Daily Point
_ Dow Jones 52,498.64 (-1.05%)
_ S&P 500 7,515.34 (-0.29%)
_ Nasdaq 25,873.18 (-0.95%)
_ Bitcoin 62,557.05 (-2.45%)
Topline Signals
- Cloud Hyperscalers: Capital expenditure on artificial intelligence data centers is projected to reach $1.4 trillion by 2028, with Meta Platforms' annual budget alone estimated to reach $225 billion by 2027.
- US Federal Debt: Net interest payments on the public debt reached $857 billion for the first nine months of fiscal 2026, representing a carrying cost of approximately $23.8 billion per week.
- Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.: June revenue rose 67.9% year-over-year to NT$398.27 billion, driving second-quarter sales to NT$1.27 trillion.
Good day.
The daily fluctuations of the market—today's minor retreat in the major indices and the temporary slide in Bitcoin—are merely background noise for those of us focused on long-term wealth accumulation. The real narrative is being written at the intersection of geopolitical friction in the Middle East, structural inflation, and the relentless capital expenditure cycle of the artificial intelligence revolution. As we enter a critical week defined by the upcoming June CPI and PPI releases, alongside the unofficial kick-off of second-quarter earnings led by the major Wall Street banks, the strategic investor must look past the immediate volatility to identify where capital is permanently pooling.
The reignited hostilities between the United States and Iran, marked by threats of a blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, have predictably sent oil prices higher and dragged down risk assets. This geopolitical pressure is reflected in China's crude imports crashing to a decade-low of 29.27 million tons in June. Yet, the true inflationary threat is no longer just fossil fuels. The massive capital expenditure on AI infrastructure has replaced oil as a primary driver of core PCE inflation, which is projected to reach 3.3% by the end of the year. We are witnessing an extraordinary capital cycle where hyperscalers are projected to spend $1.4 trillion on AI data centers by 2028. This represents a historic wealth transfer. While the free cash flow of software giants is temporarily squeezed by this capital intensity, the physical bottlenecks of this buildout—namely advanced semiconductors and memory—are becoming absolute cash-generating machines. Taiwan Semiconductor's staggering 67.9% year-over-year revenue surge in June is proof that the pick-and-shovel providers are capturing the lion's share of this cycle's value.
Simultaneously, we must observe the behavior of major treasury players. MicroStrategy's decision to pause its Bitcoin purchasing program to build a $3 billion cash reserve, alongside the U.S. government shifting $288 million in seized digital assets, has created short-term headwinds for the cryptocurrency market. However, the sovereign adoption trend remains intact, as evidenced by major global banks joining the United Kingdom's tokenization taskforce and Japan's largest security token platform migrating $3 billion to the Avalanche blockchain. True financial freedom is achieved by recognizing that sovereign debt carries an unsustainable carrying cost, with U.S. net interest payments reaching $857 billion in just nine months. In an era of debased currencies and structural inflation, allocating capital to scarce, high-margin assets—whether advanced silicon manufacturing or decentralized digital networks—remains the only logical path to preserving and compounding generational wealth.
Weekly Schedule
14 Jul (Tuesday)
ADP Employment Change Weekly
Core CPI
CPI
Core CPI
CPI
Fed Vice Chair for Supervision Barr Speaks
FOMC Member Bowman Speaks
TIC Net Long-Term Transactions
API Weekly Crude Oil Stock
GDP
Bank of America Earnings Call
Citigroup Earnings Call
Goldman Sachs Earnings Call
JPMorgan Chase Earnings Call
Wells Fargo Earnings Call
15 Jul (Wednesday)
PPI
Core PPI
NY Empire State Manufacturing Index
FOMC Member Williams Speaks
Crude Oil Inventories
Cushing Crude Oil Inventories
Beige Book
BlackRock Earnings Call
Johnson & Johnson Earnings Call
Morgan Stanley Earnings Call
16 Jul (Thursday)
GDP
Retail Sales
Core Retail Sales
Philadelphia Fed Manufacturing Index
Philly Fed Employment
Retail Control
Initial Jobless Claims
Continuing Jobless Claims
Pending Home Sales
Retail Inventories Ex Auto
Business Inventories
Atlanta Fed GDPNow
GE Aerospace Earnings Call
Intuitive Surgical Earnings Call
Netflix Earnings Call
Prologis Earnings Call
UnitedHealth Group Earnings Call
17 Jul (Friday)
CPI
Export Price Index
Import Price Index
Housing Starts
Building Permits
Housing Starts
Industrial Production
Industrial Production
Michigan Consumer Sentiment
Michigan 1-Year Inflation Expectations
Michigan 5-Year Inflation Expectations
Michigan Consumer Expectations
Atlanta Fed GDPNow
U.S. Baker Hughes Oil Rig Count
U.S. Baker Hughes Total Rig Count
CFTC S&P 500 speculative net positions
CFTC Nasdaq 100 speculative net positions
CFTC Gold speculative net positions
CFTC Crude Oil speculative net positions
18 Jul (Saturday)
19 Jul (Sunday)
20 Jul (Monday)
US Leading Index
Starbucks Earnings Call
General
HELOC and home equity loan rates today, Monday, July 13, 2026: Just a 2-basis-point differential
The average HELOC adjustable rate is 7.23%, according to real estate data analytics company Curinos. The national average rate on a fixed-rate home equity loan is 7.36%, up from its 2026 low of 7.31% in late June. Rates vary significantly from one lender to the next. You may see rates from nearly 6% to as much as 18%. It really depends on your creditworthiness and how diligent you are as a shopper. The national average for a HELOC is 7.23%, and 7.36% for a home equity loan. Those can serve as a guide when shopping rates from second mortgage lenders. For homeowners with low primary mortgage rates and significant equity in their homes, it's likely a good idea to consider a HELOC or a home equity loan now. First off, rates are the lowest in years. And you don't give up that great primary mortgage rate that you earned when you bought your house. You can use cash drawn from your equity for home improvements, repairs, and upgrades. Or virtually anything else. If you withdraw the full $50,000 from a home equity line of credit and pay a 7.25% interest rate, for example, your monthly payment during the 10-year HELOC draw period would be about $302.
Mortgage and refinance rates today, Monday, July 13, 2026: Purchase rates back lower than refi rates
According to daily average purchase rates from the Zillow lender marketplace, the current 30-year fixed rate fell by 3 basis points to 6.44%, the 15-year fixed rate fell by 9 basis points to 5.82%, and the 5/1 ARM fell by 3 basis points to 6.43%. A normal mortgage rate on a 30-year fixed loan is 6.44%. However, keep in mind that it's the national average based on Zillow data.
With Treasury Yields Near 4.5%, One Couple Rethinks When to Claim Social Security.
The interest rate backdrop is what makes the question new. Fed Chair Kevin Warsh has been public about not being comfortable with inflation above 2%, most recently indicating that inflation expectations had cooled, while the funds rate has held at 3.75% since December. Higher for longer has become a planning assumption. For a married couple, the decision that matters most is when the higher earner claims. The reason is what happens to the survivor. Social Security pays roughly 8% more for every year the higher earner waits past full retirement age (FRA), up to 70. Those delayed credits are baked into the survivor benefit for whichever spouse outlives the other. If the higher earner's benefit at a FRA of 67 would be $3,000 a month, waiting until 70 pushes it closer to $3,720. When the first spouse dies, the survivor steps up to that larger amount for the rest of their life.
If the Fed Hikes Interest Rates in 2026, History Says This Is the Best Move Investors Can Make Now
According to the CME Group's CME FedWatch Tool, there's an 81.9% chance that the fed funds rate will be above the current target range after the December meeting. Over the past decade, the S&P 500 (^GSPC +0.42%) index has generated a total return of 319% (as of July 10), despite various rate environments.
Stock market today: Dow, S&P 500, Nasdaq futures slip as US and Iran exchange fire, oil jumps
The Consumer Price Index on Tuesday and the Producer Price Index on Wednesday. Investors also look forward to the unofficial kick-off of earnings season this week, led by big bank results from JPMorgan Chase (JPM), Goldman Sachs (GS), Bank of America (BAC), and more.
Gold prices today, Monday, July 13, 2026: Prices move lower following weekend airstrikes
Gold (GC=F) August futures opened at $4,106.60 per troy ounce on Monday, July 13, 2026, down 0.2% from Friday's closing price. The longer these conflicts continue, the more inflation will remain a central focus for the Fed in its upcoming rate decisions.
In 7 Words, Kevin Warsh Just Sent the Clearest Signal Yet About Where Interest Rates Are Headed in 2026
In February of 2026, the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas calculated a trimmed-mean rate for the Fed's preferred inflation gauge, the Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) Price Index. It would have been nearly a half-point lower than the headline PCE rate of 2.8%.
AI boom replaces oil as key inflation risk, says Barclays
Brent crude retreated to a four-month low after the US-Iran ceasefire agreement was signed last month, yet Barclays has raised its forecast for core personal consumption expenditure inflation to 3.3% by the end of the 2026 calendar year from 2.8% at the start of the year. Barclays estimates AI-related categories have added about 20 basis points to core PCE inflation and 25 basis points to headline PCE in recent months.
Silver Surged, Then Slumped, in the First Half of 2026. Here's My Prediction of What's Ahead for the Precious Metal.
Silver gained almost 150% in 2025, boosted by a mixture of industrial and investor demand. Its price continued to rise in 2026, soaring to a high of $121.64 per troy ounce on Jan. 29 before plummeting by around 27% the following day amid fears that then-Federal Reserve Chair nominee Kevin Warsh would adopt a more hawkish stance. Now that Warsh has taken up his post and silver is trading around $60 a troy ounce, I think the precious metal could be close to bottoming out. Two forces are buffeting silver: fears of Fed tightening and a stronger dollar weigh it down, while industrial demand and a multiyear supply deficit pull it up. I predict that prices will rise slightly in the second half of this year and generate further gains in the long term. Spoiler alert? Industrial demand will soon start to outweigh macroeconomic factors. When interest rates are high, precious metals, which don't generate yields, become less attractive, because investors have a number of relatively safe ways to earn interest on their holdings. That's weighed on silver's price this year as the Fed looks for ways to bring stubborn inflation under control and the hoped-for rate cuts look increasingly unlikely. Around 60% of silver is used for industrial purposes, and it plays an essential role in several booming industries. It isn't easy to increase silver production, because the metal is usually produced as a byproduct from mining other metals, particularly copper, rather than being extracted in its own right. As a result, this will be the sixth year of a silver supply deficit -- something that looks likely to continue. Silver prices are down around 50% from their January high and close to an 11-month low, which could make now a good entry point for investors. If you're considering adding silver to your portfolio, be prepared to hold it for at least five years and know that it could be volatile. Analysts at J.P. Morgan predict that silver will finish 2026 around $80, which feels reasonable -- the frenzy that drove silver upwards has faded, and much of the fears around Fed tightening are now priced in.
Week ahead: Earnings season shifts into high gear as inflation looms
Economists expect June inflation to cool as lower gasoline prices offset price pressures elsewhere. "Taken together, June's CPI report should point to some slowing in underlying inflation," Wells Fargo said, adding that "the broader data do not suggest inflation pressures are re-accelerating across the economy."
His T-Bills Now Pay More Than His Old Salary. Only One Kind of Income Can Shrink His Social Security Check.
T-bill interest does count toward IRS provisional income, potentially making up to 85% of Social Security benefits federally taxable above $34,000. The earnings test only sees a paycheck The Social Security retirement earnings test applies to anyone who claims before FRA, which for this man is age 67. In 2026, if he earns above roughly $23,400 from work before hitting full retirement age, the Social Security Administration (SSA) withholds $1 in benefits for every $2 over the limit. Those thresholds have been frozen since 1984 and are not indexed to inflation. The interest leaves his Social Security check intact but shrinks its after-tax value. Every year of inflation quietly drags more retirees into taxable territory. Second, cash alternatives shift the timing of taxable interest. I-bonds, currently paying about a 4.3% composite rate, are a useful tool here: the interest accrues but is not reported to the IRS until the bond is redeemed. This lets him choose which tax year the income lands in and avoid stacking it on top of T-bill interest in a single year. The Federal Funds rate at 3.75% means today's T-bill yields will not last forever. Concentrating too much taxable interest into a single year, right when he is drawing Social Security, is the version of the torpedo that stings most. What to actually do The practical move is to separate two issues that often get tangled together: what can withhold Social Security benefits and what can make those benefits taxable. Stop worrying that T-bill interest will shrink his monthly Social Security check. It cannot. Only wages and self-employment income can trigger earnings-test withholding, and that rule vanishes at Full Retirement Age. Every household's mix of accounts, filing status, and state taxes changes the math. Small shifts in timing can move thousands of dollars of benefit from taxable to tax-free. The rule to remember is simple: a paycheck can pause your Social Security, but interest can only tax it.
Think You’ll Live on $80,000 a Year? Here’s What Actually Lands in Your Checking Account
For tax year 2026, single filers owe 22% on taxable income above $50,400 and 24% above $105,700, with a standard deduction of $16,100. Headline PCE rose 4.1% year over year in May 2026, with core PCE up 3.4%.
Bessent's Treasury has troubling news for every taxpayer
The federal deficit reached just under $1.4 trillion in the first nine months of fiscal 2026, roughly $155 billion of fresh borrowing a month, according to the CBO. Net interest on the public debt has reached $857 billion this fiscal year, or about $23.8 billion every week, according to the CBO. That figure is roughly $100 billion, or 13%, higher than the interest paid in the same stretch of 2025, the result of a bigger debt load and higher long-term rates, the CBO added. Net interest so far in fiscal 2026 has reached $857 billion. The single fastest-growing line in the federal budget buys nothing new at all. It is pure carrying cost on decisions already made. It works out to about $6,350 per household in nine months, and that covers interest alone, not a single dollar of the underlying debt. Spread over those nine months, that is close to $700 a month per household, quietly folded into the cost of running the government. Annual interest costs will roughly double to $2.1 trillion by 2036 and calling the trajectory unsustainable.
The Latest Inflation Data Will Drop on July 14. Here's Why It's a Big Deal for the Stock Market
Investors will get their latest look at inflation when the Bureau of Labor Statistics releases the June Consumer Price Index (CPI) reading at 8:30 a.m. on July 14. The CPI tracks the prices of a range of consumer goods and services and serves as a key gauge of inflation for the market. In May, inflation rose significantly. The CPI increased 0.5% seasonally adjusted during the month and was 4.2% higher year over year. Stripping out more volatile food and energy prices, core CPI was 2.9% higher year over year. The Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland's Nowcasting tool expects headline CPI to fall nearly 0.1% on the month and be up about 3.9% year over year. Meanwhile, core CPI is projected to rise 0.2 for the month and be up 2.85% year over year. As of this writing, the market is placing a 65% likelihood that the Fed will hold rates steady.
Mortgage Rates Are Heading Higher. Here's What It Means for Homebuilder Stocks.
The 30-year fixed rate mortgage ticked up to 6.49% this week, according to Freddie Mac. Home prices hit an all-time high last month, up 1.8% in June from a year earlier, to a median price of $440,600. Late last year, Goldman Sachs estimated that at least 3 million to 4 million new homes need to be built, beyond normal construction, to address the housing supply shortage and boost affordability. Goldman Sachs says land-use restrictions are the biggest constraint on housing supply growth.
Bitcoin slips as traders lift July Fed rate hike bets ahead of Inflation report
Major cryptocurrencies have dropped by 2% or more in 24 hours as traders boosted bets of a July Fed rate hike. Money markets now assign roughly a 50% probability to a Fed rate hike this month, according to Bloomberg data, up sharply from about 10% just days ago. Economists surveyed by Bloomberg forecast that headline CPI will fall below a 4% annual rate. The report is expected to show the first declines in both headline and core inflation since January, following May's readings of 4.2% and 2.9%, respectively. According to analysts at ING, he could "if he chooses, emphasize the tameness of inflation expectations."
Live updates: Bitcoin holds $62,600 as the Iran conflict reignites and CPI looms
Bitcoin traded near $62,600 on Tuesday, down 0.3% over 24 hours and roughly flat on the week, per CoinDesk data. A soft number would ease the rate-hike pressure the Iran news just revived. A hot one, especially with oil climbing, would stack a second hawkish signal onto the first, two weeks before the Fed meets July 28 and 29.
World stocks dip as oil rises after Trump's Hormuz levy threat
Markets enter Tuesday at an important inflection point as investors balance three competing forces: renewed geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, the start of the second-quarter earnings season, and June U.S. inflation data. U.S. CPI data is due for release later on Tuesday, followed by comments from Fed Chair Kevin Warsh, who will deliver the central bank's semi-annual monetary policy report to Congress. Markets currently see around a 40% chance of a 25 basis point rate hike. The rate-sensitive U.S. 2-year Treasury yield was last at 4.29%, its highest since February, and up 2 basis points on the day. The yield on the U.S. 10-year Treasury was up 2 basis points at 4.63%.
China's exports ride AI boom as domestic economy struggles
$1 trillion for a second straight year, with factories sustaining sales despite slowing growth in major economies and trade frictions with Washington. Exports climbed 27% from a year earlier in U.S. dollar value terms, customs data showed on Tuesday, their best performance in four months, outpacing the 19.4% gain in May and an 18.2% rise forecast by economists. Imports jumped 36%, compared with a 27.4% gain the month before, a five-year high. Economists had forecast growth of 24% for June. China's monthly car exports topped 1 million for the first time in June, data showed, which risks heightening tensions with partners such as the European Union. Meanwhile, China sold to the world 32 billion integrated circuits. China's trade surplus came in at $125.6 billion in June, up from $105.4 billion the previous month. The year-to-date trade gap now stands at $575.98 billion versus $585.96 billion last June, despite imports having grown faster than exports for several consecutive months. The ratio of annual exports to total manufacturing sales hit 24% over the first four months of this year, according to a recent report by Gavekal Dragonomics, a consultancy, the highest level since China's accession to the World Trade Organization in 2001.
What It Takes to Age in Place, And the Portfolio That Pays For It
The overall PCE price index was up 4.1% year over year in May 2026, and core PCE was up 3.4%. Social Security's 2026 COLA was 2.8%. Healthcare and housing-related services are two of the biggest pressure points. In May 2026 alone, BEA reported that current-dollar consumer spending rose by $22.3 billion for health care and by $22.3 billion for housing and utilities. The Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price NSA Index was 332.678 in April 2026. Price your own aging-in-place package before sizing a portfolio. Get real quotes for weekly housekeeping, a meal delivery service, a part-time aide agency, and a one-time home modification assessment. The $78,535 average annual household expenditure is a national baseline, but your number will be geographic. BEA's 2024 regional price parities put California at 110.7 and Mississippi at 87.0, meaning the same basket of goods and services generally costs much more in California than in Mississippi. Stress test the fund against service-cost inflation, not just the 2.8% Social Security COLA. If portfolio income cannot grow as fast as the services you need, the plan may still look fine in year one while quietly losing purchasing power later. That is the failure retirees are least likely to notice early enough to fix. CareScout's 2025 survey put the national median at about $9,581 a month for a semi-private room and about $10,798 for a private room, with higher costs in expensive markets.
