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U.S. mortgage rates climbed to their highest level in a year, with the average rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage rising to 6.66% for the week ending July 30, according to Freddie Mac's Primary Mortgage Market Survey released Thursday.
The rate marked the highest reading since July 2025 as inflation concerns, Federal Reserve policy expectations and geopolitical tensions continued pushing long-term borrowing costs higher.
Mortgage rates generally track movements in the 10-year U.S. Treasury yield rather than the Federal Reserve's benchmark interest rate. Treasury yields rose after the Fed left its policy rate unchanged on Wednesday, while three members of the Federal Open Market Committee voted for a rate hike, fueling expectations that borrowing costs could increase later this year.
Don't Miss:

#year #policy

1inch, a leading decentralized finance (DeFi) protocol, just announced the launch of it's new shared liquidity protocol, Aqua. It promises to improve efficiency and unlock liquidity for users across networks.

Sergej Kunz, co-founder and CEO at 1inch, joined TheStreet Roundtable to talk about the launch and describe where those efficiency gains are actually being made.
Related: American crypto exchange owner warns of 'Chinese walls' after $19B market crash
Kunz frames Aqua's efficiency as a new model of liquidity provisioning built for the tokenized-asset wave.
"RWAs are coming into DeFi, and RWAs need our infrastructure to be able to have proper liquidity in our ****** e," he said.
A recent study, commissioned by 1inch, found that roughly 80% of liquidity on decentralized exchanges sits idle at any given time. That equates to around $1.6 billion that isn't earning anything.

#liquidity #efficiency #aqua

This story was originally published on Banking Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Banking Dive newsletter.
Los Angeles-based Banc of California reported an unexpected $251.3 million loss Wednesday among its second-quarter results.
The loss comes at the confluence of three moves the bank defended as better for its long-term health.
The bank initiated the sale of $827 million in commercial real estate and multifamily construction loans. That maneuver was meant to "reduce selected credit exposures and lower the potential for future credit-related earnings volatility," Banc of California said. Transactions of loans transferred to held-for-sale during the second quarter should close in the third, the bank said. Buyers were not disclosed.
Banc of California also retired $385 million in subordinated debt ahead of "a significantly higher interest rate reset," the lender disclosed Wednesday.

#banc #california #loss #second

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#believe

Every major AI chip story seems to lead back to Arm Holdings (ARM) as the industry's biggest players rely on the company's architecture to build their processors. As ARM gears up for its fiscal Q1 earnings on July 29, investors are eager to see if the company can continue to translate strong demand into sustained growth needed to justify its premium valuation.
Valued at $277.7 billion, Arm Holdings develops the processor technology that powers billions of chips globally, licenses that technology to semiconductor firms, and gets royalties on each chip shipped. The company earns money through licensing revenue and royalty revenue. While historically, Arm's business was dominated by smartphones, today its processors power PCs and laptops, cloud servers, AI data centers, automotive chips, smart TVs, IoT devices, and much more. Thanks to AI, the company now has new growth opportunities in Cloud AI, Edge AI, and Physical AI.
Dear **** eX Stock Fans, Mark Your Calendars for August 6
Amazon Stock Just Hit a Major Hurdle Ahead of Earnings
Elon Musk Just Revealed a Quiet Win for Tesla's AI Ambitions

#Stock #chip #processors

What happened: Semiconductor stocks fell on Tuesday, with the PHLX Semiconductor Index (^SOX) falling more than 3% as investors continued to unwind positions in one of the market's hottest AI-driven sectors this year.
US-listed shares of memory and storage leaders Micron Technology (MU), SK Hynix (SKHY), and Sandisk (SNDK) all fell more than 8% and 13%, respectively. Among the semiconductor equipment makers, ASML (ASML), Applied Materials (AMAT), and Lam Research (LRCX) also dropped.
AI chip heavyweight Nvidia (NVDA) stock reversed early morning losses to climb into green territory following a 5% drop on Monday. Peer AMD (AMD) fell more than 7%. Chip maker Intel (INTC), along with Marvell (MRVL) and Qualcomm (QCOM), also slid.
What's behind the move: The sell-off followed declines in semiconductor stocks abroad. In South Korea, SK Hynix fell more than 14%, while Samsung Electronics (005930.KS) dropped more than 13%.
European semiconductor stocks also moved lower as concerns about circular financing and intensifying competition from China have weighed on the sector.

