The CNN Money Fear and Greed index showed a decline in the overall market sentiment, while the index remained in the &#8220;Greed&#8221; zone on Monday.



U.S. stocks settled lower on Monday, with the Dow Jones index falling more than 300 points during the session. Investors paused to reassess after a sharp move higher, spurred by dovish comments from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell that rekindled hopes for a September rate cut.



Nvidia Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>) shares gained 1% on Monday, as investors remained upbeat ahead of the company&#8217;s highly anticipated earnings release this week. PDD Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PDD#NASDAQ">PDD</a>) reported upbeat fiscal second-quarter 2025 results.



On the economic data front, sales of new single-family homes in the U.S. fell by 0.6% to an annualized rate of 652,000 units in July following a revised 4.1% gain in the previous period. The Chicago Fed National Activity Index declined to -0.19 in July versus a revised reading of -0.18 in June.



Most sectors on the S&amp;P 500 closed on a negative note, with consumer staples, health care and utilities stocks recording the biggest losses on Monday. However, communication services and energy stocks bucked the overall market trend, closing the session higher.



The Dow Jones closed lower by around 349 points to 45,282.47 on Monday. The S&amp;P 500 fell 0.43% to 6,439.32, while the Nasdaq Composite declined 0.22% to 21,449.29 during Monday's session.



Investors are awaiting earnings results American Woodmark Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMWD#NASDAQ">AMWD</a>), PVH Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PVH#NYSE">PVH</a>) and Okta Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/OKTA#NASDAQ">OKTA</a>) today.



What is CNN Business Fear &amp; Greed Index?



At a current reading of 58.9, the index remained in the &#8220;Greed&#8221; zone on Monday, versus a prior reading of 61.7.



The Fear &amp; Greed Index is a measure of the current market sentiment. It is based on the premise that higher fear exerts pressure on stock prices, while higher greed has the opposite effect. The index is calculated based on seven equal-weighted indicators. The index ranges from 0 to 100, where 0 represents maximum fear and 100 signals maximum greediness.



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Photo courtesy: Shutterstock

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Pre-Market Outlook

Markets

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AMWD

NVDA

OKTA

Dow Tumbles More Than 300 Points: Investor Sentiment Decreases, Fear Index Remains In 'Greed' Zone

SpaceX announced yet another delay to the company's flagship rocket, Starship's 10th flight test, after already <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/space/25/08/47302689/spacex-calls-off-starships-10th-test-launch-over-issues-with-ground-systems-elon-musk-blames-oxygen-leak-says-another-attempt-tomorrow">postponing the launch</a> on Sunday.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Unfavorable Weather Conditions</h2>



Taking to the social media platform X, SpaceX shared the update on the launch on Monday. "Standing down from today's flight test attempt due to weather," the company said in its post. The company is now targeting a launch window of 6:30 p.m. C.T. on Tuesday, SpaceX's official website said.



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">Standing down from today's flight test attempt due to weather. Starship team is determining the next best available opportunity to fly&mdash; SpaceX (@SpaceX) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/1960130754714935426?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 26, 2025</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



SpaceX CEO Elon Musk also took to X on Monday to share an update. "Launch called off for tonight due to anvil clouds over launch site (lightning risk)," Musk said in a response on X.



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">Launch called off for tonight due to anvil clouds over launch site (lightning risk)&mdash; Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1960131116637245810?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 26, 2025</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Starship's Previous Launch Failures</h2>



The news comes as SpaceX's Starship rocket, crucial for Musk's Mars ambitions, has already failed over <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/space/25/08/47298544/spacex-to-launch-starship-flight-10-tonight-after-3-failures-crucial-test-for-nasa-artemis-moon-lander">three consecutive test launches</a> this year, which could raise questions over the rocket's efficacy. Starship is also the largest, most powerful rocket ever built, standing at over 400 feet in height.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">SpaceX Income Tax Scrutiny</h2>



SpaceX is also under scrutiny as the company has paid <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/space/25/08/47178895/elon-musks-spacex-paid-almost-no-federal-income-tax-since-2002-despite-billions-in-government-contracts-report">almost zero in income taxes</a> on its taxable income of over $5 billion, using the net loss rule, which offsets future taxable income equivalent to losses incurred.



Check out more of Benzinga's Future Of Mobility coverage by<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/mobility"> following this link.</a>



Read Next:



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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/space/25/08/47113604/trump-eases-space-regulations-in-boost-for-elon-musks-spacex-jeff-bezos-blue-origin-and-more">Trump Eases Space Regulations In Boost For Elon Musk&#8217;s SpaceX, Jeff Bezos&#8217; Blue Origin And More</a></li>
</ul>



Photo courtesy: Shutterstock

News

SPACE

Tech

SpaceX Cancels Starship Launch Again: Elon Musk Blames 'Lightning Risk'

On Monday, Kevin O'Leary delivered a blistering critique of President Donald Trump's <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/08/47296593/trump-wasnt-hired-to-run-a-hedge-fund-says-peter-schiff-as-intel-deal-divides-experts-amid-calls-to-break-taiwan-dependence-for-chips">$11 billion government investment</a> in Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/INTC#NASDAQ">INTC</a>), arguing that taxpayer money should not be used to prop up a company he believes has failed to innovate.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">O'Leary Rips Government Stake In Intel</h2>



O'Leary, the "Shark Tank" investor and entrepreneur, blasted the Trump administration's decision to acquire a 10% stake in Intel, funded through CHIPS Act grants and other federal programs.



The investment, announced Friday, marks one of the most aggressive U.S. equity moves in a tech company in decades.



In a fiery CNBC interview, O'Leary said Intel has "performed so miserably" that it doesn't deserve taxpayer backing.



"Intel should have been sold for car parts three years ago. I do not want to invest in it as an investor, and I have no interest in taking my tax dollars and giving it to a company that has performed so miserably," he stated.



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">The U.S. government just announced it's taking a stake in Intel, and let me be clear: I abhor this idea. America has thrived for over 200 years because the government stayed in its lane while the private sector attracted global capital and rewarded innovation. We let bad… <a href="https://t.co/QlHnU6SoQY">pic.twitter.com/QlHnU6SoQY</a>&mdash; Kevin O&#39;Leary aka Mr. Wonderful (@kevinolearytv) <a href="https://twitter.com/kevinolearytv/status/1960018613038883254?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 25, 2025</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



See Also:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/earnings/25/07/46601720/american-airlines-cfo-declares-worst-is-over-but-cautious-outlook-sinks-stock" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">American Airlines CFO Declares Worst Is Over, But Cautious Outlook Sinks Stock</a>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Trump Calls It A ‘Great Deal For America'</h2>



President Trump previously said that the $11 billion package—which includes $8.9 billion in newly purchased shares—will cement America's leadership in advanced chip manufacturing.



Intel confirmed all proceeds will go directly toward U.S. production capacity and R&amp;D, not debt repayment or shareholder payouts.



Trump said on Truth Social that the deal was a strategic investment.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Critics Warn Of A Dangerous Precedent</h2>



O'Leary isn't alone in his criticism. Economist Peter Schiff called the move "unconstitutional" and warned it would drag the country further from free-market principles.



Previously, O'Leary said that Washington should <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/politics/25/08/47248727/kevin-oleary-hates-the-idea-of-us-government-investing-in-intel-let-the-losers-die-and-their-assets-get-acquired-by-the-winners">focus on tax incentives</a> to stimulate private investment rather than "picking winners" with taxpayer money.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Supporters See It As ‘Existential' For US Tech</h2>



Not all analysts agree. Futurum Group CEO Daniel Newman called U.S.-based chip production "existential," warning that dependence on Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSM#NYSE">TSM</a>) poses national security risks.



Meanwhile, TF Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said the investment raises Intel's <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/08/47300892/trumps-11-billion-intel-investment-doesnt-guarantee-tech-gain-but-prevents-valuation-pain-says-leading-analyst">valuation floor and signals</a> it is "too big to fail," while the no-voting-rights structure is designed to avoid political interference.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Intel Continues To Face Competition And Challenges</h2>



Last year, Intel <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/08/46899902/jim-cramer-calls-out-intels-18-8-billion-foundry-loss-despite-subsidies-we-sell-your-stock">faced $18.8 billion in foundry losses</a>. It also battles with technology delays and rising competition from TSMC, Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMD#NASDAQ">AMD</a>) and Arm Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ARM#NASDAQ">ARM</a>).



The company recorded $12.86 billion in <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/movers/25/07/46617195/intel-q2-earnings-revenue-beat-eps-miss-chipmaker-sees-clear-opportunities-to-enhance-competitive-position">revenue for the second quarter</a>, marginally surpassing projections, but posted an adjusted per-share loss of $0.10.



Price Action: Intel shares slipped 0.37% in after-hours trading, according to <a href="http://pro.benzinga.com/">Benzinga Pro data</a>.



Benzinga&#8217;s Edge Stock Rankings show INTC maintaining solid trend across short, medium and long-term periods. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/premium/ideas/benzinga-edge-3/#:~:text=Turn%20Market%20Chaos,when%20markets%20rebound">More performance insights are available here</a>.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/premium/ideas/benzinga-edge-3/#:~:text=Turn%20Market%20Chaos,when%20markets%20rebound"><img decoding="async" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/26005213/Screenshot-2025-08-26-at-10.20.38%E2%80%AFAM.png" alt="" class="wp-image-1043319"/></a></figure>



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Photo Courtesy: Tada Images via Shutterstock.com



Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

INTC

Kevin O'Leary Says Intel Should Have Been 'Sold For Car Parts' 3 years Ago: Shark Slams Trump's $11 Billion Investment Move

Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/LUV#NYSE">LUV</a>) will eliminate its longstanding policy of providing complimentary additional seats for passengers who cannot fit in a single seat, effective January 27, 2026, when the carrier transitions to assigned seating.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Policy Change Marks End of Open Seating Era</h2>



The Dallas-based carrier&#8217;s new policy represents a significant departure from its current &#8220;Customer of Size&#8221; accommodation. Under existing rules through January 26, 2026, passengers who require extra space can receive complimentary additional seats if available after arriving at the airport.



Beginning January 27, 2026, passengers requiring additional seats must purchase them at the airport at prevailing day-of-travel fares, plus applicable seat fees. This change coincides with Southwest&#8217;s historic shift from open seating to assigned seats.



Read Next: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/08/47324207/kevin-oleary-says-intel-should-have-been-sold-for-car-parts-3-years-ago-shark-slams-trumps-11-billion-investment-move">Kevin O&#8217;Leary Says Intel Should Have Been &#8216;Sold For Car Parts&#8217; 3 years Ago: Shark Slams Trump&#8217;s $11 Billion Investment Move</a>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Current vs. Future Policy Framework</h2>



Under the current open-seating model, Southwest defines space requirements by armrest boundaries and offers post-travel refunds for proactively purchased extra seats if flights depart with available space.



The new assigned-seating policy eliminates complimentary accommodations. Passengers who arrive without purchasing required additional seats face mandatory airport purchases or rebooking to flights with adjacent seat availability.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Financial Impact on Passengers and Revenue</h2>



Southwest maintains its 90-day refund policy for extra seats purchased in advance, provided flights depart with open seats and both seats are in matching fare classes. The carrier continues prohibiting seat purchases solely for personal space preferences.



