Stock Movers Fannie-Freddie, Micron Sink; Darden Restaurants Fluctuates
Mar 19, 2026
Denitza Sokova, a Bloomberg cross-asset reporter known for market and company analysis. She breaks down Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac’s steep slide amid policy uncertainty. She unpacks Micron’s strong sales but higher capex worries and memory-margin risks. She covers Darden’s mixed quarter, Olive Garden’s struggles, and menu and promo moves affecting margins.
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Fannie and Freddie Sentiment Reversal
- Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac shares plunged as investor optimism faded after initial White House talk of taking them public.
- Denitza Sokova says the stocks fell about 70% over six months as expectations for swift decontrol waned amid housing affordability and geopolitical distractions.
Micron CapEx Surprise Sparks Caution
- Micron reported strong earnings but spooked investors by raising capital spending guidance above expectations.
- Denitza notes CapEx will exceed $25 billion vs analysts' ~$22 billion, highlighting investor worry about overbuilding and margin sustainability in memory chips.
Memory Cycle Tradeoff Between Margins and Capacity
- The industry tension is between high margins from rising memory prices and the risk of overbuilding capacity.
- Carol Massar emphasizes the chicken-or-egg dilemma: build to meet demand but risk depressing prices and margins if supply overshoots.