Track market-moving stories before they get noisy

Microsoft (MSFT 0.94%) and Apple (AAPL +1.36%) have been going head-to-head for decades.

*Stock prices used were the afternoon prices of July 3, 2026. The video was published on July 5, 2026.

Parkev Tatevosian, CFA has positions in Microsoft. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Apple and Microsoft. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Parkev Tatevosian is an affiliate of The Motley Fool and may be compensated for promoting its services. If you choose to subscribe through his link, he will earn some extra money that supports his channel. His opinions remain his own and are unaffected by The Motley Fool.

AMD (AMD +6.74%) carries a market value of about $920 billion. To join the $1 trillion club -- the small group of companies worth 13 figures -- the stock needs to climb only about 11% from here. After the run it has been on, more than quadrupling off its 52-week low, that no longer sounds far-fetched.

So could AMD close the final stretch and cross $1 trillion before the year is out?

Image source: Getty Images.

Where the growth comes from What's powering AMD isn't its long-standing business in personal-computer and gaming chips, steady as that has become. It is the data center -- and, within it, the AI accelerators (the specialized graphics processing units, or GPUs) it sells to companies building out artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure.

In the first quarter of 2026, AMD's data center revenue rose 57% year over year to about $5.8 billion -- more than half of the company's $10.3 billion in total sales, and up sharply from a business a fraction of this size a few years ago. AI accelerators make up a substantial piece of that data center total, and sales of those accelerators grew by a strong double-digit percentage year over year. In other words, the fastest-growing part of AMD -- the data center -- is now also its largest.

Zoom out to the full year, and the trajectory looks just as steep. AMD grew 2025 revenue 34% to $34.6 billion and more than doubled its bottom line, with earnings up 164%. Its newest MI350 accelerators are ramping into large customers now, a next-generation MI450 part is on the way, and the company has landed commitments from hyperscale customers for multiple gigawatts of computing capacity. That kind of forward demand is why investors keep pushing the stock higher.

AMD's other businesses are pulling their weight, too. Its server processors have been steadily taking share from Intel, and management now expects the overall server-processor market to top $120 billion a year by 2030 -- a market that would dwarf the company's entire sales base today. Whether that proves too optimistic or not, it captures why the market is willing to price the stock years ahead of results actually on the books.

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The path is credible. To reach $1 trillion, AMD needs its stock to add about 1% -- and a company growing earnings this fast, in a market this enamored with AI, can cover that ground quickly. Nvidia crossed the same mark, and then several more, on the strength of the very same demand.

But just because the path is credible doesn't make the stock a buy. There are risks. For instance, AMD is up against a juggernaut. And Nvidia still dominates. Additionally, another key risk is that AMD's largest customers are designing in-house chips.

In addition, the stock's valuation is already stretched. At about $554 per share, AMD trades at more than 180 times its earnings and about 75 times the earnings expected over the next year. Multiples like that bake in years of rapid growth with very little margin for a stumble.

So, could AMD hit $1 trillion in 2026?

Yes -- I think there is a fair chance, and a strong quarter or two might be all it takes. But I wouldn't buy the growth stock just because this milestone is possible. Crossing $1 trillion would make headlines, but it wouldn't make the business's underlying intrinsic value worth more than the day before. At more than 180 times earnings, AMD is priced for the accelerator boom to keep running with almost no missteps.

The delay to Nvidia Corp's (NASDAQ:NVDA, XETRA:NVD) Kyber rack tells a bigger story than a single slipped product date.

For three years, the chip designer has shipped a new generation of artificial intelligence hardware every year, a drumbeat that competitors could not match and investors came to price in.

That rhythm has now met the physical limits of what modern manufacturing can deliver.

Kyber, a server cabinet built to pack 144 of Nvidia's most powerful Rubin Ultra processors into a single unit, has slipped by more than 12 months to 2028.

The culprit is unglamorous: a specialised circuit board known as the midplane, which connects the chips so they behave as one giant computer.

At around 78 layers, it ranks among the most complex boards ever attempted for a commercial product, and the engineering has proved harder to tame than the original timeline assumed.

The significance lies in what the board enables.

Density is the whole point of rack-scale design, because training and running the largest AI models demand vast numbers of chips wired together with minimal delay.

Without a proven way to scale up its top-end systems, Nvidia is left with a gap at exactly the level where its advantage was supposed to be widest.

That gap is where rivals now see daylight.

Advanced Micro Devices and Google already win work from leading AI labs with their own accelerators, and a stumble at the high end hands them a rare technical opening rather than a marketing one.

The timing sharpens the point, coming barely three months after the chief executive, Jensen Huang, showcased Kyber on stage.

The knock-on effects compound the problem.

A fallback design that bolted two current-generation racks together has been scrapped after cloud providers rejected it as too costly and operationally awkward.

That cancellation effectively caps how far Nvidia's existing systems can scale until Kyber arrives or another route is found.

A larger configuration linking eight racks through co-packaged optics, a technology that builds optical links directly into chip packages, is now likely to be delayed or restricted to small volumes.

The Rubin Ultra chip itself has been pared back from a four-chip design to a two-chip version, roughly halving what the next generation will offer even once it ships.