Read Next: 



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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/politics/25/08/47324204/gavin-newsom-says-his-trump-style-merch-is-flying-off-the-shelves-maga-will-soon-have-a-whole-new-meaning">Gavin Newsom Says His Trump-Style Merch Is Flying Off The Shelves: &#8216;MAGA&#8217; Will Soon Have A &#8216;Whole New Meaning&#8217;</a></li>
</ul>



Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.



Photo courtesy: Shutterstock

Equities

Travel

Southwest Airlines Will Charge Passengers Who Cannot Fit In A Single Seat Starting January

The real estate stock trade came back to life last Friday—and no one <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/real-estate">rallied harder than homebuilders.</a>



The SPDR Homebuilders ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XHB#NYSE">XHB</a>) soared 5.1%, marking the strongest move across all major equity industries. 



Behind the surge? Fed Chair Jerome Powell's dovish pivot at Jackson Hole, which reinforced expectations that the Federal Reserve is preparing to cut rates, possibly as soon as September.



For a sector as deeply tied to borrowing costs as housing, the message was loud and clear: easier financial conditions are coming, and homebuilders stand to benefit first.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Powell Clears The Way For Housing Market Rebound</h2>



In his closely watched Jackson Hole speech, Powell said the Fed is ready to "adjust our policy stance" in light of shifting risks, particularly on the jobs front. 



The tone marked a notable shift from inflation-first messaging, signaling a greater willingness to support growth—even if that means inflation stays slightly elevated for now.



Markets took it as a green light for a September rate cut, and traders quickly rotated into sectors that historically thrive on lower interest rates—housing at the top of that list.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">New Home Sales Beat Expectations</h2>



Recent housing data added to the bullish narrative. 



New home sales in July came in stronger than expected, up 0.6% from the previous month to a seasonally adjusted annualized rate of 652,000 units, beating estimates of 630,000 thanks to a mix of aggressive pricing strategies and mortgage incentives from builders.



"Price cuts and other builder incentives are keeping a floor under new home sales," said Nancy Vanden Houten, lead U.S. economist at Oxford Economics, in emailed comment.



The median new home price dropped to its lowest level since November, down 5.9% year over year, giving buyers some relief after two years of affordability pressure. And while sales were flat from June, the South—long the housing market's strongest region—continued to outperform.



One potential headwind? Inventory is rising. The number of completed homes for sale reached a 16-year high, which could weigh on future starts. Still, that rising supply may be just what the market needs to cool prices further and sustain demand.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Rate Relief Could Be The Catalyst Builders Need</h2>



For economists, the Fed support creates a powerful setup for homebuilders.



"Opportunities remain for builders if they can entice buyers with below-market mortgage rates," said Jeffrey Roach, chief economist at LPL Financial.



He also flagged how housing activity spills into other parts of the economy—consumer spending, home improvement, and broader confidence. 



Case in point: Home Depot Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/HD#NYSE">HD</a>) recently reported that "big-ticket" transactions (over $1,000) increased in Q2, reversing previous declines and indicating a return to homeowner confidence.



And with the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate down 80 basis points from this year's highs, financing conditions are starting to ease—just as the Fed signals it may do even more.



With mortgage rates slipping, demand stabilizing, and the Fed now tilting toward support, the conditions are aligning for a housing rebound into year-end. 



For now, investors are betting that lower rates will put homebuilders back in the driver's seat.



Read Next:



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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/economic-data/25/08/47310189/the-everything-rally-is-back-thanks-to-powells-risky-bet-on-jobs">The &#8216;Everything Rally&#8217; Is Back—Thanks To Powell&#8217;s Risky Bet On Jobs</a></li>
</ul>



Image created using artificial intelligence via Midjourney.

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ETFs

Powell's Shift Could Spark A Homebuilder Boom—Investors Are Already Piling In

Shares of Google parent Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>) (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>) hit a new all-time high Monday, buoyed by a string of positive developments in its artificial intelligence and cloud computing divisions coupled with a favorable macroeconomic environment. Here&#8217;s what investors <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/GOOGL/news">need to know</a>.



What To Know: The rally follows several key announcements on Alphabet&#8217;s aggressive push into high-growth sectors. Last week, the company unveiled &#8220;Gemini for Government,&#8221; a competitively priced suite of AI and cloud services aimed at federal agencies, signaling a strong move to capture public sector contracts. 



This was compounded by the news of a <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/movers/25/08/47289685/google-parent-alphabet-stock-is-trading-higher-friday-whats-going-on">six-year agreement</a> with Meta Platforms Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/META#NASDAQ">META</a>), valued at over $10 billion, for Google Cloud to support Meta&#8217;s extensive AI infrastructure needs.



These strategic wins are built on a foundation of impressive financial strength. In its recent second-quarter <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/earnings/25/07/46587283/alphabet-q2-earnings-revenue-eps-beat-estimates-google-parent-raises-capex-outlook-due-to-strong-and-growing-cloud-demand">earnings report</a>, Alphabet surpassed analyst expectations, posting revenues of $96.43 billion and showcasing remarkable 32% year-over-year growth in its Google Cloud segment, which generated $13.6 billion.



Fueling the broader market optimism, Friday comments from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell suggesting a willingness to tolerate short-term inflation have ignited a market-wide &#8220;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/macro-economic-events/25/08/47283924/powell-turns-dovish-as-labor-market-cools-rate-cuts-now-loom">Everything Rally</a>,&#8221; creating a fertile ground for growth stocks. 



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="200" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/25113026/Screen-Shot-2025-08-25-at-11.30.09-AM-1024x200.png" alt="" class="wp-image-1042471" srcset="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/25113026/Screen-Shot-2025-08-25-at-11.30.09-AM-1024x200.png 1024w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/25113026/Screen-Shot-2025-08-25-at-11.30.09-AM-300x59.png 300w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/25113026/Screen-Shot-2025-08-25-at-11.30.09-AM-768x150.png 768w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/25113026/Screen-Shot-2025-08-25-at-11.30.09-AM.png 1046w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



Price Action: According to data from <a href="https://benzinga.grsm.io/register174">Benzinga Pro</a>, GOOGL shares are trading higher by 1.33% to $208.83 Monday afternoon. The stock has a 52-week high of $210.52 and a 52-week low of $140.53.



Read Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/economic-data/25/08/47310189/the-everything-rally-is-back-thanks-to-powells-risky-bet-on-jobs">The &#8216;Everything Rally&#8217; Is Back—Thanks To Powell&#8217;s Risky Bet On Jobs</a>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">How To Buy GOOGL Stock</h2>



Besides going to a brokerage platform to purchase a share &#8211; or fractional share &#8211; of stock, you can also gain access to shares either by buying an exchange traded fund (ETF) that holds the stock itself, or by allocating yourself to a strategy in your 401(k) that would seek to acquire shares in a mutual fund or other instrument. 



For example, in Alphabet&#8217;s case, it is in the Communication Services sector. An ETF will likely hold shares in many liquid and large companies that help track that sector, allowing an investor to gain exposure to the trends within that segment.



Image: Shutterstock

GOOG

GOOGL

Alphabet Stock Hits New All-Time High On AI, Cloud Momentum

Editor&#8217;s Note: This article has been updated to reflect the correct quarter for Nvidia's Wednesday results.



Nvidia Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>) has added an eye-watering $2 trillion in market cap since bottoming out in April 2025, but investors may now be wondering whether the rally has gone <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/technology-stocks">too far, too fast.</a>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>NVDA stock is trading near all-time highs. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/NVDA">Check live prices here. </a></li>
</ul>



The AI darling is set to report second-quarter earnings on Wednesday after the close, and while expectations remain sky-high, some on Wall Street are urging caution—not because the AI story is fading, but because the bar is simply too high.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Waiting For Nvidia&#8217;s Next Big Catalyst: Goldman Sachs</h2>



Goldman Sachs analyst James Schneider, Ph.D., remains structurally bullish on Nvidia, but he flagged a potential lull in upward catalysts.



"We remain very bullish on Nvidia's prospects for outsized growth in 2026," he wrote in a note Monday, citing hyperscaler CapEx momentum and growing demand from non-traditional customers.



Yet, he added that "it may be difficult for the stock to outperform in the next few months, given a potential lack of hard data to drive estimate revisions."



In Schneider's view, Nvidia's next leg higher likely depends on a few key catalysts: any upside surprises in hyperscaler capital expenditure (CapEx) estimates, new details around the launch timeline for the Rubin platform, and clearer commentary on how U.S. export controls are affecting Nvidia's China revenues. 



Without substantial updates on these fronts, investor enthusiasm may cool as uncertainty over 2026 and beyond creeps back in.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Options Market Say "Caution"</h2>



Jeff Jacobson, analyst at 22V Research, suggests Nvidia's stock could be at a tactical inflection point. While he&#8217;s not bearish on the long-term story, he indicated that risk-reward heading into earnings is less compelling.



"There are compelling reasons to sell upside calls against a long NVDA equity position," Jacobson wrote Monday.



Jacobson flagged several reasons for caution ahead of earnings. First, valuation looks tight, with Nvidia now trading less than 10% below the Street's average 12-month price target of $195. 



The last time shares approached that level—back in June 2024—it marked a local peak that held for nearly four months.



Second, short interest has collapsed, now sitting at a five-year low and down 50% from 2023 highs. That removes one key upside driver: the potential for a post-earnings short squeeze.



Finally, expectations may already be fully baked in. After a 105% rally since April, driven by enthusiasm and repeated estimate upgrades, there's very little room for Nvidia to miss a step.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The September Problem</h2>



There's also the seasonal curse. September has historically been Nvidia's worst-performing month. 



Since its 1999 IPO, Nvidia stock has averaged a -2.19% return in September, worse than any other month of the year. It finishes higher just 58% of the time, and three of the past five Septembers ended in the red.



And it's not just Nvidia. The S&amp;P 500 itself struggles in September, with an average 1.85% decline and positive closes in just 46% of the years since 1999.



Read now:



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/economic-data/25/08/47310189/the-everything-rally-is-back-thanks-to-powells-risky-bet-on-jobs">The &#8216;Everything Rally&#8217; Is Back—Thanks To Powell&#8217;s Risky Bet On Jobs </a></li>
</ul>



Photo: Shutterstock

Nvidia's Monster Rally Meets Its September Curse (CORRECTED)

Palantir Technologies (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PLTR#NASDAQ">PLTR</a>) stock has gained more than 100% year-to-date, hitting new all-time highs in August <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/movers/25/08/47236874/palantir-stock-is-facing-selling-pressure-whats-going-on">before a recent pullback</a>.



After a short seller questioned the company's valuation, Benzinga polled readers to learn when investors might see all-time highs again.



What Happened: The company&#8217;s stock has been one of the most sought-after investments for investors in 2025. It was the fourth most-searched ticker on Benzinga Pro in the<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/25/07/46236448/exclusive-2025s-first-half-most-searched-tickers-on-benzinga-pro-where-do-nvidia-tesla-apple-stock-rank"> first half of 2025.</a>



Investors are debating on what type of premium valuation the company will achieve. Currently, Palantir boasts strong revenue growth and new defense contracts. It&#8217;s also becoming a go-to source for many industries and large-cap companies.



With shares pulling back, Benzinga recently asked readers to predict when we will see new all-time highs.



"Palantir hit an all-time high of $190 in August and is falling. When will the stock hit a new all-time high?" Benzinga asked.