Massive AI spending has unexpected effect on U.S. inflation
U.S. gross domestic product rose at an annual rate of 2% between January and March, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis. The AI-investment boom is helping drive inflation Much of the U.S. economy's resilience of the past year is attributed to a capital expenditure investment cycle that analysts at Wells Fargo call "extraordinary." But AI spending is also having a less visible effect on inflation, which has already been accelerated due to the Iran War, according to the analysts. Wells Fargo points out that upstream, wholesale inflation, or the prices businesses pay, is up 6.5% year over year in May, according to the Producer Price Index. While some of this price pressure has stemmed from U.S. tariff increases over the past year, much of the increase has been tied to brisk spending on AI-related and other technology and automation to improve productivity and drive profit growth," Wells Fargo analyst Jennifer Timmerman said in a report viewed by TheStreet. "We expect PPI inflation to remain uncomfortably high for the foreseeable future. We believe the scale of AI-related order backlogs for capital goods is substantial enough that elevated investment spending should persist through our forecast horizon of 2027," Timmerman said. The contribution of artificial intelligence to GDP growth in the first three quarters of 2025 was comparable to the height of the dot-com bubble in 2000.
Stock market today: Dow, S&P 500, Nasdaq futures mixed as traders lift Fed rate hike bets ahead of key inflation data
Economists expect consumer price inflation cooled in June; however, that has not deterred bond traders from increasing their bets that the Federal Reserve will hike interest rates at its July 28-29 meeting.
Dollar dips ahead of US inflation data, supported by rate outlook
Economists polled by Reuters expect U.S. headline inflation to have risen 3.8% in June, while the core rate, which excludes food and energy inflation, is expected to have risen 2.8%.
Earnings, Inflation and Iran Tensions Set the Tone for US Markets: Dow Jones, S&P, Nasdaq, Wall Street Futures
US stock futures traded mixed on Tuesday as investors weighed renewed geopolitical tensions between the United States and Iran ahead of a week packed with major earnings releases, key inflation data and fresh signals from the Federal Reserve. Markets are preparing for the unofficial start of the second-quarter earnings season with results from the largest US banks, while the latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) report and testimony from Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh are expected to influence expectations for the path of interest rates. Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller said on Monday that policymakers may need to raise rates further if inflation remains well above the central bank's 2% target.
Bitcoin
Profit-taking, MidEast hostilities drag crypto lower after bullish week
Derivatives positioning Bitcoin derivatives positioning held steady this week. Open interest (OI) was steady at $17 billion, while the three-month annualized basis held at 3.8%. Funding rates were little changed to positive across multiple venues, with Bybit the notable exception at roughly -13% annualized on BTC perps. Stable OI alongside a firm basis and constructive funding suggests the market is holding its positioning without meaningful new leverage being added in either direction Options positioning has tilted bullish. The 24-hour put/call ratio sits at 64/36 in favor of calls, and while the one-week delta skew remains elevated at 16%, it has narrowed from 26% a week ago, suggesting call demand is easing off rather than building. The at-the-money term structure remains in contango, with the front end around 34%-35% and the long end at ~43% out to mid-2027, which implies traders see a calm longer-term volatility environment Coinglass data shows $253 million in 24-hour liquidations, with a 76-24 split between longs and shorts. BTC ($70 million) and ETH ($60 million) led in terms of notional liquidations. Digital assets posted a third consecutive quarter of losses in Q2 2026, the longest losing streak since the 2022 bear market, as institutional capital rotated into AI equities and Bitcoin ETFs recorded their largest quarterly outflow since launch.
Resurgent U.S.-Iran hostilities send bitcoin lower even as ETF flows show demand
Still, spot bitcoin and ether ETFs just broke eight-week streaks of outflows, a sign of growing demand for the two largest cryptocurrencies. Markets have been pricing in regulatory uncertainty for years; every step toward clarity on how digital assets are classified and overseen reduces that discount and makes the asset class easier for institutional capital to underwrite.
Bitcoin whale moves $188M for first time in 7 years
About 99% of BTC deposited to exchanges is currently from the 10 largest individual transfers, according to CryptoQuant's chart tracking the ratio of whale transfers to exchanges, which stood at 0.99 at press time. US-traded spot Bitcoin ETFs registered $197 million in net weekly inflows leading up to Friday, but saw $4.51 billion in net outflows in June, marking their worst month on record, according to Farside Investors data.
BlackRock, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, Morgan Stanley join UK government's tokenization taskforce
The tokenised real-world assets (RWA) market could reach $88 trillion by 2035, according to one estimate by Boston Consulting Group (BCG), dwarfing the current crypto and stablecoin market of $3 trillion. CEX trading volumes rose for the first time in five months in June, with spot climbing 15.3% to $1.11T and RWA perpetual volumes surging to a record $311B. CEX trading volumes rose for the first time in five months in June, with spot climbing 15.3% to $1.11T and RWA perpetual volumes surging to a record $311B.
UK tokenization push could add as much as $44B to annual output by 2035: Report
The United Kingdom could add up to 33 billion pounds ($44 billion) to its annual economic output by 2035 by becoming a leader in tokenized financial markets, according to a government-backed industry task force.
Prediction: XRP Will Lose 50% of Its Value -- Here's Why
That's not because of anything Ripple, the company behind the token, is doing wrong -- far from it. Ripple is executing about as well as any private crypto business out there. It has spent billions acquiring firms that push it deeper into traditional finance, and it keeps signing partnerships with major banks and financial institutions. Ripple launched its own stablecoin, RLUSD, and it can serve as a bridge asset in place of XRP. In just a year, its market cap has grown to $1.53 billion.
ICP Traders Pile $243 Million Into Multi/DEX Where Nobody Can Lose a Cent
The SOL market led with $85.9 million in daily volume, ahead of BTC at $75.3 million, ETH at $51.5 million, and ICP at $30.5 million. For scale, Robinhood Chain's DEX record stood at $563.9 million in real trading last week.
Michael Saylor’s Strategy added $467 million in cash, made no changes to bitcoin holdings
Strategy increased its U.S. dollar reserve by $466.7 million to $3 billion last week through its at-the-market equity program, according to a Monday regulatory filing. CEX trading volumes rose for the first time in five months in June, with spot climbing 15.3% to $1.11T and RWA perpetual volumes surging to a record $311B.
Strategy: The mNAV Discount Finally Arrived, And I'm Still Neutral
Strategy now trades at a 0.62x basic mNAV, but this discount vanishes when considering enterprise value and capital structure. MSTR's BTC-USD sales to fund obligations mark a regime change, breaking the 'never sell' narrative and altering its investment thesis. The flywheel of accretive equity issuance is broken; MSTR now resembles a static, leveraged BTC-USD position with a $1.5 billion annual carry cost. I maintain a neutral rating, watching for buyback execution below asset value and BTC-USD price recovery above MSTR's $75,482 cost basis.
Strategy Raises $467 Million in Cash, Leaves Stash of 843,775 Bitcoin Untouched
Strategy (MSTR) raised $467 million through stock sales to boost its cash reserve to $3 billion while leaving its 843,775 BTC holdings unchanged for a second straight week.
Michael Saylor’s MSTR Didn't Buy A Single Bitcoin This Week – Here's What It Did Instead
Shares of Michael Saylor-backed Strategy (MSTR) tumbled in pre-market trading on Monday after the company announced it didn’t buy a single Bitcoin (BTC) this week, nor did it sell any. In its filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the company said it sold 4.82 million shares of MSTR Class A common stock under its at-the-market (ATM) offering program, generating $466.7 million in net proceeds. That capital didn't go toward new Bitcoin purchases, and all four of its preferred stock offerings, STRF, STRC, STRK, and STRD, saw zero sales activity for the week. Instead, the money went towards its USD Reserve, the cash cushion the company maintains to cover preferred stock dividends and interest on debt, which stood at $3 billion. With no purchases or sales recorded, Strategy's Bitcoin holdings remain unchanged at 843,775 BTC after the company offloaded over 3,500 BTC last week, spurring concerns around the pivot from its “never sell” narrative.
Strive (ASST) Adds 18 Bitcoin, Pushing Treasury to 19,900 BTC
Strive (ASST) purchased 18 bitcoin for about $1.2 million last week, increasing its treasury to 19,900 BTC while maintaining $154.1 million in cash as it continues integrating its bitcoin-focused treasury strategy.
Strategy Leaves Bitcoin Holdings Unchanged
The company led by Chairman Michael Saylor made no Bitcoin purchases or sales in the last seven days, leaving its holdings unchanged at 843,775 BTC. Strategy acquired its Bitcoin holdings at an average price of $75,476 U.S., leaving it underwater with BTC currently trading at $62,500 U.S.
Wall Street transfer agents lobby SEC, warning that third-party tokens pose risks to market integrity
$5.5 trillion market by 2030 in its base case, with tokenized stocks growing to $2.6 trillion. Tokenization firms Figure (FIGR) and Securitize (SECZ), meanwhile, issued their own shares onchain, falling into the issuer-sponsored model. The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC) is the clearing and settlement utility at the heart of U.S. securities markets, processing $4.7 quadrillion securities transactions last year, while its subsidiary, the Depository Trust Company (DTC), provides custody and asset services to over $100 trillion in securities. CEX trading volumes rose for the first time in five months in June, with spot climbing 15.3% to $1.11T and RWA perpetual volumes surging to a record $311B. CEX trading volumes rose for the first time in five months in June, with spot climbing 15.3% to $1.11T and RWA perpetual volumes surging to a record $311B.
Tom Lee's BitMine ether holdings rise to 5.77 million tokens, or 4.8% of total supply
BitMine increased its Ethereum treasury to 5.77 million ETH, or 4.8% of the token's circulating supply. CEX trading volumes rose for the first time in five months in June, with spot climbing 15.3% to $1.11T and RWA perpetual volumes surging to a record $311B.
Bitmine Purchases More Ethereum As Price Languishes
Bitmine Immersion Technologies (NYSE: $BMNR) purchased another 27,801 Ethereum (CRYPTO: $ETH) over the past week. Bitmine's Ethereum treasury now stands at 5.77 million tokens, giving it control of 4.8% of the cryptocurrency's circulating supply. The company's Ethereum holdings are now worth $10.5 billion U.S., making Bitmine the largest corporate holder of ETH globally. Bitmine is 96% of the way toward its stated goal of owning 5% of Ethereum's circulating supply of 120.7 million tokens. Bitmine added that 4.92 million of its Ethereum, about 85% of its holdings, is now staked. The company projects its annualized staking revenue at $242 million U.S.
Major U.S. Banks Join U.K. Government's Tokenization Taskforce
The Market for Tokenized Assets Could Reach $88 Trillion U.S. by 2035, According to the Boston Consulting Group, Dwarfing the Current Crypto and Stablecoin Market That's Worth $3 Trillion U.S.
Strategy Pads Cash Reserves to $3 Billion, Skipping Bitcoin Buy for Third Week
The entirety of the company's capital markets activity during the week was channeled toward fortifying the balance sheet's cash cushion. Strategy added around 18% to its cash reserves in a single move, providing the firm with more than 20 months' worth of coverage for its annual dividend and interest obligations of $1.76 billion. The company raised $467 million during the period by issuing common stock, lifting the balance of its so-called USD Reserve to $3 billion, according to an announcement. On Monday, the company's stockpile of 843,775 Bitcoin was valued around $53 billion.
UK Treasury report on tokenization cites Ripple as convergence model
Ripple's acquisition of prime broker Hidden Road and Santander UK’s white-label use of Ripple’s rails are cited as evidence of convergence between traditional finance and crypto. Productivity gains and cost efficiencies could boost annual economic output by 33 billion pounds ($44 billion) and increase the tax take by 14 billion pounds a year within a decade. CEX trading volumes rose for the first time in five months in June, with spot climbing 15.3% to $1.11T and RWA perpetual volumes surging to a record $311B.
Bolivia weighs adding Tether's USDT to its national payments system
Crypto usage has spiked in the country, with transaction volumes hitting $430 million in the year after the central bank removed restrictions in mid-2024. CEX trading volumes rose for the first time in five months in June, with spot climbing 15.3% to $1.11T and RWA perpetual volumes surging to a record $311B. CEX trading volumes rose for the first time in five months in June, with spot climbing 15.3% to $1.11T and RWA perpetual volumes surging to a record $311B.
Robinhood built a blockchain for tokenized stocks. Memecoins took over
$312 million in total value locked and 3.6 million daily transactions. The chain's future hinges on whether speculative memecoin traders convert into users of its tokenized equity and real-world asset offerings. A cat-themed token called CASHCAT, named after Robinhood's former mascot before the company rebranded, has surged 2,158% over the past 7 days, and the memecoin has a $156 million market cap. By comparison, tokenized real-world assets on the chain are worth just $12.81 million, of which $10.68 million is stocks, with the rest split across commodities, tokenized ETFs and a $410,000 sliver of U.S. Treasuries as of Monday morning. Data reviewed by CoinDesk shows that total value locked for the chain reached about $135 million, up more than sevenfold from $17 million on July 3, according to DefiLlama. It even ranked among the top three networks for decentralized exchange trading volume over the past week, generating $3.1 billion in volume. Robinhood Chain also recently surpassed Base in daily transaction count, according to Token Terminal. "Robinhood Chain overtook Base in just 1.5 weeks. Yesterday, Robinhood Chain processed 10.4 million transactions versus Base's 6.4 million," it posted on X. As of Monday morning, the value of all tokens locked on the protocol is $312 million, and the total asset market cap is $480 million. The chain has drawn nearly 800,000 lifetime active addresses, processed 3.6 million transactions in a day, and cleared $838 million in decentralized exchange volume over 24 hours. According to data tracked by Dune Analytics, asset management accounts for 40.5% of value locked on the chain, while lending accounts for 38.3%. Spot exchanges are 11.9% and perpetual futures 5.2%. Real-world assets, Robinhood's flagship use case behind the chain's existence, are just 4.1%. Global Dollar, the USDG token issued by the Paxos-led consortium Robinhood helped found, holds about $200 million of the roughly $299 million stablecoin market cap on the chain, with Ethena's USDe making up most of the rest. CEX trading volumes rose for the first time in five months in June, with spot climbing 15.3% to $1.11T and RWA perpetual volumes surging to a record $311B.
This crypto giant just became a regulated bank
According to Congressional records. Circle received approval from the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) on July 10, the company announced.
Strategy pauses its Bitcoin buying spree to hoard a massive $3 billion cash cushion
Strategy now has more than 20 months of coverage for preferred-stock dividends and debt interest. - Strategy has not purchased any bitcoin since June 22. Since then, it has sold 3,588 BTC and increased its US dollar reserve to $3 billion. The company said the proceeds would help fund distributions on its preferred stock and replenish the portion of its U.S. dollar reserve used to make those payments. The reserve stood at approximately $2.55 billion following the sales. On Monday, Strategy increased its U.S. dollar reserve to approximately $3 billion. Based on annualized preferred-stock dividends and debt interest of roughly $1.76 billion, the reserve now provides about 20.4 months of coverage. CEX trading volumes rose for the first time in five months in June, with spot climbing 15.3% to $1.11T and RWA perpetual volumes surging to a record $311B. CEX trading volumes rose for the first time in five months in June, with spot climbing 15.3% to $1.11T and RWA perpetual volumes surging to a record $311B.
BitMine Buys $49 Million in Ethereum as Tom Lee Hails Early Robinhood Chain Demand
Publicly traded Ethereum treasury firm BitMine Immersion Technologies added another $49 million worth of ETH to its stash last week, acquiring 27,801 ETH. The firm now holds 5,770,038 ETH, nearly 4.8% of the token's circulating supply, valued around $10.1 billion as Ethereum trades around $1,780 on Monday. "Robinhood's 27 million users are paying crypto fees denominated in ETH," said Lee. "In other words, everyday users are starting to see ETH as money," he added. Despite the activity, ETH has dropped around 2% in the last 24 hours and has only gained around 1.3% in the last week of trading.
Mizuho says Circle bank approval doesn't solve USDC growth, stablecoin competition risks
Circle's USDC stablecoin has faced headwinds in recent months, with its circulating supply falling by roughly $7 billion from its March peak to about $74 billion in July as redemptions outpaced new issuance. The contraction marks the largest monthly decline since 2022 and has raised concerns among analysts that slowing supply growth could weigh on the firm's transaction and reserve-income outlook, even as on-chain usage remains strong. The stablecoin market posted its largest monthly contraction in years in June, signaling an outflow of on-chain liquidity as crypto markets remained stuck near their 2026 lows. CEX trading volumes rose for the first time in five months in June, with spot climbing 15.3% to $1.11T and RWA perpetual volumes surging to a record $311B.
Robinhood Chain's Early Momentum Is Being Driven By Meme Coins, Not Tokenized Stocks
The analysts noted that the network has quickly become a top-five destination for trading assets on-chain, facilitating $3.1 billion in cumulative trading volume over the past seven days via decentralized exchanges such as Uniswap and PancakeSwap. Around 65,000 users have gained exposure to $13 million in so-called stock tokens, which are available in over 120 countries but not in the U.S., the analysts added.
Franklin Crypto CIO says crypto prices are disconnected from fundamentals
Institutional adoption of crypto is accelerating even as digital asset prices fail to reflect the industry's strongest fundamentals in years, Seth Ginns said. CEX trading volumes rose for the first time in five months in June, with spot climbing 15.3% to $1.11T and RWA perpetual volumes surging to a record $311B.
Thai scammer's $122M wallet, Japan embraces crypto credit: Asia Express
Hyundai Motor's US and Mexican units completed a pilot cross-border treasury transfer using Tether's USDT stablecoin, settling a $20,000 payment in about seven minutes on the Avalanche blockchain. Japanese lender CRYL has launched Bitcoin-backed loans of up to 1 billion yen ($6.2 million), allowing individuals and businesses to raise fiat currency without selling their BTC. The launch expands Japan’s small market for regulated crypto-backed financing. In 2020, Fintertech, a Daiwa Securities Group and Credit Saison joint venture, launched a similar service and currently lends up to $3 million against Bitcoin or Ether. However, CRYL's service advertises a higher ceiling and a lower minimum, while limiting collateral to BTC. Japanese Bitcoin treasury company Metaplanet has teamed up with stablecoin issuer JPYC and tokenization infrastructure provider Progmat to study Bitcoin-backed digital credit products in Japan. The investigation will examine whether Bitcoin can be used as collateral or credit enhancement for digital corporate bonds and other credit instruments, with 24/7 accessibility, settlement and daily interest accrual for holders, issued on the blockchain ledger.
Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, Dogecoin Dip as Trump Reinstates Strait of Hormuz Blockade: Analyst Says Whales 'Actively Accumulating' BTC
Bitcoin tumbled below $62,000 as trading volume doubled over the last 24 hours to $37.15 billion. Ethereum also experienced high volatility, with the second-largest cryptocurrency fluctuating between a low of $1,749.35 and a high of $1,812.94. Over $360 million was liquidated from the cryptocurrency market in the last 24 hours, predominantly in bullish long positions, according to Coinglass data Bitcoin's open interest, meanwhile, rose 2.24% over the last 24 hours.
