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SK Hynix Raises $26.5 Billion In U.S. Listing; Memory Giants Micron, Sandisk Rise

Broadcom Inks Pact With Meta, Leads 21 Top Performers Onto Best Stock Watchlists

Leaderboard Quarterly Scorecard Webinar Q&A Summary For Thursday, July 9, 2026 Tesla faces a new bill in New Jersey that could potentially ban its autonomous vehicles because of the method in which they operate. At the same time, on the other side of the world in China, Elon Musk's car company made slight gains in EV market share, despite a year-over-year decline in retail sales. Amid all this news, Tesla (TSLA)…

Copyright ©2026 Investor's Business Daily, LLC. All rights reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8

Alphabet (GOOG), the parent company of Google; Amazon (AMZN), the e-commerce and cloud-computing company behind Amazon Web Services; Meta Platforms (META), the

, /PRNewswire/ -- The Law Offices of Frank R. Cruz announces that investors with losses related to Microsoft Corporation ("Microsoft" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: MSFT) have opportunity to lead the securities fraud class action lawsuit.

IF YOU ARE AN INVESTOR WHO SUFFERED A LOSS IN MICROSOFT CORPORATION (MSFT), CLICK HERE BEFORE AUGUST 11, 2026 (THE LEAD PLAINTIFF DEADLINE) TO PARTICIPATE IN THE ONGOING SECURITIES FRAUD LAWSUIT.

 What Is The Lawsuit About?
The complaint filed alleges that, between May 1, 2025 and January 28, 2026, Defendants failed to disclose to investors: (1) that Microsoft's Copilot family of products had experienced significant brand positioning, user experience, usage, data siloing, computational capacity, organizational, and interoperability problems; (2) that Microsoft's flagship proprietary AI model ranked well below competitors on a number of benchmark tests; (3) that Microsoft needed to increase by billions of dollars its capital expenditures and divert GPU and CPU capacity away from fulfilling demand for its profitable Azure services in order to improve the competitive positioning of its critical Copilot family of products and increase its AI-related R&D; (4) that, as a result of the foregoing, Microsoft had failed to convert a significant percentage of its commercial Microsoft 365 users to paid Copilot subscriptions and the Company's Copilot offerings had lost market share to rival products, a trend that was increasing; and (5) as a result, Defendants' positive statements about the Company's business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all relevant times.

Contact Us To Participate or Learn More:

If you wish to learn more about this action, or if you have any questions concerning this announcement or your rights or interests with respect to these matters, please contact us.
The Law Offices of Frank R. Cruz, 
Email us at: [email protected]
Call us at: 310-914-5007
Visit our website at: www.frankcruzlaw.com
Follow us for updates on Twitter: twitter.com/FRC_LAW.

If you inquire by email, please include your mailing address, telephone number, and number of shares purchased.

To be a member of the class action you need not take any action at this time; you may retain counsel of your choice or take no action and remain an absent member of the class action.

This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and ethical rules.

SOURCE The Law Offices of Frank R. Cruz, Los Angeles

AT&T stock is showing downward pressure. Where are T shares going? What Is Driving AT&T’s 5G Mobility Trial?AT&T, Ericsson and MediaTek completed North America’s first in-field trial of enhanced mobility features tied to Ericsson’s 5G Advanced Critical IoT subscription, with testing showing data interruption during cell changes reduced by up to 25% versus legacy Layer 3 mobility. The trial centers on Ericsson’s Low-Latency Mobility feature set, aimed at steadier handovers and more consistent data rates for devices in motion.

AT&T is also trading with a valuation narrative in focus, with the company sitting around a 7.08 P/E alongside industry comparisons that peg Verizon at 10.30 and Comcast at 4.58, shaping how investors handicap multiple expansion if network upgrades translate into steadier growth.

Critical AT&T Stock Levels To WatchFrom a trend perspective, the stock is still trading below every major moving average: the 20-day SMA ($21.92), 50-day SMA ($23.58), 100-day SMA ($25.60), and 200-day SMA ($25.52). It’s also 3.5% below the 20-day SMA and 17%+ below the 100-day and 200-day averages, which keeps rallies in "prove it" mode until price can reclaim those bands.

The moving-average structure remains a headwind, highlighted by the death cross that formed in May (50-day SMA below the 200-day SMA). On momentum, MACD is above its signal line and the histogram is positive, which points to easing downside pressure versus the prior downswing even if the broader trend hasn’t fully flipped.

Key Resistance: $23.50 — a nearby area where rebounds can stall, sitting close to the 50-day zone and a logical "line in the sand" for trend repair Key Support: $20.00 — a round-number area near the lower end of the 52-week range (low: $19.89) where buyers may try to defend again How AT&T Generates Revenue and Its Market PositionThe wireless business contributes nearly 70% of AT&T’s revenue, and the company is the third-largest US wireless carrier with 74 million postpaid and 17 million prepaid phone customers. It also serves about 15 million in-home broadband customers, with residential services making up roughly 11% of revenue.

Enterprise fixed-line services are about 14% of revenue and include internet access, private networking, security, voice, and wholesale network capacity. AT&T also has 25 million wireless customers in Mexico (about 3% of revenue), and it recently sold its 70% equity stake in DirecTV to partner TPG—context that matters because the 5G mobility trial speaks directly to network quality and reliability, a key lever for retaining and winning wireless subscribers.

AT&T Earnings Preview for July 2026The countdown is on: AT&T Inc. is set to report earnings on July 22, 2026 (confirmed).

EPS Estimate: 59 cents (Up from 54 cents YoY) Revenue Estimate: $31.83 Billion (Up from $30.80 Billion YoY) Valuation: P/E of 7.1x (Indicates value opportunity relative to peers) Analyst Consensus & Recent Actions: The stock carries a Buy rating with an average price target of $28.25. Recent analyst moves include:

Wells Fargo: Initiated with Underweight (Target $18.00) (July 8) Barclays: Equal-Weight (Lowers Target to $24.00) (July 8) Morgan Stanley: Overweight (Lowers Target to $25.00) (July 7) Barclays’ $24 target cut from $26 keeps attention on whether AT&T can use network-quality wins to justify multiple expansion rather than just defend yield. That change was highlighted in Barclays cut AT&T alongside other large-cap target resets.

AT&T Benzinga Edge Scorecard BreakdownBelow is the Benzinga Edge scorecard for AT&T, highlighting its strengths and weaknesses compared to the broader market:

The Verdict: AT&T’s Benzinga Edge signal reveals a mixed setup: weak momentum is the main technical drag, while growth and a reasonable value profile can keep longer-term investors interested. For traders, the cleaner tell is still price reclaiming resistance near $23.50 versus losing the $20.00 support zone.

AT&T Stock Price Movement on FridayT Stock Price Activity: AT&T shares were up 0.81% at $21.21 at the time of publication on Friday, according to Benzinga Pro data.

Image: Courtesy of AT&T

Market News and Data brought to you by Benzinga APIs

© 2026 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

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Netflix (NFLX) is considering live TV and streaming bundles as it looks for new ways to keep viewers watching, according to The Wall Street Journal.The concern

Disney is famous for innovation, but the new 'Moana' remake has generated criticism for a lack of originality. (Photo by RONDA CHURCHILL/AFP via Getty Images)

AFP via Getty Images

Few genres of film have been as much of a gamble for Disney as the live-action remakes of its classic cartoons. Last year alone, Lilo & Stitch grossed $1 billion and became almost as beloved as the animated original while Snow White lost an estimated $170 million and cast a dark spell on the studio due to a slew of negative coverage. The latest addition to Disney’s stable is coming for Snow White’s crown as the criticism of it is so harsh that it raises the question of whether it would have been better to make the movie with Artificial Intelligence (AI).

The movie in question is Moana, starring newcomer Catherine Laga’aia as the eponymous Polynesian teenager who joins demigod Maui, played by Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, on a seafaring adventure to restore prosperity to her people. Johnson voiced the character in the 2016 computer animated original but that’s far from the only similarity between the two films.

Although the movie debuts today it has already been panned by critics for its lack of originality. “Much of the film is shot-for-shot, line of dialogue-by-line of dialogue a veritable clone,” wrote Deadline. For the same reason, Digital Spy’s review described it as “the most pointless Disney live-action remake yet” and The Wrap even highlighted this in its headline saying “It’s the Same Film, Disney Just Wants You to Pay for It Again”.

This cynicism was a common thread in the reviews with entertainment journalists noting that the remake was released soon after the original in order to squeeze yet more money out of the movie which had already spawned a successful sequel in 2024. “Any live-action remake from Disney’s canon does beggar the question of ‘why,’” wrote Deadline adding that “‘because it brings in money,’ is an answer as obvious as it is depressing.”

Perhaps the greatest irony is that Disney may be on track to lose money on Moana rather than make a profit on it.

Critics have accused the new 'Moana' live action remake of being a shot-by-shot recreation of the original. © 2026 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

DISNEY

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Live-action adaptations were once easy box office hits but as they have become more common, studios have had to walk an increasingly fine line to stand a chance of success. On the one hand, the more they stray from the source material, the more they risk alienating fans of the originals. On the other, the closer they stick to the source material, the greater the risk that they will be accused of adding nothing new.