Here are the results:



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Before the end of 2025: 45%</li>



<li>Palantir's peak is in, forget new highs anytime soon: 25%</li>



<li>In 2026: 24%</li>



<li>In 2027: 6%</li>
</ul>



The winner of the poll was Palantir hitting new all-time highs before the end of the year, with new highs next year ranking third. Those answers combined garnered 69% of the poll, highlighting that readers expect Palantir to hit new all-time highs either before the end of the year or in the next calendar year.



Perhaps surprising, the second-place option saw one-fourth of readers predicting that Palantir has already reached its peak and won&#8217;t hit new highs anytime soon.



Read Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/earnings/25/08/46840353/palantir-q2-earnings-revenue-eps-beat-estimates-company-raises-guidance-citing-astonishing-impact-of-ai-leverage">Palantir Q2 Earnings: Revenue, EPS Beat Estimates, Company Raises Guidance Citing &#8216;Astonishing Impact&#8217; Of AI Leverage</a>



Why It's Important: The latest poll comes after Palantir <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/25/08/47247077/palantir-applovin-robinhood-or-coinbase-benzinga-readers-pick-their-top-jim-cramer-parc-stock">won a recent reader poll </a>when investors were asked to pick between Palantir, AppLovin, Robinhood and Coinbase, the stocks now referred to as "PARC" in a new acronym from Jim Cramer.



Palantir won that poll with 54% when readers were asked which of the four stocks they would most likely hold over the next 12 months.



Citron Research's Andrew Left is one investor who doesn't think Palantir stock is going to hit new all-time highs. The famous short seller recently said he <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/short-ideas/25/08/47107749/gamestop-short-seller-andrew-left-is-taking-on-retail-investors-again-now-says-palantir-stock-is-beyond-overvalued">was short Palantir, </a>calling the company "beyond overvalued."



&#8220;It&#8217;s become a retail darling,&#8221; Left&nbsp;<a href="https://www.foxbusiness.com/video/6376884457112" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">said&nbsp;</a>during an interview with Fox Business.



Investors are overvaluing Palantir, Left says, adding that he&#8217;s &#8220;not a hater&#8221; of the company.



&#8220;I like Alex Karp, I like Alex Karp&#8217;s politics, I like Alex Karp as a person,&#8221; Left said of the Palantir CEO.



Left said that even if it was the greatest company ever created and you assigned the highest multiple to it, the stock is still higher than that price.



&#8220;The stock does not really get cheap until it&#8217;s $40, $50.&#8221;



Aside from Left, multiple Palantir stock analysts <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-stock-ratings/analyst-color/25/08/46862618/palantir-stock-deserves-valuation-premium-analyst-says-growth-margin-equals-category-of-one">raised their price targets</a> on the company after second-quarter financial results. The stock hit several of those price targets weeks later, after financial results.



Wedbush analyst Dan Ives remains one of the biggest Palantir bulls, with a <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/08/46853866/dan-ives-raises-palantir-price-target-sees-24-upside-on-hyper-growth-demand-stock-jumps-nearly-6-in-tuesday-pre-market">$200 price target</a>. The company has "off the charts" commercial expansion, he says.



PLTR Price Action: Palantir stock is down 3.3% to $153.50 on Monday versus a 52-week trading range of $29.31 to $190.00. Palantir stock is up 104.3% year-to-date in 2025 and up 398% over the last year.



Read Next: 



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/etfs/broad-u-s-equity-etfs/24/09/40795608/palantirs-s-p-500-journey-rebel-tech-giant-transforms-into-frankenstein-monster-powere">Palantir&#8217;s S&amp;P 500 Journey: Rebel Tech Giant Transforms Into &#8216;Frankenstein Monster Powered By Freak Show Leader&#8217;</a></li>
</ul>



The study was conducted by Benzinga from Aug. 20, 2025, through Aug. 25, 2025. It included the responses of a diverse population of adults 18 or older. Opting into the survey was completely voluntary, with no incentives offered to potential respondents. The study reflects results from 141 adults.



Image: Shutterstock

Long Ideas

Exclusives

PLTR

Palantir New All-Time Highs In 2025? Less Than 50% Say Yes In New Poll

Nvidia Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>) is up 2% in midday trading Monday, moving within striking distance of its all-time high—now less than 2 percentage points away—as investors remain upbeat ahead of the company's highly anticipated <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/08/47314498/amazon-meta-among-early-adopters-of-nvidias-jetson-thor-robotics-platform">earnings release this week.</a>



The enthusiasm around Nvidia comes even as the broader market takes a modest step back following Friday's Fed-fueled rally. 



Investors are pausing to reassess after a sharp move higher, spurred by dovish comments from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell that rekindled hopes for a September rate cut.



Energy prices are also drawing attention. Crude oil jumped 2% to above $65 a barrel, marking its fourth straight day of gains and raising new inflation concerns just as markets start to price in looser financial conditions.



Geopolitical risks are back in focus. Hopes for a diplomatic breakthrough in the Ukraine war dimmed further as the odds of a Putin-Zelenskyy meeting faded, while Israel launched a strike on a Gaza hospital targeting a Hamas surveillance camera on the building&#8217;s roof, reportedly killing five journalists, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/mideast-wars-gaza-journalists-killed-5c33e999ee88effd89566a993b31d9cc">according </a>to AP News.



The U.S. dollar bounced slightly, rising 0.5% after sliding 0.9% on Friday. Meanwhile, Treasury yields ticked higher, with the 10-year yield up 2 basis points to 4.28%, reflecting a cautious tone in fixed income.



In crypto markets, the weekend selloff extended into Monday. Bitcoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/btc/usd">BTC</a>) fell 0.9% to $112,500, on pace for its third consecutive daily decline. Losses were steeper elsewhere: Dogecoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/doge/usd">DOGE</a>) dropped 6.2%, Ethereum (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/eth/usd">ETH</a>) slid 4.5%, and Solana (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/sol/usd">SOL</a>) declined 5.1%, all almost erasing Friday&#8217;s gains. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Monday&#8217;s Performance In Major US Indices, ETFs</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-table is-style-stripes"><table class="has-fixed-layout"><tbody><tr><td>Major Indices</td><td>Price</td><td>1-day %chg</td></tr><tr><td>Nasdaq 100</td><td>23,527.05</td><td>0.0%</td></tr><tr><td>S&amp;P 500</td><td>6,464.09</td><td>-0.1%</td></tr><tr><td>Russell 2000</td><td>2,349.76</td><td>-0.6%</td></tr><tr><td>Dow Jones</td><td>45,424.98</td><td>-0.7%</td></tr></tbody></table><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Updated by 1:13 p.m. ET</figcaption></figure>



According to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/pro/?utm_source=BZprocontent&amp;t=be2bearmibe3na1">Benzinga Pro</a>&nbsp;data:



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>The&nbsp;Vanguard S&amp;P 500 ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/VOO#NYSE">VOO</a>) eased 0.1% to $592.56.</li>



<li>The&nbsp;SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average&nbsp;(NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DIA#NYSE">DIA</a>) slipped 0.6% to $454.13.</li>



<li>The tech-heavy&nbsp;Invesco QQQ Trust Series&nbsp;(NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QQQ#NASDAQ">QQQ</a>)&nbsp;was unchanged at $5724.4.</li>



<li>The&nbsp;iShares Russell 2000 ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/IWM#NYSE">IWM</a>) dropped 0.6% to $233.48.</li>



<li>The&nbsp;Communication Services&nbsp;Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XLC#NYSE">XLC</a>) outperformed, up 0.4%; the&nbsp;Consumer Staples&nbsp;Select Sector SPDR Fund&nbsp;(NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XLP#NYSE">XLP</a>) lagged, down 1.2%.</li>
</ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">S&amp;P 500&#8217;s Top Movers Of The Day</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-table is-style-stripes"><table class="has-fixed-layout"><thead><tr><th>Name</th><th>Chg %</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Seagate Technology Holdings plc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/STX#NASDAQ">STX</a>)</td><td>3.36%</td></tr><tr><td>Western Digital Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/WDC#NASDAQ">WDC</a>)</td><td>3.30%</td></tr><tr><td>Deckers Outdoor Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DECK#NYSE">DECK</a>)</td><td>3.20%</td></tr><tr><td>Wynn Resorts Ltd. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/WYNN#NASDAQ">WYNN</a>)</td><td>2.95%</td></tr><tr><td>APA Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/APA#NASDAQ">APA</a>)</td><td>2.93%</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-table is-style-stripes"><table class="has-fixed-layout"><thead><tr><th>Name</th><th>Chg %</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Keurig Dr Pepper Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/KDP#NASDAQ">KDP</a>)</td><td>-9.20%</td></tr><tr><td>CSX Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CSX#NASDAQ">CSX</a>)</td><td>-6.12%</td></tr><tr><td>DexCom Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DXCM#NASDAQ">DXCM</a>)</td><td>-5.99%</td></tr><tr><td>Moderna Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MRNA#NASDAQ">MRNA</a>)</td><td>-3.96%</td></tr><tr><td>Eversource Energy (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ES#NYSE">ES</a>)</td><td>-3.69%</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



Read Next:



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/25/08/47313700/nvidia-stock-earnings-preview-outlook-analysis-options-seasonality">Nvidia&#8217;s Monster Rally Meets Its September Curse</a></li>
</ul>



Image created using artificial intelligence via Midjourney.

Cryptocurrency

$BTC

$DOGE

$ETH

$SOL

DECK

DXCM

MRNA

WYNN

Nvidia Rises, Wall Street Pauses As Oil Prices Jump To $65: What's Moving Markets Monday?

Fed Chair Jerome Powell just handed Wall Street a high-stakes bet: he's willing to tolerate higher inflation in the short run if it means keeping <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/25/08/47292004/powell-delivers-a-summer-surprise-to-wall-street-and-your-wallet-wins">the labor market afloat. </a>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>DIA ETF hit new all-time highs after Powell&#8217;s speech. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/DIA">Check the chart here. </a></li>
</ul>



And investors? They're running with it.



In a move that surprised many, the Fed chair used his Jackson Hole speech to lean decisively into a dovish stance, making it clear that avoiding further damage to job creation is now the Fed's top concern—even if that means letting inflation move above 2%.



"The baseline outlook and shifting balance of risks may warrant adjusting our policy stance," Powell said, hinting strongly at a September rate cut.



For the markets, this was all they needed. 



Stocks exploded higher, speculative names led the charge, and the &#8220;Everything Rally&#8221;—a rare environment where nearly all risk assets rise together—roared back to life.



The S&amp;P 500 – as tracked by the Vanguard S&amp;P 500 ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/VOO#NYSE">VOO</a>) – rose 1.55% to new record highs on Friday, notching its best day since late May. 



Small caps – as tracked by the iShares Russell 2000 ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/IWM#NYSE">IWM</a>) – exploded by nearly 4%, hitting their best daily performance since April 9. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Powell's Focus On Labor Means Inflation Can Wait</h2>



Dennis DeBusschere, analyst at 22V Research, said the Fed is now signaling a willingness to let financial conditions stay loose, even with core inflation still sticky. 



The trade-off? Higher short-term inflation, but a safer labor market.



"Powell made it clear he's focused on reducing labor market risks," DeBusschere wrote in a note Monday. "That focus on risk management means Powell is willing to accept higher inflation near term."