Solo bitcoin miner makes $200,000 using $150 equipment
Solo Bitcoin mining has surged, with 24 blocks found in the past 12 months, a 41% increase year over year. Over the past 12 months, solo miners have claimed 24 blocks, which equates to a 41% jump from the year before, pocketing a total payout of 75.44 BTC. CEX trading volumes rose for the first time in five months in June, with spot climbing 15.3% to $1.11T and RWA perpetual volumes surging to a record $311B. CEX trading volumes rose for the first time in five months in June, with spot climbing 15.3% to $1.11T and RWA perpetual volumes surging to a record $311B.
U.S. government moves $288 million in seized bitcoin, ether to Coinbase Prime
U.S. government wallets moved about $288 million in seized bitcoin and ether to Coinbase Prime on Monday, with ether going directly and bitcoin routed through fresh intermediary wallets. The US government just staged its seized crypto for an exchange, and it took an extra hop to get there. Wallets tied to the government moved about $288 million in seized bitcoin and ether onto Coinbase Prime over roughly half a day on Monday, blockchain data from Arkham shows. The ether went direct, while the bitcoin took a detour through fresh intermediary wallets first. The wallets still hold roughly $20.65 billion, including 324,552 BTC, 28,394 ETH and 145.549 million USDT, so this batch is a rounding error against the overall pile. CEX trading volumes rose for the first time in five months in June, with spot climbing 15.3% to $1.11T and RWA perpetual volumes surging to a record $311B. CEX trading volumes rose for the first time in five months in June, with spot climbing 15.3% to $1.11T and RWA perpetual volumes surging to a record $311B.
Bitcoin Adoption by Major Banks 'Accelerating, But Still Early,' Says Michael Saylor as New Index Ranks JPMorgan, Goldman Sachs, and Others
Major-bank Bitcoin adoption is accelerating, but still early: 32% overall as measured by the index. $BTC https://t.co/bQgyU0DEKp— Michael Saylor (@saylor) July 13, 2026
US spot Bitcoin ETFs post $425M outflow after brief rebound
Despite ongoing selling pressure, spot Bitcoin ETFs continue to hold significant investor assets, with total net assets standing at $74.79 billion and cumulative net inflows at $50.85 billion as of Monday. The funds first crossed the $50 billion cumulative inflow milestone in July 2025, about 18 months after launching in January 2024. CryptoQuant analyst Sunny Mom pointed to mixed signals in the market, with nearly $10 billion in outflows from US spot Bitcoin ETFs since Oct. 11, 2025, suggesting weak institutional demand, while the number of new Bitcoin whales has continued to grow.
Ripple Joins UK Treasury Taskforce to Scale Tokenized Bond and Repo Markets
Tokenized RWAs on XRPL reached $4 billion, up from $150 million a year ago. Ripple's XRPL infrastructure underpins more than 500 products, including the JPMWH and Ondo Short-Term Government Bond Fund, which together represent nearly $2.5 billion in tokenized value on the ledger. Total tokenized RWAs on XRPL reached $4 billion, up from $150 million a year ago. The network's RWA holder base has grown to 167 wallets, up nearly 44% over the past 30 days, reflecting increasing institutional participation despite softer transfer activity. Stablecoin usage on the XRPL has also continued to grow. The network's stablecoin market capitalization has surpassed $1.01 billion, rising 12.2% over the past month, while the number of stablecoin holders increased to nearly 60,000.
Semiconductor
Argan vs. Comfort Systems USA: Which AI Infrastructure Stock Is the Better Buy?
Argan delivered 50% year-over-year revenue growth in its fiscal 2027 first quarter, compared to Comfort Systems USA's 56% year-over-year revenue growth in Q1. Comfort Fix Systems USA also reported higher year-over-year net income growth, although Argan's 15.8% net profit margin edged out Comfort Systems USA's 12.9% net profit margin.
TSMC Delivers Record Second-Quarter Revenue as AI Chip Demand Accelerates (TSM)
Revenue for the April-to-June period climbed 36% year-on-year to T$1.27 trillion (US$39.62 billion), according to Reuters calculations, narrowly exceeding the T$1.264 trillion LSEG SmartEstimate compiled from 20 analysts. According to an LSEG SmartEstimate, analysts expect second-quarter net profit to increase by 58.8% compared with the same period last year. TSMC is a key manufacturing partner for major technology companies including Nvidia and Apple. TSMC, Asia’s largest listed company with a market capitalisation of approximately US$1.955 trillion, saw its Taipei-listed shares rise 1% on Monday ahead of the revenue release, while the broader market finished little changed.
TSMC's June sales drive revenue surge of 68% ahead of earnings report
TSMC said on Monday that June revenue rose 67.9% year on year to NT$398.27 billion (€10.8bn), bringing the first-half of the year revenue to NT$2.4 trillion (€65.4bn), a 35.6% increase from the same period in 2025. At its April earnings presentation, TSMC said it expects full-year 2026 revenue to grow by more than 30% in US dollar terms and projected capital expenditure of between $52 billion (€45.5bn) and $56 billion (€49bn) as it expands manufacturing capacity to meet AI-driven demand. Reports have indicated that Nvidia has reserved roughly 60% of TSMC's advanced chip-packaging capacity for 2026, highlighting continued supply constraints across the AI semiconductor market.
This Is Why ASML Is a No-Brainer Buy Before July 15 Earnings
Unlike AMAT and LRCX, ASML sells the only EUV lithography systems on earth, where CEO Fouquet says supply cannot meet demand through 2026. ASML activated a EUR 12 billion buyback in January 2026 running through 2028 and lifted the FY2025 dividend 17% to EUR 7.50 per share.
Intel announces $5.7 billion capital investment at Irish manufacturing hub
Intel has begun a €5 billion ($5.7 billion) capital investment at its Irish campus to expand its manufacturing output in Europe and meet growing global demand for AI and high-performance computing, the U.S. chipmaker said on Monday. Intel is one of the key multinationals in Ireland's foreign investment-focused economy, having already invested €30 billion in the country since 1989, more than half of which was spent between 2019 and 2023 to double capacity at the plant in order to produce the company's most advanced process technologies.
AI Data Center Spending Is Outpacing Every Forecast on Wall Street. These 2 Stocks Are the Best Pick-and-Shovel Plays.
Hyperscalers now are forecast to devote about $750 billion to capital expenditures (capex) this year -- and the number could go higher next year. That's fantastic news for Micron Technology (NASDAQ: MU) and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (NYSE: TSM), also called TSMC. These two companies are leading pick-and-shovel investments in the enormous AI data center build-out that's currently underway, and they could benefit for years to come. Here's why. Hyperscalers can't get enough of Micron Technology's memory So called pick-and-shovel companies benefit from selling the tools that help other companies build what they need. In the current AI gold rush, Micron is a great pick-and-shovel play because it sells much-needed memory chips to tech companies. With AI data center spending surging, hyperscalers are buying up as many memory processors as they can get. Artificial intelligence uses a lot of it, and that's driving memory prices higher and leading to much higher profits for Micron. Consider that in the third quarter of fiscal 2026 (ended May 28), Micron's sales jumped 345% to $41.5 billion, and adjusted earnings per share spiked more than 1,300% to $24.67. The company's management believes this growth isn't anywhere near finished yet. Just read what Micron Chief Executive Officer Sanjay Mehrotra said on the Q3 earnings call: "The memory industry has been structurally transformed by the proliferation of AI. We are only in the early innings of the significant innovation and productivity that can be unleashed in every part of the global economy over time." And the company likely isn't exaggerating the shift toward long-term memory demand. Alphabet's capex spending will reach as much as $190 billion this year, and management said that next year's spending is likely to "significantly increase." In short, AI spending is still accelerating. That's one of the reasons three analysts recently raised their price target for Micron stock to $1,500, representing a 51% increase from its current price. Taiwan Semiconductor could be the ultimate pick-and-shovel AI play As the world's leading semiconductor manufacturer, TSMC is arguably one of the best ways for investors to play long-term demand in AI data center infrastructure. The company makes an estimated 70% of the world's processors and 90% of the most advanced processors (including those for AI). This means that no matter which company leads the AI gold rush, TSMC benefits. If Nvidia loses ground to a competitor, Taiwan Semiconductor still wins. If Alphabet outpaces OpenAI and Anthropic to take the crown for the top AI model, TSMC still wins as long as they all need lots of processors. And they all need lots of processors. TSMC's revenue jumped about 41% in the first quarter to nearly $36 billion, and adjusted earnings (not in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, or GAAP) popped 58% to $3.49 per American depositary receipt (ADR). It's worth mentioning that TSMC's gross margin is very impressive, too, reaching 66% in the quarter and helping the company's bottom-line growth as processor demand heats up. And more growth is likely on the way. Taiwan Semiconductor Chief Executive Officer C.C. Wei said on the first-quarter earnings call: "The shift from generative AI and the query mode to agentic AI and the command and action mode is leading to another step up in the amount of tokens being consumed. This is driving the need for more and more computation, which supports the robust demand for leading-edge silicon."
Goldman Sachs picks two stocks that could benefit from a chip designer shortage
Our analysis suggests the shift toward custom AI silicon has exacerbated a structural shortage of chip design engineers that EDA companies are uniquely positioned to monetize with Agentic AI – an incremental opportunity we estimate at ~$3.7 billion per year by 2030. This is not reflected in Street estimates and may start to be evident as early as the second half of 2026. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co . reported a 67.9% year-on-year rise in its June sales on Monday, ahead of its second-quarter earnings release later this week. For the first half of 2026, TSMC's total revenue reached 2.4 trillion new Taiwan dollars ($74.99 billion), representing a 35.6% increase compared to the same period in 2025. TSMC reported June revenue of NT$ 442.68 billion — a 6.2% increase from the previous month.
Applied Materials vs. Amkor Technology: Which Artificial Intelligence Stock Is a Better Buy in 2026?
In its 2025 fiscal year (FY), revenue reached $28.4 billion, representing growth of 4.4% compared to the prior fiscal year. Amkor Technology achieved outstanding year-over-year revenue growth of 27% to $1.7 billion in Q1. The company shared that the $6.7 billion earned in 2025 is expected to soar to $11 billion by 2030 as AI's need for advanced packaging solutions drives long-term growth. Applied Materials posted 11% year-over-year sales growth to $7.9 billion in its fiscal second quarter ended April 26.
Tech stocks live updates: Tech stocks fall as AI trade faces scrutiny, SK Hynix falls
Why Texas Pacific Land Corporation Rallied Over 50% in the First Half of 2026
Shares of Texas Pacific Land Corporation (NYSE: TPL) rallied 52.4% in the first half of 2026, according to data from S&P Global Market Intelligence. Higher oil and gas prices not only spur oil and gas companies to explore, lease, and drill on more land, but they also increase TPL's royalties, given that most royalties are based on a percentage of sales, and therefore rise along with prices.
AMD Stock: Collect 14% While Setting A 50%-Off Buy Price
Management recently revised its long-term forecast for the server CPU market, now expecting it to grow at "greater than 35% annually, reaching over $120 billion by 2030." That's up from a prior forecast of 18% annual growth, a massive revision driven by the voracious compute needs of so-called Agentic AI.
The stock-market rally now hinges more on AI than oil
Semiconductors and semiconductor equipment, which are closest to the physical bottlenecks of the AI buildout, have been among the sectors benefitting most from the spending boom. The S&P 500 Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment Industry Group Index XX:SP500.4530 saw a total return of 109% from the end of 2024 through May 2026, according to Dow Jones Market Data. Samsung Electronics KR:005930 is one such example of a company facing severe supply-side pressures, with a global shortage of short-term data memory storage expected to persist. Its preliminary second-quarter results showed sales more than doubled and profits increased over 19-fold on a year-over-year basis — but that wasn't enough for investors, as its shares ended down 7.9% last week, according to FactSet. The company's results have been "reigniting concerns about how long AI-infrastructure spending and elevated memory-chip pricing can remain at current levels," he said.
Micron New Investment Could Be an Early Warning for the AI Industry
Micron Technology (NASDAQ:MU) said it plans to invest up to $3 billion to support the domestic semiconductor ecosystem, including its financing commitment to GlobalWafers. The company has also increased its long-term U.S. investment target to more than $250 billion by 2035, up from a previously announced $200 billion.
Intel invests $5.7 billion to expand Ireland chip campus
Intel $INTC announced a €5 billion ($5.7 billion) capital investment at its Leixlip campus in Ireland on Monday, targeting higher output of data center processors to meet demand for AI and high-performance computing. The program will also advance research and development activities at the site. Chandrasekaran said the investment would add several hundred jobs to the 4,900 people Intel currently employs in Ireland. End-2027 is the target for deploying most of the funds, a figure that amounts to around 30% of the $17 billion Intel has penciled in for capital expenditure across 2026, Reuters reported. Intel reported first-quarter 2026 revenue of $13.6 billion, up 7% from a year earlier, driven by strength in its data center and foundry businesses. Intel Foundry revenue rose 16% to $5.4 billion that quarter, while the Data Center and AI unit brought in $5.1 billion, a 22% year-over-year gain.
Micron, SanDisk, Western Digital Fall 6% as SK Hynix’s Weak Outlook Rattles Memory Stocks
Micron's recent Q3 FY2026 results showed revenue of $41.5 billion, up 346% year over year (YoY), with non-GAAP EPS of $25.11 and gross margin expanding to 85%. CEO Sanjay Mehrotra guided Q4 FY2026 revenue to $50 billion, plus or minus $1 billion, citing multi-year Strategic Customer Agreements and HBM4 already in high-volume shipments.
TSMC reports record June revenue, second quarter sales top guidance
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (ADR) (NYSE:TSM) reported record June revenue of NT$442.7 billion (about US$13.2 billion), as strong demand for its chips helped lift second-quarter sales above the high end of the company's guidance. June revenue increased 67.9% from a year earlier and 6.2% from May, marking the highest monthly revenue in the company's history, according to the company's monthly sales report released Monday. For the second quarter, revenue totaled NT$1.27 trillion (approximately US$39.6 billion), up 36% from the same period last year. The result exceeded the upper end of TSMC's previously issued guidance of $39 billion to $40.2 billion. Revenue for the first six months of 2026 reached NT$2.40 trillion, an increase of 35.6% from the corresponding period in 2025.
Why I Won’t Buy A Rivian
Rivian (RIVN) ranked last in J.D. Power's 2026 quality survey at 246 problems per 100 vehicles while RJ Scaringe collected a $406M pay package. Rivian's stock has cratered 87% since its IPO, and Q1 losses of $416 million against just 12,613 vehicles produced in Q2 raise serious survival questions.
SK hynix’s IPO Is Unraveling Faster Than SpaceX’s. Time to Buy In?
Hyperscalers are projected to spend $1.8 trillion on AI infrastructure across 2026 and 2027, sustaining near-record HBM pricing despite slowing price growth. Industry data from TrendForce shows HBM prices remain near record levels even as the pace of increases begins to moderate.
Intel Stock Falls. The Chip Maker Is Spending $5.7 Billion to Fuel Its AI Push
Intel said the project will increase production capacity for Intel 3 silicon wafers, integrate operations across its Irish campus, strengthen research and development, and provide employee retraining. The Leixlip site serves as the company's main European manufacturing hub and produces Intel 3 process technology wafers. Intel added that the new manufacturing equipment will support production of Intel Xeon 6 processors and future Xeon products built on its Intel 3 process. Intel expects most of the spending to be completed by the end of 2027. The company said the project accounts for roughly 30% of its planned $17 billion capital expenditure for 2026 and builds on approximately 30 billion invested in Ireland since 1989.
A Generational Transfer Is Happening: Amazon, Google, Microsoft Are the Losers. NVIDIA and Micron the Winners.
Bank of America projects that NVIDIA, Micron, Broadcom, and Applied Materials will generate a record $430 billion in combined free cash flow over the next 12 months, more than triple what they produced two years ago. Micron's most recent quarter shattered every expectation. Revenue hit $41.46 billion versus a $35.25 billion estimate, and diluted EPS of $25.11 crushed the $20.28 consensus.
Amkor, Himax, and Entegris Shares Plummet, What You Need To Know
Brokerage firm KIS projected SK Hynix's second-quarter operating profit at 60.4 trillion won, roughly 8% below the 65 trillion won market consensus. The expected miss stems from the company's heavy reliance on long-term contracts for its premium High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) chips, a structure that effectively locked the manufacturer out of recent 30% to 50% price surges in the broader spot market.
TSMC seen riding AI boom to fifth straight quarter of record profit
TSMC is expected to report a 59% surge in net profit to T$632.6 billion ($19.65 billion) for the second quarter, according to an LSEG SmartEstimate compiled from 18 analysts. Any result above T$572.5 billion would mark the company's highest-ever quarterly net income, and its 10th consecutive quarter of profit growth. On its last earnings call in April, the company said 2026 capital expenditure would be at the high end of its earlier guidance of $52 billion to $56 billion. While some analysts, including Nystedt, expect TSMC to retain that guidance, Liu forecasts the company could raise capital spending to about $58 billion, citing tight equipment supply and aggressive capacity expansion by memory makers including Samsung Electronics, Micron Technology and SK Hynix.
What Broadcom (AVGO)'s Extended Apple Custom Chip Deal Through 2031 Means For Shareholders
The extended Apple ASIC deal through 2031 strengthens Broadcom's role with a major device maker, but the key near term catalyst remains hyperscaler AI orders, while the biggest risk is still how dependent that AI revenue is on a handful of large cloud customers. The Apple agreement lines up with other long-dated AI partnerships, such as Broadcom's April 2026 deal with Google for Tensor Processing Units and equipment supply through 2031. Together, these contracts underpin the company's US$110 billion backlog and its AI driven revenue guidance, while also highlighting how much of Broadcom's story now rests on a small group of very large customers following through on their multi year AI infrastructure plans. Broadcom's narrative projects $243.8 billion revenue and $120.9 billion earnings by 2029. This requires 47.8% yearly revenue growth and an earnings increase of about $91.6 billion from $29.3 billion today.
Taiwan's second-largest chipmaker starts mass production in Singapore; Citi sees improving outlook
UMC recently reported strong financial performance, with June sales jumping 22.85% year-on-year to NT$23.12 billion ($719.21 million), and first-half cumulative sales rising 11.28%.
Why I Doubled Down On Micron
Micron has already sold out HBM production through 2027, while Samsung and SK hynix continue operating at exceptionally high utilization rates amid persistent AI memory shortages.
Why Micron Technology Stock Soared 304% in the First Half of 2026 and Why There Might Be More to Come
Shares of Micron Technology (MU 4.04%) had a blistering run during the first six months of 2026, with shares soaring 304%, according to data provided by S&P Global Market Intelligence. In March, the company reported impressive results of its fiscal 2026 second quarter (ended Feb. 26). Micron generated revenue of $23.9 billion, up 196% year over year and 75% sequentially, while its diluted earnings per share (EPS) of $12.07 surged 756%. Then, in late June, Micron reported its fiscal 2026 third-quarter results (ended May 28), which were even more eye-popping. The company generated revenue of $41.5 billion, up 346% year over year and 73% sequentially. For the fourth quarter, Micron is guiding to revenue growth of 342% to $50 billion.
