Visium Technologies names interim CEO after leadership shake-up (VISM:OTCMKTS)

Dr. Bo Niclas Adler, owner of PT Smart Green Technologies, disclosed a 48.8% stake in Visium Technologies (VISM) via a Schedule 13D filing. The stake includes 620 million common shares and convertible preferred shares. Adler and the company discussed potential acquisitions and board changes, but no agreements were reached. PT Smart Green Technologies focuses on AI infrastructure in Indonesia.

Five companies—PayPal, General Motors, EPAM Systems, Lam Research, and Airbnb—are aggressively buying back their own stock amid market sell-offs. PayPal has spent $6 billion on buybacks in the past year, while General Motors authorized a $20 billion program. EPAM Systems raised its buyback authorization to $1.8 billion, Lam Research announced a $25 billion plan, and Airbnb authorized a $12 billion buyback.

Lam Research (LRCX) shares rose 7.43% to $198.96 after announcing a $25 billion buyback. The move follows a recent selloff in semiconductor stocks. Lam is a significant holding in major ETFs like SMH, XLK, and QQQ. The company reported strong Q1 results but has seen a 40.41% drop over the past month. Investors should monitor buyback execution, China revenue, and supply chain issues.

Apple's $7.5 billion bond sale drew $31 billion in orders, exceeding its $7 billion target. The proceeds, net of expenses, are expected to be $7.47 billion. The bonds span seven tranches with maturities from 2028 to 2036, including both fixed and floating-rate notes. Apple plans to use the funds for general corporate purposes, such as share buybacks, dividends, and acquisitions. The longest-dated tranche priced at 0.55 percentage points above U.S. Treasuries, reflecting strong demand.

Visa (V) raised its quarterly dividend by 16% to $0.78 per share, though its yield remains low at 0.71%. The dividend consumed 23% of fiscal 2026 free cash flow, leaving room for growth. Buybacks, which also consume free cash flow, have increased net debt to $11.5 billion. Analysts expect earnings growth to support these payouts, with normalized EPS projected to rise 13% in fiscal 2027 and 14% in fiscal 2028.

Alphabet Inc. acquired a $548M stake in Qualcomm Inc., buying 3M shares in Q3. Qualcomm aims to expand in the AI infrastructure sector. Qualcomm's stock rose 2.77% in premarket trading, while Alphabet's shares fell 0.15%.