Daily Point
_ Dow Jones 52,900.07 (+1.89%)
_ S&P 500 7,483.24 (+1.71%)
_ Nasdaq 25,832.67 (+1.87%)
_ Bitcoin 62,597.66 (+1.81%)
Topline Signals
- US Labor Market: June nonfarm payrolls increased by 57,000, missing the 110,000 consensus estimate, while the unemployment rate fell to 4.2%.
- Micron Technology: Q3 revenue rose 346% year-over-year to $41.46 billion, and the company guided Q4 revenue to $50 billion.
- SpaceX: The company raised $85.7 billion in its initial public offering at a valuation of $1.77 trillion, recording a trailing net loss of $9.4 billion on $19.3 billion in trailing revenue.
Good day.
The markets have gifted us a green session, with the S&P 500 up 1.71% and Bitcoin reclaiming the $62,000 level. While Wall Street celebrates this immediate relief, a seasoned practitioner looks past the daily fluctuations to study the structural shifts. The catalyst for today's optimism was a weak June employment print of just 57,000 jobs, which has temporarily cooled fears of an immediate rate hike by Fed Chair Kevin Warsh. However, with May PCE inflation sitting at 4.1%—more than double the central bank's target—and the upcoming FOMC Meeting Minutes on Wednesday, we must remain prepared for a higher-for-longer interest rate regime.
In times of macroeconomic transition, capital flows reveal where the real wealth is being built. We are witnessing an unprecedented capital reallocation toward physical AI infrastructure and sovereign-grade digital assets. Micron’s staggering 346% year-over-year revenue growth to $41.46 billion and SK Hynix’s upcoming Nasdaq listing underscore that the bottleneck is no longer software, but the physical constraints of memory, silicon, and power. This massive capital expenditure cycle is reshaping the global economy, drawing billions away from traditional equities and funneling it directly into hardware and energy grids.
Simultaneously, the structural case for Bitcoin is quietly hardening behind the scenes. While retail investors panicked over recent ETF outflows, long-term whales accumulated $16.7 billion in Bitcoin over a two-week period. Furthermore, Germany's savings and cooperative banks are preparing to open crypto trading to 50 million customers, and corporate treasuries like Metaplanet continue to aggressively stack satoshis, bringing their holdings to 43,000 BTC. This is the transition of Bitcoin from a speculative retail instrument to a core macroeconomic reserve asset.
True financial independence is achieved by identifying these asymmetric mega-trends and holding concentrated, high-conviction positions through the inevitable volatility. As you navigate the coming week, ignore the short-term noise of the daily terminal and focus on accumulating the scarce, productive assets that will define the next decade.
Weekly Schedule
6 Jul (Monday)
S&P Global Composite PMI
S&P Global Services PMI
ISM Non-Manufacturing Prices
ISM Non-Manufacturing PMI
ISM Non-Manufacturing Employment
Fed Waller Speaks
CFTC S&P 500 speculative net positions
CFTC Nasdaq 100 speculative net positions
CFTC Gold speculative net positions
CFTC Crude Oil speculative net positions
7 Jul (Tuesday)
ADP Employment Change Weekly
Trade Balance
Exports
Imports
NY Fed 1-Year Consumer Inflation Expectations
Atlanta Fed GDPNow
EIA Short-Term Energy Outlook
3-Year Note Auction
API Weekly Crude Oil Stock
8 Jul (Wednesday)
Crude Oil Inventories
Cushing Crude Oil Inventories
Atlanta Fed GDPNow
10-Year Note Auction
FOMC Meeting Minutes
Consumer Credit
9 Jul (Thursday)
Initial Jobless Claims
Continuing Jobless Claims
FOMC Member Williams Speaks
Existing Home Sales
Existing Home Sales
30-Year Bond Auction
PepsiCo Earnings Call
10 Jul (Friday)
German CPI
IEA Monthly Report
WASDE Report
U.S. Baker Hughes Oil Rig Count
U.S. Baker Hughes Total Rig Count
11 Jul (Saturday)
12 Jul (Sunday)
General
Stock Indexes Settle Mixed as Chipmakers Retreat
US Jun nonfarm payrolls rose +57,000, weaker than expectations of +113,000, and May nonfarm payrolls were revised lower to +129,000 from the originally reported +172,000. The Jun unemployment rate unexpectedly fell -0.1 to a 1-year low of 4.2%, signaling a stronger labor market than expectations of no change at 4.3%. US Jan average hourly earnings rose +0.3% m/m and +3.5% y/y, right on expectations. US weekly initial unemployment claims unexpectedly fell -1,000 to 215,000, showing a stronger labor market than expectations of an increase to 218,000. US May factory orders fell -1.3% m/m, a smaller decline than expectations of -2.0% m/m. Also, May factory orders ex-transportation rose +1.9% m/m, stronger than expectations of +1.0% m/m and the biggest increase in more than 4 years. Italy's May unemployment rate unexpectedly fell -0.1 to a record low of 5.0% (data from 2004), showing a stronger labor market than expectations of no change at 5.1%. The markets are discounting an 18% chance of a +25 bp rate hike at the next FOMC meeting on July 28-29. T-notes recovered from early losses on Thursday amid signs of a slowdown in the US labor market after Jun nonfarm payrolls rose less than expected and May nonfarm payrolls were revised lower. T-notes also found support on Thursday's decline in WTI crude oil to a 4.25-month low, which lowers inflation expectations. The 10-year German bund yield rose to a 1-week high of 2.929% and finished up +2.6 bp to 2.904%. The 10-year UK gilt yield rose +1.9 bp to 4.776%. BOE Governor Andrew Bailey said interest rate cuts are "off the table at the moment," as households have yet to feel the full effect of the Iran war. Swaps are discounting a 4% chance of a +25 bp ECB rate hike at its next policy meeting on July 23.
America's 250th Is Coming With Higher Food Costs
Nonfarm payroll growth seen slowing but staying 'relatively strong' in June. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), overall food prices rose by 3.1% across 2025, and that has only continued into 2026. On average, the annual food inflation rate has remained above 3% since January, with the USDA Economic Research Service projecting overall food prices to remain above that level until the end of the year. While that range is already running ahead of target rates, the cumulative effect of several consecutive years of inflation means overall U.S. food prices are around 30% higher than pre-pandemic levels. Ten-year Treasury Yield +2 bps to 4.49%
Synchrony's Credit Numbers Are Improving Even as Inflation Bites. Is the Everyday Consumer Tougher Than Feared?
In the first quarter of 2026, the 4.5% 30-day delinquency rate was essentially the same as in the fourth quarter of 2025 and the year-ago period. The 90-day delinquency rate was up slightly from the fourth quarter, but flat with the year-ago period. Net charge-offs, meanwhile, rose slightly from the fourth quarter of 2025, hitting 5.4%. But charge-offs were down nearly a full percentage point from the year-ago figure of nearly 6.4%. The 30-day delinquency rate was 4.3% in April and an even better 4.2% in May. Charge-offs were 5.4% in May and 5.6% in April, remaining at a reasonable level. That makes the recently announced 13% dividend increase and $6.5 billion stock repurchase program look all the more attractive. Wall Street isn't ignoring the company's success, noting that the stock's 7.9x price-to-earnings ratio is above its five-year average of 6.5x. And its price-to-book ratio of 1.7x is above the longer-term average of 1.4x.
Dave Ramsey: This 62-Year-Old Millionaire Is ‘Scared to Live’ Because of the 4% Rule
The Consumer Price Index sits at 334.0, up 0.5% in a single month. Core PCE, the Fed's preferred gauge, has climbed steadily from 126.43 to 130.08 over the past twelve months.
Mortgage and refinance interest rates today, Friday, July 3: Rates mostly higher again today
According to the Zillow lender marketplace, the average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rose by 8 basis points to 6.44% today, Friday, July 3, 2026. The average 20-year fixed rate increased by 4 basis points to 6.26%. The 15-year fixed rate was nearly unchanged (down 1 basis point) at 5.86%. The average 5/1 ARM rose by 5 basis points to 6.46%. According to Freddie Mac, the average 30-year mortgage rate was 6.43% through Wednesday, down from 6.49% a week earlier. A year ago, the average 30-year mortgage rate was 6.67%. The MBA expects the 30-year mortgage rate to be between 6.4% and 6.5% through 2026. Fannie Mae predicts a 30-year rate of 6.4% through the end of the year. Mortgage rates are likely to remain little changed in 2027. The MBA forecasts 30-year fixed rates of 6.5% for all of 2027. However, Fannie Mae is more optimistic, predicting average rates will be between 6.3% and 6.4% throughout 2027.
Dow scores fresh record despite tepid jobs report. Why the rest of 2026 is about workers.
One closely watched barometer of price pressures eclipsed a 4% annual rate in May, but that could be near a peak. "We have a healthy tortoise of an economy," said David Kelly, J.P. Morgan Asset Management's chief global strategist, on Thursday after the jobs report. "It's a slow‐hire, slow-fire and slow-growth economy." That isn't a backdrop where the Fed will need to hike rates, Kelly added. There will be "tightening noises," he said, but with no pickup in wages and "Teflon" inflation in play, he believes the Fed will stay on hold this year. Treasury yields were fairly steady Thursday, with the policy-sensitive 2-year rate BX:TMUBMUSD02Y at 4.13%, according to FactSet. That's still above the 3.75% upper limit of the Fed's policy range, but off the 2-year's recent 4.23% high. A higher 2-year Treasury yield suggests investors aren't ready to give up on the possibility of rate hikes. But there's also been a slight shift back toward gauging the room for rate cuts.
Goldman Sachs delivers honest verdict on gold’s selloff
Gold investors were bracing for more sluggishness. Following months of pressure, investors expected the next big call on the shiny yellow metal to be much more defensive, especially as rate-cut hopes faded and the dollar regained some bite. For context, gold was recently trading near the low $4,000s, with spot prices at around $4,064 per ounce at the time of writing. Gold price rebounded amid weak jobs data, lower oil prices, and Fed Chair Kevin Warsh's latest comments. Speaking in Portugal, according to Investopedia, Warsh said inflation risks were diminishing somewhat. The 2026 Central Bank Gold Reserves Survey found that 89% of respondents expect global central bank gold reserves to rise over the next 12 months, while a record 45% expect their own institutions to increase their holdings. It's important to note that in May, according to Yahoo Finance, Goldman revised their central-bank gold-demand model after finding official trade data was missing some sovereign buying. Consequently, its 12-month purchase forecast jumped to nearly 50 tonnes per month from 29 tonnes per month, and the bank now sees roughly 60 tonnes per month through 2026. Goldman said UK trade data understated London vault outflows since August 2025, while geopolitical uncertainty and diversification demand kept underlying interest strong. The bank had slashed its $5,400/oz year-end 2026 target by $500 to $4,900 in June, citing the reality of a hawkish Fed. What has to happen for gold to reach $4,900 For gold to reach Goldman's $4,900/oz target, the market needs a lot more than sovereign buying. It needs pressure from rates, the dollar, and investor flows to ease simultaneously. The first gate is U.S. labor data. Reuters reported June payrolls rose just 57,000, well below the 110,000 economists expected, while May was revised down to 129,000 from 172,000.
‘$13,426 of Stupid’: Dave Ramsey’s Blunt Advice to a Caller Who Maxed Out Credit Cards Flipping Pokemon Cards
The average credit card APR sits at 21.00% as of February 1, 2026, in what the Federal Reserve data classifies as record territory (post-2023). The personal savings rate has fallen from 6.2% in the first quarter of 2024 to 3.9% in the first quarter of 2026, and credit card delinquencies are running at 2.92% as of January 1, 2026, inside what the Fed labels the normalizing range of 2.5% to 3.5%.
The Next 30% Crash Will Happen. These 3 ETFs Mean You Won’t Panic-Sell at the Bottom
The University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment index sits at 44.8, approaching recessionary levels. The 10Y-2Y Treasury spread compressed from 0.74% in February to 0.31%. The VIX already spiked to 31.05 in late March.
Why Are Central Banks Buying So Much Gold? 90% Institutions Cite This Reason
A record 90% of central banks cited gold's performance during times of crisis as a key factor in their decision to hold gold, according to the World Gold Council survey of 69 central banks. Beyond crisis protection, 84% of respondents cited gold's role as a long-term store of value and hedge against inflation. The survey also found that 85% of emerging market central banks viewed gold as a hedge against geopolitical risks, compared with 56% of advanced economy central banks. Central banks have remained among the largest buyers of gold in recent years, helping support prices as countries diversify reserves amid geopolitical and economic uncertainty. A separate World Gold Council survey published on June 16 found that central banks bought an average of 1,000 metric tons of gold annually over the past four years, double the previous decade's pace, with 89% expecting global reserves to rise over the next 12 months.
Dollar heads for biggest weekly drop since April as jobs data dims Fed hike bets
The dollar index, which measures the greenback against a basket of currencies including the yen and the euro, was roughly 0.3% lower at 100.68 after a 0.5% dip on Thursday. It is now down 0.7% for the week, the biggest weekly drop since early April. Markets are now pricing in about a 35% chance for a hike at the September meeting, according to LSEG data, down from 55% prior to the data.
Fewer renters are falling behind on payments, but their financial stress might be growing in other ways
Fewer renters are falling behind on payments, but their financial stress might be growing in other ways Most renters in the US are staying current on their rent payments, but more are cutting back in other areas to keep up, according to data from the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia. As of January, only 1 in 5 renters reported being unable to pay their rent on time or in full recently, down from around 1 in 4 in late 2024 and early 2025. But nearly two-thirds reported they were cutting back on spending in other areas, up 6.4 percentage points from a year earlier. And over a quarter of renters reported skipping debt payments or other monthly bills, up 4.6 percentage points from 2025. A larger share also said their financial security had declined in the last year, compared to those surveyed a year earlier. The evidence of brewing financial strain for renters comes as oil prices remain elevated, sending the cost of basics like groceries surging. Annual inflation surged to 4.2% in May, largely due to higher oil prices stemming from the Iran War. Renting remains a budget burden for many. The Philadelphia Fed estimates that earlier this year, more than half of all renters were rent-burdened, meaning they spend 30% or more of their gross income on rent. And nearly 28% qualify as extremely rent burdened, spending more than half their gross income on rent. Renters reported higher rates of cutting back on spending or skipping bills than their homeowner counterparts, and more are doing so now. "Notably, renters were the only group to report an appreciable year-over-year increase to either coping strategy," Tom Akana, Matthew Drayton, and Lauren Lambie-Hanson wrote in the Philadelphia Fed's report. Renters with student loans and those who make moderate incomes are particularly likely to be cutting back on spending now. The percentage of renters with student debt who report they're reducing their spending rose nearly 12 percentage points to around 73%, and the share of renters who earn $60,000 to $120,000 annually and are now cutting back increased 13.1 percentage points to nearly 60%. Plans to take out a mortgage in the coming months — a proxy for future homeownership intentions — are also on the decline as mortgage rates remain above 6%. Many of the renters whose ages and incomes most closely match the demographics of potential homebuyers are driving that shift. The intent to take out a mortgage among renters making over $120,000 a year plummeted to just 10.5% this year, from 44.5% a year earlier. And just 9% of 18-to-35-year-olds — a typical first-time homebuyer demographic — say they're making plans to get a mortgage in 2026, down from 24% in 2025.
President Donald Trump and Fed Chair Kevin Warsh Are on a Collision Course Over Interest Rates, and Things May Get Ugly for Wall Street
BREAKING: US May PCE inflation, the Fed's preferred inflation metric, rises to 4.1%, the highest reading since April 2023. Core PCE inflation rose to 3.4%, its highest since October 2023. US inflation is now officially running at more than double the Fed's 2% target. Persistently high prices are a burden for the American people. But the recent past need not be prologue. I am pleased to report that members of the FOMC are unambiguous and unanimous. This committee will deliver price stability. This commitment to price stability comes with two tailwinds. Firstly, the quarterly published Summary of Economic Projections (aka, the dot plot) showed that nine of 18 FOMC members, not all of whom vote, expect at least one rate hike before the year ends. "If Trump wants someone easy on inflation, he got the wrong guy in Kevin Warsh."
U.S. holiday pause, softer Fed expectations and Asia rebound shape global markets: Dow Jones, S&P, Nasdaq, Wall Street Futures
U.S. index futures moved higher after June's employment report suggested a slower pace of hiring, easing fears that the Federal Reserve would tighten monetary policy again in the coming weeks. Analysts at Deutsche Bank noted that market expectations for a July rate hike had fallen from 34% on Tuesday to just 18% by Thursday's close. "Moreover, just 30 [basis points] of hikes are now priced in by the December meeting, the fewest since the Fed meeting a couple of weeks ago when the dot plot surprised in a hawkish direction," they added.
69% of retired millionaires live on just $89K to $127K a year — and it's closer to your budget than you think
According to JPMorgan's analysis (1) of its own affluent customers, most millionaires are spending low in the six figures per year during retirement. For example, households headed by someone aged 60 to 64 and with investable assets worth between $1 million and $3 million spent just $127,320 on average per year. That's higher than a typical retiree, for sure. As of 2024, the average annual expenditure by a retired person was just $59,616, according to the Federal Reserve (2). So, millionaires are spending more than average, as expected, but not by much. In fact, millionaire households gradually reduce their spending as they age. According to the same JPMorgan analysis, millionaires between the ages of 90 and 94 spent just $88,980 on average per year. That's just 49% higher than a typical retiree, despite the huge difference in wealth. It's worth noting that households with $1 million to $3 million in net worth represent roughly 69% of all U.S. millionaires, per the latest Survey of Consumer Finances by the Federal Reserve (3). In other words, two-thirds of people in the seven-figure club fit into this narrow band. The general rule is that a worker probably wants to aim to replace 80% of their active income with passive income to enable retirement. But Fidelity (4) suggests that high-income, affluent workers can aim for replacement rates far lower — perhaps 55% to 65% for those who have an annual income of $120,000 or more at retirement. A multimillionaire retiree may decide that withdrawing just $120,000 or $130,000 is the most strategic way to avoid excessive tax liabilities and special surcharges.
57% of retirees carry debt and 27% live on Social Security alone — 3 signs you're beating the odds
Roughly 57.3% of retirees had some level of consumer debt, according to the Federal Reserve's 2022 Survey of Consumer Finances (1). About 27% of retirees relied exclusively on Social Security for their income. The average monthly benefit payout is just $2,071 as of January 2026, according to the Social Security Administration (4). Between 1989 and 2022, the share of homeowners between the ages of 65 and 79 who had an outstanding mortgage rose from 24% to 41%, according to the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University (5).
How Much Gold Is Hiding in the World Cup Trophy — and Why It’s Worth More Than Ever
The FIFA World Cup trophy now contains gold worth roughly $713,000, according to London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) calculations. Spot gold trades above $4,100 per ounce, more than double its price during the 2022 tournament in Qatar. Gold traded near $1,600 per ounce when Argentina lifted the trophy in December 2022. Data now shows the metal above $4,100 after a rebound from an eight-month low. Weak US jobs data drove the latest leg higher, as traders scaled back expectations for further Fed rate hikes. Consequently, the melt value of the trophy's 4.93 kilograms of pure gold has surged more than 150%. The same metal totaled about $277,000 during the last tournament. Sterling silver, the metal in most rival trophies, rose even faster. Silver trades near $62 per ounce, up roughly 160% from about $24 during the Qatar finals. Still, FIFA estimates the original trophy's total worth above $20 million once heritage and prestige enter the equation. The Borg-Warner Trophy of the Indianapolis 500 contains about 69 kilograms of silver, worth nearly $156,000 at melt value. The Vince Lombardi Trophy carries roughly $7,230 in silver, and the Europa League prize sits near $22,600. Safe-haven demand continues to support the metal as investors weigh Federal Reserve policy and sliding oil prices. At the same time, gold held above $4,000 this week while crude extended its losses.
Ford Vs. Toyota: Buy Toyota to Secure Dominant Global Cash Flow and Hybrid Supremacy
Toyota (TM) absorbed an $8.8 billion tariff hit and still produced $35 billion in operating cash flow, exposing Ford's (F) far thinner margin cushion. Toyota (NYSE:TM) and Ford (NYSE:F) closed very different earnings cycles. Toyota wrapped fiscal 2026 with $323.62 billion in revenue and a global hybrid engine humming across five brands. Toyota's electrified mix hit 48.1% of retail sales, with BEV volumes up 68.4% to 243 thousand units. That mix, plus a Financial Services segment that grew operating income 24.6% to $5.44 billion, helped absorb an $8.81 billion U.S. tariff hit. Ford's quarter leans on Blue and Pro. Ford Blue revenue rose 14% to $23.9 billion, powered by F-Series, Bronco, and Expedition.
3 Reasons the Trump Bull Market Can Implode in the Second Half of 2026
The S&P 500's Shiller Price-to-Earnings (P/E) Ratio, also known as the Cyclically Adjusted P/E Ratio (CAPE Ratio), reached as high as 42.84 in early June, which is a stone's throw away from its all-time high of 44.19 in December 1999, mere months before the dot-com bubble burst. The S&P 500's CAPE Ratio has topped 30 on six occasions over the last 155 years, and they've all been eventually followed by declines of 20% or more in the Dow, S&P 500, and/or Nasdaq Composite.
What Happens When Medicare Premiums Are No Longer Your Problem?
Medicare's total annual cost reaches roughly $5,000 per person when combining Part B, Part D, and Medigap. Part B alone jumped 10% in 2026 while Social Security's COLA was just 2.8%. 3.5% yield needs about $143,000 in capital. This is the dividend-growth range. Think Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ), which just raised its quarterly payout to $1.34, marking 64 straight years of increases. 5% yield needs about $100,000. Realty Income (NYSE:O) pays monthly, currently $0.2705 a share, with a yield around 5.2%. NextEra Energy (NYSE:NEE) sits lower at 2.7% but is guiding to 10% dividend growth through 2026. 10% yield needs about $50,000. This is business development company, mortgage REIT, and covered-call ETF territory. The income is loud, the principal often shrinks. Portfolio A: $143,000 at 3.5% yield, growing the payout 7% a year. Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG) is the archetype, with 70 consecutive annual increases and a history reaching back to 1890. In ten years that $5,000 stream becomes roughly $9,800. In twenty, around $19,300. Portfolio B: $50,000 at 10% yield, flat. Year one and year twenty both pay $5,000. Meanwhile, CPI has been running at roughly 0.5% a month, and healthcare inflation typically outpaces headline CPI. The bill keeps climbing while the check does not. Part D adds another $40 to $70 a month for most enrollees, Medigap plans run $150 to $250, and the $283 Part B deductible resets every January.
International gold and silver dealer files Chapter 11 bankruptcy
The distress was exacerbated by an increase in gold prices that rose from a low as $1,500 per ounce in 2023 to $4,300 per ounce by the end of 2025 and a peak of $5,620 an ounce in January 2026, according to Bondoro.
Higher-for-Longer Rates Are a Gift for Life Insurers. MetLife and Prudential Are Cashing In.
In the first quarter of 2026, MetLife's investment income totaled $4.8 billion, while Prudential wasn't far behind at $4.5 billion. The rate environment is much improved from a few years ago, so MetLife and Prudential are likely pleased with the steady state of interest rates. This environment allows the companies to generate more investment income than they did when rates were lower. That, in turn, makes it easier to satisfy policies issued when rates were higher and allows the companies to make more profit on policies issued when rates were lower. However, the bias appears to be for higher rates. If the Fed does increase rates, as Wall Street now expects, the story gets even better for MetLife and Prudential. They will, effectively, get to cash in on the rate hikes.
‘The Borrower Is Slave to the Lender’: Dave Ramsey Warns a 22-Year-Old Against Letting a Rich Friend Pay Off His $70,000 Debt
The average credit card APR is almost 21%, near record territory. The U.S. personal savings rate has fallen to 3.9% in the first quarter of 2026, down from 6.2% in 2024 Q1. Credit card delinquency is almost 3%, still elevated. University of Michigan consumer sentiment printed at 44.8 in May, well into pessimistic territory.
A 65-year-old retiree could face $313,000 in health costs — and that's before long-term care
According to retirement researcher David Blanchett, medical inflation averaged 5.1% per year from January 1957 to May 2025, while base inflation averaged 3.56%. Fidelity Investments estimates that a 65-year-old who retired in 2025 could spend $172,500 on health care in retirement on out-of-pocket expenses (prescriptions, co-payments, deductibles) and Medicare premiums. Consulting and actuarial firm Milliman's 2025 estimates for retiree health spending are even higher, with men who retired at 65 in 2025 projected to spend $275,000 and women projected to spend $313,000.
ETF Inflows Top $1 Trillion at the Halfway Point of 2026
Investors poured $210 billion into US-listed ETFs in June, pushing year-to-date inflows past $1 trillion and putting 2026 on track for a $2 trillion haul if the current pace holds. US equity ETFs did most of the heavy lifting for the month, taking in $103 billion. Fixed income funds followed with $46 billion, international equity ETFs added $37 billion, and leveraged products picked up $15 billion. The two categories in the red were commodities, which lost $6 billion, and currency ETFs, which shed $4.6 billion. The S&P 500 was up more than 10% at the midpoint of the year, and the Nasdaq-100 had gained over 20%. IVV, DRAM Lead The flows data, which comes courtesy of FactSet, showed the iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (IVV) at the top of the June leaderboard. Right behind it was the Roundhill Memory ETF (DRAM), the breakout hit that has become one of the fastest-growing ETFs of all time. The fund pulled in almost $10 billion during the month, lifting its assets above $25 billion. Another AI winner, the iShares Semiconductor ETF (SOXX), collected $4.1 billion. Returns for both ETFs have been remarkable. SOXX is up 113% so far this year, most of that coming in the second quarter, and DRAM has gained 166% since it launched in April. The outflows column was led by the iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF (EFV), which lost $5.6 billion. The ETF gained 10% through the first half of the year, which is respectable, but trailed the broader international category. Rounding out the June outflows list were the iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) and the SPDR Gold Shares (GLD), which shed $3.4 billion and $3.2 billion. Both bitcoin and gold have had a rough year, down 33% and 7%.
Eurozone Government Bond Yields Rise, Trend Could Continue Into Weekend
Eurozone 10-year government bond yields rise by between 1.6 basis points and 2.6 basis points, with the 10-year German Bund yield up 2.1 basis points at 2.919%, according to Tradeweb. Markets price in a quarter-point rate hike by the Federal Reserve in December, with a high probability of a rate increase already in October, according to LSEG.
Have $10K or More in Cash? Why It May Be Time to Move It
With inflation at 4.2%, every point your savings earns below that rate means more buying power slipping away. Inflation jumped to 4.2% in May as oil prices surged, making it harder for cash savings to hold their value.
U.S. Jobs Increase by 57,000 in June, Missing Estimate for 110,000 (UPDATED)
The U.S. labor market cooled in June with employers adding 57,000 jobs, falling short of the 110,000 economists had expected and sharply decelerating from May's reading of 129,000. The unemployment rate edged down to 4.2%, below the 4.3% consensus. Average hourly earnings rose 0.3% on the month, matching the 0.3% expected, and were up 3.5% from a year earlier. Economists had looked for annual wage growth to quicken from 3.4% to 3.5%. The data is the first employment reading since the Fed's June 17 meeting, when Chair Kevin Warsh's committee held rates at 3.50% to 3.75% but turned its projections sharply hawkish. According to the CME FedWatch Tool, the probability of a rate hike at the Fed's July 29 meeting collapsed to about 22%, with a hold now the overwhelming favorite at 78%. The rate-sensitive 2-year Treasury yield fell to 4.121%, down about 5 basis points on the session, as hike bets unwound. WTI crude eased 0.59% to $67.47 a barrel. Gold surged 1.5% to around $4,124 an ounce on the prospect of a less aggressive Fed. The US dollar index slid 0.7% to 100.36.
You Aren’t Defined by Your Financial Mistakes: Dave Ramsey Tells a Caller to Cancel His Mother’s $18,000 Credit Card Immediately
The average credit card APR sits at roughly 21%, which the Federal Reserve data classifies as record territory. Credit card delinquency across all banks sits at about 3%, still inside what the Fed labels the normalizing range. Consumer sentiment, meanwhile, has dropped to 44.8 in May 2026, well into pessimistic territory.
Wall Street Thinks Trumpflation Has Peaked, but There's an Unpleasant Surprise Looming for President Trump and Investors
Despite a wild ride in March, the first half of 2026 is shaping up as another stellar year for Wall Street. Through the closing bell on June 29, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI +1.14%), S&P 500 (^GSPC +0.00%), and Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC 0.80%) have risen by 9%, 9%, and 11% year-to-date, respectively. But what we've witnessed on the inflationary front in recent months isn't healthy or welcome. In February, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported trailing 12-month (TTM) inflation of just 2.4%. Though this figure was modestly impacted by the price stickiness of Donald Trump's tariffs in the goods sector, all signs pointed to inflation heading toward the Fed's long-term target. The subsequent reaction in energy markets was impossible to miss. Crude oil prices soared by close to 70% in a matter of weeks, while gas prices increased at the fastest pace in more than three decades. This rapid climb in energy commodities almost singlehandedly sent TTM inflation soaring. Between February and May, inflation jumped from 2.4% to a three-year high of 4.2%. BREAKING: US May PCE inflation, the Fed's preferred inflation metric, rises to 4.1%, the highest reading since April 2023. -- The Kobeissi Letter (@KobeissiLetter) June 25, 2026 Core PCE inflation rose to 3.4%, its highest since October 2023. US inflation is now officially running at more than double the Fed's 2% target. Very hawkish dot plot. -- Nick Timiraos (@NickTimiraos) June 17, 2026 Nine out of 18 officials have at least one hike this year (and six of those 9 have multiple hikes). Only one person has a cut this year, and one participant (presumably Warsh) didn't submit an SEP
Mortgage and refinance interest rates today, Sunday, July 5: Rates way up since last week
According to rates from the Zillow lender marketplace, mortgage rates are up significantly since Sunday, June 28. The current 30-year fixed rate rose by 23 basis points since last week to 6.40%. The 15-year fixed increased by 11 basis points to 5.86%, and the 5/1 ARM rose by 43 basis points to 6.52%. According to average rates from the Zillow lender marketplace, the current 30-year fixed rate fell by 4 basis points to 6.40%, the 15-year fixed rate was unchanged at 5.86%, and the 5/1 ARM rose by 6 basis points to 6.52%.
A Retired Couple Loaded Up on Tax-Free Municipal Bonds. In Their 70s, the Interest Still Taxes Their Social Security.
Married couples crossing the $44,000 provisional income threshold face up to 85% of Social Security becoming taxable, a threshold that has been frozen since 1984. The formula is short: adjusted gross income (AGI), plus any tax-exempt interest, plus half of your Social Security benefits. For a married couple filing jointly, the thresholds are $32,000 and $44,000. Above the first line, up to 50% of benefits become taxable. Above the second, up to 85% of benefits become taxable. Those numbers have not moved since 1984, which is why more retirees bump into them every year. The 2026 cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) of 2.8% lifted benefit checks, which also lifts the "half of benefits" piece of provisional income.
JPMorgan Reduces Its Gold Price Target for Q4 by 25%
JPMorgan just turned cautious on gold in the short term. The bank cut its Q4 2026 forecast by roughly 25% to $4,500 per ounce, down from around $6,000. A price forecast is an analyst's projection of where an asset may trade over a defined future period. JPMorgan now projects an average gold price of $4,300 per ounce in the third quarter. Furthermore, it sees the metal rising to $4,500 in Q4. The cut is significant in scale. The bank previously targeted roughly $6,000 per ounce by the fourth quarter. As a result, the new $4,500 target represents a roughly 25% reduction from prior expectations for the same period. The precious metal is currently trading at $4,175, up 1.26% over the last 24 hours. However, it is now down 26% from its all-time high near $5,600 reached in January 2026, according to TradingView data. First, central banks worldwide continue accumulating gold reserves at an increased pace. Furthermore, physical demand for the precious metal is expected to keep strengthening over the coming months. Both trends provide a durable floor under prices across the entire outlook. Second, institutional investors continue to allocate tangible portions of their portfolios to gold for hedging purposes. Moreover, that pattern shows no sign of reversing. As a result, JPMorgan expects gold to retain its role as both a safe-haven asset and an alternative reserve currency.
80% of retirees are sitting on their nest eggs too long — and a new $6,000 tax break is slipping away
Roughly 80% of retirees didn't tap into their retirement accounts until required minimum distributions (RMD) kicked in, according to JP Morgan research cited by CNBC (1). This is a problem for two reasons: timing mismatch and tax deductions. First, waiting until RMD age generates cash flow at the wrong time. Analysis of actual spending patterns by JP Morgan (3) suggests that most retired household spending peaks early (during their 60s) and gradually declines with age. In other words, you're more likely to need the cash during the go-go years of your 60s, when you're still in full health and enjoying active vacations, rather than your mid-70s or 80s. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (4) unlocks a new enhanced deduction for taxpayers aged 65 and older worth $6,000 ($12,000 for married couples if both qualify). This new deduction is only available through 2028, so there isn't much time to take advantage of it.
Fed Chair Kevin Warsh May Have Driven a Dagger Into Wall Street's Heart With This Blunt 7-Word Statement
We're all in the price stability business, that might not be our only business, but if there was a common thing I heard over the last couple of days, it was open-mindedness on these questions of AI, open-mindedness on productivity, but we've all looked around, and we've seen that prices are too high. Nine out of 18 officials have at least one hike this year (and six of those 9 have multiple hikes). Only one person has a cut this year, and one participant (presumably Warsh) didn't submit an SEP The statement gets a complete writethru from top to...
What the Buffett Market Valuation Indicator at Record Highs Means for Investors
Specifically, the total market capitalization of the U.S. stock market is now 136% greater than the nation's gross domestic product, or GDP. The sum total market cap of every publicly listed U.S. stock specifically doesn't include privately owned for-profit corporations. Nor does the so-called Buffett indicator consider the combined profitability of these companies, which is considerably greater (absolutely and relatively) than it used to be. U.S. Corporate Profits After Tax data by YCharts. Yes, you're seeing and interpreting that right. America's corporate profit growth has dramatically outpaced the nation's GDP growth, boosted by a steady widening of profit margins, as well as more earnings coming from overseas. Indeed, FactSet reports that more than 40% of S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) companies' first-quarter revenue came from foreign economies that don't affect the United States' GDP figure. From this perspective, the market isn't overvalued. The S&P 500 is reasonably valued, in fact, at a forward-looking price-to-earnings ratio of 21.5.
A Dividend Portfolio That Out-Earns the Average California Family
Replacing California's $100,600 median income requires $2,874,000 at a 3.5% yield or just $1,212,000 at 8.3%, but the tradeoff is income growth versus stagnation. California's median household income landed at $100,600 in 2024, according to Census data compiled by the St. Louis Fed. That is the number a portfolio has to replace to hand a Golden State family the same paycheck without anyone clocking in. The wrinkle: California's 2024 regional price parity was 110.7, meaning prices were about 10.7% above the national average. The core equation: income target divided by yield equals the capital required before taxes. What changes across yield tiers is the risk, growth trajectory, tax treatment, and whether the check keeps up with California living costs over the next decade. At a 3.5% blended yield, replacing $100,600 requires roughly $2,874,000 in invested capital. This is the dividend growth lane. PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) yields about 4% and just raised its payout for the 54th consecutive year, with a $1.48 quarterly dividend up from $1.4225. At a 5% blend, the required capital drops to roughly $2,012,000. Push to 6.5% and the number falls to about $1,548,000. This tier is where net-lease REITs, gaming REITs, and pipeline partnerships live. Main Street Capital (NYSE:MAIN) is the archetype. Its regular monthly payout of $0.26 annualizes to $3.12, and four $0.30 supplementals per year add another $1.20, for a total of roughly $4.32 per share. Against a $52 stock price, that is a total yield near 8.3%. A 3.5% yield growing 8% annually doubles income in nine years, while a flat 8% yield leaves investors short as California's costs push budgets toward $130,000. California's top marginal state rate reaches 13.3%, and MLP K-1s, REIT ordinary-income distributions, and BDC dividends are almost all taxed as ordinary income. Qualified dividends from PepsiCo or Johnson & Johnson get preferential federal treatment. That gap matters in Sacramento's tax bracket. Replacing $75,000 of actual spending requires far less capital than replacing a $100,600 paycheck. The higher-yield option often wins early, but the growth portfolio frequently catches and passes it over time. California's 9.3% and 13.3% state tax brackets can change the ranking. Qualified dividends, REIT distributions, BDC dividends, and MLP distributions all receive different tax treatment, so the portfolio with the highest stated yield may not produce the most spendable income. Replacing California's median household income with dividends is possible, but the cheapest portfolio is not always the one that leaves you in the strongest position ten or twenty years from now.
Rate hike readjustment and AI hardware momentum: What to watch this week
The US economy added 57,000 jobs last month, roughly half the jobs economists had expected. Markets pulled back slightly on their conviction. On Thursday morning, traders assigned roughly 75% odds that rates would end the year higher than they are now, per CME data. "We reiterate our thesis of the AI industry moving to addressing structural and physical (chips, power) constraints, from having to defend return-on-investment before," Arya wrote to clients. The Philadelphia Semiconductor Index (^SOX), which tracks the chip trade, has returned investors roughly 75% since Jan. 1.
