11 days ago
Americans have become value-driven when it comes to what goes into their shopping carts at grocery chains.
"Consumers aren't necessarily buying less. They're becoming more strategic. With 75% indicating that they're stressed about grocery bills (up from 73% last year), it makes sense that shoppers are looking for ways to maximize value from every trip," according to Algolia's The state of grocery shopping: inflation.
The survey showed that many consumers, but not a majority, have been willing to trade down.
Forty-two percent (42%) have switched to private labels to save money (up from 40% last year).
Thirty-six percent (36%) have traded their favorite brands for cheaper alternatives.
#grocery #consumers #value #year
"Consumers aren't necessarily buying less. They're becoming more strategic. With 75% indicating that they're stressed about grocery bills (up from 73% last year), it makes sense that shoppers are looking for ways to maximize value from every trip," according to Algolia's The state of grocery shopping: inflation.
The survey showed that many consumers, but not a majority, have been willing to trade down.
Forty-two percent (42%) have switched to private labels to save money (up from 40% last year).
Thirty-six percent (36%) have traded their favorite brands for cheaper alternatives.
#grocery #consumers #value #year
12 days ago
Shares of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) have performed well so far this year. As of September 2, the stock has gained nearly 20% year-to-date, compared with an 11.78% rise in the broader S&P 500 Index. However, **** ysts remain divided on the company's outlook.
App Store Weakness Raises Concerns
On September 2, Evercore ISI reiterated its Outperform rating on the stock with a $365 price target following August App Store revenue data.
App Store revenue fell 1% year-over-year in August, marking the first year-over-year decline since November 2022 and the sixth consecutive month of deceleration. Gaming revenue declined about 10% year-over-year in August after seeing a fall of 8% in July.
U.S. App Store revenue declined for the sixth consecutive month, seeing a 10% year-over-year fall in August. Evercore ISI warned that continued weakness in App Store revenues could make it more difficult for Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) to achieve double-digit Services growth. However, the research firm noted that the company has been able to offset softer App Store trends with faster-growing areas of its Services business.
#year #aapl #september #evercore
App Store Weakness Raises Concerns
On September 2, Evercore ISI reiterated its Outperform rating on the stock with a $365 price target following August App Store revenue data.
App Store revenue fell 1% year-over-year in August, marking the first year-over-year decline since November 2022 and the sixth consecutive month of deceleration. Gaming revenue declined about 10% year-over-year in August after seeing a fall of 8% in July.
U.S. App Store revenue declined for the sixth consecutive month, seeing a 10% year-over-year fall in August. Evercore ISI warned that continued weakness in App Store revenues could make it more difficult for Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) to achieve double-digit Services growth. However, the research firm noted that the company has been able to offset softer App Store trends with faster-growing areas of its Services business.
#year #aapl #september #evercore
15 days ago
The take-or-pay agreements that bears read as a cap on upside are the same ones that put a priced floor under Micron's worst case.
Micron Technology (MU) stock has returned nearly 700% over the past year and still trades at about 77% of its 52-week high. The argument worth having about it is not where DRAM prices go next. It is about the supply contracts the company signed during the shortage, and what they do to the bottom of the next cycle rather than the top of this one.
Customers Committed $100 Billion At Micron's Minimum Prices
The 16 strategic customer agreements are take-or-pay: binding commitments to buy specific volumes, typically over a five-year term to the end of calendar 2030. Fourteen of them carry ******* ulative revenue at the contracts' minimum prices of roughly $100 billion over the remaining term. That is a floor spread across the whole term rather than a year's worth, against $90.3 billion of revenue in Micron's last twelve months alone. The $100 billion is a minimum-price figure, not an expectation: management says it expects revenue under the agreements to run well above that minimum. Micron projects $22 billion of cash deposits and related financial commitments from those customers, deposits it holds while the agreements run and returns over time. The committed supply is DRAM, including HBM as appropriate, and NAND, the products behind an HBM4 ramp and a 1 gamma DRAM node on track to be among the highest-volume nodes in Micron's history.
Micron's Operating Margin Was Negative Three Years Ago
#prices #micron #committed
Micron Technology (MU) stock has returned nearly 700% over the past year and still trades at about 77% of its 52-week high. The argument worth having about it is not where DRAM prices go next. It is about the supply contracts the company signed during the shortage, and what they do to the bottom of the next cycle rather than the top of this one.