This is a post-pandemic phenomena as audiences are now used to streaming movies without paying for each film. It has made consumers much more picky about which movies to pay to watch at the theater. Although Disney’s live-action adaptations are aimed at children, parents of course are the ones who are buying the tickets so if they don’t like the look of a film, they won’t pay for a ticket, especially in this tough economic climate. It is a particular problem for Disney as its cute and cuddly cartoon characters generally don’t translate well into a live action setting.

The Little Mermaid was widely criticized for the eerie appearance of the creatures which inhabit its undersea world. “There’s something about these depictions that triggers an uneasy response,” wrote Vox. “Maybe it’s the prolonged, lingering shots on their ‘smiling’ faces or that their tiny mouths are contorted in unnatural ways. It’s as though there’s almost something sinister hiding underneath the computerized animal skin – and that’s even before they start singing and dancing.”

Some viewers complained that the live-action 'Little Mermaid' had creepy CGI characters. © 2023 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

DISNEY

Likewise, Johnson’s appearance in Moana has attracted widespread online criticism and ridicule with the largest wave of mockery centered on Maui’s long, curly hair. Observers have complained that the wig looks unnatural and cheap, magnified by the fact that despite Johnson’s muscular frame, he wears a plastic-looking body suit in the movie to try and match Maui’s oversized proportions. It doesn’t appear to be going down well.

A Wash Out At The Box Office?Early estimates suggested that Moana would have a healthy $80 million to $105 million domestic opening but those forecasts have sunk in the wake of the excoriating assessment from critics who have given the film an average rating of just 38% on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes.

According to Variety, tracking services now forecast that the movie will actually debut to between $60 million and $65 million giving it ticket sales that are barely above the original, which opened to $56 million. Moreover, it is only a fraction of Moana 2’s domestic haul, which was a massive $139.7 million over its first three days.

However, Variety’s report warns that some exhibitors believe Moana could generate as little as $40 million domestically on opening which would yield a worldwide gross of just $115 million as $75 million at most is expected from overseas markets. Studios retain around half of the box office takings so this would give Disney just $58 million from the movie’s opening when takings are usually around their peak.

Variety described that outcome as “catastrophic” given that Moana carries an estimated $250 million budget without including Disney’s hefty global marketing spend. It’s a salutary reminder that box office isn’t the be-all-and-end-all for investors. Last month Disney boasted that it had become the first Hollywood studio in 2026 to surpass $3 billion at the worldwide box office but that seems hollow if it ends up making a loss on a high-profile movie like Moana.

The higher the budget, the more moviegoers are needed for the picture to break even. Moana will need to make waves to attract them.

The evidence for this is in the graph below which is based on information from internet search giant Google. Its Google Trends service analyzes the popularity of top queries though the results don’t reveal the number of searches for a specific term. Instead, each point on the graph is relative to the others on a scale of zero to 100. A score of 50 means there were half as many searches for the term on that date than there were when it hit 100, which represents peak popularity. In contrast, a score of zero relates to the lowest number of search enquiries during the given time.

Google search traffic for 'Moana' over time.

Google Trends

Google processes more than five trillion inquiries annually giving it a 90% share of the market so the results are as comprehensive as can be. Crucially, Google Trends captures as many of them as possible as it is not case sensitive and shows worldwide search inquiries.

It is possible to narrow the search down to this year’s Moana movie but in order to get the clearest indication of the popularity of the franchise over time, the most logical term to use is simply ‘Moana’. The results show that despite the release of the live-action adaptation, there have been far fewer searches for Moana during July than in December 2016 and December 2024 soon after the first and second movies debuted. The former has a Google Trends score of 90 and the latter hit 100 whereas it currently stands at just 48.

Granted, it is only early in the month but the movie is released today so you would expect the searches to be surging. It still has time to turn the tide but it remains to be seen whether it will do it.

The Quarter Of A Billion Dollar QuestionThere could be good reason why audiences aren’t searching for Moana a great deal now: there is no call for the film. It’s not long since the animated original debuted and its live-action counterpart does nothing new. So what is the point in spending a quarter of a billion dollars on making it, especially when the end result has been repeatedly compared to an AI production?

Maui is even played by the same actor - Dwayne Johnson - in both versions of 'Moana'. © 2026 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

DISNEY

The Daily Telegraph joked that it felt like someone just typed the animated scenes into an AI video generator while Deadline wrote that it had “animation that is barely distinguishable from AI.” Mashable added that “it evoked in me a similar reaction to AI slop, where I cringe at the unnerving blend of the familiar and the not-quite-right.”

All jokes aside, Disney could do a lot worse than use AI to make live action adaptations which don’t change the source material at all.

In short, Generative AI can be used to create content, such as text, images, audio or video, based on patterns it learns from massive amounts of existing data. It can produce photorealistic videos as their components are derived from existing footage and the program can also predict the next element in a sequence, like a word, a pixel or a sound.

With billions of online videos to draw from, Generative AI programs can create scenes showing anything in a matter of seconds. They aren’t rendering each frame in 3D in a sequence as traditional animators and visual effects artists do. Instead, the AI program forecasts what the frame will look like and all it requires is the user to enter a text prompt which describes what they are looking for. The more detailed and precise the prompt, the closer the result will be to the request.

It has led to a torrent of so-called AI slop – bizarre videos showing everything from Elvis Presley in Star Wars to Stephen Hawking winning WWE wrestling matches. Many of the clips are indistinguishable from reality even though they are entirely artificial. This is why it has cast a dark spell on the movie industry and its influence is only growing.

The Way Of The FutureLast year London-based production house Particle 6 unveiled a photorealistic AI actress called Tilly Norwood and just a few days ago announced the first film that the creation will appear in – a dramedy called Misaligned. Uniqueness isn’t the only reason for this sudden interest. All it takes is the push of a button to give the character a different hair color, skin color, eyes or accent. There’s no need for any makeup or training giving it tremendous versatility at a low cost.

There’s no doubt that it’s eerie but it seems to be the way of the future given the vast sums that are being invested in AI. For obvious reasons, many actors are up in arms with Mary Poppins star Emily Blunt saying “good Lord, we’re screwed” when she was shown a news report about Norwood. “That is really, really scary. Come on, agencies, don’t do that. Please stop. Please stop taking away our human connection.”

In contrast, a number of directors have voiced support for AI as they can see benefits. “I can’t see a reason why you wouldn’t become interested in this stuff as a filmmaker. It’s so clearly a tool that might be up there with the camera. It’s going to be be better than CGI [Computer Generated Imagery],” said Jurassic World: Rebirth director Gareth Edwards recently. Peter Jackson added “I don’t dislike it at all. I mean, to me, it’s just a special effect.”

Oscar-winning director Peter Jackson has come out in support of using AI effects in film-making. (Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images)

Getty Images

Some actors have expressed a sense of resignation towards AI. “AI is here. So to fight it is to fight a battle that we will lose,” said Demi Moore. “I do feel that there’s a place for it,” added Sandra Bullock. “It’s here. We have to observe it. We have to understand it. We have to lean into it. We have to use it in a really constructive and creative way, make it our friend.”

If actors and studios don’t do that, fans may do it anyway. As Matthew McConaughey recently explained, AI enables fans to digitally insert movie stars into personal events from the other side of the world without even asking.

In an attempt to get an AI platform onside, Disney announced a tie-up with OpenAI’s Sora video generation tool last year and although the partnership bit the dust when the platform closed earlier this year, the Mouse reportedly still wants to enter into a similar deal. Other studios have already signed AI deals of a different kind.

Michael Caine’s voice has been recreated using AI to narrate a new audiobook of The Odyssey to coincide with the release of the movie this month. Likewise, Netflix has recreated the voice of late legendary actor Gene Wilder for a Willy Wonka competition series. Appropriate permission was obtained in advance in both cases as it was for production of the movie As Deep as the Grave which features an AI performance from the late Val Kilmer. Film makers used footage, photos and voice recordings to help craft his performance.

Artificial Intelligence. Actual SavingsTo give an indication of the effect that AI can have on the bottom line, consider that it took 800,000 machine hours for Disney’s Pixar division to create 1995’s Toy Story as it had 114,240 frames of animation. However, an AI video generator could create a computer animated movie with a similar length and visual standard in around 400 minutes on a high-end cloud server cluster. If the project was split across separate high-end GPU nodes for each minute of the movie, the entire film could be rendered in under ten minutes. However, that’s not the end of the story.

AI could animate movies like those in the 'Toy Story' series far quicker than by using traditional methods. © 2026 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.

Pixar

If you just hit ‘generate’ and walked away, the resulting film would face significant production issues. For example, one of the characters might start the movie dressed in a certain way but by the end it could have warped into a completely different appearance. Likewise, the layout of the rooms could change and because the AI would generate the video separately from the audio, the lips would need to be manually matched, frame by frame, to the pre-recorded voice tracks.