That mindset allows a rare divergence: easier financial conditions on one side, and stubbornly high inflation on the other. 



However, instead of clashing, this setup could lift earnings expectations, as markets become more confident in the Fed's willingness to backstop growth—even with data still showing some economic strength.



According to 22V's internal data, the current environment meets the criteria for an &#8220;Everything Rally&#8221;—with 7 of the last 12 weeks showing broad-based strength across risk and fundamental factors.



&#8220;We have no reason to expect the recent outperformance of Value, Small caps, and Debt Risk names to reverse over the coming month,&#8221; DeBusschere added. 



Even a firm August payroll report on Sept. 5 won't likely derail the September cut, according to the expert. 



&#8220;With the Fed willing to run the economy hot near term, Energy might have some potential &#8216;catch-up&#8217; within Value,&#8221; the analyst said. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Bottom Line: Powell's Bet Is On Jobs—And The Rally Lives On</h2>



For now, Powell's pivot is a gift to risk assets. He's letting the economy run hot, and that means lower rates, looser financial conditions, and rising earnings expectations—a perfect recipe for a risk-on market.



Investors are leaning into small caps, Value, and cyclicals. But the rally's foundation is fragile—anchored in Powell's balancing act. If inflation expectations spike or jobs roar back too strongly, the Fed may have to pull the punch bowl sooner than markets hope.



&#8220;What would derail that backdrop is inflation expectations creeping toward ~3%. For now, that is a low probability event, but it is something to keep an eye on,&#8221; DeBusschere said.



Until then, the Everything Rally is on. 



Read Next:



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/earnings/25/08/47304713/retail-investors-top-stocks-with-q2-earnings-this-week-nvidia-webull-iren-and-more">Retail Investors&#8217; Top Stocks With Q2 Earnings This Week: NVIDIA, Webull, IREN And More</a></li>
</ul>



Photo: Shutterstock

Federal Reserve

The 'Everything Rally' Is Back—Thanks To Powell's Risky Bet On Jobs

Bridgewater Associates, the world's largest hedge fund, has completely liquidated its holdings in all U.S.-listed Chinese companies, a dramatic reversal that marks the firm's most significant strategic pivot under its new post-Ray Dalio leadership.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Bridgewater Reassesses Geopolitical And Investment Risks</h2>



The moves, revealed in the firm's second-quarter 13F filing for 2025, signal a stark reassessment of geopolitical and investment risks in the world's second-largest economy.



The comprehensive sell-off included the complete disposal of stakes in Chinese technology and e-commerce giants, which had previously been significant positions for the macro-focused fund.



This decisive exit from China was part of a broader, aggressive portfolio overhaul. The fund, which reported 585 holdings valued at $24.791 billion as of the quarter&#8217;s end, concentrated its capital in a handful of high-conviction bets.



Bridgewater more than doubled down on AI chipmaker Nvidia Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>), increasing its stake by 154%, and made a colossal new bet on healthcare conglomerate Johnson &amp; Johnson (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/JNJ#NYSE">JNJ</a>), boosting its holding by a staggering 668%.



<figure class="wp-block-table is-style-stripes"><table class="has-fixed-layout"><tbody><tr><td>Chinese Stocks</td><td>Shares (as of March 31)</td><td>Shares (as of June 30)</td><td>% Change (QoQ)</td><td>Value (as of June 30)</td></tr><tr><td>Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. ADR (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BABA#NYSE">BABA</a>)</td><td>5,660,258</td><td>0</td><td>-100%</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>JD.com Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/JD#NASDAQ">JD</a>)</td><td>2,786,833</td><td>0</td><td>-100%</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>PDD Holdings Inc. ADR (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PDD#NASDAQ">PDD</a>)</td><td>1,742,717</td><td>0</td><td>-100%</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>Baidu Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BIDU#NASDAQ">BIDU</a>)</td><td>2,076,305</td><td>0</td><td>-100%</td><td>0</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/financing/25/08/46789004/billionaire-ray-dalio-steps-down-from-bridgewater-associates-sovereign-wealth-fund-of-brunei-acquires-final-stake">Billionaire Ray Dalio Steps Down From Bridgewater Associates, Sovereign-Wealth Fund Of Brunei Acquires Final Stake</a>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Bridgewater After Dalio Divests His Stake</h2>



These sweeping changes represent the first major strategic footprint of the new management team, led by CEO Nir Bar Dea, following founder Dalio's <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/financing/25/08/46789004/billionaire-ray-dalio-steps-down-from-bridgewater-associates-sovereign-wealth-fund-of-brunei-acquires-final-stake">final divestment of his stake</a> and departure from the board. 



While the Bridgewater name remains, the second quarter filing suggests the firm is charting a new course, diverging from the strategies that defined it for decades under its iconic founder.



<figure class="wp-block-table is-style-stripes"><table class="has-fixed-layout"><tbody><tr><td>Stocks</td><td>Shares (as of March 31)</td><td>Shares (as of June 30)</td><td>% Change (QoQ)</td><td>Value (as of June 30)</td></tr><tr><td>Nvidia Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>)</td><td>2,841,980</td><td>7,229,134</td><td>154%</td><td>$1.142 billion</td></tr><tr><td>Johnson &amp; Johnson (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/JNJ#NYSE">JNJ</a>)</td><td>297,288</td><td>2,282,539</td><td>668%</td><td>$348.657 million</td></tr><tr><td>Uber Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/UBER#NASDAQ">UBER</a>)</td><td>591,582</td><td>3,733,769</td><td>531%</td><td>$348.360 million</td></tr><tr><td>Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>)</td><td>809,435</td><td>1,715,057</td><td>112%</td><td>$853.086 million</td></tr><tr><td>Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>)</td><td>3,042,327</td><td>5,600,424</td><td>84%</td><td>$986.962 million</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Dalio Likes Chinese Firms</h2>



The strategic pivot away from China is particularly notable as it contrasts sharply with the public commentary of Dalio himself.



Dalio, on several occasions, has <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/market-summary/25/03/44273552/ray-dalio-says-china-is-way-ahead-in-ai-and-robotics-us-lags-in-mass-production">praised China</a>, stating that the country is &#8220;ahead on the applications&#8221; of artificial intelligence and robotics. 



This divergence underscores the new reality: while Dalio the mentor may be bullish on China's long-term technological trajectory, Bridgewater the firm, under new control, has deemed the current investment risk unacceptable.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Price Action</h2>



The&nbsp;SPDR S&amp;P 500 ETF Trust&nbsp;(NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SPY#NYSE">SPY</a>) and&nbsp;Invesco QQQ Trust ETF&nbsp;(NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QQQ#NASDAQ">QQQ</a>), which track the S&amp;P 500 index and Nasdaq 100 index, respectively, fell on Monday. The SPY was down 0.27% at $643.56, while the QQQ also declined 0.36% to $569.90, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard">Benzinga Pro</a>&nbsp;data.



Read Next



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/market-summary/25/03/44273552/ray-dalio-says-china-is-way-ahead-in-ai-and-robotics-us-lags-in-mass-production">Ray Dalio Says China Is &#8216;Way Ahead&#8217; In AI And Robotics: US Lags in Mass Production</a></li>
</ul>



Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.



Image via Shutterstock

General

BABA

BIDU

MSFT

UBER

Bridgewater, Once Led By Ray Dalio, Exits Alibaba, JD, PDD And Baidu, Dumping All US-listed Chinese Stocks Amid Geopolitical Risks

Temu parent PDD Holdings (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PDD#NASDAQ">PDD</a>) stock is trading higher on Monday after the company reported <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/pressreleases/25/08/g47303803/pdd-holdings-announces-second-quarter-2025-unaudited-financial-results" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">fiscal second-quarter</a> 2025 results.



Revenue grew&nbsp;7%&nbsp;year-on-year (Y/Y) to&nbsp;$14.52 billion&nbsp;(103.98 billion Chinese yuan), topping the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/calendars/earnings" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">analyst consensus estimate</a> of&nbsp;$14.35 billion.



During the earnings conference call, PDD executives highlighted steady growth in retail sales and expressed strong confidence in the long-term potential of China's consumer market. 



Also Read: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/price-target/25/05/45650602/pdd-margins-fall-on-strategic-spending-analyst-sees-long-term-upside-but-payoff-timing-unclear" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">PDD Margins Fall On Strategic Spending — Analyst Sees Long-Term Upside, But Payoff Timing Unclear</a>



However, they cautioned that the current quarter's profit levels are not sustainable and expect fluctuations in future profitability. 



Management noted that changes in the external environment and intensifying competition will require increased investments in the merchant ecosystem, which could lead to short-term volatility in financial results.



Revenues from online marketing services and others rose&nbsp;13%&nbsp;Y/Y to&nbsp;$7.78 billion, and revenues from transaction services grew 0.7%&nbsp;Y/Y to&nbsp;$6.74 billion.



Total costs of revenues rose 36% Y/Y to $6.40 billion, mainly due to higher fulfilment fees, bandwidth and server costs, and payment processing fees. Total operating expenses rose 5% Y/Y to $4.51 billion.



Adjusted operating profit declined by&nbsp;20.7%&nbsp;Y/Y to&nbsp;$3.87 billion. The adjusted operating margin plunged from 36.0% to 26.7% Y/Y.



The Chinese online retailer's adjusted earnings per ADS of&nbsp;$3.08 (22.07 Chinese yuan) decreased from 23.24 Chinese yuan Y/Y, topping the&nbsp;analyst consensus estimate&nbsp;of&nbsp;$1.91.&nbsp;



PDD Holdings held&nbsp;$54.0 billion&nbsp;in cash and equivalents as&nbsp;of June 30, 2025. The company generated&nbsp;$3.02 billion&nbsp;in operating cash flow during the quarter.



PDD Holdings Chairman and Co-CEO Lei Chen said the company invested heavily in merchant support initiatives last quarter, driving progress toward a stronger and more sustainable platform ecosystem.



Vice President of Finance Jun Liu noted that revenue growth slowed further amid intense competition and cautioned that continued investments could pressure short-term profitability as the company prioritizes long-term value creation.



Price Action: PDD stock is trading higher by 3.37% to $131.39 at last check Monday.