Underneath these decisions sits a single dependency: co-packaged optics, whose maturity now governs much of the roadmap.

If that technology takes longer to perfect than hoped, the scaling plans of the entire industry get rewritten, not just Nvidia's.

The company has been hedging accordingly, striking supply agreements with optics specialists to secure the components its future factories will need.

None of this dents the near-term picture, and that distinction matters.

Current Rubin systems are in full production and begin shipping this autumn to eight cloud partners, including Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud.

Demand for existing hardware remains robust, and the research behind the delay reporting still expects Nvidia's data-centre compute revenue to run 20% above Wall Street forecasts in the second half of the 2027 financial year.

The market reaction was felt more keenly down the supply chain, where Asian technology and circuit-board shares slid on the news.

That response captures the real anxiety, which is less about Nvidia's next quarter than about the pace of the AI build-out itself.

For years, the assumption has been that compute would keep getting denser and cheaper on a predictable schedule.

The Kyber delay is the clearest signal yet that the schedule bends to manufacturing reality, and that even the sector's dominant supplier cannot simply will the next leap into being.

Amazon (AMZN +0.61%) overtook Walmart (WMT 1.04%) when measuring trailing twelve-month revenue.

*Stock prices used were the afternoon prices of July 3, 2026. The video was published on July 5, 2026.

Parkev Tatevosian, CFA has positions in Amazon. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Amazon and Walmart. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Parkev Tatevosian is an affiliate of The Motley Fool and may be compensated for promoting its services. If you choose to subscribe through his link, he will earn some extra money that supports his channel. His opinions remain his own and are unaffected by The Motley Fool.

Zcash Price Forecast: ZEC hits a make-or-break level as retail demand loses conviction

As of market close on July 3, the S&P 500 (^GSPC +0.72%) and the Nasdaq-100 are up 9.3% and 16.2%, respectively, year to date (YTD). This is well ahead of their historical average annual gains. The tech sector, especially semiconductor stocks, has been the driver of broader market returns. But that doesn't mean all value stocks are underperforming the major indexes.

Colgate-Palmolive (CL 1.93%) is up 20.4% YTD. And it's also an ultra-reliable dividend stock that has paid uninterrupted dividends since 1895 and has increased its payout for 63 consecutive years. That streak earns Colgate-Palmolive a spot on the list of Dividend Kings, which are companies that have paid and increased their dividends for at least 50 consecutive years.

Here's why Colgate-Palmolive remains a top buy now even after its recent run-up.

Image source: Getty Images.

Colgate-Palmolive is at the top of its game Colgate-Palmolive has been a standout in the household and personal products industry. The company is guiding for 2026 net sales growth of 2% to 6% and organic sales growth of 1% to 4% at a time when many of its peers are experiencing sales declines. And even with margins under pressure, Colgate-Palmolive remains one of the most profitable companies in its industry. By comparison, Unilever, Kenvue, Church & Dwight, Clorox, Kimberly-Clark, and Estee Lauder all have operating margins under 20%.

CL Revenue (TTM) data by YCharts

The industry has been dealing with inflationary pressures and consumer resistance to price increases. But Colgate-Palmolive has done a masterful job of navigating these challenges through its elite brand portfolio, highly efficient supply chain and operations, and geographic diversification.

In addition to its flagship Colgate and Palmolive brands, the company owns Softsoap, Irish Spring, Tom's of Maine, and Speed Stick, among others. One of Colgate-Palmolive's top brands, Hill's Pet Nutrition, made up 23% of total 2025 sales.

Without factoring in Hill's, Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA), Latin America, and Asia Pacific sales are more than triple those of North America, which has helped make Colgate-Palmolive resistant to U.S.-specific inflationary pressures. In the first quarter of 2026, North America was the only region that reported declining net and organic sales, while Latin America and EMEA posted double-digit growth and total company net sales rose 8.4% year over year.

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A dividend you can count on Colgate-Palmolive is far from cheap -- trading at 25 times forward earnings -- because the stock price has been rising faster than the company's earnings growth. But Colgate-Palmolive deserves its premium valuation because its results are solid despite a difficult operating environment. This resilience is particularly appealing to risk-averse folks seeking a stable passive income stream to help supplement retirement income. If inflationary pressures ease and consumer spending improves, a rising tide will lift the broader household and personal products industry. But Colgate-Palmolive isn't dependent on those factors to drive sales growth.

Colgate-Palmolive yields 2.2%, which is good but not quite high-yield territory. Many of its peers offer higher yields because they distribute the vast majority of their cash flow to shareholders through dividends, whereas Colgate-Palmolive's dividend is highly affordable. Its trailing-12-month free cash flow per share is at an all-time high of $4.66, well over double its $2.06 per-share annualized dividend.

So while Colgate-Palmolive could easily afford to pay a higher dividend, the company prefers a balanced approach of using cash to reinvest in the business, paying a steadily growing (and manageable) dividend, and buying back stock. Colgate-Palmolive has reduced its share count by 10% over the last decade, which has helped make the stock a better value.

