AMD (AMD) will report its second-quarter earnings on Tuesday, Aug. 4. The stock has fallen more than 22% from its recent high as investors locked in profits after a strong rally, while broader weakness in AI-related stocks has added to the selling pressure.
Despite the recent pullback, AMD's fundamentals remain solid. Robust demand for AI accelerators and high-performance CPUs, along with a rapidly expanding addressable market, positions the company to deliver solid financial results.
Dear Sandisk Stock Fans, Mark Your Calendars for August 5
Intel Stock Sinks 40%, But Most ******* ysts Still Aren't Bullish on INTC
Nebius Stock Gets Another Wall Street Upgrade. Here's Why Investors Are Paying Attention.

#recent #high #despite

Regional banks have spent 2026 rebuilding the credibility they lost in 2023, when panicked customers withdrew large sums of money. The Federal Reserve's interest rate cuts have eased the funding costs, and loan growth is picking up again across the Southeast and Mid-South regions. First Horizon Corporation (NYSE:FHN), the Memphis-based lender, which benefits directly from this regional banking recovery, just got a very public nudge from Jim Cramer – the Mad Money host. In the lightning round on July 27, Jim endorsed First Horizon, calling it "a terrific stock, very inexpensive".
I think it's a terrific stock, very inexpensive. I think you should buy it.
Cramer's call on the stock comes two weeks after First Horizon released its second quarter results. The print indicated net income of $260 million, up 12% year-over-year, and EPS of $0.54, beating the $0.53 consensus by a penny. Adjusted EPS saw a 20% year-over-year growth. The company's revenue was in line with the estimates, reaching $887 million. Aside from financial growth indicators, the underlying trends also showed improved performance. Loans saw a growth of roughly $2 billion year-over-year while deposits went up by $1.6 billion sequentially, and the bank's return on equity climbed over 15%.
Even amid these numbers, Cramer's framing does not accurately capture the true position of First Horizon. The company trades at 1.77 times tangible book value, 10% above its own 10-year average. Shares are up 13.14% over the past year and sit near $25.40 currently. These numbers do not reflect a discounted regional bank. They represent a bank that the market has already pushed toward the top of its peer group. In other words, Cramer's "buy" is not a bargain call, but a bet that strong profits justify a premium price.
Higher deposit costs resulted in a slight slippage in net interest margins, while overall expenses grew alongside loan growth. Nevertheless, credit quality stayed resilient, showing only modest increases in loan losses. The company also engaged in aggressive stock buybacks, shrinking the total share count by nearly 7% over the past year, which ended up lifting the earnings per share. Short float of 2.73% down from 3.50% the previous month, indicates that bearish market traders are exiting their negative positions.

#regional #money #interest

Platinum ****** et Management, an investment management company, released its Q2 2026 investor letter for "Platinum International Brands Fund". A copy of the letter can be downloaded here. The fund returned over 4% in the quarter but lost 14% over the past year, primarily due to the dominance of tech stocks amid an AI investment boom. Consumer-focused sectors underperformed due to weak sentiment and challenges such as high interest rates and rising oil prices, which have contributed to record-low consumer confidence. However, the fund's holdings remain fundamentally strong, with top holdings averaging 13% sales growth and 19% profit growth. The letter noted that positive developments include resumed job growth, reduced oil prices, and easing fiscal policy, which potentially enhance consumer sentiment. In addition, please check the Fund's top five holdings to know its best picks in 2026.
In its Q2 2026 investor letter, Platinum International Brands Fund highlighted Birkenstock Holding plc (NYSE:BIRK). Birkenstock Holding plc (NYSE:BIRK) engages in the manufacturing and distribution of footwear products. On July 28, 2026, Birkenstock Holding plc (NYSE:BIRK) closed at $41.85 per share, reflecting a market capitalization of $7.7 billion. Birkenstock Holding plc (NYSE:BIRK) posted a one-month return of -4.95%, while its shares lost 19.67% over the past 52 weeks.
Platinum International Brands Fund stated the following regarding Birkenstock Holding plc (NYSE:BIRK) in its Q2 2026 investor update:
"Birkenstock Holding plc (NYSE:BIRK) (+23%) was among our strongest contributors over the past quarter. The German sandal-maker, with two and a half centuries of heritage, keeps finding fresh ways to grow as a capable management team burnishes the brand, opens new product lines and expands overseas. It earns a 24% operating margin and a 40% return on capital and grew profits 25% on a year ago. Any private owner would be content with these numbers. The CEO, who bought millions of euros in stock this year, and the board, which recently launched a substantial buyback, plainly agree."
Birkenstock Holding plc (NYSE:BIRK) is not on our list of 40 Most Popular Stocks Among Hedge Funds Heading Into 2026. According to our database, 32 hedge fund portfolios held Birkenstock Holding plc (NYSE:BIRK) at the end of the first quarter, compared to 41 in the previous quarter. In the second quarter of fiscal 2026, Birkenstock Holding plc (NYSE:BIRK) reported revenue of EUR 618 million, an 8% year-over-year increase on a reported basis. While we acknowledge the potential of Birkenstock Holding plc (NYSE:BIRK) 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.