Read Next:



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/08/47304619/taiwan-semiconductor-acts-early-to-dodge-us-export-curbs-drops-chinese-tools-from-chip-plants" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Taiwan Semiconductor Acts Early To Dodge US Export Curbs, Drops Chinese Tools From Chip Plants</a></li>
</ul>



Photo via Shutterstock

Asia

Movers

Temu Parent PDD Warns Current Profits Not Sustainable As Competition Heats Up In China

Investors are preparing for another eventful week of earnings reports, with several stocks popular among retail traders set t<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/earnings/25/08/47271497/workday-stock-slides-after-announcing-strong-q2-earnings-acquisition-of-paradox">o announce their results.</a>



Here's a look at some of the companies reporting this week that individual investors will be watching.&nbsp;&nbsp;



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>NVDA stock is up 32% year-to-date. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/NVDA">Check out the chart here.&nbsp;</a></li>
</ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Monday, Aug. 25</h2>



Before Market Open: Chinese e-commerce company PDD Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PDD#NASDAQ">PDD</a>) will kick off the week with its second-quarter results set to be released before Monday's opening bell.&nbsp;



According to estimates from <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/?gspk=YWRhbWVja2VydDUzMzY&amp;gsxid=zBMR4PKmcgBw">Benzinga Pro</a>, analysts expect the company to report second-quarter earnings of $1.49 per share on revenue of $14.35 billion.&nbsp;



Read Next: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/politics/25/08/47248555/trump-worth-more-than-5-billion-after-100-million-in-bond-purchases-while-in-office?utm_source=articleShare">President Trump Worth More Than $5.5 Billion After $100 Million In Bond Purchases While In Office</a>



After Market Close: Semtech Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SMTC#NASDAQ">SMTC</a>) will report its second-quarter results after Monday's closing bell with analysts looking for EPS of 40 cents and revenue of $256.09 million.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Tuesday, Aug. 26</h2>



Before Market Open: Chinese residential real estate and rental brokerage company KE Holdings Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BEKE#NYSE">BEKE</a>) and EHang Holdings Limited (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/EH#NASDAQ">EH</a>) will each release their earnings reports before Tuesday's opening bell.&nbsp;



After Market Close: Tuesday's post-market action will include earnings reports from BOX, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BOX#NYSE">BOX</a>), Okta, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/OKTA#NASDAQ">OKTA</a>) and MongoDB, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MDB#NASDAQ">MDB</a>). Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger parent company PVH Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PVH#NYSE">PVH</a>) will also release its results after the market close.&nbsp;&nbsp;



Read Next: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/movers/25/08/47290067/quantum-stock-tracker-ionq-rigetti-d-wave-boosted-by-rate-cut-hopes">Quantum Stock Tracker: IonQ, Rigetti, D-Wave Boosted By Rate Cut Hopes</a>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Wednesday, Aug. 27&nbsp;</h2>



Before Market Open: Wednesday will be an earnings-heavy day with UP Fintech Holding Ltd. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TIGR#NASDAQ">TIGR</a>), Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/WSM#NYSE">WSM</a>), Abercrombie &amp; Fitch Co. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ANF#NYSE">ANF</a>) and The J. M. Smucker Company (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SJM#NYSE">SJM</a>) all reporting before the market opens.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



NVDA Q2: The star of the week, NVIDIA Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>), will report its much-anticipated second-quarter results after Wednesday's closing bell.&nbsp;



Analysts are looking for the chip giant to report EPS of $1.00 and quarterly revenue of $45.86 billion. It is worth noting that Nvidia has beaten expectations on both the top and bottom lines for the last 10 consecutive quarters. 



Wall Street and investors will be listening closely for guidance on Nvidia's China operations, as well as production capacity and adoption rates for the new Blackwell Ultra GPUs.&nbsp; 



Any hints on the timeline for the even newer "Rubin" platform due next year will also be closely watched.



Read Next: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/movers/25/08/47288014/opendoor-stock-rallies-as-rate-cuts-could-unfreeze-housing-market">Opendoor Stock Rallies As Rate Cuts Could &#8216;Unfreeze&#8217; Housing Market</a>



Cybersecurity giant Crowdstrike Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CRWD#NASDAQ">CRWD</a>) and cloud-based data solutions provider Snowflake, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SNOW#NYSE">SNOW</a>) will also release their second-quarter reports after Wednesday's closing bell.&nbsp;



The Street is looking for Snowflake to report quarterly earnings of 27 cents per share and revenue of $1.09 billion.&nbsp;



Other retail darlings like Pure Storage, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PSTG#NYSE">PSTG</a>), Trip.com Group Ltd. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TCOM#NASDAQ">TCOM</a>), Five Below, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/FIVE#NASDAQ">FIVE</a>), HP, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/HPQ#NYSE">HPQ</a>) and Urban Outfitters, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/URBN#NASDAQ">URBN</a>) are also set to report after Wednesday's market close.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Thursday, Aug. 28</h2>



Thursday will be the busiest day of the week for earnings reports.&nbsp;



Before Market Open: Several major retailers including Best Buy, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BBY#NYSE">BBY</a>), Burlington Stores, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BURL#NYSE">BURL</a>), Dollar General Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DG#NYSE">DG</a>), Dick's Sporting Goods, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DKS#NYSE">DKS</a>), Bath &amp; Body Works, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BBWI#NYSE">BBWI</a>), Victoria&#8217;s Secret &amp; Co. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/VSCO#NYSE">VSCO</a>) and Ollie&#8217;s Bargain Outlet Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/OLLI#NASDAQ">OLLI</a>) will all report before the market opens on Thursday.&nbsp;



China-based EV maker Li Auto, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/LI#NASDAQ">LI</a>) will also report before the bell.



After Market Close: Tech companies Marvell Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MRVL#NASDAQ">MRVL</a>), Dell Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DELL#NYSE">DELL</a>) and SentinelOne, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/S#NYSE">S</a>) will report after the market close on Thursday. 



Also set to announce their results are retailers like beauty giant Ulta Beauty, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ULTA#NASDAQ">ULTA</a>), Gap, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GAP#NYSE">GAP</a>) and Petco Health and Wellness Company, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/WOOF#NASDAQ">WOOF</a>)&nbsp;



Recent IPO Webull Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BULL#NASDAQ">BULL</a>), retail-favorite Affirm Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AFRM#NASDAQ">AFRM</a>) and IREN Limited (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/IREN#NASDAQ">IREN</a>) will report after Thursday's closing bell to cap off a busy week of earnings reports for individual investors.&nbsp;



Read More:&nbsp;



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/08/47272988/coreweave-stock-insiders-are-selling-but-everyone-else-is-buying">CoreWeave Stock: Insiders Are Selling, But Everyone Else Is Buying</a></li>
</ul>



Photo: Shutterstock

Previews

AFRM

BBWI

BEKE

BILL

BULL

BURL

CRWD

DELL

FIVE

IREN

MRVL

NTAP

OLLI

PSTG

SBSW

SMTC

SNOW

TCOM

TIGR

ULTA

URBN

VSCO

WOOF

Retail Investors' Top Stocks With Q2 Earnings This Week: NVIDIA, Webull, IREN And More

Tech investors David Sacks and Chamath Palihapitiya cautioned AI startup founders about the risks of turning down massive acquisition offers before even releasing a product.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Pre-Product AI Startups Turning Down Billion-Dollar Deals Raise Concerns</h2>



During a Sunday episode of All-In Podcast, Sacks highlighted a growing trend of pre-product AI startups rejecting billion-dollar acquisition offers.&nbsp;



"You are seeing founders turning down multi-billion dollar acquisition offers for startups that haven't even released a product yet," he said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Chamath Palihapitiya Weighs In on OpenAI Founders' Financial Flexibility</h2>



Jason, the host, asked, "You think Mira should have taken the billion-dollar offer from Zuck, or Ilya should have taken the $30B, Sacks? I mean, these things never happen."&nbsp;



Sacks responded, "I guess it depends how much they have in the bank account. They're both OpenAI co-founders, so…" Chamath added, "They probably sold a bunch of OpenAI equity at $300B and $500B. They seem like they're free rolling, so they have no incentive to sell."



Sacks emphasized that many founders have never experienced a market downturn. "If they think that this is the normal state of the world, they're going to be sorely mistaken," he said.&nbsp;



"Right now, we're in a part of the cycle where you can justify that valuation based on its strategic value to a multi-trillion-dollar market cap company. But that only lasts while those companies are in the market for strategic acceleration. And if you turn that down, then you have to make your company work on its own as an actual business."



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">&#x1f6a8;David Sacks on pre-product AI startups turning down billion-dollar acquisition offers: "There&#39;s a lot of people who&#39;ve never been through a bust cycle before. And if they think that this is the normal state of the world, they&#39;re going to be sorely mistaken." Sacks: "You are… <a href="https://t.co/g9TQEb6b1l">pic.twitter.com/g9TQEb6b1l</a>&mdash; The All-In Podcast (@theallinpod) <a href="https://twitter.com/theallinpod/status/1959658653343969395?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 24, 2025</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">AI Investment Surge: Former OpenAI Leaders Attract Major Funding From Top Tech Giants</h2>



Mira Murati and Ilya Sutskever are the OpenAI co-founders, &#8220;The Besties,&#8221; were talking in the post above.



Former OpenAI Chief Technology Officer Murati has raised a record-breaking $2 billion seed round for her <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/07/46462080/ex-openai-exec-mira-murati-lands-2-billion-seed-round-for-ai-startup-backed-by-andreessen-horowitz-nvidia-amd-other-tech-giants">artificial intelligence startup</a>, Thinking Machines Lab, which she co-founded after leaving the AI startup.



Meanwhile, Nvidia Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>) and Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>) (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>) have reportedly decided to <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/04/44778730/nvidia-and-alphabet-to-back-openai-co-founder-ilya-sutskevers-new-ai-startup-safe-superintelligence-report">invest in the artificial intelligence startup</a> co-founded by former OpenAI chief scientist Sutskever, who was also known as the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/05/38834519/openai-chief-scientist-ilya-sutskever-steps-down-ceo-sam-altman-calls-him-a-guiding-light-of-ai-fiel">guiding light of OpenAI</a>.



See Also: <a href="https://benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/06/45827094/dan-ives-weighs-in-on-musk-trump-drama-says-stock-reaction-overblown-i-still-believe-theyre-allies">Dan Ives Weighs In On Musk-Trump Drama, Says Stock Reaction Overblown: ‘I Still Believe They're Allies'</a>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Altman Plans Trillions In AI Infrastructure Spending and Federal Partnership</h2>



Last week, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said people should have expected the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/08/47171979/sam-altman-says-openai-has-to-go-public-as-he-expects-ai-firm-to-spend-trillions-drawing-1990s-dot-com-bubble-parallels">company to spend trillions of dollars</a> building infrastructure to power artificial intelligence, drawing parallels between today's AI investment and the late 1990s dot-com bubble. 



Altman told reporters that OpenAI would need significant capital to sustain advanced AI development. He added that economists might criticize the approach as reckless, but the company intended to proceed regardless. 



Altman also said OpenAI was exploring new ways to fund the effort, suggesting they could design a novel financial instrument for finance and computing that the world had not yet seen.



In addition, <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/topics/25/08/47170537/trumps-1-trillion-defense-budget-meets-1-ai-access-sam-altman-and-chatgpt-land-u-s-government-partnership">Altman secured a new partnership with</a> the U.S. General Services Administration, granting federal agencies access to the company's leading frontier models through ChatGPT Enterprise for $1 per agency for the next year, according to an OpenAI announcement. 



The initiative, described as a core part of President Donald Trump's AI Action Plan, provided federal employees with secure access to ChatGPT Enterprise, new training resources, and additional advanced features during a 60-day introductory period.



Read Next:



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/large-cap/25/07/46458652/tim-cooks-new-job-is-keeping-trump-happy-says-economist-justin-wolfers-innovation-takes-a-back-seat-to-political-favoritism" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Tim Cook's New Job Is Keeping Trump ‘Happy,' Says Economist Justin Wolfers: ‘Innovation Takes A Back Seat To Political Favoritism'</a></li>
</ul>



Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.



Photo courtesy: CarlaVanWagoner / Shutterstock.com

David Sacks, Chamath Palihapitiya Warn Pre-Product AI Founders Against Rejecting Multi-Billion Dollar Acquisition Offers

U.S. stock futures fell on Monday following Friday&#8217;s advances. Futures of major benchmark indices were lower.