President Trump Sells Micron Stock and Buys an AI Stock Up 1,340% Since 2023
Micron reported exceptional financial results in the second quarter of fiscal 2026 (ended in May). Revenue increased 345% to $41.4 billion as NAND and DRAM prices more than doubled from the prior year because of an unprecedented supply shortage. Meanwhile, non-GAAP net income soared more than 1,200% to $25.11 per diluted share. Nvidia reported strong financial results in the first quarter of fiscal 2027 (ended in April). Revenue increased 85% to $81.6 billion, the third straight acceleration, driven by particularly strong sales growth in the data center segment. Meanwhile, non-GAAP net income soared 140% to $1.87 per diluted share. Wall Street estimates Nvidia's adjusted earnings will increase at 56% annually through the fiscal year ending in January 2028. That makes the current valuation of 36 times adjusted earnings look downright cheap. Most analysts agree.
AI / Robotics / EV
Faraday Future Cuts Nearly 50 Million Warrants and Expands AI Robotics Strategy (FFAI)
The company said it is moving from its previous "Three-in-One" ecosystem model to a new "FF EAI Four-Core Full-Stack AI" ecosystem. The updated framework consists of four core elements: an EAI Brain, EAI Devices, an Industry Productivity Solutions and Developer Platform, and an EAI Data Factory. Faraday Future said its Industry Productivity Solutions business will initially target four sectors: education, industrial applications, security and inspection, and other established commercial markets. Management also unveiled a Robotics Practical Deployment Campaign for the third quarter, comprising six separate initiatives aimed at accelerating commercial adoption.
The Real Price of Tesla Stock Is Three Years Away
At a glance, Tesla (TSLA) stock, trading around $407.76, looks expensive. On this year's expected earnings, the price-to-earnings multiple is about 212.9 times. Many investors stop right there. But the picture changes if you look out to 2028. On the earnings analysts expect two years from now, that same $407.76 price tag implies a multiple of just 126.9 times. That's a 40% lower multiple, a discount created simply by earnings growing into the current price. A patient holder is effectively buying the third year's earnings at that compressed valuation. Wall Street consensus assumes Tesla's revenue will grow about 16.3% a year for the next few years. That's a significant acceleration from the 2.3% revenue growth the company actually delivered over the last twelve months. However, it's quite close to the 15.8% growth seen in the most recent quarter, suggesting the pace may already be quickening. The 17 analysts covering the stock are far from unified on the 2028 earnings number, with estimates ranging from a low of $1.31 to a high of $5.17 per share. That wide spread makes the discount feel more provisional than precise. If the market holds the multiple closer to today's 212.9 times, the gain would be larger. The key to it all is execution. Management identified one major bottleneck on its last call, stating, "Our biggest limiter continues to be our battery pack capacity."
Tesla Stock Isn’t Cheap Anymore. Buy, Sell or Hold?
Revenue of $22.39 billion grew 15.8% year over year, non-GAAP EPS of $0.41 beat by 14.14% beat expectations, and GAAP operating income surged 136% to $941 million. FSD active subscriptions hit 1.28 million, up 51%, and unsupervised Robotaxi rides launched in Dallas and Houston during the quarter. Services and Other revenue grew 42% year over year to $3.75 billion in Q1, powered by FSD monetization. Analyst consensus target sits at $424.56, and our bull-case scenario models a one-year path to $472.68, a 15.92% return. Tesla trades at 404x trailing earnings and a 4% net margin. Operating expenses grew 37% year over year in Q1 on AI R&D and stock-based compensation. Global inventory rose to 27 days of supply from 22, and Energy revenue declined 12% year over year. Prediction markets model an AI-implied downside of 19.11%, and Polymarket puts odds of Optimus shipping by year-end at 14%. Rivian (NASDAQ:RIVN) is the pure-play EV growth comparable, with R2 mass-market launch underway and a Volkswagen software partnership. Rivian’s Q1 FY26 revenue of $1.38 billion grew 11.4% carries a market cap of $25.2 billion, but net margin of negative 68% makes Tesla’s profitability formidable by contrast. General Motors (NYSE:GM) is the valuation counterweight: P/E of 26x, 2026 EPS guidance of $11.50 to $13.50, and EV segment realignment underway.
Prediction: This Will Be Palantir Technologies' Stock Price in 2030
The generative AI software platforms market was worth just $19 billion in 2024. Palantir's revenue, meanwhile, is projected to almost double this year to $7.72 billion. Palantir, therefore, has a robust revenue pipeline, which should ensure that its phenomenal growth continues over the long run. Assuming Palantir's revenue increases at an annual rate of 50% between 2026 and 2030, given its growing share of the AI software platforms market, its top line could reach $39 billion after five years (using this year's estimated revenue of $7.72 billion as the base). If this growth stock trades at 15 times sales at that time, a significant discount to its current price-to-sales multiple of 62, its market cap could jump to $585 billion.
Anthropic starts localizing Claude pricing for India, its biggest market after the US
India accounts for 5.8% of global Claude usage, making it the service’s second-largest market after the U.S., according to Anthropic. Claude Pro at ₹2,000 (about $21) a month when billed annually, compared with $17 a month in the U.S. Claude Max starts at ₹11,999 (around $125) a month in India, versus $100 in the U.S., while Team plans start at ₹2,399 (around $25) per seat a month, compared with $20 in the U.S.
Insurance affordability threatens to slow UK electric vehicle uptake
42.1% of UK consumers expect to switch to a fully electric vehicle within the next five years—up from 36.8% in 2024. Higher repair costs, expensive battery components, and limited specialist repair capacity continue to place upward pressure on claims costs and premiums, even as insurers invest in improving EV pricing models and repair networks.
Rivian Vs. Tesla: Buy Rivian to Exploit California’s Protectionist Subsidy That Snubbed Tesla
Rivian posted $1.38B in revenue and a widening EBITDA loss, while Tesla delivered $22.39B revenue and $941M in GAAP operating income. Tesla’s story was margin recovery. Automotive gross margin expanded to 21.1% from 16.2%, FSD active subscriptions jumped 51% YoY to 1.28 million, and Unsupervised Robotaxi went live in Dallas and Houston.
‘AI Agents Without Context Are Just Guessing Faster’
The scale is significant. McCandless says that project44 processes roughly 75,000 LTL dispatches per day, an estimated 8% to 15% of the market on any given day. On the day before the interview, agents had matched over 2,000 dispatches that would have otherwise required manual intervention. Everybody needs better data quality to be able to make better decisions when you're looking at automating these operational decisions, whether it's execution or visibility," McCandless said. "Improving data quality has to be done in conjunction with EDI and API. It can't be just a substitute." The results of that approach are showing up across project44's customer base. McCandless says platform data quality has improved roughly two and a half times over the past three years as a function of carrier investment, platform improvements, and the AI augmentation layer working in concert. A lot of companies are struggling with surprise token invoices," McCandless said. "What they want is some type of pricing and packaging that's very consistent. Might sound kind of familiar, maybe something like something as a subscription."
Satya Nadella has issued a shocking warning to companies using AI
You essentially pay for intelligence twice, once with money, and again with something even more valuable: the proprietary knowledge you must reveal to make that intelligence useful. The better you want the model to perform, the more of that knowledge you have to feed it! Models learn from ‘exhaust,’ the prompts people write, the tools agents use, and especially the corrections people make when the model is wrong. Every correction is distilled into institutional know-how. Nadella’s solution is the kind of thing the CEO of a giant cloud provider would suggest. He wants companies to “retain ownership” of their data including prompts, feedback, etc. So he’s urging them to build their own “proprietary learning environments” on the cloud (where their data is likely already stored anyway and, conveniently, which could mean Microsoft’s cloud, Azure).
CNBC's The China Connection newsletter: Betting on Shenzhen over Silicon Valley
China was the largest source of California's imports last year, the state's chamber of commerce said, despite a sharp year-on-year decline due to escalating U.S. tariffs. Taiwan and Mexico followed, with Vietnam in fourth place. Around 36% of California's imports were computer and electronic products, the top category. Meanwhile, Shenzhen, the second-largest Chinese city by overall exports, accounted for nearly 19% of China's advanced tech exports last year, according to CNBC calculations of official data accessed via Wind Information. The share of tokens used by U.S. companies on Chinese AI models via OpenRouter — a platform that enables developers to access a range of AI models — has stayed above 30% each week since early February, well above the 11% average of the prior 12 months.
Hermes agent maker Nous Research in talks for new funding at $1.5B valuation
The company was founded in 2023 by Jeffrey Quesnelle, Karan Malhotra, Ryan Teknium, Shivani Mitra. Before this round, it had raised a total of $70 million in funding from investors including Paradigm, Robot Ventures, North Island Ventures, OSS Capital, and Balaji Srinivasan, according to Crunchbase.
Power / Grid
Masdar Secures $5.1 Billion for World’s Largest Solar-and-Battery Project
The gigascale project will comprise a 5.2-GW solar photovoltaic (PV) plant with a 19 gigawatt-hour battery energy storage system. Masdar has a diversified portfolio of more than 65 GW in solar, onshore wind, offshore wind, battery energy storage, and hybrid solutions. The company aims to have 100 GW of renewable energy capacity globally by 2030 and to become one of the world's biggest renewable energy firms.
Duke Energy (DUK) Is Betting On Nuclear As Offshore Wind Loses Favor
Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) is shifting focus from offshore wind to expanding nuclear power capacity. A bigger nuclear fleet supports continuous low carbon output, which can appeal to data center and industrial customers that want reliable, cleaner energy contracts. Aligning new nuclear investment with strong regional economic activity and supportive legislation could support earnings stability and long term grid focused growth if projects are executed effectively.
Masdar closes $6.1bn deal for first gigascale 24/7 renewable project
The facility will combine a 5.2GW solar photovoltaic (PV) plant with a battery energy storage system (BESS) capable of 19GWh. A consortium of 13 international and local banks is providing $5.1bn in financing for the project, with Masdar supplying $1bn in equity. Masdar's portfolio comprises more than 65GW of renewable energy projects across both established and emerging markets.
Software
He Ran His Own Electrical Business for 35 Years, Kept Reported Income Low to Save on Taxes. Now His Social Security Check Is Paying the Price.
Someone whose 35-year indexed average lands around $35,000 typically sees a benefit closer to $1,600 a month at full retirement age (FRA). Push that average to $70,000 and the benefit moves closer to $2,600. That is roughly $1,000 a month, $12,000 a year, every year for the rest of his life, adjusted upward by inflation. The 2.8% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for 2026 is applied to a smaller base forever. Delaying the claim past FRA adds roughly 8% per year up to age 70, so waiting three years can turn a $1,600 check into something closer to $2,000.
European tech investment in Q2 2026: How capital is organising around strategic sectors
In Q1, large company rounds showed which strategic sectors investors wanted to back. In Q2, the funding picture expanded beyond those first big checks. Support increasingly came through growth capital vehicles, public equity channels, guarantees, and credit facilities. Some of this need stemmed from strategic companies requiring more capital than was available in Europe's traditional venture market. For example, EIFO committed €200m to the Scaleup Europe Fund, pushing larger growth-capital channels for European tech companies. Public capital also garnered more attention. The British Business Bank had direct equity activity of over €695m in British science and tech scaleups, providing state-backed support as both an ecosystem funder and a direct market participant. Defence added more sector-specific logic of the same kind, with the planned €500m E2D growth fund aimed at addressing Europe's dual-use and DefenceTech scaling gap. These changes demonstrate the initial attraction of strategic sectors in Q1 maturing into organised capital around those sectors in Q2. Nscale secured an additional €670m for AI data centre infrastructure in Norway. ICEYE's €300m revolving credit facility offered flexibility in the space and sovereign intelligence markets, given the cost of its assets and global deployment. InSoil's €120m senior secured credit facility (backed by an EIF guarantee under InvestEU) relied on both debt and public risk-sharing over equity alone. Microamp's €6.5 million EIC package was split between grant funding and EIC Fund equity. While hybrid capital isn't new, Q2 provided stronger, more visible use cases. Tech companies that need physical infrastructure, assets, and risk-sharing are harder to explain through a single clean equity round. Hybrid funding fills the gaps. Around the sector, Earlybird and AVP's planned €500m E2D growth fund focused on sector-specific funding gaps, with larger tickets for later-stage dual-use companies. Public capital also moved into DefenceTech funding stacks. EIF Defence Equity Facility 2.0 set an initial €1bn target as a fund-of-funds mechanism for defence and cybersecurity-focused VC, private equity, private credit, and infrastructure funds. The EIC STEP Scale Up Defence call added an even more direct equity route in the sector, providing up to €30m per company. That was echoed at the project level, with the European Defence Fund injecting €1.07bn across 57 projects, including those focused on AI, cyber defence, drones, counter-drone systems, and space missions. IQM Quantum Computers' €275m Series B signalled a broader deeptech pattern, especially when viewed alongside major rounds in photonics, advanced materials, and other research-heavy tech. Investors are not treating quantum computing as something only possible in the future. Oxford Quantum Circuits raised €301m in Europe's largest private funding round for a quantum computing company. QuantWare raised €152m for quantum processors and manufacturing infrastructure. In France, Quobly closed a €115m Series A round to industrialise silicon-based quantum computers and launch its first commercial product. Algorithmiq raised €18m for quantum software and moved its global headquarters from Helsinki to Milan. Smaller layers also received attention, with FrostByte raising €1.3m for cryogenic electronics used in many quantum tech developments. These Q2 movements in quantum demonstrate a much clearer investment cluster than Europe had only a year ago. It's not just larger rounds, but more activity across diverse computing platforms, processors, and software. In the UK, the largest signals were no longer only company rounds. Oxford Quantum Circuits' €301 million Series C set headlines, but there was also Mouro Capital Fund III, which reached a €343.7m first close, bringing Mouro Capital's total investment commitments to €859m. Transition Ventures Fund II closed at €128m, boosting AUM to over €257m. New vehicles from Lansdowne Partners, Tapestry VC, and Osney Capital also closed during the quarter, with the British Business Bank appearing as a key backer across several of them. The UK has the largest checks and a larger capital base, built on a stronger funding infrastructure. EIF and Poland's BGK committed €85m to three Polish venture funds — Expeditions, focused on early-stage defence; Balnord, focused on frontier and dual-use technology; and Cogito Capital Partners, focused on growth-stage AI and fintech — the story shifted toward dedicated regional capital behind strategic sectors. NEURA Robotics' up to €1.2bn Series C, which included Tether alongside US strategic participants such as Qualcomm, Amazon, and NVIDIA. QuantWare's €152m round included Intel Capital and In-Q-Tel, the latter linked to US intelligence-community venture activity. Oxford Quantum Circuits' €301m Series C was another example, with Alpha Edison joining the broader investor syndicate. US corporate and, in some cases, state-linked capital directly played a role in European robotics and quantum hardware. These areas need larger funds, public backing, and dedicated facilities, and US strategic capital is entering the same sectors directly. What looked like earlier-stage, fund-mediated interest before has shifted to direct US involvement in Q2. Even when Europe tries to keep strategic capital at home, US strategics are finding ways into developing and promising European scaleups. The question is whether Europe can provide enough capital infrastructure so that such companies can scale on their own terms.
A $10,000 Investment in Microsoft When Satya Nadella Took Over Is Worth This Much Today
Azure runs at $75B+ annualized with the AI business hitting a $37B run rate, up 123%, but capex surged 84% raising ROI timing concerns. Nadella earns an A+ for growing Microsoft from a $300B company to $2.86T while nearly tripling the quarterly dividend to $0.91.
Wells Fargo Reports Q2 Earnings Tuesday Morning. Here's the Number That Matters Most.
Net interest income (the gap between what a bank earns on its loans and pays on deposits) is the closest thing Wells Fargo has to a single gauge of growth. Under the asset cap, it went nowhere. Net interest income was about $47.5 billion in 2025, essentially flat with 2024. Management has told investors to expect about $50 billion in net interest income this year -- which would mark a return to mid-single-digit growth after a down year and a flat one. The early read supports it: in the first quarter of 2026, net interest income rose 5% year over year, though it slipped $235 million, or 2%, from the fourth quarter on two fewer days and slightly lower rates.
We’re Bullish on Adobe Despite 40% Decline From Peak Levels
Adobe (NASDAQ: ADBE) has been beaten down while fundamentals improved. Our 24/7 Wall St. price target is $283.39, roughly 26.72% above the current price of $223.64. We rate the stock a buy with 90% model confidence. An $88.9 billion software franchise with AI-first ARR north of $500 million, trading at a forward P/E near 9. Q2 FY26, reported June 11, 2026, was a record. Revenue hit $6.62 billion (up 13% YoY), non-GAAP EPS of $5.96 marked a fifth straight beat, and total ARR closed at $27.10 billion. Management raised FY26 non-GAAP EPS guidance to $24.35 to $24.45. The Semrush deal adds roughly $480 million in ARR, and consensus of $272.48 implies meaningful upside.
Citizens Doubles Down on Meta With an $800 Outperform
Global time spent on Instagram grew approximately 13% year-on-year in June, marking the 13th consecutive month of double-digit growth.
'Dirty Jobs' host Mike Rowe: We have become untethered from the definition of work
The essential economy — which includes construction, utilities, agriculture, transportation, oil and gas, and equipment manufacturing — accounts for $12 trillion of the gross domestic product, 95 million jobs, and 3 million businesses. According to a PRT Staffing survey, 17.4% of manufacturing companies report worker shortages.
Apple stock target raised as Citi sees continued market share gains
Analyst commentary noted that smartphone and PC markets are likely to decline by mid-to-high teens, but said Apple "continues to outperform the broader smartphone market through share gains, design-driven demand, and strong positioning in the mid-range price segment via promotions and subsidies."
Is Fabrinet (FN) a Compelling Opportunity Now?
$16.88 billion. In third quarter of 2026, Fabrinet (NYSE:FN) reported revenue of $1.214 billion, an increase of 39% year-over-year.
Insulet Corporation (PODD) Fell Along with Broad Medtech Sector
Insulet Corporation (NASDAQ:PODD) generated revenue of $762 million, an increase of 34% on a reported basis and 30% on a constant currency basis.
TG Therapeutics (TGTX) Gains as Its Key Drug Exceeded Expectations
TG Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:TGTX) posted a one-month return of 13.56%, while its shares gained 46.76% over the past 52 weeks. "Biotechnology, however, was a bright spot, with multiple holdings delivering strong performance. TG Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:TGTX), a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on therapies for multiple sclerosis, contributed following greater than anticipated growth for its key drug, Briumvi, as well as positive clinical data for a subcutaneous version of the therapy that could expand its addressable market."
Alternative Power Demand Drives Bloom Energy (BE) Higher
On July 10, 2026, Bloom Energy Corporation (NYSE:BE) closed at $244.61 per share, reflecting a market capitalization of $69.58 billion. Bloom Energy Corporation (NYSE:BE) posted a one-month return of -10.89%, while its shares gained 842.26% over the past 52 weeks. In Q1 2026, Bloom Energy Corporation (NYSE:BE) generated revenue of $751.1 million up 130.4% year-over-year.
