Stock Markets May 20, 2026 04:36 PM

Mixed After-Hours Moves: NVIDIA, Intuit, e.l.f., Urban Outfitters, Applied Digital See Volatile Reactions

Earnings beats and strategic moves lift several stocks, while a large workforce reduction sends Intuit sharply lower after the bell

By Sofia Navarro NVDA INTU ELF URBN APLD

After-hours trading showed a mix of strong results and investor concern across several names. NVIDIA advanced on blockbuster revenue and shareholder-friendly capital returns, e.l.f. Beauty and Urban Outfitters rose after quarterly beats, and Applied Digital surged on a multibillion-dollar hyperscaler lease. Intuit fell sharply after announcing a 17% reduction in full-time headcount and related restructuring charges.

Mixed After-Hours Moves: NVIDIA, Intuit, e.l.f., Urban Outfitters, Applied Digital See Volatile Reactions
NVDA INTU ELF URBN APLD

Key Points

  • NVIDIA reported Q1 revenue of $81.6 billion and projected Q2 revenue of $91 billion; company increased its buyback by $80 billion and raised its dividend to $0.25 per share - impacts the technology and semiconductor sectors.
  • Intuit beat Q3 expectations and raised full-year guidance but announced a 17% reduction in full-time headcount, triggering an 11% after-hours decline and $300 million to $340 million in expected restructuring charges to be recorded mainly in the fiscal Q4 ending July 31, 2026 - impacts the software and enterprise services sectors.
  • Applied Digital secured a 15-year lease with a major U.S. hyperscaler for Polaris Forge 3, potentially worth up to $18.2 billion and committing 300 MW of power for AI workloads, boosting the data center and infrastructure sector.

Markets saw uneven after-hours activity as company updates prompted divergent investor reactions. Several firms reported results or deals that moved their shares in extended trading, with technology, consumer goods, retail and data center sectors all represented.

NVIDIA posted a notable quarterly performance that lifted sentiment in after-hours trading. The chipmaker reported Q1 revenue of $81.6 billion and provided a Q2 revenue outlook of $91 billion, numbers that underpinned a recovery from an initial post-market dip and a subsequent rise of 0.9% in after-hours trading. Management also disclosed shareholder-friendly capital actions, including an $80 billion increase to its stock buyback authorization and a raised quarterly dividend to $0.25 per share.

Intuit diverged from the upbeat tone of several peers. Although the company reported a Q3 beat and raised its full-year guidance, shares fell sharply in after-hours trading, sliding 11%. The drop followed an announcement that Intuit will reduce its full-time workforce by 17% as part of a plan to simplify operations and become "faster" and "leaner." The company said it expects to record approximately $300 million to $340 million in restructuring charges tied to the layoffs, with most of those costs to be recognized in its fourth fiscal quarter ending July 31, 2026.

e.l.f. Beauty, Inc. climbed about 6% after delivering a stronger-than-expected fourth quarter. The cosmetics company reported quarterly revenue of $449.3 million and beat on both the top and bottom lines. The after-hours gain came despite the company issuing full-year 2027 guidance that came in below consensus expectations.

Urban Outfitters saw its shares rise roughly 2% following a solid first-quarter report. The retailer exceeded analysts' earnings-per-share estimate by $0.16, and revenue for the quarter came in at $1.48 billion versus an expected $1.46 billion, supporting the modest after-hours uptick.

Applied Digital led gains among the group, rallying approximately 7% after the company announced a large strategic contract. Applied Digital signed a 15-year lease with a major U.S. hyperscaler for its Polaris Forge 3 AI data center campus. The agreement could be worth up to $18.2 billion if all options are exercised and secures 300 megawatts of power dedicated to heavy AI workloads.


This round of after-hours moves highlights how a combination of earnings results, guidance, capital allocation changes and large commercial contracts can drive share-price behavior across different market segments.

Risks

  • Intuit's workforce reduction and associated restructuring charges create near-term earnings pressure and operational uncertainty for the company - relevant for software and business services investors.
  • e.l.f. Beauty delivered a quarterly beat but issued full-year 2027 guidance below consensus, introducing uncertainty around future revenue and margin expectations in the cosmetics and consumer staples sector.
  • Large commercial contracts such as Applied Digital's lease depend on option exercises to reach their maximum value, creating execution and realization risk for projected long-term revenue in the data center sector.

More from Stock Markets

S&P Global Upholds Fast-Entry Rules Ahead of SpaceX Public Debut Jun 4, 2026 Insperity Shares Climb After CEO Buys 233,000 Shares Jun 4, 2026 SpaceX Signals Firmness on $135 IPO Price as Roadshow Begins Jun 4, 2026 CME Chief Warns CFTC Approval of Perpetual Crypto Futures Could Create Systemic Risk Jun 4, 2026 AmperCap Raises $125 Million in NASDAQ Listing as It Targets U.S.-Mexico Middle-Market Deals Jun 4, 2026