Investors are worried. CNN's Fear and Greed Index is at "extreme fear." Inflation remains persistently high, with the ongoing Iran war and tariffs not helping matters. Stock market valuations are frothy by most metrics.
In times of uncertainty, many investors look to safe havens. Utility stocks rank high on the list. But if the stock market crashes, will utility stocks really protect your portfolio?
Missed AI's "Act 1"? Act 2 Could Be 16x Bigger. Most investors think they missed the AI boat because they didn't buy Nvidia in 2005. But according to our ***** ysts, we're only at the end of "Act 1"—the R&D phase. "Act 2" is the global rollout. Continue »
Arguments for buying utility stocks as a defensive portfolio move make sense. Consumers don't stop using electricity, natural gas, or water during an economic downturn or stock market sell-off.
There's also historical precedent for utility stocks protecting against a market crash. For example, the S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) sank almost 50% from its peak in early 2000 by October 2002 when the dot-com bubble burst. The Nasdaq-100 index plunged more than 80%. Meanwhile, shares of NextEra Energy (NYSE: NEE) and The Southern Company (NYSE: SO), both large electric utility providers, jumped more than 20% during the same period.

#utility #Stock #fear #high

Dutch Bros Executive Chairman Travis Boersma sold 2.39 million shares worth about $106.4 million.
Dutch Bros' Q3 revenue rose 30% to $549.8 million, but EPS missed Street estimates.
On Stocktwits, retail sentiment jumped to 'extremely bullish' from 'bearish'.
Dutch Bros Inc. (BROS) stock plunged overnight as third-quarter (Q3) earnings miss and a $106.4 million stock sale by Executive Chairman Travis Boersma rattled investors, overshadowing revenue growth even as retail traders doubled down on the coffee chain's long-term potential.
Dutch Bros stock traded over 15% lower overnight. The stock had registered gains for the past three weeks.

#bros #Stock #executive #travis

Safe to say, it's been a brutal week for chip stocks.
On Oct. 30 alone, the iShares Semiconductor ETF (SOXX) plunged 8.2%, wiping out an estimated $1 trillion in chip stock market value during the session.
Perhaps the biggest headline-maker was Intel (INTC), which suffered its worst one-day stock decline in half a century following its earnings report, as covered by CNBC.
And the company that has come to symbolize the AI boom, Nvidia (NVDA), isn't offering much comfort.
That said, Melius Research ****** yst Ben Reitzes, rated five stars by TipRanks, revamped his Nvidia stock price target just days after Intel plunged nearly 29%, as reported by TheFly.

#NVIDIA #plunged #semiconductor #intc

(Bloomberg) -- President Donald Trump's social media company and meme coin both plunged after Democrats won a decisive victory in the midterm elections, dinging the multibillion-dollar fortune of a president whose slew of new business ventures became a defining feature of his second term.
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#president #offers

NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory met a fiery end on Wednesday morning, nearly 22 years after it launched to study the most powerful explosions in the universe.
Data from the US ******* e Force estimates the 3,200-pound ******* ecraft plunged into Earth’s atmosphere over Indonesia around 7:39 a.m. ET.
While most of the observatory was expected to burn up as it blazed through the thick inner band of Earth’s atmosphere, NASA predicted some pieces of the vehicle would survive.
It was not immediately clear whether any surviving debris hit land. Previously, NASA had predicted that the “risk of harm coming to anyone on Earth is unlikely, approximately 1 in 2,100.”
If Swift were launched today, it would likely have to adhere to far stricter safety guidelines regarding end-of-life planning, according to The Aerospace Corporation, which is a federally funded research and development center.

#observatory

Stocks have been shaky in recent weeks, with the S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC), Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES: ^DJI), and Nasdaq Composite (NASDAQINDEX: ^IXIC) slipping by around 3%, 4%, and 8%, respectively, from their recent all-time highs.
Investors are also feeling pessimistic about the future. The Fear and Greed Index measures investor sentiment on a scale from 0 to 100, with lower numbers indicating fear and higher values suggesting greed. As of this writing, the index sits at just 23 -- in the "extreme fear" category.
Missed AI's "Act 1"? Act 2 Could Be 16x Bigger. Most investors think they missed the AI boat because they didn't buy Nvidia in 2005. But according to our **** ysts, we're only at the end of "Act 1"—the R&D phase. "Act 2" is the global rollout. Continue »
If a stock market crash is coming, it's not all bad news for investors. Warren Buffett has a simple seven-word strategy for times like these, and it could help you generate life-changing wealth amid market volatility.
In 2008, Buffett penned an opinion piece for The New York Times. The U.S. was deep into the Great Recession at that point, with the S&P 500 having plunged nearly 40% over the previous year, and many investors were losing hope that the market would ever recover.