Customers Committed $100 Billion At Micron's Minimum Prices
The 16 strategic customer agreements are take-or-pay: binding commitments to buy specific volumes, typically over a five-year term to the end of calendar 2030. Fourteen of them carry ******* ulative revenue at the contracts' minimum prices of roughly $100 billion over the remaining term. That is a floor spread across the whole term rather than a year's worth, against $90.3 billion of revenue in Micron's last twelve months alone. The $100 billion is a minimum-price figure, not an expectation: management says it expects revenue under the agreements to run well above that minimum. Micron projects $22 billion of cash deposits and related financial commitments from those customers, deposits it holds while the agreements run and returns over time. The committed supply is DRAM, including HBM as appropriate, and NAND, the products behind an HBM4 ramp and a 1 gamma DRAM node on track to be among the highest-volume nodes in Micron's history.
Micron's Operating Margin Was Negative Three Years Ago
#prices #micron #committed
22 days ago
Dynasty trusts remove ******* ets from a taxable estate permanently, letting wealth compound across generations without triggering a 40% estate tax at each death.
The $15 million federal exemption, made permanent in 2026, defines who benefits. Estates comfortably below that threshold gain nothing from this structure.
Forgetting to allocate GST exemption on IRS Form 709 in the gift year exposes every future generational transfer to a flat 40% tax.
Read More: Learn 7 ways to generate income with a $1,000,000+ portfolio (sponsor)
If you have real wealth and a taxable estate on the horizon, the Rockefeller family structure offers a template. In 1934, John D. Rockefeller Jr. locked most of the family fortune into a set of irrevocable trusts that have since carried ******* ets through six generations without a single federal estate tax bill. The structure has a name: Dynasty Trust, and it is still legal in 2026.
#estate #taxable
The $15 million federal exemption, made permanent in 2026, defines who benefits. Estates comfortably below that threshold gain nothing from this structure.
Forgetting to allocate GST exemption on IRS Form 709 in the gift year exposes every future generational transfer to a flat 40% tax.
Read More: Learn 7 ways to generate income with a $1,000,000+ portfolio (sponsor)
If you have real wealth and a taxable estate on the horizon, the Rockefeller family structure offers a template. In 1934, John D. Rockefeller Jr. locked most of the family fortune into a set of irrevocable trusts that have since carried ******* ets through six generations without a single federal estate tax bill. The structure has a name: Dynasty Trust, and it is still legal in 2026.
#estate #taxable
22 days ago
American States Water (NYSE: AWR) rather quietly raised its dividend by 8.2% last month. This pay ***** p extended its dividend growth streak to an impressive 72 straight years. That kept its name at the top of the Dividend Kings list as it remains one of fewer than 60 companies with 50 or more years of annual dividend increases. The sleepy water utility has now paid 361 consecutive quarterly dividends.
Here's why more investors should be talking about this boring utility stock.
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 »
American States Water doesn't have the name recognition of other Dividend Kings, like Coca-Cola or Johnson & Johnson, because it's not an iconic consumer brand. Instead, it's easily confused with another water utility, American Water Works, which is the largest regulated water and wastewater utility in the country with over 14 million customers across 14 states.
American States Water, on the other hand, has 1 million customers in 10 states. It operates two utilities, Golden State Water Company and Bear Valley Electric Services, which provide regulated water and electricity services to customers in California. It also owns American States Utility Services, which operates and maintains water distribution, wastewater collection, and treatment facilities at 12 military bases under long-term contracts. Those boring businesses generate very stable cash flow.
#states
Here's why more investors should be talking about this boring utility stock.
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 »
American States Water doesn't have the name recognition of other Dividend Kings, like Coca-Cola or Johnson & Johnson, because it's not an iconic consumer brand. Instead, it's easily confused with another water utility, American Water Works, which is the largest regulated water and wastewater utility in the country with over 14 million customers across 14 states.
American States Water, on the other hand, has 1 million customers in 10 states. It operates two utilities, Golden State Water Company and Bear Valley Electric Services, which provide regulated water and electricity services to customers in California. It also owns American States Utility Services, which operates and maintains water distribution, wastewater collection, and treatment facilities at 12 military bases under long-term contracts. Those boring businesses generate very stable cash flow.