#holding #birk #year #letter

By Mike Dolan
July 29 (Reuters) -
What matters in U.S. and global markets today
By Mike Dolan, Editor-at-Large, Finance and Markets
In a clear illustration of just how high the bar is for Big Tech to impress markets, South Korean chip giant SK Hynix plunged again as a ‌record six-fold jump in quarterly profits missed forecasts early on Wednesday.

#july

Our **** ysts just identified a stock with the potential to be the next Nvidia. Tell us how you invest and we'll show you why it's our #1 pick. Tap here.
Here's a rather, um, fun diary entry from the annals of our AI-addled market: South Korea memory chip maker SK Hynix posted a 557% increase in operating profit for its most recent quarter on Wednesday. But rather than sending the once-hot stock to the moon, the print led to a mass sell-off that dragged South Korea's Kospi down with it.
SK Hynix said revenue rose to about $55 billion, up 257% from the same quarter a year prior. Net profits skyrocketed about 1,242%. Still, those eye-popping numbers weren't enough for investors addicted to four-digit growth in the chip sector.
South Korea-listed SK Hynix shares fell about 10% on Wednesday, and are down nearly 50% over the last month. The company's U.S.-listed ADRs, which first started trading on the Nasdaq on July 10, are down about 22%. When the East Coast wakes up, it's set to be a rout.
In other words, SK Hynix grew like that and still missed **** yst expectations. **** ysts penciled in about $44 billion in operating profit. SK Hynix delivered $41.6 billion — real money, just not enough to satisfy a market pricing in miracles.

#analysts #Stock #rather

Kia Corporation announced a 2.3% rise in net profits to KRW 2,327.8 trillion (US$ 1.59 billion) for the second quarter of 2026, up from KRW 2,268.2 trillion a year earlier, with US import tariffs and higher sales incentives offset by record global vehicle deliveries. Operating profits fell by 4.9% to KRW 2,628.5 trillion.
The South Korean automaker reported a 12.6% increase in global sales revenues to a record KRW 33,037.0 trillion in the three-month period, while global wholesale deliveries rose by 4.5% to 851,639 vehicles – including 154,816 units in South Korea and 696,823 units overseas. The company was not affected by the component shortages that held back Hyundai Motor's second-quarter results.
Sales of electrified vehicles jumped 60% to 296,000 units, accounting for 35% of Kia's global sales, driven by strong hybrid-electric vehicle (HEV) sales in the US and higher battery electric vehicle (BEV) demand in South Korea and Europe. Total HEV retail sales rose by 61% to 178,000 units, helped by the launch of the new Telluride and Seltos models, with sales in the US surging by 152% to 66,000 units, while total BEV retail sales surged by 88% to 110,000 units.
Kia said it expects solid business results in the second half of 2026 to enable it to meet its full-year guidance, "supported by competitive new model offerings and sustained BEV and HEV demand." The company is targeting 3.35 million global vehicle sales in 2026, supported by the launch of new BEV models in Europe and a recovery in Middle Eastern demand.
In the US, Kia said that its plans to expand production capacity of the Telluride SUV, including hybrid variants, and the ramp up of deliveries of the Sportage hybrid produced at the Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America (HMGMA) will help enhance profitability.

