Good morning. Happy Friday.
I may discontinue this morning post. Most of this is copy & pasted from Seeking Alpha. They’ve changed what they post, and most of it isn’t timely; it doesn’t always pertain to that day’s premarket happenings. If you have comments, let me know.
The Asian/Pacific markets closed mostly up. Japan, Hong Kong, South Korea, Taiwan, Australia, Malaysia, and Indonesia did great; China was weak. Europe, Africa and the Middle East are currently mixed. Denmark, the UAE, Greece, and South Africa are up; Turkey, Hungary, Spain, and Israel are down. Futures in the States point to a mixed open for the cash market (S&P down, Nasdaq down).
————— MoneyShow Presentation: Characteristics of the Best Stocks —————
The dollar is up. Oil and copper are up. Gold and silver are up. Bonds are down. Bitcoin is up.
Stories/News from Seeking Alpha…
Going global
U.S. stock indices continue to hit record highs day after day, but when zooming out to the rest of the globe, many other markets are eating those returns for breakfast. It’s been somewhat of an anomaly in 2025, given that the last time international stocks had their moment was in the 2000s. U.S. exceptionalism, global growth struggles, and wars in Europe and the Middle East all seemed to dominate market headlines until recently, making many investors question just exactly what is going on. The most overbought global stocks so far this year
Snapshot: First off, many parts of Europe, Asia and Latin America have embarked on an easing cycle by cutting rates rapidly, while the Federal Reserve sat in wait-and-see mode and expressed hesitation over policy. While there might be less innovation in those markets, additional regulation, and problems like energy security – there has been somewhat more of a predictable environment there compared to trade and inflation uncertainty in the U.S. The noteworthy decline of the greenback in 2025 has also been a major tailwind for international stocks, especially for U.S. dollar-based investors. Seeking Alpha’s Country ETF Dashboard
Valuations are another factor that has seen money flow to areas outside America. U.S. equities have become expensive after years of solid gains (e.g., the Magnificent 7, tech stocks, etc.), compared to the lower price-to-earnings ratios available elsewhere. International diversification has also been on the radar, given serious spending happening abroad, like the military-industrial investment going on in Europe to boost readiness in the face of Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Will it last? “Context matters and predictions of future events – both bullish and bearish – are rarely both accurate and timely,” Arthur Stein Financial writes in International Stocks And Portfolio Diversification. “Instead of trying to predict which areas of the market will outperform others over a given period, we maintain a diversified portfolio that stands to benefit regardless of which areas of the market outperform with a disciplined rebalancing strategy that takes advantage of these moves.”
What else is happening…
SA Sentiment: These companies may be included next in S&P 500.
India trade deal will come when country stops buying Russian oil.
Opendoor (OPEN) surges as co-founders return, new CEO named.
Apple Watch (AAPL) hypertension feature to roll out next week.
Adobe (ADBE) raises outlook as AI-influenced ARR crosses $5B.
‘Think twice before acting’ – China warns Mexico over tariff hike.
Jack Ma’s Ant Group showcases its first humanoid robot – R1.
Fannie, Freddie take off as Lutnick says IPO could happen soon.
United Airlines (UAL) CEO sees this carrier going out of business.
Trump seeks to oust Lisa Cook before the next Fed meeting.
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Good morning. Happy Thursday.
I may discontinue this morning post. Most of this is copy & pasted from Seeking Alpha. They’ve changed what they post, and most of it isn’t timely; it doesn’t always pertain to that day’s premarket happenings. If you have comments, let me know.
The Asian/Pacific markets did well. Japan, China, South Korea, Indonesia, and Thailand posted solid wins. Hong Kong was weak. Europe, Africa and the Middle East are currently doing well. The UK, Poland, France, the UAE, Greece, Switzerland, Italy, and Portugal are up; Denmark and Israel are down. Futures in the States point to a positive open for the cash market.
————— MoneyShow Presentation: Characteristics of the Best Stocks —————
The dollar is up. Oil and copper are down. Gold and silver are down. Bonds are down. Bitcoin is up.