#fell #asml

Cboe Global Markets, Inc. (CBOE) is a leading global exchange operator and financial markets infrastructure company valued at a market cap of $29.5 billion. Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, it operates exchanges for options, equities, futures, foreign exchange (FX), and digital ******* ets, serving institutional and retail investors worldwide.
The world's leading derivatives and securities exchange network is expected to announce its fiscal second-quarter earnings for 2026 before the market opens on Friday, Jul. 31. Ahead of the event, ******* ysts expect CBOE to report a profit of $3.41 per share on a diluted basis, up 38.6% from $2.46 per share in the year-ago quarter. The company beat the consensus estimates in each of the last four quarters.
Dear ******* eX Stock Fans, Mark Your Calendars for July 23
Walmart Stock's Extended Downturn Could Trigger a Possible Comeback
The Biggest Risk to ******* eX Stock Comes After Earnings. Here Are The Numbers You Should Keep An Eye On.

#earnings #market

In the world of heavy machinery, Caterpillar commands a premium price without a first-place finish, forcing investors to ask if its future justifies its cost today.
Caterpillar (CAT) stock has delivered a powerful +118% return over the last twelve months, trading around $889.97 a share. For a company in the business of moving earth, it has certainly moved portfolios. But when you line it up with its direct competitors, a sharp question emerges: why does the market price Caterpillar like a leader when on paper, it isn't one?
CAT's Price Ranks Higher Than Its Performance
Among its peers, Caterpillar carries one of the highest valuations, trading at 43.7 times earnings. That's a significant premium over a rival like Deere, which trades at 33.1 times earnings. Yet for that price, investors are not getting chart-topping results. While CAT's revenue growth of 11.8% is strong, it trails the 17.0% growth posted by Terex. The story is similar for profitability, where Caterpillar's 16.5% operating margin is solid, but second to Deere's 17.4%.
The mismatch is clear: Caterpillar is priced near the top of its class but is out-delivered by at least one peer on both growth and margins. This isn't a case of paying for leading performance; it's a case of paying for something the market sees coming down the road.

#price #premium #investors #like

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While hundreds of wildfires in Canada may seem like a distant threat, EPA administrator Lee Zeldin says the impacts are causing "great concern and harm across the United States" as smoke degrades air quality.
While the fires themselves may not reach the U.S., the smoke and ash can dramatically affect air quality in faraway areas and potentially damage homes and cars.
Home and car insurance policies are valuable tools for protecting homes, cars, and belongings from wildfire smoke exposure. Here's what they cover and what they don't.
Related: 7 best homeowners insurance companies of 2026

#quality

The dollar index (DXY00) is up by +0.06% today. The dollar is slightly higher today as the escalation of hostilities between the US and Iran is boosting crude oil prices, which raises inflation expectations that could prompt the Fed to tighten monetary policy, a supportive factor for the dollar. Higher T-note yields today have also strengthened the dollar's interest rate differentials. Today's rally in stocks has curbed liquidity demand for the dollar, limiting gains in the currency.
The US and Iran exchanged strikes for a 10th consecutive day as mediators sought to revive a truce, with the US targeting military command centers, launch sites and air defenses in Iran and Iran attacking US military sites in Kuwait and Jordan. The UK navy also reported today that Iran struck two vessels around the Strait of Hormuz.
Dollar Supported by Higher T-Note Yields and Crude Prices
Dollar Firms With T-Note Yields and Crude Prices
Why Persistent Inflation Isn't Enough to Prevent a Plunge in Gold Prices