#units

Yes -- by the numbers, Wall Street is treating Advanced Micro Devices (NASDAQ: AMD) as close to fully valued going into next week's report. The average price target on the stock is $570.60, about 9% above Friday's close of $521.95.
That cushion is thin for a stock this well-liked. Of the 51 ***** ysts covering AMD, 41 rate it a buy, 10 rate it a hold, and none rate it a sell. Nearly everyone recommends the stock. Almost ***** ody's math leaves room for much upside.
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 »
Additionally, published targets stretch from $320 to $1,250, so there's no shortage of disagreement about where the chipmaker is headed. But the average lands close to where the stock already trades.
The stock's valuation multiple explains the caution. At about $522, AMD trades at about 170 times earnings and about 59 times forward earnings estimates, with a market capitalization of about $851 billion. The trailing figure reflects where the profits were over the past year. The forward one ***** umes the growth keeps coming.

#NVIDIA #average #trades #times

Currently, Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOG) (NASDAQ: GOOGL) is trailing Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) in the race to join Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) in the $5 trillion market-cap club. Apple is just over $200 billion in market cap away from joining, while Alphabet is about $1 trillion away following its sell-off.
However, I think Alphabet can overcome this deficit if the market comes to its senses. Alphabet's business can actually justify a $5 trillion market cap, while Apple's is questionable. It's all because of one factor: valuation.
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 »
When comparing Alphabet and Apple, it's clear that they are two entirely different businesses. Apple stakes its company on the success of its hardware business, although it generates a fair bit of revenue from its services as well. Alphabet is more software focused. Alphabet clearly has some hardware exposure, but it also has a cloud computing business that involves purchasing hardware and renting it back out to clients. Regardless, both companies have proved their merits over the long term.
However, Alphabet looks to be the stronger company. From a revenue standpoint, Apple is still outperforming Alphabet. But that's not nearly as important for companies this size. What matters is how the company uses that revenue, and investors are more focused on profits. From a net income standpoint, Alphabet is starting to put some distance between itself and Apple.

#NASDAQ #company #signal #trillion

BEIJING, July 27 (Reuters) - Profits at China's industrial firms grew at a solid, though slower, pace as resilient exports helped cushion sluggish domestic demand, highlighting ‌the economy's uneven recovery despite policymakers' efforts to spur consumption.
Exports and industrial production ‌have done much of the heavy lifting for the world's second-largest economy. Persistent weakness in consumption and the property sector, however, helped drag second-quarter growth to its slowest pace in more than three years, keeping calls alive for further policy support to address economic imbalances.
Industrial profit growth eased to 15.1% in June from 21.1% in May, while first-half profits rose 18.7% from a ‌year earlier, compared with an ⁠18.8% increase in the January-to-May period, data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed on Monday.
"If this recovery can be sustained, it will ⁠be a good sign for the rest of the economy, as a return of profits growth could give companies room to resume wage growth," said Lynn Song, chief economist of Greater China at ING.
The figures add to evidence of a two-speed recovery in the world's second-largest economy, ‌where manufacturers have benefited from robust overseas demand, while sectors tied to domestic spending continue to struggle.

#industrial #recovery #second

Warren Buffett stands as one of the most celebrated investors in history. Under his leadership at Berkshire Hathaway beginning in 1965, the investment conglomerate delivered a compound annual gain of 19.7% through 2025, almost double the S&P 500's (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) 10.5% average annual return over the same period.
That performance turned modest early investments into generational wealth for patient shareholders, validating Buffett's reputation for focusing on long-term value rather than short-term profits.
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 »
One tool the Oracle of Omaha has long employed for gauging the health of the stock market is the aptly named Buffett indicator, which compares the total value of U.S. stocks to gross domestic product (GDP). Its currently elevated reading raises questions about whether stocks are outrunning underlying economic growth and what that could signal for future returns.
The Buffett indicator is a ratio between the aggregate market capitalization of all publicly traded U.S. companies -- typically captured by a broad index such as the Wilshire 5000 -- and nominal U.S. GDP. This metric offers a snapshot of how large the stock market has become relative to the size of the economy that ultimately supports corporate profits.