On Friday, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell gave Wall Street—and Main Street—a reason to celebrate. In a closely watched speech at the Fed&#8217;s annual <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/25/08/47292004/powell-delivers-a-summer-surprise-to-wall-street-and-your-wallet-wins">Jackson Hole conference</a>, Powell sent a clear signal that the central bank is preparing to shift its stance on interest rates as early as next month. 



President Donald Trump launched a national security investigation into<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/macro-economic-events/25/08/47302703/trump-launches-national-security-probe-into-furniture-imports-home-furnishing-stocks-plunge-after-hours" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> furniture imports</a> into the United States, aimed at reshoring jobs and promoting domestic manufacturing in the sector.



Meanwhile, the 10-year Treasury bond yielded 4.26% and the two-year bond was at 3.71%. The CME Group's FedWatch <a href="https://www.cmegroup.com/markets/interest-rates/cme-fedwatch-tool.html">tool</a>&#8216;s projections show markets pricing an 87.3% likelihood of the Federal Reserve cutting the current interest rates for the Sept. 17 decision. 



<figure class="wp-block-table is-style-stripes"><table class="has-fixed-layout"><tbody><tr><td>Futures</td><td>Change (+/-)</td></tr><tr><td>Dow Jones</td><td>-0.19%</td></tr><tr><td>S&amp;P 500</td><td>-0.24%</td></tr><tr><td>Nasdaq 100</td><td>-0.35%</td></tr><tr><td>Russell 2000</td><td>-0.05%</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



The SPDR S&amp;P 500 ETF Trust (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SPY#NYSE">SPY</a>) and Invesco QQQ Trust ETF (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QQQ#NASDAQ">QQQ</a>), which track the S&amp;P 500 index and Nasdaq 100 index, respectively, fell in premarket on Monday. The SPY was down 0.20% at $644.01, while the QQQ declined 0.27% to $570.42, according to <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard">Benzinga Pro</a> data.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Cues From Last Session</h2>



Most sectors on the S&amp;P 500 closed on a positive note, with consumer discretionary, energy, and communication services stocks recording the biggest gains on Friday.



However, consumer staples stocks bucked the overall market trend, closing the session lower.



Shares of Workday Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/WDAY#NASDAQ">WDAY</a>) fell around 3% on Friday after the company reported second-quarter results and issued third-quarter sales guidance below estimates. Additionally, the company announced it will acquire Paradox.



Shares of BJ's Wholesale Club Holdings Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BJ#NYSE">BJ</a>) fell more than 8% on Friday after the company reported a second-quarter revenue miss.



On the economic data front, the Baker Hughes oil rig count fell by 1 to 411 in the latest week.



The Dow Jones index ended 846 points or 1.89% higher at 45,631.74, whereas the S&amp;P 500 index rose 1.52% to 6,466.91. Nasdaq Composite advanced 1.88% to 21,496.54, and the small-cap gauge, Russell 2000, gained 3.86% to end at 2,361.95.



<figure class="wp-block-table is-style-stripes"><table class="has-fixed-layout"><tbody><tr><td>Index</td><td>Performance (+/-)</td><td>Value</td></tr><tr><td>Nasdaq Composite</td><td>1.88%</td><td>21,496.54</td></tr><tr><td>S&amp;P 500</td><td>1.52%</td><td>6,466.91</td></tr><tr><td>Dow Jones</td><td>1.89%</td><td>45,631.74</td></tr><tr><td>Russell 2000</td><td>3.86%</td><td>2,361.95</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Insights From Analysts</h2>



Following Federal Reserve Chair Powell&#8217;s pivotal speech at Jackson Hole, market analysts see a significant dovish shift, with most interpreting his remarks as a clear signal that a September interest rate cut is likely on the table.



Ed Yardeni notes that since the weak July employment report, investors have been betting that the &#8220;Fed Put&#8221; is back in play. He observes that Powell, after months of pushing back against rate cuts, adopted a new tone at Jackson Hole, stating that the &#8220;shifting balance of risks may warrant adjusting our policy stance&#8221;.



However, Yardeni injects a note of caution, maintaining it as his base-case scenario (with a 55% probability) that hotter-than-expected August inflation and employment data could still lead the Fed to hold off on easing in September.



Despite this, he assigns a 25% chance of a market &#8220;melt-up&#8221; if the Fed does cut rates. Yardeni&#8217;s year-end S&amp;P 500 target remains 6600, and he believes the bull market will become increasingly earnings-led, pointing to a strong 8.8% net earnings surprise in the second quarter of 2025 as evidence.



According to investment analyst Louis Navellier, the Fed&#8217;s focus has decisively shifted to its unemployment mandate, which is now &#8220;overshadowing any inflation fears&#8221;.



He highlights Powell&#8217;s concern that &#8220;downside risks to employment are rising&#8221;. Navellier offers a particularly bullish interpretation of Powell&#8217;s statement that the policy rate is &#8220;100 basis points closer to neutral,&#8221; suggesting this implies not just one but potentially four incoming rate cuts.



Navellier also points to cooling housing inflation as a supporting factor, citing an unexpected 2% rise in existing home sales in July and a 12.9% year-over-year increase in housing starts, which he sees as good news for the industry



Phil Rosen of Opening Bell Daily offers the most direct takeaway: &#8220;The Fed is ready to cut rates in September and asset prices are going higher&#8221;.



He notes the market&#8217;s immediate and powerful reaction to the speech, with the S&amp;P 500, Nasdaq, Dow, and even crypto assets like Bitcoin and Ether spiking higher.



Quoting Chris Zaccarelli of Northlight Asset Management, Rosen paints a vivid picture: &#8220;the party isn't over yet and Jay isn't ready to take away the (spiked) punch bowl&#8221;.



The report also adds historical context from Ryan Detrick of Carson Research, showing that the S&amp;P 500 is higher 10 out of 11 times when the Fed takes between 5 and 12 months between cuts, as is the case in the current cycle.



See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/how-to-trade-futures">How to Trade Futures</a> 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Upcoming Economic Data</h2>



Here's what investors will be keeping an eye on this week;



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>On Monday, July&#8217;s new home sales data will be released by 10:00 a.m. ET.</li>



<li>Dallas Fed President Lorie Logan will speak at 3:15 p.m. and New York Fed President John Williams will speak at 7:15 p.m. ET.</li>



<li>On Tuesday, July&#8217;s Durable-goods orders data will be out by 8:30 a.m. ET.</li>



<li>June&#8217;s S&amp;P Case-Shiller home price index for 20 cities will be announced at 9:00 a.m., and August&#8217;s consumer confidence data will be out by 10:00 a.m. ET.</li>



<li>No data release or economic event is scheduled on Wednesday.</li>



<li>On Thursday, the initial jobless claims data for the week ending Aug. 23 and the second quarter GDP&#8217;s first revision will be out by 8:30 a.m. ET.</li>



<li>Fed Gov. Christopher Waller will speak at 6:00 p.m. ET.</li>



<li>On Friday, July&#8217;s personal income, personal spending, headline and core PCE index, advanced U.S. trade balance in goods, advanced retail inventories, and advanced wholesale inventories data will be released by 8:30 a.m. ET.</li>



<li>August&#8217;s Chicago Business Barometer (PMI) will be out by 9:45 a.m., and final consumer sentiment data will be released by 10:00 a.m. ET.</li>
</ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Stocks In Focus</h2>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>PDD Holdings Inc. ADR (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PDD#NASDAQ">PDD</a>) jumped 3.09% as it is expected to report earnings before the opening bell. Analysts estimate earnings of $1.69 per share on revenue of $14.35 billion.</li>



<li>Heico Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/HEI#NYSE">HEI</a>) was up 0.40% in premarket on Monday as it is expected to report earnings after the closing bell. Analysts estimate earnings of $1.14 per share on revenue of $1.12 billion.</li>



<li>Semtech Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SMTC#NASDAQ">SMTC</a>) was down 0.18% as analysts expect it to report earnings of 40 cents per share on revenue of $256.09 million after the closing bell.</li>



<li>FiscalNote Holdings Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NOTE#NYSE">NOTE</a>) was down 0.84% after it disclosed a 1-for-12 reverse stock split of common stock.</li>



<li>Intel Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/INTC#NASDAQ">INTC</a>) rose 2.98% as analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that President Donald Trump&#8217;s $11 billion stake in the firm is a strong vote of confidence in the chipmaker&#8217;s future, but cautions that the investment won&#8217;t immediately resolve its lag in advanced semiconductor technology.</li>



<li>Moderna Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MRNA#NASDAQ">MRNA</a>) was up 0.70% after Canada authorized its updated Spikevax COVID-19 vaccine.</li>



<li>Keurig Dr Pepper Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/KDP#NASDAQ">KDP</a>) dropped 3.06% which is close to striking an $18 billion deal to acquire Dutch coffee company JDE Peet&#8217;s NV.</li>
</ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Commodities, Gold, And Global Equity Markets</h2>



Crude oil futures were trading higher in the early New York session by 0.44% to hover around $63.94 per barrel.



Gold Spot US Dollar fell 0.27% to hover around $3,362.96 per ounce. Its last record high stood at $3,500.33 per ounce. The U.S. Dollar Index spot was 0.19% higher at the 97.8970 level.



Asian markets ended higher on Monday, as India&#8217;s S&amp;P BSE Sensex, Australia's ASX 200, Hong Kong's Hang Seng, Japan's Nikkei 225, South Korea's Kospi, and China&#8217;s CSI 300 indices rose. European markets were mostly lower in early trade.



Read Next:



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/25/08/47302548/peter-schiff-mocks-michael-saylors-bitcoin-call-gold-bug-predicts-mstr-demise-as-ceo-says-bitcoin-is-on-sale">Peter Schiff Mocks Michael Saylor&#8217;s Bitcoin Call: Gold Bug Predicts MSTR Demise As CEO Says &#8216;Bitcoin Is On Sale&#8217;</a></li>
</ul>



Photo courtesy: Shutterstock

NOTE

WDAY

Stock Market Today: Nasdaq 100, Dow Futures Fall After Friday's Rally—Intel, PDD, Keurig Dr Pepper In Focus

Shares of Ethereum (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/eth/usd">ETH</a>) treasury companies opened lower in Monday&#8217;s pre-market trading after ETH failed to sustain its rally to record highs.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">ETH Treasury Stocks Tumble</h2>



World's largest ETH treasury company BitMine was down over 6% in pre-market trading. The firm, holding 1.26% of the total ETH in circulation, has spearheaded the accumulation trend over the last two months.



The company roped in popular Wall Street analyst Tom Lee as Chairman, while seasoned investors like Cathie Wood and Peter Thiel<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/crypto/25/07/46678140/bitmine-stock-falls-15-1-after-hours-as-peter-thiel-backed-company-files-shelf-offering-might-consider-ethereum-purchase-with-proceeds"> have acquired significant stakes</a>.



Sharplink Gaming, the second-largest ETH hoarder, slid 4.70%, while Bit Digital fell 3.13%. The newly branded ETHZilla Corp. bucked the decline, rising by more than 3%.