JPMorgan tweaks gold price target as Fed risks return
Gold prices seemed to be mounting a comeback, but JPMorgan just made the rally harder to trust. Investors expected the shiny yellow metal to continue pushing higher into year's end, buoyed by rate-cut hopes, central-bank buying, and safe-haven demand. Reuters reported that spot gold was up over 2% for the week, even as JPMorgan recently expected a much stronger year-end finish back in June. The bank said demand from key gold-buying sectors may not be as strong as it had expected, warning that risks now lean to the downside if hot U.S. data forces the Federal Reserve back toward rate hikes. JPMorgan has just reset its gold price target in a big way. As recently as June 9, according to Reuters, the bank expected gold to continue climbing into the year's end. Now, the bank sees gold reaching $4,300/oz in the third quarter and $4,500/oz in the fourth quarter, a path that is remarkably cautious compared with what investors had been working with. It says the risks to its forecast "skew to the downside" if hot U.S. data revives the possibility of earlier Fed rate hikes. Goldman Sachs: $4,900/oz by end-2026. Goldman's team identified robust sovereign demand and emerging-market central bank diversification in narrowing down their price target. Bank of America: $4,800/oz by Q4 2026. BofA cut its near-term outlook as investor demand slowed and Fed-related headwinds intensified. Morgan Stanley: $5,200/oz in H2 2026. Morgan Stanley argued that gold needs stronger ETF inflows to make that target much more realistic. UBS: $5,200/oz over the next 12 months. UBS feels gold could rebound as markets rethink Fed policy, dollar pressure, and central bank buying. Deutsche Bank: $4,800/oz by Q4 2026. Deutsche Bank cut its second-half gold view, seeing $4,300/oz in Q3 before a rebound to $4,800/oz in Q4, as Fed repricing and resilient U.S. macro data pressure investor demand. It's important to note that JPMorgan isn't abandoning the long-term bull case. It still sees support from central-bank buying and physical demand in 2027.
The stock market is about to suffer a ‘snapback’ and will lose much of this year’s gains as ‘speculation is hitting extreme levels,’ BofA warns
The S&P 500 just notched its best quarter since 2020 and is up about 9% so far this year, but it's mostly downhill from here, according to Bank of America. In a note on Tuesday, analysts reaffirmed their year-end price target of 7,100 for the broad market index, representing a 5% drop from the week's closing level. "Our bear market signposts suggest speculation is hitting extreme levels as high multiple stocks have gapped up demonstrably, an event that has historically preceded a valuation 'snapback,'" BofA said. At the same time, the Federal Reserve is fighting sticky inflation after more than five years of letting it run above its 2% target.
The HSA Move High Earners Are Prioritizing Over 401(k) Catch-Up Contributions in 2026
$11,250 super catch-up available at ages 60 to 63 used to cut federal tax by roughly $2,700. The 2026 contribution limits are $4,400 self-only and $8,750 family, plus a $1,000 catch-up at age 55.
D.R. Horton Is Defying the Housing Gloom
Net sales orders rose 11% to 24,992 homes, and the company returned more than $1 billion to shareholders through buybacks and dividends during the quarter. Although beating expectations, revenue for the period declined slightly from year-earlier levels as home prices and incentives reflected higher mortgage rates. "Affordability constraints and cautious consumer sentiment continue to impact new home demand," the company said. Underlying demand, though, was unmistakably positive. Net sales orders rose 11% to 24,992 homes, with an order value of $9.2 billion. Backlog grew to 16,882 homes worth $6.4 billion at quarter-end. With orders and backlog likely indicators of sales moving forward, both moved in the right direction. The company also collected nearly $800 million in revenue during the quarter from rental operations, financial services, and the sale of ready-to-build lots for homebuilders. Inventory also improved. Unsold completed homes fell by 35% from a year ago. And the cancellation rate held flat at 16%, consistent with prior periods and far below the levels that would indicate buyer panic. Given these figures, the company updated its full-year revenue guidance to a range of $33.5 billion to $34.5 billion with the number of homes sold between 86,000 and 87,500, an outlook that came in above analyst expectations even after the range was narrowed. By comparison, for fiscal 2025, the company sold 84,863 homes, a 5% decline. During the second quarter alone, D.R. Horton repurchased 6 million shares for $950.6 million and paid $130 million in dividends, exiting the period with total liquidity of $6 billion and debt to total capital of just 21.7%. Subsequent to quarter-end, the board also declared another quarterly dividend of 45 cents per share, generating a yield of roughly 1.1%. The company reaffirmed plans for $2.5 billion in share repurchases and roughly $500 million in dividend payments for fiscal 2026. Analysts Expect Only Limited Near-Term Upside Analyst sentiment is measured rather than overly enthusiastic. Of the 16 analysts following the stock, the consensus rating is a Hold, with four recommendations to Buy, 10 suggest Hold, and two list it as a Sell. With an average price target of $168.54, the 12-month target implies an approximate 6% rise. Much of the sector already enjoyed a short rally following congressional passage of an affordable housing bill, a reminder of how sensitive it can be to news. Housing Headwinds Still Pose Meaningful Risks The bear case is easy to see, and the reason the stock is priced the way it is. Affordability remains the central issue pressing new home demand. Sales incentives are expected to remain elevated through fiscal 2026, thereby compressing margins and limiting earnings. As seen in the second quarter, home sales revenue declined even as closings ticked up. The competitive landscape adds to concern. Among homebuilders, Lennar (NYSE: LEN) targets similar buyers, while PulteGroup (NYSE: PHM), NVR (NYSE: NVR), and Toll Brothers (NYSE: TOL) target substantially different segments. Further, the existing home market could loosen and draw away buyers if mortgage rates decline.
Student Loan Balances for Ages 35 to 49: How Your Debt and Delinquency Compare to National Averages
About 15 million borrowers ages 35 to 49 held $685 billion in student loan debt as of March 2026, according to the Department of Education's most recent data. This age group includes the most borrowers and holds the largest share of student loan debt, accounting for about 34% of all federal student loan borrowers. The average borrower in this group owes about $45,673, the second-highest average balance of any age group. During the first quarter of 2025, borrowers ages 40 to 49 had the highest delinquency rate, with 28.4% of payments past due. About 23% of borrowers ages 30 to 39 were delinquent. In the third quarter of 2025, student loan borrowers ages 40 to 49 had the second-highest rate of people becoming seriously delinquent, meaning they hadn't made payments for more than 90 days. Only borrowers 50 and older had higher rates, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. For borrowers in this group, about 15% of their student loan balances were in serious delinquency.
OCBC cuts gold and silver forecasts as higher real yields weigh on precious metals
The Singapore-based lender reduced its end-2026 forecast for gold (USD/XAU) to US$4,360 per ounce from US$5,100, while its silver (USD/XAG) forecast was cut to US$67 per ounce from US$89.50. OCBC now expects gold to average US$4,180 per ounce by September 2026 before recovering gradually to US$4,820 by September 2027. Silver is projected to rise from US$64 per ounce to US$74 over the same period. The bank added that gold remains particularly exposed while markets continue to reprice expectations for higher U.S. interest rates, drawing comparisons with the 2013 "taper tantrum," when rising real yields triggered a sharp correction in bullion before the Federal Reserve actually began increasing rates. OCBC also maintained a constructive long-term view on silver, citing ongoing structural supply deficits and sustained industrial demand linked to solar energy, electrification and electronics.
Kevin Warsh Wants to Change the Way the Fed Works. How Will That Impact the Stock Market?
The latest FOMC statement stripped out so-called "forward guidance," the language the Fed has historically used to give markets a sense of where it's heading on monetary policy. Some Fed watchers expect the shift toward less communication about how the Fed is leaning to increase market volatility, as the Fed will not be there to hold the market's hand when surprising data on, say, the labor market or inflation comes out. That means that unexpected data or policy changes by the Fed could be more market-moving. So on big data days, like the releases of the Consumer Price Index, or on FOMC days, expect bigger moves down or up in the market. Warsh is looking to measure inflation differently Second, Warsh plans to change the way the Fed measures inflation. He said he prefers "trimmed averages" for inflation. Current measures of inflation include a range of prices, but Warsh believes some of them are not representative of underlying inflation trends. A trimmed average would remove outliers -- the prices that moved the most in a given period -- to reveal underlying trends in the overall price level. The balance sheet currently stands at about $6.7 trillion after the Fed began shrinking it in recent years, but in December of last year, the central bank began buying bonds again to help bring short-term interest rates down (the Fed's added demand for bonds pushes prices up and rates down). So, Warsh's changes at the Fed could signal a new era for investors. They're well worth watching.
Yen pinned near 40-year lows as intervention risks mount
The dollar found its feet after having posted its worst weekly performance since April last week, weighed down by a U.S. payrolls report that showed job growth slowed sharply in June, which, together with the weaker oil price, has curbed market expectations for a rate increase this month. Investor are now looking ahead to the minutes of the Federal Open Market Committee's (FOMC) June meeting on Wednesday for clues about the rate outlook.
Goldman Sachs sends strong wake-up call on American jobs
June payrolls came in at just 57,000, less than half of what economists expected. Goldman Sachs now says AI could displace roughly 15 million American workers over the next decade, or about 9% of the U.S. workforce. "9% of workers being displaced by AI would correspond to 15 million workers leaving or being displaced from their positions today and having to find new jobs," he said. The New York Fed put the jobless rate for college graduates aged 22 to 27 at 5.6%. It is not that employers are running layoffs. They simply stopped backfilling. A June 2026 GMAC survey found that one in three employers has replaced entry-level roles with AI rather than hiring, Fortune reported. The unemployment rate dipped to 4.2% in June, but that was mostly because 507,000 people stopped looking for work entirely, CNBC noted. Goldman is forecasting that AI will deliver a 15% productivity boost at full adoption. That is where the 15 million figure comes from. Briggs is not saying this happens overnight. Spread over 10 years, he expects the unemployment rate rise to stay under one percentage point in any given year. The economy already generates about 30 million jobs a year while destroying 29 million.
Bitcoin
Trump says there is ‘nothing wrong’ with family’s crypto windfall
The president reported at least $1.4 billion in crypto income for 2025. President Donald Trump said there is 'nothing wrong' with the money his family has made in crypto, responding to financial disclosures that showed he earned at least $1.4 billion from the industry last year. It showed about $636 million tied to his eponymous memecoin, which was launched on the eve of his return to office, roughly $594 million from World Liberty Financial, the crypto firm he co-founded with his sons and nearly $197 million from a stablecoin venture.
Bitcoin whales bought $16.7 billion of bitcoin in 2 weeks even as ETFs bled a record $4 billion
Large bitcoin holders bought more than 270,000 bitcoin U.S. spot bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) shed $4.06 billion in June, their worst month since listing, past the previous record of $3.56 billion set in February 2025. The outflows pushed the funds into the red for 2026 as a whole for the first time, and these products finally recorded a $221 million inflow on Thursday. Large wallets, often called whales, went the other way, analysts at crypto exchange Bitfinex shared with CoinDesk in a Friday note. They added more than 270,000 BTC over two weeks while the spot premium, a gauge of how hard U.S. buyers are bidding, stayed negative, meaning the buying was not coming from spot desks. Institutions selling and large holders accumulating at the same time is the pattern that has shown up near past cycle lows, where long-term holders take coins off sellers before any recovery reaches the price.
Bitcoin, ether traders aren't fully buying the bounce, options markets show
$221 million flow into Bitcoin ETFs, ending a painful 10-day outflow streak (CoinDesk): Fidelity’s FBTC led the charge with a $165.96 million inflow, followed by ARKB at $91.84 million and HODL at $4.35 million. BlackRock’s IBIT was the outlier with a $40.43 million outflow.
Crypto bulls on firmer footing as U.S. rate-hike risk recedes
- Ether dominated the derivatives picture, accounting for $160 million of the $417 million in 24-hour liquidations as heavily bearish positioning was squeezed out, with ETH open interest climbing to its highest since June 10 alongside bullish funding rates and the strongest cumulative volume delta among majors. - A total of $417 million worth of crypto futures bets were liquidated in 24 hours, of which $160.80 million are from the ether market. BTC, a distant second, notched $97 million. This shows just how bearish positioning on ether was. - Ether futures' open interest (OI) still stood at 14.31 million, the most since June 10, with annualized funding rates of nearly 10% and the highest 24-hour cumulative volume delta (CVD) among majors. The combination points to growing demand for bullish exposure in the market, a sign traders are anticipating continued price gains. - OI in DOGE futures tallied 14.13 billion tokens, the highest since May 16. The number has been growing since June 28, a sign of renewed demand for leverage. The DOGE situation is similar to ether's bullish picture. - On Deribit, the most traded BTC options of 24 hours are calls at strikes ranging from $60,000 to $70,000. Call options represent a bullish bet on the market. Ether options show a similar bullish mood, with the $2,500 call seeing the most activity. - Block flows featured a large BTC long call condor, a strategy betting on a range play between $66,000 and $68,000 till July 17. - Solana (SOL) is leading the rally among crypto majors. It has now surged by more than 17% over the past week, trading at $80 after dropping to as low as $68 the week before.
Memory and semiconductor stocks lose momentum, bitcoin rebounds in sign of changing investor focus
The Roundhill Memory ETF (DRAM) has fallen 25% from its June peak, and the VanEck Semiconductor ETF (SMH) is down around 12%. Consider the performance of exchange-traded funds. The Roundhill Memory ETF (DRAM) more than doubled in the first half and the VanEck Semiconductor ETF (SMH) climbed 60%. Both are tied closely to the demand for computing resources to support the AI industry. Then compare that with BlackRock's iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT), the largest bitcoin ETF, which has dropped 30%, in line with the largest cryptocurrency. Bitcoin, which dipped below $58,000 on July 1, is back trading above $61,000.
Finally. $221 million flow into Bitcoin ETFs, ending a painful 10-day outflow streak
$221.7 million in inflows on Thursday, their largest daily intake in two months, ending a 10-day streak of outflows. U.S.-listed bitcoin ETFs saw $221.7 million in inflows on Thursday, their largest daily intake in two months, ending a 10-day streak of outflows. Fidelity’s FBTC led with nearly $166 million in new money while BlackRock’s IBIT, the largest bitcoin ETF, recorded a $40.43 million outflow. The cumulative inflow ends a painful 10-day outflow streak that saw investors pull $2.73 billion from the funds. Even so, the year-to-date picture remains ugly, with net outflows still sitting at a hefty $5.4 billion. Thursday’s bounce is therefore a drop in the ocean compared to the selling we’ve seen this year.
XRP bulls test path back toward $1.10 as token zips 4% higher
XRP wallet creation rose to 4,941 daily addresses, the strongest single-day growth in 14 weeks. XRP rose from $1.0611 to $1.0894 during the 24-hour session, gaining 0.62%. Volume rose 26.92% above the seven-day average, pointing to steady participation around the move. The strongest push came at 13:00 UTC, when volume reached 117.5 million XRP, about 142% above the 24-hour average. XRP failed to clear resistance at $1.1087 and later consolidated between $1.08 and $1.09 on lighter volume. Until XRP clears $1.10, the market remains a higher-base setup rather than a confirmed breakout. Zcash’s Tachyon upgrade aims to scale shielded payments, improve quantum readiness, and test whether its funding, security, and governance can hold.
Ether and solana extend gains as a short squeeze lifts bitcoin toward $62,000
Traders betting against crypto lost $281 million to liquidations over the past 24 hours, against $159 million in longs, out of $440 million in total forced closures across 95,690 traders, according to Coinglass data. The largest single liquidation was an $18.2 million ether position on Hyperliquid, fitting a day when ether led the damage to bears at $157 million in wiped positions against bitcoin's $103 million in an unusual flip. U.S. June employment data came in weaker than expected on Thursday, trimming bets that the Federal Reserve will raise rates again and weakening the dollar against most major currencies, according to Bloomberg.
Bitwise says STRC selloff signals crypto cycle nearing a bottom, not Strategy’s breaking point
Bitwise said STRC's volatility reflects a late-cycle leverage unwind, with institutions poised to replace Strategy as bitcoin's biggest buyer. While the selloff rattled markets, Bitwise argued Strategy remains fundamentally well-capitalized, with roughly $52 billion in liquid assets against about $7 billion of debt. More broadly, STRC volatility is seen as part of the leverage unwind that typically marks the late stages of every crypto cycle.
SBI Crypto to shut down mining pool that holds roughly 2% of Bitcoin's hashrate
SBI Crypto's mining pool, according to data from Hashrateindex, accounts for roughly 2% of the Bitcoin network's total hashrate.
Ondo Finance debuts SEC-aligned tokenized stock model with BlackRock ETF, Micron shares
Ondo Finance rolls out its first implementation of the SEC's third-party custodial tokenization model that the agency outlined earlier this year. A report by Citi projected that tokenized securities could reach $5.5 trillion market size by 2030. Ondo emerged as one of the largest tokenized securities platforms outside the U.S., with more than $1 billion in tokenized stocks and ETFs spanning over 430 securities, according to the company.
JPMorgan says Strategy's bitcoin sales policy adds 'two-way risk' to crypto markets
Strategy has become one of the largest corporate holders and buyers of bitcoin, with 847,363 BTC on its balance sheet. Its aggressive accumulation strategy has made the company a major source of demand for the cryptocurrency, meaning any shift toward selling the digital asset, even occasionally, could influence market liquidity, price dynamics and investor sentiment by introducing a new source of supply. Demand for U.S. spot bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs), the largest source of institutional crypto buying since their 2024 debut, has weakened sharply in recent months. The funds saw a record $4 billion in net outflows in June after a 13-day redemption streak pushed year-to-date flows into negative territory for the first time. JPMorgan noted that Michael Saylor's Strategy has become one of bitcoin's largest buyers, purchasing roughly $13.7 billion worth of the cryptocurrency year to date, about 70% of the bank's estimate for total net digital asset inflows. The company holds around 4% of bitcoin's total supply.
A struggling Nasdaq-listed company that tried to copy Saylor's Bitcoin playbook is completely dumping crypto for AI
K Wave Media filed a shelf registration with the SEC to potentially raise up to $250 million in securities, even though its small public float limits how much it can actually sell at any given time. It also confirms the end of the company's bitcoin experiment. K Wave liquidated 88 bitcoin on April 29 to repay $6 million of debt, the filing shows, and sold its remaining holdings on May 6, taking its balance to zero. The announcement came as buying bitcoin for the balance sheet had become the biggest hype, similar to Michael Saylor's playbook, which saw share prices of these smaller companies surging. Most of the companies that bought or said they will buy bitcoin lost significant value as the bitcoin price crashed from October's all-time high, with some companies losing more than 90% of their peak stock value.
Three years after MiCA became law, Europe's crypto framework is undergoing a rethink
$310 billion of the $311 billion market. The banking lobby in the U.S. and Europe has fought convincingly to prevent stablecoins from paying yield because of the risk of deposit flight. The EU Commission wants to take another look at that, although it’s unlikely to change,” Orchard said. One major difference between stablecoins in the U.S. and those in Europe is the MiCA requirement to send stablecoin deposits back into the banking system while under GENIUS reserves can be held in U.S. government debt. The Commission is said to be toying with the idea of reviewing the reserve requirements so that a GENIUS-Act-like model could exist, where the stablecoin operator might buy money market instruments from European governments instead of routing the money back into the banking system,” Orchard said. European authorities are also debating how to treat multi-issuance stablecoins, such as Circle Internet’s (CRCL) USDC, which can be minted by multiple distinct legal entities across different jurisdictions, yet presented to users as a single, fungible token.
Warsh's comments set the stage for U.S. jobs data to ignite bitcoin, gold rally
Economists expect a 110,000 increase in jobs for June, down from 172,000 in May, with the unemployment rate holding steady at 4.3%. Average hourly earnings are forecast to edge up to 3.5% from 3.4%. Metaplanet (3350) bought another 2,823 BTC ($170.7 million), bringing its total treasury to 43,000 BTC ($2.6 billion).
Smaller tokens lead as bitcoin, sol rally in 'first real bounce of the selloff'
- Derivatives data show rising open interest and positive funding rates for bitcoin, supporting a bullish outlook. - BTC’s OI rose to 777.87K BTC from 768K BTC a day ago, the most since June 4. An increase in OI alongside rising prices typically confirms an uptrend. In other words, BTC’s bounce to $61,000 may have legs. - Positive annualized funding rates around 10% and the strongest 24-hour cumulative volume delta (CVD) among major cryptocurrencies support the bullish interpretation. - The 24-hour OI-adjusted CVD for most of the top 25 tokens is positive, indicating buyers are more aggressive and hitting market orders rather than passive limit orders. This marks a notable shift from recent seller dominance. - Supporting the bull case, 30-day implied volatility indexes for BTC and ETH have reversed the spike seen in late June. Volatility indexes typically move opposite to spot prices. - The Deribit options market has yet to show the same easing. BTC and ETH puts continue to trade at a premium to calls.
Bitcoin, Ether extend relief rallies as extreme fear meets renewed ETF buying
On July 2, US spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) took in a net $221.7 million, their largest single-day inflow since early May and a break from 10 consecutive days of outflows. The total amount of outstanding leveraged Bitcoin positions is also near its highest level in the past several days, even though the price has mostly moved sideways.
SOL rallies as Solana memecoins, prediction market activity surge: Are bulls back?
SOL’s bullish momentum ignited on June 23, coinciding with cumulative tokenized stock transfers on Solana surpassing $10 billion. Tokenized assets on the Solana network surged to a record-high $3.5 billion on Wednesday, up from $2.7 billion one month prior. According to RWA.xyz data, Solana leads with 294,274 active addresses in the tokenized industry, followed by Ethereum with 204,955.
Here’s what happened in crypto today
US-listed spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) recorded their first daily net inflow above $200 million since early May, snapping weeks of sustained withdrawals. The funds attracted $221.7 million in net inflows on Thursday, according to SoSoValue data, ending a 10-day streak of net outflows that totaled more than $2.7 billion.
Crypto Biz: Bitcoin maximalism meets the realities of capital markets
Research analyst Daniel Gray noted that although block rewards have steadily declined, average daily miner revenue has grown from $1.3 million between 2012-2016 to $40.2 million today. Crypto companies have contributed roughly $189 million to the 2026 US election cycle, accounting for an estimated 37% of all corporate political spending so far, according to a new report by consumer advocacy group Public Citizen.
Bitcoin price tags $62.3K nine-day high after global stocks hit historic record
Data from TradingView showed BTC/USD reaching $62,295 on Bitstamp, its highest since June 24. The latest data from CME Group’s FedWatch Tool showed roughly equal odds of a pause or hike at the Fed’s September meeting, with rates staying at current levels until then.
Defendant files to dismiss New York lawsuit seeking ownership of 39,069 Bitcoin wallets
The listed wallets collectively hold an estimated 3.7 million BTC (worth about $234 billion), according to Sani, founder of Bitcoin analytics platform Timechain Index. There are currently 3.5 million BTC, worth about $215 billion, that have been dormant for the past 10 years and another 6.6 million coins, worth around $406 billion, that have been dormant for over five years, Bitbo data shows.
US spot Bitcoin ETFs top $200M in daily inflows for first time since May
Fidelity's Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund (FBTC) led Thursday's rebound with $166 million in net inflows, accounting for roughly 75% of the day's total, according to Farside Investors data. BlackRock's iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT), the largest US spot Bitcoin ETF by assets, continued to bleed, posting $40.4 million in net outflows on Thursday. The fund has lost more than $2.2 billion during an 11-session outflow streak since June 17. US spot Ether ETFs attracted $29.1 million on Thursday, following $14.9 million in inflows a day earlier.
US dominates Polymarket political bets despite geoblock: Report
Crane estimated that people based in the US sent between $10.6 billion and $26.7 billion through Polymarket between May 2025 and April 2026, despite Polymarket blocking US-based IP addresses and VPNs, which could be used to skirt the block. Polymarket is completely blocked in more than 34 countries, the latest being Spain, which blocked local users from Polymarket and Kalshi as a “precautionary measure” as authorities open an investigation into whether the companies are operating without necessary licensing.
Strategy will be ‘less important’ in Bitcoin after STRC incident: Bitwise
Strategy's era as the dominant Bitcoin buyer may have come to an end following last week’s STRC turmoil, which cast doubt on the company’s Bitcoin-buying strategy and sent the cryptocurrency to a nearly two-year low, according to Bitwise chief investment officer Matt Hougan. “For years, Strategy has been the most dominant Bitcoin buyer in the world and a one-way source of Bitcoin demand. Those days are likely over,” Hougan said Thursday. “I just expect it to be a less important figure in Bitcoin in the next cycle than it was in the last,” Hougan said, adding that investment banks, asset managers, pensions, endowments and sovereign wealth funds will likely replace Strategy as Bitcoin’s primary demand driver. Strategy responded by committing to sell Bitcoin where necessary to fund dividends and by expanding its US dollar reserve to $2.55 billion — easing immediate concerns but weakening its position as the industry’s most aggressive Bitcoin buyer, Hougan said. Hougan also noted that if Strategy were to start selling its Bitcoin today, it could cover dividends from STRC and its other perpetual preferred stock offerings for the next 28 years.
Bitcoin holds $61K after US jobs data report, AI sector weakness: Did BTC bottom?
Bitcoin reclaimed the $61,000 mark following a disappointing US job market report. Traders grew less certain of a near-term interest rate hike from the US Federal Reserve (Fed) given the worsening labor data. The tech-heavy Nasdaq index sold off, fueling hopes of a capital rotation favoring Bitcoin. The weak economic data prompted investors to cut odds of Federal Reserve interest rate hikes by September to 54% from 64% the prior day, according to the CME FedWatch Tool. The Federal Reserve balance sheet stagnated at $6.73 trillion, although its mandate allows for $40 billion monthly purchases in short-term Treasuries and bonds. Onchain analyst and CryptoQuant author gaah_im said that Bitcoin’s realized profit-to-loss ratio has hit its lowest level since 2022. The net percentage of supply in profit relative to the total supply has turned negative, which historically has marked cycle bottoms with “extreme precision,” according to the analyst.
Bitcoin price taps new July high above $62K on weak US jobs data
$62,137 on Bitstamp, with BTC/USD up nearly 4% on the day. The latest nonfarm payrolls data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) showed that the US added far fewer jobs than expected in June, at 57,000 versus the anticipated 114,000. Data from CoinGlass put 24-hour crypto short liquidations at nearly $450 million at the time of writing.
Metaplanet Adds 2,823 Bitcoin, Reaches 43,000 BTC and Becomes World’s Third-Largest Corporate Treasury
Metaplanet added 2,823 BTC in the second quarter to reach 43,000 Bitcoin, becoming the world's third-largest corporate Bitcoin treasury behind Strategy and Twenty One Capital.
Anchorage Digital adds Lido support, giving institutions access to wstETH
Through the integration, institutional clients gain direct access to Lido's wrapped staked ETH token, wstETH, via Anchorage’s platform, the company said in a statement. Perhaps the added access to (wstETH) could bolster Lido revenues, which declined last year. In March, Lido said that in 2025 revenues fell over 20% as users withdrew funds and staking yields declined.
Securitize becomes first to debut shares on NYSE and onchain, but it won’t be the last
Securitize has $3.4 billion worth of tokenized assets under management across its 650 active funds. According to Redfearn, Securitize "tried to get in on SpaceX," but "it was a little early." SPCX went public June 12, and in many ways was a testing ground for some novel blockchain-based services, like pre-IPO markets and tokenized trading.
JPMorgan Sounds the Alarm on MicroStrategy’s New Bitcoin Sales Policy
MicroStrategy revealed the option to sell up to $1.25 billion in Bitcoin to strengthen its balance sheet. Strategy now aims to cover 12 months of preferred dividends and interest expense. Strategy remains the largest Bitcoin buyer globally. The firm has purchased roughly $13.7 billion of Bitcoin in 2026 alone and holds 847,363 BTC.
Solana Fell 13% in 30 Days. History Says Relief Could Be on the Way.
Solana (CRYPTO: SOL) is limping into the back half of 2026 in rough shape, falling close to 13% over the 30 days ending on June 29, and 53% over the last 12 months. spot Solana exchange-traded funds (ETFs) have attracted $1.1 billion in cumulative net inflows since their October 2025 launch, yet the coin still made its fresh 2026 lows on June 6.
Bitcoin’s next parabolic run may need $1 trillion in fresh capital
This cycle, about $697 billion in new money has generated a roughly 689% gain, compared with earlier cycles where far less capital drove returns of 2,000 percent to more than 50,000 percent. Bitcoin returns far less for every dollar of new money entering it than it did in its early years, a decline in capital efficiency that has grown sharper as the asset has scaled. The figures track realized capitalization, a measure that values each coin at the price it last moved rather than its current price, a rough gauge of how much money has actually gone into the asset. CryptoQuant founder Ki Young Ju, who published the data, called it as a case for patience rather than a top. "Bitcoin needs to be a core macro asset, not just a retail-driven ETF trade," he wrote, arguing that another parabolic run is possible only if bitcoin can absorb more than $1 trillion in fresh capital, which would take institutional adoption well beyond where it sits today. That argument lands at an awkward moment. U.S. spot bitcoin exchange-traded funds have seen record outflows over the past month, and bitcoin closed a losing first half, so the retail flows the thesis wants to move past are running in reverse rather than building the institutional depth it calls for.
Bitcoin ETFs Bleed $8.95 Billion in Two Months, and the Selling Isn’t Over
US spot Bitcoin (BTC) exchange-traded funds (ETFs) recorded another $296 million in net outflows over the past 24 hours, equal to roughly 5,050 BTC. Glassnode data shows the sell-off has now reached $8.95 billion since May 7. Glassnode's US spot ETF net flow data shows demand weakening since late September 2025. Daily inflows peaked above $1.2 billion back then. Since then, positive days have grown smaller and less frequent. The decisive shift arrived on May 7. Since that date, the funds have posted only five positive sessions. The remaining 34 trading days were negative, draining $8.95 billion in total. June alone accounted for $4.5 billion, the worst monthly outflow since the products launched in January 2024.
Bitcoin and ethereum prices today, Friday, July 3, 2026: 'Green' July off to a solid start
The all-time high for bitcoin was $126,198.07 on Oct. 6, 2025. The all-time low value for bitcoin was $0.04865 on July 14, 2010. The all-time high for ethereum was $4,953.73 on Aug. 24, 2025. The all-time low value for ethereum was $0.4209 on Oct. 21, 2015.
Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, Dogecoin Spike as Weak Jobs Data Dims Rate-Hike Odds: Analyst Says 'Markets Are Just Waking Up'
Bitcoin briefly broke $62,000 but failed to sustain the rally, pulling back to the low $61,000 range. Ethereum experienced a more pronounced rally, breaking through the $1,700 level before consolidating sideways. Nearly $460 million was liquidated from the cryptocurrency market in the last 24 hours, predominantly in short positions, according to Coinglass data Bitcoin's open interest rose 1.14% over the last 24 hours to $46.22 billion. The global cryptocurrency market capitalization stood at $2.2 trillion, following a dip of 0.79% over the last 24 hours. U.S. job growth slowed sharply in June, with only 57,000 jobs added, missing economists' forecast of 110,000 and down from 129,000 in May.
Cantor Delays Adam Back’s $4B Bitcoin Treasury SPAC Merger Again
Under the proposed transaction, Adam Back's BSTR is expected to debut on Nasdaq under the ticker BSTR with 30,021 BTC on its balance sheet. The deal includes a novel in-kind Bitcoin PIPE, allowing investors to contribute Bitcoin rather than cash. As per the SEC filings, the transaction includes approximately $1.5 billion in PIPE financing, comprising cash commitments and 5,021 BTC contributed in kind.
Is Strategy's Latest Plan 1 More Reason to Sell Bitcoin?
Strategy holds about 4% of all Bitcoin that will ever exist, making it the biggest corporate holder by far. The $1.25 billion authorization for potential future Bitcoin sales is worth just a smidgen of its hoard of $50.6 billion at current prices. NASDAQ: MSTR Key Data Points For Bitcoin holders, the substance of the new framework is that Strategy's coin sales will become much more probable. Strategy has now spelled out the conditions under which it will sell Bitcoin, which makes a surprise less likely. One company controlling so much of the asset's supply isn't a desirable state of affairs. The investment thesis for buying it was never meant to depend so much on any one holder's behavior in the way that it partially does now. If Strategy's financing framework starts to weaken, the spillover into Bitcoin's price would be real simply by virtue of how much it could unload over a protracted period, even under the new framework. The coin's supply cap, mining difficulty, halving schedule, scarcity, neutrality, and central status as the anchor of the crypto sector remain untouched by Strategy. Furthermore, the worst version of this story has largely already played out, and, in the big scheme of things, without incident.
Crypto News Today (July 3): BTC Surges Back Above $60K, Securitize Goes Public on the NYSE and Ondo Finance Launches IVV and Micron Tokenized Stocks
In crypto news today (July 3), Bitcoin has surged back above $60,000, up +2.7% over the past 24 hours as the market continues to show signs of life. Daily liquidations dropped slightly from yesterday, down from $448M to $413M, with shorts still making up the bulk of that figure at $283M. The upturn across the market has been boosted by Bitcoin ETF flows turning green for the first time in more than ten days. Yesterday closed with +$223M in positive flows, with Fidelity's FTBC product accounting for $166M of that figure. Interestingly, BlackRock's IBIT was the only ETF that closed the day red, with -$40M in outflows. Daily trading volume continues to decline, currently at $75Bn, down from $82Bn yesterday. Securitize has launched tokenized versions of complete SECZ shares on the Solana and Avalanche networks. This initiative aims to expand global access to the company's shares and enable 24/7 trading, including during periods when the traditional U.S. markets are closed. Ondo Finance has launched tokenized versions of BlackRock's iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (IVV) and Micron stock, following a third-party custody framework outlined by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in guidance published in January 2026.
Bitcoin slips as institutional inflows, corporate strategies remain in focus
Fresh research from CryptoQuant suggests Bitcoin's next major rally may require more than $1 trillion in new capital, highlighting how the cryptocurrency's growing market value has made it increasingly difficult to generate the outsized gains seen in previous bull cycles. The firm estimates that roughly $697 billion of fresh capital has entered Bitcoin since 2022, resulting in a gain of about 689%, far below the returns achieved during earlier cycles. Strategy, the largest corporate holder of Bitcoin, is exploring ways to generate liquidity from its more than 847,000 BTC without reducing its holdings.
Better Crypto Buy: Solana vs. Hyperliquid
Solana's fees yielded $57,625 in chain revenue, while Hyperliquid pulled in around $2.4 million in fees. Hyperliquid takes the opposite approach. The exchange charges a few types of fees on its order book, and 99% of the resulting revenue pool moves through an automated fund that buys HYPE coins on the open market and removes them from circulation; the protocol itself retains the rest to pay for its expenses. At the current run rate, the protocol is bringing in nearly $830 million in revenue on an annualized basis. The next core contributor unlock of coins lands on July 6, and when it does, it will release roughly 9.9 million HYPE, worth about $645 million.
Who Actually Owns a Tokenized Asset? The IMF Wants an Answer
About 97% of that value is either inaccessible to US retail investors or carries no retail-grade regulation. Only $1.7 billion is open to retail buyers, while accredited US investors can access roughly $8.3 billion, including Regulation D products. The distinction is clearest in equities. 59% of all stock tokens by count provide synthetic price exposure rather than actual share ownership, according to the report.
Revolut to delist USDT in August, citing regulatory and risk concerns
At the time of publication, USDT is the third-largest crypto asset by market capitalization after Bitcoin and Ether, with a market value of $184 billion.
Bitcoin ETFs Snap 10-Day Outflow Streak With $221.7 Million Inflow
Spot Bitcoin (BTC) exchange-traded funds (ETFs) drew $221.72 million in net inflows on July 2, breaking a 10-day run of redemptions. The turnaround lifted total net assets across the funds to $74.37 billion, reversing a stretch that reflected the deepest institutional pullback since the products launched. Bitcoin ETFs lost $4.5 billion in June, their largest monthly outflow since launching in January 2024. BlackRock's iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) drove roughly 79% of that total, shedding $3.55 billion alone. Ethereum (ETH) ETFs led the group with $29.08 million in inflows on July 2, building on $14.89 million a day earlier that had ended a nine-day losing streak.
Strategy Announces a New Capital Framework Amid Bitcoin Selloff. What It Actually Means and How to Play MSTR Stock Here.
Strategy, formerly MicroStrategy Incorporated, is recognized as a pioneering Bitcoin treasury company. It primarily operates as a digital asset company, focusing on acquiring and managing Bitcoin as its core treasury reserve asset, thereby providing investors with economic exposure to Bitcoin. Shares of the world's largest corporate holder of Bitcoin have slumped 32% on a year-to-date (YTD) basis. The company had come under pressure in recent weeks after its largest dividend-paying preferred stock, Stretch, fell below its $100 par value (its face value), dropping to a record low of $71.25 last week. MSTR stock was also pressured by the decline in Bitcoin prices, as Strategy is sitting on billions of dollars in unrealized losses on its Bitcoin holdings at current levels. Notably, the company's mNAV, its enterprise value divided by the value of its Bitcoin holdings, fell below one last Friday, meaning investors valued Strategy at less than the value of its Bitcoin holdings. Strategy has already authorized Bitcoin sales of up to $1.25 billion to strengthen its cash reserve. The board also adopted a policy requiring the company to maintain a cash reserve sufficient to cover at least 12 months of expected preferred dividend payments and interest expenses. Strategy said its reserve now totals $2.55 billion following common stock sales over the past week, providing about 17.4 months of coverage based on its $1.76 billion in annual dividend and interest obligations. Strategy also raised the dividend rate on its STRC preferred shares to 12% from 11.5%, effective for shareholders of record on or after July 1. Going forward, the company said it will review the STRC dividend rate each month based on a range of factors, including the stock's trading price, Bitcoin volatility, USD reserve coverage, and capital market conditions. Finally, Strategy announced plans to repurchase $1 billion of Digital Credit Securities (its preferred stock) as well as $1 billion of common stock.
Trump Crypto: Family Netted $2.3Bn From Crypto While Investors Lost the Same
In Trump crypto news today, the President's family made $2.3Bn from four cryptocurrency ventures as of the end of April 2026 while putting up little to no capital of their own – and outside investors lost an equivalent $2.3 billion in the same projects. That is the central finding of a Reuters investigation published on June 9, 2026, based on thousands of pages of corporate filings and interviews with more than a dozen academics and consultants, as well as 27 individual retail investors. World Liberty Financial raised $1.4Bn by selling 30 billion governance tokens. Under the family's arrangement with WLFI, the Trumps are entitled to 75% of token sale proceeds, yielding approximately $987M from disclosed sales, including a $538M tranche sold to ALT5 Sigma, which purchased $717M worth of WLFI tokens in total and funneled more than $500M to the Trump family. Reuters found the actual figure is likely higher. A filing World Liberty submitted in October 2025 to comply with European crypto-asset regulations disclosed that the company held 3 billion fewer tokens than it had publicly reported the prior month. Two academics and two crypto consultants told Reuters those tokens were probably sold without public disclosure. Using a weighted average of token prices over the relevant period, Reuters calculated that those sales generated at least $460M more for the family, bringing total WLFI earnings to more than $1.4Bn. Campbell Harvey, professor of finance at Duke University, reviewed the finding and said the token sale is large and that "it appears that the insiders were dumping," adding that selling "so early in the life of the project as World Liberty has is unusual."