#total

Before (SPCX) went public, I wrote that the extraordinary demand for its IPO might be the warning. The shares were priced at $135, climbed to $225.64, and closed Friday at $115.07. Investors who loved the stock six weeks ago now appear eager to sell it. The company has lost almost half its value since the high. Short sellers, meanwhile, are sitting on an estimated $15.5 billion of paper profits.
That first article was about scarcity and behavior. Too many investors chased too few shares, and the excitement around owning (SPCX) became more important than the price they paid.
When the stock returned to its IPO price, I wrote that $135 was not automatically a buy. An offering price is a number agreed upon during a sales process, not a declaration of fair value.
Both warnings have held up. But markets move, and the risk has now moved with them.
The dangerous crowd is no longer only the one that chased (SPCX) higher. It may now include the investors who believe the decline has become an easy one-way trade.
I still think (SPCX) is expensive. At Friday's price, the company is worth roughly $1.5 trillion. Aswath Damodaran, the NYU professor known as the dean of valuation, estimated its equity value at around $1.3 trillion before the IPO. His largest concern was the value being attached to the artificial-intelligence business, where the ***** umptions are much harder to defend than they are for Starlink or the launch operation. The bears have a case. My concern is that they are becoming too comfortable with it.
The Easy Part of the Short May Be Over
Around 360 million (SPCX) shares, representing roughly 56% of the freely traded stock, were out on loan earlier last week. Short sellers were not using the decline to take profits. According to Ortex, they were increasing their positions. That does not prove they are mistaken. Crowded trades can remain profitable for a long time. It does tell us what might happen if the news starts improving.
A short seller eventually has to buy the shares back. When a large part of the available stock has already been borrowed and sold, even a modest change in expectations can create demand from investors who are not buying because they suddenly love the company. They are buying because the trade is moving against them. This is the mirror image of the IPO. In June, investors were afraid they would miss the rise. Now short sellers are afraid they will miss the decline. A stock rising from $135 to $225 felt safer because other investors appeared to agree with the bullish story. A stock falling toward $115 makes the bearish argument feel more obvious because the price appears to confirm it. Price is evidence, but it is not always proof.
(SPCX)'s launch economics did not deteriorate by 49%. Starlink did not lose half its subscribers. The stock fell because expectations, positioning, and the supply of willing buyers changed.

#investors #price #shares #company

BEIJING, July 27 (Reuters) - Profits at China's industrial firms grew at a solid, though slower, pace as resilient exports helped cushion sluggish domestic demand, highlighting ‌the economy's uneven recovery despite policymakers' efforts to spur consumption.
Exports and industrial production ‌have done much of the heavy lifting for the world's second-largest economy. Persistent weakness in consumption and the property sector, however, helped drag second-quarter growth to its slowest pace in more than three years, keeping calls alive for further policy support to address economic imbalances.
Industrial profit growth eased to 15.1% in June from 21.1% in May, while first-half profits rose 18.7% from a ‌year earlier, compared with an ⁠18.8% increase in the January-to-May period, data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed on Monday.
"If this recovery can be sustained, it will ⁠be a good sign for the rest of the economy, as a return of profits growth could give companies room to resume wage growth," said Lynn Song, chief economist of Greater China at ING.
The figures add to evidence of a two-speed recovery in the world's second-largest economy, ‌where manufacturers have benefited from robust overseas demand, while sectors tied to domestic spending continue to struggle.

#profits #economy #exports

Barcelona's signing of Karim Adeyemi has not only strengthened Hansi Flick's attack but also brought an end to one of Borussia Dortmund's most consistent transfer trends.
The German winger arrived at Barcelona in a deal worth a fixed €22 million, with a further €7 million in performance-related add-ons.
While the agreement certainly represents a sensible piece of business for Borussia Dortmund given that Adeyemi had entered the final year of his contract, it falls well short of the enormous profits the Bundesliga side has become famous for generating in the transfer market.
According to the figures involved, Barcelona's Karim Adeyemi transfer is one of the few major Dortmund departures in recent years that has not resulted in a substantial financial windfall for the German club.
Borussia Dortmund signed Adeyemi from RB Salzburg in 2022 for €30 million, viewing the German international as another exciting young talent capable of developing into a world-class player.

#german #transfer #million #hansi

Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA), the global electric-vehicle, battery storage, and autonomous driving platform, closed at $319.69, down 14.52%. Thursday's drop followed an earnings miss and heavier AI and robotics spending. Investors will continue watching margins with another focus on autonomous-driving guidance next.
Trading volume reached 114.2 million shares, coming in about 131% above its three-month average of 49.4 million shares.
Tesla IPO'd in 2010 and has grown 20,006% since going public.
The S&P 500 (SNPINDEX:^GSPC) fell 1.21% to 7,408.30, and the Nasdaq Composite (NASDAQINDEX:^IXIC) dropped 2.15% to 25,138. Among electric vehicle manufacturing peers, Rivian Automotive (NASDAQ:RIVN) closed at $16.46, down 4.19%, and Lucid Group (NASDAQ:LCID) closed at $6.45, down 4.87%, reflecting pressure across EV names.
Tesla's revenue soared in Q2, driven by a surge in EV unit volume. Deliveries jumped 25% year over year, and revenue gains came close to matching that. Yet profits dropped, and free cash flow turned negative as operating expenses and capital spending soared.
Analysts lowered their price targets for Tesla following the earnings miss, citing margin pressure and cautious guidance on autonomous driving.
The future direction of Tesla stock will depend on what investors prioritize. Competition in the EV market has put pricing pressure on Tesla, which it is offsetting with volume. But that additional revenue isn't reaching the bottom line because of the company's growth investments and expenses.