5 Strong Dividend Stocks You Can Buy Right Now
RLJ's Q1 adjusted FFO of $0.33 crushed the -$0.08 consensus, while SUN raised its distribution 6.25% for the sixth consecutive time. BNL's full-year AFFO guidance, ranging from $1.53 to $1.57, comfortably covers its $1.17 dividend, anchored by 771 properties at 99.8% occupancy. Fundamentals turned in Q1. Revenue rose 8% year over year to $65.84M, same-property occupancy expanded 110 basis points to 89.0%, and monthly rent per site climbed 4.9% to $581. Same-property NOI grew 7.1% to $34.9M. Management raised 2026 AFFO guidance to $1.29 to $1.45, and the board authorized a $250M repurchase program.
Is AI Running Out Of Money?
Amazon had $140 billion at the end of the first quarter. But the company said it will invest $200 billion in AI and robotics this year. Its rivals have announced similar figures. Oracle, with much smaller revenue, has put its figure at $70 billion. Investors have punished it, pushing its shares down 28% this year.
Amazon Cut 16,000 Jobs While Bezos Predicts AI Will Create a Labor Shortage
Across tech, more than 115,000 jobs were cut through May 2026. Goldman Sachs estimates AI is eliminating roughly 16,000 US jobs per month, with Gen Z absorbing the heaviest impact. An HR Digest analysis pinned 22% of all 2026 layoffs on AI.
Reken Launches From Stealth, to Build an Internet Safe for Humans
A 2026 RBC poll found that 83% of people now assume any online message is a scam or fraud unless proven otherwise. The FBI reported $20.9B in cybercrime losses in 2025 (a 26% jump in one year) and, for the first time, added AI crime as a category, with over 22,000 AI-related complaints.
Nvidia, Micron, and other chip players are poised to become cash-producing machines
Nvidia (NVDA), Micron (MU), Broadcom (AVGO), and Applied Materials (AMAT) are expected to generate a record $430 billion in combined free cash flow over the next 12 months, according to BofA (see chart below). That would be more than triple what they generated just two years ago as the companies see unprecedented demand for their AI chips. By contrast, the combined free cash flow of hyperscalers Amazon (AMZN), Alphabet (GOOG, GOOGL), Meta (META), Microsoft (MSFT), and Oracle (ORCL) is projected to turn negative for the first time on record. That represents a massive reversal from the $260 billion peak in free cash flow reported by these companies in 2024. Wall Street is growing increasingly impatient with Big Tech's capital expenditures on artificial intelligence, projected to balloon 70% year over year and exceed $700 billion in 2026.
Meta Vs. Nvidia: Meta Has Quietly Emerged as the Strongest Mega-Cap Alternative This Summer
Meta Platforms (NASDAQ: META | META Price Prediction) posted $56.31 billion in revenue with a huge EPS beat. NVIDIA (NASDAQ: NVDA) followed with $81.615 billion and 85.23% growth. Meta’s Family of Apps generated $55.91 billion, with ad impressions up 19% and price per ad up 12%. Meta guided Q2 to $58 to $61 billion. NVIDIA guided to $91.0 billion, plus or minus 2%, explicitly excluding China.
Alphabet’s $1 Trillion Ad Dominance Is Facing New Threats
Alphabet spent $35.67 billion on capex in a single quarter, more than double the year-ago figure. That said, I do think the overall revenue and earnings growth mix supporting the company’s fundamentals may be fraying. Google Network advertising fell 4% to roughly $7 billion. YouTube ad growth cooled to 11%. Alphabet earned $132.17 billion in 2025 net income on $402.96 billion in revenue. Long-term holders should watch two lines: -Google Network’s return to growth (or a second quarter of decline), and free cash flow, which cannot stay near $10 billion a quarter if capex heads toward $190 billion annually and beyond in 2027.
Buy, Sell or Hold: My View On Microsoft As AI Capex Costs Rise
Microsoft runs Intelligent Cloud, Productivity and Business Processes, and More Personal Computing, but the argument centers on Azure and the AI infrastructure feeding it. The company’s AI business is at a $37 billion annual run rate, up 123% year over year, and commercial remaining performance obligations sit at $627 billion, up 99%. The valuation is not stretched given the growth. Microsoft trades at a trailing P/E of 23 and forward P/E of 20, with 23.4% quarterly earnings growth and 18.3% revenue growth. Azure grew 40% and Microsoft Cloud pulled $54.5 billion in revenue, up 29%. The thesis breaks if Azure decelerates below 30%, RPO conversion slows, or capex intensity persists without matching AI revenue growth beyond FY27. Watch the Azure growth rate, the AI run rate progression from $37 billion, and any softening in the RPO number. What the Numbers Show Microsoft trades at $384.36 against a consensus target of $559.93, implying roughly 45.7% upside. Coverage is heavy, with 57 analysts split 13 Strong Buy, 41 Buy, 3 Hold, and zero Sell.
Multiple Factors Lifted MGM Resorts International (MGM) in Q2
MGM Resorts International (NYSE:MGM) is a leading US-based gaming, hospitality and entertainment company. On July 10, 2026, MGM Resorts International (NYSE:MGM) closed at $46.88 per share, reflecting a market capitalization of $11.99 billion. MGM Resorts International (NYSE:MGM) posted a one-month return of -3.58%, while its shares gained 23.01% over the past 52 weeks. People Inc. (formerly IAC Inc.) and MGM Resorts International (NYSE:MGM) – The related group of digital and print publisher People Inc. and hospitality and entertainment company MGM Resorts both contributed positively during the quarter.
There Are Plenty of Reasons to Buy Netflix Stock. This Is the One Investors Shouldn't Overlook.
The company generated $12.2 billion in revenue in Q1, up 16.2 year over year. Netflix reports its second-quarter earnings on July 16 -- right around the corner. Netflix had $5 billion in free cash flow in Q1 and anticipates having $12.5 billion at the end of 2026. Some 73% of Wall Street analysts rate Netflix as a buy with a median price target of $115 per share, which would suggest 56% upside.
Apple Hits New All-Time High. Here’s Why It Will Top $5 Trillion and Nvidia
Apple hit an all-time high above $321, pushing its market cap to $4.73 trillion and leaving it just $320 billion behind Nvidia. Apple's $100 billion in annual free cash flow funds buybacks and Services growth, making AI chip dominance unnecessary to surpass Nvidia's valuation. Rising memory costs may force iPhone price hikes, but Apple's industry-leading customer loyalty consistently converts higher prices into billions in added revenue. Ultimately, Apple is only about $320 billion away from overtaking Nvidia.
This Stock is My Biggest Bet For 2026
Apple's Services segment hit a record $31 billion in Q2, growing 16% year over year at a 76% gross margin across 2.5 billion active devices. In Q2 FY26 the segment hit an all-time record of $30.98 billion at a 76.7% gross margin, growing 16% year over year.
Why I Can’t Stop Buying Amazon Stock
AWS grew 28% on a $150B annualized run rate, and Trainium chip commitments alone top $225B in already-contracted future revenue. Amazon's $128B 2026 capex plan outpaces Microsoft's $96B and Alphabet's $93B, with signed customers already including OpenAI and the U.S. Army. AWS revenue reached $37.6 billion in Q1 2026, growing 28% year over year, the fastest pace in 15 quarters, on a base now running at $150 billion annualized. The AWS backlog sits at $364 billion, excluding the recent $100+ billion Anthropic deal. Those are signed contracts in the queue. CEO Andy Jassy called the unit "one of the top three data center chip businesses in the world", with Trainium commitments alone over $225 billion. FactSet consensus pegs 2026 capex at $127.55 billion for Amazon versus $95.99 billion for Microsoft and $92.9 billion for Alphabet.
Wall Street’s Bar for Big Tech Is on the Floor, and That Could Spark the Next Rally
Tech debt issuance is only 10% of total market supply, letting hyperscalers fund up to $200 billion in capex without triggering a credit crunch. Three signals to watch into Q2: Alphabet's capex guidance, whether AWS holds 28% growth, and if NVIDIA's $91 billion Q2 guide proves conservative. Look at Q1 results against sell-side estimates. Amazon delivered $2.78 versus $1.73, a 60.69% beat, with AWS growing 28%, the fastest in 15 quarters.
Jim Cramer Says Buy IBM Right Now: Here Is Why Arvind Krishna Has This Stock Undervalued
IBM's Q1 2026 results strengthen the bull case. Non-GAAP EPS came in at $1.91 versus $1.81 expected, the fourth straight quarterly beat, on revenue of $15.917B, up 9.5% year over year. Software revenue rose 11.3% with Red Hat up 13% and Data up 19%, while IBM Z mainframe revenue surged 51% and infrastructure segment margin expanded from 8.6% to 15.8%.
Meta’s $125 Billion AI Push Is Turning Heads on Wall Street
$72.215 billion. The company also disclosed that multiyear cloud deals and infrastructure purchase agreements drove a $107 billion step up in contractual commitments during the quarter. Q1 revenue came in at $56.311 billion, up 33.08% year over year, with operating income of $22.872 billion and a 41% operating margin. Free cash flow was $12.386 billion in the quarter, and operating cash flow reached $32.226 billion. Meta’s valuation still frames the setup as reasonable for a business growing revenue in the low 30s. The company’s trailing P/E multiple sits at 22, forward P/E at 19, and the analyst consensus target is $828.13 against a current price of $582.90.
Jim Cramer Says META’s AI Model Change Was Worth 100 Points: Here’s Why He Can’t Stop Buying Big Tech
That is a 14.81% move in a single week and a 17.31% move in a month on a company with a $1.7 trillion market cap. Meta’s Q1 2026 report, filed with the SEC on April 29, showed revenue of $56.31 billion, up 33.08% year over year, and EPS of $10.44 against a $6.66 estimate. The catch: capex. Meta raised full-year 2026 capital expenditure guidance to $125–145 billion, up from a prior $115–135 billion range.
Microsoft’s CEO Lays Out the Next Massive AI Trade
Microsoft’s AI annual revenue run rate surpassed $37 billion, up 123% year over year, with commercial remaining performance obligations of $627 billion. Nadella disclosed that Microsoft’s AI annual revenue run rate surpassed $37 billion, up 123% year over year, with commercial remaining performance obligations of $627 billion.
AI Costs Keep Rising As Morgan Stanley Ups CapEx Estimates For Amazon, Meta
Spending on AI data centers by cloud hyperscalers could reach $1.4 trillion by 2028, analysts with Morgan Stanley said Monday. The investment bank raised its estimates for capital expenditures by Meta Platforms and Amazon — with returns on AI spending a key debate for both stocks. Morgan Stanley analyst Brian Nowak said in a client note that he expects Meta's capex to reach $225 billion in 2027 and $250 billion in 2028, up 29% and 22% from his prior estimates.
Borr Drilling vs. ProPetro: Which Energy Stock Profits From Higher Prices in 2026?
In FY 2025, revenue reached nearly $1.3 billion, down approximately 12% from the prior year. As of its December 2025 balance sheet, the company maintains a debt-to-equity ratio of approximately 0.3x. This resulted in a net margin of nearly 0.1%, the percentage of revenue remaining after all operating and non-operating expenses are paid. The current ratio, which compares short-term assets to short-term liabilities, is roughly 0.2x, indicating a healthy ability to cover immediate obligations. For FY 2025, the company generated free cash flow of approximately $46 million. Free cash flow is the cash remaining from operations after paying for capital expenditures, such as equipment and machinery. The case for Borr Drilling Borr Drilling is a leading contractor in the global energy market, specializing in modern jack-up rigs operating in water depths up to 400 feet. The company maintains a global footprint, with recent operations concentrated in high-demand regions such as Saudi Arabia and Mexico. While many offshore drillers operate older equipment, Borr Drilling manages 29 premium rigs, though its major customers are not disclosed in its recent financial filings. In FY 2025, the company reported revenue of approximately $1.0 billion, representing a 30% increase over the previous year. Net income for the period was roughly $45 million, down from $82 million in 2024. The current ratio, which measures the ability to pay short-term debts by dividing current assets by liabilities, is approximately 1.9x. Free cash flow, or the cash remaining after covering operating expenses, reached nearly $127.4 million for the year, a swing from prior negative cash flows. As of its December 2025 balance sheet, the debt-to-equity ratio is roughly 1.8x. This metric compares total debt to shareholder equity and suggests the company uses a significant amount of leverage to fund its fleet. The narrow margin reflects the highly competitive and capital-intensive nature of the oilfield services sector during periods of fluctuating energy demand. Borr sales for 2026 are expected to inch up to $1.054 billion, a 3% rise. Worse, the business will swing back to a net loss for the year, probably in the $50 million range, due to delays with some customers and higher operating expenses. The oilfield services business is improving domestically, thanks to the Iran war and the crude oil price rise it has brought.
Palantir vs. Snowflake: Which AI Strategy Has the Better Long-Term Potential?
Palantir's AIP cut a Navy manufacturing approval from 200 hours to 15 seconds, showing exactly why defense buyers reward it with sticky contracts. Snowflake's $6B AWS deal, 126% net revenue retention, and $300M buyback program signal durable fundamentals behind its recent stock rerating.
Forget Palantir as It Bounces Back and Get in Salesforce Before Wall Street Wakes Up to Real Value
Salesforce's Agentforce ARR surged 205% year over year to $1.2 billion, matching Palantir's AI growth narrative at a fraction of the valuation. Palantir Technologies (NASDAQ:PLTR) now trades at a trailing P/E of 145 and a forward P/E of 89, with a price-to-sales multiple of 59. That reads like a lottery ticket. The company's $309.9 billion market cap is being underwritten by $5.22 billion in trailing revenue and CEO Alex Karp's assertion that "Palantir's Rule of 40 score has soared to 145%".
Missed DELL’s 248% Run? IGPT Quietly Turned $10K Into $16,600
Dell booked $24 billion in AI orders in one quarter, but the capex wave lifting it also lifted semiconductors, software, and cloud platforms. That is a hyperscaler-and-enterprise AI infrastructure story with Dell as one beneficiary. The same capex wave lifting Dell is lifting the semiconductor supply chain, the networking vendors, the software companies selling into those data centers, and the cloud platforms renting the compute back out.
Why Wix Stock Collapsed 56% In The First Half of 2026
Revenue was up 14% year-over-year to $541 million in Q1. Wix is now expecting full-year adjusted free cash flow of $420 million, $20 million above its previous estimate.
Meta's data center costs are skyrocketing. Here's what you need to know.
Meta (META) raised the budget for its Louisiana data center from $27 billion to $50 billion. CNBC has a story, Meta's Louisiana data center project is going to cost more than 50 billion dollars. That is higher than the 27 billion revealed back in October. It is a 5 gigawatt data center. What does that actually mean, Dan? How much power is that? Yeah, that's hundreds and hundreds of thousands of of homes. Uh I think the going kind of estimate for 1 gigawatt is around 750,000 to 800,000 homes uh could be powered using that. So that's a lot of houses uh that you could power uh with this data center. Um, it you know, this also comes as, you know, Mark Zuckerberg spoke to Bloomberg uh saying that they're absolutely looking into selling compute capacity, uh, as well as, you know, obviously investing in their own AI capabilities.
Alphabet Q2 Preview: Full-Stack Diversified AI Fortified From Downfall
Cloud backlog stands at $462 billion, with significant customer concentration risk from Anthropic and a need to monitor backlog conversion rates.
Uber’s product chief on hotels, robotaxis, and why the company doesn’t want to be “everything for everyone”
On the delivery side, it takes you two to three orders for you to break even the monthly fee that you pay. As members get more habituated to the program, it’s increasing their frequency within the line of business they are already using. And it’s also leading to more usage of the other sides of the business — we are seeing people who are mobility only also start to use delivery, and people who are delivery only also start to use mobility. During the early years of Uber Eats it was not profitable yet, but over the last several quarters, Uber Eats has been independently a profitable business for us, and generating a lot of profit. You recently wound down the Waymo pilot in Phoenix while scaling elsewhere. How do you keep the experience coherent when you’re partnering with — and in some cities competing with — the same supplier? Phoenix was the first city that we launched with Waymo, with about a dozen cars, but our scale launches have been in Austin and Atlanta, where we have hundreds of cars with them. Regarding AV Labs, what can Uber offer autonomy partners that they don’t already have? We are going to be equipping hundreds of cars with sensors, deployed through our fleet partners, and through that we’ll be collecting millions of miles worth of driving data.
monday.com, Marqeta, and GitLab Shares Skyrocket, What You Need To Know
Earlier in 2026, software stocks suffered a severe valuation compression, dubbed the "SaaSpocalypse", driven by fears that AI agents would destroy traditional per-seat software licensing models. Recent data points, including ServiceNow raising its Now Assist AI contract target to $1.5 billion and Salesforce scaling its Agentforce platform, revealed that incumbents can sell AI as a premium add-on rather than watching it cannibalize their core business.
Asana, Sprinklr, and Freshworks Shares Are Soaring, What You Need To Know
Earlier in 2026, software stocks suffered a severe valuation compression, dubbed the "SaaSpocalypse", driven by fears that AI agents would destroy traditional per-seat software licensing models. Recent data points, including ServiceNow raising its Now Assist AI contract target to $1.5 billion and Salesforce scaling its Agentforce platform, revealed that incumbents can sell AI as a premium add-on rather than watching it cannibalize their core business.
Prediction: Microsoft Stock Could Go Parabolic After July 29. Here's Why.