Trump executed 22,000 crypto trades in 2025
Trump made more from crypto than Coinbase did. So this was a fact that I did not share on the show yesterday because I had not yet seen the chart. That's my newsletter. You should sign up for it. I write it five days a week and that image is so good. Right? But here we go. Trump out-earned biggest listed US crypto firms in 2025. Trump made 1.4 billion, conservatively. That's what's reported, doesn't count token sales. The family made about 2.2, 2.3. Coinbase, which is the, I believe will be one of the 10 most important companies probably uh on the stock market, made 1.26 billion. Donald Trump by selling his interest in crypto and making fees and licensing his name, made more than Coinbase last year. But that's not even really the most astounding part. Let's move over to the stonk market. We call him stonks in crypto in case you're wondering. It's a loving term, stonks. Donald Trump declared making more than 22,000 stock transactions in 2025 according to the Financial Times analysis. His immediate predecessor, Joe Biden, made 13 transactions over four years. Uh, that's because he was sleeping. In his first term, Trump made 517. So listen, the insider trading is legal even for presidents and Nancy Pelosi. And uh now I'm assuming that we have clear evidence that Pelosi and Trump probably just have the same stock broker. Right? But I mean, this is absolutely insane. You're talking about 60 trades a day, every single day. Now, they came out and said that this is automated, it's consistent with direct indexing. Uh, but first of all, politicians aren't really supposed to trade and especially on insider information, and the more people dig into it and look at the timing of the buys and sells, the more gratuitous it becomes. He just doesn't care. Like it's inside trading and they just don't care and obviously nobody's going to go after them. So it is what it is. All right, check this one out. The day before Trump paused tariffs and sent the S&P 500 up 9.5%, his investment accounts bought 327 stocks worth up to 12.8 million. It's one of the biggest one-day market rallies in history. The trades were disclosed more than a year later. Penalty was $200. Parking tickets cost more than that. So he did something that was actually wrong, knowing it was wrong, didn't want to disclose it and took the whopping $200 penalty as a result. Absolutely astounding. There are hundreds of examples of these if you start digging into the internet, new X accounts that are being launched just for this, which I just find amazing. Now, A lot of the supporters have said, hey, by the way, I'm non-political, like I make fun of Nancy Pelosi's stock trades just as much in case you're wondering, but People were saying, yeah, that was then. 2025, not 2026. There was some big news that broke today that I'd like to show you. It's right here. Donald Trump on Truth Social. He truthed it out. How about this? Micron, a great American company announced they're putting $250 million into the Trump accounts for the future benefit of children and their stock went up nine points today. Thank you, Micron. President DJT. For the future benefit of Donald J. Trump, who purchased a large number of shares in Micron stock right prior to that announcement. Nailed it. Impeccable timing with no information at all about what was likely to be announced by his his own self. Right? Listen, like it is what it is, but they shouldn't be able to defend this. if we're being quite honest. Like as a person who's pretty much uh, you know, non-political, uh, as much as I can be. I can laugh at how insane this is on both sides, but man, it would be amazing to see a law passed uh, by Congress and the government that prevented people in public office from trading at all. I think we would all love to see it, uh, but the people who have to pass it would be them. the ones who are benefiting from it. So I think it's highly unlikely. As my guest on my 9 a.m. show this morning said, very wisely, he said, what we really need is a copy trading account that follows Donald Trump's trades in real time.
Bollinger Bands creator eyes Bitcoin bear-market end, 'W'-shaped reversal
Bitcoin is in the late stage of the bear cycle, but the ETF segment has for the first time signaled that the pressure is easing. Also good to note how price has been holding this ~$60K region regardless of the many outflows. That will become meaningful if price does bounce further into next week as it means a lot of absorption has taken place.
A New Stablecoin Is Taking Aim at Circle's USDC. Here's What Investors Need to Know.
Circle holds the majority of its assets in U.S. Treasuries, and its reserve yield accounted for $2.63 billion of its total $2.75 billion in revenue in 2025. $184 billion USDT in circulation -- almost 60% of the total. Circle's USDC ranks second at $73 billion, while the others barely register.
German Banks to Open Crypto Trading for 50 Million Customers
Germany's savings and cooperative banks are rolling out crypto trading to retail clients, wiring Bitcoin (BTC) into the apps of institutions that hold roughly 80 million customer relationships in a country of 84 million people. The Sparkassen serve about 50 million customers, per DSGV data, and the cooperative banks another 30 million, per BVR figures. Both groups dismissed the asset class as too risky just four years ago. BaFin licensed meinKrypto under the EU's Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) framework in late December 2025, per DZ Bank's announcement. Bitcoin trades near $62,483 after falling roughly 50% from its October 2025 record of $126,080.
Bitcoin experts split over plan to freeze Satoshi's 1.1 million bitcoin as quantum threat grows
Binance founder Changpeng Zhao has suggested freezing Satoshi Nakamoto’s estimated 1.1 million bitcoins if they remain unmoved once quantum computers threaten Bitcoin’s cryptography, a proposal that has divided leading industry figures. Critics such as investor Michael Terpin argue that freezing Satoshi’s coins would violate Bitcoin’s core principle of being a permissionless system and doubt the decentralized community could reach consensus on such a change. Other experts, including developer Jameson Lopp and Bitwise’s Matt Hougan, say the real issue is preparing Bitcoin for a post-quantum world, with ideas ranging from phased cryptographic upgrades to placing Satoshi’s coins in a legal trust, though all agree the debate is still largely theoretical. Binance founder Changpeng Zhao's suggestion that the estimated 1.1 million tokens belonging to Bitcoin creator Satoshi Nakamoto should be frozen to prevent them from being stolen should quantum computers break the blockchain's cryptography elicited conflicting views among some of the industry's best-known investors, developers and entrepreneurs. Zhao, widely known by his initials CZ, floated the idea during a podcast last month with Galaxy Digital's Alex Thorn. His idea was to give Satoshi six to 12 months to move the bitcoin "If we don't do anything with it, then we're basically giving it to somebody who's going to hack it," Zhao said. Among the concerns is the possibility that someone with access to the tokens might dump them on the market, flooding supply and crashing the price. An alternative worry is the blockchain seizing control of an individual's property in a system that's designed to be permissionless and trustless. Michael Terpin, founder and CEO of Transform Ventures and author of Bitcoin Supercycle, said freezing Satoshi's coins would cross a line Bitcoin has never crossed. Terpin is sometimes called 'the crypto godfather' for his involvement in the industry around 2013, when it was still young and somewhat misunderstood by the mainstream. "While I appreciate the proactivity in CZ's proposal, it begins a slippery slope of creating permission in a permissionless system relative to personal property," Terpin told CoinDesk. "If indeed [Satoshi] is dead, as many Bitcoiners believe, then only a quantum hack unlocks the coins. While it would hurt the price substantially if the coins were dumped, it would be a one-time episode and post-quantum bitcoin would recover." Terpin also questioned whether Bitcoin's decentralized community could ever agree on such a change. "Considering it took years just to implement SegWit, I doubt a quick consensus could be formed here," he said. Jameson Lopp, co-founder and chief security officer at Casa, said CZ's comments miss the larger issue. "I don't really consider it a proposal so much as him musing upon the threat," Lopp said in an email interview. Freeze or not to freeze Lopp, also a prominent cypherpunk and leading Bitcoin developer and advocate, said the debate is not about Satoshi's coins. It is about preparing Bitcoin for a future in which today's cryptography is no longer secure. “I think this is not a binary debate of ‘to freeze or not to freeze.’” He authored Bitcoin Improvement Proposal 361 (BIP-361), which outlines a phased migration to quantum-resistant cryptography. "The goal is to create incentives and deadlines so users, exchanges, custodians, wallets and institutions actually migrate in a timely fashion," saidLopp, who in April said it would be better to freeze Satoshi’s hoard and millions of other dormant bitcoins than to let hackers steal them. Matt Hougan, chief investment officer at Bitwise, rejected both letting the coins be stolen and freezing them outright. Instead, he pointed to a proposal by Castle Island Ventures partner Nic Carter that would place Satoshi's bitcoin into a legal trust until ownership could be proven through historical electronic records. Avoiding philosophical challenges "I actually like Nic Carter's proposal," Hougan said via email. "It avoids the philosophical challenges of both CZ's suggestion and the 'let whatever happens' perspective." Hougan said the market already treats Satoshi's holdings as effectively unavailable, meaning almost any change would create more risk than opportunity. "I don't think there is any way that developments around Satoshi's coins are positive for the ecosystem," he said. "The market already accounts for them as frozen forever."
Bitcoin jumps above $63,000, reversing end-June losses
Bitcoin climbed above $63,000 in U.S. morning hours Saturday, up 1.4% over 24 hours and 3.6% on the week, per CoinDesk data, its highest in two weeks and a full reversal of the losses that closed out June. XRP led the day's majors, up 5.3% to $1.18 and nearly 10% on the week, a move that lifted it past the USDC stablecoin to fifth place by market value at about $73 billion. The gain came alongside onchain data showing XRP holders at their deepest average losses on record - the kind of washed-out positioning some traders buy against.
The Real State of Tokenization: Experts React to the RWA Market’s Liquidity Problem
$32.9 billion showed zero weekly transfers. 97% of the market sits outside US retail reach. Only about $1.7 billion is legally accessible to US retail investors. Only treasuries have reached production grade so far, and almost every other class is still concentrated or experimental. That looks like a weakness, but it is really a map of where the value is. The classes that never matured are the fragmented, illiquid markets traditional finance never priced well, because tracking ownership and moving value cost too much. In my view, the real RWA tokenization that is solving real world problems is stablecoins. Where there is a tokenization happening of a real world asset - the US dollar. Through USDC and USDT, billions of dollars of stablecoins are making remittances, B2B flows, payroll & freelancer payments, ecommerce checkouts, corporate treasury flows and forex flows and many other payments faster, easier, more predictable and cheaper. The first phase was always about trust: proving the tech works, meeting regulatory bars, getting compliant infrastructure in place. In essence, that groundwork isn't wasted time but rather the foundation on which everything else will be built. Tokenized markets are heading the same direction, as regulation clarifies (Clarity Act or MiCA in Europe is a good example) and infrastructure matures, the winners will ultimately be whoever builds the access layer: discovery, interoperability layers, the infrastructure that turns a tokenized asset from a static record into something businesses and institutions can actually rely and build on.
Is Solana the Best Ethereum Alternative Right Now?
Ethereum commands a sizable $195 billion market cap. Solana is much smaller than Ethereum. The former carries a market cap of $44 billion, making it the seventh most valuable crypto in the world. It's all about speed with Solana. The blockchain currently handles 3,641 transactions per second, thanks to its proof-of-history feature that introduces a built-in timeline. And these transactions cost fractions of a penny to process. Adoption has centered on financial services. For example, Solana has $4.9 billion in total value locked within its decentralized finance ecosystem, second only to Ethereum.
Investor Cathie Wood Bought The Dip In Crypto Stocks
Stocks of cryptocurrency companies got slammed in June as the price of Bitcoin (CRYPTO: $BTC) slumped nearly 20% during the month and fell to a 21-month low of $58,000 U.S.
MicroStrategy Reportedly Sold More Bitcoin, But Market Didn’t React
491 BTC leaving a company-linked wallet on July 1. Neither MicroStrategy nor its Executive Chairman, Michael Saylor, has confirmed any sale. That equals just 0.058% of the 847,363 BTC Strategy reported in its latest SEC disclosure. The stack covers about 4% of bitcoin's 21 million coin supply. The company also completed its first Bitcoin sale since 2022 in late May, offloading 32 BTC to cover preferred stock dividends. Its only earlier sale came in December 2022. Back then, it sold 704 BTC for $11.8 million to harvest tax losses, then repurchased 810 BTC within days.
Binance outflows triple to $1.2B as ETH withdrawals hit 3-year high
Binance recorded $1.23 billion in weekly net outflows, up 207% from the previous week, as Ethereum withdrawals surged to a three-year high.
Why Robinhood Stock Dropped 11% in the first half of 2026
Robinhood Markets (HOOD +3.75%) stock fell 11% in the first half of the year, according to data provided by S&P Global Market Intelligence. Revenue increased 15% year over year in the 2026 first quarter, a huge slowdown from 50% last year. This included a 47% decrease in cryptocurrency trading revenue and 46% increase in equities trading revenue. It added half a million funded accounts, and Robinhood banking grew fivefold sequentially.
Revolut to Delist USDT in Europe as Tether Skipped MiCA License
MiCA moved into full enforcement on July 1, and regulators have expanded the register of licensed providers to 280 firms. The rules require significant stablecoin issuers to hold at least 60% of reserves as bank deposits.
South Africa proposes crypto tax rules under existing tax framework
According to Chainalysis' October 2024 report, the country received about $26 billion in crypto value during the one-year period covered by the study. Chainalysis also found that institutional and professional-sized transactions were the largest contributors to total value received, particularly from late 2023 through the first quarter of 2024, highlighting a shift toward larger and more structured market activity.
Is Ripple’s RLUSD Replacing XRP?
XRP trades near $1.15 after a rough year, while RLUSD has grown into a $1.6 billion stablecoin in just over a year—so the worry is easy to understand. That difference is also why RLUSD has grown so fast, from $132 million a year ago to roughly $1.6 billion today. Until this year, most RLUSD lived on Ethereum. RLUSD on Ethereum pays no fees in XRP and uses no XRP bridge, so all of its growth there did nothing for the token. That has now changed. Over the past six months, RLUSD activity on the XRP Ledger has jumped 40 times over, and for the first time, more than half of all RLUSD is on the ledger rather than Ethereum—up from just 17% in April. Only about 14 million XRP have been burned this way since 2012, out of a 100 billion total supply, so the amount taken out per transaction is far too small to matter.
Bitcoin Is Now in Bear Market Territory. But Here are 3 Catalysts That Could Lead to a Recovery.
Bitcoin (BTC +0.12%) is now down by more than 50% from its October 2025 peak of $126,080. Strategy (MSTR +7.88%) holds roughly 847,363 bitcoins, or close to 4% of the possible supply. About 654 days remain until the next halving, which is projected for April 2028. Bitcoin mining rewards will then halve from 3.125 bitcoins to 1.5625 bitcoins per block, cutting daily new supply issuance overnight.
Banks have stopped asking if stablecoins belong in finance, now they're considering how
Chainalysis estimates stablecoin settlement volumes could reach a quadrillion dollars a year by 2030. Banks aren't asking whether they'll use stablecoins anymore. They're deciding how they'll use them," said Andrew MacKenzie, the founder and CEO of Scotland-based stablecoin issuer Agant, in an interview. "The network is what creates the value," he said in an interview. "The stablecoin itself becomes almost secondary. "If we don't have a euro on the blockchain, the banks will use the dollar because it's there, it's available and it has a lot of liquidity," Sell told CoinDesk. Anybody can issue a stablecoin," said Steakhouse Financial's Cachinero Vasiljevic. "But if nobody uses the stablecoin, the stablecoin is worthless. The value of the stablecoin is the network."
Americans traded $571 million on Polymarket politic bets despite U.S. ban
Wallets tied to the U.S. traded $571 million in notional value across Polymarket's political markets in the trailing 12 months, more than any other country and ahead of Hong Kong's $422 million, a new report by onchain analysis firm Allium found. Polymarket blocks U.S. users by IP address because it cannot legally serve them. The block does little, Allium argues, because the platform runs on crypto rails, a wallet and stablecoins with no bank or broker in between. There is no account for a regulator to deny, no identity check to clear and no payment for a bank to stop, so a VPN, software that masks a user's location, plus an existing crypto wallet is enough to get in. Of U.S. cohort's twelve biggest markets, five were bets on the Iran war. Its single largest, at $20.8 million, was a novelty market on whether Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy would wear a suit.
Will Bitcoin Rise in July? 4 AI Models Predict BTC's Next Target
Three Models Expect Bitcoin to Finish July Above Current Prices Despite differences in methodology, ChatGPT, Gemini, and Grok all point toward a modest recovery over the remainder of the month. ChatGPT offers the clearest base-case forecast, projecting Bitcoin to close July around $66,500. It assigns a 50% probability to BTC finishing between $64,000 and $68,000, while giving a 25% chance to a stronger rally toward $70,000-$75,000 and another 25% probability to a decline into the $54,000-$58,000 range. The model argues that Bitcoin may benefit from easing inflation concerns, improving institutional infrastructure, and extremely bearish market sentiment that could set the stage for a relief rally. However, it also warns that persistent ETF outflows and continued capital rotation into artificial intelligence stocks remain significant headwinds. Gemini reaches a similar conclusion but presents a wider range of possible outcomes. Its bullish scenario targets $65,000-$70,000, provided Bitcoin maintains support above $58,000 and reclaims its 20-day exponential moving average near $62,000. The model believes softer US employment data and growing expectations of Federal Reserve rate cuts could revive demand for risk assets. Grok also leans cautiously bullish. The xAI chatbot expects Bitcoin to trade between $58,000 and $68,000 throughout July, with the most likely average price falling between $62,000 and $65,000. According to Grok, renewed ETF inflows, supportive Federal Reserve signals, and improving market sentiment could allow Bitcoin to challenge the $66,000-$70,000 region before month-end. Claude Refuses to Pick a Price Target Unlike the other models, Claude deliberately avoids issuing a numerical prediction. Instead, Anthropic's AI argues that short-term Bitcoin forecasts are inherently unreliable and focuses on presenting the range currently discussed by analysts rather than producing its own estimate. Claude highlights several of the same risks identified by the other models, including record spot Bitcoin ETF outflows during June, Citigroup's reduced long-term Bitcoin target, and the Federal Reserve's July policy meeting as one of the month's most important catalysts. Rather than forecasting a specific closing price, Claude notes that most market participants currently expect Bitcoin to remain within a broad $55,000-$70,000 range unless a major macroeconomic surprise changes sentiment. The model also reminds investors that July has historically been one of Bitcoin's stronger months, generating positive returns in nine of the past 13 years. However, it cautions that 2026 differs significantly from previous cycles because of tighter monetary policy and sustained institutional selling pressure. ETF Flows and the Federal Reserve Dominate Every Forecast Although the four AI models differ in their specific price targets, they agree on the variables most likely to determine Bitcoin's direction over the coming weeks. The first is institutional demand. All four models identify spot Bitcoin ETF flows as the single most important indicator to monitor. June recorded some of the largest ETF outflows since US spot Bitcoin funds launched, raising concerns that institutional investors remain cautious despite Bitcoin's substantial correction. A return to positive ETF inflows could provide the catalyst needed for a broader recovery. Each model points to expectations surrounding the Federal Reserve, particularly the July Federal Open Market Committee meeting, as another key driver. Softer inflation data or dovish comments from policymakers could improve appetite for risk assets, while signs that interest rates will remain elevated for longer may renew selling pressure across cryptocurrencies.
Bitcoin nears $63.5K into weekly close as trader warns of 'terrible' Monday
Bitcoin reached its highest levels in nearly a fortnight over the weekend, but BTC price action faced an "absolutely terrible" Monday track record. Data from TradingView showed BTC/USD focusing on $62,700, the site of a key long-term trend line, the 200-week simple moving average (SMA). “7/7 Mondays have been absolutely terrible for $BTC,” they told X followers. These included renewed net inflows to the US spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs). As Cointelegraph reported, last week’s US nonfarm payrolls report came in below anticipated levels, sparking a softening in hawkish expectations of interest rate hikes by the Federal Reserve.
Why Strategy, Inc. Plunged in June
Strategy Inc. is the brainchild of Michael Saylor, who transformed his software company into what is now essentially a Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) treasury company. While Strategy isn't inordinately levered, with about $17 billion in debt and perpetual preferred stock against $51.6 billion in Bitcoin as of March 31, the company does pay a high double-digit yield on those preferred shares, paid semi-monthly. Year-to-date, the price of Bitcoin has fallen about 28.5%, with a 18.4% decline in June alone. It's hard to pin down an exact reason for the decline, though gold has followed a similar, though less severe, path, down about 4% on the year and roughly 20% since its peak in late January. In a June 1 filing, the company disclosed that it had sold 32 BTC between May 26 and May 31, along with substantial equity sales through its at-the-market equity program, to fund the bi-monthly dividend on its preferred shares. While representing only a tiny portion of the remaining 843,706 BTC owned as of May 31, this marked the company's first Bitcoin sales in 41 months, since December 2022.
Why MSTY Shareholders Are Facing Uncapped Losses Despite Weekly Distributions
In 2024, monthly distributions ranged from $1.85 to $4.42 per share. By 2025, monthly amounts had already compressed, and YieldMax shifted MSTY to a weekly schedule in the fourth quarter. In 2026, weekly distributions have ranged from $0.5553 down to $0.1549, with the trend clearly pointing lower over the last two months. MSTR has fallen about 75% over the past year to roughly $101, which mechanically reduces the notional value MSTY can write calls against. And Bitcoin, the asset that drives Strategy’s balance sheet, is down around 44% year over year to roughly $61,500. Lower underlying price plus cooling volatility equals smaller premiums to distribute. A holder who bought MSTY a year ago collected large distributions, but the share price collapse has swamped the income. Reddit’s wallstreetbets community is running very bearish on the ticker, with recent threads centered on liquidation stories rather than income, which captures the mood.
VanEck's Sigel Says Strategy Is Now ‘A Hedge Fund’ As Company Adopts Framework Allowing Bitcoin Sales
Strategy's last Form 8-K disclosed a Board-authorized "BTC Monetization Program" allowing the company to sell Bitcoin to fund a $2.55 billion USD Reserve, cover preferred dividend and interest payments, and finance up to $2 billion in combined securities repurchases. The filing showed no Bitcoin was actually sold during the June 22–28 reporting period, with holdings unchanged at 847,363 BTC. Sigel said VanEck's Node ETF has been underweight digital asset treasury companies, a positioning he attributed to lessons from covering emerging markets, where conglomerates with entrenched management and related-party transactions can trade at 0.3 to 0.4 times net asset value "for a long, long time."
Coinbase Bitcoin Premium Stuck In Negative Territory For 48 Days, Longest Streak On Record
The Coinbase Bitcoin Premium Index has been negative for 48 days in a row as of Sunday, its longest streak ever, in a sign of persistent selling pressure from U.S. investors, according to Coinglass data. Bitcoin ETF has seen around $6 billion in net outflows year-to-date, noted Alex Thorn, head of firmwide research at Galaxy (GLXY), recently. Total net assets in spot Bitcoin ETFs stand at $74.37 billion, down from peaks above $150 billion, and June was one of the heaviest months for outflows on record, according to SoSoValue.
Clarity and Congress's summer break: State of Crypto
$1.4 billion or so of that came from the crypto industry, spread across royalty payments from his memecoin company, token sales from World Liberty Financial and sales to an Abu Dhabi sheikh's firm, among other income streams. The president also disclosed holding north of $100 million in various cryptos, and a few smaller stakes in firms like Corewave.
Strategy (MSTR) Approves $1.25 Billion In Bitcoin Sales To Fund Buybacks
Strategy (NasdaqGS:MSTR) has approved a Digital Credit Capital Framework that allows selective sales of up to $1.25b in Bitcoin. Proceeds may be used for liquidity, share buybacks, and potential dividends, introducing two way risk around Strategy's Bitcoin position.
Bitcoin Options Turn Call-Heavy Before July 8 FOMC Minutes: Will BTC Break $63,000?
Call volume has outpaced puts across the contracts. Glassnode says fading demand for downside protection could mark early optimism returning to the market. Call Positioning Builds Into the Expiry Call volume reached 6,258 contracts over 24 hours against 3,610 puts on Deribit as of this writing, delivering a put-call ratio of 0.58. Open interest leans the same way, with 370 call contracts against 257 puts. Still, the expiry is small, holding about 628 contracts worth $39.3 million in notional value. The options market is currently pricing in low future volatility for $BTC. While upside expectations remain unchanged we see less demand for short exposure. This could be the first sign of optimism returning to the options market," analysts at Glassnode indicated.
Bitcoin Is Down 53%. Is It Finally Time to Buy?
Many factors are converging at once, causing investors to lose faith in Bitcoin. High interest rates, significant outflows from Bitcoin ETFs, geopolitical instability, and recent selling of the crypto by major Bitcoin holder Strategy are all contributors. Those are all just estimates, of course, and each Bitcoin bull has their own methodology for reaching such high Bitcoin price conclusions. Despite its volatility, Bitcoin is still up 67% over the past five years.
Dubai tops Asian crypto hubs, India isolates banks from crypto: Asia Express
Russia's central bank governor, Elvira Nabiullina, confirmed that the country was prepared to roll out its central bank digital currency (CBDC) in two months, following the timeline it laid out last year. Data from SimpleMining shows SBI Crypto currently ranks as the 12th largest Bitcoin mining pool globally, with about 21.46 exahashes per second (EH/s) of hashrate and roughly 2.24% of total Bitcoin network share. Japanese investment company Metaplanet acquired 2,823 Bitcoin during the second quarter at a price below its average purchase price, as its holdings surpassed 43,000 BTC. Metaplanet now holds 43,000 Bitcoin acquired for about $4.1 billion. It also reported about $10.95 million in revenue from its Bitcoin income generation strategy in the quarter, which earns premiums by selling cash-secured options and employing other Bitcoin-related yield strategies. US Treasury debt is the largest tokenized real-world asset category, representing $14.6 billion, or about 46% of the $31.7 billion RWA market, according to data provider RWA.xyz. Taiwan's financial watchdog, the Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC), said that the Legislative Yuan passed the law requiring all virtual asset service providers, or VASPs, to get approval from the regulator to operate. The law also says stablecoins issued in Taiwan must get approval from the central bank and the FSC, and issuers must maintain sufficient reserves with a trustee and undergo regular audits.
Ether leads crypto's hold above key levels as bitcoin steadies over $63,000
Bitcoin traded around $63,207, little changed on the day but up 5.5% over seven days, per CoinDesk data. Ether was the stronger performer over the week, up 12.4% to about $1,777, while BNB and dogecoin each gained around 5.5%.
Stablecoin transaction volume hits record $1.79T in June
$565 billion, or 31.5% of the total, closely followed by Ethereum with $562 billion. Tron was the third-highest with $320 billion, or about 18% of the total. This surge underscores the growing role of stablecoins as essential infrastructure for value transfer, liquidity provision, and decentralized finance activity that persists independently of speculative price movements.
Bitcoin's Price Tumbled 18% in June. Here's Why It's Still a Buy This Summer.
Bitcoin's current downturn is nothing to worry about. After three stellar years, Bitcoin is delivering a real clunker of a year, right on schedule. Moreover, spot Bitcoin ETF outflows reached record levels as investors headed for the exits. According to Coinbase Global, institutional investors are still buying Bitcoin. At the same time, sovereign wealth funds are adding Bitcoin. All told, Coinbase says 40 nations are at various stages of stockpiling Bitcoin. They may not always be buying Bitcoin via an ETF, though, so the numbers aren't showing up as ETF inflows.
Vitalik Buterin says Ethereum is preparing its 'biggest rebuild' since the Merge
The Lean Ethereum plan proposes keeping the current flexible "dynamic" state but only allowing it to grow moderately, and adding new, more restrictive types of state that are far cheaper to scale. Doing so will allow the network to hold vastly more (from the current 2 terabytes old-style to over 100 terabytes in 2030) without every node having to carry all of it the old way. Buterin pointed to a large capacity increase with the upcoming Glamsterdam upgrade, and said the fork after it, Hegotá, is likely Ethereum's last before the Lean era fully begins.
Bitcoin Rally Amid Carry Trades In Sight As Goldman Sachs Predicts Yen Weakening
Bitcoin has staged a notable recovery in recent sessions, climbing above the $63,000 level amid July's seasonality and US Fed-driven liquidity. Goldman Sachs revised its yen forecasts, expecting the USD/JPY pair to reach 165 within a year. The bank earlier estimated a 155 yen target. However, it raised its three-month outlook to 162 and six-month to 163.
BlackRock Just Introduced a New Way to Invest in Bitcoin. But Is This New ETF a Buy?
Even with record net outflows in June, this exchange-traded fund (ETF) currently has $44 billion in total assets. The iShares Bitcoin Premium Income ETF provides access to Bitcoin in a unique way. It caps exposure to Bitcoin's upside, since the options strategy forces the ETF to sell its positions if the crypto's price rises above a certain threshold.
Semiconductor
Kioxia ships next-gen memory samples as AI boom fuels dramatic comeback
Kioxia's shares have been volatile in recent days as the market debates the resilience of AI spending and the impact of chipmakers expanding production capacity. Formerly Toshiba Memory, Kioxia was acquired from beleaguered industrial conglomerate Toshiba by a Bain Capital-led consortium in 2018 for 2 trillion yen ($12 billion). Kioxia is manufacturing 10th-generation BiCS Flash memory, which was developed with California-based Sandisk, at its fab at Kitakami in Iwate prefecture, north of Tokyo. The chipmaker has said it is considering a stock split and aims to list American depositary shares on a U.S. exchange early in the next financial year, which begins in April 2027.
Intel Stock Fell 9% in a Day After Soaring About 270% in the First Half. Buy the Dip Before July 23?
Intel entered 2026 already flush with new backers. The U.S. government took a roughly 10% stake in the company last August through an $8.9 billion investment, and Nvidia followed with a $5 billion investment at $23.28 per share -- a deal completed in December -- alongside plans to co-develop products. Then the fundamentals started to turn. First-quarter revenue rose 7% year over year to $13.6 billion, and non-GAAP gross margin improved 1.8 percentage points to 41%. Intel's foundry business -- the operation that manufactures chips -- grew revenue 16% year over year to $5.4 billion. "The next wave of AI will bring intelligence closer to the end user, moving from foundational models to inference to agentic," said CEO Lip-Bu Tan in the company's first-quarter earnings release. "This shift is significantly increasing the need for Intel's CPUs and wafer and advanced packaging offerings."
Micron Earned $24.67 Per Share Last Quarter. Its Dividend Is Still 15 Cents. Something Has to Give.
Revenue rose 346% year over year to a record $41.46 billion, and net income reached $28.24 billion, powered by demand for the high-bandwidth memory that goes into AI accelerators. Management guided for even more in the current quarter: about $50 billion in revenue. Micron generated $25.4 billion of operating cash flow and $18.3 billion of adjusted free cash flow in the quarter, ending with about $30.2 billion in cash and investments. Capital expenditures were $7.1 billion in the quarter and rising as it builds cleanroom capacity for AI memory. Management has been fairly explicit about the sequence. It says it expects to return 100% of its excess cash to shareholders over time, and plans to step up capital returns later this year.
Fresh lawsuit drops bombshell on Micron stock price
Revenue hit $41.46 billion, up from $9.30 billion a year earlier. GAAP net income came in at $28.24 billion, or $24.67 per share, according to an SEC release. Micron's HBM output is sold out through 2026. Right now, management can fill only 50% to 66% of customer demand for it. Those deals carry roughly $22 billion in financial commitments that customers cannot walk away from.
Burry Called a Bubble Days Ago and Now AI & EV Stocks Are Already Cracking
The Philadelphia Semiconductor Index was already trading more than 65% above its 200-day moving average when Burry made his call. Micron's fundamentals remain strong, with fiscal third-quarter revenue up 346% year over year.
1 Unstoppable Stock to Buy Before It Soars 75% to Join the $2 Trillion Club, According to 1 Wall Street Analyst
Micron delivered record revenue that soared 346% year over year to $41.5 billion, driving adjusted earnings per share (EPS) up 13-fold to $24.67. Management is predicting this trend will continue as its Q4 outlook calls for revenue of $50 billion, up 342% year over year, and adjusted EPS of $31, up more than 10-fold (both at the midpoint of its guidance).
Nvidia Believes Artificial Intelligence (AI) Capex Will Reach $3 Trillion to $4 Trillion by 2030. Here's Where Its Stock Price Could Go If It's Right.
Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) is the world's largest company by market cap, and many investors are a bit worried that its stock may have reached a point where it can't grow fast for much longer. I think that's just not true, and expect that several tailwinds will push the stock to new heights over the next few years. The biggest of those tailwinds is the tech sector's soaring spending on the data center build-out. If this trend keeps up as Nvidia projects, then it should be a great stock to own in the coming years. Nvidia isn't alone in its projections On multiple occasions, Nvidia has made the bold assertion that global data center capital expenditures will reach $3 trillion to $4 trillion annually by 2030. For reference, the big four AI hyperscalers plan to spend around $650 billion on capex this year. That total doesn't include companies like OpenAI, Anthropic, xAI, or anything in China. So, the figure for the data center sector as a whole is likely several hundred billion dollars more. Next year, Nvidia expects the hyperscalers to spend around $1 trillion. Additionally, suppliers like Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing have already told investors to expect major growth for several more years, which is why they are spending big on increasing their production capabilities this year. One of the AI hyperscalers, Alphabet, told investors during its Q1 conference call that they should expect "significantly" higher capital expenditures in 2027 than the $180 billion to $190 billion it plans to spend in 2026. There simply isn't enough AI computing power to meet demand, and with everyone in the AI industry convinced that more computing power will solve problems, spending will trend that way, benefiting Nvidia.
Meta’s Bold $6.5 Billion Power Move to Turbocharge Its Cloud and AI Takeover
Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) appears ready to take another major step in that direction with a reported $6.5 billion agreement that could strengthen its long-term AI ambitions while reshaping the semiconductor landscape. Unlike the first two MTIA generations, which were built by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (NYSE:TSM), the new chips would be produced using Samsung’s cutting-edge 2-nanometer SF2 manufacturing process featuring Gate-All-Around (GAA) transistor technology. The contract reportedly covers hundreds of thousands of semiconductor wafers, making it one of Samsung Foundry’s largest AI orders after its reported $16.5 billion Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) agreement. Meta has made no secret of its AI ambitions. CEO Mark Zuckerberg has said the company plans to invest hundreds of billions of dollars in AI infrastructure while targeting as much as 5 gigawatts of computing capacity by 2030. That scale demands more than buying Nvidia hardware — it requires custom silicon optimized for Meta’s own Llama models and recommendation engines. Custom chips also improve economics. NVIDIA’s GPUs remain the gold standard for AI training, but they command premium pricing and face periodic supply constraints. Using Samsung reduces concentration risk while providing leverage during future pricing negotiations. It also helps hedge against geopolitical uncertainty surrounding Taiwan. Meta isn’t acting alone. Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG), Amazon, Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT), and Tesla have all invested heavily in custom AI silicon.
Is Micron Stock a Buy as Revenue Continues to Surge?
Micron is hitting on all cylinders Micron is one of the three major DRAM (dynamic random-access memory) manufacturers, and it has been benefiting from soaring DRAM and NAND (flash) memory prices, as both remain in short supply due to the data center build-out. Over 75% of Micron's revenue comes from DRAM, with the rest largely from NAND. The DRAM market is being fueled by the need for high-bandwidth memory (HBM), packaged with AI chips such as graphics processing units (GPUs) to optimize performance. The fast-growing inference market, meanwhile, tends to be even more memory-intensive than AI model training, further driving demand dynamics. Micron's HBM supply is booked out through 2027 and into 2028, and it sees the total addressable market reaching $100 billion in 2027. It noted that the industry outlook for both the DRAM and NAND markets is that demand will continue to significantly outpace supply. It said that supply challenges for HBM and DRAM, in particular, remain "severe." It upped its capital expenditure (capex) budget to $27 billion this fiscal year as it begins construction on new greenfield projects to increase supply. Overall, for its fiscal third quarter, Micron reported that its revenue increased from $9.3 billion to $41.5 billion, easily surpassing the $35.8 billion consensus, as compiled by LSEG. By segment, cloud memory revenue surged fourfold to $13.8 billion, while core data center revenue climbed from $1.5 billion in the year-ago period to $11.5 billion. Mobile revenue jumped from $3.3 billion to $11.5 billion, while automotive and embedded revenue rose from $1.1 billion to $4.6 billion.
Missed the First Wave of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Stocks? These 2 Aggressive Plays Are Your Second-Chance Buys
Nebius has delivered jaw-dropping growth, with Q1's revenue rising 684% year over year. That strength is expected to continue over 2026 and into 2027, with revenue estimated to rise by 547% in 2026 and 233% in 2027. CoreWeave is a bit larger and more mature than Nebius, but that doesn't mean it isn't growing quickly. Similar to Nebius, CoreWeave has major deals with Meta and Microsoft, and is also backed by Nvidia. The giant chipmaker has many places it could invest its money, and choosing Nebius and CoreWeave is a great stamp of approval. In Q1, CoreWeave's revenue rose 112% year over year to $2.1 billion, and its revenue backlog reached nearly $100 billion. It will work to convert a large part of that backlog into actual revenue over the next few years, and Wall Street is confident in CoreWeave's growth rates. Analysts expect 147% growth in 2026 and 98% growth in 2027. Those are solid figures, and showcase that CoreWeave has a long way to go before slowing down.
TSMC’s AI Chip Dominance Strengthens Its Credit Outlook
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (NYSE:TSM) is one of the Best AI and Technology Stocks to Buy Now. On June 23, S&P Global stated that the company has significantly bolstered its leadership in the broader global semiconductor foundry sector over the past few years, amidst strong revenue growth and robust margins. This was backed by its dominance in semiconductor foundry services for advanced high-performance computing chips. Furthermore, S&P Global believes that rapid improvement in EBITDA and cash flow generation can help Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (NYSE:TSM) sustain growth in its net cash position. This is despite elevated capex and cash dividends over the upcoming 1-2 years.