#revenue

Blackstone (BX) CEO Stephen Schwarzman said Thursday that his firm has been selective in its investments in the AI infrastructure boom as the company delivered a jump in profits for the second quarter.
The private markets giant reported Q2 distributable earnings of $2 billion, or $1.52 per share, up 26% from a year earlier, compared with ****** yst expectations of $1.7 billion.
In a post-earnings conference call, Schwarzman, the firm's 79-year-old billionaire CEO, pointed to Blackstone's earlier investments in data centers, energy, power, and AI companies as the most significant driver of the results.
But he cautioned that there is also plenty of uncertainty in the rapidly expanding AI boom.
"In terms of risks, we're mindful of the potential for excessive exuberance in this area, and we've carefully chosen our spots, leveraging our scale and knowledge advantage to build conviction," he said.

#earnings

Alphabet shares tumbled Thursday after the tech giant told investors it could spend more than it previously anticipated to fuel its AI ambitions.
The news overshadowed quarterly sales and profits that topped ***** ysts' estimates.
Google parent Alphabet's stock is taking a hit on growing worries about its AI spending.
Shares of Alphabet (GOOGL) were down 7% in recent trading despite quarterly earnings that topped ***** ysts' expectations, after the tech giant warned it could end up spending more than it previously anticipated to fuel its AI ambitions. It led the Dow Jones Industrial Average lower, and was among the worst-performing stocks in the S&P 500 and Nasdaq on a down day for the major indexes.
Alphabet said it now sees capital expenditures of between $195 billion and $205 billion this year, up from an earlier forecast of $180 billion to $190 billion, marking the second time the tech giant has raised its 2026 forecast. CFO Anat Ashkenazi told investors during the company's earnings call that expenditures could also "increase significantly" in 2027, per a transcript provided by AlphaSense.

#billion #previously #fuel

By Isla Binnie and Arasu Kannagi Basil
NEW YORK, July 23 (Reuters) - Blackstone beat ******* yst expectations for second-quarter income on Thursday as the world's largest alternative ******* et manager cashed in on investments, raked in new funds and reaped profits from ‌a mammoth bet on artificial intelligence.
The New York-based company said inflows in the quarter pushed total ******* ets to $1.35 trillion. Distributable ‌earnings, or profit available to shareholders, rose 26% on a per-share basis to $1.52, above estimates of $1.35 provided by LSEG.
Deals to sell a stake in three data centers to Digital Realty and a majority holding in power infrastructure company Sabre Industries to TPG helped push its haul from monetizing ******* ets to $31.8 billion.
Market volatility had hampered some deals in the first quarter, but Blackstone picked up the pace in the second, completing the listings of advertising technology company Liftoff Mobile, a data center investment vehicle called Blackstone Digital Infrastructure Trust and Indian office REIT Bagmane.