Stories/News from Seeking Alpha…
Riding the AI tsunami
It’s a great time to be an Oracle (ORCL) shareholder. The cloud infrastructure giant skyrocketed 36% on Wednesday to take the slot as the 10th most valuable company in S&P 500 (SP500), adding $244B in market capitalization during a single session. ORCL’s rapid takeoff also sparked a new record on Wall Street, which hasn’t seen a company worth over half a trillion dollars ever increase by more than 25% in a single day. OpenAI plans to pay Oracle $300B for data center capacity
Snapshot: For those still doubting the power of the AI revolution, Oracle serves as a great case of how there are plenty of share gains to still go around. While the company logged a double FQ1 miss, it revealed a massive $455B in remaining performance obligations, up from $138B just three months ago and 359% from a year earlier. Remaining performance obligations are a financial metric that represent the total amount of money a firm is set to receive for contracted services, giving a good indicator of a company’s revenue pipeline. RPO goes ‘nuclear,’ say analysts
“Eventually, AI will change everything,” co-founder and chairman Larry Ellison said on a conference call. “Not everyone fully grasps the extent of the tsunami that is approaching… Oracle builds gigawatt-scale data centers that are faster and more cost-efficient at training AI models than anyone else in the world. Training AI models is a gigantic multitrillion-dollar market, but if you look close, you can find one that’s even larger – the market for AI inferencing. AI inferencing will be used to run robotic factories, robotic cars, robotic greenhouses, biomolecular simulations for drug design, interpreting medical diagnostic images and laboratory results, automating laboratories, placing bets in financial markets, automating legal processes, automating financial processes, and automating sales processes. AI is going to write, that is, generate the computer programs called AI agents. That will [also] automate your sales and marketing processes.” Ellison overtakes Musk as world’s richest person
Called it! Just days before the record rally, SA Analyst Jia Ming Eow published a Seeking Alpha article called, Oracle: Why I Loaded Up Before Earnings And What I’m Looking Out For. “With a dip to now around the $220s markdown from a peak of $260, [ORCL] could be a huge opportunity, as a bullish quarter could lead to a breakout to its 52 week high,” he wrote, adding that the “AI boom hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down yet” and to keep an eye on “growth in RPO as their backlog continues to grow.” Jia Ming Eow also flagged Robinhood (HOOD) for inclusion in the S&P 500 in late August, just a week before it was added to the index, while also commenting on its super-app potential, which was formally unveiled by the company yesterday. See his other recent recommendations
What else is happening…
Nasdaq Composite at 22,000: See Nasdaq 100’s best & worst performers.
Opendoor (OPEN) hires Shopify’s COO as new CEO, co-founders rejoin.
Robotaxi launch: ZOOX in Las Vegas; Lyft (LYFT)-May Mobility in Atlanta.
Cuba hit by nationwide blackout as power grid collapses once again.
Chipotle (CMG) takes its brand to Asia, starting with these countries.
IPO watch: Klarna (KLAR) soars in debut; StubHub (STUB) next week.
New York governor seeks federal help to speed up nuclear expansion.
Sharp downturn… Carrier (CARR) warns of 40% residential HVAC drop.
Amazon (AMZN) working on AR glasses in bid to take on Meta (META).
Zelenskyy calls for European air shield after Poland downs Russian drones.
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Good morning. Happy Wednesday.
I may discontinue this morning post. Most of this is copy & pasted from Seeking Alpha. They’ve changed what they post, and most of it isn’t timely; it doesn’t always pertain to that day’s premarket happenings. If you have comments, let me know.
The Asian/Pacific markets mostly did well. Japan, Hong Kong, South Korea, Taiwan, Indonesia, and Singapore led. Europe, Africa and the Middle East are currently mixed. Denmark, Norway, and Spain are up; Poland, the UAE, and the Netherlands are down. Futures in the States point to a positive open for the cash market.
————— Free Online Course: Mini Masterclass in Trading —————
The dollar is up. Oil and copper are up. Gold and silver are up. Bonds are down. Bitcoin is up.
Stories/News from Seeking Alpha…
Next move
Wall Street’s major averages closed at more record highs on Tuesday, with the S&P 500 (SP500) finishing the session above the 6,500 level. Investors are now clear-minded about a coming cycle of rate cuts after real weakness was confirmed in the labor market amid a record 911K nonfarm payroll revision to yearly jobs growth. Following the release, JPMorgan’s Jamie Dimon also came out with a stance pointing to “weakening economy,” charging up the stimulus bulls who have been eager to see easing monetary policy.
