⚡ Big Tech Delivers but New Risks are Emerging 🌍
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Edition #168
Investing Unlocks: How to Capitalize on the Hot Topics From The Last 7 Days
We analyze recent trends and opportunities, offering strategic insights that help you manage risks and identify growth opportunities for your portfolio.
❇️ Big Tech Lifts Markets as Yields Climb
Last week, stocks capped a wild month on a strong note, powered by big technology earnings even as the Federal Reserve held rates steady and signaled it could still hike. Microsoft delivered a blowout report, and Amazon jumped about 15%, reassuring investors that heavy AI spending is paying off. Meanwhile, Apple slid on soft Services and China sales, and Meta fell as well. Beneath the rally, bond yields surged to multi-year highs as inflation worries resurfaced, and rising oil prices added pressure. It was a reminder that markets can turn fast.
This week, all eyes turn to the monthly jobs report, the biggest release before the next inflation reading and Fed meeting. A soft number could stoke fears the labor market is cooling but also revive hopes for rate cuts, while a hot print would likely push yields higher and rattle stocks. Earnings from Palantir, AMD, Eli Lilly, Disney, and Costco will test whether the momentum holds, and SpaceX posts its first results as a public company. With yields elevated and the rate path unclear, expect choppy trading.
Hot Topics
AstraZeneca and Bristol Myers Squibb Reportedly Discuss $400B Merger
Robinhood Makes More from Prediction Markets than Equity Trades
Conviction Meets The Margin Call
Situational Awareness, the AI fund run by 25-year-old former OpenAI researcher Leopold Aschenbrenner, sold its entire public stock portfolio to Ken Griffin’s Citadel on Wednesday. The fund had returned 439% net in the first half of 2026 and swelled to around $45B at its peak in early July, loading up on AI infrastructure names like Nebius, SanDisk, Micron, CoreWeave, and SK Hynix with roughly 4x leverage. In a 24 July letter, Aschenbrenner called the selloff one of the best buying windows since early 2025 and invited investors to add cash on 1 August. He also kept the fund’s crown jewel, a private stake in Anthropic reportedly worth about $5B.
The trigger was SK Hynix’s US listing on 10 July, which unwound leveraged Korean equity positions and dragged the stock down 47% from its June peak. The rest of the long book fell 35% to 55% behind it. At the same time, short bets against software names like Adobe ran the wrong way, tightening the vice. Prime brokers at Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, and Bank of America issued margin calls, and at 4x leverage the math left no room for conviction. Situational Awareness now survives as essentially an Anthropic holding company with a hedge fund attached. Watch whether other leveraged AI funds face the same squeeze.
Investing Data Story
The 20 largest travel stocks US investors can buy in 2026, ranked by market cap, and why business model beats raw revenue on valuation.
Ranked: The 20 Largest Travel Stocks, and What Drives Their Value
China’s Robot Ban Retaliation Threat
The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) added foreign-made robots and power inverters to its covered list, blocking new imports over cybersecurity and supply-chain risks. China is not named, but the target is clear. China ships an estimated 85% to 87% of the world’s humanoid robots, with Unitree and AGIBOT each moving more than 5,000 units last year against a few hundred for US names like Tesla and Figure AI. Washington’s logic is to shield domestic developers and critical infrastructure while the sector is still young. On Thursday, China’s commerce ministry demanded the decision be withdrawn and threatened countermeasures, saying it damages trade stability.
For investors, the near-term hit looks small, since most Chinese makers barely sell in the US yet and analysts say the ban will not slow China’s development given its vast home market. The real risk is escalation. Beijing’s strongest cards are rare earth supplies, and US market access for firms like Tesla and Nvidia, and the timing is awkward ahead of a Trump-Xi meeting in September. It is also a headwind for planned Chinese humanoid IPOs. Watch whether Beijing acts before September.
Earnings Performance
ExxonMobil Holdings Corp (NYSE: XOM)
ExxonMobil Holdings Corp (NYSE: XOM) reported Q2 2026 earnings of $14.5 billion. The biggest takeaway is the company’s ability to generate enough cash to fund growth and return capital at the same time. Through the first half of 2026, ExxonMobil generated $19.9 billion in free cash flow and returned $18.6 billion to shareholders through dividends and buybacks.
Quarterly operating cash flow reached $23.6 billion and free cash flow totaled $17.2 billion. The company returned $9.4 billion to shareholders, reduced net debt by more than $7 billion, and benefited from record Permian production and stronger refining and chemical margins.
Other Earnings Updates
Analyst Strong Buy Ratings This Week! 📈
Looking for stocks with strong analyst backing? These companies have earned top-tier "Strong Buy" ratings from analysts, signaling potential upside for investors.
Whether you’re eyeing small-to-mid cap opportunities in the U.S. and Canada or want to stick with trusted S&P 500 blue-chip picks, this list highlights stocks that experts believe could outperform.
🔍 Do your research and see if any of these fit your portfolio!
Nike’s Risky China Reset
Nike is tearing down most of its online sales network in China. From January 2027, it intends to cut off thousands of third-party sellers and funnel shoppers into its own app, website, and official flagship stores. The logic is sound. China sales fell 17% last quarter, and the marketplace had become a cluttered, discount-heavy mess that cheapened the brand. Selling fewer products at full price beats flooding the market at a discount. For CEO Elliott Hill, nearly two years into his turnaround, this is a bet that controlling the experience rebuilds pricing power and trust.
But the risk is real, and investors should weigh it. Nike’s biggest China distributor, Topsports, saw its shares crater roughly 24% on the news, and one analyst called the move a strategic misstep because wholesale online is a key channel for clearing excess inventory. The deeper worry is that this addresses distribution when the real question is product. If Chinese consumers are choosing rivals because Nike’s lineup feels stale, a cleaner storefront alone will not fix that. The upside case is a stronger, premium brand emerging in 2027. The downside is short-term sales pain with no guaranteed payoff. Watch the next few quarters closely.