‘Pre-training’ the AI program can fix a number of these issues but in turn, this requires doing some of the work that the program is designed to avoid. For example, if a 3D wireframe animation skeleton with exact physics, depth maps and camera movements is fed into a pre-trained AI, the program can simply render the textures, lighting and photorealistic skin on top making the end result much more stable. However, this requires the wireframe skeletons, depth maps and camera movements to be created and planned before the AI can get to work.

Of course, by its very nature, AI is learning every second as more of these videos are created so the processing time and caliber of the output are continually improving.

Nevertheless, even pre-training the AI takes considerably less time than rendering each frame by scratch, as was the case with Toy Story, or filming from scratch as happened with Moana. Feeding the entire Moana computer animated movie into a video generator would give the program more than enough information, especially if it was instructed to ensure that the the end result was no different to the original. It would cost a fraction of the amount that Disney spent on its live-action adaptation and could end up looking better. And if it didn’t, all Disney would need to do is type in some prompts and run the program again.

Moana's chicken companion Heihei looks for from realistic in the remake. © 2026 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

DISNEY

Sure, it would be lazy but so is copying the original shot for shot. Not even all the animals in the live action version look realistic with Moana’s chicken companion Heihei looking clearly computer generated. Ironically, inserting an obviously computer generated character into a photorealistic setting is exactly the kind of thing you find in AI slop videos.

Ultimately, the AI version would stand a greater chance of making a profit, due to its dramatically lower cost, so there would be less risk of wasting stockholders’ funds. Fans can create the movie themselves in AI, so by not doing this, Disney is opening the door being shown up by independent creators. In other words, it’s a lose-lose.

It’s no secret that there are some things computers can do better than humans and converting animated footage into live action is one of AI’s strengths. Of course, using AI isn’t the only solution. An alternative is walking that fine line and deviating from the source material in ways which justify the switch to live action filming. If it can’t be justified then it raises the question about whether the live action version should go ahead at all which is precisely what some critics say should have been asked about Moana.

Delta Air Lines (DAL), an Atlanta-based U.S. airline, reaffirmed its adjusted 2026 earnings forecast of $6.50 to $7.50 a share as strong premium, corporate, and

Key Takeaways ExxonMobil and partners are investing $1B in the offshore Usan Infill Project in Nigeria.The project is expected to boost oil and gas output by 40,000 barrels per day.Production is anticipated within 18 months after seismic data guided the investment decision. Exxon Mobil Corporation (XOM - Free Report) and its partners have set forth a $1 billion investment in the Usan Infill Project, an offshore oil and gas development in Nigeria. The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (“NUPRC”) highlighted that this investment marks ExxonMobil's return to exploration and production activities in the country through its Nigerian subsidiary, Esso Exploration and Production Nigeria. The regulatory body added that the last drilling activity conducted by XOM in Nigeria was in 2016.

The billion-dollar investment is significant for the country’s energy sector, and the development is expected to increase oil and gas production by 40,000 barrels per day. Esso Exploration and Production Nigeria operates the Usan field, which lies in the Oil Mining Lease 138 under a production sharing contract with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company. The other partners in the project include Chevron Corporation, TotalEnergies and Nexen (a subsidiary of CNOOC).

The Usan field was discovered in 2002, and it started oil production in 2012. The development of the Usan field involved a floating production, storage and offloading unit and 42 subsea wells at depths of 2,400 meters off the coast of Nigeria. The NUPRC added that the Usan Infill Project is anticipated to begin production within 18 months. ExxonMobil and partners collected and analyzed seismic data to obtain information regarding recoverable oil volumes in the field before making the investment decision.

Nigeria is actively seeking to increase its crude oil production in the near-term and attract more investment to the upstream oil sector. The country intends to increase its production levels through the development of its offshore and onshore resources, improving its energy security. Additionally, the NUPRC announced that it awarded 19 petroleum prospecting licenses to several companies that participated in the 2022/2023 Mini Bid Round and the 2024 Licensing Round. This reinforces its strategy to raise oil and gas production in the country by encouraging new exploration activity and investments into its upstream sector.

XOM’s Zacks Rank and Key PicksXOM currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

Some better-ranked stocks from the energy sector are Cenovus Energy (CVE - Free Report) , Par Pacific Holdings (PARR - Free Report) and FuelCell Energy (FCEL - Free Report) . While Cenovus Energy and Par Pacific currently sport a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) each, FuelCell Energy carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks Rank #1 stocks here.

Cenovus Energy Inc. is a Canadian integrated energy company with operations spanning the upstream, midstream and downstream sectors. The company is involved in exploration and production from its low-cost oil sands and heavy oil assets in Canada.  The strategic MEG Energy acquisition is expected to boost Cenovus Energy's production levels in 2026.

Par Pacific Holdings operates an integrated downstream energy business across the United States, with fuel retail operations in Hawaii, Washington, and Idaho, refining operations in Hawaii, Wyoming, Washington, and Montana, and a supporting logistics network. Its refineries have a combined crude oil throughput capacity of 219,000 barrels per day and produce gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, marine fuels, asphalt, and other petroleum products.

FuelCell Energy is a clean energy company that offers scalable, reliable, low-carbon power solutions. It produces power using flexible fuel sources such as biogas, natural gas and hydrogen. The company’s proprietary molten carbonate fuel cell systems generate electricity through an electrochemical process instead of burning fuel, reducing carbon emissions and minimizing the environmental impact of power generation. FCEL is anticipated to play a crucial role in the energy transition by enabling industries and communities to shift from traditional fossil fuels to low-carbon alternatives.

Coca-Cola is pounding Pepsi on Wall Street, riding a lean beverage strategy to near-record highs while its bloated rival chokes on a slumping snack business.

Coke shares are nearly the highest ever since the Atlanta-based drinks giant entered the stock market over a century ago. Meanwhile, PepsiCo’s stock has tumbled nearly 30% since peaking just below $200 in 2023.

Pepsi reported better-than-expected second-quarter earnings on Thursday, but the results failed to reassure investors as sales dropped in its core North American beverage division.

Coca-Cola’s stock is trading near all-time highs, while shares in Pepsi have tumbled by close to one-third since peaking just below $200 in 2023. monticellllo – stock.adobe.com The company posted a 6.4% increase in overall net revenue to $24.2 billion, with North American beverage sales accounting for $7.2 billion of the total.

After years of rivalry featuring “Pepsi challenges,” ill-fated experiments like “New Coke” and relentless ad campaigns, Coke was widely seen as coming out on top some years ago. Investors are seconding that opinion, pointing to disparate financials.

The financial gap between the competitors is most evident in their profitability. Coca-Cola reported a 35% operating margin in the first quarter, up from about 33% a year earlier. PepsiCo’s operating margin hovered around 16.5% for the first half of the year, less than half of its rival’s.

“It’s becoming more obvious to the investor base that Coke has a superior business model,” Nik Modi, co-head of global consumer research at RBC Capital Markets, told Barron’s.

PepsiCo’s challenges stem primarily from its snack division and its approach to bottling operations.

Packaged foods and snacks, including Lay’s, Doritos and Cheetos, generated 58% of PepsiCo’s revenue in 2025.

But aggressive price increases implemented during the COVID pandemic have hurt demand. Consumers have increasingly traded down to cheaper store brands to slash their grocery budgets.

Investors appear yet to be convinced by Pepsi’s strategy, which has been criticized for being bloated and overpriced. REUTERS In North America, snack food revenue fell 2% in the second quarter compared with a year ago, and unit sales remained flat.

PepsiCo CEO Ramon Laguarta attributed the slowing snack sales partly to high gasoline prices, which deter customers from making impulse buys at convenience stores.

“I think the consumer is worse than what we had anticipated and driven mainly by gas prices,” the exec said Thursday during a conference call with investors.

Citi analyst Filippo Falorni said the company faced “continued weakness in North America” in a note to clients on Friday, warning that the sales slump would persist for as long as inflationary pressures caused by the Iran war hit the US economy.

PepsiCo also owns a string of snack brands, including Lays chips and the best-selling Doritos products. Bloomberg via Getty Images “This dynamic also creates carryover risk to numbers in 2027,” he added, “with still elevated cost inflation pressuring margins.”

Coca-Cola, by contrast, focuses almost exclusively on beverages. It has driven growth with products like Fairlife ultra-filtered milk and smaller, premium-priced soda cans.

Coca-Cola also keeps overhead costs low by franchising most of its bottling operations. PepsiCo still owns about 80% of its bottlers, creating higher structural costs that cut into its margins.

PepsiCo’s lagging performance recently drew the attention of activist investor Elliott Investment Management.

After disclosing a $4 billion stake in PepsiCo in September, the hedge fund pushed the company to streamline operations, lower prices, and consider refranchising its North American bottling network, similar to Coca-Cola’s model.

In response, Pepsi struck an agreement with Elliott late last year. The company agreed to a sweeping restructuring plan that includes cutting 20% of its US product lines by early 2026, lowering prices on core brands, and shuttering several manufacturing plants.

While PepsiCo has resisted a full refranchising of its bottling operations, it has begun testing the integration of its snack and beverage distribution systems to improve efficiency.

To improve profitability, RBC’s Modi suggested the company might need to rethink its heavy ownership of manufacturing and distribution facilities.

“They may have to make some tough choices,” he said.

