Salesforce Slips Amid Informatica Acquisition Talks

After trading higher at the beginning of Monday’s session, major U.S. equities indexes changed course to post losses for the day.

The downturn came amid heightened geopolitical uncertainty and as earnings season kicks into gear, with major financial firms and other companies releasing quarterly results throughout this week.

The S&P 500 sank 1.2% on the day, closing below the 5,100 level for the first time since early March. Underperformance from the tech sector contributed to a decline of 1.8% for the Nasdaq, while the Dow fell 0.7%.

Shares of Salesforce (CRM), which provides cloud-based customer relationship management software, plunged 7.3%, marking the weakest performance among S&P 500 stocks. The losses followed news that Salesforce is in talks to acquire data management software firm Informatica (INFA). The deal under discussion was below Informatica’s Friday closing price, which could complicate the transaction. Informatica shares slipped 6.5% on the day.

Tesla (TSLA) shares dropped 5.6% amid reports that the automaker plans to lay off 10% of its global workforce. The company faces headwinds related to demand for electric vehicles (EVs) and increasing competition in the EV market. In an internal memo announcing the staff cuts, CEO Elon Musk reportedly said every part of the company would be under the microscope as Tesla aims to cut costs and boost productivity.

Shares of insurer Globe Life (GL) fell 5.6% on Monday, continuing their volatile trajectory from the end of last week. The company’s stock plummeted 53% on Thursday as short seller Fuzzy Panda disclosed a short position in the stock and highlighted accusations of fraud. Globe Life shares clawed back 20% on Friday before falling again Monday. Last month, the Department of Justice subpoenaed Globe Life and one of its subsidiaries as part of a probe into possible unethical practices by the firm.

M&T Bank (MTB) shares jumped 4.7%, notching the strongest gains among S&P 500 stocks after the regional lender reported it cut its exposure to commercial real estate loans. Although the bank’s first-quarter earnings per share (EPS) fell slightly short of consensus estimates, net interest income matched forecasts.

Shares of Goldman Sachs (GS) advanced 2.9% after the financial giant’s first-quarter revenue and net income came in well ahead of expectations. Like several other financial institutions that have reported their quarterly results, Goldman’s net interest income declined year over year, but the firm reported increases in several key revenue streams, including debt and equity underwriting as well as investment banking fees.

Centene (CNC) shares added 2.8% amid news the health insurer had retained a statewide Medicaid contract in Florida following the state’s re-procurement process. Analysts reacted positively to the contract win, saying it will help Centene maintain its market share and avoid member losses. After the news, Wells Fargo lifted its price target on Centene stock.