#states
26 days ago
Dafna Sarnoff, Chief Marketing Officer of CarGurus, Inc. (NASDAQ:CARG), sold 17,151 shares of the company on Aug. 13, 2026, according to a recent SEC Form 4 filing.
Metric
Value
Transaction value
$635,000
#value
Metric
Value
Transaction value
$635,000
#value
27 days ago
Baron Capital, an investment management company, released its Q2 2026 investor letter for the "Baron Focused Growth Fund". A copy of the letter can be downloaded here. In the second quarter, the Baron Focused Growth Fund achieved a 13.26% gain, still trailing the Russell 2500 Growth Index's 24.02% return. The underperformance was driven by ongoing concerns about AI's impact on portfolio businesses and underexposure to AI infrastructure. The IPO of ****** eX provided a boost, but overall, the Fund's companies are generating robust revenue growth and strengthening margins through enhanced client engagement and product offerings. Many stocks remain historically undervalued, and companies are beginning accelerated share repurchases, bolstering investor confidence. The Fund is perceived as compelling, benefiting from favorable market conditions and strong balance sheets, while inflation and interest rates are expected to remain stable. The Fund has outperformed its Benchmark over the past 3, 5, and 10 years, showing significant excess returns with lower market risk, attributed to a research-driven investment approach. The Fund maintains a commitment to long-term investing in growth-oriented businesses, utilizing a balanced portfolio to mitigate risk and potentially enhance returns. Please review the Fund's top five holdings to gain insights into their key selections for 2026.
In its Q2 2026 investor letter, Baron Focused Growth Fund highlighted Interactive Brokers Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:IBKR). Interactive Brokers Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:IBKR), an automated electronic broker that provides trading, clearing, and custody services, contributed 1.12% to the Fund's performance this quarter. On August 19, 2026, Interactive Brokers Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:IBKR) closed at $90.54 per share, reflecting a market capitalization of $154.26 billion. Interactive Brokers Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:IBKR) posted a one‑month return of -1.33%, while its shares gained 44.93% over the past 52 weeks.
Baron Focused Growth Fund stated the following regarding Interactive Brokers Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:IBKR) in its Q2 2026 investor letter:
"Global electronic brokerage firm Interactive Brokers Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:IBKR) contributed to performance as the company continued to compound growth at a rare pace for its scale. Client accounts increased 34% year over year to 5.2 million, customer equity grew 40%, and margin loan balances rose 67%. Trading activity remained robust, with June daily average revenue trades increasing 53% year over year. Operating on a highly automated, low-cost platform, Interactive Brokers benefits from substantial operating leverage as volume grows, supporting industry-leading pretax margins. New opportunities, including an expanded prediction markets offering and the favorable modernization of day-trading margin rules, further extend the company's growth runway. We retain conviction in the stock, viewing Interactive Brokers as a structural share gainer with a large global ad
In its Q2 2026 investor letter, Baron Focused Growth Fund highlighted Interactive Brokers Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:IBKR). Interactive Brokers Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:IBKR), an automated electronic broker that provides trading, clearing, and custody services, contributed 1.12% to the Fund's performance this quarter. On August 19, 2026, Interactive Brokers Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:IBKR) closed at $90.54 per share, reflecting a market capitalization of $154.26 billion. Interactive Brokers Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:IBKR) posted a one‑month return of -1.33%, while its shares gained 44.93% over the past 52 weeks.
Baron Focused Growth Fund stated the following regarding Interactive Brokers Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:IBKR) in its Q2 2026 investor letter:
"Global electronic brokerage firm Interactive Brokers Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:IBKR) contributed to performance as the company continued to compound growth at a rare pace for its scale. Client accounts increased 34% year over year to 5.2 million, customer equity grew 40%, and margin loan balances rose 67%. Trading activity remained robust, with June daily average revenue trades increasing 53% year over year. Operating on a highly automated, low-cost platform, Interactive Brokers benefits from substantial operating leverage as volume grows, supporting industry-leading pretax margins. New opportunities, including an expanded prediction markets offering and the favorable modernization of day-trading margin rules, further extend the company's growth runway. We retain conviction in the stock, viewing Interactive Brokers as a structural share gainer with a large global ad
28 days ago
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There were only minor shifts in mortgage rates and loan pricing this week. The Yahoo Finance weekly survey ranks lenders by the lowest annual percentage rate (APR), which includes lender fees. Read on to see the 10 lenders with the lowest rates this week.