#inflation #military

L1 Capital, an investment management firm, released its "L1 Capital International Fund" (unhedged) second-quarter 2026 investor letter. A copy of the letter can be downloaded here. The letter discusses the current investment environment as a 'two-speed' but resilient global economy, accompanied by an uncertain future. The letter explores the potential of an AI bubble, distinguishing between strong fundamentals and speculative momentum. Additionally, the market displays a 'narrow' character, marked by high exuberance and ***** ounced over-pessimism. Against this backdrop, the Fund returned +2.6% (net of fees) during the June 2026 quarter, compared to the benchmark return of +12.5% (all in A$). The underperformance was driven more by which investments were not held in the Fund. The Fund remains focused on quality, valuation and the avoidance of permanent capital loss, and believes the portfolio is positioned to deliver attractive risk-adjusted returns for patient investors. In addition, you can check the Fund's top five holdings to know its best picks in 2026.
In its Q2 2026 investor letter, L1 Capital International Fund highlighted AerCap Holdings N.V. (NYSE:AER). AerCap Holdings N.V. (NYSE:AER) is a leading aviation leasing company headquartered in Dublin, Ireland. On July 17, 2026, AerCap Holdings N.V. (NYSE:AER) closed at $146.97 per share, reflecting a market capitalization of $23.18 billion. AerCap Holdings N.V. (NYSE:AER) posted a one-month return of 0.08%, while its shares gained 33.08% over the past 52 weeks.
L1 Capital International Fund stated the following regarding AerCap Holdings N.V. (NYSE:AER) in its Q2 2026 investor update:
"AerCap Holdings N.V. (NYSE:AER), the world's largest aircraft and aircraft engine lessor, continues to benefit from strong demand and constrained supply across both aircraft and engines. Higher fuel prices ***** ociated with the Middle East conflict have contributed to some adjustment in airline capacity and increased pressure on weaker carriers, but we do not expect this to materially negatively impact AerCap and may present opportunities for AerCap's nimble management team. We expect another quarter of strong financial results and elevated buyback activity. Although upside is more modest following recent share price appreciation, AerCap remains a high-quality compounder capable of creating significant shareholder value through sustained financial performance and disciplined capital allocation."
AerCap Holdings N.V. (NYSE:AER) is not on our list of 40 Most Popular Stocks Among Hedge Funds Heading Into 2026. According to our database, 56 hedge fund portfolios held AerCap Holdings N.V. (NYSE:AER) at the end of the first quarter, up from 54 in the previous quarter. While we acknowledge the potential of AerCap Holdings N.V. (NYSE:AER) as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stan

FLBR charges 0.19% versus EWZ's 0.59% and has outperformed by roughly 5 percentage points year-to-date in 2026.
FLBR excludes Nu Holdings and runs heavier exposure to Vale and Petrobras, a construction difference that has driven its 2026 edge.
Taxable EWZ holders with large embedded gains may need years to recover from switching, given the capital gains tax hit of 15 to 20 percent.
Don't wait: the ******* yst who called NVIDIA in 2010 just revealed his top 10 AI stocks. See the full list FREE now.
The iShares MSCI Brazil ETF (NYSEARCA:EWZ) is the reflex trade for U.S. investors seeking single-ticker exposure to Brazilian large caps. It has been around since 2000, tracks the MSCI Brazil 25/50 Index, and sits on $88.51 billion in ******* ets, making it the deepest, most liquid vehicle for the trade. EWZ holders own it for a reason: broad exposure to Vale, Petrobras, Itau, and the rest of the Bovespa heavyweights in one line item. The question is whether they are paying a premium for that convenience when a near-identical alternative has quietly done the same job cheaper and better this year.

Caterpillar (NYSE: CAT) is up 265% in the last three years, largely thanks to the artificial intelligence (AI) boom. Its earth-moving equipment is being used for AI data center construction. Caterpillar also has a massive mining business that is benefiting from resource demand.
Perhaps most importantly, Caterpillar's Power & Energy segment is perfectly positioned to capitalize on surging power generation demand as AI data centers look to go behind the meter by producing their own electricity and avoid lengthy interconnection delays ****** ociated with grid power. With the AI energy bottleneck intensifying and hyperscalers continuing to pour record capital expenditures into AI, demand for Caterpillar's products should continue to outpace supply for the foreseeable future.
Missed Nvidia in 2009? This Rare Signal Is Flashing Again. In 2009, a "Double Down" signal flashed for a little-known chipmaker called Nvidia. For the first time in years, that same "Total Conviction" signal is flashing for a company 1/100th the size of Nvidia. Continue »
Now, with Caterpillar's stock price knocking on the door of $1,000 per share, some investors may be wondering if the industrial giant could issue a stock split -- especially with Caterpillar now making up a staggering 10.6% of the Dow Jones Industrial Average.
Here's why a stock split could be on deck, and the biggest obstacle standing in its way.

