By Francesca Fontana

The Score is a weekly review of the biggest stock moves and the news that drove them.

Novo Nordisk

Novo Nordisk shares surged on the results of a new obesity-drug study Friday.

The Danish pharmaceutical giant behind Ozempic and Wegovy said an experimental weight-loss shot helped patients lose 22% of their body weight in a clinical trial.

Patients in the trial were given ascending doses of amycretin, a drug that mimics the same gut hormone as Wegovy. Based on Friday's results, Novo said it is now planning further clinical development of amycretin in overweight or obese adults.

The new study comes a month after Novo shares suffered a big blow when the company reported disappointing results of a different experimental weight-loss drug, CagriSema.

Novo's American depositary receipts rose 8.5% Friday.

Walgreens Boots Alliance

The U.S. is suing Walgreens for its role in the opioid crisis.

The Justice Department said on Jan. 17 that the pharmacy chain filled millions of unlawful prescriptions, including excessive quantities and early refills of opioids, despite red flags.

The complaint also alleges that Walgreens ignored evidence, including from its pharmacists and internal data, that it was dispensing unlawful prescriptions.

The Justice Department filed a similar suit against Walgreens rival CVS Health in December.

Meanwhile, Purdue Pharma's owners from the Sackler family on Thursday struck a new $6.5 billion settlement of mass opioid litigation. The agreement is the latest from a major pharmaceutical-industry player that made, sold or distributed opioids.

Walgreens shares sank 9.2% Tuesday.

Oracle

Oracle, SoftBank and others have big AI spending plans -- with little detail.

On Tuesday, the new Trump administration said Oracle and SoftBank would be part of Stargate, a $100 billion artificial-intelligence infrastructure project, along with OpenAI and Abu Dhabi's MGX.

While key elements of the plans have yet to be disclosed, the companies are committing $100 billion to the venture and plan to invest up to $500 billion over the next four years. Microsoft, Arm and Nvidia were also named Stargate "technology partners."

The $100 billion sum includes projects that the companies already announced and initiated under the Biden administration, The Journal reported.

Oracle shares gained 7.2% Tuesday.

Netflix

Netflix is raising U.S. prices to cash in on surging demand.

The streaming giant on Tuesday posted record subscriber gains in the fourth quarter, and raised its 2025 revenue guidance slightly. It also said that the platform's ad-supported tier will cost $7.99 a month, up from $6.99, while the cost of the premium tier is increasing by $2, to $24.99.

Fans flocked to watch the second season of "Squid Game," the action thriller "Carry-On," and the November heavyweight boxing match between Jake Paul and Mike Tyson that streamed live.

Netflix shares jumped 9.7% Wednesday.

Procter & Gamble

Procter & Gamble might raise prices if tariff expenses come its way.

The consumer-staples company -- whose portfolio of products includes Pantene shampoos, Tide detergents and Pampers diapers -- reported robust quarterly sales and adjusted earnings, and reiterated its full-year outlook.

Asked about potential tariffs on U.S. imports that have been promised by President Trump, Chief Financial Officer Andre Schulten said that, in the face of any extra expenses from tariffs, the company would look to cut costs before raising prices.

Executives also said the company manufactures the vast majority of its products locally.

P&G shares rose 1.9% Wednesday.

GE Aerospace

Jet-engine maker GE Aerospace's latest results flew past Wall Street's estimates.

The company ended 2024 with robust demand for its services and products, with fourth-quarter orders up 46%, Chief Executive Larry Culp said. GE Aerospace, which became a stand-alone company in April, predicts more growth in 2025.

Airlines have been desperate for engines and other parts, due to aircraft production delays at Boeing and Airbus, supply-chain shortages and durability problems ailing new engine models.

While supply snarls continue to roil the aerospace industry, Culp said the company is seeing improvements among key suppliers.

GE Aerospace shares gained 6.6% Thursday.

Electronic Arts

Electronic Arts got benched by investors on Thursday.

The videogame company warned of a slowdown in demand for its key soccer-themed titles, and cut its fiscal-year outlook. EA's soccer business has been its most reliable moneymaker -- home to the "EA Sports FC" titles that previously carried the FIFA name.

Separately, EA said its "Dragon Age" franchise is also experiencing a slowdown, and that it engaged barely half the gamers expected in the most recent quarter.

The company is scheduled to release its full quarterly results Feb. 4.

EA shares tumbled 17% Thursday, in their biggest one-day drop since 2005.

American Airlines

American Airlines lost some air after its latest earnings report.

The U.S. carrier predicted a larger-than-expected quarterly loss, marking a departure from the outlooks of United and Delta. Both companies predicted profits in the first part of the year, citing strong appetite for European winter travel, returning business travel, and firmer domestic fares as budget airlines cut back on flying capacity.

American Chief Financial Officer Devon May said that cost pressures may have caught investors off guard, as new labor contracts and reduced flying capacity are both pushing up costs.

American Airlines shares dropped 8.7% Thursday.

Our weekly markets news roundup is now part of the WSJ's What's News podcast. Host Francesca Fontana discusses the biggest stock moves of the week and the news that drove them. Check out What's News in Markets at wsj.com/podcasts or wherever you listen.

Write to Francesca Fontana at francesca.fontana@wsj.com.

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

January 24, 2025 16:32 ET (21:32 GMT)

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