Shares of Coca-Cola Co. rose in midday trading Friday, continuing to widen the financial gap with PepsiCo.

As of 2 p.m. EDT, Coca-Cola stock was trading at $83.34, up 71 cents, or nearly 1%, from Thursday’s close of $82.63. The stock continues to hover near its 52-week high of $85.68.

Meanwhile, shares of PepsiCo were down 56 cents, or 0.4%, trading at $137.30. The stock is lingering closer to its 52-week low of $133.75 after closing at $137.86 on Thursday.

Coca-Cola is set to report its second-quarter earnings July 28

Tom White turns to a trio of outsized options trades he found in some of Wall Street's biggest tech stocks to close the trading week. He walks investors through the Big Moves he sees in Nvidia (NVDA), SpaceX (SPCX), and Intel (INTC).

Listen to the audio version of this article (generated by AI).

Editor’s Note: Most investors spend their time deciding what to buy. TradeSmith CEO Keith Kaplan believes they’re overlooking an equally important question: when to buy it. Drawing on decades of historical market data, Keith and his team have identified recurring seasonal patterns they believe can help investors recognize historically favorable buying and selling windows across thousands of stocks.

In today’s essay, he explains how this research led to TradeSmith’s seasonality strategy, shares a few examples, and offers readers a chance to explore the tool themselves ahead of his free Breakthrough 2026 event on Thursday, July 16, at 10 a.m. ET. During the presentation, Keith will explain the research behind the strategy, discuss the market outlook he’s watching closely, and share three free stock recommendations. Try the tool and learn more about Breakthrough 2026 here.

Take it away, Keith…

In June 1944, as the Allies prepared to invade Normandy, their plans hinged on one man, Group Captain James Stagg.

And he was telling General Dwight D. Eisenhower, “Don’t do it!”

Turns out, he was right.

Everyone knows the Allies stormed the beaches on June 6, 1944. What you may not know is that D-Day was supposed to happen a day earlier – on June 5.

And if Eisenhower had ignored Stagg’s warning… and went ahead with the invasion a day earlier… the Allies could have failed.

Could one day have made that much difference? 

Absolutely. Because Stagg’s warning came down to the most fundamental element of planning a seaborne invasion: the weather.

You see, Stagg’s path to the Allied Command was different than that of the more conventional officers in the war-room. 

He was a meteorologist best known for leading an Arctic expedition in 1932. And when the war began, he was the superintendent of Kew Observatory — the United Kingdom’s weather-forecasting headquarters.

Now, Eisenhower was asking Stagg for the most crucial observations of his career: conditions in the English Channel ahead of the largest amphibious assault in history. And Stagg’s network of Royal Air Force weathermen had told him that a massive storm was rolling in.

Luckily for the U.K., the U.S., Canada, France, and the world, Eisenhower listened to Stagg. The landings took place on June 6, 1944, after the storm had passed. Eleven months later, the Allies were celebrating victory in Europe.

Timing is important for us as investors, too. It’s tempting to leave buying and selling decisions to gut feel. But at TradeSmith, we believe — like Stagg did — in following the data.

One of those signals is what we call “seasonality” — recurring patterns that repeat year in, year out with remarkable consistency.

I’ll show you how it works today… plus how seasonal trades generated 857% total growth in an 18-year backtest.

How Stock Seasonality Finds ‘Green Days’ I didn’t come to TradeSmith from Wall Street. I’m a software engineer by training. 

So, when my team and I went looking for an edge for investors, we didn’t start by asking what should move a stock. We started by asking what the data already shows.

We built software that scans more than 5,000 stocks — decades of price history — and asks a simple question. Does this stock behave differently at certain times of the year than others?

The answer, again and again, was yes.

We’ve found historically reliable windows across thousands of stocks – specific times of the year when they tend to rise or fall.

We call the bullish windows “green days.” And we built a trading system around them that spots these seasonal patterns with an 83% historical accuracy rate.

In other words, they’ve shown up in about eight years out of every 10. That’s not a guarantee they’ll show up again. But it’s a statistical edge you can use to stacks the odds of success in your favor. 

Seasonality isn’t new:

Commodity traders have always tracked planting and harvesting cycles.  Energy markets move with heating and cooling demand.  Gold has long shown seasonal strength tied to jewelry demand and annual buying patterns in India and China.  And stock investors track seasonal patterns like the January Effect and the Santa Claus Rally. What’s new is that we can now measure it precisely – across thousands of stocks, over decades of data, and down to specific days.

Target Corp. (TGT), for example, has climbed during the same 29-day window — late June into late July — in 15 straight years, gaining an average of 5.2%:

Home Depot Inc. (HD) has done the same between mid-June and late July, rising 93.3% of the time over 15 years, with an average gain of 4.7%:

But rival home improvement store Lowe’s Cos. Inc. (LOW) optimal window comes nearly two months later. 

LOW has gone up 86.7% of the time from August 10 to September 11 during the past 15 years, with an average return of 6.1%:

Over an 18-year backtest, these seasonal trades produced 857% in total growth — more than double the S&P 500 over the same stretch. Even in 2007, the worst year in the test, the strategy still came out ahead.

You don’t have to just take my word for it. I’ve asked my team to make a free trial of our Seasonality tool available so you can try it out for yourself.

Test Drive TradeSmith’s Stock Seasonality Tool You can try out our software on the stocks you own with this free, limited-time trial version. 

We’re making it available ahead of our Breakthrough 2026 event. It’s all about the seasonal patterns you need to be aware of in this critical year.

That’s why we’ve made a version of our Seasonality software available for you to explore now.

We’ve unlocked access so you can see the seasonal “green days” for thousands of stocks ahead of our Breakthrough 2026 event.

It kicks off Thursday, July 16, at 10 a.m. ET. 

I’ll walk you through how we uncovered these patterns, why they persist even in chaotic markets, and how you can use them to guide real-world trading decisions.

More important, I’ll be going into detail about the fast-approaching seasonality patterns you need to be aware of.

Knowing when the windows are opening and closing likely matters more to your wealth than any single decision you’ve made.

The first date you’ll want to circle on your calendar is July 16. If seasonality patterns hold this year, it could open up a lucrative trading opportunity in one of the market’s hottest AI stocks.

I hope you’ll join us.

The US energy industry is bracing for a huge windfall from the Iran war, but oil majors aren’t planning to ramp up drilling – even as the Trump administration pushes them to lower gasoline costs.

President Trump has repeatedly pressured American energy giants to “Drill, baby drill!” and recently threatened to investigate the industry for price-gouging as Americans feel pain at the pump – a concern for Republicans ahead of the midterms.

But oil majors are reluctant to build out more rigs and wells, resisting White House pressure as they claim their bumper profits are just a temporary boost.

The US energy industry is bracing for a huge windfall – but oil majors are hesitant to ramp up production. USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect “I think the industry is strong,” Joe Adamski, managing director of ProcureAbility, a supply chain consultancy, told The Post. “We are sitting at a very good position compared to the rest of the world … [but] oil companies are looking at it and saying this is a blip on the radar.”

In a preview of its second-quarter earnings, Exxon Mobil said this week it could see a $5 billion jump in profits – pushing adjusted earnings to $15.7 billion, or triple the previous quarter. 

Experts said Chevron and Shell are also expected to report blowout second-quarter earnings later this month, similar to their first-quarter results – which came in 45% and 37% higher than expected, respectively.

“It’s going to be extra billions of dollars, as we saw with Exxon Mobil,” Jeff Krimmel, founder of Krimmel Strategy Group, told The Post. “It’ll be a multibillion gain across the industry just based on all the disruptions that continue to exist that really peaked toward the end of the second quarter.”

Big markups The huge windfall for US oil majors comes as attacks on vessels and airstrikes in the Middle East have largely choked off the Strait of Hormuz, a vital maritime route for 20% of the world’s oil. That has sent demand skyrocketing for alternatives like US crude, which peaked above $110 a barrel in April.

Markups on US crude jumped to an all-time high – as much as an extra $30 to $40 a barrel – as Asian and European refiners competed for the limited supply while scrambling to replace Middle Eastern oil stuck in the strait.

As of Friday, US crude oil futures traded at $71.25 a barrel while Brent crude hit $75.61 – set to end the week higher after Trump said the ceasefire with Iran was “over” and military strikes near the Persian Gulf again derailed traffic through the strait.

Trump has been pushing for more fossil fuel output, repeatedly urging companies to expand drilling operations and declaring a national energy emergency on the first day of his second term in January 2025.

US crude oil production hit a new record in 2025, according to the US Energy Information Administration. Bloomberg via Getty Images Last year, the Interior Department issued an aggressive proposal to expand offshore drilling near Florida and along the entire California coastline – fueling fierce pushback from local politicians fearful of oil spills.

In March, the Trump administration exempted drilling in the Gulf of America from the Endangered Species Act, citing “national security” concerns about oil supplies amid the war in Iran. Conservationists have decried the move, citing a risk to wildlife, particularly endangered whales.

Despite the policy changes, oil majors have been reluctant to spend their profits on building out more rigs and wells, as they expect demand to normalize quickly once the war ends unless there is severe lasting damage.

