SoundHound Surges 17% on LivePerson Deal, Twilio Beat

SoundHound AI jumped 17% Friday, driven by two simultaneous catalysts. The company announced a $43 million equity deal to acquire LivePerson at a 22% premium, combining its voice AI platform with LivePerson's digital messaging infrastructure. A strong Twilio earnings report also boosted broader sector sentiment. Analysts expect SoundHound to report $42.5 million in Q1 revenue, up 46% year-over-year, with earnings due May 7. Despite the rally, shares remain down 22% year-to-date and would need to climb over 40% to reclaim their 200-day moving average.