See our top picks for mortgage lenders for first-time home buyers.
Here are the 10 mortgage lenders with the best interest rates this week, as determined by our survey of the lowest mortgage rates on 30-year, fixed-rate conventional loans. The following numbers are each lender's annual percentage rate (APR).
Navy Federal Credit Union: 6.280%
#mortgage #lenders #rate #advertiser
There were only minor shifts in mortgage rates and loan pricing this week. The Yahoo Finance weekly survey ranks lenders by the lowest annual percentage rate (APR), which includes lender fees. Read on to see the 10 lenders with the lowest rates this week.
See our top picks for mortgage lenders for first-time home buyers.
Here are the 10 mortgage lenders with the best interest rates this week, as determined by our survey of the lowest mortgage rates on 30-year, fixed-rate conventional loans. The following numbers are each lender's annual percentage rate (APR).
Navy Federal Credit Union: 6.280%
#mortgage #lenders #rate #advertiser
1 month ago
Long Cast Advisers, an independent registered investment adviser, released its Q2 2026 investor letter. A copy can be downloaded here. The firm reported strong earnings in the second quarter, with results improving 20%, bringing year-to-date returns to +19%. While performance trailed the Russell 2000 and iShares US MicroCap ETF, it remained well ahead of the iShares SmallCap EAFE (ex-N. Am) ETF. Since inception in 2015, **** ulative returns stand at 343% (15% CAGR), reflecting the firm's strategy of concentrated, patient investments in small and micro‑cap companies. The firm remains cautious in this environment, emphasizing patience and endurance while avoiding margin and volatility. In addition, please check the firm's top five holdings to know its best picks in 2026.
In its Q2 2026 investor letter, Long Cast Advisers highlighted Perma-Fix Environmental Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:PESI). Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, Perma-Fix Environmental Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:PESI) is an environmental and technology know-how company. The one-month return of Perma-Fix Environmental Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:PESI) was 22.95%, and its shares gained 50.00% over the last 52 weeks. On August 07, 2026, Perma-Fix Environmental Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:PESI) stock closed at $18.08 per share, with a market capitalization of $383.36 million.
Long Cast Advisers stated the following regarding Perma-Fix Environmental Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:PESI) in its Q2 2026 investor letter:
"In 2Q26, PDEX, Perma-Fix Environmental Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:PESI) and MTRX were the largest contributors. Among our other large holdings, PESI recently preannounced 2Q26 earnings indicating continued weak profitability but strong backlog growth on expanding processing at Hanford. There is potential for significantly more waste volumes if a decision is made to grout (embed in concrete) up to 9M gallons of low-level tank waste by 2030. This recent GAO report illustrates how large that opportunity could be and how favorable the government is in pursuing it."
Perma-Fix Environmental Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:PESI) is not on our list of 40 Most Popular Stocks Among Hedge Funds Heading Into 2026. According to our database, 10 hedge fund portfolios held Perma-Fix Environmental Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:PESI) at the end of the first quarter, compared to 11 in the previous quarter. While we acknowledge the potential of Perma-Fix Environmental Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:PESI) 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.
#Services #letter
In its Q2 2026 investor letter, Long Cast Advisers highlighted Perma-Fix Environmental Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:PESI). Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, Perma-Fix Environmental Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:PESI) is an environmental and technology know-how company. The one-month return of Perma-Fix Environmental Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:PESI) was 22.95%, and its shares gained 50.00% over the last 52 weeks. On August 07, 2026, Perma-Fix Environmental Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:PESI) stock closed at $18.08 per share, with a market capitalization of $383.36 million.
Long Cast Advisers stated the following regarding Perma-Fix Environmental Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:PESI) in its Q2 2026 investor letter:
"In 2Q26, PDEX, Perma-Fix Environmental Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:PESI) and MTRX were the largest contributors. Among our other large holdings, PESI recently preannounced 2Q26 earnings indicating continued weak profitability but strong backlog growth on expanding processing at Hanford. There is potential for significantly more waste volumes if a decision is made to grout (embed in concrete) up to 9M gallons of low-level tank waste by 2030. This recent GAO report illustrates how large that opportunity could be and how favorable the government is in pursuing it."