Every Time This Stock Dips, I Buy More
NVIDIA (NVDA) grew Q1 revenue 85% to $81.6B and guided Q2 to $91B, beating estimates for the fourth consecutive quarter. Growth is accelerating. Q1 FY2027 revenue hit $81.61B, up 85.2% year over year, beating the estimate by 3.16%. Non-GAAP EPS of $1.87 beat by 5.42%, the fourth consecutive beat. Data Center alone did $75.25B, up 92%. Networking inside that segment ran $14.8B, up 199%. Management guided Q2 to $91B. Margins and cash flow are the second reason. Non-GAAP gross margin sits at 75%, up from 60.8% a year ago. Operating income hit $53.54B, up 147.42%. Free cash flow in a single quarter was $48.55B, up 85.41%. Full fiscal 2026 delivered $96.58B in free cash flow on $215.94B of revenue. Supply commitments climbed to $119B, which reads to me as demand already booked.
1 Unstoppable Stock to Buy Before It Joins Google, Apple, Microsoft, and Nvidia in the $3 Trillion Club
In 2026's first quarter, TSMC reported revenue of $35.9 billion, up 40.6% from the same quarter a year earlier. Net income rose 58.3% year over year. Gross margin came in at 66.2%. Net profit margin was 50.5%. Take a second with that last number. For every dollar TSMC brings in, it keeps fifty cents as profit. That's a level of operational leverage most companies would consider impossible. For Q2 2026, management guided for revenue between $39 billion and $40.2 billion. The full-year 2026 growth forecast is above 30% in U.S. dollar terms. At that trajectory, TSMC will generate well north of $150 billion in annual revenue this year. If margins hold even close to where they are, the profit picture is extraordinary. TSMC has roughly 70% global market share in advanced chip manufacturing, and no competitor is close to challenging that at the most cutting-edge nodes. Advanced technologies at 7 nanometers (nms) and below now account for 74% of TSMC's wafer revenue. That mix has shifted fast, and it matters because leading-edge nodes carry higher prices and better margins. As AI drives demand for 3nm and eventually 2nm chips, TSMC gets paid more per wafer and keeps more of it. TSMC has committed $165 billion to its Arizona expansion, a campus covering more than 2,000 acres with six planned fabs, two advanced packaging facilities, and an R&D center. The first Arizona fab already turned a $514 million profit in its first year of production.
Prediction: Micron Technology Stock Will Hit at Least $2,000 in 1 Year
Micron Technology (MU 5.68%) has delivered one of the most explosive performances among semiconductor stocks in 2026. Over the last few quarters, Micron has meaningfully accelerated both its revenue and earnings growth. The reason is simple: The company's products sit at the center of the AI infrastructure build-out. Hyperscalers are pouring record sums of capital expenditures into the construction of new data centers, which has resulted in acute shortages of DRAM, NAND, and high-bandwidth memory (HBM) -- all three of which Micron specializes in. These shortages are giving Micron significant pricing power in one of the chip market's highest-growth segments. Unlike past cycles for the memory market, where demand was broad and easily satisfied, today's AI-driven demand is concentrated in specific products where Micron holds a strong competitive position alongside SK Hynix and Samsung. The implementation of long-term strategic customer agreements further locks in revenue and profit visibility -- helping reduce the traditional volatility of the memory business. Taken together, the result is a clear upward trajectory for Micron's top and bottom lines. The narrative for the memory and data storage market is no longer a cyclical story, but rather one of structural expansion in an expanding addressable market. That puts Micron in a powerful position. Consensus estimates from Wall Street analysts currently project that Micron's EPS will be $73.32 for the current fiscal year and $149.64 for the next fiscal year. I think that's a conservative level relative to the company's expected earnings growth. Taking the point further, that low multiple could indicate that the market is still pricing Micron as if it were in a cyclical industry, rather than viewing it as a hypergrowth business undergoing a fundamental shift. For the stock price to hit $2,000 if the forward P/E holds steady at 6.7 would require next year's EPS to reach about $298. That's essentially a double from Wall Street's already aggressive forecast. The more realistic path to reaching a $2,000 stock price is for Micron's forward P/E to rise closer to 13. While that would be a meaningful expansion from current levels, investors have seen similar step-ups by other memory and storage stocks, such as Sandisk.
Jim Cramer surprises investors with his favorite stock pick
Intel shares have more than tripled in 2026. Foundry execution stays on track. 18A yields are hitting targets, and both the Apple chip deal and Elon Musk's Terafab project keep ramping up through the rest of 2026. Second-quarter guidance, which calls for $13.8 billion to $14.8 billion in revenue, comes in without a hitch.
Why July Could Be a Big Month for AMD Stock Investors
AMD's July event could boost investor confidence AMD will hold its Advancing AI event on July 22 and 23. The company is expected to unveil new AI-focused platforms, how customers are deploying them, and its product roadmap at this event. It is worth noting that AMD held this event in June last year and previewed its rack-scale server architecture called Helios. This server platform has been adopted by Meta Platforms, which will begin deploying Helios servers in the second half of 2026. Additionally, AMD management noted on the company's May earnings call that it is seeing strong customer demand for the Helios platform. It said it will share more information about it during the July event. Assuming AMD manages to attract more customers for Helios, which will go against Nvidia's Vera Rubin chip system, investor confidence in the stock could start improving. It is worth noting that the AMD Helios rack-scale system, powered by the company's MI455X graphics processing unit (GPU), has 432 gigabytes (GB) of high-bandwidth memory (HBM), well above the 288 GB offered by Nvidia's Vera Rubin NVL72 system. Given that memory is emerging as one of the biggest bottlenecks in AI infrastructure, there is a good chance AMD will indeed win more hyperscaler customers beyond Meta. Meanwhile, in May, Citigroup pointed out that AMD may have added Anthropic to its client list and will announce this new win at the July event.
If You'd Put $10,000 Into Intel Stock at the Start of 2026, Here's How Much You'd Have Today
Intel's first-quarter results, reported in April, showed both engines running. Revenue in the company's data center and AI segment rose 22% year over year to $5.1 billion, and Intel Foundry revenue grew 16% to $5.4 billion, while the classic PC chip business grew just 1%. Total revenue rose 7% to $13.6 billion, and non-GAAP (adjusted) earnings per share more than doubled, to $0.29. This deliberate reset to how we operate drove a sixth consecutive quarter of revenue above our expectations, as well as new and deepened relationships with strategic partners," said CEO Lip-Bu Tan in the company's first-quarter earnings release. Each new commitment matters twice over. It brings future revenue and signals to prospective customers that Intel's factories can be trusted with cutting-edge work. When the report is released, three things will arguably matter most: whether foundry revenue continues growing, whether gross margins continue to expand, and whether new customer names continue to arrive.
AMD Beats NVDA in 1H26 Returns. Here’s What's Next for 2H26.
AMD's latest quarterly results were solid, with revenue climbing 38% year-over-year (YOY) to $10.3 billion.
Is Onto Innovation Inc. (ONTO) A Good Stock To Buy Now?
The company delivered a strong Q1 with revenue of approximately $292 million, beating expectations and growing nearly 10% year over year, driven not by cyclical recovery but by structural demand from AI-driven CoWoS packaging and HBM capacity expansion. Adjusted EPS of $1.42 also exceeded estimates, while non-GAAP gross margins expanded to 55.7% with Q2 guidance reaching 56%–56.5%, signaling strong pricing power and the emergence of its Dragonfly G5 and Atlas G6 platforms as mission-critical tools in advanced manufacturing. Onto's Dragonfly G5 has become deeply embedded in 2.5D and HBM packaging inspection, where defect detection directly determines yield in multi-layer GPU and memory stacks used by NVIDIA, SK Hynix, and TSMC ecosystems. Management guidance implies Q2 revenue of $320–$330 million and EPS momentum supporting a 2026 estimate of $6.80–$7.20.
Top Invesco Analyst: The AI Trade That “Lifted All Boats” Is Over. Now Profitability Decides Winners As “Capacity Will Catch Up”
MU soared 242% YTD with 86% gross margins, while NVDA gained just 5% as multiple compression replaced revenue growth as investors' focus. Fiona Lim warns memory supply growing 25% in 2026 will ease pricing bottlenecks, potentially triggering customer inventory slowdowns into 2027. Micron: Peak Pricing Power, Peak Scrutiny Micron Technology (NASDAQ:MU) is the poster child for Lim's inflection thesis. Fiscal Q3 revenue hit $41.46B, up 345.7% YoY, with a GAAP gross margin of 84.6% and Q4 guidance calling for gross margin near 86%, per the company's Q3 press release. CEO Sanjay Mehrotra said, "some of our key customers, we are able to fulfill only 50% to two-thirds of their demand in the medium term."
Better Artificial Intelligence (AI) Stock: Alphabet vs. Micron Technology (the Winner May Surprise You)
$41.5 billion -- exceeding the $33.5 billion in guidance it gave. Micron's management team informed investors that it foresees memory chip demand escalating and supply constraints persisting beyond 2027.
Nvidia Stock Is Now Cheaper Than Coca-Cola. Here's the Math.
Nvidia's revenue in its fiscal first quarter (ended April 26, 2026) rose 85% year over year to $81.6 billion, with data center revenue climbing 92% to $75.2 billion.
Is Qnity Electronics, Inc. (Q) A Good Stock To Buy Now?
Qnity Electronics, Inc. delivered a strong first-quarter fiscal 2026 performance that reinforced the bullish investment thesis, reporting revenue of approximately $1.32 billion, up 17.6% year over year, and adjusted earnings that exceeded expectations, prompting management to substantially raise its full-year guidance for revenue and EBITDA. Growth is also being fueled by the rapidly expanding Integrated Circuit Solutions business, where advanced packaging, interconnect, thermal management, and AI-related products are growing significantly faster than the core business, positioning Qnity as a critical supplier across the semiconductor value chain.
"Big Short" Investor Michael Burry Is Now Betting Against Micron, Nvidia, and Tesla. Should You Be Worried?
Micron has been public for four decades, and by Burry's reported count, its stock has suffered 34 drawdowns of more than 30% along the way. In his view, the AI boom hasn't repealed the memory cycle. It has simply made investors forget the cycle exists. In its fiscal third quarter (the period ended May 28, 2026), the memory maker's revenue more than quadrupled year over year to $41.5 billion, and it rose about 74% from the prior quarter. Management guided for roughly $50 billion in revenue in fiscal Q4. Nvidia may be the strangest name on the list, because its valuation is arguably the easiest to defend. Revenue in the chipmaker's fiscal first quarter (ended April 26, 2026) rose 85% year over year to $81.6 billion, with data center revenue climbing 92%.
Foxconn second-quarter revenue jumps, company cautions on geopolitics
Revenue for Nvidia's biggest server maker and Apple's top iPhone assembler jumped to T$2.513 trillion ($78.71 billion) in the April-June quarter, Foxconn said in a statement on Sunday. June revenue alone rose 52.1% year-on-year to T$821.8 billion, a record for that month. Operations are expected to grow both quarter-on-quarter and year-on-year in the third quarter, with AI racks maintaining a growth trend, the company said.
Micron Stock Investors Just Got Good News From Wall Street and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang
Micron shareholders recently got some good news. Several Wall Street analysts raised their forward earnings estimates after the company's latest financial report. In the third quarter of fiscal 2026 (ended in May), total revenue rose 345% to $41.4 billion due to particularly strong sales growth in the cloud and data center segments, as NAND and DRAM prices more than doubled versus the previous year. The consensus now says earnings will hit $155 per share in fiscal 2027 (ends in August), up from the prior estimate of $98 per share. The new forecast implies earnings will increase 168% annually over the next five quarters. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang says the memory-chip supply shortage will last for several years At the tech event CES in January, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang explained that memory was quickly becoming the most critical bottleneck in AI inference workloads. Not only are more people interacting with AI applications, but their interactions are getting longer, and the underlying models are getting larger. AI systems need more memory to support those changes. Six months have passed since Huang made those observations, and the situation has not improved. "The whole industry supply chain, everything from wafers to packaging to silicon photonics, everything is in short supply because the demand is so high. It is going to persist for several years," Huang told reporters in South Korea in June.
Is Micron Turning Into a Steadier Growth Stock?
Revenue climbed 346% year over year, reaching $41 billion, while earnings per share more than doubled to $24.67. Management expects revenue to reach $50 billion in the current quarter. Gross margin guidance also points to a slight increase to roughly 86%, as memory demand continues to outpace supply.
Why Broadcom Inc.’s (AVGO) Custom AI Silicon Growth Still Supports Its Estimate Story
On June 3, Broadcom reported fiscal second-quarter results and said AI semiconductor revenue rose 143% year over year to $10.8 billion, above its forecast.
Micron At $1,750 Is Now My Base Case
Management guides for $50B revenue next quarter and $30B in free cash flow for Q4 FY26, fully funding aggressive CapEx from operational cash generation.
Forget Micron? This New AI Memory Stock Could Be the Best Buy of the Decade
SK hynix launches on Nasdaq July 10 (SKHY) as the dominant HBM supplier with 58% global market share, dwarfing Micron's 21%. Bernstein projects SK hynix will reach 91% gross margins in Q2 2026, with operating margins of 70 to 80% versus Micron's 50 to 55%. Hyperscalers will spend over $700 billion on AI infrastructure this year, keeping HBM demand elevated and Micron's supply already sold out through year-end. Research firm TrendForce estimates the company controls more than half of the global HBM market, ahead of Micron and Samsung Electronics. Bernstein Research recently projected SK hynix could generate gross margins of 91% during the second quarter as HBM becomes an ever-larger percentage of sales.
Top-rated analyst sets a jaw-dropping Intel stock price target
Intel spent most of 2023 and 2024 as one of the most beaten-down chip stocks on Wall Street. On July 2, Lee published a $200 target. That is not a typo. Lee doubled his price target on Intel ($INTC) from $100 to $200, keeping a buy rating he initiated in April, Investing.com reported. His new call sits roughly $100 above where the average analyst on Wall Street has Intel valued. It is the most bullish forecast for the stock among major banks. Customer engagement at Intel has picked up. Lee expects design commitments to start arriving in H2 2026. The companies building relationships with Intel's foundry operation include Apple, Alphabet, Nvidia, Microsoft, and Amazon, according to TipRanks. He also raised his server CPU growth forecasts for both 2026 and 2027, calling server CPUs the "key driver" of Intel's earnings over the next two years. The stock carries a hold consensus. Mizuho has a neutral rating. Cantor Fitzgerald is at $150. The average target across the analysts tracking Intel sits around $101, according to TipRanks data. Lee's $200 is double that.
3 Stocks to Buy and Hold Even if There's a Stock Market Sell-Off in the Second Half of 2026
When household budgets tighten and a bank loan isn't an option, more people turn to a pawn shop for quick cash. It's one of the rare businesses where a weaker economy can actually mean stronger demand. What I find more interesting than the loan book is how aggressively the company is widening its reach. Early in 2026, the company took control of Founders One, a 105-store chain operating across a dozen countries, pushing its footprint to roughly 1,500 stores in 16 countries. It also rolled out an online car title loan platform in Texas, extending the same need-cash-now service to vehicle owners. Management has said as much: Its scrap margin jumped from about 22% to 38% year over year, and the company has flagged that those margins should normalize if gold simply stops climbing. In May, it entered the Knoxville market with a funeral home acquisition and secured a new $60 million credit facility to fund additional deals.
AMD vs Palantir: Which AI Giant Is a Better Buy?
AMD posted revenue of $10.253 billion, up 37.85% YoY, with Data Center alone contributing $5.775 billion at +57%. That segment is now the engine, powered by EPYC servers and Instinct MI350 shipments. Lisa Su told investors that “Customer engagement around MI450 Series and Helios is strengthening, with leading customer forecasts exceeding our initial expectations.” The Meta deal for up to 6 gigawatts of Instinct deployment gives that claim real weight. Palantir grew faster off a smaller base. Revenue hit $1.63 billion, up 84.71%, with U.S. Commercial exploding 133% to $595 million. AIP is clearly landing with corporate buyers. Alex Karp noted that “Palantir’s Rule of 40 score has soared to 145%.” The company closed 206 deals of at least $1 million, signaling that AIP is becoming a repeatable enterprise sale rather than a bespoke consulting engagement. Guidance for Q2 revenue of roughly $11.2 billion with 56% gross margin reflects that trade-off.
Micron (MU) Stock Faces Michael Burry Short As Legal Risks Linger
Micron Technology sits at the center of the AI hardware story, with its memory products tied directly to high-performance computing demand. The stock last closed at $975.56 and is up 12.9% over the past month and 209.3% year to date. Over the past three years, the share price has increased more than 15x, making Micron one of the stand-out performers in the sector. Price vs Analyst Target: Micron Technology trades at US$975.56, around 34% below the consensus target of US$1,486, with a wide analyst range between US$361 and US$2,200. Simply Wall St Valuation: Shares are flagged as overvalued, trading about 71.4% above the estimated fair value. Recent Momentum: The stock is up 12.9% over the last 30 days, indicating strong short term momentum despite the new short position.
Nvidia's next-gen AI rack system delayed to 2028 on manufacturing snags, SemiAnalysis says
Kyber NVL144 rack architecture has been delayed to 2028 as the PCB midplane remains challenging from a manufacturability standpoint. NVL576 — a larger system linking eight racks via optical connections — is also likely delayed or limited to small volumes, the research firm said. SemiAnalysis also projects Nvidia's data-center compute revenue will run 20% above Wall Street consensus in the second half of fiscal 2027.
SK Hynix to launch $28 billion US listing to ride global AI wave
Shares in the firm are up more than 250% this year, as it rides surging global investor demand for AI stocks. Last week the company said it would invest close to $65 billion in South Korea as part of the country's drive to capitalize on AI.
Micron, Intel, and Sandisk Are the Best-Performing S&P 500 Stocks This Year. Which Is the Best Buy Now?
Micron recently reported earnings and told investors that it expects the memory chip market to stay "tight" beyond 2027, so the near future is secure for these two stocks.
SK hynix to launch $28bn Nasdaq listing amid global AI chip demand
According to regulatory filings, the South Korean memory semiconductor producer will offer 17.79 million new shares in the form of American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) on the Nasdaq. SK hynix stated that these investments will further enable it to support increasing global demand, particularly for memory components utilised in AI, high-performance computing, and data centre infrastructure. According to a GlobalData TS Lombard report by Dario Perkins, global AI capital spending is estimated to be at about $800bn in 2026, with the US accounting for more than 80%.
AI / Robotics / EV
Rivian raises 2026 delivery outlook while Lucid misses Wall Street expectations for second quarter
Rivian raised its 2026 delivery guidance range after seeing stronger-than-expected demand for its electric vehicles during the second quarter, while Lucid missed Wall Street expectations and its new CEO Silvio Napoli announced a shake-up of the company's leadership team. Rivian said it now expects to deliver between 65,000 and 70,000 vehicles this year, up from a prior forecast of between 62,000 and 67,000 units. Rivian also said Thursday it produced 12,613 vehicles and delivered 12,194 units during the second quarter. The second-quarter deliveries are higher than FactSet's analyst consensus of 11,0000 units and the company's previous outlook, which called for delivering between 9,000 and 11,000 EVs. Lucid reported producing 4,774 vehicles and delivering 3,953 vehicles during the second quarter. The deliveries were below Wall Street's expectations of 5,000 units, according to FactSet. EV leader Tesla, meanwhile, reported 480,126 vehicle deliveries for second quarter, topping expectations.
Why Did Tesla’s Stock Drop 7% Despite a Record Delivery Quarter?
480,126 vehicle deliveries for the second quarter, against a company-compiled consensus of 406,024 and a StreetAccount estimate of 406,600. 451,758 units. 358,023 deliveries.
Chinese robot maker Unitree wins approval for $619 million Shanghai IPO
A-share IPOs, or listings on the Shanghai, Shenzhen and Beijing exchanges, raised $7.7 billion in the first half of the year, up 64.4% from the year-earlier period, LSEG data showed. Unitree plans to sell at least 40.45 million shares, according to its prospectus filed with the Shanghai Stock Exchange previously.
Rivian Raises Its Full-Year Delivery Forecast. Here’s Why the Stock Is Soaring.
Delivering the goods That morning, Rivian provided the delivery and production figures for its just-concluded second quarter. The period saw the EV company produce 12,613 vehicles, with deliveries totaling 12,194. The latter figure topped the company's own forecast — actually, a better term might be "crushed," as it was guiding for 9,000 to 11,000 for the period. It was also well above the second quarter 2025 number of 10,661 and first quarter 2026's 10,365. With these rather stiff tailwinds at its back, Rivian cranked its full-year 2026 delivery guidance higher. It now anticipates shipping 65,000 to 70,000 units, notably up from the previous estimate of 62,000 to 67,000. Rivian's impressive, guidance-trouncing performance wasn't an isolated occurrence in the EV sphere. Also on Thursday, Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) , for one, opened the hood on its own second-quarter production and delivery figures. It revealed that its total deliveries were 480,126. Unlike Rivian, Tesla doesn't provide guidance on this metric; still, for the quarter, it handily beat the consensus analyst estimate of 396,466, per data compiled by Bloomberg. As for comparisons to previous periods, Tesla's deliveries for the second quarter of 2025 were 384,122, and for the first quarter of this year, 358,023.
Tesla (TSLA) Expands Robotaxi Service To Miami With Cybercabs On Public Roads
Tesla's Miami robotaxi expansion sits alongside record Q2 deliveries of 480,126 vehicles and underscores how the company is trying to move from a pure EV manufacturer toward an autonomy and services platform. The Miami rollout supports the narrative that Tesla is leaning into autonomous ride-hailing as a higher margin, software-led business line layered on top of its existing vehicle base. Successful operation of production-line Cybercabs in a dense urban setting could support the thesis that Tesla can layer software and services revenue on top of its existing vehicle base over time.
lika raises £4.56m to commercialise solid-state batteries technology
Up to £2 million will support the rollout and scaling of Stereax, which is designed for active implantable medical devices such as pacemakers and neurostimulators. Up to £3 million will support Goliath, the company's electric vehicle battery, as it moves from finalising technical specifications towards licensing.
Tesla beat the Street and was still punished. Here's why
Tesla Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) delivered 480,126 vehicles in the second quarter, a 25% jump on a year earlier and a decisive beat against a consensus of roughly 406,000. Analysts model roughly 1.65 million deliveries for all of 2026, barely 1% growth on last year, and that figure has already been trimmed by about 35,000 units since March.
If You'd Invested $10,000 in Tesla Stock 10 Years Ago, Here's How Much You'd Have Today
Tesla shares have put up a marvelous trailing 10-year return of 2,920% (as of July 1). If you were able to buy $10,000 worth of the stock at the start of July 2016, you'd have $302,160 today. A decade ago, Tesla was essentially a newcomer in the automotive industry. In 2015, it sold almost 51,000 electric vehicles (EVs). By 2025, that figure had ballooned to over 1.6 million, driving monster automotive revenue growth of 1,778% during that stretch. Now, for the first time in years, that same "Total Conviction" signal is flashing for a company 1/100th the size of Nvidia. It's a key player in the $1.8 trillion space race, and with the stock recently sitting 20% off its highs, the window to get in early is closing fast. *Stock Advisor returns as of June 29, 2026
Rivian stock spikes following latest update
Rivian produced 12,613 vehicles in the preceding three months, while delivering 12,194 vehicles in that time. The delivery results easily topped the company's internal outlook of between 9,000 and 11,000. Rivian is increasing its full-year delivery outlook to between 65,000 and 70,000 from its previous view of between 62,000 and 67,000 vehicles delivered. The firm says that although it expects better deliveries, "Rivian's 2026 will be defined by… the Co.'s ability to offer FSD-like 'point-to-point' hands-free driving by year end."
1 Incredible Autonomous Vehicle Stock to Buy Instead of Tesla
According to Alphabet's Q1 2026 earnings call, Waymo surpassed 500,000 fully autonomous, driverless rides per week, a number that has doubled in less than a year.
MG sets up Swiss subsidiary in European expansion push
According to the company, customers and retail partners are expected to receive uninterrupted service during the transition. Earlier this year, MG recorded its one millionth customer vehicle delivery in Europe. MG returned to the UK market in 2011 with the MG6. It now has more than 1,300 dealer partners across 34 markets. SAIC is targeting annual production of 120,000 vehicles at the site.
AppLovin vs. Palantir Technologies: Which High-Growth Tech Stock Is a Better Buy in 2026?
AppLovin operates in a competitive corner of the tech stocks landscape where speed and efficiency are paramount. In its 2025 fiscal year (FY), revenue reached $5.5 billion, representing a significant 70% increase over the previous year. This rapid growth helped the company achieve net income of $3.3 billion, resulting in a strong net margin of 60.8%. These results were largely driven by the success of its advertising technology across the global mobile ecosystem. The case for Palantir Technologies Palantir Technologies builds software platforms, for example Foundry and Gotham, that help large organizations integrate and analyze complex data for better decision-making. The company serves a diverse mix of government agencies and commercial enterprises, including a strategic partnership with Nvidia to provide sovereign artificial intelligence tools. While expanding its reach, the business maintains a deep reliance on cloud infrastructure provided by Amazon and Microsoft. During FY 2025, Palantir reported revenue of $4.5 billion, marking a 56.2% jump from the prior year. This expansion translated into net income of $1.6 billion and a net margin of 36.3%. Growth has been particularly strong in the commercial sector as more businesses adopt its artificial intelligence platform to automate internal workflows. AppLovin estimates revenue in the second quarter will reach about $1.9 billion, up from the prior year’s $1.3 billion. Palantir forecasted Q2 sales of around $1.8 billion, nearly double 2025’s $1 billion.
General Motors vs. Lucid: Which Automotive Stock Is a Better Buy in 2026?
In FY 2025, revenue reached nearly $185.0 billion, representing a slight decrease of roughly 1.3% compared to the prior year. The company reported a net income of approximately $2.7 billion, though its net margin narrowed to close to 1.5%. As of its December 2025 balance sheet, the current ratio stood at roughly 1.2x, which measures a company's ability to cover short-term debts with its short-term assets. The debt-to-equity ratio, which compares total debt (including short-term and long-term obligations) to shareholder equity, was approximately 2.1x. Free cash flow reached nearly $11 billion, representing the cash remaining after paying for operating costs and equipment upgrades. In FY 2025, Lucid generated nearly $1.4 billion in revenue, reflecting a significant growth rate of approximately 67.6%. However, the company reported a net loss of close to $2.7 billion, resulting in a negative net margin of roughly 199.3%. As of the December 2025 balance sheet, the current ratio was close to 1.02x. The debt-to-equity ratio stood at roughly 4.05x, indicating the company uses more equity than debt relative to its capital structure. Free cash flow was negative $3.8 billion, meaning the company spent more on operations and equipment than it brought in from sales as it worked to ramp up its manufacturing lines. General Motors trades at a significant discount compared to the broader sector, while Lucid carries a higher P/S ratio, which measures a company's price against its annual revenue. The Forward P/E, which compares the stock price to predicted future earnings estimates per share, also highlights General Motors as the more conservative value play.
Here’s Why Tesla Inc. (TSLA) is a Top Robotics Stock to Buy Amid Robotaxi and Optimus Developments
Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) builds general-purpose humanoid robots and autonomous vehicle platforms using a shared, vision-based artificial intelligence system.
Bill Ackman Drives a Tesla: Here's Why He Won't Buy the Stock
Tesla's stock currently trades for over 200 times forward earnings estimates. It's an automaker trading at 15 times sales, while other car companies trade at sales multiples below 1. While its vehicle deliveries are growing about 10% year over year and expected to continue doing so through 2030, that's far from justifying the enormous multiples on the stock. Indeed, Tesla is a $1.5 trillion company because investors expect it to earn tremendous profits from developing autonomous vehicles and humanoid robots in the future. The vast majority of bull cases for Tesla, such as Ark Invest's valuation, stem from its fledgling robotaxi efforts. And now Musk is dedicating a significant amount of Tesla's manufacturing capacity to its humanoid robot, Optimus, which is a massive bet on labor disruption. Both plan to spend around $200 billion on building and outfitting new data centers this year. That spending is weighing on both companies' free cash flow for the year and their stock prices. Amazon Web Services had a backlog of $364 billion in contracted revenue as of the end of the first quarter, plus it signed a $100 billion deal with Anthropic that's not included in that amount. Likewise, Microsoft has $627 billion in remaining performance obligations across Azure and its productivity software business.
Here's the Next Major Trillion-Dollar Blockbuster IPO Now That SpaceX's Is Complete
At the end of May, it finished a funding round that valued the company at $965 billion, so it will likely go public at a greater than $1 trillion valuation. The company also reported that its annual run rate crossed $47 billion during that time. For reference, SpaceX's revenue during 2025 was just over $20 billion.
SpaceX Just Changed the Rules for Every Future IPO. The Market is Now Eyeing These 2 Upcoming IPOs.
According to its recent filings, revenue continues to grow at an impressive pace, Starlink has become a powerful recurring revenue engine, and the company maintains a strong balance sheet. Anthropic generated $4.8 billion in revenue in Q1 and is on track to bring in $10.9 billion in the second quarter. The company priced its offering at $135 per share on June 11 and began trading on the Nasdaq under the ticker SPCX on June 12, raising $75 billion at an initial valuation of roughly $1.77 trillion.
Is Reddit (RDDT) The Best Cheap AI Stock to Buy?
In Q1 2026, Reddit (NYSE:RDDT) revenue jumped 69% year over year. Advertising revenue grew even faster at 74%, while daily active users reached 126.8 million, up 17%. This is serious growth across the board. The AI licensing deals are where the real money shows up. Google signed a $60 million per year deal with Reddit. OpenAI signed around $70 million per year. Both companies get access to Reddit's real-time data API to train their AI models and improve their answers. Total licensing value is over $200 million per year. Reddit (NYSE:RDDT) is monetizing smartly, too. Average revenue per user sits at $5.23 globally. In the US, ARPU hit $9.63. That already beats Pinterest at $7.12 and Snapchat at $9.23. The only player ahead is Meta at $15.66, and Reddit can keep climbing toward that without reaching it.
SQM-Codelco Venture Targets 70% Lithium Output Surge in Chile
In an environmental impact study tied to a planned $3 billion overhaul of operations in the Atacama Desert, the Novandino venture said it is targeting annual lithium production of up to 470,000 metric tons, compared with guidance of roughly 270,000 tons for 2026.
Could China’s Cheap AI Models ‘Crash’ The US Stock Market In 2026? CEO Issues Stark Warning For OpenAI And Anthropic: ‘The Bubble Is…. About To Pop’
$100 million when similar capabilities may be available for around $5 million. Nobody can refuse cutting a $100M AI bill down to $5M. GLM 5.2 model is generating a buzz after outperforming other open-source models and approaching Anthropic's Opus 4.8 on a key agentic AI benchmark at roughly one-fifth the cost. Realberry gives accredited investors direct access to private real estate opportunities backed by a team with 35 years of experience, $3.4 billion in assets under management, and $481 million in cumulative distributions paid to investors as of Q4 2025, according to the company.
Is Rockwell Automation, Inc. (ROK) A Good Stock To Buy Now?
ROK's trailing and forward P/E were 49.51 and 32.36 respectively according to Yahoo Finance. Demand is increasingly structural rather than cyclical, driven by AI-enabled data center buildouts, where Rockwell's edge AI pipeline exceeds $2 billion, semiconductor reshoring supported by CHIPS Act projects capturing roughly 20% exposure, and warehouse automation growth exceeding 30%. Backlog of $11.2 billion further underpins visibility. At 35x earnings the stock implies roughly $448, while a 40x multiple, justified by software mix expansion, implies approximately $512, aligning with bullish call positioning and suggesting upside.
Better EV Stock: Rivian vs. Lucid
Lucid's generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) net loss was $12.09 per share in 2025, and the company has had to raise additional capital to help offset those losses. Rivian achieved two quarters of gross profitability in 2025, driven primarily by sales from its software and services segment. Lucid's production is ramping up, but the company is highly unprofitable, has laid off many of its staff, has had difficulty finding the right management, and has to continually raise new funds.
GM's EV strategy is under pressure
GM sold only 27,395 EVs in the U.S., a year-over-year decline of 41%. Most GM EVs saw significant decreases, including the affordable Chevrolet Equinox EV, down by 62%.
Sam Altman Called Any OpenAI IPO Valuation Below $1 Trillion a "Nonstarter." Should Investors Prefer OpenAI or SpaceX?
According to reports, OpenAI generated roughly $13 billion in revenue in 2025. So far in 2026, it is generating around $2 billion per month in sales, a trend that would suggest full-year 2026 revenue of around $24 billion. If growth trends persist, however, that figure could be much higher, implying at least 100% annual sales growth. The company apparently accrued a net loss of $38.5 billion in 2025, while generating a $8.5 billion net loss in the first quarter of 2026.
Alex Karp Bashes OpenAI, Anthropic Token Model — 'Something Has Gone Completely Wrong'
$105,000 a month for GPT-5.5 Pro compared with just $2,740 for DeepSeek R1. Venture capitalist Chamath Palihapitiya echoed that concern the same month, estimating enterprises could pay $105,000 a month for GPT-5.5 Pro compared with just $2,740 for DeepSeek R1.
How to Get Exposure to OpenAI Before Its IPO
OpenAI counts several publicly traded tech companies as major shareholders. The most famous of these is Microsoft (MSFT +1.69%), which invested $13 billion in OpenAI between 2019 and 2023. The software giant reportedly now holds a 27% stake, valued at around $230 billion based on OpenAI's latest valuation. Amazon is also an OpenAI investor. As of March 31, 2026, Amazon (AMZN +0.55%) held $15 billion in preferred stock and had committed to invest another $35 billion as part of a collaboration between OpenAI and Amazon's AWS cloud computing unit. Nvidia (NVDA 1.39%) is another of the "Magnificent Seven" stocks with OpenAI exposure. Similar to OpenAI's deal with Amazon, Nvidia's investment is part of a collaboration effort, where, alongside receiving capital from Nvidia, OpenAI has committed to purchasing hardware from the AI chipmaker. So far, Nvidia has invested $30 billion in OpenAI. Alongside these U.S. tech giants, Japan's Softbank (SFTBY +4.17%) is another major investor. According to published reports, Softbank owns 13% of OpenAI following the latest funding round, and has already booked $45 billion in unrealized gains. Ark Venture Fund, an actively managed closed-end interval fund managed by Cathie Wood's asset management firm, Ark Invest, has just over $1 billion under management, with around 8.5% allocated to OpenAI stock.
Wall Street's $200 billion IPO wave threatens sell-off
Seventy-nine U.S. initial public offerings have raised $112.5 billion so far in 2026, up 625% from a year ago, Renaissance Capital data show. JPMorgan Chase projects total equity issuance will surpass $260 billion this year, The Motley Fool noted, a threshold the market has not crossed since 2021. SpaceX's record Nasdaq debut revealed both demand and fragility SpaceX raised $75 billion in its Nasdaq debut on June 12, pricing shares at $135 each and valuing the company at nearly $1.77 trillion. Total proceeds later climbed to $85.7 billion after underwriters exercised their option to buy additional shares, making it the largest offering ever recorded, CNBC reported. Renaissance Capital data shows that SpaceX alone accounted for approximately two-thirds of all U.S. initial public offering proceeds raised this year. Anthropic confidentially filed its S-1 registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 1, after a $65 billion funding round. That funding round valued the artificial intelligence company at $965 billion, which represents its highest private valuation to date, Fortune reported. OpenAI submitted its own confidential filing on June 8, though a listing may not arrive until 2027 at the earliest. Chief executive Sam Altman is holding firm on a $1 trillion valuation target, above OpenAI's $852 billion private mark, The New York Times reported. Applying the five-times multiplier to a $200 billion initial public offering wave implies roughly $1 trillion in aggregate market value at risk. Corporate share buybacks are on pace to reach approximately $1.5 trillion this year, well above the $260 billion in projected new equity issuance. U.S. merger and acquisition deal value reached $1.2 trillion in the first five months of 2026, nearly double the $603 billion recorded in the same period a year ago, according to PwC, with cash-financed transactions adding to corporate equity demand alongside buybacks.
Why Did QuantumScape Stock Drop Almost 30% in the First Half of 2026?
That may lead investors to question why QuantumScape stock plunged 27.4% in the first half of 2026, according to data provided by S&P Global Market Intelligence.
Prediction: This Artificial Intelligence (AI) Stock Could Double Before 2026 Ends
Autonomous driving software is rapidly advancing thanks to artificial intelligence technologies. Experts agree that robotaxis should become a multitrillion-dollar opportunity globally. Whichever automaker cracks the code of full autonomy using AI, therefore, will win big. And Tesla arguably has one of the most advanced self-driving systems in the world. Rivian's market cap remains around $22 billion despite rising R2 deliveries and growing confidence in the company's AI and autonomy strategy.
Palantir Technologies Stock Could Soar 55% in 1 Year, According to Wall Street. Should You Buy It Hand Over Fist?
Palantir has a median 12-month price target of $200, according to 34 analysts covering the stock, suggesting potential gains of 55% from current levels. Palantir's earnings per share are expected to jump by 97% in 2026 to $1.48, according to consensus estimates.
Trump's AI Portfolio May Be Getting A $42 Billion Upgrade
At OpenAI's latest reported valuation of roughly $852 billion, that stake would be worth just over $42 billion. The White House has increasingly embraced equity ownership as part of its industrial policy. Last year, the administration acquired an approximately 10% stake in Intel Corporation and a roughly 15% stake in MP Materials Corp. as part of efforts to strengthen domestic semiconductor production and critical mineral supply chains. Institutional-quality real estate has traditionally been difficult for individual investors to access. Realberry gives accredited investors direct access to private real estate opportunities backed by a team with 35 years of experience, $3.4 billion in assets under management, and $481 million in cumulative distributions paid to investors as of Q4 2025, according to the company. Immersed is also developing Visor, a lightweight headset designed specifically for professional productivity, positioning the company at the intersection of remote work, extended reality (XR), and next-generation computing.
A More Than 80% Chance of a Tesla and SpaceX Merger? It Could Be a Game Changer.