Investing in a market leader Colgate-Palmolive's geographic diversification and portfolio of leading brands across pet nutrition and oral, personal, and home care make it highly recession resistant. The company continues to deliver solid growth through volume and price increases, while many of its peers face a difficult trade-off: either cutting prices to drive volume or keeping prices high at the expense of lower sales volumes.

All told, Colgate-Palmolive stands out as one of the most reliable dividend-paying stocks on the market. It's a top buy for the second half of the year for investors who don't mind paying a premium price for a quality company.

, /PRNewswire/ -- The Schall Law Firm, a national shareholder rights litigation firm, reminds investors of a class action lawsuit against First Solar, Inc. ("First Solar" or "the Company") (NASDAQ: FSLR) for violations of §§10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Investors who purchased the Company's securities between February 26, 2025 and February 24, 2026, inclusive (the "Class Period"), are encouraged to contact the firm before August 24, 2026.

If you are a shareholder who suffered a loss, click here to participate.

We also encourage you to contact Brian Schall of the Schall Law Firm, 2049 Century Park East, Suite 2460, Los Angeles, CA 90067, at 310-301-3335, to discuss your rights free of charge. You can also reach us through the firm's website at www.schallfirm.com, or by email at [email protected].

The class, in this case, has not yet been certified, and until certification occurs, you are not represented by an attorney. If you choose to take no action, you can remain an absent class member.

According to the Complaint, the Company made false and misleading statements to the market. First Solar misled investors about its ability to mitigate the impact of tariffs on its operations. The Company overstated its ability to shift operations to the United States from Malaysia and Vietnam. Based on these facts, the Company's public statements were false and materially misleading throughout the class period. When the market learned the truth about First Solar, investors suffered damages.

Join the case to recover your losses

The Schall Law Firm represents investors around the world and specializes in securities class action lawsuits and shareholder rights litigation.

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

CONTACT:

The Schall Law Firm
Brian Schall, Esq.,
www.schallfirm.com
Office: 310-301-3335
[email protected]

SOURCE The Schall Law Firm

Český zahraniční obchod skončil v květnu přebytkem 9,9 miliardy korun, což je o miliardu méně než před rokem. Vývoz i dovoz pokračovaly v solidním růstu, přičemž dovoz rostl mírně rychleji než export. Za prvních pět měsíců roku se přebytek zahraničního obchodu meziročně snížil téměř o 18 miliard korun.

Zahraniční obchod ČR skončil v květnu přebytkem 9,9 miliardy korun, meziročně byl o jednu miliardu nižší. Kladný vliv měl obchod se stroji, s elektrickými zařízeními a kovodělnými výrobky. Naopak negativní dopad na celkové saldo měl mimo jiné obchod s koksem a rafinovanými ropnými produkty, vyplývá z předběžných odhadů ČSÚ.

Vývoz vzrostl meziročně o 5,6 procenta na 415,6 miliardy korun, dovoz se zvýšil o šest procent na 405,7 miliardy korun. Letošní květen měl přitom o jeden pracovní den méně než loňský. "Také v květnu rostl dovoz meziročně rychleji než vývoz, rozdíl v tempu růstu se však oproti předchozímu měsíci zmírnil," uvedl vedoucí oddělení obchodní bilance ČSÚ Zdeněk Skalák.

"V lednu až květnu 2026 dosáhl přebytek obchodní bilance 87,7 miliardy korun, což představovalo meziroční pokles o 17,9 miliardy korun," dodali statistici. Od začátku roku stoupl vývoz o 3,8 procenta a dovoz o pět procent.

Přebytek obchodu se stroji a zařízeními se podle statistiků meziročně zvýšil o 5,1 miliardy korun, v případě elektrických zařízení byl vyšší o 1,1 miliardy a u kovodělných výrobků o jednu miliardu korun.

Deficit obchodu s koksem a rafinovanými ropnými produkty se prohloubil o 4,8 miliardy korun. Zhoršilo se zároveň saldo obchodu s ropou a zemním plynem o 3,2 miliardy korun a s počítači, elektronickými a optickými přístroji o 1,6 miliardy korun.

Přebytek bilance zahraničního obchodu se státy Evropské unie se v květnu meziročně zvýšil o 3,9 miliardy korun. Deficit obchodu se státy mimo EU byl vyšší o 4,1 miliardy korun.

Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - July 7, 2026) - Spartan Metals Corp. (TSXV: W) (OTCQB: SPRMF) (FSE: J03) ("Spartan" or the "Company"), an exploration and development company focused on tungsten in the western United States, is pleased to announce assay results from recent sampling conducted at its past producing Rees Tungsten Mine ("Rees" or "Mine") located within the Rees Claims at its 100% owned Eagle Project, Nevada (Figure 1).