#greed #index

JERUSALEM (AP) — A dentist and other passengers wrestled with a violent copilot. A plumber seized the controls as the plane plunged towards the desert. And the captain, despite being stabbed, managed to open the ***** pit door — helping save all 182 people aboard the Israel-bound flight.
"Hollywood isn't creative enough to come up with stories like this!" said Mike Huckabee, the U.S. ambassador to Israel.
Although major questions remained unanswered on Thursday about the attacker and his motive, the story of ordinary passengers saving the FlyDubai flight from disaster has quickly become the stuff of legend.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warmly embraced plumber Yaniv Hayoun shortly after the passengers arrived in Tel Aviv late on Wednesday. He later posted a five-star review of Hayoun's professional services, calling him "a hero who has saved many lives."
"He can help you too — I highly recommend him!" Netanyahu added on X.

#passengers #Israel #jerusalem

Celsius Holdings (NASDAQ: CELH) has had a rough year. The energy drink brand has plunged by almost 40% this year, but key insiders have been buying the dip. Celsius' CEO and two of its directors have poured almost $2 million into the stock this month.
When insiders buy the stock, it's often a good sign. The people with the most knowledge about the company are building their positions, but that hasn't always worked out for investors. Here's what you should know before joining Celsius' executives with their recent buys.
Missed AI's "Act 1"? Act 2 Could Be 15x Bigger. Most investors think they missed the AI boat because they didn't buy Nvidia in 2005. But according to our ****** ysts, we're only at the end of "Act 1"—the R&D phase. "Act 2" is the global rollout. Continue »
Although it's good to see executives put their skin in the game, it doesn't always translate into a higher stock price. For instance, Nike CEO Elliott Hill bought more than $2 million worth of Nike shares on April 13. Former Apple CEO Tim Cook made a similar investment in the beleaguered athletic apparel brand at the same time.
Nike shares have dropped by more than 15% since Hill invested more money. The athletic brand pitches itself as a "growth company" on its investor relations site, even though sales dropped 1% year over year in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2026.

#celsius #almost

Millions in Cuba were left without power on Friday as the country was plunged into yet another major blackout.
The country's entire electricity grid suffered "total disconnection" that triggered a nationwide outage, Cuba's energy ministry said.
Power was restored to some priority areas by late evening, including those near hospitals and water pumping stations in the capital Havana, grid operator UNE said.
It is at least the sixth partial or total blackout to hit Cuba this year, where ageing electricity infrastructure and chronic fuel shortages have been placed under further strain by a US blockade on oil shipments to the communist-run nation.
UNE said the outage started just before 14:00 local time on Friday (18:00 GMT) due to a transmission fault coupled with poor weather conditions in central Cuba.

#grid

NBIS revenue surged 454% to $582M with a $37.49B contracted backlog, while ALAB posted its eighth straight EPS beat on 104% revenue growth.
GPUs are worthless without high-speed interconnects, making cables, switches, and optical modules the AI industry's most critical and most overlooked bottleneck.
CRDO plunged 42% last month despite delivering 114.7% revenue growth and guiding for over 85% full-year growth in fiscal 2027.
Just released. Our ***** ysts combed the entire stock market and named the ten best stocks to buy right now, and Astera Labs didn't make the cut. Enter your email to see the names that beat ALAB. The report is free. Enter your email and see if any of your stocks made the cut.
The interconnect layer beneath AI clusters is the current bottleneck. GPUs are useless if they cannot exchange gradients and tokens at line rate, and the cables, switches, retimers, and optical modules that carry that traffic have become the constraint the industry is racing to relieve. One data point frames the pressure: (NASDAQ:ALAB) said PCIe 6 products already made up more than 50% of its total revenue in Q2, up from one third in Q1, evidence that the connectivity generation shift is happening in quarters, not years.