Tesla invested $2 billion in SpaceX earlier in 2026, and that investment has given Tesla nearly 19 million SpaceX shares, representing less than 1% of SpaceX's outstanding shares. SpaceX would bring a growth engine that Tesla does not have. In 2025, SpaceX revenue rose to $18.7 billion, with the Starlink-powered connectivity unit accounting for about $11.4 billion of sales. Starlink's satellite internet user base had reached nearly 10.3 million by the end of the first quarter of 2026. Tesla is already spending heavily on AI, robotics, custom chips, and manufacturing capacity. The company raised its 2026 capital spending plan to more than $25 billion, up from its earlier $20 billion forecast. Tesla also expects negative free cash flow for the rest of 2026, despite generating $1.44 billion in free cash flow in the first quarter. Tesla's energy storage business could generate an estimated $18.3 billion of revenue in 2026, with gross profit of about $5.3 billion and gross margin near 29%.
Why Palantir Stock Popped This Week
Revenue in this segment soared 84% year over year to $687 million in the first quarter.
TSLA Stock Rises Overnight: Analyst Sees Rebound This Week After EV Delivery Surge, But Calls Stock ‘Fully-Priced’
Tesla reported 480,126 global vehicle deliveries in Q2, up 25% from the same period last year. Morningstar said Tesla’s full self-driving (FSD) software is “starting to be approved for use by multiple European countries,” which it expects will support delivery growth in Europe.
Cathie Wood buys $38.1 million of tumbling megacap stock
In 2025, the flagship Ark Innovation ETF gained 35.49%, far outpacing the S&P 500's return of 17.88% in the same period. Those swings have weighed on Wood's long-term gains. As of July 2, her Ark Innovation ETF has delivered a five-year annualized return of -8.56%, while the S&P 500 has an annualized return of 11.45% over the same period, according to data from Morningstar. Tesla delivered 480,126 vehicles in Q2, up from about 384,000 a year earlier and 358,023 in the first quarter of 2026.
President Trump Sells Palantir Stock and Buys an AI Stock Up 2,100% Since 2023
Revenue increased 85% to $1.6 billion, the 11th consecutive acceleration, and non-GAAP earnings soared 153% to $0.33 per diluted share. "The demand drivers are clear: Virtually every AI workload -- from training to inference, agentic AI to physical AI -- creates data that is stored persistently and cost-efficiently on HDDs," said CEO Irving Tan. Wall Street estimates that Western Digital's adjusted earnings will increase at 72% annually through fiscal 2028 (ends in June).
Tesla's Solid Q2 Delivery Report Sent Elon Musk's Stock Down 6%. What Happened?
Yet Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) shares tumbled on Thursday after its report showed it delivered 480,126 EVs during the three months ending in June while also manufacturing 451,758 automobiles.
Power / Grid
India coal-fired power output in June rises to highest since November 2023
India's total electricity generation in June rose 10.4% from a year ago to 178.31 billion kilowatt‑hours, according to Reuters calculations of daily data from federal grid regulator Grid-India. Coal-fired power generation rose about 14% year-on-year to 120.20 billion kWh in June, the highest since November 2023, the data showed. The share of renewable power generation in India's power mix in June rose to a record 19%, the data showed. Overall renewable generation rose to 33.81 billion kWh in June, up 23% from a year earlier. Natural-gas-based generation dropped 30.1% in June from a year ago, the data showed.
Japan's LNG Imports Fall 7% as Utilities Chase Cheaper Coal
Japan last month reduced gas-fired generation in favor of coal as the price of liquefied natural gas remained elevated despite multiple reports of energy flows out of the Strait of Hormuz improving. The country generated 17.3 terawatt-hours from gas-fired power plants in June, Bloomberg reported, which was down by 16% on June 2025. Coal-fired generation, meanwhile, went up by 4.6%, according to data from the nine largest Japanese power utilities. Japan has been burning more coal and less gas for power generation since the war in the Middle East started, and it is not the only one. All Asian countries have made the switch from gas to coal on affordability and availability grounds. The shift in generation comes amid LNG prices that are 70% higher on the spot market in Asia than they were before the U.S. and Israel first launched missile attacks on Iran. This has considerably dampened appetite for natural gas in the largest market for the fuel, even though buying has continued, for lack of alternatives. Reuters reported earlier this week that the Asian benchmark price for gas on the spot market averaged $17.33 per million British thermal units in June. This compared with an average gas price of $13.19 per mmBtu in Europe. Japan is the world's second-largest buyer of liquefied natural gas after China but it has had to reduce these purchases because of the price issue. In the quarter to June, Japan's imports of LNG were down 7% on the year, Bloomberg noted in its report, citing cargo-tracking data. Coal prices have also increased considerably amid the stronger demand, with the Australian benchmark hitting the highest since 2023 in early June. Since then, prices have retreated by 15%.
Pembina and partners move forward with $3.2bn Greenlight Electricity Centre
The 932MW facility is set to supply electricity to a large data centre, whose developer has not been identified. The plant is expected to be operational in the second half of 2030 (H2 2030). Greenlight has entered into a long-term electrical energy supply agreement to provide 932MW of capacity to the data centre on a tolling basis, generating revenue through capacity and usage-based payments.
Exus Renewables and Pure Energy partner on energy management
Currently, Pure Energy manages approximately 8GW of renewable assets across European power markets.
Vopak finalises GES acquisition and approves Dutch battery project
The BESS facility, which is scheduled to begin construction shortly, is designed to connect to the high-voltage Dutch grid. Half of its capacity will be supplied to Greenchoice under an eight-year tolling contract. It is regarded as one of the largest BESS developments currently in progress in the Netherlands, with commercial operations expected to commence in the first half of 2028. The combined investment for the acquisition of GES and the new storage development is approximately €230m ($263m), following an agreement in principle disclosed in May 2026.
Jim Cramer Prefers GEV Over NuScale, Calls the Latter “Too Speculative”
NuScale Power Corporation (NYSE:SMR) provides advanced small modular reactor technology centered on its 77-MWe NuScale Power Module. It is worth noting that since the above comment was aired, the company's stock has declined by nearly 42%.
AI Can't Thrive Without This Stock (Hint: It's Not Nvidia)
In 2024, Constellation Energy announced it plans to restart operations at Three Mile Island after signing a 20-year power purchase agreement with Microsoft, which will purchase energy from the nuclear plant to support its data centers in the region. Building on its partnership with Microsoft, Constellation signed a 20-year power purchase agreement with Meta Platforms in June 2025 for nuclear power generated at the Clinton Clean Energy Center in Illinois. Operations at the nuclear facility are expected to resume in 2027, at which point Meta will use the power to support its AI data centers. More recently, Constellation announced that its recently acquired unit, Calpine, signed a 380-megawatt (MW) agreement with CyrusOne, a leading global data center developer and operator, to connect and serve a new data center adjacent to the Freestone Energy Center, a natural gas power plant located in Texas. This complements a 400-MW power purchase agreement the two companies inked last year for a new data center CyrusOne is developing in Bosque County, Texas.
1 Simple Reason to Buy NuScale Power (SMR) Right Now
NuScale develops small modular reactors (SMRs), which are much smaller than conventional nuclear reactors. These prefabricated SMRs reduce the time, labor, and costs for building a nuclear power plant. It's working with Fluor (NYSE: FLR) to deploy six of its 77 MWe reactors in a 462 MWe plant for Romania's RoPower. In the U.S., it recently agreed to deploy up to six gigawatts of its SMR capacity across seven states for the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA).
After Skyrocketing Nearly 200%, Is It Too Late to Buy Bloom Energy?
By 2028, the U.S. could face a 19-gigawatt (GW) power shortfall, according to Antonio Neri, CEO of Hewlett Packard Enterprise. That's enough electricity, Neri points out, to power 60 million homes. Meanwhile, data centers are expected to make up nearly half of the growth of U.S. electricity demand through 2030. It can take several years to build adequate generation and transmission lines to supply new power to data centers. Bloom can deploy its servers within three months.
Is NuScale Power Corporation (SMR) A Good Stock To Buy Now?
Although NuScale posted a $46.7 million net loss and continued investing heavily in research, development, and its supply chain, its financial position remains a key competitive advantage, with approximately $890 million in cash and short-term investments, providing sufficient liquidity to support commercialization efforts over the coming years. Management emphasized that NuScale remains the only small modular reactor developer with a design approved by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, a mature global supply chain, and commercial components already in production, creating a significant competitive moat. The long-term investment thesis centers on two transformative projects: the proposed 6GW Tennessee Valley Authority deployment, which could become the largest SMR program in U.S. history, and Romania's RoPower project, which has advanced into its next development phase.
The Case for and Against Buying NuScale Right Now
Its reactors can be especially attractive to utility companies that want to replace coal plants with clean energy to meet climate goals. The Trump administration has made expanding nuclear power a priority -- aiming to quadruple nuclear capacity by 2050 -- with SMRs expected to play a meaningful role in that expansion.
Is This $17.5 Billion Nuclear Stock Your Ticket to Future Riches?
From 2025 to 2020, the International Energy Agency (IEA) expects the world's nuclear capacity to rise by over 50%. It's also developing modular microreactors that can be deployed in smaller areas for Project Pele, one of the most important U.S. advanced nuclear programs. Its year-end backlog swelled 50% year over year to $7.3 billion in 2025. From 2025 to 2028, analysts expect BWX's revenue and EPS to grow at CAGRs of 13% and 16%, respectively.
Why Oklo Stock Slumped 22% in June Despite a Month of Big Wins
Oklo's major recent wins Oklo stock sank after its first-quarter earnings in May and a $1 billion new equity offering. Oklo is still developing fast-fission nuclear power plants called Aurora powerhouses and has yet to commercialize its technology and generate its first revenue. Its spending, however, pushed Q1 net loss to $33 million. That massive share sale further hurt the stock price as investors feared dilution of their value. June was, comparatively, a far more positive month for Oklo. It won a crucial DOE safety approval for its Idaho National Laboratory (INL) plant under the DOE's Reactor Pilot Program. The Auroral-INL will be Oklo's first fast-fission plant. In mid-June, Oklo signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Standard Nuclear to collaborate on nuclear fuel recycling and advanced fuel manufacturing. Oklo also locked down a massive strategic partnership with Centrus Energy to secure high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) supplies to power up to five Aurora powerhouses over the next few years. These reactors are for Oklo's planned 1.2 GW power campus in the Ohio region to support Meta Platforms data centers. Oklo eventually aims to generate electricity from Aurora powerhouses and sell it under long-term power purchase agreements.
Prediction: Energy Transfer (ET) Will Crush the S&P 500 in the Second-Half of 2026.
Energy Transfer operates over 140,000 miles of pipeline across 44 states. It transports natural gas, liquefied natural gas (LNG), natural gas liquids (NGLs), crude oil, and other refined products through its pipelines. It also exports some of its natural gas products. Unlike big oil stocks, which benefited from higher oil prices in the first half of 2026, Energy Transfer isn't as heavily exposed to fluctuating commodity prices since it simply charges upstream and downstream companies "tolls" to use its infrastructure. As long as oil and gas keep flowing through its pipelines, it will generate plenty of cash to support its dividends. Nevertheless, the soaring demand for oil and natural gas still boosted its crude oil and NGL volumes to record levels in the first quarter of 2026. It also secured major long-term agreements with utilities and data centers to supply natural gas to the booming AI market, transforming it from a reliable income play to a higher-growth AI infrastructure stock. In the first quarter, Energy Transfer predicted its adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) would rise 14%-16% in 2026. That was up from its prior outlook for 9%-12% growth, and would mark an acceleration from its 3% growth in 2025. With an enterprise value of $135.3 billion, Energy Transfer trades at just seven times this year's adjusted EBITDA and pays a high forward yield of 6.9%. As more investors rerate it as an AI infrastructure play, its valuation will rise, driving its stock to outperform the S&P 500. Energy Transfer will also remain a reliable stock for income-seeking investors. In 2025, its adjusted distributable cash flow (DCF) of $8.2 billion easily covered its $4.6 billion in total distributions, and that low payout ratio gives it plenty of room for future hikes.
A big shift in the U.S. energy market is about to happen
In 2025, petroleum accounted for 37% of U.S. energy consumption while natural gas sat at 36%, according to EIA data cited by Bloomberg. The EIA projects petroleum demand will grow about 0.6% between 2025 and 2027. Over the same period, it expects natural gas demand to grow 3.4%. At that pace, the gap closes quickly. Goldman Sachs expects U.S. data center power demand to more than double to 66 gigawatts by 2027. Gas-fired generation is the most practical option for matching that demand growth on the timeline utilities are working with. The LNG export boom giving natural gas a global market The U.S. is already the world's largest exporter of liquefied natural gas, and that position is expanding. LNG exports surged from 0.5 billion cubic feet per day in 2016 to 15 billion cubic feet per day in 2025, according to the EIA. Export capacity is on track to nearly double by 2031. Shell estimates that feedgas for LNG export could represent 23% of total U.S. gas production by 2035.
Eos Energy Enterprise (EOSE) Commences Commercial Production at New Facility
Within the first hundred and sixty-four days of the year 2026, Line 1 is concurrently exceeding its production for the entire year of 2025. Alongside the launch of the new line, the company is moving closer to its target of achieving 4GWh of annual manufacturing capacity before the close of 2026, and creating a tested model for future capacity extensions.
NuScale Power (SMR) is Amongst the Best Industrial Stocks With More Than 50% Upside
NuScale Power Corp. (NYSE:SMR) is one of the 12 best industrial stocks with more than 50% upside. On June 17, NuScale Power Corp. (NYSE:SMR) awarded Paragon a contract to complete the design of its Highly Integrated Protection System for the NuScale Power Module. The United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission issued approval for an SMR design specifically for NuScale. NuScale's President and CEO, John Hopkins, acknowledged Paragon for its critical role in building the HIPS technology, leading to the enhancement of the underlying control systems. He further stated: "This partnership helps us to achieve the goal of delivering reliable, carbon-free power to our customers while ensuring the highest level of safety." NuScale Power Corp. (NYSE:SMR) is focused on small modular reactor technology solutions. It offers NuScale Power Module, a 77 MWe light water nuclear reactor.
Qualitas Energy receives $197m for Italian solar PV portfolio
Spanish renewables investor Qualitas Energy has received around €172m ($196.7m) in non-recourse financing to fund a 156MW-peak (MWp) greenfield solar photovoltaic (PV) portfolio in Italy. Qualitas Energy manages a portfolio of 11GW in operational and development-stage assets. These span concentrated solar power, energy storage, hydroelectric power, renewable natural gas, solar PV and wind in Chile, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, the UK and the US.
Tata Power commissions 100.8MW wind facility in Maharashtra, India
Tata Power Renewable Energy (TPREL), a Tata Power Company subsidiary, has commissioned a 100.8MW wind facility at Jewali in the Dharashiv district of Maharashtra, India. The rest of the wind energy capacity is under development in the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu. The remaining 4.9GW of capacity, which includes roughly 2.1GW of solar, 2.6GW of wind and 200MW of battery energy storage systems, is in different phases of development and is expected to become operational over the next six to 24 months.
Software
Should Long-Term Investors Buy Microsoft (MSFT) Instead of SpaceX (SPCX)
Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) is down 22 percent year-to-date, and Redditors believe now is the time to buy the stock instead of chasing hype like SpaceX. Bulls point to Microsoft's latest agreement revisions with OpenAI announced in April 2026, after which Microsoft will no longer be obligated to pay 20 percent of Azure OpenAI Service and Bing revenue to OpenAI. This change will improve Microsoft's gross margins from 76.11 percent in 2026 to 82.35 percent. In fiscal Q3 2026, Azure revenue rose 40 percent year-over-year, marking the fourth consecutive quarter of 40 percent plus growth. Azure OpenAI enterprise customers rose 63 percent year-over-year from 49,000 in FY2024 to 80,000 in FY2025. The market share gap between Azure and AWS has been declining from 23 percentage points in 2021 to just 9 percentage points in fiscal Q3 2026 year-to-date. Enterprise customer concentration remains a key advantage for Microsoft. Enterprise customers spending over 1.2 million dollars annually represent 5 percent of Azure's customer base compared to just 2.3 percent for AWS. Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) plans to increase its data center supply capacity by 80 percent in fiscal 2026 and double the number of data centers over the next two years. Copilot paid seats rose 250 percent year-over-year to 20 million paid seats in Q3 FY2026, representing the fastest growth rate for any Microsoft software suite since launch. At an annual price of $360 per user, Copilot generates approximately 7.2 billion dollars in annualized revenue.
The hunt for AI's next winners defined the stock market's holiday-shortened week
The AI theme received another boost Wednesday after the U.S. lifted export restrictions on Anthropic's Claude Fable 5 and Mythos 5 models. Meta Platforms gave investors a reason to believe that its enormous AI spending could finally turn into meaningful revenue . Shares of the Facebook and Instagram parent jumped more than 8% on Wednesday after news that the company is preparing to launch a cloud infrastructure business that would sell excess AI computing power and AI models to outside customers.
The Tech Download: Amazon’s devices chief Panos Panay on tech giant's AI gadget push
Amazon's foray into devices has seen it jump into speakers, doorbells and now wearables with its acquisition of Bee, a startup developing a wristband device. Alexa is at the heart of tying all of those together in a world where "we might be moving away from a world of apps and screens," Panay said. On some of the more critical devices right now, our focus is end-to-end silicon," Panay said. This means that Amazon is designing the chips that go into its devices. It's right out of the Apple playbook. By having more control over the hardware and software integration, Amazon will be able to deliver more differentiated experiences around Alexa. Autonomous defense startup Quantum Systems raised $1.2 billion in a Series D funding round, the company announced on Thursday, giving it a valuation of around $8 billion on a post-money basis. Europe's top court on Thursday upheld Google's fine of around 4.1 billion euros ($4.67 billion) over alleged anti-competitive practices. OpenAI, Anthropic backer MGX announced on Wednesday it had raised one of the biggest AI funds ever as it closes at $49 billion.
Meta’s push into cloud computing means Wall Street has to prepare for lower margins
Meta's gross margin of 82% is among the highest in the tech industry, and the company recorded an operating margin of 41% in the latest quarter. Google provides a glimpse of what's to come. Google's services business, which mostly comes from ads, notched an operating margin of 42% in the first quarter, while for cloud the margin was 18%.
Forget College? The AI Boom Is Creating a New Generation of Six-Figure Trade Jobs
Job openings sit at 7.59 million as of May 2026, the 12-month high and the 90.9th percentile historically. A projected 2.1 million skilled-trade worker shortage means the shortage is structural, not cyclical. The BLS pegs median usual weekly earnings for full-time workers at $1,235 in Q1 2026. Multiply that by 52 weeks, and the median full-time American earns roughly $64,000 a year. A journeyman electrician or welder billing $50-$60 an hour on a data-center build, plus overtime, clears six figures without a bachelor’s degree. Ohio’s data-center projects alone require 240,000 skilled workers across construction, implementation, and maintenance. That is the demand side of a wage negotiation the worker is winning. Take two 18-year-olds. Student A borrows $30,000 for a bachelor’s degree and starts a $55,000 salaried job at 22. Student B enters a trade apprenticeship at 18, earning $45,000 while training, hits $85,000 by year four, and clears $110,000 by year seven. By age 25, Student B has zero debt, seven years of earnings in the bank, and sits inside a labor market with 2.1 million unfilled skilled positions.
Stock Market Today, July 2: UiPath Gains as Agentic Automation Strategy Faces Earnings Test
UiPath's gain kept investors focused on whether its agentic automation strategy can translate into stronger annual recurring revenue growth, customer expansion, and operating leverage. The company is trying to move beyond traditional robotic process automation and position itself as an orchestration layer for complex enterprise workflows, where AI agents, robots, people, applications, and data can work together inside governed business processes. The launch of UiPath's Maestro Case supports its move toward agentic automation. The next earnings update should give investors a clearer read on whether this strategy is supporting durable growth and higher enterprise demand.
CrowdStrike Just Split Its Stock 4-for-1. Does a $193 Price Tag Make It a Buy?
Revenue in the company's fiscal first quarter of 2027 (the period ended April 30, 2026) rose 26% year over year to $1.39 billion. That was an acceleration from 23% growth in the prior quarter and 22% growth for all of fiscal 2026. CrowdStrike added $255.8 million of net new annual recurring revenue during the quarter -- a first-quarter record, and up 32% year over year -- bringing total annual recurring revenue to $5.51 billion, up 24%. When net new recurring revenue grows faster than the existing base, it points to demand that is strengthening, not maturing. Management credits the artificial intelligence (AI) boom, as companies deploying AI need to secure the new systems and data that come with it. "CrowdStrike is AI security infrastructure, critical to successful AI adoption," said founder and CEO George Kurtz in the company's fiscal first-quarter earnings release. Profitability is finally showing up, too. CrowdStrike swung to generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) net income of $27.8 million in the quarter, compared to a $104.3 million loss a year earlier. Free cash flow hit a record $468 million -- an impressive 34% of revenue. And management raised its full-year outlook, now guiding for about $5.9 billion in revenue, implying roughly 23% growth.
Meta Wants In on the Cloud. Is Amazon Stock Still a Buy?
AWS is growing 28% (our fastest growth in 15 quarters) on a very large base," said CEO Andy Jassy in the company's first-quarter earnings release. AWS matters even more to profits than to sales. The segment produced $14.2 billion in operating income during the quarter -- nearly 60% of Amazon's $23.9 billion total -- despite accounting for only about a fifth of the company's $181.5 billion in net sales, which themselves grew 17% year over year. Amazon is effectively reinvesting everything it earns into new capacity. A company worried about a glut of AI computing wouldn't be racing to build more of it. Management guided for second-quarter net sales growth of 16% to 19%, suggesting momentum is holding.
Intuitive Surgical’s Quarterly Earnings Preview: What You Need to Know
Wall Street expects diluted EPS of $2.02, reflecting a 10.4% increase from the $1.83 the company reported in the same quarter last year. Analysts expect the momentum to continue. They project full-year FY2026 diluted EPS of $8.57, representing an 18.7% year-over-year increase. Expectations stretch even higher for FY2027, with diluted EPS forecasted to reach $9.82, marking a 14.6% jump from the previous year. Revenue climbed 23% year over year to $2.77 billion and topped analysts' expectations of $2.62 billion.
Alphabet Joined the Dow and Became a Top Holding in Berkshire Hathaway's Portfolio. But This Stock Could Be an Even Better Buy.
Historically, about 64% of Prestige's revenues come from brands that hold the No. 1 position in their categories. The company has been marketing Dramamine and Fleet toward GLP-1 users seeking relief. That's a smart repositioning of existing assets. And it costs next to nothing compared to launching a new product. The Breathe Right deal pushed Prestige's net leverage to roughly 4.0x EBITDA at closing.
Alibaba, Tencent back Kuaishou's Kling AI in $2.8 billion fundraise
Heavyweights such as Alibaba, Tencent and Baidu have agreed to take stakes in Kling AI, which generated revenue of 650 million yuan in the March quarter, more than quadrupling from a year earlier.
Alphabet and Ferrari Both Turned $1,000 Into Over $10,000 in a Decade but Diverged Sharply This Year
Google Cloud revenue grew 63% year over year to $20.03 billion in Q1 2026, with backlog over $460 billion. Ferrari, meanwhile, has doubled down on scarcity. CEO Benedetto Vigna's value-over-volume playbook produced FY2025 revenue of €7.2 billion ($8.2 billion) and a 29.5% EBIT margin, with the order book stretching toward the end of 2027. The bear case rests on whether the capital expenditures plan starts crushing free cash flow (Q1 FCF already fell 46.63% year over year) or antitrust rulings force structural remedies.
Microsoft Corporation’s Quarterly Earnings Preview: What You Need to Know
Ahead of the release, analysts expect the company to report diluted EPS of $4.21, up 15.3% from $3.65 in the year-ago quarter. For fiscal 2026, which ended in June, analysts expect MSFT to report an EPS of $16.76, up 22.9% from $13.64 in fiscal 2025. Additionally, its EPS is projected to increase another 15.1% year over year to $19.29 in fiscal 2027. Analysts remain very bullish on MSFT, with the stock carrying a consensus rating of "Strong Buy." Among the 50 analysts covering the stock, 42 rate it a "Strong Buy," three recommend a "Moderate Buy," and five suggest a "Hold."
2 High-Yield Dividend Stocks Just Got Kicked Out of the S&P 500. Is Either a Buy Now?
When a stock is removed from the S&P 500, the immediate reaction is mechanical: Every index fund and exchange-traded fund (ETF) tracking the benchmark must sell it. That creates a short window of artificial selling pressure, pressure that has nothing to do with the underlying business. Campbell's carries a dividend yield north of 7% right now. The stock has been under pressure for over a year, plagued by weaker volumes, lingering costs from its 2024 Sovos Brands acquisition, and an ERP system conversion that created operational headwinds. Markets punished the stock, and the yield climbed as the share price fell. The dividend itself has been in place for 51 years. The payout ratio sits at roughly 76% of earnings -- not lean, but covered. Cash-flow coverage is even healthier. When a 51-year dividend streak is backed by both earnings and cash flow, it carries weight. Pool Corp.'s yield looks modest compared to Campbell's -- around 2.4% today. But the story isn't the yield, it's the trajectory. Pool has raised its dividend every year for 22 consecutive years. Over the past decade, the dividend has grown at roughly 17% per year. That's the compounding engine the user manual talks about. The business itself distributes pool supplies, equipment, and chemicals to wholesale buyers and professional contractors. About 60% of revenue comes from maintenance and repair -- people have to keep pools clean and running, whether the housing market is hot or cold. First-quarter 2026 net sales were up 6%, with operating income up 7%. The recovery in discretionary pool spending, which stalled after the pandemic boom, is grinding forward. The digital side is also quietly gaining ground. Pool's proprietary platform, Pool360, now accounts for 13% of net sales and is growing. That's operational efficiency the company is building into the business for the long haul.
Why Vanguard’s $143 Billion Tech ETF Outpaced QQQ While Charging Half the Fee
VGT has outpaced QQQ across every timeframe, gaining 24% versus 18% YTD, and it charges less than half of QQQ's 0.20% expense ratio. Year-to-date, VGT is up 23.92% while QQQ is up 17.87%. Over one year, VGT returned 42.59% against QQQ's 32.11%. Stretch the lens out, and the gap widens: VGT delivered 141.6% over five years and 850.44% over ten, versus 104.29% and 569.95% for QQQ. The Vanguard Information Technology ETF charges 0.09%, while the Invesco QQQ Trust charges roughly 0.20%. On a $200,000 position, that is about $200 a year, and the spread grows with the balance.
$750 Billion AI Spending Wave: Should You Buy These 3 AI Infrastructure Stocks?
NVIDIA’s Q2 FY2027 revenue guide of $91.0 billion, Alphabet’s 2026 capex guide of $180 billion to $190 billion, and Oracle’s remaining performance obligations of $638 billion, up 363% year over year. Oracle sits at the sharpest edge of the trade. RPO of $638 billion gives multi-year revenue visibility, with $75 billion tied to prepaid or customer-supplied GPU arrangements that reduce Oracle’s own capital load. The three stocks have diverged in 2026. NVIDIA is up 6.07% year to date through July 1, closing at $197.58. Alphabet is up 14.2% at $357.89. Oracle is down 26.02% at $142.50, weighed down by a capex cycle that produced negative $23.69 billion in free cash flow. Oracle plans to raise roughly $40 billion in FY2027 through debt and equity to fund the buildout, on top of $218.70 billion in existing liabilities. The near-term catalysts are calendared: Oracle’s Q1 FY2027 report on September 10, 2026, followed by Oracle Investor Day on October 28, 2026 in Las Vegas, will test whether the RPO converts on schedule.
Jim Cramer Says He Would Avoid Blue Owl and Prefers Blackstone
Goldman Sachs reported only 3.24% of its investors chose to exercise the right to get out of their funds this month.
Microsoft (MSFT): One of the Best AI and Technology Stocks to Buy Now
Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) added that console storage and memory prices went up by over 2.5x, with the tech giant expecting another doubling by 2027 fall.
JPMorgan Warns Cyberattacks Could Spark the Next Banking Crisis
According to the bank, technology spending accounted for around 17% of global banking operating expenses during 2025.
What is Mistral AI? Everything to know about the OpenAI competitor
In February, it disclosed that its annual recurring revenue was now above $400 million, up from $20 million just one year earlier, and claimed it was on track to surpass $1 billion in ARR this year. Mistral closed a €1.7 billion Series C round (about $2 billion) led by ASML at a €11.7 billion valuation (approximately $13.8 billion), with participation from existing backers DST Global, a16z, Bpifrance, General Catalyst, Index Ventures, Lightspeed, and Nvidia. This makes sense, given how much the startup has raised so far: Even a sale to a rumored prospective buyer like Apple may not provide high enough multiples for its investors, not to mention sovereignty concerns depending on the acquirer.
Why Is Everyone Talking About SentinelOne Stock Right Now?
In other words, the company is trying to become a one-stop security platform rather than a single-product vendor. That's an important distinction because platform companies often enjoy larger opportunities than point-solution providers. In the latest quarter, annualized recurring revenue reached $1.2 billion, up 23% year over year. SentinelOne generates most of its revenue through subscriptions. Customers pay recurring fees to use the company's cybersecurity platform. That creates predictable revenue and long-term customer relationships.
AI is Driving Utilities to Spend a Record $240 Billion in 2026. Buy These Stocks to Capitalize on the Power Surge.
There's just one problem. Regulated electric utilities pass on spending to consumers through rate increases. Rate increases have to be approved by regulators. With inflation running high and electricity costs already on the rise, there has been a pushback against AI investments. That could put pressure on utilities if they aren't allowed to pass on all of their capital investment costs. The company started 2026 with a $6 billion backlog for its fuel cells, up 2.5x year over year. It is well-positioned to serve AI customers. But there's an even bigger backlog to consider for services, since each new fuel cell comes along with a service contract. Indeed, the total backlog stands at a huge $20 billion. The distribution yield is roughly 4.5%, and the goal is to increase the distribution by 5% to 9% annually.
Why Arm Is a Strong Buy Despite the 35% Pullback From Peak Levels
Our proprietary model says there is more upside, but not the kind investors have gotten used to. Our 24/7 Wall St. price target for Arm is $344.98, implying 9.42% upside from the current price of $315.28. Our recommendation is buy with a confidence level of 90%. The fundamentals remain strong. Q4 FY2026 revenue hit $1.49 billion, up 20.1% YoY, with non-GAAP EPS of $0.60 beating consensus. Management flagged more than $2 billion in customer demand across FY2027-FY2028 and a $100+ billion data center CPU TAM by 2030.
Should You Buy the Dip in CoreWeave Stock?
CoreWeave's revenue surged from $16 million in 2022 to $5.1 billion in 2025. Its backlog swelled to $99.4 billion at the end of the first quarter of 2026, and analysts expect its annual revenue to grow at a three-year CAGR of 99% to $40.3 billion in 2028. That's a jaw-dropping growth rate for a stock that trades at just 3.5 times this year's sales. However, CoreWeave's net loss also widened from $31 million in 2022 to $1.2 billion in 2025, and analysts expect it to nearly double to $2.2 billion by 2028.
Procter & Gamble vs Colgate-Palmolive: Two Consumer Giants, Two Strategies, One Invests, Other Optimizes
P&G beat estimates for a fourth straight quarter as Beauty surged 11%, while CL posted 8% revenue growth but lost North America volume. P&G offers 70 straight years of dividend growth as the steadier hold, while Colgate's restructuring targets between $200 million and $300 million in annual savings as a rebound setup. PG's fiscal Q3 2026 leaned on Beauty and broad regional strength. Colgate's Q1 2026 leaned on Latin America and Hill's Pet. Same shelf, very different engines. Beauty Powers P&G. Latin America Powers Colgate. P&G's headline was breadth. Revenue of $21.23 billion rose 7.4% YoY, and every one of the five segments grew. Beauty led with 11% reported growth, powered by Hair Care, Skin Care and premium play SK-II, which the CFO said grew 18% overall with double-digit gains in China. Colgate's story was geographic imbalance. Total revenue of $5.32 billion grew 8.4% YoY, with Latin America up 14.8% and Europe up 11.9%. North America went the other way, sliding 1.8% on a 3.2% volume decline. CEO Noel Wallace said "North America was going to take some time" and pointed to late shelf resets and heavier competitor couponing. Hill's Pet Nutrition kept humming, up 6.7% with a boost from Prime100. That framing runs through Tide Evo, the biggest formula upgrade in 25 years, and Mr. Clean innovation delivering 18x fair share of bath cleaning category growth since launch. Tariffs sting to the tune of roughly $400 million after-tax, and management now guides to the low end of the $6.83 to $7.09 core EPS range. CEO Shailesh Jejurikar said P&G is "increasing investments to accelerate momentum with consumers despite the challenging geopolitical and economic environment".
DGRO vs. VIG: Which Dividend-Growth ETF Compounds Your Income Faster?
DGRO beat VIG across every measured window, returning 252% over ten years versus VIG's 243%, driven by looser dividend eligibility rules. DGRO's 5-year dividend history requirement admitted Apple and Broadcom early, making them high-growth payers that VIG's 10-year rule systematically locked out.
FEPI’s 25% Yield Masks a Painful Truth About Call-Writing Income
FEPI returned 18% over the past year versus QQQ's 29%, surrendering roughly half the underlying tech rally to its call-writing overlay. The REX FANG & Innovation Equity Premium Income ETF (NASDAQ:FEPI) is one of the most aggressive volatility-income products on the market, selling calls against a concentrated basket of AI and mega-cap tech names to fund weekly cash distributions. Recent payouts have run roughly $0.21 per week against a share price of about $42, which annualizes into the ~25% headline yield FEPI is marketed on. NVIDIA (NASDAQ:NVDA) just posted $81.6 billion in Q1 FY27 revenue, up 85% year over year, with $48.6 billion in quarterly free cash flow.
Why GPIQ Lags QQQ in Rallies, Yet Retirees Keep Buying the Monthly Dividend
GPIQ attracted $2 billion in 2025 inflows, paying a ~10% distribution yield that has grown steadily while its NAV doubled since inception. The Goldman Sachs Nasdaq-100 Premium Income ETF (NASDAQ:GPIQ) has become one of the fastest-growing options-income products on the market, pulling in roughly $2.12 billion of net inflows in 2025 on the strength of a distribution yield that recently sat near 9.8% to 10%. NAV erosion, the historical curse of covered-call funds, is not showing up here. GPIQ trades at about $57, up from $29 at inception in late 2023, while paying every month. Against JPMorgan Nasdaq Equity Premium Income ETF (NASDAQ:JEPQ), GPIQ has offered a lower expense ratio and higher total return, largely because the dynamic call coverage lets more equity upside through.
Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Owns $41 Billion of Alphabet Stock: Here Are 3 Possible Reasons Why
Under the leadership of new CEO Greg Abel, Berkshire Hathaway is making a splash in the technology space. Based on its most recent 13F filing, the conglomerate owned 68,462,015 Class A shares and 17,944,778 Class C shares of Alphabet (GOOGL 0.23%) (GOOG 0.37%) as of March 31, which today is valued at $30.7 billion. These two positions combined make up Berkshire's fourth-largest holding in a single company's equity. On June 1, however, the Omaha enterprise announced a $10 billion private placement into the "Magnificent Seven" stock. With a total position of nearly $41 billion in Alphabet, this is now a bigger position than Coca-Cola. But it's still smaller than Apple and American Express. It operates from a position of financial strength. Revenue rose 22% year over year to $110 billion in the first quarter (ended March 31), an unbelievable gain for a company of this size. Operating income climbed 30% during that period, resulting in a superb 36% operating margin. Alphabet is a cash machine. In 2025, it raked in $73 billion in free cash flow. Management uses the windfall to pay a small dividend, with capital also directed toward sizable share buybacks. The S&P 500 currently trades at a P/E multiple of 25. Alphabet's slight premium is easily justified. The conglomerate must believe that Alphabet will earn a satisfactory return on the $180 billion to $190 billion in capital expenditures it has planned just in 2026, which will "significantly increase" next year, according to chief financial officer Anat Ashkenazi.
Apple (AAPL) Plans 10 Million Foldables And An iPhone Ultra Push
The company is preparing its first foldable iPhone and is targeting production of around 10 million units. Apple's push into foldable iPhones and an iPhone Ultra widens the product stack at a time when the stock is already trading above an internal fair value estimate.
Apple Is Reportedly Planning 5 New iPhones -- Including a $2,500 Foldable. Here's What It Means for the Stock.
Ten million units at about $2,500 works out to around $25 billion of potential revenue in a full year -- a meaningful slice of the more than $200 billion the iPhone generates annually, and mostly a fiscal 2027 story rather than this year's. That is more than half of the company coming from a single product line.
Chevron vs. Exxon Mobil: Which Energy Stock Is a Better Buy in 2026?
In FY 2025, revenue reached nearly $184.4 billion, representing a decrease of approximately 4.6% from the previous year. For FY 2025, the company generated revenue of nearly $323.9 billion, a decline of about 4.5% compared to the prior year. The company achieved a net margin of approximately 8.9%, which reflects the percentage of revenue turned into profit after all costs are considered. As of December 2025, the company's debt-to-equity ratio was roughly 0.2x. This indicates that for every dollar of equity, the company carries close to 20 cents in total debt. The current ratio was approximately 1.2x, suggesting the company has enough liquid assets to cover its upcoming bills. Free cash flow for the year reached $26.1 billion, which is the cash left over after paying for maintenance and expansion of physical assets. That said, ExxonMobil has a few things working in its favor right now. Its Guyana operations are producing at record levels, the Permian Basin business keeps growing, and the company has a credible plan to structurally reduce costs over the next several years regardless of where oil prices go.
