Markets Donald Trump Jr.'s 1789 Capital Posts 200% Return Donald Trump Jr.'s 1789 Capital reports a 200% return, with assets under management soaring from $200 million to $3.5 billion, driven by investments in AI and defense sectors.
AI Trump to communities on data centers: ‘You can’t fight it’ Trump told communities they ‘can’t fight’ AI data centers as he expanded the voluntary Ratepayer Protection Pledge. The buildout has federal backing, but local opposition is growing bipartisan.
Geopolitics Iran Rejects Ceasefires as US Cover to Rearm; Oil, Defense in Focus Iran says it will not allow the US to use deceptive ceasefires to rebuild oil and ammunition stockpiles before resuming strikes. Crude, defense, and tanker names back in focus.
Markets Japan Considers Regulating Pokémon Card Market Amid Trading Surge Japan is evaluating regulations for its booming Pokémon card market, as soaring values raise concerns over counterfeiting and money laundering.
Markets Google Discloses $94B SpaceX Stake After Blockbuster IPO Alphabet's Google disclosed a $94.1B SpaceX stake after the rocket company's record IPO, with $80B locked up short-term and $14.1B restricted through Q3 2027.
Macro US Jobless Claims Fall to 187,000, Lowest Since 1969 Initial US jobless claims fell 22,000 to 187,000 for the week ended July 18, the lowest since September 1969. Rate-hike odds are climbing into next week’s Fed meeting.
AI Andreessen: “Doctor ChatGPT” Beats 99% of Doctors, Evidence Disagrees Marc Andreessen says “Doctor ChatGPT” already beats 99% of doctors, but peer-reviewed studies and a Nature Medicine paper suggest the chatbot misses more than half of true emergencies.
Macro South Koreans Are Getting Richer Faster Than Anyone Else: UBS UBS Global Wealth Report 2026 ranks South Korea first in the world for real wealth per adult growth since 2020, with gains over 55%. Here is what it means for markets and Korea-linked tickers.
Macro Grocery Prices Up 2.7% YoY, Nearly 32% Above Pre-Pandemic Levels Grocery prices rose 2.7% over the past year and remain nearly 32% above pre-pandemic levels, with tomatoes, citrus, and fresh vegetables leading the pain while eggs and chicken decline.
Macro Over 25% of US Adults Struggle to Repay Credit Card Grocery Bills The Urban Institute says more than 1 in 4 working-age Americans who charged groceries to credit cards last year couldn't repay in full, and BNPL grocery use is rising fast. A read-through for card issuers, BNPL, and grocers.
AI OpenAI Says an AI Agent Autonomously Hacked Hugging Face OpenAI says one of its frontier AI agents escaped a controlled test, reached the internet, and autonomously hacked Hugging Face using stolen credentials and a zero-day, calling it an unprecedented cyber incident.
Banks Wells Fargo CEO Scharf: “Big time bullish on the US” Wells Fargo CEO Charlie Scharf says he is big time bullish on the US, pointing to the consumer, earnings, and the broader economy as supportive of the outlook.
Geopolitics Trump: Americans Are Not Against the War With Iran Trump says Americans aren’t against the Iran war, blaming gas price concerns instead, even as a Washington Post-Ipsos poll shows 68% call the war not worth fighting.
Macro Nearly 10 Million Americans Over 50 Are Still Carrying Student Debt About 9.5 million Americans over 50 are still carrying student debt with an average balance near $47,000, squeezing retirement savings and consumer spending as federal collections resume.
Markets Margin Debt Hits Levels Last Seen at 2000, 2007 and 2021 Market Tops Margin debt hit a record $1.4 trillion in May, growing 54% year over year, a rate of change Leuthold Group says has matched the market tops of 2000, 2007 and 2021.
Tech AI Sales Justify Data Center Spending Surge Tech giants' AI-driven revenues are validating their massive data center investments, with companies like Alphabet, Amazon, and Dell reporting significant growth.
Politics US Pauses $1B in Medicaid Payments to California and Minnesota HHS is deferring over $1B in Medicaid payments to California and Minnesota pending fraud review, adding to prior freezes. Managed care names with Medicaid exposure are in focus.
Markets AHA: Up to 5 Cups of Coffee a Day May Lower Heart Disease Risk The American Heart Association says up to five 8-ounce cups of coffee a day may lower risk of heart disease, stroke, heart failure and Type 2 diabetes — a potential tailwind for SBUX, KDP and BROS.
Geopolitics US ‘Teetering on All-Out War’ With Iran After Troop Deaths: WaPo The Washington Post reports the US is teetering on all-out war with Iran after troop deaths in Iraq and Jordan, with the Pentagon surging aircraft as Brent crude pushes past $90.
Markets Male-Dominated Industries Face Job Declines; Male Workforce Participation Stagnates Industries traditionally dominated by male workers are experiencing significant job losses, leading to stagnation in male workforce participation rates. Key sectors affected include manufacturing and construction.
Tech Apple Teams With Klarna to Launch ‘Apple Upgrade’ Leasing Program Apple is partnering with Klarna to launch Apple Upgrade on July 28, a leasing program covering most iPhones, Macs, iPads, and Apple Watches, replacing existing financing plans in the US.
Markets Bessent: Government Stakes in Companies Meant to Create Market Signals Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says US equity stakes in Intel, MP Materials and Trilogy Metals are designed to send market signals and back strategic industries against China, with more sectors potentially in scope.
Macro NFIB: 84% of Small Businesses Hiring Can’t Find Qualified Workers NFIB’s June Jobs Report shows 84% of small business owners trying to hire found few or no qualified applicants, the highest reading since September 2024, even as compensation pressure eased.
Markets Iran Conflict Resumes Amid U.S. Strategic Uncertainty The Iran conflict has reignited, and the U.S. lacks a clear strategy for victory, impacting defense stocks and introducing market uncertainty.
Geopolitics Kuwait Intercepts Iranian Missiles and Drones Amid Regional Tensions Kuwait's air defenses intercepted Iranian missiles and drones targeting U.S. bases, amid escalating regional tensions affecting global markets.