On July 29, Microsoft (MSFT +1.68%) reports its fiscal fourth quarter earnings, and that should be a date to circle on your investment calendar. It could be the date that Microsoft begins its run after struggling for most of 2026. Unlike most of the other "Magnificent Seven" stocks, which have recovered from sell-offs earlier in the year, Microsoft stock has been stuck in reverse, down 20% year to date. But here's why Microsoft stock is poised to break out after July 29. AI spending paying off One of the major concerns about Microsoft among investors is its perceived overspending on artificial intelligence (AI). In April, the tech giant upped its capital expenditure forecast to $190 billion for fiscal 2026, which is 61% more than the previous year. The stock tanked in Microsoft's fiscal third quarter ended March 31 amid concerns about its exclusive partnership with OpenAI and reports of its unprofitability. It didn't help that Microsoft's Azure revenue growth dipped slightly. But there are strong signs that the investments in AI infrastructure are starting to pay off. Azure, its AI cloud product, saw revenue rise 40% in fiscal Q3, beating estimates. Overall, its cloud revenue rose 29%, which was better than the 25% revenue increase in its Q2. And Microsoft had $627 billion in backlog in Q3 ended March 31, up 99% for the previous year's quarter. In its outlook, management said Azure growth will be around 40% in Q4, showing some "modest acceleration" in the second half of the year. The reacceleration is due to the data centers Microsoft is building to expand capacity to handle the high demand. CEO Satya Nadella said, "We are moving aggressively to add capacity aligned to our demand signals we see." CFO Amy Hood said something similar on the previous quarter's earnings call, stating, "I think it's probably better to think about the Azure guidance that we give as an allocated capacity guide about what we can deliver in Azure revenue." In other words, it is building to meet real demand, not out of hope that demand will come. Also, Nadella said in the Q3 earnings release that Microsoftʻs AI business has an annual revenue run rate of $37 billion -- up 123% year over year. That's real revenue growth from AI, not speculation, showing that the spending is paying off. Microsoft's stock is cheap Another point is that Microsoft recently revised its agreement with OpenAI. With the new agreement, OpenAI is no longer an exclusive AI provider, and Microsoft no longer pays revenue share to OpenAI. The change reduces Microsoft's overall exposure to OpenAI, which should open doors for new revenue opportunities. Microsoft should also get a revenue bump from updated pricing and packaging for Microsoft software in concert with an approaching new five-year cycle for many of its Office clients. This all comes at a time when Microsoft stock is historically cheap, trading at just 22 times earnings and 19 times forward earnings. That's below the S&P 500 average. NASDAQ: MSFT Key Data Points It's also right around the cheapest Microsoft stock has been since 2018. The only time the price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio was below 22 since 2018 was this past March, when it was 21. Microsoft is a screaming buy at this valuation, and most analysts agree. Some 95% of analysts rate Microsoft stock as a buy with a median price target of $550 per share. That would suggest 41% upside over the next 12 months. If Microsoft has a strong Q4 when it reports on July 29 and a robust outlook -- both of which I expect -- it could be the launching pad for a solid run by Microsoft stock.
American Express Is Warren Buffett's Second-Biggest Stock. Is It Still a Buy Near Highs?
Revenue rose 11% year over year to about $18.9 billion, and earnings per share climbed 18%. Billed business -- the total amount members charged to their cards -- rose 10%, a strong pace for a company this size. Millennial and Gen Z members have become Amex's fastest-growing group, and globally more than 70% of new accounts are now on fee-paying products.
Google Parent Alphabet Has Abandoned Its $346 Billion Investment -- and History Points to This Decision Being a Mixed Bag
Alphabet bids adieu to a steady $346 billion investment Although Alphabet has established itself as one of Wall Street's premier money managers, one of the most impressive investments it's made is in itself. Between Jan. 1, 2016, and Dec. 31, 2025, Alphabet spent approximately $346 billion to repurchase shares of its stock: - 2016: $3.693 billion in full-year buybacks - 2017: $4.846 billion - 2018: $9.075 billion - 2019: $18.396 billion - 2020: $31.149 billion - 2021: $50.274 billion - 2022: $59.296 billion - 2023: $61.504 billion - 2024: $62.222 billion - 2025: $45.709 billion
Aerospace
SpaceX Gets All the Attention, but These 3 Under-the-Radar Defense Stocks Have Stronger Fundamentals
Lockheed Martin boasts $4.8 billion in annual profit and an even more powerful free-cash-flow (FCF) score -- $5.7 billion during the past year. Lockheed makes most of its money selling defense systems such as F-35 fighter jets and Patriot missiles. But even in space -- SpaceX's forte -- Lockheed runs a profitable operation building satellites and providing space services, which generated $1.3 billion in pretax earnings during the past year; according to data from S&P Global Market Intelligence, SpaceX's marquee business had a $1.2 billion loss in the same period. Huntington Ingalls did just $12.8 billion in sales during the past 12 months (about a sixth as much as Lockheed), earned $605 million in profit, and generated $792 million in positive FCF.
$50 Billion Is About to Flood Into Defense Stocks: Here’s Who Cashes In
NOC's Triton deal anchors NATO's $50B order wave while LMT's record $194B backlog shows pledges converting into signed, multi-year contracts. McGinn flags three gates before NATO pledges become revenue: U.S. congressional approval, European parliamentary votes, then actual contracts. Only backlog proves real business. Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT) is the clearest example of pledge-to-paper conversion. In its Q1 filing, CEO Jim Taiclet said the company signed framework agreements for advanced Patriot Missile, THAAD, and PrSM that will support raising production rates to 3 to 4 times current levels. That is a multi-year purchase commitment. Lockheed's backlog closed 2025 at a record $194 billion. General Dynamics (NYSE:GD) shows the same conversion, with a consolidated Q1 book-to-bill of 2-to-1 and total estimated contract value climbing to $188.4 billion from $178.9 billion. GD shares are up 9.75% YTD and 23% over the past year, so much of the good news is already in. The Pentagon's FY2027 request backs this up with real dollars. The DoW budget book earmarks $20.2 billion for the Defense Credit Account and over $100 billion in Defense Industrial Base investments, including $72.3 billion for Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment and Defense Production Act Title III. That is munitions and hypersonics money. CEO Eric DeMarco told investors on the Q1 call that "Fiscal 2027 National Security spend is currently projected to be $1.5 trillion, an approximate $400 billion increase above Fiscal Year 2026" and that the Department plans to spend the entire $156 billion Reconciliation Bill defense funding in fiscal 2026, covering Kratos' Valkyrie CCA, solid rocket motors, and hypersonics. Kratos beat Q1 EPS estimates by 23%, raised FY26 revenue guidance to $1.70-$1.76 billion, and announced a 100,000-square-foot expansion in Oklahoma City to boost Valkyrie production.
As SpaceX stock dips near IPO price, bulls like BofA's Epstein say buy on 'launch leadership'
But the entire case, he acknowledged, flows from launch economics. Epstein notes launch costs of roughly $10,000 to $20,000 per kilogram before Falcon 9, down to about $2,000 with Falcon 9, roughly $1,000 with Falcon Heavy, and potentially $50 to $100 per kilogram if Starship reaches full reusability. Reduced launch costs are "the superhighway to the stars," a new railroad opening markets "that people aren't even thinking of already." Ten years out, he predicted, SpaceX will be "in a very different place," most likely a better one.
SpaceX and AST SpaceMobile Fall 5%, Rocket Lab Sheds 4% as China Rocket Milestone and Oil Spike Hit Space Stocks
Shares of SpaceX (NASDAQ:SPCX) are down 5% to $138.58 in early Monday trading, a fresh record low that sits below the $150 debut price and well off the $225 peak on June 16. Rocket Lab (NASDAQ:RKLB) is off 4% to $78.10, and AST SpaceMobile (NASDAQ:ASTS) is down 5% to $69.82. The Procure Space ETF (NYSEARCA:UFO), the sector's cleanest proxy, is down 2% to $46. Bernstein maintained an Outperform rating and a $239 price target, arguing SpaceX still leads by a wide margin with about 165 launches last year and nearly a decade of Falcon 9 reuse, while China has one landing and has not demonstrated booster reuse.
Missed GE’s Aerospace Rally? XLI Holders Made More Money
GE Aerospace had a strong first quarter with orders growing 87% and revenue up 29% supporting double-digit growth in earnings and free cash flow. The company happens to be one of the biggest and cleanest expressions of it, which is why revenue jumped 24.7% year over year last quarter and orders grew 87%.
L3Harris, Sierra Space to build 36 satellites to expand U.S. missile-tracking network
The U.S. Space Force's Space Development Agency has awarded contracts worth about $1.75 billion to L3Harris Technologies and Sierra Space to build the next group of missile warning and missile defense satellites for its proliferated low Earth orbit constellation, the agency said July 13. L3Harris was awarded a contract worth about $955 million to build 18 missile defense satellites equipped with sensors similar to the Missile Defense Agency’s Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor, or HBTSS, across two orbital planes. Sierra Space received a contract valued at about $798 million to build 18 missile warning and missile tracking satellites across two orbital planes. The new satellites will be interoperable with Tracking Layer spacecraft already procured under Tranches 1, 2 and 3 and will operate through a common ground system, SDA said.
Defense spending lifts Europe’s space economy
European government space spending jumped 12% to 13.5 billion euros ($15.4 billion) in 2025, according to a July 13 European Space Agency report, bucking a 3% global decline on the back of rising national defense budgets. The United States still represented 58% of global government space budgets in 2025. China ranked second at 15%, followed by Europe at 11%. Germany has made Europe’s most significant near-term commitment with plans to invest 35 billion euros in space security and defense by 2030, while France is preparing an additional 4.2 billion euros for military space activities between 2026 and 2040. More broadly, ESA noted that 2025 marked the 11th consecutive annual rise in global military spending, which reached $2.9 trillion, with Europe the main contributor to the increase. According to the OECD, long-term gains will depend on procurement strategies that can foster innovation while containing costs, as well as cross-border coordination and harmonized standards to unlock economies of scale. The report also highlighted a widening gap for private space investment. While European space ventures raised around 1.4 billion euros in 2025, down 8%, global investment surged 60% to a record 11.7 billion euros.
Jim Cramer Warns “I Don’t Want to Own AT&T or Verizon” as Starlink Threatens Telecom Stocks
AT&T reported Q1 2026 adjusted EPS of $0.57 on revenue of $31.51 billion, with 584,000 internet net adds and advanced home internet revenue up 27.3% to $2.80 billion after closing the Lumen Mass Markets fiber deal on February 2, 2026. Verizon (NYSE:VZ) shares slipped 8.78% in the past month, though the stock remains up 8.61% year to date. New CEO Dan Schulman delivered the first positive Q1 postpaid phone net adds since 2013, and the closed acquisition of Frontier pushed fiber connections up 41.9% year over year to roughly 10.8 million. Charter Communications (NASDAQ:CHTR) is the most exposed name in the group. Shares have fallen 67.45% over the past year and 37.37% year to date. Internet customer losses accelerated to 120,000 in Q1 2026 from 59,000 a year earlier, and Q1 EPS of $9.17 missed the $10.08 consensus. T-Mobile US (NASDAQ:TMUS) sits in a strange spot on this note. The company already partners with SpaceX on direct-to-cell service, which implies Starlink won’t be a pure competitive threat. Shares are down 16.23% over the past year but rallied 5.68% last week.
Voyager Technologies Completes Astrobotic Acquisition And Was Just Awarded a $298 Million Contract From NASA
$298 million, Voyager wrote. It's part of an ambitious NASA initiative that aims to — you guessed it — build a long-term, permanent base on that cold rock in space. It's a complex, three-phase program with phase one (learn, test, build) slated to run until 2029. Voyager Lunar Systems will be instrumental in the current phase, as it'll deliver many of the foundational instruments, structures, and systems required for the project. These include the former Astrobotic’s solar energy generation and wireless power distribution network, LunaGrid, and a set of inflatable habitation structures from business partner Max Space. Not every investor is on board
29 Wall Street Analysts Priced SpaceX. Here Is the Target Worth Paying Attention To
SpaceX is now looking to go even further, literally and figuratively. The company's next-gen rocket, Starship, is fully reusable, unlike its current flagship rocket, Falcon 9, which is only partially reusable. Starship can also carry much larger and heavier payloads. For instance, the company's Starlink, which offers internet connectivity through a constellation of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites, is by far the leader in this niche, with more satellites in orbit than any of its competitors -- a feat it achieved largely through innovations in space travel. That may explain the $800 price target the analyst set for the stock, which represents an upside of almost 482% from current levels.
Bio
HSBC downgrades AstraZeneca after key trial failure
The Wainua phase III trial in a form of heart disease to meet its primary endpoint. HSBC said success in that study had underpinned its positive stance, and the outcome was worse than either it or management had expected. It said the path to more than $80 billion in peak revenues by 2030 still existed but now relied on more volatile catalysts, most of which read out in 2027.
The Real Case for Buying Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) Before July 15
JNJ has beaten earnings four consecutive quarters, with Q1 revenue jumping 10% to $24 billion and full-year guidance raised above $100 billion. Johnson & Johnson walked into 2026 with clear acceleration. Q1 revenue hit $24.06 billion, up 9.9% year over year, and adjusted EPS of $2.70 marked the fourth consecutive beat. Management raised full-year guidance to $100.30B to $101.30B in revenue and $11.45 to $11.65 in adjusted EPS, and CEO Joaquin Duato told investors JNJ is "delivering on its promise for a year of accelerated growth and impact." The Income Case Writes Itself Dividend Kings do not go on sale often. JNJ has now raised its payout for 64 consecutive years, with the most recent hike of 3.1% pushing the quarterly to $1.34 per share. Backing that check is $19.7 billion in FY2025 free cash flow and $26.80 billion in net income, which grew 90.56%.
Merck (MRK) Stock Looks Like A Bargain At This Price
Over 5 years, Merck has returned 87.4%. This puts current buyers in the position of judging whether that past compounding already reflects much of the company's progress. The Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model for Merck estimates the value of the stock based on its expected future free cash flows. Over the latest twelve-month period, Merck generated about $14.0 billion in free cash flow, with the model assuming growing cash flows from this base and applying a 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity framework. That cash flow profile leads to an estimated intrinsic value of about $225 per share, compared with the current $123.54 price, which implies the stock appears around 45.2% undervalued on this model. Merck currently trades on a P/E of about 34.1x, compared with roughly 14.9x for the wider Pharmaceuticals industry and around 26.5x for its peer group.
Abbott Labs Vs. Pfizer: Which Discounted Healthcare Titan Screens as the Bigger Value Trap?
Abbott’s Q1 revenue hit $11.16B, with Medical Devices up +13.2% to $5.54B. Pfizer posted $14.45B in revenue, with Oncology up 9% to $3.83B and Padcev surging 39%.
Why Q32 Bio Stock Skyrocketed Today
A Phase 2a clinical study of Q32 Bio's investigational antibody treatment, bempikibart, in patients with severe or very severe alopecia areata met its primary efficacy goal. Patients who received bempikibart during the 36-week trial showed an average reduction in scalp hair loss severity of 35%. These findings strengthen our confidence in the therapeutic potential of this mechanism and its continued advancement as a differentiated treatment option for patients living with alopecia areata and other autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, Q32 Bio chief scientific officer Shelia Violette said. Oppenheimer analyst Jay Olson reiterated his outperform rating on the stock and doubled his price forecast to $40.
Consumer / Retail
Dellia Group mulls options after interest in fruit-snacks firm
In the first quarter of fiscal 2026, Dellia recorded revenue of Nkr214.4m ($21.9m), marking an increase of 76.3% from the corresponding quarter in the previous year. Operating profit in the quarter came to Nkr20.4m, up 32.4% from a year earlier. In the 2025 financial year, Dellia posted revenue of Nkr638.3m, against Nkr266m in the previous 12 months. Operating profit for the full year climbed to Nkr74.5m from Nkr12.6m.
This Portfolio Lets You Earn More Than a Lawyer… Without Going to Law School
The median annual wage for lawyers was $151,160 in May 2024, and attorneys in higher-paid roles can clear $200,000 or more. A blended 3.5% yield growing 7% to 8% annually doubles its income in roughly nine to 10 years without selling a share, if that growth rate persists. The portfolio is 98.9% occupied and recycling capital into new acquisitions at 7.1% initial cash yields. Main Street Capital (NYSE:MAIN), a BDC lending to lower middle-market businesses, yields 6.1% on regular distributions and adds quarterly supplementals (currently $0.30 on top of $0.26 monthly). The 10-year Treasury recently yielded about 4.4%, and the federal funds target range was 3.50% to 3.75%.
Shein eyes Hong Kong IPO as early as September
According to sources with direct knowledge of the matter, the company faced a lengthy wait for official clearance, as the decision required sign-off from top levels of the Communist Party. If the listing succeeds, Shein will invest in logistics, technology and supply chain operations to compete with rivals such as Temu.
Lazard Report Finds Renewables Still Lead on Cost as Power Demand Soars
Lazard said solar and wind continue to offer the lowest unsubsidized levelized cost of new generation and are expected to account for most near-term U.S. capacity additions. The report argues that meeting rapidly growing electricity demand will require a diverse generation portfolio rather than reliance on a single technology. Battery energy storage costs increased this year, reversing recent declines.
5 questions Chipotle must answer to break out of its 2026 stock slump
Total revenue grew 7.4% to $3.1 billion, driven primarily by new restaurant openings and a 0.5% increase in same-store sales. Higher transaction volume of 0.6% was partially offset by a slight dip in average check size. The first quarter same-store sales result marked an improvement from the 2.5% drop in the fourth quarter and a 0.4% decline in the first quarter of last year. Management maintained a conservative full-year outlook, projecting that same-store sales will remain roughly flat in 2026. Second quarter same-store sales are expected to be up 1% amid solid demand trends in April.
Volkswagen CEO Oliver Blume warns of 100,000 total job cuts
Volkswagen had been reported in late June as considering up to 100,000 total job cuts and the shutdown of four German factories, a scale that would represent the most sweeping restructuring in the automaker's history. A union agreement reached in late 2024 had already committed the company to eliminating around 50,000 positions by 2030, with departure agreements covering more than 28,000 employees across Volkswagen, Audi, Porsche, and software unit CARIAD already signed as of the company's June annual general meeting. Last Thursday, Volkswagen also outlined a restructuring plan that would cut its model lineup by as much as half and reduce global production capacity to 9 million vehicles per year, down from roughly 12 million before the pandemic.
Shein wins China approval for Hong Kong IPO at $40 billion valuation
Shein received approval from China's securities regulator on Friday for a Hong Kong initial public offering, clearing a major obstacle in its years-long effort to go public. The company expects to issue 341.6 million H shares in the offering, according to the China Securities Regulatory Commission. A listing could come together as early as the third quarter of this year, with the company targeting a valuation of $40 billion to $50 billion, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The Market Could Crack This Summer: 5 Defensive High-Yielding Dividend Stocks to Buy Now
Altria leads its peer group with a high yet secure 5.91% dividend yield, backed by a stable 82% cash payout ratio. Enbridge announced its 31st consecutive annual dividend increase in 2026, lifting the payout by another 3%, and has paid dividends for over 70 years. Realty Income is an S&P 500 company that acquires and manages freestanding commercial properties that generate rental revenue under long-term net lease agreements with its commercial clients. It has paid 667 consecutive monthly dividends as of early 2026 and increased its dividend 132 times since its 1994 IPO. VICI Properties owns 93 experiential assets across a geographically diverse portfolio of 54 gaming properties and 39 other experiential properties across the United States and Canada. The portfolio comprises approximately 127 million square feet and features approximately 60,300 hotel rooms, as well as over 500 restaurants, bars, nightclubs, and sportsbooks. Verizon provides a range of communications, technology, information, and entertainment products and services to consumers, businesses, and government entities worldwide. With a very predictable revenue stream from telecom services, the company has less exposure to commodity cycles. In addition, the large scale helps in financing and absorbing shocks. Publish rep[orts indicate that management has increased the dividend for 20 consecutive years and expects at least $21.5 billion in free cash flow this year.
The Cash Machine The Market Put On Sale: VZ
Verizon Communications (VZ) hands back 11.2% of its market value in free cash each year, while the median S&P 500 company returns just 4.1%. The cash generation at this $139.15 billion revenue business is rooted in durable, high-margin operations. Verizon's operating margin sits at 21%, holding steady with its three-year average and comfortably above the S&P 500 median. Consumer postpaid phone churn improved to below 85 basis points in March, and management reported its cost of acquisition and retention was down approximately 35% from the end of the prior quarter. Trailing twelve-month revenue growth of 2.8% already lags the S&P 500 median of 7.5%.