Elon Musk's X Money promises 6% APY and $10M in FDIC coverage — Elizabeth Warren has questions
The national average savings rate is 0.38%, according to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC (1)), which means $10,000 left in a savings account for a year would earn about $38, about a cup of coffee a month. Even the best high-yield savings accounts in the country top out around 4.5% to 5% right now, according to Fortune (9), and many people are stuck at that 0.38% average. The Fed's benchmark rate is only about 3.5% to 3.75% (10), so the obvious question is how X can pay 6% when the banks behind it can't safely earn that much themselves. She also flagged Cross River's deceptive record regarding FDIC enforcement actions and pressed X on how it would tell customers, in plain terms, that the insurance won't save them if X Money itself goes down (11).
Here is Why Fair Isaac Corporation (FICO) Isn’t A Good Investment Now According to This Fund
Fair Isaac Corporation (NYSE:FICO) posted a one-month return of 11.74%, while its shares lost 31.51% over the past 52 weeks. We exited our position in Fair Isaac Corporation (FICO) following a period of heightened volatility and increasing uncertainty around its mortgage-related business.
These Investors Say Buy Meta Platforms (META) and Ignore SpaceX Hype
Management noted that Advantage+ increases ad impressions by 19 percent year over year while driving a 12 percent increase in cost per ad, indicating that advertisers are willing to pay more because their returns are improving. Meta's share, on the other hand, has jumped from 22 percent in 2021 to 26.8 percent in 2026, meaning Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) is projected to unseat Google as the leading digital advertising platform for the first time this year.
Is monday.com Ltd. (MNDY) A Good Stock To Buy Now?
Revenue grew 24%, operating margin reached a record 14% despite a 190-basis-point foreign exchange headwind, and free cash flow margin remained a robust 29%, while management raised full-year revenue and margin guidance after previously taking a conservative stance. The quarter also marked the first meaningful proof that AI is becoming a revenue driver, with 10% of net new ARR generated from the newly introduced seats-plus-credits pricing model, demonstrating customers are willing to pay for AI consumption in addition to subscription seats.
Is Nokia (NOK) The Best Under-The-Radar AI Stock To Buy?
In Q1 2026, Nokia's AI and cloud sales jumped 49% year over year. This segment now accounts for about 8% of Nokia's (NYSE:NOK) total revenue. In just the first quarter, Nokia pulled in €1 billion in AI and cloud orders. Those are firm purchase orders with real delivery dates from real customers. The order backlog is so big that lead times are running 12 to 18 months. Demand is crushing what the company can supply right now.
Is The New York Times Company (NYT) A Good Stock To Buy Now?
The New York Times Company's share was trading at $71.79 as of July 1st. NYT has transformed itself from a traditional newspaper into a premium digital subscription platform with the characteristics of a high-quality SaaS business, creating a compelling long-term investment opportunity despite its premium valuation. The company has built a powerful ecosystem around its flagship News product by integrating offerings such as Games, Cooking, and The Athletic into a bundled subscription model that strengthens customer engagement, increases average revenue per user to $9.77 per month, and keeps annual churn below 10%. This strategy has enabled the company to reach 12.52 million paid digital subscribers by the first quarter of 2026 while delivering record fiscal 2025 free cash flow of $550.5 million, up 44.4% year over year. The business continues to demonstrate exceptional financial quality, with first-party subscriber data driving a 31.6% increase in digital advertising revenue during the first quarter of 2026, translating into 77.4% net income growth through meaningful operating leverage. Supported by a 174-year-old global brand, a nearly debt-free balance sheet, reliable cash generation, and a 27.8% dividend increase, the company appears well positioned to compound value over the long term. Although the shares trade at an estimated 82% premium to simple intrinsic value and roughly 35 times GAAP earnings, making the stock priced for strong execution, its durable competitive advantages, expanding digital ecosystem, and AI-related optionality support a bullish long-term outlook, with a gradual accumulation strategy offering the most attractive approach for investors.
JEPI Investors Missed 13.21% in Gains While Paying Hidden Taxes on ‘Monthly’ Income
JEPI's covered-call overlay limited price gains to 8% last year, and its ELN distributions are taxed as ordinary income, not qualified dividends. SPY gained 21% and QQQ surged 33% over the same trailing year, gaps JEPI's monthly distributions don't fully close even over five years. JEPI's monthly payouts ranged from $0.33 to $0.54 in 2025, reflecting variable income rather than the steady check the marketing implies. JEPI generates most of its income from equity-linked notes (ELNs) that replicate a covered-call overlay. That premium is taxed as ordinary income in a taxable account, not as qualified dividends.
Why Oracle Corporation’s (ORCL) Cloud Outlook Keeps AI Infrastructure at the Center of Its Estimate Story
On June 10, Oracle reported fiscal fourth-quarter results and gave a sharply stronger cloud outlook, saying total revenue was expected to grow 27% to 29% and cloud revenue 58% to 64% in USD. The company also reported remaining performance obligations of $638 billion, up sharply year over year, showing that AI infrastructure contracts are still feeding future revenue visibility.
Is Viavi Solutions Inc. (VIAV) A Good Stock To Buy Now?
$369.3M, up 36.4% year over year, with adjusted EPS of $0.22 beating consensus $0.19, and EBITDA margins of 22%. Guidance for Q3 implies $393M revenue and $0.23 EPS, reinforcing continued momentum.
Microsoft Had Its Worst Month in More Than 25 Years. Should Investors Buy the Crash?
Expenditures are projected to reach $190 billion in 2026, a 63% year-over-year increase. It's worth noting that Microsoft is still expecting revenue to grow 17% this fiscal year. The company's financials are strong, and shareholders received $12.7 billion in dividends and share repurchases in the second quarter of 2026, which is a 32% increase from the year prior.
Apple Is About 4% Away From Overtaking Nvidia as the World's Most Valuable Company. Could It Happen This Month?
In its fiscal first quarter of 2027 (the period ended April 26, 2026), revenue rose 85% year over year to $81.6 billion, with data center revenue setting a record at $75.2 billion. The tech giant notably reports its fiscal third-quarter results on July 30, with guidance for 14% to 17% revenue growth, and it enters that print with momentum: fiscal second-quarter revenue grew 17% to $111.2 billion, led by a 22% jump in iPhone sales.
Is Honeywell Stock a Buy After Its Latest Structural Shakeup?
A stronger focus on industrial automation Honeywell is no longer a slow-moving conglomerate. It is now focused on three core segments: building, process, and industrial automation. This tighter strategy allows the company to capitalize directly on secular megatrends, such as warehouse automation, artificial intelligence (AI)-driven building energy efficiency, and the industrial world's transition toward autonomy. In the first quarter, its building automation and industrial automation segments shone with 11% year-over-year sales growth. Process automation reported 5% sales growth over the same quarter a year ago. All three segments outperformed the spinoff segment, aerospace technologies, which had 4% growth, year over year. The remaining company is expected to generate approximately between $19.9 billion and $20.2 billion in revenue in 2026, up from $17 billion in sales from its automation segments in 2025. Management is targeting 4% to 6% organic growth, annual margin expansion of more than 60 basis points, and double-digit earnings growth over the next three years. In the short term, the ride may be bumpy. On June 25, the stock closed at $247.02, but as of Wednesday afternoon, it is now trading at around $221.72 after the split. In the long run, though, analysts have set an average price target of $474.75 for Honeywell Technologies stock, up 114% from its current price.
Citizens Highlights Mid-America Apartment Communities (MAA) on Strong Leasing Momentum and AI Strategy
According to analyst Aaron Hecht, new rental rates in May 2026 were 210 basis points higher than in the first quarter of 2026, while renewals climbed 140 basis points. In May, the company used dispositions to buy back $50 million worth of shares, pushing the total amount of retired stock to $123 million year-to-date, roughly 1% of shares outstanding.
BofA Highlights MercadoLibre Inc. (MELI) Credit Card Growth and Fintech Expansion
During the first quarter of 2026, the LATAM e-commerce giant more than doubled its credit card portfolio year-over-year, hitting $6.6 billion, or around 45% of MercadoLibre's whole loan book. According to BofA analyst Robert E. Ford Aguilar, MercadoLibre Inc. (NASDAQ:MELI) only had 3.4% of industry credit card balances in Brazil and 2.5% in Mexico as of March 2026, despite the company's quick growth.
3 Magnificent Growth Stocks to Buy in July
As of the 2026 first quarter, Axon has more than 1 million customers and has sold more than 1 million Tasers. Revenue increased 34% year over year in the first quarter, with a 35% increase in software-as-a-service (SaaS) revenue, which is sticky, supporting net revenue retention of 125%.
Berkshire Hathaway Is Sitting on a Record $397 Billion in Cash. Is the Stock a Buy in the Greg Abel Era?
That war chest is equal to more than a third of the company's $1.1 trillion market value. Abel has not sat still. In his first big deal, Berkshire agreed to buy homebuilder Taylor Morrison for $6.8 billion, or $72.50 a share -- a 24% premium. He also steered Berkshire into an unusual place for a firm that long avoided technology: a $10 billion private placement in Alphabet, taken at a discount, that pushed its stake in the Google parent past $26 billion. And he restarted buybacks with a repurchase of about $234 million in March, after a 21-month pause. On valuation, Berkshire trades at about 1.5 times book value, close to its 10-year average, and around 15 times earnings. The operating businesses are pulling their weight, too. First-quarter operating earnings rose about 18% year over year, helped by the insurance units whose float gives Berkshire cheap capital to invest. Those earnings are lumpy (insurance almost always is), but the collection of railroad operations, utilities, and wholly owned businesses under the stock generates meaningful, growing profit that doesn't depend on which way the equity portfolio swings in a given quarter.
Prediction: Netflix Stock Is Going to Soar After July 16
During the 2026 Q1 (ended March 31), the ad tier accounted for 60% of all new signups in countries where it's available, so it's resonating with consumers. Management's latest guidance suggests Netflix's advertising revenue will double to $3 billion during 2026 after more than doubling last year. It will only make up a tiny portion of the company's expected $51 billion in total revenue for this year, but it will be a significant part of the business in the future if it continues to grow at the current pace. Netflix is highly profitable, which separates it from many other streaming companies. During Q1, the company's earnings surged by 86% year over year to $1.23 per share.
Prediction: This Will Be the Next Supercycle After AI Memory. 1 Stock to Buy Now Before It Surges 300%.
Himax expects revenues from AI and AR glasses applications to grow substantially over the next few years. Himax's technology solves problems that are central to making viable AI glasses, and many tech leaders have some exposure to this trend.
Where Will Alphabet Stock Be in 5 Years?
Alphabet did not report any financial results for Waymo, suggesting revenue could continue to grow quickly as autonomous driving becomes more prevalent. Investors should note that many of its gains stemmed from Alphabet's pledge to spend between $175 billion and $185 billion on capital expenditures (capex), mostly to further develop and support its AI.
AI bubble fears, the endless K-shaped economy, and insane hyperscaler capex spending
The AI Big 10 now make up 41% of the S&P 500 (^GSPC), similar to the share of tech and telecom during the dot-com bubble. This story is not the dot-com story. This AI zone that we're in is not what it was in late 1999, early 2000, when anyone would put a dot-com at the end of their name and suddenly had crazy valuations … So while I'm a little bit concerned that valuations are stretched and I think in some names they are, I'm not in the camp that I think that this is a bubble that's going to burst the same way it did in 1999 and 2000, because these are real companies with real products.
Jim Cramer Says Meta Is Entering AI's 'Most Lucrative Game,' JPMorgan Thinks It Could Be A $20 Billion Business
According to Bloomberg, Meta is considering charging developers to access AI models hosted on its infrastructure while also renting excess compute capacity to third parties, a strategy similar to AI cloud providers that lease GPU clusters to enterprise customers. JPMorgan estimates that every gigawatt of AI infrastructure made available to external customers could generate roughly $20 billion in annual revenue and add several dollars to earnings per share, providing meaningful returns on the company's enormous AI infrastructure investments.
This Is the One AI Stock I Can’t Stop Buying
Q1 2026 EPS came in at $5.11 against a $2.63 consensus, a 94.10% beat and the fourth consecutive EPS beat. Revenue hit $109.90 billion, up 21.8% year over year, with operating income at $39.70 billion and a 36.1% operating margin. Full year 2025 revenue crossed $402.84 billion for the first time. Return on equity sits at 38.9%. Google Cloud revenue grew 63% year over year to $20.03 billion, and backlog nearly doubled quarter on quarter to over $460 billion. Cloud operating margin expanded from 17.8% a year ago to 32.9%.
My parents are in their early 60s with no savings, a mortgage, and $2,400 in Social Security – where can they afford to live?
According to Morningstar's 2025 retirement income research, 3.9% is the highest safe starting withdrawal rate for retirees seeking consistent, inflation-adjusted spending over a 30-year retirement. At that rate, $500,000 in proceeds could generate approximately $19,500 in additional annual income. Combined with Social Security, that would provide considerably more breathing room, particularly if the couple can secure housing for less than the $1,500 they currently pay. A couple converting $500,000 of home equity into portfolio assets must carefully manage the timing and tax treatment of that transaction to avoid a steep and sudden jump in health insurance costs during the pre-Medicare years.
Unprecedented AI CapEx Risks Toppling the Entire Stock Market. It Could Also Send the IGV ETF and Its Holdings to Record Highs.
Traditional software and internet businesses, tracked by ETFs like the iShares Expanded Tech-Software Sector ETF (IGV) and the SPDR S&P Software & Services ETF (XSW), historically operate at an exceptional 90% incremental margin baseline level. However, capital is now being aggressively diverted away from those high-margin arenas and forced into physical AI infrastructure, which operates at a significantly lower 50% incremental margin baseline. This means a remarkable 40% profit market gap is being extracted directly out of highly efficient software companies and handed over to capital-intensive hardware and data center builders. While a firm like Amazon (AMZN) can consistently generate a 29% cash return on capital right now by borrowing at mid-single-digit percentage rates, the broader market's earnings power is gravitating to a less profitable, hyper-competitive infrastructure layer. In other words, we've moved on from a tide that lifts all boats to a sharper distinction between winners and losers. The fans of the massive AI spend are accurately describing what even an everyday market skeptic like me can see is fundamental economic regime change. AI is the single largest transfer of corporate investment dollars we've ever seen, in the technology industry or otherwise.
SpaceX, Alphabet, and SK Hynix Are Sending a Big Signal to the Market, and No One Is Talking About It
Combined, the three companies will raise about $200 billion. $200 billion in cash doesn't just appear out of nowhere. Investors have to sell other assets to put up that money. Most likely, they're selling other securities, which will put pressure on the rest of the stock market. With more giant IPOs coming down the pipeline and more SpaceX shares entering the market post-lockup, there's still a huge amount of money that will shift in the market. The fact that these companies are tapping their equity for cash suggests they see the stock market as willing to pay premium prices for equity right now. That's certainly true, as the equity risk premium (the difference between the earnings yield and the yield on Treasury bonds) has shrunk to nearly nothing.
Kyndryl and Microsoft Team Up on Cloud Sovereignty. Don’t Count on This Being a Game-Changer for KD Stock.
Revenue came in at $3.8 billion, down 1% year-over-year (YOY) on a reported basis and 5% in constant currency, landing right in line with Wall Street estimates. Adjusted earnings per share of $0.18 missed the $0.47 consensus, but adjusted EBITDA reached $688 million, beating forecasts for an 18.3% margin. For the full fiscal year, sales totaled $15.092 billion, flat on a reported basis but down 3% in constant currency. Adjusted pretax income rose 21% to $581 million, and adjusted EBITDA grew 6% to $2.672 billion with a 17.7% margin. Kyndryl Consult revenue jumping 18% and hyperscaler-related business nearing $2 billion, up 59% YOY. The company has over 11,000 AWS-certified professionals, and Amazon.com is investing in Kyndryl Holdings' training, joint solutions, and industry-specific capabilities to support that push. Analysts see earnings reaching $1.54 in fiscal 2027, a 25.20% increase from $1.23 in fiscal 2026. The seven analysts covering Kyndryl Holdings have a consensus "Hold" rating. Their average price target of $13.80 suggests 12.65% upside from current levels.
Prediction: This Energy Stock Will Make You a Lot Richer by 2029
Bloom's solid oxide fuel cells generate on-site electricity and can be deployed and operational in as little as 90 days. By bypassing traditional power grids, tech companies ensure their high-dollar AI chips don't sit idle waiting for power. It has a huge backlog with big tech Bloom's growth is no longer a speculative story; it is backed by concrete, massive commercial contracts. As of the end of 2025, the company said it had a backlog of $20 billion, including a product backlog of $6 billion. In its first-quarter earnings release, Bloom reported a record $751.1 million in revenue, a massive 130.4% year-over-year increase. The numbers were strong enough to prompt management to raise its full-year revenue guidance to $3.4 billion to $3.8 billion, an increase of 80% at the midpoint, and to raise adjusted EPS to between $1.85 and $2.25, up 170% at the midpoint.
3 Smart Stocks to Buy Now
The stock is cheaply priced at 19.3 times forward earnings -- less than the S&P 500's forward multiple of 21.5. Meta has used various AI tools it has developed to boost ad conversions, allowing it to generate more revenue per ad because the ads are more successful.
Oracle Stock's Worst Month Since 1990: What's Breaking Larry Ellison's Empire?
Oracle's fiscal fourth-quarter revenue rose 21% to $19.2 billion, cloud revenue jumped 47%, and contracted backlog hit a staggering $638 billion, up 363% from a year earlier. For the full fiscal year, that spending jumped 162% to $55.7 billion, overshooting the company's own $50 billion guidance and dragging free cash flow to negative $23.7 billion, from a deficit of just $394 million the year before. Oracle carried roughly $130 billion in debt as of late May, and much of that record backlog leans on a single customer, OpenAI — whose own financing needs and reportedly delayed IPO have become a swing factor for the stock. Bank of America's data show the group's forward free cash flow as a share of net income collapsing toward near-zero, even as the rest of the S&P 500 holds around 90%.
The AI Supercycle Needs More Than Just Chips. This Growth Stock Builds the Network That Connects Them.
There are plenty of artificial intelligence (AI) stocks grabbing investors' attention these days, and many of them are semiconductor designers and manufacturers. But while the AI data center boom is driving many chip stocks higher, there are other ways to play the artificial intelligence supercycle. Arista Networks (ANET 3.78%) is a prime example. The company's networking equipment and software help the biggest tech companies run their AI data centers -- and it could benefit from infrastructure spending for years to come. That's become a very good business to be in, considering that the largest technology players are spending an estimated $750 billion on AI infrastructure this year alone. While Arista has most of its business tied to a handful of large companies -- including Microsoft and Meta -- it's somewhat protected from this concentration. Once a company begins using Arista's hardware and software, it becomes difficult to switch. AI data center systems are complex and costly, and hardware and software upgrades are expensive. What's more, most of its customers don't want to switch, with independent data showing that 94% of them are strongly positive about Arista. Arista reported its first-quarter 2026 results in May, and investors were initially disappointed by the management's gross margin guidance of between 62% to 64% for 2026. Arista's gross margins for 2025 were 64.1%, but investors were hoping they would expand further. The bigger picture -- and what potential investors should focus on -- is how Arista is benefiting from surging AI data center demand. The company's sales jumped 35% to $2.7 billion in the first quarter, and non-GAAP (generally accepted accounting principles) earnings per share rose nearly 32% to $0.87. What's more, Arista has no debt, it generated $1.64 billion in free cash flow in the first quarter, and management expects sales to rise 28% in 2026 to $11.5 billion.
Does Amex’s Capital Return And Apple Pay Push Redefine The Bull Case For American Express (AXP)?
American Express Investment Narrative Recap To own American Express, you need to believe its premium, closed loop model can keep converting affluent and younger cardmembers into resilient fee and lending income, even as digital wallets and competitors crowd the market. Recent news on the dividend hike and a steady 2.5% Stress Capital Buffer supports the near term capital return story, but does not remove the key risk around higher rewards and engagement costs if competition in premium cards keeps heating up. Among the recent updates, the expanded ability to redeem Membership Rewards directly in Apple Pay stands out. It tightens the link between Amex's brand, its loyalty ecosystem and how younger, mobile first customers actually pay, aligning with the catalyst of deeper engagement from Millennial and Gen Z cardmembers. At the same time, it also makes reward economics even more central to the investment case, with implications for long term margins as benefits and usage grow. Yet against this backdrop of stronger capital returns, investors should still be aware of how rising reward costs and customer incentives could eventually... American Express' narrative projects $95.2 billion revenue and $14.7 billion earnings by 2029. This requires 11.4% yearly revenue growth and a $3.6 billion earnings increase from $11.1 billion today. Some of the most optimistic analysts already expected revenue to reach about US$98.7 billion and earnings US$16.3 billion by 2029, so if you believe digital wallets and alternative platforms might still pressure Amex's traditional card model over time, this latest Apple Pay integration could either support that bullish view or force you to rethink how realistic those higher forecasts really are.
Here's a Much Better Nasdaq-100 Stock to Buy Right Now Than SpaceX
At the end of April, Microsoft published results for the third quarter of its 2026 fiscal year -- which ended March 31. The business posted non-GAAP (adjusted) earnings per share of $4.27 on sales of $82.89 billion, significantly exceeding the average Wall Street estimate of $4.06 on revenue of $81.39 billion. Overall revenue was up 18% year over year, and revenue from the company's Azure and other cloud services businesses rose 40%, beating the average analyst target for growth.
Meta and Tesla Are Suddenly Worth the Same $1.48 Trillion. Which Stock Wins from Here?
Meta's first quarter made the bear case harder to hold. Revenue rose 33% year over year to $56.31 billion, and the growth came from both levers of the social media giant's ad business: impressions climbed 19% while the average price per ad rose 12%. About 3.56 billion people used its apps daily in March, up 4% from a year earlier -- a figure that dipped slightly from the prior quarter on internet disruptions in Iran and a WhatsApp restriction in Russia, offering a reminder of how much of the planet this network already covers. Meta's profits remain impressive, too. The social network's operating income rose 30% to $22.9 billion, holding the company's operating margin at a staggering 41%. Reported earnings per share of $10.44 were aided by an $8.03 billion one-time income tax benefit, but even stripping that out, earnings per share grew by double digits. But at about 19 times forward earnings, much of that worry appears to be priced in already. Meta produced $22.9 billion of operating income in a single quarter. And Meta's 33% revenue growth rate is double what Tesla's revenue managed in its most recent reported quarter. For the same $1.48 trillion, one stock offers 33% revenue growth at about 19 times forward earnings. The other offers 16% growth at more than 200 times, plus a claim on robotaxis and humanoid robots whose economics one can only speculate about.
Warren Buffett unveils 11-word stock market warning
We've never had people in a more gambling mood than now. Those words reflect a behavioral warning rather than a directional market call, rooted in Buffett's view that speculation poses the greatest threat to portfolios. Berkshire ended the first quarter of 2026 with $397.4 billion in cash and Treasury bills, the largest liquidity position in its history, company filings confirmed. The metric behind Buffett's caution is a ratio he introduced more than two decades ago, now widely known among analysts as the "Buffett indicator." It divides the total value of all publicly traded U.S. stocks by gross domestic product, measuring whether equity prices have outpaced actual economic output. In a 2001 Fortune magazine essay he co-authored with Carol Loomis, Buffett explained how he used this measure to assess overall market pricing during the dot-com era. "If the ratio approaches 200% as it did in 1999 and a part of 2000, you are playing with fire," Buffett wrote in Fortune. That indicator has now surpassed 233%, the highest reading on record, well past the threshold Buffett identified 25 years ago, the Motley Fool reported. Another popular valuation gauge, the cyclically adjusted price-to-earnings ratio, sat at 41.60 as of July 2, 2026, according to multpl.com, a level previously reached only during the dot-com frenzy. The S&P 500 has delivered total returns above 758% over the past 20 years through the first half of 2026, according to Motley Fool data cited in July 2026 coverage.
3 Reasons to Load Up on Netflix Stock Before July 16
Netflix's ad-supported tier reached 250 million global monthly active viewers as of its Upfront presentation in 2026, up from 190 million in late 2025. The company is on track to double its advertising revenue to $3 billion in 2026, after already doubling it to $1.5 billion in 2025. More than 80% of ad-tier members watch weekly, which is the kind of engagement stat that keeps advertisers coming back. What I'll be watching on July 16 isn't the headline revenue number, but rather whether Netflix gives any updated signal on its path to $9 billion in ad revenue by 2030. That figure is the one that reframes how the market should think about this company's long-term earnings power. If management tightens that guidance or adds color on advertiser retention, this stock could move. Netflix generated $12.25 billion in revenue in Q1, up 16% year over year. If that rate holds through Q2 while costs flatten in the second half, the operating leverage could be more visible than the current stock price reflects.
Big Tech’s $3 Trillion Struggle to Secure Enough Electricity
According to Goldman Sachs research, global data center power demand could rise by 165% by the end of the decade compared to 2023 levels. To support the rapid expansion of AWS' AI infrastructure, Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) signed a long-term agreement with Talen Energy for up to 1,920 megawatts of carbon-free nuclear power, one of the largest corporate electricity deals ever announced. In fact, in May 2026, OneQode Networks was so eager to secure power that they signed a binding letter for a 15-year lease covering the full 110-megawatt capacity of Bitzero's Norway campus. The agreement could generate roughly $2.6 billion in contracted revenue over its lifetime and represents exactly the kind of AI infrastructure demand that Bitzero is uniquely positioned to deal with. Constellation Energy (NASDAQ: CEG) has emerged as one of the biggest winners of the AI infrastructure boom after signing long-term agreements to supply nuclear power to hyperscale data centers. It then doubled down on the model by completing its $26.6 billion acquisition of Calpine, creating the largest power producer in the United States with roughly 55 gigawatts of generating capacity. It's the companies that control dependable electricity that are most in demand. Bitzero mines Bitcoin for roughly $50,000 per coin - far above the industry average, which is closer to $100,000. When Bitcoin trades at $80,000, most miners struggle. Bitzero still makes money, generating about $1 million in monthly EBITDA from its existing 40-MW Norway site. Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) are already struggling to secure enough electricity to fully utilize their growing fleets of AI GPUs. In fact, the power challenge has become so acute that Microsoft signed a 20-year agreement with Constellation Energy to enable the restart of Pennsylvania's Three Mile Island Unit 1 nuclear plant, securing 835 megawatts of carbon-free power for its expanding AI infrastructure. For O'Leary, this was a point of difference in an industry where "miners claim that they're green, but they do that through purchasing carbon credits. Most of it is complete BS." "In the case of what Bitzero is doing - hydroelectric in Norway, nuclear in Finland - you know where it came from," he says. This is a company that has long been treating electricity as a product rather than a cost. They moved first, they secured their assets, and now they are exactly where everybody wants to be.
While AI Reshapes Every Industry, Melinda French Gates Is Quietly Betting Millions on a $648 Billion Market That Has Been Stagnant for Decades
Venture interest in the care economy has accelerated 45% over the past four years, with more than $26 billion invested across 700 companies since 2015, according to The Holding Co. in partnership with Pivotal Ventures. Pivotal's endorsement is more than financial. Erin Harkless Moore, managing director of investments at Pivotal, called the care economy a "$648 billion market opportunity" that has long been under-resourced. Institutional-quality real estate has traditionally been difficult for individual investors to access. Realberry gives accredited investors direct access to private real estate opportunities backed by a team with 35 years of experience, $3.4 billion in assets under management, and $481 million in cumulative distributions paid to investors as of Q4 2025, according to the company. Immersed is also developing Visor, a lightweight headset designed specifically for professional productivity, positioning the company at the intersection of remote work, extended reality (XR), and next-generation computing.
Is CrowdStrike Stock a Buy After Its Stock Split?
In the latest quarter, revenue rose 26% to $1.39 billion, and CrowdStrike posted net income of $28 million, up from a $104 million loss the same quarter a year ago. Management raised its revenue and earnings guidance for fiscal 2027 and lifted its outlook for net new ARR by 520 basis points. The company has great momentum, and the stock split should make it more accessible to more investors who can now more easily buy full shares.
This AI Stock Just Joined the Dow Jones. It's Up 300% Since 2023 and History Says This Will Happen Next.
Alphabet reported impressive financial results in the first quarter. Revenue rose 22% to $110 billion, the fifth straight acceleration. By segment, advertising sales increased 15%, and cloud computing sales increased 64%. Meanwhile, GAAP earnings soared 82%drivenue in large parbyto unrealized gainonom its investment in Space Exploration Technologies. Investors have good reason to think Alphabet can maintain its momentum. According to Grand View Research, digital ad sales will grow at 14% annually through 2030, and cloud computing spend will grow at 16% annually over the same period.
Aerospace
Amazon has deployed enough satellites to launch Leo service later this year
Amazon said it now has enough satellites in orbit to begin "initial service" of its Leo internet-from-space network later this year. The company shipped 29 satellites into orbit around 12:30 a.m. ET on Thursday atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket. The mission brings Amazon's total constellation to more than 390 satellites, which is "enough to support continuous service across initial latitudes," Chris Weber, vice president of business and product for Amazon Leo, wrote in a post on X. SpaceX had a four-year head start on Amazon, launching Starlink in 2015. It has since amassed a constellation of around 10,000 satellites and more than 10 million subscribers. Amazon aims to build a constellation of roughly 7,700 satellites, but the effort has been slowed by a shortage of rocket capacity. Amazon said Thursday its next Leo mission will use ULA's Vulcan heavy-lift rocket, "which will carry even larger Leo payloads and help increase our deployment rate." "With hundreds of flight-ready satellites standing by at the Cape and a new, dedicated vertical integration facility ready to support Leo Vulcan 1 and subsequent missions, we have a clear path to increase launch and deployment cadence, helping us quickly expand network coverage following an initial service rollout later this year," Melissa Wuerl, Leo's director of launch systems, said in a statement.
Autonomous drone startup Quantum Systems raises $1.2 billion as investors pile into defense
$17.4 billion so far this year, according to Dealroom, far exceeding the $11.2 billion the sector picked up in 2025. Anduril picked up $5 billion in May, while Saronic Technologies and Shield AI raised $1.8 billion and $2 billion in March, respectively. Helsing is set to raise $1.2 billion at an $18 billion valuation, the Financial Times reported in May.
Polish space tech company Sybilla Technologies secures funds to enter U.S. market
According to a BGK press release, Sybilla operates a network of 50 optical sensors distributed across six continents. The company is reportedly on a three-year track to expand its global footprint. Sybilla plans to double its fleet to some 100 optical sensors by the end of this year, according to BGK. This would enable the company to continuously monitor the movement of 90% of the more than 40,000 objects that are currently in orbit with a quick turnaround.
SpaceX Is Finally Public. Here's How Much a $1,000 Investment Would Get You.
$11.4 billion in revenue in 2025. The capital-intensive space segment generated nearly $4.1 billion in revenue but, due to heavy investments, posted an operating loss of $657 million. All told, SpaceX as a whole earned just under $18.7 billion in 2025.
Could SpaceX Become the First $10 Trillion Company? Here's What Would Need to Happen.
SpaceX's revenue profile is supported by three interconnected pillars that evolve at different rates. SpaceX's launch business should continue to benefit from its reusable rocket technology, combined with rising global demand for satellite deployment and crewed missions. Starship's maturation is expected to bring further cost reductions to orbital operations, potentially unlocking a higher launch cadence and new commercial and government contracts. I think it's reasonable to expect this segment to generate steady, not explosive, growth as competition in the space exploration industry intensifies. Starlink represents the company's nearest growth engine. The constellation has already brought broadband connectivity to remote regions and is expanding aggressively across maritime, aviation, and enterprise markets. Given this success, Oppenheimer analyst Timothy Horan cites Starlink's potential to disrupt traditional telecoms through direct-to-cell capabilities, positioning the network as a global connectivity layer that could capture market share from terrestrial providers. The most transformative upside, however, lies in AI infrastructure. Over the last month, SpaceX has secured $82 billion worth of partnerships with Google Cloud, Anthropic, and Reflection AI. Meanwhile, the company is exploring cross-synergies with xAI for model training and Cursor for developer tooling. Goldman Sachs projects SpaceX's total revenue to reach $474 billion by 2030, fueled primarily by the AI division, which is expected to surge from roughly $3 billion today to $322 billion.
SpaceX Might Be the Most Valuable Money-Losing Company in Market History. Should Investors Care?
Across 2025 and the first quarter of 2026, its reported losses add up to a trailing net loss of about $9.4 billion, set against roughly $19.3 billion in trailing revenue. The losses come from everything surrounding it: about $3 billion a year of research and development spending on the Starship rocket program, plus the enormous computing costs of the AI operation. At about $2.1 trillion, SpaceX trades at more than 100 times its trailing revenue -- not its earnings, its revenue.
Lockheed Martin (LMT) Eyes $3.5 Billion Ultra Maritime Deal In Undersea Defense
Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT) is reported to be the leading bidder to acquire Ultra Maritime in a deal valued at around US$3.5b. The potential acquisition would expand Lockheed Martin's presence in undersea warfare and anti-submarine technologies. This news comes at a time of heightened global security tensions and growing demand for advanced undersea defense capabilities. Lockheed Martin is a major defense contractor with a broad portfolio across aerospace, missiles, and defense systems. This potential move into Ultra Maritime would deepen its role in undersea warfare. Undersea and anti-submarine technologies have become increasingly important as governments focus on securing sea lanes and critical infrastructure. For investors tracking NYSE:LMT, this is a notable development in the company's defense technology mix. If the deal proceeds, it could influence how Lockheed Martin competes for future naval and undersea defense programs. Investors may want to watch for regulatory reviews, deal structure details, and any indications of how Ultra Maritime's capabilities might be integrated into existing product lines. The Ultra Maritime bid positions Lockheed Martin more deeply in undersea warfare and anti submarine technologies, which could reshape its defense mix if the deal closes. Watch for updates on deal terms, regulatory approvals, and any guidance on how management plans to align Ultra Maritime with existing naval programs.
SpaceX Stock Could Jump by 19%, According to Wall Street
He has also helped revolutionize space travel, notably through SpaceX's pioneering work on reusable rockets, which significantly reduced launch costs. The company dominates orbital launches. SpaceX is the top player in this niche, with far more satellites in orbit than its competitors. The company estimates that its total addressable market across space, internet connectivity, and artificial intelligence (AI) is $28.5 trillion.
GAO flags satellite costs, launch risks in Space Force portfolio
GAO estimated the program’s acquisition cost at $9.5 billion and said it “continues to progress but has experienced significant cost growth.” The report attributes a roughly $340 million overrun by the mission payload subcontractor to software development complexity and engineering challenges. The report also provides additional insight into one of the Space Force’s most troubled acquisition failures. GAO disclosed that Pentagon leaders decided in late 2025 to cancel the Next Generation Operational Control System, or OCX, months before the decision became public in April 2026. GAO warned those vacancies “may have long-term detrimental effects on the program” by slowing the onboarding of additional launch providers needed to meet future Defense Department demand.
What to Expect From RTX Corporation's Q2 2026 Earnings Report
RTX rallied on robust commercial and defense demand, led by Raytheon's $1.1 billion Navy missile contract and 40%+ year over year growth in munitions deliveries. RTX stock has outperformed the S&P 500 Index's ($SPX) 20.2% gains over the past 52 weeks, with shares up 37.9% during this period.
Rocket Lab Announces a Massive $8 Billion Satellite Acquisition. Now What?
3 AI Data Center Power Stocks to Buy in July
Hyperscaler AI capital spending has been raised to $750 billion in 2026, up from $670 billion, and is set to cross $1 trillion in 2027. The Department of Energy already projects data centers will account for up to 12% of U.S. electrical demand by 2028, and the grid is not ready. Electrical Americas orders rose 42% organically on a trailing twelve-month basis, with segment revenue of $3.6 billion, up 20% year-over-year, and a book-to-bill of 1.2. Total electrical backlog jumped 48%. Power Generation revenue hit $2.82 billion in Q1 2026, up 41% year-over-year, driven by large reciprocating engines and turbines for data-center applications. The Electrification segment booked $2.4 billion in equipment orders for data centers in Q1 alone, more than all of 2025. Segment revenue grew 61% year-over-year to $3.0 billion with a book-to-bill near 2.5. Total orders surged 71% organically to $18.3 billion, and backlog grew $13 billion sequentially. CEO Scott Strazik said “we now expect to reach at least 110 GW of combined gas turbine backlog and slot reservation agreements by year-end 2026 and are raising our 2026 financial guidance.”
Is SpaceX Stock Officially Overvalued?
SpaceX's total revenue was just $18.7 billion in 2026, which is significantly below the hundreds of billions in revenue that other trillion-dollar market cap stocks like Alphabet, Microsoft, and Apple generate annually. It generates $4 billion in launch revenue, $11.4 billion from its Starlink satellite internet business, and $3.2 billion in AI services revenue. Starlink revenue grew 50% year over year in 2025, and it has a large addressable market to tackle, along with promised innovations to deliver direct-to-device connectivity in the future. AI revenue should begin to grow rapidly in 2026, with new contracts totaling $27.8 billion in annual revenue for data center services.
Is SpaceX Stock a Buy After Falling From Its Post-IPO High?
SpaceX had an unprecedented and unparalleled IPO, selling more than $86 billion worth of stock. For reference, the previous record holder was Saudi Aramco, which raised $26.6 billion in 2019. Elon Musk has created other companies, like Tesla, that have really changed the world, and SpaceX fans are betting that he can do it again. However, there are a few problems with the SpaceX thesis. One is that, even though it's on top right now, it faces competition and doesn't necessarily have the economic moat to stay there. Satellite broadband is another area where it's a leader and where the consequences could be far-reaching. It has 9,600 satellites in orbit and serves 10.3 million customers in 164 countries.
Here's Why The Latest Rocket Lab Acquisition Could Shake Up The Entire Space Economy
Rocket Lab generates most of its revenue from launch services for its Electron rockets (and upcoming Neutron rockets) and from the sale of satellite subsystems. These businesses are growing, but they're capital-intensive and operate at low margins. SpaceX's (SPCX +2.69%) upcoming Starship rocket could exacerbate that pressure by drastically reducing launch costs. By acquiring Iridium, Rocket Lab gains a higher-margin, cash-generating business with recurring revenue from more than 2.5 million subscribers. It also gains dozens of satellites, its own weather-resilient L-band spectrum, and Iridium's consumer-facing data network. That expansion could pave the way toward stable profits in the future. Rocket Lab is still a lot smaller than SpaceX. Still, it will become the only other company to control the entire stack -- the factory, the rocket, the spectrum, and orbital operations -- for the space economy.