These companies launched their ETH treasury strategies, shifting their primary reserve asset to the second-largest cryptocurrency.&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-table"><table class="has-fixed-layout"><tbody><tr><td>Companies</td><td>Total ETH In Reserves</td><td>Price (Recorded at Friday&#8217;s Market Close)</td><td>Pre-Market Gains +/-</td></tr><tr><td>BitMine Immersion Technologies Inc. (AMEX:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BMNR#AMEX">BMNR</a>)</td><td>1,523,373</td><td>$53.49</td><td>-6.13%</td></tr><tr><td>Sharplink Gaming Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SBET#NASDAQ">SBET</a>)</td><td>740,760</td><td>$20.87</td><td>-4.70%</td></tr><tr><td>Bit Digital Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BTBT#NASDAQ">BTBT</a>)</td><td>120,306</td><td>$2.88</td><td>-3.13%</td></tr><tr><td>Ethzilla Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ETHZ#NASDAQ">ETHZ</a>)</td><td>94,675</td><td>$3.30</td><td>+3.33%</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



See Also:<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/04/44621245/gold-backed-cryptos-match-yellow-metals-highs-following-trumps-liberation-day-shock"> </a><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/crypto/cryptocurrency/25/08/47193158/this-ethereum-trader-turned-125000-into-29-6-million-in-4-months">This Ethereum Trader Turned $125,000 Into $29.6 Million In 4 Months</a>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">ETH In Record Territory</h2>



The dip in stocks comes after ETH sharply retraced on Sunday following a <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/crypto/cryptocurrency/25/08/47300556/bitcoin-ethereum-dogecoin-xrp-slip-after-whale-dumps-btc-worth-2-7-billion-eth-hits-record-high-analyst-predicts-5000-really-soon" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">flash crash</a> that saw Bitcoin's (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/btc/usd">BTC</a>) price drop from $114,000 to $110,000.



The pullback dampened some of the optimism that had built up earlier in the day, when the second-largest cryptocurrency climbed to a new all-time high of 4,953.73, surpassing its previous record set nearly four years ago.



ETH surged alongside the broader cryptocurrency market over the weekend, following dovish remarks from <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/movers/25/08/47294599/bitmine-immersion-stock-shoots-higher-on-ethereum-rally">Federal Reserve Chair</a> Jerome Powell, who signaled potential <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/25/08/47292004/powell-delivers-a-summer-surprise-to-wall-street-and-your-wallet-wins">interest rate cuts in September</a>.



Institutional interest in ETH has soared lately, with spot exchange-traded funds linked to the coin recording five consecutive months of net inflows, <a href="https://sosovalue.com/assets/etf/us-eth-spot">according </a>to SoSo Value.



Price Action: At the time of writing, ETH was trading at $4,604.72, down 3.46% in the last 24 hours, according to <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard?_gl=1&#x2A;380nj0&#x2A;_ga&#x2A;MTEyOTAyOTcxMy4xNzEzMzY0NTYy&#x2A;_ga_V7ZK73W7N0&#x2A;MTcxNDk4MzIzMi42LjEuMTcxNDk4OTE0Ni4wLjAuMA..">data from Benzinga Pro</a>. Year-to-date, the coin has rallied over 38%.



As of this writing, the BMNR stock demonstrated very high Momentum but lagged on the Value metric. Visit <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/premium/ideas/benzinga-edge-2#:~:text=Turn%20Market%20Chaos,when%20markets%20rebound">Benzinga Edge Stock Rankings</a> to compare it with other ETH treasury companies.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="189" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/25014942/image-437-1024x189.png" alt="" class="wp-image-1041569" srcset="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/25014942/image-437-1024x189.png 1024w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/25014942/image-437-300x55.png 300w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/25014942/image-437-768x141.png 768w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/25014942/image-437.png 1075w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



Photo Courtesy: Zakharchuk on Shutterstock.com



Read Next:&nbsp;



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/25/08/47296830/tom-lee-calls-ethereum-a-1971-style-gold-moment-as-eth-hits-new-all-time-high-says-very-high-probability-of-flipping-bitcoin">Tom Lee Calls Ethereum A 1971-Style Gold Moment As ETH Hits New All-Time High, Says &#8216;Very High Probability&#8217; Of Flipping Bitcoin</a></li>
</ul>

BMNR

BTBT

ETHZ

MSTR

SBET

Cathie Wood-Backed BitMine Slides Pre-Market As Ethereum Reverses From Record Highs—But This Peter Thiel-Linked ETH Treasury Stock Has Gained

Leading cryptocurrencies fell on Sunday after a massive billion-dollar Bitcoin sale sparked a flash crash.



<figure class="wp-block-table"><table class="has-fixed-layout"><thead><tr><th>Cryptocurrency</th><th>Gains +/-</th><th>Price (Recorded at 9:10 p.m. ET)</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Bitcoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/btc/usd">BTC</a>)</td><td>-2.18%</td><td>$112,839.95</td></tr><tr><td>Ethereum (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/eth/usd">ETH</a>) &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</td><td>-1.34%</td><td>$4,715.63</td></tr><tr><td>XRP (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/xrp/usd">XRP</a>)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</td><td>-1.84%</td><td>$2.99</td></tr><tr><td>Solana (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/sol/usd">SOL</a>)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</td><td>-1.05%</td><td>$203.80</td></tr><tr><td>Dogecoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/doge/usd">DOGE</a>)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</td><td>-4.05%</td><td>$0.2278</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Sudden Plunge</h2>



Bitcoin flash crashed from $114,000 to $110,000 in a matter of minutes late afternoon as a whale liquidated 24,000 BTC, valued at more than $2.7 billion, according to on-chain sleuth Sani. The investor still holds a total of 152,874 BTC across various addresses.



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">This entity liquidated their entire 24k balance, sending all of it to Hyperunite. They transferred 12k just today and are still actively selling, which is likely contributing to the ongoing price drop. <a href="https://t.co/HYPBiGzjRf">https://t.co/HYPBiGzjRf</a> <a href="https://t.co/crML9AqvvV">pic.twitter.com/crML9AqvvV</a>&mdash; Sani &#x7C; TimechainIndex.com (@SaniExp) <a href="https://twitter.com/SaniExp/status/1959717227302941109?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 24, 2025</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



The sudden plunge liquidated over $562 million from the market in the last 12 hours, with long liquidations accounting for $426 million.



The decline dragged other cryptocurrencies down, with Ethereum tumbling below $4,700 after hitting an all-time high of $4,953.73 earlier in the day. XRP fell from an intraday high of $3.12 to below $3.



Bitcoin's open interest rose 1.74% over the last 24 hours. When Open Interest rises and prices fall, it signals opening of new short positions.&nbsp;



The market remained in "Neutral" state, according to the Crypto Fear &amp; Greed Index.



Top Gainers (24 Hours)



<figure class="wp-block-table"><table class="has-fixed-layout"><thead><tr><th>Cryptocurrency</th><th>Gains +/-</th><th>Price (Recorded at 9:10 p.m. ET)</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Story (IP)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</td><td>+4.10%</td><td>$6.19</td></tr><tr><td>Monero (XMR)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</td><td>+2.72%</td><td>$274.89</td></tr><tr><td>VeChain (VET)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</td><td>+2.05%</td><td>$0.02606 </td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



The global cryptocurrency market capitalization stood at $3.92 trillion, following a decrease of 2.14% in the last 24 hours.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Rate Cut Hopes Rise After Powell&#8217;s Speech</h2>



Stock futures were largely flat overnight Sunday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average Futures fell 27 points, or 0.06%, as of 8:36 p.m. EDT.&nbsp; Futures tied to the S&amp;P 500 dipped 0.05%, while Nasdaq 100 Futures slid 0.04%.



The market rallied on Friday after Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell indicated in his Jackson Hole speech that<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/crypto/cryptocurrency/25/08/47286446/bitcoin-ethereum-surge-as-jerome-powell-signals-potential-policy-adjustment-at-jackson-hole"> future rate cuts are possible</a> if labor market weakness deepens.



The dovish comments pushed the likelihood of a September rate cut from 84.7% to 89.3% <a href="https://www.cmegroup.com/markets/interest-rates/cme-fedwatch-tool.html">on </a>the CME FedWatch tracker.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Will Ethereum Hit $5,000?</h2>



Widely followed cryptocurrency analyst trader Ali Martinez said $114,600 could "decide the next move" for Bitcoin, with a potential upsurge to $117,600 and $120,000 if it holds.



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">Bitcoin <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%24BTC&amp;src=ctag&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">$BTC</a> support at $114,600 decides the next move: $117,600 and $120,000 in play if it holds. <a href="https://t.co/qbR2hYbGgD">pic.twitter.com/qbR2hYbGgD</a>&mdash; Ali (@ali_charts) <a href="https://twitter.com/ali_charts/status/1959622725237960816?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 24, 2025</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



Investor and entrepreneur Ted Pillows expected Ethereum to hit $5,000 soon.



"After that, Ethereum will take a break before the next leg up. $10,000+ ETH is coming this cycle and there&#8217;s nothing stopping that," Pillows predicted.



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%24ETH&amp;src=ctag&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">$ETH</a> looks ready to hit $5K really soon. After that, Ethereum will take a break before the next leg up. $10,000+ ETH is coming this cycle and there&#39;s nothing stopping that. <a href="https://t.co/DIuCjqCtm7">pic.twitter.com/DIuCjqCtm7</a>&mdash; Ted (@TedPillows) <a href="https://twitter.com/TedPillows/status/1959660779436732643?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 24, 2025</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



Photo Courtesy: Yalcin Sonat On Shutterstock.com



Read Next:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/crypto/cryptocurrency/25/08/47299590/as-cryptos-power-grows-wall-street-braces-for-a-washington-showdown">As Crypto&#8217;s Power Grows, Wall Street Braces For a Washington Showdown</a></li>
</ul>

$XRP

Bitcoin, Ethereum, Dogecoin, XRP Slip After Whale Dumps BTC Worth $2.7 Billion: ETH Hits Record High, Analyst Predicts $5,000 'Really Soon'

Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says President Donald Trump's <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/08/47250017/intel-stock-plunges-nearly-7-as-it-seeks-billions-more-post-softbank-deal-while-trump-administration-considers-stake">$11 billion stake</a> in Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/INTC#NASDAQ">INTC</a>) is a strong vote of confidence in the chipmaker's future but cautions that the investment won't immediately resolve its lag in advanced semiconductor technology.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Kuo: Deal Raises Intel's Valuation Floor</h2>



Kuo, an analyst at TF Securities, said Monday that the U.S. government's decision to invest $8.9 billion in Intel common shares—combined with previously awarded grants—signals that Intel is "too big to fail."



The government purchased 433.3 million shares at $20.47 each, giving it a 9.9% stake in the company.



"The U.S. government's investment doesn't guarantee the technology gain, but it prevents valuation pain," Kuo wrote.



He added that the equity structure is designed to avoid political interference, as the U.S. waived typical shareholder rights, including board representation and governance privileges.



See Also:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/earnings/25/07/46601720/american-airlines-cfo-declares-worst-is-over-but-cautious-outlook-sinks-stock" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">American Airlines CFO Declares Worst Is Over, But Cautious Outlook Sinks Stock</a>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Equity Structure Meant To Support Growth, Not Control</h2>



Because the investment comes via primary stock issuance, all proceeds go directly to Intel to fund operations and manufacturing.



Kuo noted that the choice of common stock over preferred stock avoids fixed dividend obligations and underscores that this is "not an emergency bailout but a long-term strategic endorsement."