Starbucks: Using AI To Cut Costs While Compounding Dividends And EPS
Starbucks (SBUX) delivered Q2 revenue of $9.53B and 22% YoY EPS growth, confirming its turnaround and justifying a bullish outlook. - SBUX raised FY2026 guidance, with global comps up 6.2%, margin expansion, and a robust 15-year dividend growth track record supporting its investment case. - Operational improvements, a $2B cost savings program leveraging AI, and international expansion—especially in India and China—are key forward growth drivers. - Despite a 44x FY2026 P/E and balance sheet risks, I see SBUX’s forward earnings growth and capital allocation as compelling for long-term investors.
BofA turns bearish on Papa John’s, sees limited upside amid fierce competition
The exit of CFO Ravi Thanawala, who is leaving for a role at American Eagle Outfitters after less than three years, raises doubts about the likelihood of a near-term recovery in same-store sales. BofA also warned that competition in the U.S. pizza market has intensified, with larger rival Domino's benefiting from greater scale, lower operating costs and stronger franchise economics. The firm noted that Papa John's posted negative first-quarter same-store sales growth despite easier comparisons and said the company continues to lag its biggest competitor in customer value and profitability. Reflecting weaker demand trends, the brokerage lowered its second-quarter North American same-store sales growth forecast to a 6.7% decline from a 6.4% decline previously, while trimming its international growth estimate to 2.5% from 3.5%.
Bank of America Expands Regional Investment Banking Coverage, Adds Nine Key Senior Hires Across the U.S.
The U.S. middle market remains a key strategic priority and significant growth opportunity for Bank of America and its Global Corporate & Investment Banking and Global Commercial Banking businesses. These senior additions reflect the bank's continued commitment to expanding its middle market coverage, enabling it to broaden coverage across its Global Commercial Banking franchise, deepen client relationships, and meet the growing demand for strategic advice, capital markets solutions and M&A expertise. It also underscores Bank of America's belief in the long-term strength of the U.S. middle market, a powerful engine of growth, job creation and investment across the nation. Working closely with Global Commercial Banking, Merrill, Private Bank and Local Market Organization, Regional Investment Banking helps bring together Bank of America's global capabilities to deliver integrated, relationship-driven advice and tailored solutions to middle market clients. This model brings global perspectives and resources to clients at the local level, while helping them access the insights, capital and expertise needed to grow and compete around the world. "Middle market companies play a vital role in driving business and economic growth across the U.S., and we continue to see significant opportunity to help these businesses grow, invest and achieve their objectives," said Mike Joo,Co-Head of Global Investment Banking. "We are pleased to welcome a highly accomplished group of bankers who bring an exceptional combination of advisory and sector experience, regional leadership and longstanding client relationships in many of the country's most important markets. These senior hires build on Bank of America's growing Regional Investment Banking footprint and continued investment in expanding its middle market coverage, which has added 20 cities since launching in 2016 and now spans more than 200 bankers across 26 U.S. cities. The business also maintained its #1 investment banking ranking among Global Commercial Banking clients for the third consecutive year while increasing share year over year.[1]
Prediction: MercadoLibre Will Join Amazon, Walmart, and Costco in the $50 Billion Revenue Club by 2027
In the 2026 first quarter, total revenue increased 49% year over year, with a 42% increase in gross merchandise volume (GMV) and a 41% increase in total payment volume. If MercadoLibre can continue to report similar growth over the next few quarters, it should easily reach $50 billion in trailing-12-month revenue by next year.
Wells Fargo Says Exiting Streaming Could Lift Disney Shares by 40% (DIS)
According to Wells Fargo, abandoning the costly streaming distribution model could allow Disney to generate more than $15 billion in annual licensing revenue by fiscal 2028. The broker estimates the strategy could increase earnings per share by roughly 10%, or more than $9 per share, by replacing lower-margin streaming economics with higher-margin licensing agreements. "What if DIS exited streaming in favor of the old licensing model?" Cahall asked. "We think Sony is getting >$1bn annually for its pay 1 movie deal. DIS commands 3x the global box office implying nearly $4bn for global pay 1 alone."
U.S. Natural Gas Power Costs Hit 17-Year High as Data Centre Demand Accelerates
The cost of generating electricity from natural gas-fired power plants in the United States has climbed to its highest level in at least 17 years, according to new research published by Lazard Inc. The investment bank's latest analysis shows the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) for combined-cycle gas plants increased to $90 per megawatt-hour in 2026, up from $78 per megawatt-hour a year earlier. Natural gas was not the only energy source to experience higher generation costs. Lazard reported that the levelized cost of utility-scale solar power increased to $69 per megawatt-hour, while onshore wind generation rose to $68 per megawatt-hour. Both technologies recorded increases of more than 10% from the previous year and reached their highest cost levels since at least 2014.
Claiming Social Security at 62, 67, or 70? The Difference Can Be More Than 75%
The Social Security Administration publishes maximum monthly benefits by claiming age for 2026. Someone claiming at 62 this year can receive a maximum of $2,969 per month. The same worker, had they waited until 70, would be eligible for up to $5,181. This is a gap of $2,212 a month, or more than $26,500 a year, for life. The good news is that most workers will not hit the maximum, which requires 35 years of earnings at or above the taxable wage cap, but the percentages hold regardless of where a worker falls on the earnings spectrum. For a more typical picture, consider that the average 62-year-old beneficiary collects around $1,424 per month based on recent SSA data, while the average 70-year-old collects around $2,275. This 60% difference in average benefits understates the real gap for workers who delay, because the 70-year-old average includes people who started collecting earlier and had their benefits bumped by cost-of-living adjustments, not the full delayed retirement credit.
UBS keeps GSK at 'neutral' with focus on chief executive's strategy update
The bank expects an update on how GSK is reprioritising its pipeline after its recent acquisition of Nuvalent. UBS forecasts full-year revenue of £33.4 billion, up from £32.7 billion in 2025, and core earnings of 175.5 pence a share. That growth of about 4% sits well below the company's guidance for a 7% to 9% increase at constant currency.
Chewy (CHWY) Stays Strong Amid Overstated Concerns
Chewy, Inc. (NYSE:CHWY) posted a one-month return of 7.96%, while its shares lost 44.78% over the past 52 weeks. "Consumer discretionary results were primarily driven by weakness in Chewy, Inc. (NYSE:CHWY), a leading online retailer of pet food, pet supplies and related services."
Blue Sky Drinks names CEO
"It's been a huge six months since the merger (with Gravity Drinks Co. and Top Shelf International) and we've achieved an enormous amount in that time, reducing A$10 million ($7m) of our cost base and increasing active outlets by 50%," founder and chairman Mick Spencer said.
Coke Is Trading at Its Steepest Premium to Pepsi in Years. History Says This Is What Happens Next.
Coke's 10-year median price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio is 27.7 -- only slightly higher than Pepsi's 10-year median P/E of 26. But today, Coke's forward P/E is 25.3 while Pepsi's has slumped to just 16 -- the widest disparity in years. Coke sells syrups and concentrates to its bottling partners, which mix, bottle, package, and distribute Coca-Cola products. Since Coca-Cola doesn't own or control most of its bottling partners, they effectively function as franchisees in the broader Coca-Cola system, whereas Pepsi's supply chain doesn't have the same operating leverage as Coke. Coke has been crushing Pepsi because it's growing its revenue and earnings more rapidly, its margins are far higher, and investors are willing to pay a higher price for Coke stock relative to its earnings than for Pepsi. Coke is guiding for only 4% to 5% organic revenue growth for the full year 2026. But its margins remain high, and earnings continue to grow faster than revenue. It also plans to generate $12.2 billion in 2026 free cash flow (FCF), which is plenty to cover its dividend. Pepsi's North American struggles continue Pepsi stock was tumbling on July 9 despite decent quarterly results. Investor concerns about declining consumer demand for salty snacks and sugary drinks, as well as inflationary pressures from higher oil prices, may be overshadowing the positives from the quarter. Coke and Pepsi can afford their growing dividends Coke is guiding for only 4% to 5% organic revenue growth for the full year 2026. But its margins remain high, and earnings continue to grow faster than revenue. It also plans to generate $12.2 billion in 2026 free cash flow (FCF), which is plenty to cover its dividend. By comparison, Pepsi is forecasting 2% to 4% fiscal 2026 revenue growth. It plans to convert 80% of earnings into FCF. Analyst consensus estimates have Pepsi earning $8.64 per share in fiscal 2026, which would be $6.91 in FCF based on the 80% conversion -- plenty to cover Pepsi's run rate annualized dividend of $5.92. Pepsi has progressed on some parts of that plan -- including adjustments to its food and beverage supply chains to lower costs in North American warehouses and fleet delivery. But ultimately, Pepsi will remain in prove it mode until its margins and earnings growth can return to the levels where investors are willing to give it a premium valuation.
Deckers Outdoor Shares Climb After Jefferies Upgrades Stock to Buy (DECK)
Management expects high-single-digit revenue growth, operating margins to remain in the low-20% range and low-double-digit earnings per share growth, supported by ongoing share repurchases. Although Anderson expects EBIT growth to moderate to approximately the high-single-digit range, compared with a compound annual growth rate of around 20% over the past six years, he believes the slower growth profile is already reflected in the stock's valuation. The brokerage also views the company's gross margin outlook as conservative, suggesting there could be an additional $50 million to $100 million of upside as the financial year progresses.
Genesco Gets Home Run With Support of All Three Proxy Firms
Genesco received the support of independent advisory firm ISS, advising shareholders to vote for Genesco's slate for nine directors standing for election. ISS reasoned that the "dissidents have not made a compelling case for change. On Monday, Genesco said Glass Lewis & Co. and Egan-Jones Proxy Services — two other independent proxy advisory firms — have also determined that shareholders should vote for Genesco's nine directors on the "White" proxy card. Genesco disclosed that Glass Lewis noted in its report that "available materials indicate Genesco has more recently charted a reasonably favorable course under the stewardship of Ms. Vaughn and the board, underpinned, in particular, by an iterative strategic initiative that appears to be driving stronger operational performance, improved investor returns and buoyed guidance." In addition, the report from Egan-Jones concluded that the "recent trajectory of Genesco's fundamentals and operating execution supports maintaining the current board composition while the Footwear First strategy continues to gain traction, particularly given recovering cash flow, modestly improving profitability, and early evidence of successful Journeys repositioning and store remodel performance."
Keurig Dr Pepper Vs. Coca Cola: Buy Keurig Dr Pepper’s Upside Over Coca-Cola’s Expensive Low-Growth Premium
$3.98 billion in revenue, up 9.4% YoY, with adjusted EPS of $0.39. Coca-Cola pulled $12.47 billion in revenue, +12.1% YoY, and EPS of $0.86, its fourth straight beat. Comparable operating margin expanded 70 bps to 34.5%. Principal debt sits at $25.9B, with interest expense nearly doubling to $281M. Paying 14 times forward earnings for a business shedding its weakest segment and guiding to low-double-digit constant currency EPS growth looks like better math than paying 26 times for Coke’s 8-9% guided EPS growth.
Albertsons Companies (ACI) Slid Amid Multiple Headwinds
Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE:ACI) posted a one-month return of -0.67%, while its shares lost 33.30% over the past 52 weeks. Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE:ACI) – Supermarket operator Albertsons was a detractor in the quarter. While current comparable store sales are a percentage point or so below where they should and could be, the company still has more levers to pull to improve FCF per share at this very defensive business.
Robust Results Prove FedEx Corporation’s (FDX) Increased Focus and Higher Yield
Results continued to support our view that FedEx is becoming a more focused, higher-return business, with prior network investments, cost reductions, and mix improvement showing up in stronger earnings and cash generation. In the fiscal fourth quarter, the core Federal Express (FEC) segment grew revenue 14% and adjusted operating income 13%, helped by strong pricing, better mix, and continued growth in higher-value B2B end markets. Network 2.0 and related transformation initiatives are improving density and lowering the cost to serve, while capital discipline is driving better FCF conversion. Full-year capital spending was only 4% of revenue, the lowest level in FedEx's history, underscoring the opportunity for the company to convert more of its earnings into cash.
The 1 Costco Pricing Secret That Makes It the Most Unusual Retailer in America
Costco sells inventory before supplier invoices arrive, letting vendors finance its shelves and generating 29.1% ROE on just 3% profit margins. COST shares trade at roughly 37 times fiscal 2028 EPS, while 82.9 million members renewing near 92% power the long-term bull case. When a retailer sells a pallet of Kirkland detergent before the supplier invoice is due, the working capital cycle inverts. Suppliers effectively finance the shelves. That is why Costco can afford to run a reported gross margin of just 11.04% in Q3 2026 while net income still rose 15.19% to $2.19 billion on revenue of $70.53 billion, up 11.58% year over year.
JNJ Vs. KO: Which Dividend Stock Is The Better Buy?
JNJ posted $24.062 billion in revenue, up 9.9% year over year, with adjusted EPS of $2.70. Coca-Cola came in cleaner on the top line. Revenue rose 12.1% to $12.472 billion, with EPS of $0.86 beating by 5.87%.
JPMorgan, Morgan Stanley, Bank of America: Three Major Banks, Three Different Verdicts
JPMorgan grew EPS 17% year over year to $5.94. Morgan Stanley delivered record revenue of $20.58B with 27.1% ROTCE. Bank of America grew EPS 25% to $1.11. The stock trades at a forward P/E of 13 and price-to-book of just 1.536. Shares are up 10.47% YTD and 30.76% over one year, yet still leave room to run. Consensus target of $65.79 implies further upside, and ratings are the most bullish of the group: 6 Strong Buy, 15 Buy, 3 Hold, zero Sells. At $59.67, Bank of America screens as the most attractive of the three on valuation.
DIS Stock Gains Nearly 2% — Why Wells Fargo Says Disney Could Jump 40% If It Exits Streaming
Shares of Walt Disney Co. (DIS) rose nearly 2% early on Monday even as Wells Fargo said the entertainment giant should consider exiting the streaming business and refocusing on producing rather than distributing content. Wells Fargo maintained its ‘Overweight’ rating on Disney but cut its price target to $125 from $146. Even after the reduction, the new target implies an upside of nearly 31% from Friday’s closing price. If Disney pivots back toward content production, the stock could rally as much as 40%, Wells Fargo said in a note to clients, according to a report in CNBC. The firm stated that Disney's content is becoming more valuable while its distribution business is falling behind rivals, with competition among streaming platforms expected to intensify. Wells Fargo said Disney's intellectual property continues to appreciate in value. According to a July analysis by the United Nations' intellectual property agency, intangible investments, including patents, trademarks and other intellectual property, grew at an annual rate of 5.5% between 2020 and 2025, compared with 3.2% for tangible investments, reported CNBC. According to data from Koyfin, 27 of the 30 analysts covering DIS rate it ‘Buy’ or ‘Strong Buy,’ while 2 rate it ‘Hold’ and 1 rates it ‘Sell.’ The 12-month average target on the stock is $129.67, representing a potential upside of around 36% from the last close.
Walmart remains ahead of its rivals as it continues to slash prices
Walmart's pricing favorability was 65.7% in June, compared to 64.9% from a year ago. Walmart's value favorability has also modestly improved to 44.9% this June from 44.6% a year ago. Walmart had 7,200 price cuts across the business in the first quarter. Global e-commerce sales surged 22% year over year, thanks to the ongoing popularity of store pickup, home delivery, and its expanded online marketplace. In the closely watched US segment, comparable sales excluding fuel grew by 4.5%.
Lumen Technologies (LUMN) Could Be 22% Undervalued After Its New Palo Alto Security Launch
Lumen Technologies is trying to reposition itself around AI driven security, yet its shares have already swung sharply over the past few years. Is this still a solid telecom and security platform at a sensible price today? Lumen's large pipeline of AI-driven network infrastructure and Platform Connectivity Fiber (PCF) contracts, particularly with hyperscalers and data center providers, positions the company to capture long-duration, higher-margin recurring revenues from explosive data growth, benefiting long-term revenue and margin expansion. The fair value story for Lumen hinges on a detailed earnings rebuild, shifting mix away from legacy lines, and a future profit multiple that sits below current industry benchmarks but still requires meaningful margin improvement and steady cash generation to line up with the modeled target.
Sandisk Stock Plunged Today. Analysts Say Buy the Dip.
Goldman Sachs analyst James Schneider, for one, boosted his price forecast for Sandisk's shares from $1,200 to $2,200 and reaffirmed his buy rating. Schneider sees the memory chipmaker's adjusted earnings for 2026 coming in almost 30% above consensus estimates, fueled by surging orders from large cloud computing providers. Evercore analyst Amit Daryanani, for another, lifted his price target from $1,400 to $3,100. Daryanani sees Sandisk's recent profit boom lasting longer than many investors expect, as AI-driven demand for memory continues to outpace supply next year and possibly beyond.
American Express (AXP) Gets A JPMorgan Upgrade As Consumer Spending Concerns Build
American Express remains closely tied to global consumer and business spending, from premium charge cards to corporate travel and expense services. JPMorgan's upgrade and Evercore ISI's higher price objective indicate that several large institutions see American Express's premium customer base and revenue mix as relatively resilient within consumer finance. Recognition such as the HealthTrust Supplier of the Year award and ongoing expansion of corporate and B2B payment solutions point to durable relationships that can support fee income even when consumer conditions are tougher.
Robinhood Reportedly Eyes First Credit Card-Backed Bond Sale Worth Up To $500M: Retail Cheers 'Positive' Signal
According to a Bloomberg report citing a person familiar with the matter, the brokerage firm is seeking investor interest for an asset-backed securities (ABS) offering for at least $400 million and potentially as high as $500 million. The bond sale would be backed by bills issued by the company's branded consumer credit cards, according to the report.
Walmart Just Declared Its 53rd Dividend Increase. Here's How Much $10,000 Invested Pays Annually.
Walmart's dividend yield isn't high, though, especially at its higher price. It has steadily decreased from a high of 3% 10 years ago to 0.85% today. At its recent price, $10,000 gets you 87 shares, and Walmart pays $0.99 per share as of the new raise, up from $0.94 last year, so 87 shares only get you $86.13 in annual dividends.