Is SpaceX Stock a Buy Before Its First Earnings Report as a Public Company?
SpaceX's IPO is a game changer, and it wouldn't be surprising to see growth accelerate across the company as Elon Musk deploys billions of dollars of fresh capital. That valuation could spell trouble in the meantime It's not a bad thing to look ahead. After all, Wall Street typically trades stocks based on what it believes will happen, not the past. But it gets tricky with SpaceX, a stock with a market cap of $2.2 trillion. That's roughly 118 times the company's total revenue last year. SpaceX is certainly a unique company, with a tantalizing mix of growth opportunities across AI and space. However, achieving its ambitious goals, including those orbital data centers, won't happen overnight. Elon Musk is known for setting a high bar, even if it takes years to deliver results. For as much growth potential SpaceX has in AI, it's also currently the company's least profitable business unit and faces steep competition from OpenAI and others. Starlink is SpaceX's most profitable business, but its revenue growth slowed dramatically from 96.4% in 2024 to 49.8% last year. The company attributes the vast majority of its addressable market to AI. SpaceX will need time to deliver on its immense potential
Elon Musk Calls Report on SpaceX AI Handheld Device ‘Utterly False’ After Claims of an iPhone Rival Sparks Online Buzz
Earlier this year, Musk said a Starlink phone was "not out of the question" and could be AI-optimized, but later clarified that SpaceX is not developing a smartphone. In its IPO filing, SpaceX estimated a $740 billion addressable market for Starlink Mobile, signaling plans to expand the service and compete with carriers such as Verizon Communications and AT&T.
Joby And Toyota Deepen Air Taxi Partnership With New Manufacturing JV
$980,000. $500 million investment in Joby in late 2024 to fund aircraft certification and early-stage production.
SpaceX's Next Big Business Isn't Rockets. It's Computer Chips.
Six months ago, SpaceX (NASDAQ: SPCX) was a private rocket company. Today, it is a public one worth more than $2 trillion, and its most intriguing new project has nothing to do with launching rockets. The scale is staggering: SpaceX has pegged the initial investment at about $55 billion and the total build-out at up to $119 billion. Today, the company is primarily Starlink plus launch. Per its filings around its June initial public offering (IPO), SpaceX's connectivity segment, primarily driven by Starlink, was about 61% of 2025 revenue, at $11.4 billion, with more than 10 million Starlink subscribers as of March 31.
If You Invested $1,000 in SpaceX at Its IPO, Here Is What It Is Worth Today
According to a Reuters report, SpaceX could begin launching orbital AI infrastructure test demonstrations by the end of next year. SpaceX's total revenue was $18.6 billion in 2025.
Could SpaceX Surge When It Joins the Nasdaq-100? Maybe, but History Says the Bounce Won't Last.
SpaceX's initial weight in the index is estimated to be between 0.47% and 0.7%. The high end of that range means that around $7 billion of the company's shares must be bought by funds. The biggest of these funds is the Invesco QQQ Trust Series 1 (NASDAQ: QQQ). This fund has roughly $481 billion in assets under management. It's also the second most-traded ETF in the U.S. Overall, funds representing more than $800 billion in assets track the Nasdaq-100.
Bio
AstraZeneca pens $1.7B kidney drug discovery pact with go-to Chinese partner CSPC
AstraZeneca has added another piece to its sprawling interface with CSPC Pharmaceutical, paying the Chinese biotech $30 million upfront to jointly discover and develop two kidney disease drug candidates. AstraZeneca has committed $540 million in development milestones to enter into the partnership, which features a further $1.2 billion tied to product sales. The obesity pact followed deals AstraZeneca struck with CSPC in 2024 and 2025. In 2024, AstraZeneca paid CSPC $100 million upfront for a preclinical cardiovascular disease drug candidate. AstraZeneca’s renal disease portfolio also includes Lokelma, a hyperkalaemia therapy that pulled in $199 million in the first quarter. Farxiga, a drug approved in indications including chronic kidney disease, was the Big Pharma’s best-selling product in the first quarter, generating (PDF) $2.2 billion in three months.
Heartflow vs. Iovance Biotherapeutics: Which Healthcare Stock Is a Better Buy in 2026?
In FY 2025, revenue reached about $176 million, a 40% increase over the prior year. During FY 2025, the company reported revenue of $263.5 million, reflecting a significant 60.6% growth rate over the prior year. According to its December 2025 balance sheet, Iovance maintains a debt-to-equity ratio of approximately 0.1x. Free cash flow for fiscal year 2025 was negative $336.2 million, reflecting the heavy capital requirements of personalized cell therapy manufacturing and clinical trials. Iovance faces substantial financial risk with an accumulated deficit of $2.9 billion as of March 31, 2026. Iovance saw first-quarter 2026 revenue rise 45% year over year to 71.4 million, and management expects second-quarter sales to be up about 23% from the same period in 2025.
Regeneron (REGN) Secures FDA Priority Review And EMA Acceptance For Cemdisiran
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals (NasdaqGS:REGN) received FDA acceptance with Priority Review for cemdisiran in generalized myasthenia gravis. The EMA has also accepted the marketing application for cemdisiran, aligning regulatory review on both sides of the Atlantic. Priority Review in the US and accepted filings in both the US and EU, backed by one of the largest interventional gMG trials, give Regeneron a clearer regulatory pathway in a rare-disease segment with ongoing unmet need.
Dividend King vs. Growth Giant: Johnson & Johnson Takes on Eli Lilly
Mounjaro and Zepbound drove Lilly's revenue up 56% while JNJ grew 10% and extended its dividend streak to 64 consecutive years. Lilly partnered with NVIDIA on a drug-discovery lab and committed $6 billion to a new Alabama plant to scale its GLP-1 pipeline. Lilly posted $19.80 billion in revenue, up 55.5% year over year, with Mounjaro alone contributing $8.66 billion and Zepbound adding $4.16 billion. JNJ told a very different story. Revenue of $24.062 billion grew 9.9%, split between Innovative Medicine at $15.426 billion and MedTech at $8.636 billion. Lilly is doubling down on metabolic dominance. Ricks highlighted acquisitions of Orna, Centessa, Kelonia, and Ajax, plus a $6 billion Alabama plant and an NVIDIA (NASDAQ:NVDA) drug-discovery lab. JNJ is sharpening focus by spinning off DePuy Synthes orthopaedics within 18 to 24 months. Full-year guidance climbed to $100.3 to $101.3 billion with adjusted EPS of $11.45 to $11.65.
Is Vera Therapeutics, Inc. (VERA) A Good Stock To Buy Now?
Vera Therapeutics (VERA) is positioned as a late-stage biotechnology company with a focused pipeline targeting serious autoimmune and kidney diseases, with its lead asset atacicept forming the core of the investment thesis ahead of a major FDA PDUFA decision on July 7, 2026. The market is currently undervaluing the company despite strong clinical evidence from the Phase 2b and Phase 3 ORIGIN trials, which demonstrated meaningful reductions in proteinuria of up to 46% alongside sustained immunologic suppression, reinforcing atacicept's differentiated dual-pathway mechanism through BLyS and APRIL inhibition. The near-term catalyst is the FDA accelerated approval decision, followed closely by critical Phase 3 eGFR kidney function data in Q3 2026, which could further validate long-term renal protection and significantly de-risk the asset for full approval and commercialization.
Merck (MRK) Wins New KEYTRUDA Approvals As Tulisokibart Clears A Phase 3 Test
Earnings are forecast to grow at about 19.41% a year, which reflects expectations that a wide set of late stage assets and new indications, including KEYTRUDA combinations, can contribute meaningfully over time. Merck is assessed as trading well below one estimate of fair value, suggesting investors who already hold the stock may see current pricing as accounting for several of the identified risks.
Eli Lilly (LLY) Stock May Trade At A Cash Flow Discount But An Earnings Premium
Over the latest twelve months, Eli Lilly generated about $8.6b in free cash flow, and the model assumes those cash flows keep growing from this base rather than shrinking, which results in a higher intrinsic value than many mature pharmaceutical companies. On these assumptions, the DCF estimates an intrinsic value of about $1,591 per share, compared with a current share price around $1,213, implying the stock screens roughly 23.7% undervalued. The P/E ratio is a reasonable way to look at Eli Lilly because earnings remain a key focus for large, established pharmaceutical companies. At around 42.8x earnings, Eli Lilly trades at a sizable premium to the broader Pharmaceuticals industry average of about 15.4x and also above the peer group average of roughly 25.2x. However, the tailored fair P/E ratio for Eli Lilly, which factors in elements such as its margins, scale and risk profile, sits lower at approximately 39.2x. That leaves the current multiple only modestly above this fair level, suggesting investors are paying up for the story, but not in a way that is out of line with what the company profile might justify. On balance, Eli Lilly stock looks priced roughly in line with what this P/E framework would suggest is fair. The Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model here takes Eli Lilly's projected cash flows and discounts them back to today using a 2 stage Free Cash Flow to Equity approach.
Is Intellia Therapeutics, Inc. (NTLA) A Good Stock To Buy Now?
A single infusion reduced HAE attacks by 87% versus placebo, rendered 62% of patients attack-free, produced no serious adverse events, and met all primary and secondary endpoints with strong statistical significance.
How Much Could $1,000 Invested in Viking Therapeutics Be Worth by 2030?
By 2030, the weight loss drugs market could be worth around $95 billion, per an estimate from Goldman Sachs. J.P. Morgan estimates the broader market for GLP-1 medicines, which includes diabetes treatments, at nearly $200 billion by the same year. Let's go with a $150 billion figure, a rough midpoint of those ranges, as our starting point for forecasting what a $1,000 investment in Viking would do. VK2735 led to up to 14.7% weight loss from the injectable in mid-stage testing.
Biogen Is Paying $1 Billion for a Company That Won't Say What It Makes. Here's Why That's Actually Good News for BIIB Investors.
Biogen's multiple sclerosis business Let's start with a quick update on Biogen. As mentioned, the biotech company was once known as an MS giant, and it still sells a number of important MS drugs, such as Tecfidera and Tysabri. But loss of exclusivity made a significant dent in revenue, with Tecfidera's peak sales of $4.4 billion in 2019 dropping to $1.4 billion in 2022. In the latest fiscal year, all of Biogen's MS drugs, together, delivered $4 billion in revenue, further highlighting this decline. In the recent quarter, chief executive officer Christopher Viehbacher said that after four years of declining earnings in 2023, the turnaround began -- and Biogen finally has been able to "stabilize the business." The shift of focus to growth products helped these drugs deliver a 12% increase in sales to $850 million in the first quarter. These are key neurology drugs such as Leqembi for Alzheimer's disease, Skyclarys for Friedreich ataxia, and postpartum depression drug Zurzuvae. They each brought in double- or triple-digit sales growth. And though Biogen hasn't returned to its peak earnings levels, it looks like a rebound is taking shape, and this may lead to fresh growth. Biogen, of course, has a solid internal pipeline, but the company, aiming to make immunology another key area, has used acquisitions to gain strength here. As mentioned, Biogen bought Apellis, gaining access to two commercialized drugs in this specialty area: Empaveli for three indications, including two rare kidney diseases, and Syfovre for an immune-mediated retinal disease. These drugs together delivered sales of $689 million last year. Now, let's consider the company's very latest move, and that's to acquire RayThera for as much as $1 billion, including an upfront payment and potential milestone payments. RayThera's website doesn't offer much detail about its candidates -- we don't know the exact diseases they target. What we do know, from the acquisition press release, is that the portfolio "includes multiple anti-inflammatory assets that could potentially treat immune-mediated conditions across a range of indications." And the company's lead candidate is on track to enter a phase 1 trial in the third quarter. The global immunology market is massive, totaling more than $112 billion last year, according to Fortune Business Insights. Since Biogen is seeking to build out its immunology business, this addition could be a very wise move.
Is Viking Therapeutics Stock Going to $50? Here's What the Bulls and Bears Are Saying
Viking develops potential drugs for endocrine and metabolic disorders, and its lead candidate VK2735 is involved in late-stage trials for the weight loss indication. A maintenance dosing study is also underway, with data expected in the third quarter. When Viking reported strong phase 2 data in February of 2024, the stock soared more than 100% in one trading session. Viking is a $4.3 billion company facing off against the $1.1 trillion Eli Lilly and the $210 billion Novo Nordisk.
Leerink Sees Altimmune (ALT) As An Attractive Play In The MASH Therapeutics Market
On June 22, 2026, Leerink analyst Thomas Smith initiated coverage of Altimmune, Inc. (NASDAQ:ALT) with an "Outperform" rating and a $10 price target. Smith called Altimmune an attractive play in a market for MASH therapeutics that is increasingly supported by clinical data, pointing to pemvidutide's differentiated dual-agonist profile and its potential to expand into adjacent liver and alcohol-related indications. That call followed 48-week results from the company's IMPACT Phase 2b trial, announced in May, evaluating pemvidutide in patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH). Altimmune, Inc. (NASDAQ:ALT) said the dual glucagon/GLP-1 receptor agonist significantly enhanced several cardiometabolic measures in comparison to placebo. Patients on the 1.8 mg dose saw notable improvements in triglycerides and total cholesterol, along with continued weight loss, lower body mass index, reduced waist circumference, and improvements in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Presented at the European Association for the Study of the Liver Congress 2026 in Barcelona, the findings also suggested that pemvidutide was generally well tolerated over 48 weeks, with only a small proportion of patients not continuing treatment due to adverse events.
Here’s Why H.C. Wainwright Upgraded Prime Medicine (PRME) To “Buy”
On June 29, 2026, H.C. Wainwright upgraded Prime Medicine, Inc. (NASDAQ:PRME) to "Buy" from "Neutral" with a price target of $8. The upgrade came after New Zealand's Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Authority accepted the clinical trial application for PM577a, the company's investigational therapy for Wilson's disease. That clearance, announced by the company on June 18, 2026, enables Prime Medicine, Inc. (NASDAQ:PRME) to begin a global Phase 1/2 study evaluating PM577a in adults and adolescents with Wilson Disease. Meanwhile, on June 22, 2026, the FDA granted Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy designation to PM359, Prime Medicine, Inc. (NASDAQ:PRME)'s stem cell therapy for p47phox-deficient chronic granulomatous disease (CGD), based on Phase 1/2 clinical data published in The New England Journal of Medicine. Prime Medicine, Inc. (NASDAQ:PRME) is a biotechnology company that delivers genetic medicines to address the spectrum of diseases by deploying gene editing technology.
Pfizer Inc. (PFE): A Top Dividend Stock to Buy According to Hedge Funds amid Ibrance FDA Milestone
On June 24, the US Food and Drug Administration approved the use of Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE)'s Ibrance in combination with trastuzumab as a maintenance option for patients with HR-positive, HER2-positive locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer after induction treatment. With the approval, Ibrance becomes the first and only CDK4/6 inhibitor indicated for patients with HR+ metastatic breast cancer. The approval comes at the backdrop of topline results from the phase 3 Patina study that showed Ibrance reduced the risk of disease progression or death by 24% in the specific patient population.
Revolution Medicines Is Up Nearly 140% in 2026. Is the Hot Biotech Stock Still a Buy?
Daraxonrasib delivered a survival rate of 13.2 months versus a survival rate of 6.7 months for patients treated with the standard care of chemotherapy. The company said these results are considered final, and it's submitting them to support a request for regulatory review. Revolution is also advancing another candidate, zoldonrasib, in phase 3 trials for the same indication. Revolution has phase 3 trials ongoing for daraxonrasib in non-small cell lung cancer, and zoldonrasib as a combination therapy with standard of care is entering phase 3.
Consumer / Retail
Nike Beat Wall Street Estimates by a Mile. Why Investors Are Still Not Convinced.
In the fourth quarter of fiscal 2026, Nike reported a 1% dip in revenue on a reported basis to $11 billion. Revenue beat Wall Street expectations by $122.6 million. Gross margin expanded sharply to 49.2%, an increase of 890 basis points year over year. However, this improvement was the doing of a one-time $986 million recovery of previously paid tariffs. Excluding this recovery, gross margin would have been 40.2%. Likewise, reported earnings per share reached $0.72, beating consensus estimates by $0.59. But remove the tariff recovery benefit, and EPS would have been just $0.20. For the full fiscal year, revenue mostly remained flat on a reported basis. Gross margin for the year also improved to 42.9%, thanks to tariff recoveries. Diluted EPS totaled $2.10, down 3% from the prior year. Nike also had to absorb roughly $400 million in severance costs as part of its restructuring efforts. However, these efforts are intended to streamline operations and ultimately boost long-term profitability. Management expects both categories to remain negative during fiscal 2027, with improvement anticipated only in the second half of the year. Overall, Nike now expects first-quarter fiscal 2027 revenue to decline by the low-to-mid single digits, with a similar trend expected over the first half of the year.
Jersey Mike’s IPO illustrates how bad the AI hype has become
The term artificial intelligence and its acronym “AI” were mentioned 22 times. In this case, the company can’t claim to be selling AI software. It sells submarine sandwiches. AI products are what investors are really hungering for (terrible pun intended). Still, it found a way to mention AI in its investor-risk warnings. That may be even more funny. It doesn’t explain what it’s using AI for that could be dangerous to investors, beyond a hand-wave of a phrase, “We are beginning to use AI Technologies in our business.” In all fairness, as a company that operates franchisees, it does rely on software (mentioned 52 times) and data (112 mentions), as all businesses do.
Amazon and Walmart rival wants a new $99 membership fee from you
U.S. paid retail membership fee revenues will be higher than ever before in 2025, reaching $46.39 billion, according to our May 2024 forecast. That's an increase of 10.8% YoY, with over half (51.8%) of these revenues going to Amazon. Customers are ready for premium loyalty: 70% of consumers who are not in a premium program would join if their favorite retailer offered one and the benefits were valuable. Premium loyalty members earn their title — 94% shop at retailers where they have memberships at least once per month.
SPYI’s 0.68% Fee Could Cost You Thousands Over 20 Years—Here’s Why
Over the past year, SPYI holders pocketed a 19% total return while a plain S&P 500 index fund produced 20.87%. The difference runs near $59 a year for every $10,000 you hold. Roll that forward. Over 20 years, at a 7% market return, a $59 annual drag compounds into thousands of dollars per $10,000 invested. Multiply by a six-figure position and the "small" fee balloons into a five-figure hole. The one-year gap of 19% versus 20.87% is a mild example. Since SPYI's launch in August 2022, the fund has returned 71.8% against 73.49% for the plain index.
Better Buy in July: 1 Share of Starbucks or 1 Dutch Bros Share Plus 1 Chipotle Share?
It generated $9.5 billion in revenue in the fiscal second quarter of 2026. And notably, same-store sales rose 6.2%, a reversal from fiscal 2025, when this key metric fell 1%.
Giant global travel chain seals new Coca-Cola deal, drops Pepsi
Marriott will introduce Coke products to its guestrooms, restaurants, lounges, meetings, and events in about 10,000 properties in 146 countries and territories beginning July 1 and rolling out internationally over the coming months.
Kroger just shook up the supermarket landscape
Kroger's board approved the deal unanimously, but it still needs federal antitrust clearance and is not expected to close until 2027. Giant Eagle has operated as a family-owned chain since 1931 and generates roughly $9 billion in annual sales, according to Kroger's announcement.
UK business confidence drops to lowest level since late 2022 – ICAEW survey
Business sentiment in the UK fell sharply in the second quarter of 2026 (Q2 2026), with the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales' (ICAEW) Business Confidence Monitor showing a reading of -14.6, down from -1.1 in Q1 and the weakest result since Q4 2022. Forecasts for sales, gross profits and turnover growth over the next 12 months all weakened in Q2 as more businesses became concerned about customer demand. Input price inflation rose to 4.1% in Q2, its highest level since Q3 2024, reflecting higher costs for materials and wider global pressures.
Members of Congress Are Loading Up on Johnson & Johnson and UnitedHealth. Here's Why Retail Investors Should Pay Attention.
Three members, however, have loaded up on the company's shares this year. Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas), who serves on the House Committee on Ways and Means, the House Committee on the Budget, and the Joint Committee on Taxation, with roles spanning trade, oversight, and health policy, bought as much as $15,000 worth of Johnson & Johnson. Rep. Richard McCormick (R-Ga.) acquired up to $15,000 worth of the company's stock, while Rep. Lisa McClain (R-Mich.) bought as much as $30,000 worth of Johnson & Johnson. Other lawmakers, such as Rep. Thomas Kean Jr. (R-N.J.) and Rep. Julie Johnson (D-Texas), have been net sellers of the stock during the same period, shedding chunks of equity valued at as much as $100,000 and $30,000, respectively. Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), who serves on the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, bought between $50,001 and $100,000 worth of United Health Group shares on Feb. 25. In the House, several representatives bought shares of UnitedHealth Group, led by Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), who, through a family trust, made three buys of as much as $15,000 each of UnitedHealth Group's stock since March 23. If you're looking to add stable, dividend-paying healthcare exposure to a portfolio, Johnson & Johnson and UnitedHealth Group have excellent historical track records. Their dividends each yield slightly more than 2%, and during the past 10 years, they've steadily increased their earnings per share (EPS) and dividend.
What You Need To Know Ahead of Avery Dennison’s Earnings Release
Ahead of this event, analysts project AVY to post an adjusted EPS of $2.46, a 1.7% rise from $2.42 in the year-ago quarter. For fiscal 2026, analysts forecast the office products maker to report adjusted EPS of $10, up 4.9% from $9.53 in fiscal 2025. Shares of Avery Dennison have declined 9% over the past 52 weeks, underperforming the broader S&P 500 Index's ($SPX) 20.2% gain and the State Street Materials Select Sector SPDR ETF's (XLB) 13.8% return over the same time frame. Analysts' consensus view on AVY stock is cautiously optimistic, with a "Moderate Buy" rating overall. Among 14 analysts covering the stock, nine suggest a "Strong Buy," one gives a "Moderate Buy," and four recommend a "Hold." The average analyst price target for Avery Dennison is $196.57, suggesting a potential upside of 17.7% from the current levels.
Earnings Preview: What To Expect From Coca-Cola Company’s Report
Before this event, analysts expect this beverage company to report a profit of $0.92 per share, up 5.8% from $0.87 per share in the year-ago quarter. For the current fiscal year, ending in December, analysts expect KO to report a profit of $3.26 per share, up 8.7% from $3 per share in fiscal 2025. Furthermore, its EPS is expected to grow 7.1% year over year to $3.49 in fiscal 2027. The mean price target for KO is $87, indicating a 3.4% potential upside from the current levels.
IQVIA Holdings' Q2 2026 Earnings: What to Expect
IQV is expected to release its Q2 2026 earnings soon. Ahead of the event, analysts expect the company's EPS to be $2.74 on a diluted basis, up 8.3% from $2.53 in the year-ago quarter. For fiscal 2026, analysts project the company's EPS to be $11.60, up 7.3% from $10.81 in fiscal 2025. Moreover, its EPS is expected to rise by roughly 11.8% year over year (YoY) to $12.97 in fiscal 2027. IQV stock has risen 25.6% over the past 52 weeks, rallying the S&P 500 Index's ($SPX) 20.2% rise and the State Street Healthcare Select Sector SPDR ETF's (XLV) 21% rise during the same time frame. Analysts are highly optimistic about IQV, with the stock having a "Strong Buy" rating overall. Among the 21 analysts covering the stock, 16 are recommending a "Strong Buy," two suggest a "Moderate Buy," and three suggest a "Hold."
The Portfolio That Pays For Season Tickets Forever
$6,000 NFL habit would require $120,000 at a 5% yield. Three dividend tiers fund the strategy. These include blue chips like JNJ at 3 to 4%, REITs like O at 5 to 7%, and BDCs like ARCC at 10%. Lower-yield dividend growers outpace high-yield static payers long-term, since JNJ raised its quarterly payout 41% from 2020 to 2026. A $6,000 NFL habit funded at a 5% yield needs $120,000. Funded at a 3.5% blue-chip yield, it needs $171,429 but the income itself grows. Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) just lifted its quarterly dividend to $1.34, its 64th consecutive annual increase. Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG) raised the payout to $1.0885 quarterly, extending one of the longest dividend streaks in the market. NextEra Energy targets roughly 10% dividend growth through 2026, with 8%+ adjusted EPS growth guided through 2032. Realty Income (NYSE:O) pays a $0.271 monthly dividend. Verizon yields about 6%. Enterprise Products Partners (NYSE:EPD) distributes $0.55 quarterly and issues a K-1, which matters at tax time. Ares Capital (NASDAQ:ARCC) pays a $0.48 quarterly distribution at a 10.6% yield. The income arrives reliably; the share price has slipped about 8% over the past year, the constant tradeoff with high-yield credit. JNJ's quarterly dividend moved from $0.95 in 2020 to $1.34 in 2026. P&G's quarterly went from $0.7907 in 2020 to $1.0885 in 2026. ARCC's quarterly distribution sat at $0.40 in 2020 and $0.48 today, a much flatter line. Lower starting yields with 6% to 8% annual growth keep pace with ticket-price inflation, while static high yields stay flat.
Better Buy: Target at an All-Time High or a 50/50 Split of Costco and Walmart?
Target boosted investor optimism when it reported 7% year-over-year net sales growth in the first quarter of 2026 (ended May 2). That closely matched Walmart's net sales growth, though it remained below Costco's 10% net sales growth during the same time frame. Those factors probably played a role in its three straight years of net sales declines, including a 2% drop in fiscal 2025 (ended Jan. 31). In comparison, both Walmart and Costco reported robust sales growth over the same period.
Benchmark reboots its Datadog target as the AI super cycle builds
Datadog (DDOG) runs one of the most widely used observability platforms in cloud computing, software that tells engineering teams when applications are breaking or slowing down before customers notice. Analyst Yi Fu Lee argued Datadog has built a technological moat to thrive in the AI super cycle, according to a Seeking Alpha report. Lee pointed to Datadog's organic research and development budget, which cleared $1 billion in 2025. This front-loaded investment directly set the stage for the wave of products rolling out this year, serving as evidence that the company is investing ahead of the market rather than reacting to it. Benchmark also cited favorable competitive dynamics and Datadog's product-led growth strategy, projecting 2026 revenue growth of 26.8% and a free cash flow margin of 26.4%, according to an Investing.com report.
Jim Cramer Calls Walmart Stock’s Decline “Excessive”
Walmart matched expectations for U.S. same-store sales, up 4.1%. Eked out a small revenue beat. Delivered inline earnings, which were up 8% year over year. Walmart also declined to raise its full-year forecast, which sat below Wall Street's estimates.
Jim Cramer on NIKE: “We Lost a Ton of Money in This”
We lost a ton of money for the Trust on Nike. I always talk about the winners. We lost a ton of money in this.
Prediction: Coinbase Has Over 100% Upside as Cost Cuts and Volume Recovery Drive The Stock Higher
USDC hit an $80 billion all-time high and stablecoin markets could expand tenfold to $3 trillion by 2030, fueling Coinbase's long-term bull case. The bull case rests on Coinbase's "Everything Exchange" expansion into equities, prediction markets, commodities, and FX, alongside the stablecoin franchise. USDC market cap reached an $80 billion all-time high in March 2026, and management sees stablecoins growing from ~$300 billion to $3 trillion by 2030. Prediction markets are already annualizing $100 million+ in their first two months.
Goldman Sachs (GS) Stock Could Trade At A Premium Following AI Rotation Warning
Goldman Sachs Group stock has surged over the last few years, yet the current checks suggest it is no longer clearly cheap, with the Excess Returns intrinsic value estimate pointing to a premium to the market price while the earnings multiples look roughly in line with peers. The P/E ratio is a useful starting point for Goldman Sachs Group because earnings remain a key yardstick for how investors value large capital markets firms. Goldman Sachs Group currently trades on a P/E of 18.3x, which is well below the Capital Markets industry average of about 39.7x and also below the peer group average of 32.7x. On Simply Wall St's tailored fair P/E of 19.8x, which blends Goldman Sachs Group's growth profile, profitability, size and risk into a more specific benchmark, the stock sits only slightly below this reference point. That narrow gap suggests the current P/E neither clearly discounts the stock nor assigns a rich premium. Instead, it points to a valuation that is roughly in line with what the model implies investors might expect to pay for Goldman Sachs Group's earnings. For Goldman Sachs Group, the Excess Returns intrinsic value estimate points to the stock trading at a premium, while the earnings multiple view suggests pricing that is about right relative to peers and its tailored fair P/E. That split reflects different sensitivities, with the intrinsic value view more focused on the durability of excess returns and capital needs, and the multiple view anchored in what investors are currently willing to pay for its earnings profile.
Wall Street Is Losing Confidence In PVH Corp (PVH), Is The Stock A Buy?
PVH Corp (NYSE:PVH) is one of the Top 10 Extreme Value Stocks To Buy Now. On June 25, Bank of America Securities downgraded PVH Corp (NYSE:PVH) to Underperform from a previous Neutral rating. The firm also revised its price target downward from $90 to $70. The downward price target revision reflects PVH's weaker demand in Europe alongside sales and margin headwinds in its Middle East and Turkey operations. Moreover, the firm noted that about 50% of the company's exposure comes from the EMEA region, which limits upside potential due to the Middle East conflict. As a result, the firm expects 2026 EBIT margins to remain flat. High tariff-related costs, licensing changes, and higher marketing expenses are also expected to weigh on profitability and limit margin expansion. Similarly, on June 8, Citi lowered its price target on PVH Corp (NYSE:PVH) to $78 from $80 and kept a Neutral rating on the stock. The apparel company is off to a weak start in Q2, mainly due to slower demand in Europe, the analyst tells investors in a research note. Moreover, Citi believes that a challenging global economic environment is creating a balanced risk-reward outlook for the company's shares. PVH Corp (NYSE:PVH), along with its subsidiaries, operates as an apparel company in the United States and internationally. It designs and markets men's, women's, and children's branded apparel, footwear, and accessories. While we acknowledge the potential of PVH as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. READ NEXT: Iran Peace Deal Sends Oil Lower: Top 8 Travel Stocks to Buy Now and 8 Hidden Multibagger Stocks to Buy Now. Disclosure: None. Follow Insider Monkey on Google News.
The Monthly Income Trap: How JEPQ Investors Gave Up $18,000 Per $10,000 Invested Since Inception
Over the past year, JEPQ holders collected a rich yield and still watched a plain Nasdaq-100 fund lap them by nearly eight percentage points. JEPQ's headline fee looks tame. The fund's fact sheet lists a net and gross expense ratio of 0.35%, dated March 9, 2026. On a $10,000 stake, that is $35 a year siphoned off before you see a dime of return. Modest. Over 20 years, an extra 0.20% drag on $10,000 growing at 8% quietly eats several hundred dollars per $10,000 invested. Since JEPQ's inception in May 2022, the fund is up 89%, while QQQ has returned 107.69% over roughly the same span.
Comcast (CMCSA) Faces NFL Network Blackout While NBCUniversal Eyes Video Games
The NFL Network blackout may weigh on perceived broadband and pay TV value for Comcast subscribers if it drags on into the football season. NBCUniversal's potential move into video games after the split is worth watching for clarity on capital spend, partnerships, and how success is measured. Forecast earnings are expected to decline by an average of 11.5% per year for the next 3 years, which may limit how much investors are willing to pay for new content bets.
Is International General Insurance Holdings Ltd. (IGIC) A Good Stock To Buy Now?
International General Insurance Holdings Ltd.'s share was trading at $27.66 as of July 2nd. IGIC's trailing and forward P/E were 9.66 and 9.47 respectively according to Yahoo Finance. International General Insurance Holdings Ltd. (IGIC) is a $1.1B Bermuda-based specialty insurer and reinsurer positioned as a disciplined underwriter across specialty short-tail, specialty long-tail, and reinsurance lines, operating through global hubs and servicing a diversified broker-led client base. The company combines conservative underwriting with a consistently strong capital return framework, supported by a zero-debt balance sheet, high-quality reserve discipline, and a long-term track record of superior profitability, including a 10-year average combined ratio of 87% and recent FY25 performance of 85.9% despite elevated catastrophe losses, FX headwinds, and a softer pricing environment. While FY25 appeared optically weaker due to lower gross written premiums and pressure in long-tail professional lines, IGIC continued to generate $127.2M in net income, ~18.6% ROE, and meaningful book value growth, underscoring the resilience of its underwriting engine even in a deteriorating rate cycle. The core investment case is anchored in IGIC's ability to selectively underwrite high-margin specialty risks while returning excess capital through buybacks and special dividends, with ~$108.1M returned in FY25 and ~85% of net income distributed through dividends and repurchases. A key catalyst is the hardening Middle East specialty insurance market following large conflict-driven losses, which has sharply reduced capacity and driven significant rate increases in political violence and marine-related lines where IGIC has established expertise.
Is Darden Restaurants, Inc. (DRI) A Good Stock To Buy Now?
DRI delivered a fundamentally strong Q4 FY2026 despite two temporary distortions that masked the underlying performance: a 53rd fiscal week that inflated reported results while creating an optical headwind for FY2027 comparisons, and Olive Garden's lighter-portions menu initiative, which reduced reported same-store sales by roughly 80 basis points despite underlying demand meeting expectations. Excluding these factors, the company met or exceeded expectations across key metrics, with adjusted EPS of $3.66, same-store sales growth of 4.6%, restaurant-level margin expansion, and LongHorn Steakhouse posting an exceptional 9.5% same-store sales increase, its strongest performance in years. While FY2027 guidance fell modestly below consensus and initially pressured the stock, the apparent slowdown largely reflects the absence of the 53rd week rather than weakening fundamentals, implying approximately 5.5% underlying organic revenue growth. Management also expects beef inflation to pressure only the first quarter before easing later in the year, creating the potential for stronger earnings momentum through the second half of FY2027.
Applied Materials Stock May Not Be as Expensive as It Seems Even After Record Rally
Applied Materials reported another record earnings period while raising its forecast for the semiconductor equipment market as hyperscalers, memory manufacturers, and foundries increase their spending on AI infrastructure construction. Its revenues rose 11% year-over-year (YoY) to a record $7.91 billion, while GAAP EPS and non-GAAP EPS were $3.51 and $2.86, respectively, increasing 20% YoY. Moreover, gross margin reached an impressive 50%, which demonstrates the strong pricing power of the company even despite its continuous industry growth. CEO Gary Dickerson noted that the company now expects its semiconductor equipment business to increase more than 30% in calendar 2026 due to fast-growing demand from AI infrastructure investments.
Prediction: This Oil Stock Will Beat the S&P 500 in the Second Half of 2026
By the end of the decade, Exxon expects production capacity to reach approximately 1.7 million barrels per day, making Guyana one of the company's most valuable assets. Exxon now expects this acquisition to deliver more than $3 billion in additional annual earnings and cost savings, exceeding the company's original forecast by more than 50%.
Is Unilever PLC (UL) A Good Stock To Buy Now?
Unilever PLC operates as a fast-moving consumer goods company in the Asia Pacific, Africa, the Americas, and Europe. UL is positioned as a global consumer goods leader undergoing a significant portfolio transformation toward a higher-margin, faster-growing HPC-focused business, with the planned McCormick Foods combination (expected by mid-2027) acting as a key catalyst to simplify the group and enhance its earnings quality. The company operates across Beauty & Wellbeing, Personal Care, Home Care, and Foods, with strong category leadership where ~90% of turnover sits in number one or number two market positions, supported by powerful global brands such as Dove, OMO/Persil, Domestos, and Hellmann's. The core investment thesis is driven by accelerating volume-led growth, improving mix, and structurally expanding margins, with FY2025 underlying sales growth of 3.5% and Q1 2026 growth of 3.8% driven primarily by volume expansion, signaling a durable consumer demand recovery rather than inflation-led pricing. Gross margins have expanded to ~46.9%, with a clear pathway toward 48–50% post-Foods exit, while operating margins remain robust above 20%, reinforcing strong cash generation and pricing power. Emerging markets, contributing over 60% of revenue, provide a long-term compounding engine, particularly in India, Indonesia, and Brazil, where Unilever continues to gain share through localized brand strength. The market currently prices the stock near ~11x earnings, close to a 10-year low, reflecting pessimism around FX headwinds and execution risk, despite consensus price targets implying ~25–30% upside to approximately $70–72 per share.
SPYM vs VTI: Which Trump Account ETF Actually Builds More Wealth by Age 18
SPYM outpaced VTI by 77 percentage points over 10 years (321% vs. 243%), making it the stronger bet for an 18-year Trump Account horizon. VTI's 3,600 holdings bake in small-cap exposure that historically surges after deep recessions, a scenario an 18-year account will likely face more than once. The mega-cap era has punished breadth. Over the past 10 years, SPYM returned 320.79% while VTI returned 243.45%.
Wells Fargo doubles down on stock market and AI
Wells Fargo raised its 2026 S&P 500 earnings-per-share estimate to $340 from $315 and bumped its 2027 forecast to $390 from $365, GuruFocus noted. The path of direction for the equity market is still higher," Kwon said. Wells Fargo sees a potential catch-up trade in names that sat out much of the recent rally and stand to benefit from easing macro headwinds.
Why FNGU’s 0.95% Fee Is Only Half the Hidden Cost
An investor who put $10,000 into FNGU on June 1, 2026 watched it shrink by roughly 28.88% in a single month, while the Nasdaq-100 barely moved. That gap is the product working as designed. It is also the hidden cost the marketing page will never lead with. The MicroSectors FANG+ Index 3X Leveraged ETN (NYSEARCA:FNGU) is a 3x daily-reset exchange-traded note issued by Bank of Montreal. Industry-standard MicroSectors 3x notes carry an investor fee of roughly 0.95% annualized on notional, which works out to about $95 per year for every $10,000 of exposure. Compare that to Invesco QQQ (NASDAQ:QQQ), which tracks the Nasdaq-100 and captures most of the same mega-cap tech names. Or Technology Select Sector SPDR (NYSEARCA:XLK), with a net expense ratio of just 0.08%, or roughly $8 per year per $10,000. Over 20 years, that annual fee gap alone, before any performance drag, becomes a several-thousand-dollar tax on the same broad tech thesis. June 2026 was a live demonstration. The VIX ranged from 15.40 to 22.22 across the month, with sustained readings between 17 and 22. That is ordinary noise. Yet FNGU fell 28.88% from June 1 to June 30, while QQQ slipped only 0.85% over the same window. The one-year picture is starker: FNGU is up 3.29% against QQQ's 33.49%. Year-to-date, FNGU has returned 1.78% versus 19.87% for QQQ.