#gpus #cables

Oscar Health (OSCR) raised its full-year earnings outlook while lowering its expected medical costs to cover benefits for its nearly 3 million Affordable Care Act exchange members. OSCR stock climbed in early Wednesday stock market action ahead of its 9 a.m. ET investor conference.
Oscar, which made an aggressive play to gain ACA market share, has seen enrollment surge 47% from a year ago as of June 30, even as overall enrollment has plunged due to the expiration of enhanced premium subsidies. As of now, it looks like the bet is paying off in a big way, with shares up 126% this year through Tuesday. But it's still a bit early to know, because Oscar's earnings depend not only on its own members' costs, but also those of other ACA insurers.
The ACA's No. 2 insurer by membership behind Centene (CNC) said that it now expects its medical loss ratio, or benefit costs as a share of premiums, to be in the 81% to 82% range, down from the prior outlook of 81.5% to 82.5%.
Oscar boosted its outlook for earnings from operations by $100 million at both ends to a range of $600 million to $800 million. The unchanged revenue outlook, between $18.7 billion and $19 billion, implies that no additional customer churn is expected.
Here is what investors should keep in mind. Compared to the overall ACA risk pool, Oscar's enrollment is relatively young, healthy and more likely to sign up for very-high-deductible bronze plans. Yet based on its relatively healthy risk pool, Oscar expects about 20% of its premiums will be paid out via risk adjustment to other carriers under ACA rules. That means results in the second half of this year depend to a large degree on the level of healthcare utilization by non-Oscar members. As of now, it's a bit early to tell, since healthcare spending tends to rise as the year progresses and insured members exhaust their deductibles.

#oscar #year

Wisconsin congressman Tom Tiffany was on his way home Saturday evening following a demanding day of parades and political events when his plane plunged into the pitch-black darkness of Lake Wausau.
As he was returning from the La Crosse County Lincoln Day Dinner in Onalaska, Wisconsin, Tiffany, the Republican gubernatorial nominee, was aboard a Beechcraft K35 when it lost power as it approached Wausau Downtown Airport, the congressman told reporters during a Sunday news conference.
"Hang on, Tom, and buckle up because we're going to go down," Tiffany recounted pilot Len Bolt warning him moments before the emergency landing.
About 10 seconds later, the plane hit the water.
"We were down to 70, 80 miles an hour at that point, and so it was a fast-moving car crash, and all that happened to me was my head hit the dash in front of me, and that was the extent of the damage," Tiffany said. "We're just really fortunate. We're fortunate the plane didn't flip."

#wisconsin

AVAV stock has plunged 40% in a year despite a historic $464M Army laser contract and a record $1.5B funded backlog.
AeroVironment's LOCUST laser cuts drone intercept costs from millions to under $10 per shot, backed by 300 cartel drones already downed at the southern border.
Nawabi sold 28,265 shares at $139 while ***** ysts set a $226 average price target, leaving investors to weigh insider doubt against a 47x forward P/E.
Just released. Our ***** ysts combed the entire stock market and named the ten best stocks to buy right now, and AeroVironment didn't make the cut. Enter your email to see the names that beat AVAV. The report is free. Enter your email and see if any of your stocks made the cut.
AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) chairman and chief executive Wahid Nawabi went on CNBC this week with an arithmetic problem for defense investors. Drones being thrown at Western militaries and border installations cost roughly $150,000 apiece, according to Nawabi, while the interceptors historically used to knock them down cost millions of dollars per shot. His pitch is that AeroVironment's LOCUST directed-energy laser, per Nawabi, brings that engagement cost down to less than $10 per shot.

#nawabi #avav #cost #locust

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — New PayPal (PYPL) CEO Enrique Lores doesn't sound like a guy running toward the exit after inking a huge deal to sell the company he just started leading. He sounds like a veteran top executive who's head-down trying to reinvent a fintech icon.
"First of all, we have said that we are totally open and objective to evaluating the plan that we have versus external offers," Lores told Yahoo Finance from the Goldman Sachs Communacopia & Tech Conference (video above). "We will always choose whatever provides more value. We have three growing businesses, three businesses where we can increase the value and the profit that we generate. We believe we have a strong plan to execute. We have the right team, and we think that we are going to be creating a lot of value for shareholders."
Payments player Stripe (STRI.PVT) and private firm Advent International walked away in late August from trying to acquire PayPal for a reported $53 billion, or $60.50 per share, after the board rejected their overture.
It has been speculated that PayPal's board was looking for $70 per share.
PayPal stock has since plunged to $53.20 as investors become more cautious again about the pace of a turnaround. The stock is down 81% over the past five years.