SK Hynix dominates the global high-bandwidth memory market and just landed on Nasdaq, giving U.S. investors a fiercer AI memory play than Micron.
More bullish **** ysts project SK Hynix gains of between 100% and 120%, but panic-selling tied to South Korea capital outflows may be premature given sustained AI demand.
Markets now reward CapEx efficiency over brute-force AI spending, making the memory demand bull case more fragile than the data center buildout suggests.
Act now: the **** yst who called NVIDIA in 2010 just named his top 10 AI stocks — and Meta didn't make the cut. Grab the names FREE today.
It took long enough for shares of SK Hynix (NASDAQ:SKHY) to trade on a U.S. exchange. Now that it's landed on the Nasdaq, questions linger as to whether it's a better way to bet on the memory boom than Micron (NASDAQ:MU), the only option that U.S. investors had for the past few years of the AI boom.

Blue Owl Technology Finance Corp. (NYSE:OTF) is one of the Best All-Time Low Stocks to Buy Now. The stock has declined more than 7% over the past month, mainly due to negative momentum from missed Q1 2026 earnings, released in May. However, the Street expects 35% upside over the next 12-months from the current level, driven by potential recovery in the next quarter. Blue Owl Technology Finance Corp. (NYSE:OTF) is set to release earnings on August 5.
During the fiscal first quarter 2026 earnings, the company posted $325.9 million in revenue, which missed the estimates of $340.1 million. The EPS of $0.29 topped the consensus by 17.5%. Moreover, the net ***** et value per share dropped to $16.49 from $17.33, mainly due to $0.84 per share in realized and unrealized losses as credit spreads widened. Despite the earnings miss management maintained $0.35 base dividend plus a $0.05 special dividend intact. Management flagged that fully covering the base payout with earnings could take longer than expected. For fiscal Q2 2026 earnings, the Street expects quarterly revenue around $337.53 million, along with an EPS of $0.3.
That said, as per a recent June 16 SEC filing, Blue Owl Technology Finance Corp. (NYSE:OTF) has amended its senior secured credit agreement for the fourth time, giving itself more runway on its borrowing facility. The revolver's availability period now extends to June 2030, up from December 2028. The overall maturity date moves out too, from December 2029 to June 2031, giving the company an extra year and a half before the facility needs to be refinanced. Moreover, the accordion provision, which allows the company to expand the facility if needed, was also increased to up to roughly $4.01 billion.
New York-based company, Blue Owl Technology Finance Corp. (NYSE:OTF), is a business development company focused on providing direct lending and equity investments to upper middle-market technology and software firms. The company was founded in 2018.
While we acknowledge the potential of OTF as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock.

President Donald Trump is in the news for what may be an unexpected reason. A CNBC ****** ysis of the president's most recent financial disclosures shows that Trump made 327 stock purchases on April 8, 2025.
If that date doesn't ring a bell, here's a refresher -- the very next day, Trump posted on his Truth Social account that it was a "GREAT TIME TO BUY!!!" and then announced a partial rollback in his "Liberation Day" tariffs that caused the market to jump 9.5% in a day.
Missed Nvidia in 2009? This Rare Signal Is Flashing Again. In 2009, a "Double Down" signal flashed for a little-known chipmaker called Nvidia. For the first time in years, that same "Total Conviction" signal is flashing for a company 1/100th the size of Nvidia. Continue »
There's a lot of discussion among experts about the ethics of Trump's trades, and the White House maintains that the president's investment accounts are managed by professionals who are not in regular communication with Trump. I'm not going to try to parse the legalities that are being debated on public airwaves and in Washington. However, I do think it's worthwhile to look at five megacap tech stocks that were central to Trump's April 2025 buying spree -- Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL), Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN), Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOG) (NASDAQ: GOOGL) Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT), and Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) -- and see how they've performed since that date.
Apple, Amazon, Alphabet, Microsoft, and Nvidia are all part of the "Magnificent Seven" group of stocks that have been primary drivers in the market for the last several years. The five companies have been closely followed as the appetite for artificial intelligence and AI-powered platforms remakes the market.

