also making moves, acquiring Modern Animal to expand their Vet Care footprint. How does this fit into their bigger picture? **Jordan:** Chewy aims to grow both revenue and margins by expanding into veterinary services. Modern Animal adds a direct care element, which complements Chewy’s existing pet product offerings. **Alex:** Datadog got a Buy upgrade from Guggenheim thanks to AI-driven growth. Can you break down what’s driving that optimism? **Jordan:** Sure. Datadog benefits from increasing data volumes and the growing complexity of IT environments. AI tools help manage that complexity, so the demand for Datadog’s monitoring services is rising. **Alex:** Now, Disney is planning to cut up to 1,000 jobs in a restructuring effort under CEO Josh D'Amaro. What’s behind this move? **Jordan:** Disney wants to reallocate resources toward digital businesses. The job cuts are part of streamlining operations to focus more on growth areas amid industry shifts. **Alex:** Shifting gears, Kalshi is facing legal challenges as states regulate prediction markets. What kind of challenges are we talking about? **Jordan:** Prediction markets l