#quarter

Three big earnings reports came out this week. Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOGL) and Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) reported Wednesday after the market closed, and International Business Machines Corporation (NYSE:IBM) shared its official results the same day. All three show the same thing: spending money on AI is starting to hurt profits. However, each company's story is different enough that treating them as one big story would miss what's actually going on. So let's dig into it:
Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOGL) made more money than expected. Revenue came in at $119.8 billion compared to the $116.9 billion ***** ysts expected, growing 24% from last year. Its cloud business also had its best quarter ever. Cloud revenue jumped 82% to $24.77 billion, way above the $22.46 billion ***** ysts predicted, and the amount of future cloud business it has lined up hit $514 billion, up from about $460 billion. Even so, the stock fell about 4% after hours. Why? Because Alphabet said it will spend even more money in 2026 than planned, between $195 billion and $205 billion instead of the earlier $180-190 billion range and well above the roughly $186 billion Wall Street expected. The firm's leftover cash after paying for everything actually went negative, by $5.9 billion, for the first time in at least 10 years. That happened because Alphabet spent $44.9 billion in just this one quarter, double what it spent a year ago. Alphabet's finance chief, Anat Ashkenazi, told ***** ysts the tech firm still doesn't have enough computing power to meet demand. Google is even renting extra computing capacity from ***** eX to keep up while it builds more of its own.
Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) had a similar problem, just in a different business. Revenue beat expectations, coming in at $28.24 billion versus $25.71 billion expected, up 26% from last year. Tesla also delivered more cars than expected. But profit missed, and adjusted earnings were 33 cents per share, well below the 51 cents ***** ysts expected. The profit margin on each car sold also shrank to about 16.3% instead of the roughly 18% expected. And Tesla's leftover cash went negative too, by $1.1 billion, for the first time in over two years. That's because Tesla spent 142% more money than usual, $5.8 billion, mostly on things like Optimus robots, its Cybercab robotaxi, and AI computing power, not on making more cars. Elon Musk called it "a massive capex year" and said he believes these investments will pay off. But right now, it's the car business paying for all of it, and the car business is making less money per vehicle than before.

#expected #alphabet #money

Alphabet made history Wednesday with a quarterly profit that stretched into 12 figures for the first time in the search giant's history—and perhaps for the first time in any company's history. Alphabet, the parent company of Google, grew its bottom line by 298% year-over-year in the second quarter, totaling an astounding $112.1 billion in net income.
That's more profit in three months than 459 of the Fortune 500 companies generate in top line revenue in a full year.

What gives? Alphabet's Q2 revenue increased by a very impressive 24%, to $119.8 billion, with the Google Cloud business reaching an 82% growth clip—results CEO Sundar Pichai called proof that the company's "full stack approach to AI is delivering real, measurable value."
Well, that—plus $99 billion in additional (or "other") income that's not directly produced by Alphabet's day-to-day business operations such as search advertising and YouTube subscriptions.
A footnote in Alphabet's Q2 earnings release provides a bit more insight about where these record-shattering profits came from. Alphabet booked $99 billion in "unrealized and realized" gains on the equity securities in its investment portfolio during the quarter—adding $77.1 billion to Alphabets overall net income after taxes, according. The investment windfall accounted for $6.26 of Alphabet's $9.11 in earnings per share.
Most of the $99 billion in "other income" is from Alphabet's AI investments, primarily Anthropic and ***** eX. Though it's unclear how much each of the individual investments contributed to the $99 billion gain, both companies saw their valuations soar in Q2.

#income

Jake Bauers has already set a new career high for home runs and can add another tonight.
A pair of losing MLB best home run bets on Wednesday dropped the season's record to 18-61 and three no-bets. The record for home run props isn't impressive without adding context, but it's quite good for long-shot bets, such as home run bets.
As a result, anyone who has bet $100 on each of the touted home run bets at the listed odds this year is up $1,061. The profits are nice, as they award some wiggle room for an inevitable cold streak. Home run bets are challenging to hit, and stacking losing picks is part of the equation.
Still, as the season's profits illustrate, carefully picking home run props can leave bettors in the black. Tonight offers two more compelling home run bets for slugging first basemen with above-average power and favorable matchups. Furthermore, the odds for their home run props are tasty.
Over 0.5 Home Runs (+364) at DraftKings Sportsbook

#odds #jake

Alphabet's (GOOGL) AI spending has surged. So have sales and profits.
Earnings after the bell will show whether that unlikely combination can hold.
So far, Alphabet has made the balancing act look almost easy.
Its operating margin — the share of sales left after running the business — reached 36.1% in the first quarter, its highest level in five years. Revenue grew 22%, while operating income jumped 30%.
Growth has helped do the heavy lifting.

#googl #alphabet #Growth #surged

Hyperliquid (HYPE) has gone down by 7% today and has accumulated a 15% drop in the past 7 days after a handful of whales reportedly cashed out on their early HYPE bets.
Yesterday, the crypto ****** ytics firm Lookonchain revealed that Multicoin Capital transferred nearly 400,000 HYPE tokens to Coinbase Prime and requested to unstake almost 212,000 tokens less than a month after they published a bullish report on this cryptocurrency.
In a piece ****** led "Hyperliquid (HYPE) ****** ysis & Valuation," Multicoin stated that "Hyperliquid's trajectory looks eerily similar to Binance's early years."
They also set forth a long-term target of $319 for the token, claiming that, at $63, it was currently trading at 36 times its trailing twelve months (TTM) earnings. They projected $8 billion in annual profits by 2028, which, at a 20x price-to-earnings (P/E) multiple, results in a potential 5x gain.
However, this recent move to cash out of Hyperliquid's short-term gains has raised eyebrows about the firm's motivations to publish this report among the crypto community.