July 08, 2026, 8:19 am EDT
Dream Finders Homes
DFH
-0.26%
has boosted its takeover bid for Beazer Homes
BZH
+1.29%
USA while urging the rival home builder’s shareholders to withdraw their “unreasonable preconditions” after four failed attempts this year.
DFH
-0.26%
BZH

One of the most important stocks in the market for active investors for decades (and passive investors as well, who own most market cap-weighted index funds) is the largest electric vehicle maker in the U.S.: Tesla (TSLA).
After reporting stronger-than-expected deliveries recently, TSLA stock has been on a volatile ride. The EV maker is still tethered to interim results around its auto business, as this generates the vast majority of its revenue and earnings. Accordingly, this stock price move we've seen in recent weeks is par for the course.
Broadcom's Largest AI Customer Is Fleeing to MediaTek. AVGO Stock Is Still a Buy.
Nasdaq Futures Plunge as Samsung Sparks Chip Selloff
Mark Cuban Asks What If You Didn't Need Health Insurance — And Hospitals Just Treated You, Then Took 10% of Your Pay?

Despite a growing number of headwinds, the S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) has continued its march higher in 2026. The benchmark index was up 9.6% through the first half of the year, even amid an ongoing war in Iran that sent oil prices spiking. While we expected the Fed to lower interest rates in 2026, it's now more likely we'll see one or two interest rate hikes before the end of the year. Meanwhile, stock valuations have climbed to their highest level in history, outside the dot-com bubble, according to certain measures.
But the biggest warning signal that the bull market may be closer to the end than the start is coming from three companies: ***** e Exploration Technologies (NASDAQ: SPCX), better known as ***** eX, Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOG) (NASDAQ: GOOGL), Google's parent company, and SK Hynix, one of the leading memory chipmakers.
Missed Nvidia in 2009? This Rare Signal Is Flashing Again. In 2009, a "Double Down" signal flashed for a little-known chipmaker called Nvidia. For the first time in years, that same "Total Conviction" signal is flashing for a company 1/100th the size of Nvidia. Continue »
Here's what investors need to know.
The above three companies all made history in recent weeks.

The rocket blasters have fallen off the stock of AI software maker Palantir (PLTR).
Quick insight: From a stock perspective, it has been a terrible year for former highflier Palantir. The company's shares have plunged 34%, versus an 9.5% gain for the S&P 500 (^GSPC), and tanked 45% from their 52-week high.
The sell-off can't be blamed on Palantir's fundamentals.
Palantir delivered a blockbuster first quarter, generating $1.63 billion in revenue. It marked a 85% year-over-year increase, driven heavily by a 104% surge in its US business.
"I think that Palantir has been a victim of the SaaS apocalypse a little, which I think is basically a fictional narrative," Wedbush tech **** yst and Palantir bull Dan Ives said on Yahoo Finance's Opening Bid (video above).

Benzinga and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below.
Artificial intelligence is supposed to scare us.
At least that's the message many people hear every day. AI will replace workers. Robots will take jobs. Computers will become smarter while humans struggle to keep up.
Jeff Bezos sees a completely different future.
Speaking at Italian Tech Week in October, the billionaire founder of Amazon and Blue Origin acknowledged that many people feel "nervous or anxious or even a little discouraged or depressed" about what's coming next. But he believes they're looking at one of the most exciting moments in human history the wrong way.

IBM has raised its dividend for 31 straight years, with a 54% FCF payout ratio signaling the $6.76 annual payment is well-protected.
Arvind Krishna guided IBM toward $15.7 billion in 2026 FCF against a $6.3 billion dividend obligation, leaving substantial room for continued increases.
IBM carries $61.3 billion in debt at 2.8x EBITDA, but 6.3x interest coverage keeps dividend service from becoming a threat.
Act now: the ***** yst who called NVIDIA in 2010 just named his top 10 AI stocks — and IBM didn't make the cut. Grab the names FREE today.
IBM (NYSE:IBM) has quietly become a cash-generating utility for corporate AI orchestration, sitting on a $255.3 billion market cap with a $12.5 billion generative AI book of business. For income investors who dismiss enterprise tech as too volatile for a retirement portfolio, the question is simple. Is the dividend safe?