Perma-Fix Environmental Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:PESI) is not on our list of 40 Most Popular Stocks Among Hedge Funds Heading Into 2026. According to our database, 10 hedge fund portfolios held Perma-Fix Environmental Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:PESI) at the end of the first quarter, compared to 11 in the previous quarter. While we acknowledge the potential of Perma-Fix Environmental Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:PESI) 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.
#Services #letter
1 month ago
Following a week of mixed data on hiring and layoffs, figures coming Friday from the Labor Department will be the arbiter of whether the job market remained stable in July.
Economists surveyed by Bloomberg expect the US economy added 80,000 positions, while the unemployment rate is expected to stay flat at 4.2%. That would be an improvement from June's jobs report, which showed payrolls grew by 57,000 jobs.
Private data released this week on the health of the labor market has been largely benign. Job openings slowed a touch in June, with little movement in quits, layoffs, and hiring rates. Private-sector hiring data from ADP, meanwhile, showed growth fell short of economists' predictions last month, but pay for job-switchers improved — a small bright spot. And the global outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas reported that layoff plans declined last month, while hiring plans increased.
An ******* ysis from the Bank of America Institute published Wednesday also noted that payroll growth appeared to accelerate in July, based on deposit account data. Job gains were led by lower-income households, while their annual after-tax wage growth surpassed that of higher-income households for the first time since December 2024.
"What's driving the pick-up in after-tax wage growth among lower-income households? Alongside strong job growth, we have also observed a rise in job-to-job movements disproportionately boosting lower-income pay growth," the ******* ysis said.
#Growth #data #hiring #lower
Economists surveyed by Bloomberg expect the US economy added 80,000 positions, while the unemployment rate is expected to stay flat at 4.2%. That would be an improvement from June's jobs report, which showed payrolls grew by 57,000 jobs.
Private data released this week on the health of the labor market has been largely benign. Job openings slowed a touch in June, with little movement in quits, layoffs, and hiring rates. Private-sector hiring data from ADP, meanwhile, showed growth fell short of economists' predictions last month, but pay for job-switchers improved — a small bright spot. And the global outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas reported that layoff plans declined last month, while hiring plans increased.
An ******* ysis from the Bank of America Institute published Wednesday also noted that payroll growth appeared to accelerate in July, based on deposit account data. Job gains were led by lower-income households, while their annual after-tax wage growth surpassed that of higher-income households for the first time since December 2024.
"What's driving the pick-up in after-tax wage growth among lower-income households? Alongside strong job growth, we have also observed a rise in job-to-job movements disproportionately boosting lower-income pay growth," the ******* ysis said.
#Growth #data #hiring #lower
1 month ago
Zebra Technologies (NASDAQ: ZBRA) stock broke into a run on Tuesday morning, up 20.3% as of 11 a.m. ET. The rugged-device and **** et-tracking specialist reported strong second-quarter results before the opening bell, and the stock is now trading at fresh 52-week highs.
Zebra's adjusted earnings hit $6.35 per share. **** yst consensus was $4.36. Zebra's own guidance in May topped out at $4.50, so management beat the optimistic end of its own homework by 41%. Sales rose 20.4% to $1.56 billion, with organic growth of 9.2% and gains in every region.
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 »
A $73 million tariff recovery flattered the quarter, and only $41 million of that promised payback has materialized as cash so far.
But that's OK. Strip out the tariff payback benefits, and earnings still come in near $5.10 per share. Zebra's beat survives the tariff asterisk.
#signal #tariff #Stock
Zebra's adjusted earnings hit $6.35 per share. **** yst consensus was $4.36. Zebra's own guidance in May topped out at $4.50, so management beat the optimistic end of its own homework by 41%. Sales rose 20.4% to $1.56 billion, with organic growth of 9.2% and gains in every region.
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 »
A $73 million tariff recovery flattered the quarter, and only $41 million of that promised payback has materialized as cash so far.