Intel's stock has historically found strong buying support around $20 per share, Kuo said and this move "materially raises" that valuation floor while reassuring markets about Intel's role in rebuilding America's semiconductor base.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Why This Strategy Doesn't Apply To TSMC Or Samsung</h2>



Kuo said a similar model isn't feasible for Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSM#NYSE">TSM</a>) or Samsung Electronics (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SSNLF#OTC">SSNLF</a>), citing national security concerns, profitability levels and their global neutrality mandates.



"A foreign government taking an equity stake would mean ceding partial ownership of a critical national resource, which could create potential political risks," he wrote.



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">Analysis of the U.S. Government's Equity Investment in Intel This deal doesn&#39;t guarantee the technology gain, but it prevents the valuation pain Full story<a href="https://t.co/OtvnRW6mXu">https://t.co/OtvnRW6mXu</a> <a href="https://t.co/DPXZBEeNqP">pic.twitter.com/DPXZBEeNqP</a>&mdash; 郭明錤 (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) <a href="https://twitter.com/mingchikuo/status/1959772640295759909?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 25, 2025</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Trump's Announcement Amid Intel's Struggles</h2>



President Trump announced the stake on Friday, calling it a "great deal for America" and saying it would cement U.S. leadership in advanced chipmaking.



Intel has faced mounting challenges, including <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/08/46899902/jim-cramer-calls-out-intels-18-8-billion-foundry-loss-despite-subsidies-we-sell-your-stock">$18.8 billion in 2024 foundry losses</a>, leadership turmoil, <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/media/25/02/44052935/intel-delays-28-billion-ohio-chip-plant-again-pushing-opening-to-2030-amid-financial-struggles">delays in its Ohio plant</a> and yield problems with its 18A process technology.



The company posted $12.86 billion in <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/movers/25/07/46617195/intel-q2-earnings-revenue-beat-eps-miss-chipmaker-sees-clear-opportunities-to-enhance-competitive-position">second-quarter revenue</a>, slightly above expectations, but reported an adjusted loss of $0.10 per share.



Fitch Ratings has downgraded Intel's credit, and analysts say competition from TSMC, Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMD#NASDAQ">AMD</a>) and Arm Holdings (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ARM#NASDAQ">ARM</a>) remains a hurdle.



Price Movement: Intel shares rose 1.05% in after-hours trading, according to <a href="http://pro.benzinga.com/">Benzinga Pro data</a>.



Benzinga's Edge Stock Rankings indicate that INTC is sustaining strong momentum across short, medium and long-term timeframes. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/premium/ideas/benzinga-edge-3/#:~:text=Turn%20Market%20Chaos,when%20markets%20rebound">Additional performance insights can be found here</a>.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/premium/ideas/benzinga-edge-3/#:~:text=Turn%20Market%20Chaos,when%20markets%20rebound"><img decoding="async" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/24233305/Screenshot-2025-08-25-at-9.01.14%E2%80%AFAM.png" alt="" class="wp-image-1041471"/></a></figure>



Photo Courtesy: Tada Images via Shutterstock.com



Read Next:&nbsp;



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/05/45396297/cathie-wood-dumps-palantir-as-stock-touches-peak-prices-bails-on-soaring-flying-taxi-maker-archer-aviation" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cathie Wood Dumps Palantir As Stock Touches Peak Prices, Bails On Soaring Flying-Taxi Maker Archer Aviation</a></li>
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Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

SSNLF

Trump's $11 Billion Intel Investment Doesn't Guarantee Tech Gain But Prevents Valuation 'Pain,' Says Leading Analyst

Uber Technologies Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/UBER#NYSE">UBER</a>) CEO Dara Khosrowshahi has offered his insight into the camera vs LiDAR system debate amid the U.S.'s self-driving push.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Camera-Based Systems ‘Difficult' To Employ In The Near Term</h2>



Speaking on a podcast hosted by an Indian entrepreneur, Nikhil Kamath, on Sunday, Khosrowshahi said that he believes AVs (Autonomous Vehicles) need to have "superhuman levels of safety," which exceeds human abilities by multitudes, adding that Alphabet Inc.'s (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>) (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>) Waymo has proven it to be possible.



"I think in the near term, it's going to be very difficult and Elon [Musk] would tell me I'm wrong," Khosrowshahi said before adding that it was a possibility for a camera-only system to achieve superhuman safety levels "at some point in the future."



He then mentioned that all of Uber's partners were using a combination of LiDAR and camera-based tech, which Khosrowshahi thinks is the "right solution."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">&#8216;Cameras FTW,&#8217; Says Elon Musk</h2>



Following the interview, Tesla CEO Elon Musk took to the social media platform X on Sunday, doubling down on camera-only systems. 



&#8220;Lidar and radar reduce safety due to sensor contention. If lidars/radars disagree with cameras, which one wins?&#8221; Musk said in the post, adding that Waymo autonomous cabs can&#8217;t drive on highways due to increased sensor ambiguity.



&#8220;We turned off the radars in Teslas to increase safety. Cameras ftw,&#8221; Musk said in the post.



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">Lidar and radar reduce safety due to sensor contention. If lidars/radars disagree with cameras, which one wins? This sensor ambiguity causes increased, not decreased, risk. That's why Waymos can't drive on highways. We turned off the radars in Teslas to increase safety.…&mdash; Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1959831831668228450?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 25, 2025</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Uber's Autonomous Driving Push, EV Incentives</h2>



The interview comes as Uber's self-driving push gathers steam amid deals with Lucid Group Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/LCID#NASDAQ">LCID</a>) as well as self-driving company Nuro Inc. to <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/07/46496272/uber-partners-with-lucid-nuro-for-300m-push-into-self-driving-future">deploy over 20,000 Robotaxis</a> over the next six years. 



Uber also says that customers on its platform are actively <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/08/47180555/ubers-human-drivers-ghosted-in-atlanta-as-riders-hunt-for-waymo-robotaxis-report">ditching human drivers</a> for Robotaxis in Atlanta, where the company offers Waymo self-driving cabs.



Uber also invested in Nuro, which is now valued at $6 billion following series E funding, where the company raised <a href="http://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/08/47278524/nvidia-uber-back-tesla-robotaxi-rival-nuro-to-6-billion-valuation-following-203-million-series-e-funding-round">over $203 million</a> with other backers including Nvidia Corp (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>).



The ride-hailing giant also announced a new incentive program for drivers in Colorado, <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/08/47114834/uber-drivers-in-colorado-could-get-benefits-up-to-21500-switching-to-electric-heres-how">offering $2,000 in benefits</a> for switching to EVs, in addition to other state incentives.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Tesla's FSD Woes, NHTSA Scrutiny</h2>



Meanwhile, Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSLA#NASDAQ">TSLA</a>) FSD, or Full Self-Driving system, has been facing hurdles in the form of lawsuits filed against the company over misleading FSD capabilities, as well as a lawsuit <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/08/46886208/elon-musk-says-its-never-actually-investors-as-tesla-faces-new-lawsuit-after-243-million-verdict">filed by investors</a> over FSD's safety concerns.



This comes as the NHTSA also announced it has <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/08/47275062/nhtsa-launches-probe-into-elon-musk-led-tesla-following-crash-test-report-delays-involving-fsd-autopilot">launched an investigation</a> into Tesla's delay in submitting self-driving crash reports, which the company said occurred due to data collection snags.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Tesla's Robotaxi Criticism, NYC Expansion On The Cards?</h2>



Elsewhere, Tesla has been criticized for its Robotaxis by experts, including former Waymo CEO John Krafcik, who <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/08/47177159/ex-waymo-ceo-john-krafcik-unimpressed-by-tesla-robotaxi-as-elon-musk-slams-critics-they-will-switch">slammed the effort</a> as not being a "real Robotaxi" due to the presence of an onboard safety driver.



Tesla, on the other hand, is pushing on with Robotaxi testing, with a new job listing on the company's website showcasing an open position for a <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/08/47085436/elon-musks-tesla-offering-up-to-33-hour-for-nyc-robotaxi-test-drivers">test driver in NYC</a> to conduct trials and test runs of its Robotaxi in the city.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="200" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/25001958/UBER-1024x200.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1041498" srcset="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/25001958/UBER-1024x200.jpg 1024w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/25001958/UBER-300x59.jpg 300w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/25001958/UBER-768x150.jpg 768w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/25001958/UBER-1536x300.jpg 1536w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/25001958/UBER.jpg 1562w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



Uber scores well on Momentum and Growth metrics, while offering satisfactory Value. For more such insights, sign up for<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/premium/ideas/benzinga-edge-2#:~:text=Turn%20Market%20Chaos,when%20markets%20rebound"> Benzinga Edge Stock Rankings</a> today!



Check out more of Benzinga's Future Of Mobility coverage by<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/mobility"> following this link.</a>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<iframe loading="lazy" title="From Iran to Uber CEO &#x7C; Nikhil Kamath x Dara Khosrowshahi &#x7C; People by WTF &#x7C; Ep. 14" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2B8gABDfh7I?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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Photo courtesy: Shutterstock

LCID

TSLA

Uber CEO Says Building Camera-Only Self-Driving System 'Very Difficult'—Elon Musk Responds, 'Turned Off The Radars In Teslas To Increase Safety'

The CNN Money Fear and Greed index showed an improvement in the overall market sentiment, while the index remained in the &#8220;Greed&#8221; zone on Friday.



U.S. stocks settled higher on Friday, with the Dow Jones index jumping more than 800 points during the session following a speech by Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell at the central bank&#8217;s annual Jackson Hole Symposium. Powell sent a clear signal that the central bank is preparing to shift its stance on interest rates as early as next month.



Shares of Workday, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/WDAY#NASDAQ">WDAY</a>) fell around 3% on Friday after the company reported second-quarter results and issued third-quarter sales guidance below estimates. Additionally, the company announced it will acquire Paradox. Shares of BJ&#8217;s Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BJ#NYSE">BJ</a>) fell more than 8% on Friday after the company reported a second-quarter revenue miss.



On the economic data front, the Baker Hughes oil rig count fell by 1 to 411 in the latest week.



Most sectors on the S&amp;P 500 closed on a positive note, with consumer discretionary, energy and communication services stocks recording the biggest gains on Friday. However, consumer staples stocks bucked the overall market trend, closing the session lower.



The Dow Jones closed higher by around 846 points to 45,631.74 on Friday. The S&amp;P 500 jumped 1.52% to 6,466.91, while the Nasdaq Composite climbed 1.88% to 21,496.54 during Friday's session.



Investors are awaiting earnings results from PDD Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PDD#NASDAQ">PDD</a>), Semtech Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SMTC#NASDAQ">SMTC</a>) and Heico Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/HEI#NYSE">HEI</a>) today.



What is CNN Business Fear &amp; Greed Index?



At a current reading of 60.6, the index remained in the &#8220;Greed&#8221; zone on Friday, versus a prior reading of 55.1.



The Fear &amp; Greed Index is a measure of the current market sentiment. It is based on the premise that higher fear exerts pressure on stock prices, while higher greed has the opposite effect. The index is calculated based on seven equal-weighted indicators. The index ranges from 0 to 100, where 0 represents maximum fear and 100 signals maximum greediness.



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Dow Jumps Over 800 Points Following Powell's Speech: Investor Sentiment Improves, Fear Index In 'Greed' Zone

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