In a worst-case scenario for the oil industry, OPEC – the world’s most powerful oil cartel – could fall apart, and dominant Saudi Arabia could ramp up its energy production too far for others to compete, potentially sending oil as low as $40 a barrel, according to a CNN report.

Efficiencies, not new drilling US giants’ stance does not mean production has been slowing. US crude oil production hit a new record in 2025 of 13.6 million barrels per day according to the US Energy Information Administration. By comparison, the entirety of Europe, excluding Russia, reportedly produced about 4 million barrels per day – or less than 4% of the global share.

However, it was efficiencies like better equipment and technology – not extra drilling – that helped boost production last year, according to Krimmel. 

In a preview ahead of its second-quarter earnings, Exxon Mobil said this week that it could see a jump of $5 billion. Christopher Sadowski The number of active rigs and wells that were drilled in the US actually dipped, according to the EIA.

“We saw oil prices get above $90, even $100 temporarily during this war, and there was no huge rush to add rigs, to add production,” Krimmel said. “We already had a production surplus going into the war. A lot of analysts are expecting to reapproach that surplus as these flows normalize now.”

In May, Exxon Mobil and Chevron said that despite the Iran war, they did not intend to drill much more oil than initially planned.

Adamski said fears of political blowback are also likely keeping oil majors from building out new rigs, an expensive process that can take years and face opposition from environmentalists.

“They are sensitive to being in a political storm, that they would have a target on their back and Congress will start talking again about windfall profit taxes and things like that,” Adamski said.

“So they want to avoid putting in the appearance that they are taking advantage of this, so instead they’re doing share buybacks, they are paying down debt. They’re doing things like that.”

Pain at the pump But oil majors’ massive profits could draw scrutiny as the war in Iran eats into wallets, costing Americans roughly $1,000 per household in higher fuel, food and other expenses, according to economist Mark Zandi. 

Trump has been eager to lower gasoline prices ahead of the November midterms, most recently heralding a new chain of gas stations on social media that are selling gas for $3.479 a gallon – well below market prices and wholesale costs. 

The White House said these “Freedom Fuel” stations, which are mostly located near Philadelphia and in southern New Jersey, are run by a private company with no government support. It is unclear who is running the stations and for how long.

Last week, the Department of Justice asked state attorneys general to investigate potential antitrust violations by energy giants – after Trump accused them of price-gouging.

“I have instructed the DOJ to immediately start looking into this. Gasoline prices better start going down a lot faster than what I’m seeing!” the president wrote in a Truth Social post in June.

Gas has been slower to come down than oil, hitting $3.88 a gallon Friday after peaking at $4.56 this spring, according to AAA – but experts said that is a normal reaction since there is typically a lag between gasoline and oil prices.

“It really is just politics. The public gets angry when gas prices go up, and politicians need to be seen as being responsive to that anchor,” Krimmel told The Post.

“That’s about the extent of the action that you’ll see out of the federal government…There is zero indication that anything nefarious is happening there.”

Innovative Industrial Properties (IIPR) navigated a $290M bond maturity by issuing preferred equity and later securing cheap senior unsecured debt. IIPR.PR.A preferred shares experienced a sharp drawdown due to capital structure decisions, not deteriorating fundamentals, and have since rebounded. IIPR's balance sheet remains robust with a Debt/Assets ratio of 0.14 and a debt service coverage ratio of 10.4x.

US stocks ended higher on Friday, with the S&P 500 closing just shy of a record high as enthusiasm around artificial intelligence and semiconductor stocks offset concerns over renewed tensions in the Middle East.

Investors also turned their attention to the start of the second-quarter earnings season next week, when major US banks will begin reporting results.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 148.28 points, or 0.28%, to 52,635.69. The S&P 500 gained 0.38% to close at 7,572.36, while the Nasdaq Composite added 0.25% to finish at 26,273.21.

The benchmark S&P 500 finished the week up roughly 1%, while the Nasdaq also advanced more than 1%. The Dow, however, ended the week slightly lower.

Artificial intelligence remained a key driver of market sentiment after South Korean memory-chip maker SK Hynix made its Nasdaq debut.

The company opened at $170, about 14% above its American depositary receipt offering price of $149 after raising more than $26 billion in one of the world's largest share sales.

The listing renewed investor optimism around memory-chip makers despite recent volatility across the semiconductor sector.

Nvidia rose more than 3% on Friday, helping lead gains in the S&P 500.

Meta Platforms jumped around 6%, marking its strongest weekly performance since early 2024 after Bank of America reiterated its Buy rating.

Investor sentiment was also supported by reports suggesting Meta could improve the cost efficiency of its artificial intelligence infrastructure.

Although chip stocks have faced profit-taking in recent weeks, they remain among the year's strongest performers.

Micron Technology has surged more than 200% in 2026, while Lam Research, Marvell Technology and Intel have all more than doubled year to date.

Global markets also reflected mixed sentiment.

South Korea's Kospi gained 2.5%, while Japan's Nikkei 225 rose 1.2%. China's CSI 300 declined 1.96%, weighed down by technology and industrial stocks. Europe's Stoxx 600 index finished little changed.

Middle East tensions remain in focusInvestors continued to monitor developments in the Middle East after renewed military exchanges between the United States and Iran earlier this week raised concerns about higher energy prices and inflation.

Market sentiment improved after President Donald Trump said Iran had requested to continue negotiations and that the United States had agreed, although he also stated that the June ceasefire was over.

Officials from Qatar and Pakistan are also working to facilitate renewed discussions between the two sides, while an administration official told MS Now that technical talks would continue despite the latest military actions.

The easing in oil prices following those developments helped support equities after Thursday's rally.

Investors are now preparing for the second-quarter earnings season, which begins next week with reports from major US banks.

According to LSEG I/B/E/S data, analysts expect S&P 500 earnings to increase 24% from a year earlier, with technology companies expected to account for much of the growth.

Despite the benchmark index trading near record highs, the S&P 500's forward price-to-earnings ratio has eased to around 20 times expected earnings from 21 times in late May, reflecting stronger corporate earnings expectations.

Markets will also closely watch next week's US inflation report and testimony from Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh before the House Committee on Financial Services for further clues on the outlook for interest rates.

Amazon (AMZN 0.73%), the company most people file under "expensive growth stock," trades at a lower forward price-to-earnings ratio than two old-school retailers, Walmart (WMT +1.48%) and Costco Wholesale (COST +0.36%). The forward P/E ratio, for anyone newer to this, simply measures how many dollars investors are paying today for each dollar of a company's expected earnings over the next year. The lower the number, the "cheaper" the stock on that one yardstick.

Image source: Getty Images.

By that measure, Amazon is the bargain of the bunch. It recently traded at a forward multiple in the high 20s, while Walmart sat closer to the high 30s and Costco commanded something in the mid-40s. Read that again: The market is asking you to pay far more for a dollar of Costco's future profit than for a dollar of Amazon's. For a business as fast-growing and dominant as Amazon, that feels backward. So what's going on? After turning it over for a while, the only answer I can settle on is that these three stocks are being priced for completely different things.

Today's Change

(

-0.73

%) $

-1.81

Current Price

$

245.23

What investors are really buying at Walmart and Costco Walmart and Costco are, at their core, machines built for predictability. People buy groceries and household basics in good times and bad, which makes their sales remarkably steady. Costco layers on a membership model that turns shoppers into renewing subscribers who come back out of something close to loyalty, and Walmart has spent recent years quietly building higher-margin businesses like advertising and its own membership program on top of the store base. Neither company is standing still.

But the reason their multiples have climbed so high, in my view, is that investors are paying a premium for certainty. In a market rattled by tariffs, shifting interest rates, and worries about a stretched consumer, a business that reliably grows earnings a little bit every single year becomes a kind of safe harbor. Money crowds into that reliability, and crowding pushes the price up. You're not just buying a retailer; you're buying peace of mind, and peace of mind has never been more in demand.

Today's Change

(

0.36

%) $

3.28

Current Price

$

916.25

Why Amazon's own success makes its multiple look small Amazon's low multiple, oddly enough, is partly a story of things going right. Its earnings have been growing so fast that the "E" in the P/E ratio has ballooned, mathematically shrinking the ratio even as the stock price rises. The engine here isn't the online store everyone pictures. It's Amazon Web Services, the cloud division that recently posted its fastest growth in years, along with a booming advertising business built around the sponsored listings you see when you search the site.

Both of those throw off far higher profit margins than shipping boxes ever could, and management has said overall profitability recently hit the best level in the company's history. Amazon is even designing its own data-center chips now, which helps it control costs as it builds out artificial intelligence capacity.

So here's where I land. Walmart and Costco are being valued like dependable, bond-like compounders, and the market pays a rich premium for that dependability. Amazon is being valued like a technology company whose profits are still ramping and still tied to heavy, uncertain spending on cloud and AI infrastructure.

Investors trust the retailers' next few years almost completely, so they pay up. They trust Amazon's underlying business too, but they discount it for the volatility and the enormous capital it's pouring into the future. The gap isn't really about which company is better. It's about how much the market is willing to pay for a smooth ride versus a faster, bumpier one.