Kevin O’Leary’s Wedding Warning Looks Timely As New Report Shows Couples Are Paying More Than Ever To Say 'I Do'
Wedding-related spending rose 8.5% year over year through May, based on aggregated credit card, debit card and bank transfer data from Bank of America customers. The average U.S. wedding cost reached $36,000 in 2025, up $3,000 from the prior year, according to Zola data cited in the report. About 31% said they were using credit cards or personal loans to help cover wedding expenses. Bank of America found that the number of Gen Z weddings has tripled since 2019, while millennial weddings have fallen roughly 20% over the same period, suggesting marriage activity is shifting toward younger Americans.
Here's How Many Shares of Coca-Cola You'd Need for $5,000 in Yearly Dividends
The business posted a 35% operating margin in its latest fiscal quarter (ended April 3). Coca-Cola's dividend yield of 2.61% is 149% higher than the S&P 500 index's 1.05%.
Nike’s self-inflicted wounds are risking CEO Elliott Hill’s nascent comeback
Nike shared some positive news in its earnings report on Tuesday, notably modest growth in North America, where revenue rose 3%. The bump reflects gains in Nike's key footwear business and its mended relationships with the wholesalers it dumped a few years ago. Nike shares fell on the earnings report Tuesday and are down 75% from their all–time high five years ago. They are down by about half since Hill became CEO in 2024.
JPMorgan built a pipeline of female CEO candidates that was the envy of Wall Street. How did it fall apart?
$76 billion in revenue last year and more than 86 million consumers. 55 women run Fortune 500 companies, an all-time record that is still far from parity at 11%. Companies must put more women in "positions of preparation to increase the odds they are selected at the moment of transition," Stevenson advises. That process can take as long as 15 years. One bright side, Stevenson argues, is that Lake (and even Piepszak, should she ever choose to leave) could become CEOs elsewhere in finance.
3 Dividend Stocks That Could Be Easy Wealth Builders
Nike's payout ratio recently crept up to 106.6%, which means it paid out slightly more in dividends over the past year than it earned in net income. Better still for Verizon's investors, that payment looks rock-solid. The company's payout ratio of just 67.4% means it brings in plenty of net income to cover its quarterly payouts and to continue increasing them over the long term. Enterprise is a well-managed energy infrastructure company that runs on a "toll gate" model: It owns pipelines and storage terminals and charges customers to use them. Its MLP status requires it to return almost all of its cash flow to customers as dividends.
Where Will TJX Companies' Stock Be in 1 Year?
Fiscal first-quarter same-store sales (comps) increased 6%, and diluted earnings per share (EPS) grew 29% year over year to $1.19. The period ended on May 2. They exceeded management's expectations, and it now expects 3% to 4% comps growth for the year, and EPS to come in at $5.08 to $5.15. That translates into an EPS gain of 19% to 21% compared to last year's $4.26. TJX's trailing-12-month EPS was $4.53. Assuming a 20% increase, the figure will grow to $5.44. The shares currently trade at a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 29. Applying that multiple to the projected EPS yields a share price of about $158.With TJX's current share price of $151.50 as of June 30, that implies about 4% upside. That doesn't sound very exciting. But if management can sustain earnings growth at 25% for the next year, EPS will increase to $5.66. If the earnings multiple expands slightly to 30, the stock price would be about $170. That's a more solid 12% gain in the share price.
Dear UnitedHealth Stock Fans, Mark Your Calendars for July 16
Revenue climbing 2% year-over-year (YOY) to $111.7 billion, comfortably topping Wall Street's expectations. Adjusted earnings came in at $7.23 per share, edging higher from a year ago and reinforcing the view that the company is gradually getting back on its feet. The quarter was not flawless, but the good outweighed the bad. Growth in commercial fee-based memberships and another strong showing from Optum Rx helped power results, even as weakness at Optum Health and a decline in risk-based memberships acted as a drag. On the insurance side, premium revenue rose to $87.6 billion from $86.5 billion a year earlier. Perhaps the biggest bright spot was medical cost management. UnitedHealth's adjusted medical care ratio improved to 83.9%, down 90 basis points from last year, signaling that healthcare costs were becoming more manageable. While medical costs inched up to $73.5 billion, favorable reserve development and tighter cost controls helped keep profitability on track. The balance sheet also moved in the right direction. Cash and short-term investments increased to $31.2 billion, while long-term debt edged lower to $71.4 billion. Meanwhile, operating cash flow surged to $8.9 billion from $5.5 billion a year earlier, giving the company enough financial muscle to return $2 billion to shareholders through dividends during the quarter. Looking ahead, management struck an optimistic tone despite earlier expecting 2026 revenue to top $439 billion, which would be slightly below 2025 levels due to planned operational right-sizing. The company raised its adjusted EPS outlook to more than $18.25, reflecting improving margins, while earlier projecting net margins of roughly 3.6%, $2.5 billion in share repurchases, $8 billion in dividends, and $3.8 billion in capital expenditure. Analysts predict revenue for the quarter to be around $111 billion and EPS to rise by 18.6% YOY to $4.84. EPS for fiscal 2026 is anticipated to be $18.32, representing an annual growth of 12.1%, and then surge by another 13.5% YOY to $20.80 in fiscal 2027. While the stock has edged past the mean price target of $415, the Street-high target of $492 signals that UNH has upside potential of 15.7% from the last closing price.
Amazon, Walmart and Other Large Employers Could Face New Costs As New Jersey Targets Companies With Medicaid Workers— Will Other States Follow?
According to a 2024 report from the New Jersey Department of Human Services cited by New Jersey Monitor, Amazon.com Inc. was the largest employer of Medicaid recipients in the state, with about 5,600 workers and more than 10,000 dependents enrolled in the program. New Jersey's budget expects the program to generate roughly $145 million this year. The Congressional Budget Office previously estimated 7.5 million people could lose Medicaid coverage by 2034 as the rules take effect. Federal scrutiny around Medicaid spending has also intensified. In June, the Trump administration sued New York officials and Public Partnerships LLC over an alleged $10 billion Medicaid fraud scheme tied to a home-care program, signaling broader efforts to curb fraud, waste and abuse in the system. Other Democratic-led states are now exploring similar employer-based Medicaid fees. California lawmakers recently advanced legislation directing officials to study such a charge, while similar proposals surfaced in Colorado, Oregon and Connecticut. New Jersey's legislation attempts to address those concerns by exempting temporary, seasonal and part-time workers while barring employment decisions based on Medicaid status. Realberry gives accredited investors direct access to private real estate opportunities backed by a team with 35 years of experience, $3.4 billion in assets under management, and $481 million in cumulative distributions paid to investors as of Q4 2025, according to the company.
adidas (XTRA:ADS) Stock Looks Cheap Relative To Fair Value
Over the past 5 years, adidas shares have declined 38.6%, which means long term holders have not been rewarded despite more recent strength. The current P/E for adidas is about 23.6x, which is almost identical to the peer average of 23.7x and clearly above the broader luxury industry average of 17.4x. On the latest twelve month figures, adidas generated around €221.6m in free cash flow, with the model assuming these cash flows grow from this base rather than remain stressed or declining. Compared with the current share price, this suggests the stock is trading at a 46.8% discount to that intrinsic estimate, which appears undervalued on this method. On Simply Wall St's broader checks, adidas scores 3 out of 6 for valuation, which points to a mixed picture rather than a clear bargain or clear overvaluation. The DCF outputs an intrinsic value of about €348 per share. Bull case: 28% undervalued "Growing direct to consumer channels, with own stores up 13% and e commerce up 15% alongside ongoing wholesale support, create a balanced mix that can sustain a healthy gross margin near 52% and provide operating leverage as marketing and overhead ratios trend below 30% of net sales, supporting earnings resilience..."
Why Is Nike Stock Rising After Another Crushing Update?
Revenue decreased 1% year over year, with wholesale up 4% and direct-to-consumer down 7%. Gross margin expanded 8.9 percentage points to 49.2%. Earnings per share (EPS) increased from $0.14 last year to $0.72 this year. Performance sales were up mid-single digits for the full year, which marked the fifth consecutive quarter of double-digit growth in Nike Running.
5 Safe Monthly Pay Dividend Stocks Boomers Love in July
Income receipts on assets reached $4,281.5 billion in Q1 2026, underscoring how much Boomer cash flow now leans on portfolio income. The board just lifted the monthly payout to $0.271 per share, payable July 15, extending a record of 667+ consecutive monthly dividends and 132 increases since the 1994 IPO. Q1 AFFO came in at $1.13 per share, up 7% year over year, on revenue of $1.55 billion, beating estimates. Management raised 2026 investment volume guidance to $9.5 billion from $8.0 billion and pushed AFFO guidance to $4.41 to $4.44. Portfolio occupancy held at 99%. Q1 FFOAA grew to $1.26 per share, up 6% year over year, the portfolio is 99% leased across 335 properties, and tenant rent coverage runs at 2.0x. Management raised 2026 FFOAA guidance to $5.37 to $5.53 and is deploying capital into the six Six Flags properties acquired from a $315 million portfolio deal. Q1 distributable net investment income was $1.00 per share, NAV ticked up to $33.46 from $33.33, and non-accruals stayed contained at 1% at fair value. MAIN has never cut its dividend since its 2007 IPO. Q1 showed a net fair value decrease of $32.6 million versus a $33.6 million gain a year earlier. Q1 adjusted EPS hit 48 cents versus a 40-cent estimate, beating expectations, on revenue of $95.41 million, up 58% year over year. The SHOP segment is scaling toward 45% of gross investments by year-end, and management reaffirmed 2026 Core FFO guidance of $2.75 to $2.79. Q1 AFFO grew to $1.14 per share, up 8% year over year, on revenue of $200.81 million, up 19%. The portfolio spans 2,756 properties across all 50 states with 100% occupancy, and management is sitting on $2.3 billion in total liquidity. Analyst sentiment is constructive, with 11 Buy and 1 Strong Buy ratings against a $84.56 target. Investment-grade tenant exposure has slipped to 65% from 68% a year ago, a small but worth-watching dilution in credit quality. CPI sat at 333.979 in May, up 1% month over month, soft enough to keep the Fed patient.
3 Energy Stocks to Buy in July
Q1 2026 showed why investors pay up. Adjusted EPS came in at $1.16 versus $1.01 expected, a 15% beat marking the fourth consecutive quarter exceeding estimates. Upstream production hit 4.6 million oil-equivalent barrels per day, with Guyana topping a record 900,000 gross bpd. The forward catalyst is liquefied gas: Golden Pass LNG Train 1 shipped its first cargo in April 2026, opening a new earnings stream as global LNG demand absorbs lost Persian Gulf supply. The EIA expects Brent to average $89 per barrel in Q4 2026 and $79 in 2027 as Middle East production returns.
Wall Street Is Buzzing About Alphabet Joining the Dow. Income Investors Should Be Looking at This Stock Instead.
Alphabet joins the group of Dow dividend payers, which includes all of the index's members except Amazon. Coca-Cola commands just 0.9% of the Dow's weight. Only Nike is a smaller member of the index. Shares of Coca-Cola have resided in the Dow since 1987, making the stock one of the longest-running members of the index. Speaking of streaks, the dividend increase it announced in February marked the 64th consecutive year the payout was raised. That's good for one of the best such streaks among all U.S. companies, Dow members or otherwise. Importantly, Coke's dividend yield of 2.52% doesn't put off yield trap vibes, though it is more than double the yield on the S&P 500 and about 100 basis points above the Dow's dividend yield. Coca-Cola generated $1.8 billion in free cash flow in the first quarter and has $13.8 billion in cash on hand.
SoFi Price Prediction: The Stock Set for 13% Upside
Q1 2026 delivered revenue of $1.10 billion, beating consensus by roughly $51.1M, with EPS of $0.12 and net income up 134.45% year over year. Loan originations hit a record $12.18 billion, up 68%, and members grew 35% to 14.7 million. The Case for $25 and Higher Bulls have real ammunition. Adjusted EBITDA was $340 million at a 31% margin, and 2026 guidance calls for adjusted revenue of $4.655 billion and adjusted EPS near $0.60.
The 3 Best Dividend Stocks to Buy in July
A Dividend King that keeps reinventing itself: Coca-Cola Coca-Cola (KO +3.51%) raised its payout for the 64th year in a row in February 2026, a streak that earns it the title of Dividend King -- a club reserved for companies with at least 50 straight years of increases. The quarterly dividend climbed to $0.53 per share. A record like that matters because it signals a board that treats the dividend as a commitment rather than a perk to trim when times get hard. The high-yielder with fresh fuel: Chevron Chevron (CVX +2.03%) offers the fattest yield of the group, a payout near 4.3%, and it lifted its dividend for the 39th straight year in 2026. The bigger story sits beneath that number. Chevron closed its purchase of Hess, a deal that hands it a stake in the prized Guyana oil fields and adds billions in free cash flow. That cash is the engine behind future dividend raises, the figure income investors should focus on. A dividend grower betting on the affluent: American Express American Express (AXP +1.42%) carries a smaller yield, around 1%, but it raises the dividend at a brisk clip -- a 16% increase in 2026. For an investor who plans to hold for a decade, that growth rate can outweigh a fat starting yield, since a small dividend that compounds can pass a large one that stalls. Together, these three stocks cover the whole dividend spectrum: Coca-Cola for dependability, Chevron for yield, and American Express for growth. None of them is a sure thing, as Coca-Cola's valuation is rich, Chevron lives and dies with oil prices, and American Express rides the ups and downs of the credit cycle. But that's exactly the point of owning all three. Each one stumbles for a different reason, in a different corner of the economy, so they're unlikely to all stumble at once. July is a good month to put this to work. We're at the midpoint of the year, summer trading tends to be quieter -- and quieter markets often mean steadier prices and fewer headlines yanking stocks around. If you buy in now, you've got the back half of the year for those dividends to land and start compounding. To me, that balance is the whole reason to build an income portfolio in the first place.
Nike Now Yields More Than Coca-Cola. Which Dow Dividend Stock Is the Better Buy in July?
When Nike reported its fourth-quarter 2026 earnings, it beat expectations for both revenue and earnings per share. Even though sales slumped in China, it still reported $1.3 billion in sales in the country, beating expectations of $1.2 billion. Coca-Cola has performed well thus far in 2026. That's in part due to success with organic sales, rather than just increasing prices. In its 2026 first-quarter earnings, Coca-Cola reported 13% growth in unit case volume for its Coca-Cola Zero Sugar brand, a 5% increase in water, and an 8% increase in tea. As of June 30, shares of Coca-Cola are up 16.2% in 2026, beating the 9.5% return of the S&P 500.
Starbucks vs Chipotle: Two Restaurant Titans, Two Playbooks, Only One Winner
SBUX posted global comps up 6% and beat EPS estimates while CMG closed 2025 with its first full year of negative comparable sales. Starbucks' Q2 FY2026 report showed global comparable store sales up 6.2%, with transactions up 3.8% and ticket up 2.3%. North America comps ran 7.1%, driven by real foot traffic rather than pricing. Revenue landed at $9.53 billion, up 8.79% year over year, and non-GAAP EPS of $0.50 beat the $0.44 estimate. Comparable restaurant sales fell 2.5% on a 3.2% transaction decline, and restaurant-level operating margin compressed to 23.4% from 24.8%.
What It Takes To Build A Portfolio That Covers A Retiree’s Grocery Bill Forever
$7,200 in annual grocery income requires $206,000 at a 3.5% yield, $120,000 at 6%, or $72,000 at 10%. A frozen 10.7% yield loses real purchasing power as groceries inflate 3% annually, while NEE's dividend grew 33% since 2023 to outpace rising prices. The USDA's moderate-cost food plan puts a two-person older household's grocery cost in the neighborhood of $7,000 to more than $8,000 a year, depending on age and sex. Food is still getting more expensive, too: the BLS reported that the food index rose 3.1% over the 12 months ending in May 2026. At a blended 3.5% yield, $7,200 a year requires roughly $205,700 in capital. This is the regulated-utility and dividend-growth bucket. NextEra Energy (NYSE:NEE) recently yielded about 2.8%, with its quarterly dividend rising to $0.6232 in 2026. Southern Company (NYSE:SO) recently yielded about 3.1% after raising its quarterly dividend to $0.76 in 2026, and it reported first-quarter 2026 adjusted EPS of $1.32. At 6%, the same grocery bill is covered by $120,000. This is the REIT and higher-income equity range, though not every holding in this bucket actually reaches a 6% yield. Realty Income (NYSE:O) recently yielded about 5.1%, paid a monthly dividend of $0.2705, and announced its 670th consecutive monthly dividend in April 2026. STAG Industrial (NYSE:STAG) recently yielded about 3.9% after raising its annual dividend rate to $1.55 and shifting from monthly to quarterly payments. Ares Capital (NASDAQ:ARCC) recently yielded about 10.6% on a $0.48 quarterly dividend. Its net asset value per share was $19.59 at March 31, 2026, down 1.8% for the quarter. Main Street Capital (NYSE:MAIN) declared regular monthly dividends of $0.265 per share for July, August, and September 2026, plus a $0.30 supplemental dividend payable in June. NextEra's dividend has grown sharply since 2023, while Ares Capital's quarterly dividend has remained at $0.48 in recent declarations. If groceries inflate at 3% annually and your income stream does not, you are losing ground every year you live.
Coca-Cola Is Crushing the Nasdaq and S&P 500 in 2026, but This Higher-Yield Dividend King Could Be an Even Better Stock to Buy for the Second Half of 2026
Coca-Cola outsources the bulk of its production and distribution, PepsiCo owns and operates most of its own bottling operations. PepsiCo doesn't. As its own bottler, higher input and operational costs are pinching profit margins. That's why last year's revenue barely budged, while per-share profits fell 14% year over year. This impending turnaround isn't yet reflected in the stock's performance. Given how long it took the company to respond initially to the pickier, inflation-riddled environment, investors may be understandably hesitant to believe it's happening until they see further evidence.
MercadoLibre and Walmart Are Both Down This Year. Which Stock Should Investors Buy?
Walmart's first-quarter fiscal 2027 (ended April 30, 2026) revenue grew a little more than 7% year over year. More impressively, Walmart's global advertising business grew 37%, while e-commerce jumped up 26%. Walmart reported negative free cash flow of $1.9 billion, largely due to ongoing investments in automation and technology. MercadoLibre's revenue skyrocketed 49% year over year in its fiscal 2026 Q1, but operating margins fell as the company invested heavily in logistics. Growth is so strong across all of MercadoLibre's markets that the company justified its higher operating costs by stating in the quarterly letter to shareholders, "When your business is behaving like this, we believe the right response is not to harvest -- it is to invest." MercadoLibre's fintech arm, Mercado Pago, is where the greatest growth opportunity lies. The company's credit portfolio reached $14.6 billion, an 87% year-over-year increase as of the latest quarter. Assets under management also hit $20 billion, a 77% jump from the year prior.
Billionaire Investor Bets on AI Infrastructure With New Hut 8 Stake
Hut reported a first-quarter loss of $1.98 per share, missing the consensus estimate of a 17-cent loss. In addition, it reported revenue of $71.01 million, missing the consensus estimate of $81.27 million. The company said it secured $16.8 billion in contracted lease revenue across two hyperscale AI campuses backed by triple-net, take-or-pay agreements with investment-grade counterparties. Hut 8 commercialized the first phase of its Beacon Point AI data center campus through a 15-year lease for 352 megawatts of IT capacity with a confidential, high-investment-grade tenant. The deal carries $9.8 billion in base-term contract value and could reach $25.1 billion if all three five-year renewal options are exercised, according to the company's release. Apart from this, the company priced a $4.25 billion senior secured notes offering to finance the development of its 352-megawatt Texas data center, using the debt proceeds to support the large-scale infrastructure project. The stock carries a Buy rating with an average price target of $120.00 (high: $156.00; low: $75.00) across 21 analysts.
1 Big Reason Nike's Turnaround Is Taking Longer Than Expected
Revenue in Greater China fell a whopping 17% in the quarter and 13% in fiscal year 2026. Wholesale revenue grew 4% year over year in the fourth quarter. Nike's running business has grown by double digits for five consecutive quarters.
Will TJX Companies' (TJX) Strong Q1 Comps and Raised Outlook Reshape Its Off-Price Narrative?
TJX Companies recently reported past fiscal first-quarter results showing higher net sales of US$14.3 billion and 6% comparable store sales growth, driven by increased customer transactions and larger basket sizes, and raised its full-year guidance for comparable sales, pretax margins and diluted EPS. Management highlighted that its off-price buying model and strong merchandise availability are reinforcing TJX's competitive position as brands offload excess inventory and shoppers seek value-focused, in-store "treasure hunt" experiences. TJX Companies' narrative projects $74.0 billion revenue and $7.0 billion earnings by 2029. Compared with the baseline view, the most optimistic analysts were already assuming TJX could reach about US$78.3 billion in revenue and US$7.3 billion in earnings by 2029, so this quarter's upside will likely prompt you to reassess whether that bullish path or a more cautious outlook on cost inflation and FX headwinds feels more realistic.
Here’s What Analysts Say About Petco Health and Wellness (WOOF)
Comparable sales up 0.7%, marking the company's first positive comp in five quarters. Gross margin expanded 21 basis points to 38.4%. Operating income rose 50.5% to $24.6 million, and adjusted EBITDA came in at $97.3 million versus $89.4 million a year earlier. Petco reaffirmed its full-year 2026 outlook, guiding for adjusted EBITDA of $415 million to $430 million. Goldman Sachs raised its price target on Petco Health and Wellness Company, Inc. (NASDAQ:WOOF) to $4.14 from $3.83 while keeping a "Neutral" rating, calling the quarter an inflection point. Evercore ISI's Oliver Wintermantel raised the firm's target to $3.50 from $3, keeping an "In Line" rating, saying more proof is still needed. Citi's Steven Zaccone lowered the firm's target to $3.25 from $4, maintaining "Neutral" and citing reduced EBITDA estimates against a weaker consumer backdrop.
McDonald's Popped 4% While the Nasdaq Fell. Is the Dividend Juggernaut Back?
In 2025, franchised locations generated $13.9 billion in margin dollars, against $1.4 billion from company-operated restaurants -- more than 90% of the restaurant margin pool, flowing from the fee-collecting side of the business. Our 6% global Systemwide sales growth shows how we executed with discipline, proving that we can drive results even in a challenging environment," said CEO Chris Kempczinski in the company's first-quarter earnings release. Global systemwide sales -- the sales of the whole restaurant network, franchised and company-owned alike -- grew 11%, to more than $34 billion.
From shampoo to cookies, consumer products get an AI makeover
L'Oreal, which started using AI in its labs four years ago, has identified new molecules for beauty products by predicting the effect they will have on skin and hair, said Fabrice Megarbane, president of its consumer products unit. The technology has helped the Cadbury and Toblerone owner speed up processes and reimagine recipes. The firm said AI can create recipes, including "out-of-the-box" ideas, which a human expert assesses. "You can optimise how you develop your recipes," Catalano said, pointing to the possibility for reduced dependency on single sourcing in supply chains and the ability to adapt formulas to respond to changing consumer tastes. "(AI capabilities are) accelerating things you could do already, but compressing the time from months to weeks or years to months," Catalano said.
PEP Stock Faces Fresh Pressure: Barclays Cuts Price Target, Warns Turnaround Is Losing Steam Ahead Of Q2 Earnings
According to the firm, ongoing weakness in the company's core unflavored snack portfolio continues to limit the potential for a stronger recovery. In addition to trimming its price target, Barclays reduced its sales projections for PepsiCo ahead of the Q2 earnings. The firm believes the company's operational improvements have not advanced enough to fully offset continued challenges in key product categories. According to Koyfin data, analysts expect PepsiCo to report Q2 revenue of $23.9 billion and earnings of $2.21 per share.
What to Expect From Pi Coin in July 2026: End of the 96% Decline?
That split between a falling price and improving flows is the setup traders are watching in July. It hints the token's long slide may be losing steam. Big Money and Retail Line Up as Price Slips On the 8-hour chart, the Chaikin Money Flow (CMF), a proxy for buying and selling pressure from large wallets, climbed to 0.13. Retail flows point the same way. Across nearly every major exchange, Pi Coin exchange outflows outweighed inflows over the past 24 hours. Combined net flow came in around negative 260,000 PI, led by OKX, Gate.io, and Kraken. Selling volume tells a quieter story. Since June 28, down-day volume has been fading. Falling sell volume during a decline suggests sellers are running low. That is why Pi Coin's 96% decline from its record high could be nearing a floor. The Relative Strength Index (RSI), a momentum gauge that runs on a 0 to 100 scale, adds weight. Between June 4 and June 30, price printed a lower low while the RSI printed a higher low. That bullish divergence, often precedes a trend shift. A push through $0.119 would lift PI out of the falling channel for the first time since April. Clearing it opens room toward $0.134 and $0.139. The flow and momentum signals suggest the Pi Coin price can manage at least a 5% bounce from here.
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Wall Street Analysts Are Predicting Something Never Seen Before, and It Should Come as a Huge Warning for Investors
The S&P 500 (^GSPC +0.00%) has historically produced aggregate compound earnings growth of about 6.5% since 1989. Today, analysts are expecting the aggregate earnings growth for the stocks in the index to climb an average of 25.5% over the next five years. That's the highest level ever recorded dating back to 1995. Of all analyst ratings among S&P 500 companies, 59.5% were categorized as buys as of the end of May, according to FactSet Insight. That's the highest level on record dating back to 2010.
What You Need To Know Ahead of Cincinnati Financial’s Earnings Release
Ahead of the event, analysts expect Cincinnati Financial to report a profit of $1.73 per share on a diluted basis, down 12.2% from an EPS of $1.97 in the year-ago quarter. For the full year, analysts expect the company to report EPS of $8.66, up 8.9% from $7.95 in fiscal 2025. Its EPS is expected to rise 4.9% YOY to $9.08 in fiscal 2027. CINF stock has outperformed the S&P 500 Index's ($SPX) 20.2% gains over the past 52 weeks, with shares up 31.4% during this period. That works out to an annual dividend yield of about 2%, while its conservative 34.5% payout ratio leaves plenty of room to keep those increases coming. The company's mixed Q1 2026 earnings report in April also helped keep the momentum alive. While revenue of $2.9 billion came in below Wall Street's expectations, adjusted earnings of $2.10 per share topped analyst estimates, giving investors confidence that the business remains on solid footing.
The Dividend Portfolio That Can Cover a Silicon Valley House Payment
A median Silicon Valley home can easily run near $1.6 million to $2 million, and today’s mortgage rates can turn that into a roughly $10,000 to $12,000 monthly housing payment once principal, interest, property taxes, and insurance are included. Covering that bill with dividends alone means building a portfolio that throws off roughly $120,000 to $144,000 a year before taxes. To generate $132,000 in year one at 3%, you need roughly $4.4 million in invested capital before taxes. A 3% yield growing 8% annually doubles the income stream in about nine years. Realty Income yields about 5.2% and pays $0.271 monthly, and its 13% year-to-date gain came alongside the coupon. At that rate, $132,000 requires roughly $2.4 million. Ares Capital (NASDAQ:ARCC) yields 10.4% at $18.66. Main Street Capital (NYSE:MAIN) delivers a monthly regular plus semi-annual supplementals totaling roughly $4.20 annualized on a $52 share price. That drops capital required to around $1.3 million for a $132,000 income stream. The receipt shows up in the principal. ARCC is down 7% over the past year and its book value sits at $19.59, below the 2025 mark. MAIN is down 11% year to date. For current federal rules, mortgage interest is generally deductible only on the first $750,000 of home-acquisition debt for most taxpayers taking the deduction, which matters on a jumbo loan.
A 74-year-old was pressured into a $3,000 extended truck warranty. He canceled in time — months later, still no refund
According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) (2), contract sellers agree to perform or pay for certain repairs or services outlined in the agreement. Oftentimes, they don't cover damage from accidents or normal wear and tear on vehicles. While some national warranty laws exist, the laws regulating extended warranties vary from state to state and impact consumer protections. Currently, 42 states have adopted (3) some version of the Service Contract Model Act, which provides a general framework for regulating third-party warranties. Florida, California and New York have significantly stronger consumer protections compared to other states. In Florida, extended car warranty providers must offer at least a 60-day window for customers to cancel their contracts and receive a full refund, so long as the driver hasn't made any claims.
Could This Dividend Stock Help Make You Rich Through Compounding?
Realty Income has been a terrific dividend stock over the years. The REIT has increased its monthly payment 135 times since its public market listing in 1994, including the past 115 consecutive quarters. It has grown its dividend at a 4.1% compound annual rate during that three-decade period. Investors who reinvested their dividends have earned a robust 13.6% compound annual return from the REIT since 1994. To put that return into perspective, an investor who bought $25,000 of Realty Income stock in 1994 would have seen that initial investment grow to nearly $1.2 million. The REIT has historically grown its adjusted funds from operations (AFFO) per share at a 5% annual rate through a combination of rent growth and new investments, supporting its 4.1% compound annual dividend growth rate. With a 5%+ current yield and the potential to deliver 5%+ annual AFFO per share growth in the future, Realty Income could produce a more than 10% annualized total return (assuming no change in its valuation multiple). That level of return could certainly make you rich through long-term compounding. For example, if you invested $5,000 into Realty Income each year and it delivered an average annual return of 11%, the REIT could grow your investment to over $1.1 million in 30 years. An enriching dividend stock Realty Income has made long-term investors rich by steadily growing its monthly dividend. The REIT is in a strong position to continue compounding shareholder value going forward, driven by its new strategic capital partnerships and data center investments. That makes it a great dividend stock to buy and hold long-term, as it should steadily create more wealth for shareholders.
Netflix: Forget Subscriber Growth, AI Is The New Investment Narrative
Netflix: Forget Subscriber Growth, AI Is The New Investment Narrative Summary - Netflix (NFLX) is poised to leverage AI as a growth catalyst, not as a content replacement. - I see the future of NFLX AI integration as augmenting content creation and user experience, not generating fully AI-driven shows. - The investment thesis is shifting from pure subscriber growth to how AI can unlock new growth vectors for NFLX. - AI's role will fundamentally reshape investor conversations and strategic focus for NFLX going forward.
Chubb vs. Travelers Companies: What Their Revenue Trends Tell Investors
Chubb (NYSE:CB) primarily generates revenue by offering a broad spectrum of commercial property and casualty, agricultural, and life insurance products to individual and corporate clients globally. It recently entered a partnership with Safe Harbor Marinas and reduced exposure in its shared property business, and it reported 16% net income margin for the quarter ended March 31, 2026. Travelers Companies (NYSE:TRV) primarily earns revenue by providing a comprehensive portfolio of commercial and personal property and casualty insurance products through a network of independent agents and brokers. It recently launched an artificial intelligence tool for claims analysis and joined a sustainable insurance initiative in California, while recording 14% net income margin for the quarter ended March 31, 2026. Foolish Take Examining the revenue trends for insurance giants Chubb and Travelers is a contrast between the former's greater variability across quarters versus the latter's quarterly sales consistency. This difference is a result of Chubb's global operations. Nearly half of its sales come from international markets, exposing the company to fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates. Meanwhile, in 2025, Travelers produced 93% of its revenue from the U.S., and its Canada operations were sold at the start of 2026, reducing international exposure even further. As a result, Chubb's sales are meaningfully higher than Travelers. While quarterly revenue fluctuations are normal, a trend to look for is rising year-over-year sales. From that perspective, Chubb has experienced stronger growth. Its first-quarter revenue of $14.8 billion was a 10% increase over 2025's $13.4 billion while Travelers' sales rose 1% in that time.
What This $905,000 Insider Sale at McGrath RentCorp Signals for Investors
On July 1, 2026, Joseph F. Hanna, a director of McGrath RentCorp (NASDAQ:MGRC), reported the sale of 7,500 shares of common stock in multiple open-market transactions, according to a SEC Form 4 filing. This 7,500-share sale is the smallest of Hanna's five recorded open-market dispositions since February 2024, well below his historical average of approximately 13,254 shares per transaction. The sale reduced his direct holdings by 4.72%, moving from 159,049 to 151,549 shares. With direct holdings now at 151,549 shares, future sale volumes may continue to decrease, as recent trade sizes have declined in line with reduced share availability rather than a change in trading approach. In the first quarter, McGrath's rental operations revenue grew 5% to $162.2 million. CEO Phil Hawkins said the company is "pleased with our start to the year," though he flagged that macro uncertainty could lead to project delays as 2026 progresses. Management confirmed full-year guidance of $945 million to $995 million in revenue.
Is TTM Technologies, Inc. (TTMI) A Good Stock To Buy Now?
TTM Technologies, Inc.'s share was trading at $187.02 as of June 30th. In the first quarter of 2026, TTMI delivered record revenue of $846 million, representing 30% year-over-year growth and exceeding expectations, while non-GAAP EPS of $0.75 also beat consensus estimates. Adjusted EBITDA reached $132.9 million with a 15.7% margin, and gross margin expanded to 21.4%, highlighting improving profitability. Management reinforced this momentum by guiding for second-quarter revenue growth of 27% to 33% and EPS growth of 41% to 52%, while Investor Day projections called for approximately $4 billion in 2026 revenue, higher operating and EBITDA margins, and a goal of doubling earnings between 2025 and 2027 through sustained 15% to 20% annual revenue growth.
Is Mueller Industries, Inc. (MLI) A Good Stock To Buy Now?
Mueller Industries, Inc.'s share was trading at $122.93 as of June 30th. MLI's trailing P/E was 16.11 according to Yahoo Finance. The company generated exceptional Q1 2026 performance with net sales of $1.19 billion, operating income rising 51.4% to $312.2 million, and net income increasing 51.8% to $239.0 million, supported by strong margin expansion and efficient cost execution. Growth is further supported by strategic acquisitions such as a $142 million copper-tube acquisition, funded entirely through internal cash flows without leverage, reinforcing its near-zero debt-to-equity profile of 0.01.
How To Earn $500 A Month From AZZ Stock Ahead Of Q1 Earnings
AZZ Inc. investors may be eyeing potential gains from company dividends ahead of its first-quarter earnings report on Wednesday, July 8. After the company reported better-than-expected fourth-quarter results, analysts expect quarterly earnings of $1.69 per share. That's down from $1.78 per share in the year-ago period. The consensus estimate for AZZ's quarterly revenue is $434.52 million. It reported $421.96 million last year, according to Benzinga Pro. Realberry gives accredited investors direct access to private real estate opportunities backed by a team with 35 years of experience, $3.4 billion in assets under management, and $481 million in cumulative distributions paid to investors as of Q4 2025, according to the company.
Six Dividend Aristocrats Keeping SCHD’s Income Stream Bulletproof This Year
SCHD’s income comes from ordinary dividends paid by its underlying holdings. The top 10 positions each sit near 4% of assets and together account for roughly 41% of the portfolio. AbbVie (NYSE:ABBV | ABBV Price Prediction) sits at 3.99% of the fund. Q1 2026 revenue rose 12% to $15 billion, with Skyrizi up 31% to $4.48 billion. AbbVie raised full-year adjusted EPS guidance to $14.08 to $14.28 and lifted its dividend to $1.73 per quarter, the fifth straight annual raise. Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO) is a textbook aristocrat. Operating margin expanded to 35% in Q1 2026, free cash flow jumped 132% to $1.76 billion, and full-year FCF guidance sits near $12.2 billion against a dividend that just stepped up to $0.53 per quarter. Chevron (NYSE:CVX) pays $1.78 per quarter for a yield near 4.2%. Q1 free cash flow swung negative to -$1.55 billion on working capital timing and derivative mismatches, but full-year 2025 FCF of $16.6 billion and 16 straight quarters of $5 billion-plus in shareholder returns tell the real story. Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT) is the closest call. Q1 free cash flow was -$291 million while dividends paid ran $816 million, and program charges hit F-16, C-130, and CH-53K. Management reaffirmed FY26 FCF of $6.5 billion to $6.8 billion and raised the dividend 5% to $3.45 per quarter, its 23rd straight increase. Verizon (NYSE:VZ) yields around 6.5% and carries the highest scrutiny. Total debt climbed to $172.5 billion after closing the Frontier deal on January 20, 2026. Even so, 2025 free cash flow of $20.1 billion covered the $11.5 billion dividend 1.75x, and 2026 guidance calls for FCF of $21.5 billion or more. Merck (NYSE:MRK) posted a GAAP loss of -$1.28 per share in Q1, driven entirely by a $9.0 billion Cidara acquisition charge. KEYTRUDA grew 12% to $8.03 billion, and full-year non-GAAP EPS guidance moved up to $5.04 to $5.16 against a $0.85 quarterly payout. SCHD has returned 20% year to date and 23% over the past year, with a 10-year gain of 227%.
Goldman Sachs Turns More Bearish on Yen, Sees 165 Per Dollar
Goldman Sachs has revised its yen forecast to 165 per dollar and warned intervention impact will likely be short-lived.
Europe's PE capital consolidates around established firms
Emerging managers, defined as firms on their third fund or earlier, have closed just 16 funds in Europe so far this year, less than a third of all PE fund closes and their lowest share in a decade, according to PitchBook data. The comparison is even more stark when looking at the capital raised. Emerging managers raised just €3.4 billion (about $3.9 billion) in total, taking barely a tenth of the capital raised so far this year, while experienced managers raised €34.1 billion across 35 funds, according to PitchBook data. In France, experienced firms accounted for 73% of all funds closed since 2021, the highest share on the continent, followed by 64% in the UK.