Highlights:

Rock chip samples from inside the Mine assayed at 6.76% and 3.75% tungsten trioxide ("WO")3, which are among the highest tungsten grades reported at the Eagle ProjectHistoric United States Bureau of Mines (USBM) sampling1 from within the Mine returned 8.48%, 1.50%, 0.83%, and 0.83% WO3Historic USBM surface sampling1 at Rees returned 3.40%, 1.80%, and 1.46% WO3Historic production records1 detail approximately 1,306 Short Ton Units (stu) or 1,185 Metric Ton Units (mtu) at an average grade of 3.51% WO3 was shipped in 1954 and 1955The Rees Tungsten Mine is the third past producing tungsten mine at the Eagle Project where Spartan has validated reported historic tungsten grades that are in excess of 1% WO3, which suggests potentially significant tungsten endowment across the Eagle ProjectInitial results confirm past producing grades and further support the belief that the Eagle Project represents one of the highest-grade tungsten districts in the United StatesBrett Marsh, Spartan's President and CEO, stated, "The assay results from within the Rees Tungsten Mine are particularly exciting as they include some of the highest tungsten grades reported by Spartan Metals at the Eagle Project to date. Our sampling not only confirms the exceptional tenor of mineralization observed historically, but also closely aligns with historic United States Bureau of Mines sampling and documented production records. This independent validation continues to strengthen our confidence in the quality and reliability of the historical data across the Eagle Project."

Mr. Marsh, continued, "Perhaps most importantly, Rees is now the third past-producing tungsten mine at Eagle where we have confirmed historic tungsten grades that exceed 1% WO₃. When viewed alongside our recent results from Yellow Jacket and the newly identified tungsten skarn mineralization and new tungsten-silver veins at Tungstonia, a compelling picture is emerging of a large and well-endowed tungsten district with multiple styles of mineralization. We believe these results further demonstrate the exploration potential of the Eagle Project and reinforce our strategy of evaluating both historical producers and previously unexplored targets as we continue to advance the Eagle Project. These grades continue to support our team's interpretation that this project is one of the most prospective and highest-grade tungsten districts in the United States."

These samples were collected as part of the exploration program announced on May 21, 2026 and were taken from within the Rees Mine with approximate locations shown in Figures 2 and 3 with results listed in Table 1. The Rees Mine was entered with the assistance of mine safety professional from High Desert Mining ("High Desert") from Salt Lake City, UT. High Desert was engaged to evaluate the Spartan's past producing mines (Tungstonia, Rees, and Antelope) for potential reopening, which provided Spartan an opportunity to safely enter the abandoned mine to conduct validation sampling.

Figure 4 shows samples RE-2026-001 and RE-2026-002 under ultraviolet ("UV") light with the scheelite mineralization fluorescing as blue or bluish white. Figure 5 shows images taken of the mineralized faces within the mine walls showing pervasive scheelite mineralization. Additional images and videos of the Rees Tungsten Mine are located on Spartan's website here.

Figure 6 shows the Rees Tungsten Mine entrance and an example of remaining underground infrastructure which is believed to have been operated as recently as the 1980s2 and could be potentially reused.

Significance of Assay Results

The Rees Tungsten mine results are particularly notable when viewed in a global tungsten context. Published geological references commonly cite typical tungsten skarn grades in the range of approximately 0.3% to 1.4% WO₃, with many large porphyry, disseminated, greisen and stratabound tungsten systems reported at lower average grades, often below 1% WO₃3. By comparison, Spartan's underground samples at Rees grading 6.76% and 3.75% WO₃, historic USBM samples of up to 8.48% WO₃, and documented historic shipments averaging 3.51% WO₃ highlight the exceptional tenor of tungsten mineralization present within the Mine. While selected rock samples, historic samples and historic production records are not necessarily representative of broader mineralization and do not constitute a Mineral Resource or Mineral Reserve, the repeated confirmation of +1% WO₃ grades at Rees, Yellow Jacket and Tungstonia reinforces Spartan's view that the Eagle Project hosts a potentially significant, district-scale tungsten system with multiple past-producing mines and multiple styles of mineralization.

Next Steps

Spartan will continue to execute its 2026 exploration program as discussed in the May 21, 2026, announcement including:

Continued surface sampling of soils and rocks - including backpack drilling - over claims acquired in November 2025 to potentially extend previously identified tungsten, silver, and rubidium soil anomalies at the Tungstonia.Continued rock sampling and backpack core drilling at the Rees Claims to cover the past producing Rees Tungsten and Antelope Mine areas.Evaluation of a geophysics program for the Rees Claims.Evaluation of establishing safe entry for all past operating mines at the Eagle Project.In Process: Ground geophysics surveys at the Tungstonia Claims to inform depths of existing 2+ km tungsten-silver veins and potential tungsten skarn mineralization that is coincident with tungsten-silver-rubidium soil anomalies and at Yellow Jacket.Early to mid-August: Approximately 3,000 meters (m) diamond core drilling at high priority targets identified through surface sampling and geophysics surveys at the Eagle Project.Table 1 Sample results from Rees Mine with selected USBM samples1 (widths as reported, true widths are not yet known)

Sample IDWO3
(%)Ag
(g/t)Width
(m)CommentsRE-2026-0013.751.1-Rock chip sample in adit from approximately 20m from mine entranceRE-2026-0026.761.0-Rock chip sample in adit from approximately 30.5m from lower crosscut entrance approximately 10m vertically below mine entranceTG-RK-GA-0020.7511.4-Grab sample from mine dump near mine entrance