But that's OK. Strip out the tariff payback benefits, and earnings still come in near $5.10 per share. Zebra's beat survives the tariff asterisk.
#signal #tariff #Stock
1 month ago
Major stock indexes soared Tuesday, with the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average setting new records, as Palantir Technologies and Caterpillar shares jumped and oil prices sank further.
The tech-focused Nasdaq Composite, benchmark S&P 500, and blue-chip Dow surged a respective 2.6%, 1.8%, and 1.7%. The Dow added more than 900 points to notch its second closing high this week.
After markets closed yesterday, Palantir (PLTR) reported better-than-expected results and lifted its outlook, and shares of the software maker soared nearly 30% Tuesday to lead the S&P 500 and Nasdaq.
In other post-earnings moves, shares of Caterpillar (CAT) surged about 5.5% to lead the Dow; McDonald's (MCD) and Pfizer (PFE) rose between 1% and 1.5%; and Spotify Technology (SPOT) slipped about 1.5%.
Shares of **** eX (SPCX) and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) surged more than 9% and 7%, respectively, ahead of their earnings reports after the bell. **** eX was set to issue results as a public company for the first time. (Read our **** eX earnings live blog here.)
#soared
The tech-focused Nasdaq Composite, benchmark S&P 500, and blue-chip Dow surged a respective 2.6%, 1.8%, and 1.7%. The Dow added more than 900 points to notch its second closing high this week.
After markets closed yesterday, Palantir (PLTR) reported better-than-expected results and lifted its outlook, and shares of the software maker soared nearly 30% Tuesday to lead the S&P 500 and Nasdaq.
In other post-earnings moves, shares of Caterpillar (CAT) surged about 5.5% to lead the Dow; McDonald's (MCD) and Pfizer (PFE) rose between 1% and 1.5%; and Spotify Technology (SPOT) slipped about 1.5%.
Shares of **** eX (SPCX) and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) surged more than 9% and 7%, respectively, ahead of their earnings reports after the bell. **** eX was set to issue results as a public company for the first time. (Read our **** eX earnings live blog here.)
#soared
2 months ago
A finance employee at the global design firm Arup transferred $25.6 million in a deepfake fraud after joining a video call with synthetic versions of senior executives. The faces looked real. The voices sounded real. The instructions were false.
That was not an isolated warning. Starbucks quietly retired an AI inventory system only nine months after deployment after baristas reported that it miscounted products and slowed their work. Deloitte's Australian member firm agreed to partially refund the government for a $290,000 AI-assisted report that included nonexistent academic sources and a fabricated court quotation. Different industries. Different technologies. The same failure: people could not trust the output, the identity, or the system.
Trust is becoming a form of economic infrastructure. Companies that cannot engineer it will move slower, spend more, and lose markets. When trust is strong, capital moves, partnerships form, and companies scale. When it breaks, transactions slow, compliance and insurance costs rise, and leaders retreat from risk.
Trust is not blind faith. It is earned confidence that facts are real, identities are authentic, systems are secure, contracts will be honored, and someone will be accountable when things go wrong. In business terms, trust reduces friction. In strategic terms, it creates speed.
As America marks its 250th anniversary, we should remember that trust was not a side note to the founding. It was the bet. In my first three essays in this Freedom & Enterprise series, I described the Declaration of Independence as America's first founding bet, the system it created as one that let people build free, and the freedom to fail as one of our greatest competitive advantages. Beneath all three is a more fundamental principle: America trusted free people to govern themselves, take risks, honor commitments, and build institutions strong enough to survive disagreement.
#trust #different #America #freedom
That was not an isolated warning. Starbucks quietly retired an AI inventory system only nine months after deployment after baristas reported that it miscounted products and slowed their work. Deloitte's Australian member firm agreed to partially refund the government for a $290,000 AI-assisted report that included nonexistent academic sources and a fabricated court quotation. Different industries. Different technologies. The same failure: people could not trust the output, the identity, or the system.
Trust is becoming a form of economic infrastructure. Companies that cannot engineer it will move slower, spend more, and lose markets. When trust is strong, capital moves, partnerships form, and companies scale. When it breaks, transactions slow, compliance and insurance costs rise, and leaders retreat from risk.