#value #like

The Dow Jones Industrial Average and the other major stock indexes fell Tuesday, with oil prices rising following an attack on Saudi Arabia by Iran-backed Houthis. Energy stocks jumped while software lagged. Meanwhile, memory-chip leader SK Hynix (SKHY) rallied on the stock market today, breaking out past a new buy point.
Stocks were under pressure in the first day of the shortened trading week, with the Dow industrials diving nearly 700 points. This equates to a 1.3% drop. Oil major Chevron (CVX) stood out with a 2% pop, putting shares back in a buy zone.
But Amgen (AMGN) plunged 9% and dropped to its 50-day moving average. It comes after a disappointing trial results for an experimental Novartis (NVS) cardiovascular treatment were seen as a negative indicator for the former firm's own fledgling heart treatment olpasiran. Novartis, not a blue chip stock, plummeted more than 13%.
The S&P 500 also felt the heat, dropping 0.4%. A majority of sectors were lower, with communication services and healthcare being hit the hardest. Energy and utilities were posting the best gains.
The tech-heavy Nasdaq composite was also being punished, falling 0.5%. Booking (BKNG) and Shopify (SHOP) lagged due to drops of more than 5% and around 8%, respectively. CoreWeave (CRWV) showed strength by rising more than 8%.

#major #rising #lagged

If you are old enough, you remember a time before the internet. And you also remember Yahoo! and America Online being two of the most dominant internet companies early in the internet's development. The stocks were hot way back then, but today, both have basically flamed out and been swallowed up by other companies. Other internet companies became more dominant.
This isn't unusual in the tech sector, and investors piling into artificial intelligence (AI) stocks should keep that in mind. Sure, you could make a big bet on an AI stock that you think has winning tech, like a high-powered chip or a specialized application, or you could go with a picks-and-shovels play like Brookfield Renewable (NYSE: BEP)(NYSE: BEPC). Here's why this clean energy company could be the better bet.
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 »
Right now, artificial intelligence is a hot sector. Too many investors see it as a way to get rich quickly. And that has had pretty predictable consequences. For example, SoundHound (NASDAQ: SOUN) provides AI voice services. That's exciting, but probably not unique enough to build a business around. Still, its stock skyrocketed as investors jumped on the next hot thing. The shares have since plunged back to earth, down 70% from their 2024 peak.
The same could be happening now with Western Digital (NASDAQ: WDC), a maker of data storage devices. Huge demand from the AI build got investors excited about the stock, but that excitement has begun to fade. The stock has fallen roughly 40% from its recent highs. That's actually the second huge drawdown over the last three years. Even AI poster-child Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) has proven to be a highly volatile stock.

#NASDAQ #internet #NYSE

Authorities say an armed man lunged at Ohio gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton as she spoke at a local fair on Sunday. Her campaign says security stopped the man from reaching the candidate, but several people were injured as he pushed his way through the crowd. NBC's Maggie Vespa reports for TODAY.

#candidate #authorities #today #lunged

Katie Holmes and her boyfriend Jason Bard Yarmosky shared a glimpse into a recent Italian vacation in a September 6 Instagram carousel.
The couple was first linked this summer, and their photos from Lake Como looked loved-up and happy.
The actress wore a tiny white bikini, a plunging black dress, and plenty of smiles in the carousel.
Katie Holmes looked happier than ever on a recent Italian getaway with boyfriend Jason Bard Yarmosky, wearing a tiny white bikini, a black dress that plunged to her stomach, and plenty of smiles in an Instagram carousel of snaps from the trip.
On September 6, the couple made a joint post that included shots of them on a boat, Holmes in the water making a heart with her hands, wearing the aforementioned plunging black dress in front of a mountainous landscape, sunbathing on the back of a boat, and happily laughing as she enjoyed Lake Como.

#jason

Iran's regime maintains an iron grip on power but still can't ignore the impact of U.S. economic warfare, which is getting even tougher.
That extends even to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, who hasn't been seen in public since the U.S.-Israeli strike on Feb. 28 that killed his father.
In a written statement issued late last month, he banned Iranian officials from "committing anything that harms social cohesion" and urged them to avoid any "discouraging statements that weaken national and public motivation," according to Reuters.
That's as economic hardship and long lines at gas stations have already stirred some fresh protests, though not at the massive scale that was seen in January.
Still, a currency collapse last year and high inflation triggered widespread unrest, and the regime slaughtered thousands in a brutal crackdown. Since then, the rial has plunged to new lows and economic conditions have worsened due to the U.S. war and naval blockade.