How much? The market still expects the Federal Reserve to trim rates by 25 basis points next week, though there are increasing calls for a larger cut. Standard Chartered has positioned itself in the latter camp, citing weakening economic data as the key driver behind its view. “We think the August labor-market data has opened the door to a ‘catch-up’ 50bps rate cut at the September FOMC meeting,” the team wrote in a research note. “However, we still think sticky inflation and fiscal easing will limit scope for further cuts beyond that.”
Another factor to consider is that President Trump hasn’t finished remaking the Federal Open Market Committee. Late last night, a D.C. federal judge temporarily blocked his effort to remove Fed Governor Lisa Cook, as “her purported removal was done in violation of the Federal Reserve Act’s ‘for cause’ provision.” The preliminary injunction means that Cook will be able to participate in the crucial Fed Reserve Board policy meeting that will take place Sept. 16-17.
Outlook: The last major data point before the FOMC gathering is set to be released tomorrow. Core CPI, a measure of underlying inflation excluding food and energy, likely rose 0.3% in August for a second month, with the annual rate staying at 3.1%. “A hot CPI may not derail the imminent rate cut, but could limit further cuts in 2025, keeping investors cautious on future Fed policy,” SA Investing Group Leader Chris Lau wrote in What Might Make The August CPI Report Come In Very Hot.
What else is happening…
Apple’s (AAPL) takes wraps off iPhone 17, slimmer iPhone Air.
Three points from the MAHA report on chronic diseases in kids.
UnitedHealth (UNH) leads a sector-wide rally on Star Ratings.
Poland shoots down Russian drones that violated its airspace.
Cracker Barrel (CBRL) puts restaurant remodel plans on ice.
EIA: Average pump price seen sliding to this level next year.
Nasdaq next: First tokenized securities, then crypto investment.
Ozempic giant Novo Nordisk (NVO) to cut 11% of its workforce.
Klarna (KLAR) prices U.S. IPO above range, valuing it at $15B.
Europe roundup: Trouble in France and even more sanctions?
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Good morning. Happy Tuesday.
I may discontinue this morning post. Most of this is copy & pasted from Seeking Alpha. They’ve changed what they post, and most of it isn’t timely; it doesn’t always pertain to that day’s premarket happenings. If you have comments, let me know.
The Asian/Pacific markets were mixed. Hong Kong, South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand did well; Japan, China, Australia, and Indonesia were weak. Europe, Africa and the Middle East are currently mixed. Turkey, South Africa, Italy, and Israel are up; Denmark, Poland, and Portugal are down. Futures in the States point to a positive open for the cash market.
————— Free Online Course: Mini Masterclass in Trading —————
The dollar is up. Oil is up; copper is down. Gold is up; silver is down. Bonds are down. Bitcoin is up.
Stories/News from Seeking Alpha…
Keys to the kingdom
Lachlan Murdoch has emerged victorious in a bitter $5B battle for control of the Murdoch family media empire. It’s a big deal, with the business owning many media assets under News Corp (NWS) and Fox Corp (FOX) umbrellas, ranging from the Wall Street Journal to The Sun and the Fox broadcast network. Lachlan had already been leading the empire over the past few years, with his founding father, the 94-year-old Rupert Murdoch, driving from the backseat as Chairman Emeritus.
The terms: Lachlan’s siblings, which include Prudence MacLeod, Elisabeth Murdoch, and James Murdoch, will no longer be members of a family trust that gives them equal voting rights in the companies’ future. The existing trust had been contested in a Nevada court, and there were fears that the remaining siblings could challenge Lachlan’s rule, sell their shares to an outsider, or take the media conglomerate’s conservative bent in a different direction. They’ll each receive a hefty payment of $1.1B, funded by the proceeds from a public sale of News Corp and Fox shares.
The situation is reminiscent of Rupert Murdoch’s move in the 1990s, when he bought out his three sisters’ shares in the family trust established by his late father, Sir Keith Murdoch. The trust owned News Limited, which was the foundation upon which News Corp was built. Going forward, there will be a lot of change needed to adjust to the modern media landscape, including the shift to digital, advertising struggles, and the rise of alternative media from podcasting to TikTok and YouTube. Fox recently launched a new streaming service called Fox One, and it will be interesting to see how it goes up against the new Ellison-led “CBS empire” following the merger of Paramount Global and Skydance Media.
Quote: “The board of directors welcomes these developments and believes that the leadership, vision and management by the Company’s Chair, Lachlan Murdoch, will continue to be important to guiding the Company’s strategy and success,” News Corp said in a press release, while Fox Corp published a similar statement.