Today's Change

(

1.48

%) $

1.66

Current Price

$

113.87

Cheaper on a P/E basis isn't the same as a better buy, and that's the trap to avoid. Walmart and Costco's premiums are earned by genuine consistency, but a premium also means less room for error if growth ever slows. Amazon's lower multiple looks tempting, but it comes with big AI bets that have to pay off. My honest read is that the "discount" on Amazon says more about what investors fear than about what Amazon is worth. Decide which trade-off fits you, and price it accordingly.

In This Article What an FCM License Actually DoesFrom a $1.4M Fine to a Full Exchange: The Regulatory ArcWhat Polymarket Margin Trading Would Mean for Crypto Traders Polymarket has filed for Futures Commission Merchant (FCM) registration with the National Futures Association (NFA) via an affiliate entity called Coming Home GBA, according to Bloomberg.

The July 3, 2026 NFA filing signals the world’s largest prediction market’s intent to offer regulated margin trading to US users – allowing traders to take leveraged positions on event contracts through a fully licensed intermediary.

The central tension this story unpacks is that a platform fined for running an illegal derivatives market in 2022 is now applying for the highest tier of US derivatives intermediary registration while simultaneously operating under a separate CFTC marketing investigation.

Polymarket Seeks License to Offer Margin Trading Legally in US

According to Bloomberg, Polymarket, the world’s largest prediction market platform, is seeking US regulatory approval to offer margin trading, allowing users to open positions without posting the full amount of… pic.twitter.com/Ah6CL2ZVWj

— Wu Blockchain (@WuBlockchain) July 10, 2026

What an FCM License Actually Does An FCM, Futures Commission Merchant, is a firm registered with both the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and the NFA that can solicit orders for futures and derivatives contracts and extend credit to customers for leveraged trading.

The FCM holds customer collateral under futures-industry custody and segregation rules, enforces margin calls, handles KYC (know your customer) verification, and files regulatory reports with the CFTC.

This is a materially different arrangement from how most crypto trading platforms operate today. On a typical on-chain prediction market, a user connects a self-custody wallet, deposits funds, and trades without a regulated intermediary touching the transaction.

The FCM model inserts a licensed broker between the user and the exchange, a structure that unlocks access for institutional clients but adds friction for retail users accustomed to DeFi’s permissionless rails.

For Polymarket specifically, FCM registration would allow it to offer leveraged trading in the US through a compliant broker channel, rather than the on-chain, self-custody model that drew the CFTC’s attention four years ago.

DISCOVER: Best Meme Coin ICOs to Invest in 2026

From a $1.4M Fine to a Full Exchange: The Regulatory Arc Polymarket spent years teaching everyone "put your money where your mouth is." Someone just did — and sued them for $500K.

The lawsuit centers on one gap: the market title said one thing, the resolution rules said another. $6.5M in losses across 1,868 traders came from that same… pic.twitter.com/fQfhOfPjn1

— GlitchLord (@Ph4nt0m_wb3) July 10, 2026

Polymarket’s regulatory journey has been significant. In January 2022, the CFTC fined Polymarket $1.4M for operating an unregistered event-contract market.

Rather than retracting, Polymarket acquired CFTC-licensed QCX LLC and QC Clearing LLC for about $112M, gaining a regulated exchange infrastructure.

On November 25, 2025, the CFTC recognized Polymarket as a Designated Contract Market (DCM), allowing it to onboard brokerages and route US customers. The filing by Coming Home GBA on July 3, 2026, marks Polymarket’s next step in this process.

However, the CFTC is still investigating Polymarket’s marketing practices, particularly regarding content creators winning large sums without actual investments, which institutional investors will need to consider.

EXCLUSIVE: Earn $10 USDC Via Binance Sign-Up

What Polymarket Margin Trading Would Mean for Crypto Traders

(SOURCE: Dune)

Polymarket’s weekly trading volume exceeded $4Bn in June 2026, setting a record and demonstrating its scale ahead of the launch of its US margin product.

The FCM filing aims to transform this volume into a more sophisticated, institutionally accessible offering by introducing leverage and regulated brokerage infrastructure.

For retail traders familiar with regulated derivatives, the shift to an FCM-intermediated Polymarket is clear: accounts held at registered brokers, enforced margin requirements, and CFTC reporting.

However, for users accustomed to decentralized prediction markets, this change introduces more compliance and friction, but also access to leverage not available through self-custody for US users.

Polymarket’s DCM and potential FCM status provide a compliance edge that offshore or decentralized platforms struggle to match for US institutions.

Although competitors like Hyperliquid dominate on-chain perpetuals, they operate outside the US regulatory framework. A CFTC-licensed Polymarket with FCM-backed margin trading could fill a critical gap.

However, the NFA and CFTC have yet to approve the Coming Home GBA application. The approval timeline and the number of FCM partners will determine the product’s competitiveness.

While Polymarket has filed and established its infrastructure, the timeline and the ongoing CFTC investigation pose potential risks. Traders should view this as an evolving situation rather than a finalized deal.

EXPLORE: Best Crypto Presales With Asymmetric Upside in the Current Market

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Jim Cramer picked a loud morning to turn bearish. On CNBC’s Squawk on the Street earlier this week, with oil up 5% and global stocks falling after the president declared the Iran ceasefire over, Cramer told David Faber he sees a supply-and-demand imbalance in capital markets he has not witnessed since early 2000. “There’s a lot of offerings, not enough money, and I am turning bearish,” he said, adding, “I have a huge cash position. I don’t want to buy any tech” and “I think we’re out of money, really.”

That is a striking call from someone who spent the last two years cheerleading the AI capex trade. So what spooked him? Two deals. Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN | AMZN Price Prediction)  raised $25 billion in debt that traded poorly, and SK Hynix is lining up a massive equity offering for Friday. Faber put the underlying question directly. “The real question is, when does capital become more dear? You have to pay more for it.”

The Bearish Pivot and the 2000 Comparison Cramer’s last comparable bearish turn came in October 2000, right before the dot-com unwind gathered speed. The parallel he is drawing now is mechanical, not emotional. When too many issuers rush the window at once, prices soften, buyers demand better terms, and the marginal deal has to sweeten.

The 10-year Treasury sits at 4.569%, in the 91.6th percentile of the past year’s range, so the risk-free hurdle for every corporate bond is already elevated. Add a wave of new supply and capital becomes more dear.

Meanwhile, the tape abroad is flashing. KOSPI is down 18% from its June high, with forward P/E at its lowest since October 2008, a print that would lead the tape on a quieter day.

Amazon’s Debt Deal and the OpenAI Canary Amazon is the tell here. Cramer said, “I’m not worried about Amazon. I’m worried about OpenAI, because if Amazon has raised and tapped out the debt market, and the way that piece of debt was received yesterday is not good.”

Amazon is the most creditworthy hyperscaler on the planet, guiding to roughly $200 billion of capex in 2026 on AI infrastructure, chips, robotics, and satellites, with Q1 capex alone at $44.2 billion and TTM free cash flow down 95% to $1.2 billion. If the top of the food chain has to pay up for money, everyone below has a problem.

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Here’s why you should do the same before their July 16 investment deadline: lithium prices are up 75% this year, with demand projected to grow a staggering 5X by 2040. 

With tech that can recover up to 3X more lithium than traditional methods, EnergyX is preparing to unlock up to 15M+ tons. Become a private-stage EnergyX investor before the July 16 deadline.

The market is not fully buying the panic yet. Polymarket traders are pricing in 87.5% odds that Amazon’s 2026 capex will exceed $200 billion, and AMZN is still up 8.25% year to date at $245. But the same book has an 88.5% probability that AMZN will close today. Traders think Amazon can still spend. They also think the stock gets punished while it’s doing so.

(Our bubble survivors handbook report walks through how to stay invested when the plumbing tightens like this.) The Q1 8-K lays out the capex ramp in the company’s own numbers.

What Out of Money Means for NVIDIA, Micron, and Your Holdings NVIDIA (NASDAQ:NVDA) is the counter-argument to Cramer’s thesis, at least on valuation. Cramer noted NVIDIA trades at 18x forward earnings, cheaper than half the S&P 500, though he is likely using the upper end of earnings estimates. Shares are up 11.2% YTD at $210, with Q1 FY2027 revenue of $81.62 billion, up 85.2% year over year.

Micron Technology (NASDAQ:MU) is the extreme case. The stock is up 704% for the year despite the recent selloff, and it just dropped 18% from its highest closing price in June. Micron’s fiscal Q3 revenue hit $41.46 billion, up 345.7% year over year, with Q4 guidance of $50 billion. HBM demand is real. Whether every buyer of an HBM4 wafer can keep funding itself is the Cramer question.

Keep an eye on the stock reaction to SK Hynix’s Friday equity deal and the next round of hyperscaler bond issuance. If those price ugly, Cramer’s supply-glut warning graduates from cable segment to base case. If they get absorbed, the AI capex machine keeps chewing through backlog. Either way, the cost of the money funding this cycle has stopped being an afterthought.