#economic #supreme

When AI-enhanced security company BigBear.ai (NYSE: BBAI) reported earnings at the end of July, investors seemed pleased. Shares rose 18% over the next two weeks.
But unfortunately for BigBear.ai investors, it didn't last. Since then, the company's stock price has tumbled 11.8%. On Tuesday, they plunged below the $3/share milestone. Further declines could be coming.
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 »
Is BigBear.ai's stock now in danger of having to perform a reverse split? Here's what investors should know.
Enthusiastic investors eagerly bid up BigBear.ai's share price after the company's Q2 earnings report on July 30. That report featured some wins, but left a lot of issues unresolved.

#signal #flashing #earnings

SpaceX (SPCX) has just delivered a fresh shock to Howmet Aerospace (HWM), putting one of the company's most closely watched growth opportunities under the spotlight. Shares of Howmet plunged 7.5% after CEO Elon Musk revealed that ******* eX plans to bring the casting of natural-gas turbine blades and vanes in-house, arguing that the move could accelerate the deployment of new turbines by as much as 18 months.
The announcement is particularly significant because Howmet has built a powerful position in the highly specialized turbine-blade market. The company reportedly holds more than 50% of the global market for industrial gas-turbine blades, while its gas-turbine revenue surged 38% in the latest quarter. The business has benefited from a surge in demand as artificial intelligence (AI) data centers require enormous amounts of electricity and utilities race to expand power-generation capacity.
Kevin O'Leary Says Tariff Chaos Has Created a 'Ridiculously Fantastic' Investment Opportunity in Canada — 'Never Been A Better Time' to Invest
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#blades #spcx #shares

This story was originally published on Food Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Food Dive newsletter.
The Campbell's Company cut 13% of its salaried workforce as part of a plan to slash $500 million in costs by 2030, with CEO Mick Beekhuizen saying the company needs to take "decisive action" to improve performance.
The packaged food maker is also closing two snack plants as it aims to protect margins and support higher levels of investment. Campbell's added it will cut its quarterly dividend by 36% to generate savings that will be directed to other parts of its business.
The announcement comes as Campbell's posted a loss during its fourth quarter, with sales slipping 8% to $2.14 billion. Sales in its snacks business, which includes Goldfish and Pepperidge Farm, plunged 12% during the period. In meals and beverages, home to Rao's, V8 and its iconic soups, sales dipped 4%.
As consumers continue to rein in their spending, food companies are feeling the heat. Beekhuizen said cost cuts at Campbell's are necessary to support greater investment in brands to position them for success.

#sales #investment

Alphabet (GOOG) (GOOGL) has seen a reversal of fortunes this year after gaining nearly 65% in 2025 to clock its second-best year ever. The stock was the best-performing Magnificent 7 stock last year by a fairly good margin, but 2026 has been a different ballgame.
Alphabet is up just 6.5% this year and is underperforming the S&P 500 Index ($SPX). The stock peaked above $400 in May and has since plunged almost 18%. It is now nearing a bear market, which, by definition, is a drawdown of 20% from recent highs. As I noted in my article in January, I did not expect GOOG to repeat its stellar 2025 performance this year. In this article, we'll explore whether the stock's valuations are now attractive enough to make it a "buy" or whether investors should continue to stay on the sidelines.
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang Says His $3.5 Billion MediaTek Deal Is 'Not Circular' Because 'They Do Their Own Business'
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A Potential ****** eX Deal Could Meaningfully Accelerate Growth for Technip Stock