#hype #hyperliquid #multicoin #early

Our **** ysts just identified a stock with the potential to be the next Nvidia. Tell us how you invest and we'll show you why it's our #1 pick. Tap here.
JD Wetherspoon issued another profit warning after sales came in weaker than expected and costs kept rising across food, labor, repairs, energy and business rates. Like-for-like sales rose 4% in the 12 weeks to July 19, but that was not enough to offset margin pressure or satisfy investors hoping the World Cup and warm weather would deliver a bigger pub rush. Shares fell sharply. The punters are still showing up. The profits are not keeping pace.
Wetherspoons warned that full-year profits are likely to come in below market expectations when it reports results in October. The company blamed "marginally lower sales than anticipated" in the final quarter and higher costs across food, labor, repairs, energy and business rates.
Like-for-like sales rose 4% in the 12 weeks to July 19. Year-to-date like-for-like sales were up 4.2%. That is growth, but not enough for a pub chain that investors hoped would benefit from the FIFA World Cup, warm weather and customers heading out to watch matches.
Shares fell around 9% to 10% after the update.

#shares

Listen
(2 min)
Good morning. We now have a price tag for the U.S.-Iran war: $37.5 billion. Pete Hegseth shared the updated estimate yesterday—some $9 billion higher than earlier projections. The rising bill comes as fighting intensifies. Our latest reporting shows Iran’s ballistic missiles remain a deadly threat to U.S. forces and regional allies. Yet Israel is staying out of the fight—for now—at Washington’s request, to preserve room for diplomacy. Meanwhile, President Trump has approved a nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia that could bring large profits for American companies, but could also raise concerns about nuclear proliferation in the Middle East.
This is an edition of The 10-Point newsletter, a guided tour to the best coverage in The Wall Street Journal. If you’re not subscribed, sign up here. If you’re reading this in your inbox, tap the headline above for online and audio versions of this newsletter.

#Iran #newsletter #Israel

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Despite — or maybe because of — volatile markets and increasing consumer costs, the nation's largest banks continued to post strong profits in their second-quarter earnings, showing that the banking sector remains resilient even as concerns about the economy persist (1). But JPMorgan Chase, at least, is still preparing for a possible recession.
During JPMorgan's earnings call earlier this year, Chairman and CEO Jamie Dimon declined to predict whether the U.S. was heading for a recession (2); however, he has repeatedly warned that whenever the next credit cycle arrives, losses on leveraged lending are likely to be "worse than people expect relative to the scenario."
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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

#jpmorgan #recession #wealth

Equinor (EQNR:NYSE) saw a 93% jump in its second-quarter profit from a year earlier as oil and gas prices soared during the Middle East crisis and delivered windfall earnings to the biggest energy firms.
The Norwegian major on Wednesday reported an adjusted operating income after tax of $3.225 billion for the second quarter, up by 93% from the $1.670 billion for the same period last year, and slightly lower than a company-provided **** yst consensus estimate of $3.38 billion.
The adjusted operating income surged by 76% to $11.482 billion, up from $6.535 billion, and higher than the consensus projection of $11.37 billion.
Equinor attributed the surge in profits to higher liquid prices globally and a jump in European natural gas prices, which were only partially offset by lower U.S. natural gas prices.
For the second quarter, Equinor realized a European gas price of $15.8 per million British thermal units (MMBtu), up by 32% from a year earlier, and a liquids price of $97.9 per barrel, a 55% jump year over year.

#year #quarter

Starbucks (NASDAQ: SBUX) earned about half as much in fiscal 2025 as it did the year before. Yet the stock is acting as if the opposite happened. Shares sit near $105 as of this writing, within about 4% of their 52-week high of $109.23.
That disconnect is the whole story with this stock right now. The market is paying up for CEO Brian Niccol's turnaround before it fully shows up in profits. And based on the number that leads this kind of recovery (customer traffic), there's a chance that the market has it right.
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 »
But can the turnaround's momentum persist?
The next piece of evidence arrives Wednesday, July 29, when the coffee giant reports fiscal third-quarter results.