Benchmarking your contribution rate against others your age can help you see whether your current savings habits are on track.
A J.P. Morgan report shows Gen Z workers contribute about 3.7% of their salary to workplace plans on average, while Millennials contribute 5.0%, Gen X 6.0%, and Boomers just over 7%. All are below the recommended contribution rate of 10% or more.
A 1% annual ***** p to your contribution rate can substantially improve long-term outcomes, especially when done early in your career.
Most workers have only a rough sense of whether they're contributing "enough" to their workplace retirement plan. Contribution rates are often set early in a career, when your budget is tight, and may stay unchanged for years. Yet these seemingly modest choices—setting a rate of 5%, 6%, or 7%—hold far more influence over long-term retirement readiness than many people realize.
Defined contribution plans, including 401(k)s, 403(b)s, 457 plans, and other employer retirement accounts, remain the primary way many Americans save for retirement. But most workers have little insight into how their own contribution rate stacks up.

Space Exploration Technologies (NASDAQ: SPCX), or ****** eX, has been a publicly traded company for seven days. Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) stock has been public for 16 years. ****** eX is the newer, shinier Elon Musk toy, and it's getting more attention from the two companies' co-CEO today.
Right now, there's one reason you might want to own ****** eX stock over Tesla. But I'm not 100% convinced this is the right choice.
Missed Nvidia in 2009? This Rare Signal Is Flashing Again. In 2009, a "Double Down" signal flashed for a little-known chipmaker called Nvidia. For the first time in years, that same "Total Conviction" signal is flashing for a company 1/100th the size of Nvidia. Continue »
SpaceX has three main areas of business, which it calls ****** e (old-school ****** eX), Connectivity (SpaceX's Starlink subsidiary), and AI -- the division Musk formed by merging artificial intelligence company Grok into social media company X, before he merged both those companies into ****** eX.
Of the three, ****** e is the best-known business and the one from which ****** eX derives its name. Starlink is the company's only profitable business, earning $4.4 billion in operating profit last year, according to the ****** eX IPO Prospectus.

Carillon Tower Advisers, an investment management company, released its first-quarter 2026 investor letter for the "Carillon Eagle Small Cap Growth Fund". A copy of the letter can be downloaded here. Small-cap stocks delivered mixed results in the quarter as the market favored value stocks over growth. The Russell 2000 Growth Index fell 2.82% in the quarter, while the Russell 2000® Value Index increased 4.96%. The first quarter saw equity market volatility due to Iran strikes, boosting energy prices. The firm is optimistic that the turbulence in the market will be short-lived, with improved valuations and potential positive developments from de-escalation in the Middle East. In addition, please check the Fund's top five holdings to know its best picks in 2026.
In its first-quarter 2026 investor letter, Carillon Eagle Small Cap Growth Fund highlighted Genius Sports Limited (NYSE:GENI). Genius Sports Limited (NYSE:GENI) is a London-based sports technology company that offers technology infrastructure for the collection, integration, and distribution of live sports data. On June 24, 2026, Genius Sports Limited (NYSE:GENI) closed at $5.66 per share. One-month return of Genius Sports Limited (NYSE:GENI) was 1.07%, and its shares lost 45.37% over the past 52 weeks. Genius Sports Limited (NYSE:GENI) has a market capitalization of $1.51 billion.
Carillon Eagle Small Cap Growth Fund stated the following regarding Genius Sports Limited (NYSE:GENI) in its Q1 2026 investor letter:
"Genius Sports Limited (NYSE:GENI) provides sports data, technology, and media services that power betting, broadcasting, and fan engagement. The stock sold off dramatically following the market's negative reaction to its announced plan to acquire a provider of ticketing, sponsorship, and merchandising services for sports and entertainment venues. The underlying data and media business continues to perform well, and we do not share the market's overly pessimistic view of the deal. We look forward to the close of the acquisition in the second quarter and believe strong fundamentals could drive the stock from here."
Genius Sports Limited (NYSE:GENI) is not on our list of 40 Most Popular Stocks Among Hedge Funds Heading Into 2026. According to our database, 37 hedge fund portfolios held Genius Sports Limited (NYSE:GENI) at the end of the first quarter, compared to 41 in the previous quarter. While we acknowledge the potential of Genius Sports Limited (NYSE:GENI) as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock.