#alphabet #best #article #magnificent

Lili Reinhart has yet again left the internet aflame, posing in a vibrant red Valentino dress featuring a massive back cutout. The "Forbidden Fruits" actress is currently busy promoting her upcoming rom-com, "The Love Hypothesis," starring Tom Bateman. She posed in several different outfits for the portraits accompanying her new feature story with ELLE, alongside Bateman.
Lili Reinhart gave Old Hollywood glam vibes in the fiery red floor-length gown from Valentino. The Cady Couture Long Dress featured long, tailored sleeves and a high draped cowl neck wrapped around her collar. The complete coverage at the front offset the dramatic open-back design. The huge V-shaped cutout at the back plunged all the way down to her waist.
This stark, geometric open back added a sultry element to what appeared to be a simple red dress from the front. Furthermore, the fabric draped down to a floor-sweeping length, gathering at the lower back before falling into a graceful, rounded train that pooled around her feet.
The lower half of Reinhart's look was not visible in the photo, as she looked over her shoulder in the shot that captured her from the side for ELLE.
The "American Sweatshop" actress paired the red dress with Valentino Kabarett Earrings in Metal and Crystals. The oval aluminium jewel design was covered with crystals. In addition, pendant tassels composed of crystals and Swarovski pearls fell downwards from the top of the oval structure. The earrings added just the right amount of sparkle to her look, although her hair partially veiled them.

#back #valentino #lili #bateman

WASHINGTON, Sept 1 (Reuters) - U.S. construction spending unexpectedly fell in July, hitting the lowest level in nearly three years as higher mortgage ‌rates weighed on single-family homebuilding.
The Commerce Department's Census Bureau said on Tuesday ‌that construction spending dropped 0.5% to $2.158 trillion, the lowest level since October 2023. Data for June was revised higher to show construction spending unchanged instead of dipping 0.1%, as previously reported. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast construction spending would be unchanged in July.
Construction spending plunged 3.8% on a year-over-year basis in July. Spending on private ‌construction projects decreased 0.5% after ⁠easing 0.1% in June. Investment in residential construction tumbled 1.3%. Spending on single-family housing projects dropped 3.2%. On a year-over-year ⁠basis, it plummeted 6.5% in July.
Homebuilding is also being squeezed by a glut of unsold single-family houses. The average rate on the popular 30-year fixed-rate mortgage is hovering near a one-year high of 6.66%, data from mortgage finance agency Freddie Mac showed. ‌It has surged by almost 70 basis points since the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran started in late February.
Spending on multi-family housing units, which account for a small share of the housing market, rose 0.2% in July.

#spending #family

Nvidia (NVDA) posted a banner quarter on Wednesday that sent a clear message to Wall Street: AI demand is still hot, no matter the doubters.
And yet, shares in Marvell Technology (MRVL) — another major chip designer — plunged after its own strong earnings report.
The tech trade, strategists told Yahoo Finance, isn't as simple as it once was.
Take software, for example. After spending much of 2026 getting hammered by investors, software stocks came roaring back over the past week as the narrative turned away from redundancy and toward resilience.
"This earnings season has caused investors to look at the issue of potential AI disruption in software in a little bit more of a nuanced fashion," Steve Koenig, Macquarie US head of software and services research, told Yahoo Finance.

#software #nvda

Two telecommunications giants recently showcased the contrasting sides of the 5G and connectivity ecosystem. On August 6, AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) announced it selected Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ) (NASDAQ:ERIC) to supply 600 MHz dual-band radios to support the deployment of its newly acquired spectrum from EchoStar. The partnership reinforces AT&T's ongoing network modernization while keeping Ericsson deeply embedded in U.S. carrier infrastructure.
Shortly after, on August 10, AT&T demonstrated real-world execution by upgrading wireless connectivity at Mississippi State University's Davis Wade Stadium using a Distributed Antenna System powered by Airspan's MobileAccess 6000. While AT&T is actively converting network upgrades into sticky, high-margin subscriber growth, Ericsson faces the capital-intensive burden of hardware delivery.
Ken Wolter / Shutterstock.com
AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) is showing a stronger financial trajectory and cash-generation profile than its equipment vendor partner, Ericsson. In Q2 2026, AT&T's consolidated revenue increased 2.3% year over year to $31.6 billion, supported by a 5.1% increase in Advanced Connectivity service revenue. Adjusted EPS surged 20.4% to $0.65, beating the $0.59 consensus estimate, while adjusted EBITDA rose 5.2% to $12.3 billion, producing a strong 39.1% margin. Free cash flow reached $4.7 billion, enabling management to raise its full-year share buyback target to $10 billion while maintaining its forecast for more than $18 billion in full-year free cash flow.
Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ) (NASDAQ:ERIC), meanwhile, faced weaker operating momentum in Q2 2026, with net sales declining 6% year over year to SEK 52.7 billion, or approximately $5.0 billion, due to lower IPR licensing revenue and uneven carrier capital spending. Net income fell 12% to SEK 4.1 billion, or approximately $390 million, although adjusted gross margin remained resilient at 48.4%. Free cash flow before M&A, however, plunged from SEK 2.6 billion to just SEK 385 million, or approximately $36.7 million.