BM 15421.80N/A1.77Channel sample at surfaceBM 15470.72N/A0.61Channel sample at surfaceBM 15480.69N/A0.49Channel sample at surfaceBM 15491.46N/A0.27Channel sample at surfaceBM 15503.40N/A0.94Channel Sample at surfaceBM 15518.48N/A0.55In adit approximately 4.9m from mine entranceBM 15520.84N/A0.55Near #1 raise approximately 1m from adit floorBM 15531.50N/A0.61From bottom of adit floor below BM 1552BM 15540.83N/A0.34East side of #1 raise about 6.1 m above adit floor

Figure 1 Location map for the Eagle Project showing the Rees and Tungstonia claims

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/12484/304127_331d45ae247cabb6_001full.jpg

Figure 2 The Rees Tungsten mine location within the Rees Claims

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/12484/304127_331d45ae247cabb6_002full.jpg

Figure 3 Rees Tungsten Mine with schematic of underground workings with USBM and approximate Spartan sample locations. RE-2026-001 was taken from near the Number 1 stope and BM 1443. RE-2026-002 was taken from with a lower crosscutting adit that terminated approximately 10 m below the "Portal" noted above.

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/12484/304127_331d45ae247cabb6_003full.jpg

Figure 4 Samples RE-2026-001 and RE-2026-002 from within Rees Mine under ultraviolet light (UV) showing extensive scheelite mineralization (blue/white fluorescence)

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/12484/304127_331d45ae247cabb6_004full.jpg

Figure 5 Images from within Rees Mine under UV light showing scheelite (blue/white fluorescence) in the adit walls. Each image is approximately 2 m in width across the image.

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/12484/304127_331d45ae247cabb6_005full.jpg

Figure 6 Aerial photo of Rees Mine (A) with example of timber infrastructure and chute remaining in the main adit (B).

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/12484/304127_331d45ae247cabb6_006full.jpg

QA/QC Procedures

Samples were submitted to American Assay Lab (AAL) of Sparks, Nevada, which is a certified and accredited laboratory, independent of the Company. Samples are prepared using industry standard-prep methods and analyzed using method IM-4AB52 (52 element suite: 0.5g 4-acid plus boric acid hot block, ICP-OES + MS plus IO-NFEx [Sodium Peroxide Fusion, ICP-OES] for W over 500ppm). AAL undertakes its own internal coarse and pulp duplicate analysis to ensure proper sample preparation and equipment calibration. Spartan's QAQC includes regular insertion of CRM standards, duplicates, and blanks with a stringent review of results completed by the Company's Qualified Person, Brett R. Marsh, President and CEO of Spartan Metals.

Qualified Person Statement

The technical information contained in this news release has been prepared under the supervision of, and approved by Brett R. Marsh, CPG. Mr. Marsh is President and CEO of Spartan Metals Corp. and a "qualified person" as defined under National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.

The Company cautions that production, tonnage, grade and recovery information relating to the historic Rees Tungsten Mine are considered "historical" in nature and are not supported by a current NI 43-101 compliant technical report. A Qualified Person has not done sufficient work to classify the historical estimates or production records as current mineral resources or mineral reserves, and Spartan is not treating these historical estimates as current mineral resources or reserves.

The historical information referenced herein is derived from a United States Bureau of Mines report1, which the Company believes to be reliable, but has not independently verified. While two samples were collected near those referenced within the report, there has been no systematic exploration and/or verification work completed by Spartan to date to confirm the historical mining, grade or metallurgical information reported for these past producing operations.

The references in this news release to historical production, resources, and economic assessments are provided for context only and should not be interpreted as indicative of the mineralization that may be present on Spartan's current claims, nor as evidence of the economic viability of the Rees Tungsten Mine. There is no assurance that Spartan's exploration programs will confirm the presence of economically mineable mineralization, or that any future resource estimates will reflect similar grades, tonnages or recoveries to those historically reported.

References

1 Gentry G., G., and Pampeyan E., H., 1955, DMEA 3654 Rees Mining Company Antelope Mining Claims, White Pine County, Nevada

2 https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/show-mrds.php?dep_id=10037285

3 Pitfield, P.E.J. and Brown, T.J. (2011). Tungsten. British Geological Survey, Mineral Commodity Profile, Table 3.

4 Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology, 1988, Bulletin 105 p213-217

About The Eagle Project

The Eagle Project presents a unique opportunity to delineate one of the largest and highest-grade Tungsten ("W") and Rubidium ("Rb") districts in the United States. The Project consists of the past-producing4 high-grade Tungstonia, Yellow Jacket, and Rees/Antelope tungsten (W-Cu-Ag) mines. Operations at these mines were from 1915 to 1942 with intermittent small-scale production occurring until 1956. Tungsten production from these mines totaled 8,379 units at grades between 0.6%-0.9% WO3.

The Project is ~36.5 km² in size and located approximately 120 kilometers northeast of the town of Ely, in the Kern Mountains of White Pine County, Nevada. The Project covers 9,033 acres consisting of 445 Bureau of Land Management (BLM) unpatented lode mining claims.

Three deposit types are present at Eagle; Porphyry, Skarn, and Carbonate Replacement (CRD) that contain significant or anomalous grades of Tungsten (W), Silver (Ag), and Rubidium (Rb) plus Cu-Sb±Au-Pb-Zn-Bi-As across three project focus areas that also includes the potential to recover W-Rb-Ag from the legacy Tungstonia Mill Tailings.