Trust is not blind faith. It is earned confidence that facts are real, identities are authentic, systems are secure, contracts will be honored, and someone will be accountable when things go wrong. In business terms, trust reduces friction. In strategic terms, it creates speed.
As America marks its 250th anniversary, we should remember that trust was not a side note to the founding. It was the bet. In my first three essays in this Freedom & Enterprise series, I described the Declaration of Independence as America's first founding bet, the system it created as one that let people build free, and the freedom to fail as one of our greatest competitive advantages. Beneath all three is a more fundamental principle: America trusted free people to govern themselves, take risks, honor commitments, and build institutions strong enough to survive disagreement.
#trust #different #America #freedom
2 months ago
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SpaceX has erased almost $1 trillion in stock market value in five weeks — more than most individual companies in the world are worth (1).
Retail investors who fought for shares at the $135 IPO price are down over 18% as of July 27 (2). Those who bought four days later, at the June 16 peak of $225.64, are down over 50%. A 50% discount on the hottest company in the world may look like an obvious buy, but that instinct is exactly what needs examining.
Jeff Bezos backs a platform that lets anyone invest in rental homes for as little as $100 — 6 ways to build wealth like a landlord without actually being one
JPMorgan still sees gold hitting $5,000/oz by Q4 — and savvy investors are protecting their wealth with a tax-advantaged Gold IRA. Learn more with a free guide from Priority Gold
#Gold #investors #down #wealth
SpaceX has erased almost $1 trillion in stock market value in five weeks — more than most individual companies in the world are worth (1).
Retail investors who fought for shares at the $135 IPO price are down over 18% as of July 27 (2). Those who bought four days later, at the June 16 peak of $225.64, are down over 50%. A 50% discount on the hottest company in the world may look like an obvious buy, but that instinct is exactly what needs examining.
Jeff Bezos backs a platform that lets anyone invest in rental homes for as little as $100 — 6 ways to build wealth like a landlord without actually being one
JPMorgan still sees gold hitting $5,000/oz by Q4 — and savvy investors are protecting their wealth with a tax-advantaged Gold IRA. Learn more with a free guide from Priority Gold
#Gold #investors #down #wealth
2 months ago
As many Americans struggle to make ends meet, Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh has pledged to bring inflation back to its 2% target, but it remains unclear exactly how he plans to get there as the central bank heads into its July meeting.
The Fed often finds itself at a crossroads, balancing its dual mandate of maximum employment and stable prices. It has two main tools it uses to address both – its balance sheet and the federal funds rate, a benchmark for interest rates. The Fed typically raises its target range for the rate to tame inflation and lowers it to stimulate the job market.
After three months of accelerating inflation, it slowed in June, though some forecasters expect it may tick back up amid renewed U.S.-Iran hostilities. And after three months of positive job growth, U.S. employer hiring fell in June — leaving the Fed to sort out whether these recent swings are just noise or the start of new trends.
The Fed may also be at a crossroads when it comes to delivering on Warsh's promise of price stability for U.S. consumers. Many Americans don't want higher interest rates on their credit cards and personal loans, but they also don't want prices to keep rising. Raising the Fed's benchmark interest rate could help cool inflation, but it would also make borrowing more expensive.
Dean Lyulkin, CEO of Cardiff, a small-business loan company, said Warsh's refusal to provide forward guidance has made the outcome of the July meeting difficult to predict.
#rate
The Fed often finds itself at a crossroads, balancing its dual mandate of maximum employment and stable prices. It has two main tools it uses to address both – its balance sheet and the federal funds rate, a benchmark for interest rates. The Fed typically raises its target range for the rate to tame inflation and lowers it to stimulate the job market.
After three months of accelerating inflation, it slowed in June, though some forecasters expect it may tick back up amid renewed U.S.-Iran hostilities. And after three months of positive job growth, U.S. employer hiring fell in June — leaving the Fed to sort out whether these recent swings are just noise or the start of new trends.
The Fed may also be at a crossroads when it comes to delivering on Warsh's promise of price stability for U.S. consumers. Many Americans don't want higher interest rates on their credit cards and personal loans, but they also don't want prices to keep rising. Raising the Fed's benchmark interest rate could help cool inflation, but it would also make borrowing more expensive.