Bitcoin is sinking Wednesday, but retail investors have their eye on a different risk ***** et, helping shares in fast-food chain Wendy's (WEN) surge nearly 26%.
The McDonald's and Burger King rival sank as low as $6.08 per share in early week trading, but finished Wednesday trading at $7.86, a more than 25% daily increase after the recently frosty stock was tagged on Reddit as a franchise in need of saving. Shares rose as high as $8.89 in Wednesday trading, and are rising again in after-hours trading as of this writing.
A post entitled "We need to save Wendy's" has been upvoted more than 18,000 times on popular investing forum r/WallStreetBets, which gained fame and notoriety for kick-starting the GameStop meme stock saga behind the rallying cries of Keith Gill, also known as RoaringKitty.
"We need to save Wendy's before it's too late," the post reads, highlighting the firm's drastic share price decline in recent years. "If this company goes bankrupt, we'll all be out of a job!"
Not only are shares surging, but trading volumes have exploded, with more than 203 million shares having traded hands prior to market close on Wednesday. By comparison, the stock typically averages less than 10 million shares traded, according to data from Yahoo Finance, a daily increase of 1,970%.

My late father, who was my very first investing mentor, taught me a couple of golden rules that apply perfectly to the current semiconductor mania:
You never know how high a stock will go.
You never know how low a stock will go.
Over the past few years, the market has treated us to a heavy dose of upside, pushing semiconductor and artificial intelligence heavyweights to historic valuations.
Ahead of Micron Earnings, Here's What Barchart Data Says Comes Next for MU Stock

Micron Technology (NASDAQ:MU), an AI-focused memory and storage chipmaker, closed at $1,051.77, down 13.18%. The stock fell sharply as a South Korea-led memory-chip selloff hit SK Hynix and Samsung, spilling into U.S. memory names ahead of Micron's June 24 earnings report.
S&P 500 (SNPINDEX:^GSPC) fell 1.43% to 7,365.46, while the Nasdaq Composite (NASDAQINDEX:^IXIC) lost 2.21% to 25,587. Among semiconductor memory and storage devices peers, as the broader chip group digested the same global selloff.
Micron shares declined sharply following a South Korea-led memory-chip selloff that affected SK Hynix, Samsung, and U.S. memory companies, just one day before Micron's fiscal third-quarter earnings report. While the recent Anthropic agreement highlights continued demand for Micron's memory and storage products in AI infrastructure, Tuesday's drop demonstrated how quickly market sentiment can shift after a major AI-memory rally.
The upcoming earnings report is critical, as investors will seek confirmation that HBM demand, DRAM and NAND pricing, gross margin, and fourth-quarter guidance are strong enough to meet high expectations. The key question is whether Micron can convert AI infrastructure demand into sustained revenue and margin growth, given that the recent sector selloff already reflected significant optimism in memory stock prices.
Before you buy stock in Micron Technology, consider this:

Ripple received preliminary approval, in the form of a Green Light Letter, for a MiCA crypto-services license (CASP) from Luxembourg's CSSF, and it's still subject to final conditions.
Combined with the EU money license (EMI) Ripple already holds, the CASP license would let European banks move both cash and crypto through a single Ripple integration, and it carries across all 30 EEA countries once fully approved.
We see this as a major win for Ripple's European payments business and its standing with institutions, but it's a company-level licensing milestone, not a direct catalyst for the XRP price.
Don't wait: the **** yst who called NVIDIA in 2010 just revealed his top 10 AI stocks. See the full list FREE now.
Ripple (CRYPTO:XRP) just picked up another regulatory approval in Europe, and on the surface it looks like the company has been cleared to offer crypto payments across the continent.

Interest rates are likely headed higher later this year. That's the chief takeaway from the Federal Reserve's most recent public ***** sment of the United States' economy, anyway.
In its projection of key economic numbers released on Wednesday, the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) indicated it expects the federal funds rate to reach 3.8% (a range of 3.75% and 4%, to be specific) versus the current target range of 3.5% to 3.75%, up from March's full-year projection of 3.4% (3.25% to 3.5%). And data from interest rate futures exchange CME says the market's now making the same bet, with that quarter-point rate hike expected more than not by the end of September.
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Inflation isn't expected to abate in the near future either. The same FOMC projection, in fact, suggests 2026's inflation rate is apt to roll in at 3.6%, up from March's expectation of 2.7%. That's why interest rates are expected to inch higher by the end of the year -- to combat inflation.
The funny thing is, uncomfortably high prices of ... well, everything don't seem to be taking a serious toll on the economy. As the Federal Reserve's statement on its decision to leave the fed funds rate untouched this month explains: