Starbucks denies Chipotle bid; IonQ to buy Elisity in $1.3B deal

Starbucks Corp. told MT Newswires on Monday that it is not buying Chipotle Mexican Grill, directly refuting reports from the previous week that suggested a potential acquisition. The clarification comes as investors navigate a mixed market session, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average rising in late-morning trading while the S&P 500 Index and Nasdaq Composite declined ahead of upcoming earnings results and inflation data.

In other corporate developments, IonQ Inc. announced it has signed an agreement to acquire cybersecurity firm Elisity in an all-stock transaction valued at up to $1.3 billion. The deal structure includes an earnout opportunity of up to $150 million, contingent on Elisity's performance, according to the company. IonQ shares fell 9.5% during the session.

Microsoft Corp. stated that it is scaling its Azure Maia family to multi-gigawatt deployments beginning in 2027. This expansion will position Maia as the primary inference system for Microsoft's products and services. Microsoft shares gained 1.2%.

The Financial Times reported Saturday that Nvidia Corp. is in talks to acquire open model startup Reflection AI, citing people with direct knowledge of the matter. Nvidia shares dropped 1.6%.

The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday that Amazon.com Inc. is in negotiations to acquire AI startup Decart in a deal valued at $7 billion, citing people familiar with the matter. Amazon shares declined 0.4%.

Salesforce Inc. disclosed on Monday that it has entered a definitive agreement to acquire Loops, an AI-powered analytics platform. The company expects the transaction to close in early November of its fiscal 2027, though financial terms were not disclosed. Salesforce shares rose 2.1%.

Delta Air Lines Inc. postponed its planned introduction of nonstop service connecting Atlanta and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to March 2027, citing safety and security concerns. Delta shares fell 1.4%.