Meet America's Newest $1b Unicorn (Sponsor)A US startup just passed a $1 billion private valuation, joining billion-dollar private companies like OpenAI and ByteDance. Unlike those other unicorns, you can invest in EnergyX right now; but only until July 16.

Over 50,000 people already have, along with global giants like General Motors and POSCO.

Here’s why there’s so much interest: EnergyX’s patented tech can recover up to 3X more lithium than traditional methods. That’s a big deal, as demand for lithium is expected to 5X current production levels by 2040.Become an early-stage EnergyX shareholder before the 7/16 investment deadline.

Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.

South Korean semiconductor giant SK Hynix made history on Wall Street, listing on Nasdaq today via American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) under the ticker SKHY.

The firm’s US initial public offering (IPO) priced at $149 was more than 7x oversubscribed – and raised a total of about $26.5 billion. This made it the largest-ever US listing by a foreign company.

SK Hynix stock is now better-positioned to compete for capital against its American rival, Micron. But is it really a better investment than MU for the long-term? Let’s find out!

SKHY shares may be a superior investment than Micron due to the company’s absolute dominance on the High-Bandwidth Memory (HBM) market.

The South Korean giant commands an impressive 56.4% share of the global HBM sector – which makes it the primary supplier of ultra-fast memory for artificial intelligence (AI) accelerators.

In fact, SK Hynix is already deeply integrated into Nvidia’s next-generation Vera Rubin platform with its advanced HBM4 architecture.

While Micron Technology is executing rather well and has sold out its capacity through the end of this year, it controls a much smaller 21% market share.

SK Hynix’s massive volume footprint grants it unparalleled pricing power and stronger, contracted multi-year revenue visibility with hyperscalers.

In terms of profitability, SK Hynix shares seem to be in a whole another league.

In its latest reported quarter, the company’s operating margin stood at a staggering 72%, driven by high-value enterprise solid-state drives (eSSDs) and premium DRAM modules.

However, despite this world-class financial efficiency, a notable valuation disconnect persists. SK Hynix trades at a highly attractive forward price-to-earnings (P/E) multiple of just 8x, which makes it infinitely cheaper to own than Micron.

In other words, SKHY offers investors direct exposure to the booming artificial intelligence memory market at a much lower valuation than MU.

Despite significant market debut gains, SKHY stock remains attractive as a long-term holding also because the company plans of using the IPO proceeds to future-proof its production moat.

Executives have earmarked substantial funds for extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography equipment and advanced packaging plants, including the Yongin semiconductor cluster.

This positions SK Hynix to significantly benefit as the global tech infrastructure shift from massive foundational model training toward real-time, continuous inference driven by agentic AI.

All in all, Icheon-headquartered SK Hynix Inc combines unrivaled HBM leadership, impressive profitability, compelling valuation, and an aggressive capacity expansion strategy all into one.

While Micron Technology remains a formidable competitor, SKHY appears better positioned to capture the next phase of AI-driven semiconductor demand, making it a more compelling long-term investment for growth-oriented investors in 2026.

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SummarySK hynix Inc. debuts on NASDAQ via ADR IPO, offering US investors direct access to the HBM market leader.SKHY commands 56.4% HBM market share, outpacing Micron and Samsung, and benefits most from the AI data center buildout.SKHY's operating margins have surpassed Micron's since 2024, and its forward P/E is a compelling 8x despite clear market leadership.I rate SK Hynix a Strong Buy, citing superior HBM positioning, robust growth, and valuation discount relative to peers. Just_Super/iStock via Getty Images

Investment Thesis Today, SK hynix Inc. (SKHY) started trading on the NASDAQ, providing U.S. investors direct access through a national exchange. Prior to this listing, which is structured as an ADR IPO, investors could only buy SKHY on

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Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, and no plans to initiate any such positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.

ServiceNow stock is facing resistance. Why is NOW stock retreating? What Is Driving ServiceNow’s Stock Today?The latest narrative centers on Accenture’s rollout of two AI-focused offerings built on ServiceNow’s AI Platform: managed security services and an AI-powered automation solution aimed at lowering the cost and complexity of modernizing enterprise risk and security operations.

The stock has also been riding a friendlier tone after a July 1 upgrade to Buy that argued software valuations were pricing in "extinction," framing the pullback as a better entry.

ServiceNow also picked up a sentiment boost after a high-visibility TV nod, with Stephanie Link calling it a buy on CNBC’s "Final Trades," keeping the July 1 Guggenheim upgrade in focus for momentum traders.

That segment also highlighted Microsoft’s 4,800 job eliminations, and that cost-discipline backdrop provides a benchmark for ServiceNow because tighter enterprise budgets can accelerate demand for workflow automation and AI-driven efficiency tools like NOW’s platform via job eliminations in large enterprises.

NOW Stock: Key Technical Levels To WatchFrom a longer-term lens, the chart is still in repair mode: the stock is down 44.52% over the past 12 months and is trading 17.8% below its 200-day SMA ($130.82), which can keep rallies facing "prove it" selling. The trend backdrop is also weighed down by the death cross that formed in August 2025 (50-day SMA below the 200-day SMA), even though price has recently reclaimed shorter averages.

In the near term, shares are trading above the 20-day SMA ($101.30), 50-day SMA ($101.82), and 100-day SMA ($103.06), which helps explain why dips have been getting bought. Momentum is best read through RSI here: at 54.81 (neutral), it suggests the rebound isn’t stretched, but it still needs follow-through to turn into a sustained uptrend rather than a bounce.

Key Resistance: $111.00 — a nearby round-number area where rebounds can stall Key Support: $89.50 — a prior demand zone that sits above the $81.24 52-week low area What Does ServiceNow Do and How Does It Make Money?ServiceNow provides software solutions to structure and automate various business processes via a SaaS delivery model, with its roots in IT service management for enterprise customers. Over time, it expanded within IT workflows and pushed workflow automation into areas beyond IT, including customer service, HR service delivery, and security operations.

That backdrop ties directly to the Accenture-led security and risk workflow offerings, where large customers often want a packaged solution plus implementation help. If those AI-led products translate into faster adoption and clearer monetization, it can help the longer-term trend catch up to the improving near-term tape.

ServiceNow Earnings Preview: What Analysts ExpectThe countdown is on: ServiceNow is set to report earnings on July 22, 2026 (confirmed).

EPS Estimate: 76 cents (Down from 82 cents YoY) Revenue Estimate: $3.93 Billion (Up from $3.21 Billion YoY) Valuation: P/E of 64.8x (Indicates premium valuation relative to peers) Analyst Consensus & Recent Actions: The stock carries a Buy rating with an average price target of $137.07. Recent analyst moves include:

Goldman Sachs: Buy (Lowers Target to $145.00) (July 9) Truist Securities: Buy (Raises Target to $130.00) (July 9) Guggenheim: Upgraded to Buy (Target $125.00) (July 1) What Would $1,000 in ServiceNow Be Worth Today?A $1,000 investment in ServiceNow on July 12, 2021, would be worth $944 on July 10, 2026 — a -5.6% total return over the July 12, 2021 to July 10, 2026 span. The stake swung between $600 and more than $2,000, ending well below its 2025 peak.

The ride included a sharp slide to its period low on October 14, 2022, followed by a powerful rebound that culminated in a period high on January 28, 2025. The maximum drawdown over the holding period was -64.5%, underscoring how volatile the path was even though the investment finished only modestly lower than where it started.

On an annualized basis, ServiceNow returned -1.2%, lagging the S&P 500’s 11.6% annualized gain and the Nasdaq 100’s 14.9% annualized gain over the same window. Among the listed peers, Meta Platforms, Inc. was the standout with a 113.9% annualized return.

Today, ServiceNow Inc. has a market capitalization of about $114.3 billion and a current P/E of 64.8.

ServiceNow Benzinga Edge Rankings: Strengths and WeaknessesBelow is the Benzinga Edge scorecard for ServiceNow, highlighting its strengths and weaknesses compared to the broader market:

The Verdict: ServiceNow’s Benzinga Edge signal reveals a growth-heavy profile with weak value and weak momentum, which often translates into choppier trading when sentiment cools. With earnings close, the stock may need a clean fundamental "beat-and-raise" style outcome to push through resistance and improve the momentum score.

ServiceNow Price Action: Current Stock MovementNOW Stock Price Activity: ServiceNow shares were down 1.31% at $107.41 at the time of publication on Friday, according to Benzinga Pro data.

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WINONA, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Fastenal Company (Nasdaq:FAST) ('Fastenal,' 'we,' 'our,' or 'us') reported its board of directors declared a dividend of $0.26 per share to be paid in cash on August 25, 2026 to shareholders of record at the close of business on July 28, 2026. Except for share and per share information, dollar amounts are stated in millions.

We began paying annual dividends in 1991, semi-annual dividends in 2003, and then expanded to quarterly dividends in 2011. In addition to these regular dividend payments, we have previously paid special one-time dividends in December 2008, December 2012, December 2020, and December 2023. Our board of directors currently intends to continue paying quarterly dividends, though all future determinations as to payment of dividends will depend upon the financial condition and results of operations of Fastenal and such other factors as are deemed relevant by the board of directors at that time.