BP Flags Stronger Q2 Refining and Lower Output on Maintenance and Disruptions
BP said its second-quarter results are expected to benefit from significantly stronger oil realizations and refining margins, even as upstream production falls because of seasonal maintenance and supply disruptions in the Middle East. In a trading update released ahead of its Aug. 4 earnings report, the company forecast reported upstream production of 2.17 million to 2.22 million barrels of oil equivalent per day (boe/d), down from 2.339 million boe/d in the first quarter. The decline reflects planned maintenance, primarily in the Gulf of America, along with the ongoing impact of disruptions in the Middle East. Gas and low-carbon energy production is expected to reach 750,000-770,000 boe/d, while oil production and operations are forecast at 1.42 million-1.45 million boe/d. Despite lower output, BP expects higher commodity prices to provide a substantial earnings boost. Oil production and operations realizations are projected to improve underlying replacement cost profit before interest and tax by $1.8 billion to $2.1 billion compared with the first quarter, while gas and low-carbon energy realizations are expected to contribute an additional $500 million to $700 million. Gas marketing and trading results are expected to remain broadly unchanged quarter over quarter. The customers and products segment is also expected to benefit from stronger market conditions. BP forecasts seasonally higher fuel volumes, improved fuel margins, and refining gains of $1.2 billion to $1.4 billion. Refinery throughput is expected to decline to 1.445 million-1.475 million barrels per day due to planned turnaround activity and reduced volumes at the Whiting refinery following an April third-party incident that has since been resolved. Oil trading performance is expected to be slightly stronger than in the first quarter. The company expects exploration write-offs of about $500 million during the quarter, largely related to the sale of its Bay du Nord project in Canada. Second-quarter results are also expected to include approximately $1 billion in post-tax impairment charges, primarily linked to transition businesses within its gas and low-carbon energy segment. These charges will be excluded from underlying replacement cost profit. BP forecast net debt of $22 billion to $23 billion at the end of the second quarter, down from $25.3 billion at the end of March. The reduction comes despite the redemption of €2.5 billion in perpetual hybrid bonds, a $1.1 billion Gulf of America settlement payment and a modest working capital build. Combined net debt, hybrid capital, and Gulf of America settlement liabilities are expected to decline by $6.3 billion to $7.3 billion from the previous quarter.
Shein targets up to $3bn in Hong Kong IPO, could launch by August – report
Shein has come under pressure from shareholders to reduce its valuation to $30bn, down from the more than $90bn it had previously reached.
Ericsson Q2 Earnings Call Highlights
Chief Financial Officer Lars Sandström said second-quarter net sales totaled SEK 52.7 billion, with organic sales declining 1% year over year. Excluding a one-off intellectual property rights settlement recorded in the prior-year quarter, organic sales grew 1%, Sandström said. Reported sales fell 6%, including a negative currency impact of SEK 1.8 billion. Adjusted gross income was SEK 25.5 billion, and adjusted gross margin was 48.4%, slightly higher than a year earlier. Ekholm said gross margin was up 2 percentage points when excluding the benefit from the one-off IPR settlement in the second quarter of 2025. Adjusted EBITDA was SEK 6.9 billion, down SEK 0.5 billion from a year earlier, while the EBITDA margin was 13.1%, in line with last year. Cloud Software and Services reported sales rose 3% to SEK 14.7 billion, including a negative currency impact of SEK 0.4 billion. Organic sales increased 5%, with growth across all market areas. Adjusted gross margin improved to 44.1% from 43.2% a year earlier, supported by improved delivery efficiency. Adjusted EBITDA rose to SEK 1.8 billion, with a margin of 14.2%. Enterprise reported sales fell 19%, affected by the sale of iconectiv and currency movements. On an organic basis, the segment grew 3%, driven by Global Communications Platform and Enterprise Wireless Solutions. Adjusted gross margin declined to 50.9%, reflecting the impact of the iconectiv divestment and product mix. Adjusted EBITDA was negative SEK 0.8 billion, though Sandström said it improved from the first quarter as operating expenses declined. Free cash flow before mergers and acquisitions was SEK 0.4 billion in the quarter. Sandström said cash flow was supported by earnings but affected by higher operating net assets, mainly inventories. Inventory increased by about SEK 5 billion, with most of the build tied to finished goods intended for delivery in the third quarter and a smaller portion related to higher component costs. Ericsson expects Networks sales growth to be above the three-year average quarter-on-quarter seasonality. Cloud Software and Services sales growth is expected to be broadly similar to the three-year average seasonality. Ericsson expects Networks adjusted gross margin of 48% to 50%, down slightly from the second quarter due to mix, including a higher share of rollout projects. Ekholm said the radio access network market remains something Ericsson plans for as "rather flattish," even as he expressed optimism about longer-term demand tied to AI-driven network usage. He said the company is seeing emerging demand for uplink traffic and believes future AI applications in the physical world could require high-performing mobile connectivity, low latency and stronger indoor coverage. "I think there is a real case to start to be a bit more optimistic about our industry and the RAN market," Ekholm said, while adding that Ericsson must remain disciplined and avoid building its cost structure on speculation before demand materializes.
Chinese vehicle sales decline 3% in June
Sales of Chinese-made vehicles, including exports, declined by 3.2% to 2.81 million units in June 2026 after rising by 14% to 2.904 million units a year earlier, according to passenger car and commercial vehicle wholesale data compiled by the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM).
Where Will Walmart Stock Be in 5 Years?
In its fiscal first quarter of 2027 (the period ended April 30, 2026), total revenue rose 7.3% to $177.8 billion. Comparable sales in the U.S., excluding fuel, grew 4.1% -- healthy, but a notch below the 4.5% it posted a year earlier. Membership fee income climbed 17.4% globally. And e-commerce sales rose 26%, now about 23% of net sales. For the full year, Walmart reiterated guidance for non-GAAP (adjusted) operating income to grow 6% to 8% and adjusted earnings per share of $2.75 to $2.85, up only about 6% from the prior year. Assume Walmart compounds earnings at 8% to 10% a year, a bit above current guidance and generous to the high-margin businesses. The single most important factor, then, isn't comparable sales or the next holiday quarter. It's whether the high-margin engines, advertising above all, keep growing fast enough to keep investors excited about the growth story and ultimately defend the valuation premium.
Others
InMode expects Q2 revenue above estimates
InMode (INMD) expects preliminary revenue in the range of $95.2M to $95.4M (consensus estimate: $92.65M) for the second quarter of 2026, with full year 2026 revenue expected between $365M and $375M ($370.03M estimate).
Gjensidige Forsikring ASA (GJNSY) Q2 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
In May, NOK 3.1 billion was distributed to customers in Norway, corresponding to 11% of premiums paid last year.
POMDOCTOR regains compliance with Nasdaq minimum bid
POMDOCTOR (NASDAQ:POM) said on Monday that Nasdaq confirmed the company had regained compliance with the $1 minimum bid price requirement on July 10. Nasdaq determined the company's American depositary shares closed at or above $1.00 for 10 consecutive business days from June 25 through July 9, regaining compliance with Listing Rule 5450(a)(1).
Tonix rises on Medicare payer deal for fibromyalgia drug
Tonix Pharmaceuticals (TNXP) said it secured a managed Medicare payer agreement for its fibromyalgia treatment TONMYA (cyclobenzaprine HCl sublingual tablets), expanding coverage to about 9 million Medicare beneficiaries and bringing its total pharmacy coverage to approximately 145 million lives, effective Jan. 1, 2027.
PageGroup plc (MPGPY) Q2 2026 Sales/Trading Call Transcript
Q2 gross profit was GBP 197.6 million, a decline of 0.2% in constant currencies. For the first half, we delivered gross profit of GBP 385.2 million, a decline of 2.4% in constant currencies. We reduced our fee earner headcount by 80 or 1.6% during Q2, mainly in France and Northern Europe. Overall, the group ended the quarter with 4,914 fee earners and a total headcount of 6,679. Despite the challenging conditions, gross profit per fee earner, our measure of productivity, remained high and grew 5% versus Q2 2025.
VitalHub acquires Buddy Healthcare
Vitalhub (VHI:CA) announced on Monday that it has acquired Buddy Healthcare, a care coordination platform based in Finland, for a total up-front consideration of €8.6M, plus potential performance-based consideration. The purchase price paid at closing was composed of a cash payment
Chasing a 10% Dividend Yield? Here’s What Most Retirees Overlook
A 10% dividend yield sounds like exactly what a retiree needs, as 10% on a $500,000 portfolio is $50 annually in income, paid out regularly, without selling a single share. Payout ratios above 90% leave companies zero buffer, making dividend cuts inevitable the moment earnings dip even slightly. A stock paying $2 per share annually at a $40 price yields 5%, but if that same stock drops to $20, the yield jumps to 10%, even though nothing about the business has improved. Companies with payout ratios pushing 90% or above have very little cushion. When earnings dip, even modestly, there is nothing left to absorb the shortfall, and the dividend becomes the first thing on the chopping block. NAV Erosion in High-Yield ETFs Of course, the problem also extends beyond individual stocks, as many ultra-high-yield funds, particularly those built around synthetic covered call strategies, distribute more cash than they actually generate from underlying positions. The shortfall gets made up by returning capital to shareholders, which quietly erodes the fund's net asset value over time. A static payout doesn't protect purchasing power, it just maintains the nominal check while the real value quietly fades. Taxes are the second, as income from certain high-yield structures like real estate investment trusts and business development companies is frequently taxed as ordinary income rather than at the lower qualified dividend rate. That can knock a meaningful percentage off the after-tax yield before a retiree spends a dollar of it. A stock that yields 3.5% today but raises its dividend by 7% annually doubles that income in roughly a decade without requiring any additional investment.
Why I've (Reluctantly) Sold My ClearPoint Neuro Position
I have exited my position in ClearPoint Neuro due to persistent negative margins and lack of progress toward profitability. CLPT continues to grow revenues, but cash flows and margins remain deeply negative, with margins still below -60%. Significant shareholder dilution has occurred as CLPT finances growth through frequent share issuances, raising concerns for current investors.
Netflix Q2 Earnings Preview: What To Expect From Upcoming Report
Analysts expect Netflix to post earnings of $0.79 per share on revenue of about $12.58 billion. The company previously projected second-quarter revenue of roughly $12.57 billion, representing about 13.5% growth from a year earlier, while maintaining its full-year revenue outlook of $50.7 billion to $51.7 billion. Advertising remains a key area for Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX) after its ad-supported tier surpassed 250 million monthly active users worldwide. The company has also said it aims to double advertising revenue to around $3 billion in 2026 and plans to expand the lower-priced service into additional international markets.
Morgan Stanley Sees 10%+ EPS Growth Fueling Broader Stock Rally
Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS), whose equity strategists track U.S. markets, expects the stock-market rally to broaden beyond the largest technology companies as earnings growth strengthens across the wider market. Strategists led by Michael Wilson highlighted that the median company in the S&P 1500 Composite Index is delivering earnings-per-share growth of more than 10%, representing the strongest performance since the post-Covid recovery. The second-quarter earnings season begins Tuesday with results from the major banks, while analysts expect S&P 500 (SPY) companies to report a 23% increase in profits, according to Bloomberg Intelligence data.
Japan’s largest security token platform moves nearly $3 billion to Avalanche blockchain
Progmat develops security token infrastructure that accounts for 64.6% of Japan’s security token market total issuance value.
Longleaf Partners Fund exits BIO
Longleaf Partners Fund underperformed with a return of 3.87% in Q2, as compared to the S&P 500's 15.20% gain and the Russell 1000 Value Index's 13.87% advance. The fund initiated one new position in a healthcare company during Q2 2026. In Q2 2026, the fund exited Bio-Rad (NYSE: BIO).
Kenvue gains after court victory in case over Tylenol purported links to autism (update)
Kenvue (KVUE) rose 5% in after hours trading after a court ruled in its favor in a class action lawsuit alleging prenatal exposure to Tylenol may contribute to autism or attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.
A dozen states file lawsuit to block Paramount Skydance-Warner Bros. Discovery merger
State attorneys general from a dozen states including California, New York and Washington filed a lawsuit to block Paramount Skydance's $110 billion takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery.
Aspen-Owned $4B RIA Summitry Founder Steps Down, Elevates Two Co-CEOs
Summitry, the first registered investment advisor to be bought by RIA holding firm Aspen Standard Wealth, has announced a leadership change that will see its founder and CEO step into an executive chairman role. Colin Higgins founded Summitry in 2003 and eventually sold a majority stake to Aspen Standard in November 2024. Higgins helped build the firm to about $4 billion in client assets and has promoted President Alex Katz and Chief Operating Officer Conor Wilkes to co-CEOs. Katz will focus on identifying and servicing new clients, leading investment and financial planning offerings, and growth strategies, while Wilkes will work on operations and client experience. The firm did not immediately comment on the new ownership structure following the transition. Katz, Wilkes and Chief Compliance Officer Lynn Rouse are the only individuals listed as having stakes in the firm as of the latest Form ADV from June 30, with Aspen Standard Group holding more than 75%. Higgins will continue to provide strategic guidance and work with Aspen Standard to support new RIA partnerships, identify advisor talent and expand artificial intelligence-enabled service capabilities. The San Francisco-based RIA is part of a growing network of Aspen Standard RIA holding companies, which was founded and run by CEO Aly Kassim-Lakha. On July 7, the New York-based Aspen acquired its eighth firm with a deal for Kalamazoo, Mich.-based CWS Financial Advisors, a team of 10 managing $1.3 billion in client assets.
US bank earnings could surprise to the upside as Bank of America highlights strong operating backdrop
US banks could deliver broad earnings beats as strong capital markets activity, resilient economic conditions and improving wealth management flows support second-half 2026 and fiscal 2027 earnings revisions, Bank of America analysts wrote in a note ahead of the sector's upcoming earnings reports. The firm wrote that it expects all eight major banks it covers, including JPMorgan Chase & Co (NYSE:JPM, XETRA:CMC), Citigroup Inc (NYSE:C), Wells Fargo & Co (NYSE:WFC, XETRA:NWT), Goldman Sachs Group Inc (NYSE:GS, XETRA:GOS), Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS), Bank of New York Mellon Corp (NYSE:BK, XETRA:BN9), State Street Corp (NYSE:STT) and Northern Trust Corp (NASDAQ:NTRS), to exceed both Bank of America and consensus earnings-per-share estimates. JPMorgan Chase is among the stocks Bank of America views as having the most asymmetric risk-reward setup heading into results. The firm wrote that investors remain focused on management's cautious commentary around current earnings levels, with executives previously warning that the bank may be "over-earning" in the near term. However, Bank of America expects stronger capital markets revenue to support second-quarter earnings, raising its EPS estimate to $5.59 from $5.48. Citigroup could also see continued momentum, with Bank of America writing that the company's conservative guidance contrasts with a strong operating environment. The firm expects stronger capital markets revenue to lift its second-quarter EPS estimate to $2.65 from $2.60, while noting that investors will be watching progress toward return on tangible common equity targets. For Wells Fargo, Bank of America wrote that investor focus will remain on net interest income growth and whether the bank can achieve its targeted returns while executing its broader growth strategy. The firm maintained its second-quarter EPS estimate of $1.72, noting that confidence around Wells Fargo's ability to deliver on its net interest income outlook could be key for the stock's performance following results. Morgan Stanley enters earnings with positive momentum tied to its wealth management business, trading operations and international franchise, according to Bank of America. The firm wrote that investors will be watching net new asset growth in wealth management, particularly following recent initial public offerings and continued integration benefits from its workplace business. Bank of America raised its second-quarter EPS estimate for Morgan Stanley to $2.81 from $2.71 due to stronger capital markets revenue expectations.
Merck KGaA institutes in-office requirement for US research team that could lead to 70 layoffs
Merck KGaA's U.S. research site has instituted a new in-office work requirement that may lead to the imminent departure of as many as 70 staffers.
Q32 Bio announces $200M offering of common stock and pre-funded warrants
Q32 Bio (QTTB) announced on Monday that it has commenced an underwritten public offering of $200M of shares of its common stock and, in lieu of common stock to certain investors, pre-funded warrants to purchase shares of its common stock.
Erasca announces $500M common stock offering
Erasca (ERAS) announced on Monday that it intends to offer and sell $500.0 million of shares of its common stock in a proposed underwritten public offering. All the shares of common stock to be sold in the proposed offering are
Ironwood: Linzess Buys Time, But Apraglutide's rNPV Doesn't Close The Gap
Ironwood Pharmaceuticals (IRWD) is in a race against time. Its flagship asset, Linzess, which is co-commercialized in the US (profits are split 50/50) with AbbVie (ABBV), is set to face generic competition as early as March 2029.
Agoda Unveils Taiwan H1 Travel Insights: Bangkok Exits Top Five; Philippines Leads Inbound Travel Interest Growth
While Thailand has traditionally been a go-to destination for Taiwanese travelers, Agoda reports that Bangkok has dropped out of the top five most popular destinations in H1 2026. Taking its place is Busan, South Korea's second-largest city. According to Busan Metropolitan Government statistics, Taiwan was the top source market for Busan in the first quarter of the year, with over 200,000 Taiwanese visitors. Hong Kong continues to rank as Taiwan's largest source market, reflecting strong short-haul travel demand and frequent cross-border movement. The Philippines, meanwhile, has emerged as the fastest-growing inbound market with a 53% increase in travel interest to Taiwan compared to H1 last year. According to Taiwan Tourism Administration data, more than 210,000 Filipino travelers visited Taiwan in the first quarter of 2026, representing a 43% year-on-year increase.
Conagra and 6 More Food Stock Dividends That Are at Risk
Conagra Brands' dividend might face a cut this week. A terrible environment for consumer staples is putting pressure on plenty of other food stocks' payouts too, especially candy and meat companies. Conagra Brands has seen its shares tumble 17% this year, pushing its dividend yield north of 10%.
China’s Crude Oil Imports Crash to Decade Low as Hormuz Crisis Bites
China's crude oil imports crashed to a decade-low in June as the reduced flows through the Strait of Hormuz hiked oil prices and reduced refiners' appetite for costly crude. Overall Chinese imports of crude oil plunged by 41.3% in June from a year earlier, to just 29.27 million tons, or 7.12 million barrels per day (bpd), according to official Chinese customs data released on Tuesday. The June volumes hit a decade low as they were at their lowest level since October 2016, according to the data series. Chinese crude oil imports extended the decline from May, falling by another 12% in June from the prior month. Imports in May had crashed to an eight-year low, and further slid in June to a decade-low. Refinery runs also crashed in May to a four-year low, as Chinese crude processors curbed run rates amid high feedstock prices and export restrictions on fuels. Run rates further slipped in June, to an estimated 57.72% last month, down 3.28 percentage points from May, according to data by China-based consultancy Oilchem cited by Reuters. China's huge stockpiles amassed before the Iran war began and its ability to curtail imports during the first four months of the conflict have kept oil prices from spiking to record highs despite the loss of more than 10 million bpd of daily flows through Hormuz.
2 Profitable Stocks to Research Further and 1 We Question
One Stock to Sell: SiteOne (SITE) Trailing 12-Month GAAP Operating Margin: 5.1% Known for distributing John Deere tractors and LESCO turf care products, SiteOne Landscape Supply (NYSE:SITE) provides landscaping products and services to professionals, including irrigation, lighting, and nursery supplies. Two Stocks to Watch: Monolithic Power Systems (MPWR) Trailing 12-Month GAAP Operating Margin: 27.1% Founded in 1997 by its longtime CEO Michael Hsing, Monolithic Power Systems (NASDAQ:MPWR) is an analog and mixed signal chipmaker that specializes in power management chips meant to minimize total energy consumption. Champion Homes (SKY) Trailing 12-Month GAAP Operating Margin: 9.5% Founded in 1951, Champion Homes (NYSE:SKY) is a manufacturer of modular homes and buildings in North America.