What else is happening…
WSB survey results: SoFi Technologies (SOFI) might be next in the S&P 500.
Nasdaq (NDAQ) seeks permission for trading of tokenized securities.
Anglo American (OTCQX:AAUKF) nears $20B deal for Teck Resources (TECK).
Snap (SNAP) revamps corporate structure around ‘startup squads.’
SpaceX to buy EchoStar’s (SATS) spectrum licenses for $17B.
NFL’s YouTube debut draws 17.3M viewers, but rivals cry foul on data.
Intel (INTC) shuffles execs amid turnaround; former co-CEO to exit.
Next boost: UnitedHealth (UNH) reaffirms annual earnings outlook.
Nebius rockets on AI infrastructure deal with Microsoft (MSFT).
French government collapses again as political gridlock deepens.
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Good morning. Happy Monday. Hope you had a good weekend.
I may discontinue this morning post. Most of this is copy & pasted from Seeking Alpha. They’ve changed what they post, and most of it isn’t timely; it doesn’t always pertain to that day’s premarket happenings. If you have comments, let me know.
The Asian/Pacific markets did well. Japan, China, Hong Kong, South Korea, New Zealand, and Malaysia led while Indonesia and the Philippines were weak. Europe, Africa and the Middle East are currently mixed. Poland, South Africa, Norway, Spain, Portugal, and Austria are up; Turkey, the UAE, Greece, Switzerland, and South Africa are down. Futures in the States point to a positive open for the cash market.
————— VIDEO: State of the Market —————
The dollar is down. Oil and copper are up. Gold and silver are up. Bonds are up. Bitcoin is up.
Stories/News from Seeking Alpha…
Balancing act
Two of the most beloved tech stocks of the past year are getting some more love after finally making it into the S&P 500 Index (SP500). Both AppLovin (APP) and Robinhood (HOOD) are up 7% in early trade on Monday following the pre-weekend announcement, which was highly awaited by investors for quite some time. The two companies have seen record rallies over the last 12 months, soaring well over 400% to beat the gains of other tech favorites like Nvidia (NVDA) and even Palantir (PLTR). This other firm also joined the index
Why now? S&P Dow Jones Indices doesn’t give the reasoning behind its quarterly rebalancings, but the firms have been on the radar for some time. AppLovin is a leading adtech company that gives mobile developers the ability to market, monetize, and analyze their apps. Robinhood is also a tech company, more specifically in the fintech space, where it offers brokerage and financial services, as well as recently expanding into prediction markets.
The S&P 500 Index is rebalanced quarterly by S&P Dow Jones Indices, which is owned by S&P Global (SPGI) and CME Group (CME). The joint venture maintains both the benchmark S&P 500 (SP500) and the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI), which are linked to many trillions of dollars in investment products. To be eligible for S&P 500 inclusion, a company must have a market capitalization of at least $22.7B, as well as meet profitability, liquidity, and financial metrics. More importantly, the S&P 500 committee also uses qualitative judgment to ensure the index is a suitable representation of the U.S. economy, compared to the largely quantitative factors that are used by indexes like the Russell 2000 (RTY) and NASDAQ 100 (NDX).
What do fund managers do now? Companies that get included in the S&P 500 typically get a big bounce given the expected increase in demand for their shares. Passive investment funds and portfolios that are designed to track the index must purchase shares of the newly included stock to rebalance their holdings. Several weeks are given to resolve so-called “tracking errors,” but the final effective date is typically one of the highest-volume trading days of the year, with trading desks managing large automated orders to reflect the new S&P 500 weightings. Take the WSB survey.
What else is happening…
OpenAI plans AI platform to rival Microsoft’s (MSFT) LinkedIn.
Alibaba (BABA) leads $140M funding for this humanoid startup.
Japan revises Q2 GDP higher as political uncertainty grows.
Gold hits another record as jobs data bolsters rate cut odds.
Russia sanctions: Trump weighs in, Bessent backs more pressure.
Microsoft warns of Azure latency after Red Sea cable damage.
Newsmax’s (NMAX) case against Fox (FOX) gets dismissed.
Amazon (AMZN) to end long-running Prime invitee program.
Trump’s deregulatory push frees up billions for Detroit Three.
El-Erian: Powell has taken ‘too narrow a view’ on jobs market.
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