About Spartan Metals Corp.

Spartan Metals is focused on developing critical minerals projects in well-established and stable mining jurisdictions in the Western United States, with an emphasis on building a portfolio of diverse strategic defense minerals such as Tungsten, Rubidium, Antimony, Bismuth, and Arsenic.

Spartan's high quality project portfolio includes an option to earn 100% of the Victorio Tungsten-Molybdenum Project in New Mexico and the 100% owned Eagle Tungsten-Silver-Rubidium Project in Nevada. Victorio hosts the largest tungsten resource in the United States and contains significant concentrations of beryllium and fluorspar, while the Eagle Project consists of the highest-grade historic tungsten resource in the USA which includes significant under-defined resources consisting of: high-grade silver; rubidium; antimony; bismuth; indium; as well as precious and base metals, and more information about Spartan Metals can be found at www.SpartanMetals.com.

On behalf of the Board of Spartan
"Brett Marsh"
President, CEO & Director

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release

Forward Looking Statements
This news release contains statements that constitute "forward-looking statements." Such forward looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the Company's actual results, performance or achievements, or developments in the industry to differ materially from the anticipated results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "believes," "intends," "estimates," "projects," "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will," "would," "may," "could" or "should" occur. Forward-Looking Information in this news release, Spartan has applied several material assumptions, including, but not limited to, assumptions that: the current objectives concerning the Company's projects can be achieved and that its other corporate activities will proceed as expected; that general business and economic conditions will not change in a materially adverse manner; and that all requisite information will be available in a timely manner.

Although the Company believes the forward-looking information contained in this news release is reasonable based on information available on the date hereof, by their nature forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements, or other future events, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. By their nature, these statements involve a variety of assumptions, known and unknown risks and uncertainties and other factors, which may cause actual results, levels of activity and achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements.

Examples of such assumptions, risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, assumptions, risks and uncertainties associated with general economic conditions; adverse industry events; future legislative and regulatory developments; the Company's ability to access sufficient capital from internal and external sources, and/or inability to access sufficient capital on favorable terms; the ability of the Company to implement its business strategies; competition; the ability of the Company to obtain and retain all applicable regulatory and other approvals and other assumptions, risks and uncertainties.

THE FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS NEWS RELEASE REPRESENTS THE EXPECTATIONS OF THE COMPANY AS OF THE DATE OF THIS NEWS RELEASE AND, ACCORDINGLY, IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE AFTER SUCH DATE. READERS SHOULD NOT PLACE UNDUE IMPORTANCE ON FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION AND SHOULD NOT RELY UPON THIS INFORMATION AS OF ANY OTHER DATE. WHILE THE COMPANY MAY ELECT TO, IT DOES NOT UNDERTAKE TO UPDATE THIS INFORMATION AT ANY PARTICULAR TIME EXCEPT AS REQUIRED IN ACCORDANCE WITH APPLICABLE LAWS.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/304127

Source: Spartan Metals Corp.

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Micron stock NASDAQ:MU has fallen roughly 22% from its record high, sliding to around $985 on Monday after touching an all-time high near $1,255.

The drop looks jarring because the memory-chip maker only recently posted record quarterly results and upbeat guidance.

The selloff has shifted the debate from Micron’s earnings strength to valuation risk, with investors weighing an overheated AI chip trade against a memory market that remains unusually tight.

The latest pullback does not appear to be a Micron-specific blow-up, but part of a broader reset across the AI hardware trade after a blistering rally in memory and storage stocks.

Meta’s reported move to build a third-party AI compute business rattled investors because it was read as a possible sign that some hyperscalers may eventually have excess capacity to sell.

That hit sentiment across chipmakers and AI infrastructure names, not just Micron.

The analyst linked MU’s drop to Meta’s cautious data-centre signals and broader worries about whether the memory boom can sustain its momentum.

The selling also came after a huge run.

Even after the pullback, Micron remains up more than 250% year-to-date. That makes the 22% fall look less like a collapse and more like profit-taking after a powerful AI-driven run.

Hedge-fund positioning may have amplified the move.

As per Goldman Sachs, US hedge funds had sold technology hardware stocks for a fourth straight week ahead of earnings season, reflecting caution after sharp semiconductor gains.

Analysts remain broadly constructive because the fundamentals still look strong.

Micron reported record fiscal third-quarter revenue of $41.5 billion, up from $23.9 billion in the prior quarter and $9.3 billion a year earlier.

Non-GAAP net income came in at $28.9 billion, or $25.11 per diluted share, while operating cash flow reached $25.4 billion.

Bank of America’s Vivek Arya raised his Micron price target to $1,500 from $950 while keeping a Buy rating.

His bullish view reflects the idea that AI infrastructure is shifting from a pure demand story to a physical bottleneck story, where memory, chips and power remain scarce.

Citi’s Atif Malik has also stayed upbeat as the analyst raised his target to $1,200 in June, citing better-than-expected memory pricing, strong data-centre demand and constrained supply.

UBS is even more bullish as analyst Nicolas Gaudois viewed the latest dip as a buying opportunity and kept a $1,625 target, citing persistent memory-industry strength and tight supply.