In 2026, 2025, and 2024, we paid (or declared) dividends as follows:

Year

First

Quarter

Second

Quarter

Third

Quarter

Fourth

Quarter

Total

2026

$

0.240

$

0.240

$

0.260

2025

$

0.215

$

0.220

$

0.220

$

0.220

$

0.875

2024

$

0.195

$

0.195

$

0.195

$

0.195

$

0.780

Dividend and common stock repurchase activity during the last ten years is as follows:

Average Per

Total

Dividends per Share

Total Value of

Total Number

Share Price of

Dividend

Dividends

Regular

Special

Total

Common Stock

of Shares

Common Stock

Year

Payments

Paid

Dividend

Dividend

Dividend

Purchased

Purchased

Purchased

2026

Three (1)

$

849.3

$

0.740

$

—

$

0.740

$

49.8

1,075,000

$

46.33

2025

Four

$

1,004.2

$

0.875

$

—

$

0.875

$

—

—

$

—

2024

Four

$

893.3

$

0.780

$

—

$

0.780

$

—

—

$

—

2023

Five (2)

$

1,016.8

$

0.700

$

0.190

$

0.890

$

—

—

$

—

2022

Four

$

711.3

$

0.620

$

—

$

0.620

$

237.8

10,000,000

$

23.79

2021

Four

$

643.7

$

0.560

$

—

$

0.560

$

—

—

$

—

2020

Five (2)

$

803.4

$

0.500

$

0.200

$

0.700

$

52.0

3,200,000

$

16.27

2019

Four

$

498.6

$

0.435

$

—

$

0.435

$

—

—

$

—

2018

Four

$

441.9

$

0.385

$

—

$

0.385

$

103.0

8,000,000

$

12.88

2017

Four

$

369.1

$

0.320

$

—

$

0.320

$

82.6

7,600,000

$

10.86

Ten Year Total

$

7,231.6

$

5.915

$

0.390

$

6.305

$

525.2

29,875,000

$

17.58

In the second quarter of 2026, we purchased 650,000 shares of our common stock at an average price of $45.72 per share.

We have authority to purchase up to 11,325,000 shares of our common stock under the July 12, 2022 authorization. This authorization does not have an expiration date.

All share and per share information reflects the two-for-one stock split in each of 2019 and 2025.

About Fastenal

Organizations around the world rely on Fastenal to help them simplify and secure the supply chain for a broad range of industrial products. To understand our customers' challenges and provide services and solutions that fit their unique needs, we've built out the most extensive presence in our industry, with a vast network of local teams and embedded technology. At the heart of it all is a simple commitment: great people, close to the customer, backed by world-class logistics, technology, and resources.

Additional information regarding Fastenal is available on our website at www.fastenal.com.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains statements that are not historical in nature and that are intended to be, and are hereby identified as, "forward looking statements" as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding expectations as to payment of a quarterly cash dividend and stock repurchase activity in the foreseeable future. Any future determination as to payment of dividends or stock repurchases will depend upon the financial condition and results of operations of Fastenal and such other factors as are deemed relevant by the board of directors. For example, a change in business needs including working capital and funding for acquisitions, or a change in income tax law relating to dividends or stock repurchases, could cause us to decide not to pay a dividend in the future or not to repurchase common stock pursuant to the existing share repurchase authorization. A discussion of other risks and uncertainties is included in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our most recent annual report and subsequent quarterly reports. FAST-D

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Resources Investor Relations Journalists Agencies Client Login Send a Release News Products Contact , /PRNewswire/ -- Aon plc (NYSE: AON), a leading global professional services firm, today announced that the Board of Directors has declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.820 per share on Aon's outstanding Class A Ordinary Shares. The dividend is payable August 14, 2026 to shareholders of record on August 3, 2026.

About Aon

Aon plc (NYSE: AON) exists to shape decisions for the better — to protect and enrich the lives of people around the world. Through actionable analytic insight, globally integrated Risk Capital and Human Capital expertise, and locally relevant solutions, our colleagues provide clients in over 120 countries with the clarity and confidence to make better risk and people decisions that protect and grow their businesses.

Follow Aon on LinkedIn, X, Facebook and Instagram. Stay up to date by visiting Aon's newsroom and sign up for news alerts here.

Investor Contact
Hallie Miller
[email protected]

Media Contact
[email protected]
Toll-free (U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico): +1 833 751 8114
International: +1 312 381 3024

SOURCE Aon plc

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Injective: Security issue related to npm packages has been resolved, and no user funds were lost.

Injective’s official team posted on social media that recent media reports covered potential security vulnerabilities involving Injective’s npm packages. The issue was immediately detected and resolved. User funds were never at risk and suffered no losses. According to the official, its security monitoring system flagged the problem in real time, quickly marked the affected package versions as deprecated, and replaced them with new versions—blocking the risk before the malicious package could be downloaded. As a result, the malicious package had zero downloads, caused no harm to users, and user fund security remained uncompromised. Injective’s npm package is among the most widely used SDKs in the cryptocurrency sector. The team has now implemented optimization measures to prevent such attack attempts from recurring.

4 hours ago

Bitget has launched the SKHYUSDT perpetual contract.

According to official announcements, Bitget has launched the SKHYUSDT perpetual contract, with a maximum leverage of 20x, and contract trading bots will be available simultaneously.

4 hours ago

Bitget launches SK Hynix’s rSKHY for the first time, offering new users the chance to split an equivalent of $50,000 worth of stocks via trading.

According to official announcements, Bitget has launched its stock spot rToken for SK Hynix (rSKHY) as its first such offering. From now until July 17, users trading rSKHY will enjoy zero trading fees. Additionally, the platform has rolled out a dedicated new user campaign with a total prize pool of SK Hynix equivalent to 50,000 USDT. During the campaign, newly registered users who complete a net deposit of no less than 1,000 USDT and their first trade will randomly receive rSKHY worth between 10 and 88 USDT. New users participating in rSKHY trading who meet cumulative trading volume thresholds can unlock tiered stock rewards, with a maximum of rSKHY worth 888 USDT per individual. The campaign runs from July 10 to July 17.

4 hours ago

Over the past 24 hours, global crypto liquidations hit $236 million, with short positions making up the bulk of the liquidations.

According to Coinglass data, global crypto market liquidations reached $236 million over the past 24 hours, including $68.7 million in long-position liquidations and $167 million in short-position liquidations.

4 hours ago

Binance to List SKHYUSDT USDT-Margined Perpetual Contract

Per official announcement, Binance will launch the SKHYUSDT perpetual contract at 23:50 UTC+8 on July 10, 2026, with a maximum leverage of 50x.

4 hours ago

Standard Chartered maintained its 2026 year-end price target of $100,000 for Bitcoin, describing BTC, currently trading around $64,000, as an “extremely strong buying opportunity.”

According to The Block, Geoffrey Kendrick, Global Head of Digital Asset Research at Standard Chartered, stated that the recent selling pressure on Bitcoin stemmed not from a weakness in Strategy’s balance sheet, but from the company’s failure to adequately communicate its strategic shift to the market.

In a note to his followers, Kendrick stated, “I see what’s happening at Strategy right now as simply a communication issue.” According to the analyst, the company is shifting from its long-standing “never sell Bitcoin” approach to a more complex strategy.

In Strategy’s new approach, Bitcoin serves as collateral for the company’s perpetual preferred stock, STRC. Operating like a loan product, STRC offers an annual dividend yield of 12 percent. Dividends are paid twice a month in cash, while the interest rate is adjusted monthly to incentivize STRC to trade near its nominal value of $100.

With a nominal value of approximately $10 billion, STRC is the largest financial instrument offered by Strategy.

According to Standard Chartered, the negative feedback loop between Strategy’s actions and the Bitcoin price began after STRC sharply deviated from its infinitive value. STRC fell as low as $71.25 during the day on June 26th.

This divergence reportedly began after Strategy announced on June 1st that it had sold 32 Bitcoin the previous week. The fact that STRC is still trading around $90 indicates that the market is not yet fully convinced of the company’s new strategy.

Strategy’s dollar reserves held to pay STRC dividends amount to $2.55 billion. This figure is large enough to cover approximately 17.4 months of dividend payments.

Strategy had announced a cash-out program that would allow it to sell Bitcoin from time to time to replenish its reserves, with the expectation of generating up to $1.25 billion in revenue.

According to Kendrick, if the company properly explains this new regulation to the market, it could support the STRC price and eliminate the actual need for Strategy to sell Bitcoin.

The analyst likened this mechanism to a central bank declaring it will “do whatever it takes.” Kendrick stated that if the commitment is sufficiently convincing, the company might not actually have to sell.

Standard Chartered argued that, thanks to Bitcoin collateral, STRC is highly collateralized and should return to its nominal value of $100.

Kendrick expects a recovery in STRC to happen soon, thus limiting further selling pressure on Bitcoin. The analyst considered the current developments as short-term “noise” rather than a signal that changes Bitcoin’s medium-term outlook.

While Standard Chartered maintains its year-end 2026 target of $100,000 for Bitcoin, Kendrick described the BTC price, currently around $64,000, as “screaming bullish.”

*This is not investment advice.

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