#fiscal

ETF.com President & Director of Research Dave Nadig grabbed some time with John Montgomery, Founder, CEO, and PM at Bridgeway Capital Management, while at the 2026 ICI ETF Conference. Their discussion covered everything from contrarian investing and walking the talk to the company's 50% donation of profits to charities since its inception in the early '90s.
John Montgomery has been running Bridgeway for over three decades, with a simple pitch: deep quantitative research, a focus on smaller, less-liquid stocks that bigger competitors can't touch, and a lean team where everyone knows everyone. But the real differentiator isn't the strategy but instead the why. Bridgeway funnels a share of its profits into a foundation focused on ending genocide and preventing war atrocities, working in sub-Saharan Africa and Ukraine. It's not a marketing gimmick either but instead is baked into the culture from the board room down.
The firm's move from mutual funds to ETFs is its own case study in doing things the hard way for the right reasons. Rather than sidestep the pain with a cheaper clone or share-class workaround, Bridgeway fully converted several strategies, eating short-term costs for long-term tax efficiency and lower fees. Montgomery's philosophy is if a painful transition is coming, do it early and don't wait until you're the last holdout. However, Bridgeway isn't trying to be a trailblazer either in that regard, instead waiting for at least some of the infrastructure to get built by others and jumping in once the operational kinks are worked out.
On the investing side, Montgomery's contrarian streak runs deep. His family literally trims their own personal budget to buy more stock when markets crash, putting the buy low, sell high mentality into practice. That mindset shows up in Bridgeway's small-cap value strategy, which stays disciplined even when the category falls out of favor, helped by a long partnership with Focus Partners Wealth that rebalances into the strategy precisely when everyone else is fleeing it. It's a countercyclical approach that sounds obvious on paper and is brutally hard to live by in practice. It's also the perfect case study for exactly why people need financial advisors in the first place.
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#bridgeway #everyone #strategy #montgomery

You probably own a lot more of this one high-flying health insurer than you realize, tucked away inside your favorite funds.
Even if you feel diversified, a single stock can quietly become a concentrated position inside the funds you own. UnitedHealth (UNH), a health insurance and services giant, now trades about 25% above its 200-day moving average, a sign of a powerful run-up that has likely pulled your portfolio along with it, whether you chose to buy the stock or not.
A stock running far ahead of its own long-term trend is worth a closer look. Over the past year, the stock has returned +50%, with much of that coming in the last three months, which saw a +31% gain. Investors are paying for that performance. The stock trades at about 22 times its expected earnings for the year ahead, pricing in expectations that profits will continue to grow. The question for a fund investor is how much of this single company's story you now own indirectly.
UnitedHealth is a popular holding, found across 52 of the equity funds in our universe. But the concentration varies widely. The iShares U.S. Healthcare Providers ETF (IHF) holds UNH at about 22% of the fund. That heavy weight helped power its +31% return over the past year. The exposure is common even in broader funds. The State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLV) holds it at about 6.6% of the fund, and the Vanguard Health Care ETF (VHT) holds it at about 5.6%. Even dividend-focused funds like the Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF (SCHD) have a meaningful position, holding UNH at about 4.4% of the fund.
This concentration cuts both ways. Let's run a simple scenario, not a forecast: if UNH simply reverted to its 200-day average, it would drop about 20% from here. For the heavily concentrated iShares U.S. Healthcare Providers ETF (IHF), that one stock's move would erase about 4.3% from the entire fund's value. For the State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLV), the drag would be about 1.3%. For the Vanguard Health Care ETF (VHT), it would be about 1.1%.

#year

Wall Street just delivered another vote of confidence for Intel (INTC) ahead of one of the company's biggest catalysts of the year. Susquehanna recently raised its price target on INTC stock to $115 from $80 while maintaining a "Hold" rating, arguing that second-quarter results are shaping up better than previously expected. The firm's channel checks point to stronger server CPU demand and healthier PC builds than anticipated, giving investors fresh optimism just days before Intel reports earnings on July 23.
The upgrade comes after a volatile stretch for the semiconductor giant. Intel shares have pulled back sharply from their June highs as investors have locked in profits across AI-related chip stocks.
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#Intel #point #wall #july