Still, the buying-window argument is not risk-free.

Michael Burry has reportedly taken a short position against Micron, while questioning whether the stock’s surge reflects AI hype rather than sustainable value.

There is also the classic memory-cycle risk, as today’s shortage can become tomorrow’s glut if rivals add too much capacity.

Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix plan a combined $2.1 trillion in long-term investment, a scale that could eventually pressure pricing if AI demand cools or supply arrives faster than expected.

The defense trade of the past few years has split into two stories. One is about software -- the code that turns a flood of sensor data into a targeting decision. The other is about steel -- the interceptors, aircraft, and factories that fill a shooting war's shopping list.

Palantir Technologies (PLTR +2.51%) owns the first story. Lockheed Martin (LMT 1.45%) owns the second. Both are winning work, and the contrast between them says a lot about where defense budgets are heading in 2026.

Image source: Getty Images.

What Palantir is doing in defense Palantir has moved from a data vendor to the decision layer of the U.S. and allied militaries. Its Maven Smart System is built on the company's Artificial Intelligence Platform, which sifts sensor feeds and flags targets, and the Pentagon made it an official program of record in 2026.

That status matters because it signals lasting, budgeted demand rather than a pilot that could vanish. The Army folded some 75 separate contracts into a single enterprise agreement with a $10 billion ceiling over 10 years, the largest deal in the company's history, and both NATO and the U.K. have signed on for their own Maven deployments. Palantir is embedding itself as the software spine that other systems plug into, a durable place to sit as warfare becomes software-defined.

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What Lockheed Martin is doing in defense Lockheed Martin is building the hardware as needed. The center of gravity is the Golden Dome, the national missile shield that has become the defining U.S. defense program of the decade.

Lockheed landed a $35.5 billion award to produce THAAD interceptors, agreed to triple PAC-3 output and quadruple THAAD production under multiyear deals, and won prototype work on space-based interceptors designed to strike missiles after launch. Around the shield, the company keeps upgrading the F-35 with new sensors and electronic warfare capabilities, pairs the jet with autonomous drone wingmen, and pushes ahead with hypersonic weapons. It closed 2025 with a backlog of nearly $194 billion, more than two and a half years of sales on the books at the year's start.

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The case for each defense stock, and the risks Palantir's momentum is real, and its software could ride every platform in the field. The catch is that the stock trades at a level that assumes years of flawless growth, so a single quarter that misses the bar can punish the shares. It sells software into budgets that fund hardware first, which caps how large the defense slice can grow in a given year.

Lockheed carries its own scars. It lost the next-generation fighter contract to a rival, its fixed-price programs have a history of cost overruns, and the space-interceptor race for the Golden Dome includes a dozen competitors chasing the same dollars.

Neither name is a clean bet, and an investor should weigh the flaws in both before choosing.

The tiebreaker for me is what 2026 funds. The money in this budget cycle flows to the missile shield and the magazines of interceptors behind it, and Lockheed Martin sits at the center of both, with multiyear contracts and a backlog that turns today's headlines into years of booked revenue.

Palantir may prove the better business over a longer arc, and its software keeps spreading across the same programs Lockheed builds. For the year ahead, though, the visibility of funded programs and the price an investor pays to own them tilt the decision toward the hardware maker.

Palantir is also caught up in the broader AI trade, where any stock with an artificial intelligence story gets bid higher on the theme rather than the results underneath it. That link cuts both ways: If sentiment around AI names cools, Palantir could sell off alongside them even if its defense contracts keep landing on schedule.

This means Lockheed Martin is the better defense stock to own in 2026, with Palantir as the one to watch as the software layer continues to grow. Investors who want defense exposure with a clear line of sight into next year's revenue have the stronger setup in Lockheed. Those who buy Palantir should size their positions to its valuation and treat the swings as the cost of admission.

, /PRNewswire/ -- The DJS Law Group reminds investors of a class action lawsuit against Roblox Corporation ("Roblox" or "the Company") (NYSE: RBLX) for violations of §§10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Shareholders who purchased shares of RBLX during the class period listed are encouraged to contact the firm regarding possible lead plaintiff appointments. Appointment as lead plaintiff is not required to partake in any recovery.

CLASS PERIOD: October 30, 2025 to April 30, 2026

DEADLINE: August 7, 2026

CASE DETAILS: According to the Complaint, the Company made false and misleading statements to the market. Roblox misled investors about how age verification on its gaming platform would impact its growth prospects. The Company touted "tremendous organic growth" as it faced headwinds related to age verification and public perception. Based on these facts, Roblox's public statements were false and materially misleading throughout the class period.

If you are a shareholder who suffered a loss, contact us to participate.

WHY DJS LAW GROUP? DJS Law Group's primary focus is to enhance investor return through balanced counseling and aggressive advocacy. We specialize in securities class actions, corporate governance litigation, and domestic/international M&A appraisals. Our clients are some of the largest and most sophisticated hedge funds and alternative asset managers in the world. The litigation claims of our clients are extraordinarily valuable assets that demand respect, focus, and results.

Join the case to recover your losses.