#year

On August 25, BofA Securities ****** yst Joyce Ju reiterated a Buy rating and $172.00 price target on Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA). The rating affirmation follows one of the largest capital raises by Alibaba. The tech giant raised HK$80 billion ($10.2 billion) in Hong Kong's largest follow-on share offering to invest in its AI infrastructure.
The demand attracted $28 billion of orders, including $6 billion from long-only and sovereign investors. Following the news, the stock plunged as much as 10% in Hong Kong amid fears of capital burning and shareholder dilution. BofA held firm anyway.
Jack Ma
According to Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA), 100% of the net proceeds from the sale will go to Alibaba's full-stack AI capabilities. However, investors are worried because the tech giant's AI push is increasingly becoming expensive and the recent sale makes the near-term picture even messier.
BofA itself has acknowledged that the placement will likely weigh on sentiment considering the shareholder dilution and depreciation tied to AI infrastructure deployment. There is also the uncertainty tied to how long it takes for capex to remain elevated and possibility of further funding.

#billion #group

The dollar index (DXY00) is down by -0.04% today. The dollar gave up an early advance today and turned lower on weaker-than-expected US economic news, including July new home sales and Aug consumer confidence. Also, WTI crude oil plunged -3% to a 1-week low today, lowering inflation expectations and a dovish factor for Fed policy. In addition, safe-haven demand for the dollar was reduced today after the New York Times reported the US State Department is preparing to send US diplomats back to embassies in the Middle East that were evacuated before and during the war with Iran, suggesting that the Trump administration does not anticipate a return to all-out hostilities with Iran.
The US June S&P Composite-20 Home Price Index rose +2.1% y/y, stronger than expectations of +1.8% y/y and the largest year-over-year increase in a year.
Why This Week Looks to Be Fun
Dollar Moves Higher as US Ramps Up Pressure on Iran
Dollar Gains on Weak Stocks

#dollar #today #july

Shares of Affirm Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:AFRM) fell 1.3% on August 18 as Klarna plunged more than 22% after reducing its 2026 volume and revenue forecasts. Klarna now expects full-year gross merchandise volume of $149 billion-$151 billion, down from more than $155 billion, and revenue of $4.08 billion-$4.16 billion, down from $4.34 billion. Yet the warning was not cleanly industrywide. Klarna's second-quarter revenue increased 27%, overall volume rose 18%, and U.S. volume grew 27%. Management tied the weaker outlook primarily to soft German retail conditions, while currency translation reduced projected volume by approximately $600 million. Affirm shares rebounded 5.1% the next session. For Affirm Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:AFRM), the August 27 earnings report must show whether the initial decline reflected a broader consumer-credit warning or an opportunity to capture share from a slowing competitor.
Affirm Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:AFRM) enters the report with stronger momentum than Klarna's guidance might suggest. Fiscal third-quarter gross merchandise volume increased 35% to $11.6 billion, while revenue rose 33% to $1.04 billion. Active consumers grew 22% to 26.8 million, and active merchants increased 44% to 515,000.
The strongest argument for Affirm Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:AFRM) is that its growth is spreading beyond the online checkout ****** on. Affirm Card volume jumped 146% to $2.1 billion, while active cardholders more than doubled to 4.4 million. Direct-to-consumer volume increased 48%, and wallet and software partnerships helped expand the merchant network.
Affirm Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:AFRM) also has substantial funding capacity to support further share gains. Capacity reached $28.2 billion in March, up from $23.3 billion a year earlier, while the average annualized cost of funds declined 126 basis points to 5.8%. The company estimated that its funding arrangements could support more than $65 billion of annual volume. If Klarna prioritizes profitability over aggressive near-term growth, as some ****** ysts inferred, the slower volume outlook could create room for Affirm without requiring the company to strain its balance sheet.
Affirm Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:AFRM) remains exposed to the same consumer and financing pressures affecting the broader BNPL category. The 30-plus-day delinquency rate on monthly installment loans, excluding Peloton and Pay in X, increased 29 basis points year over year to 2.8%. The allowance for credit losses rose to 6.0% of loans held for investment from 5.7% a year earlier.

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