Dean Lyulkin, CEO of Cardiff, a small-business loan company, said Warsh's refusal to provide forward guidance has made the outcome of the July meeting difficult to predict.
#rate
2 months ago
Artisan Partners, an investment management company, released its second-quarter 2026 investor letter for its "Artisan Small Cap Fund". A copy of the letter can be downloaded here. The fund reported strong absolute returns and modestly outperformed the Russell 2000® Growth Index, which gained 25.7%. Global equities rebounded as resilient US growth, moderating inflation, strong earnings and continued AI investment outweighed delayed rate cuts, rising bond yields and geopolitical uncertainty. Investor Class: ARTSX, Advisor Class: APDSX, and Institutional Class: APHSX returned 26.02%, 26.05%, and 26.11%, respectively, in the second quarter, compared to a 25.71% return for the index. Market leadership favored loss-making, highly leveraged companies, creating a difficult environment for quality-focused active managers. Health care was the strongest relative contributor, while energy, materials, financials and real estate also helped. Technology, industrials and consumer discretionary detracted, partly because the fund did not own oversized index contributors. Software holdings also weakened despite strong fundamentals. The fund remains positive on small-cap opportunities, AI infrastructure and health care, but has reduced software exposure and is staying selective as valuations rise and competitive risks increase. In addition, please check the Fund's top five holdings to know its best picks in 2026.
In its second-quarter 2026 investor letter, Artisan Small Cap Fund highlighted Virtu Financial, Inc. (NYSE:VIRT). Virtu Financial, Inc. (NYSE:VIRT) operates as a financial services company that operates through Market Making and Execution Services segments. On July 23, 2026, Virtu Financial, Inc. (NYSE:VIRT) closed at $59.67 per share. One-month return of Virtu Financial, Inc. (NYSE:VIRT) was -1.89% and its shares gained 34.75% over the past 52 weeks. Virtu Financial, Inc. (NYSE:VIRT) has a market capitalization of $9.25 billion with a 52-week range between $31.55 - $68.02.
Artisan Small Cap Fund stated the following regarding Virtu Financial, Inc. (NYSE:VIRT) in its Q2 2026 investor letter:
"Virtu Financial, Inc. (NYSE:VIRT) is a technology-enabled market maker and execution services provider. We believe it has a strong franchise built on market structure expertise, a low-risk trading model and a scalable platform spanning equities, ETFs, futures, foreign exchange, options and crypto. We initiated a Garden position and later elevated it to a Crop position as our conviction increased. We have owned Virtu previously and are encouraged by the new CEO's strategic changes, including expansion into new products and geographies while maintaining its disciplined risk profile. We believe these initiatives support a durable company-specific profit cycle driven by market share gains, growth in execution services and continued expansion in options, ETF block trading and crypto. A more supportive market environment should make the benefits of these strategic change
In its second-quarter 2026 investor letter, Artisan Small Cap Fund highlighted Virtu Financial, Inc. (NYSE:VIRT). Virtu Financial, Inc. (NYSE:VIRT) operates as a financial services company that operates through Market Making and Execution Services segments. On July 23, 2026, Virtu Financial, Inc. (NYSE:VIRT) closed at $59.67 per share. One-month return of Virtu Financial, Inc. (NYSE:VIRT) was -1.89% and its shares gained 34.75% over the past 52 weeks. Virtu Financial, Inc. (NYSE:VIRT) has a market capitalization of $9.25 billion with a 52-week range between $31.55 - $68.02.
Artisan Small Cap Fund stated the following regarding Virtu Financial, Inc. (NYSE:VIRT) in its Q2 2026 investor letter:
"Virtu Financial, Inc. (NYSE:VIRT) is a technology-enabled market maker and execution services provider. We believe it has a strong franchise built on market structure expertise, a low-risk trading model and a scalable platform spanning equities, ETFs, futures, foreign exchange, options and crypto. We initiated a Garden position and later elevated it to a Crop position as our conviction increased. We have owned Virtu previously and are encouraged by the new CEO's strategic changes, including expansion into new products and geographies while maintaining its disciplined risk profile. We believe these initiatives support a durable company-specific profit cycle driven by market share gains, growth in execution services and continued expansion in options, ETF block trading and crypto. A more supportive market environment should make the benefits of these strategic change