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

CONTACT:

David J. Schwartz

DJS Law Group

274 White Plains Road, Suite 1

 Eastchester, NY 10709

Phone: 914-206-9742

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE DJS Law Group LLP

Meziroční inflace v Česku v červnu podle předběžného odhadu zpomalila na 1,5 procenta a dostala se na jednu z nejnižších úrovní letošního roku. K poklesu přispělo především zlevnění potravin a energií, zatímco ceny služeb pokračovaly v poměrně svižném růstu. Nová data potvrzují, že inflační tlaky v tuzemské ekonomice zůstávají zatím pod kontrolou, přestože některé segmenty, zejména služby, nadále zdražují výrazně rychleji než celková cenová hladina.

Meziroční růst spotřebitelských cen v Česku letos v červnu zmírnil na 1,5 procenta z květnových 2,1 procenta. Vyplývá to z předběžného odhadu inflace, který dnes zveřejnil Český statistický úřad. Meziměsíčně ceny v červnu klesly o 0,3 procenta. Konečnou hodnotu červnové inflace zveřejní statistici 10. července.

Nejvýrazněji v červnu meziročně rostly ceny služeb, které zdražily o 4,5 procenta. Podobně - o 4,3 procenta - stouply ceny alkoholických nápojů a tabáku. Největší zlevnění oproti loňskému červnu ČSÚ zaznamenal u potravin a nealkoholických nápojů, jejichž ceny klesly o 3,4 procenta. O 2,1 procenta zlevnily nezpracované potraviny a o 0,6 procenta zpracované potraviny. O jedno procento klesly meziročně ceny energií, které zahrnují i pohonné hmoty. V květnu přitom naopak energie o 1,8 procenta zdražovaly. Po předchozím květnovém zdražení v červnu mírně zlevnilo i zboží, jehož ceny klesly o 0,4 procenta.

"Pokles meziroční inflace ale táhly zejména rozkolísané položky. Ceny služeb stále meziročně rostou o 4,5 procenta," uvedl člen bankovní rady ČNB Jakub Seidler. Nastavení měnové politiky ČNB podle něj reflektuje jak stále zvýšený růst cen služeb, ale také odhad inflace na horizontu měnové politiky, kde už nebude v protiinflačním směru působit vývoj cen potravin a energií, a kde je meziroční dynamika cen u horní hranice tolerančního pásma.

Červnová inflace je zatím jedna z nejnižších v první polovině tohoto roku. Nižší byla letos zatím jen v únoru, kdy činila 1,4 procenta. Nejvyšší byla v dubnu, a to 2,5 procenta.

Loni se meziroční inflace od května držela soustavně až do konce roku nad dvěma procenty, v červnu se dostala až na 2,9 procenta. Letos v prvních třech měsících roku zvolnila a držela se pod dvouprocentním cílem České národní banky. V únoru byla dokonce na nejnižší hodnotě od října 2016. Za zvolněním inflace v prvních měsících roku stálo podle odborníků zejména převedení plateb za obnovitelné zdroje energie ze spotřebitelů na stát.

On-chain analytics firm Santiment flagged that PAX Gold (PAXG) daily active addresses hit an all-time high on July 6, while network realized profits surged to a five-month peak. The combination paints a clear picture: holders are locking in gains during gold’s broader rally, and more wallets than ever are engaging with the tokenized commodity.

The numbers behind the gold rush PAXG was trading near $4,150 in early July, which might sound impressive until you remember it touched roughly $5,619 on January 29. That’s a decline of about 26% from its all-time high.

Yet the token’s market capitalization still sits at approximately $1.8 billion, backed by a circulating supply of around 452,000 tokens. Each one represents a single fine troy ounce of London Good Delivery gold, stored in LBMA-approved vaults.

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The five-month high in realized profits tells us that a meaningful number of PAXG holders bought in at lower prices and are now selling into strength.

Why tokenized gold keeps gaining traction PAXG is issued by Paxos Trust Company, a New York-based regulated trust company that publishes monthly transparency reports confirming the 1:1 physical gold backing.

Paxos launched PAXG back in September 2019. Each PAXG token is fully redeemable for one troy ounce of investment-grade gold stored in segregated LBMA-approved vaults, and the token operates as an ERC-20 asset on Ethereum, meaning it can be moved, swapped, and settled on-chain.

What this means for investors The record active address count suggests PAXG is moving beyond its original audience. When wallet activity hits all-time highs on a $1.8 billion market cap asset, it signals that the user base is expanding, not just churning.

The profit-taking dynamic deserves careful attention. When realized profits spike alongside rising active addresses, it can sometimes precede short-term price consolidation. The 26% drawdown from January’s peak suggests that PAXG isn’t immune to the same supply-demand dynamics that govern every other traded asset.

The competitive landscape for tokenized gold is worth monitoring. Tether’s XAUT is the primary rival, and market share shifts between the two tend to follow regulatory sentiment. Paxos’ status as a regulated trust company and its consistent monthly attestations give PAXG an edge with institutional allocators who need compliance checkboxes ticked before they can deploy capital.

Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.

The US Dollar (USD) trades higher for the second consecutive day against the Swiss Franc (CHF). Downdside attempts remain shallow so far, amid a calm market mood, and the immediate trend shows a mild bullish stance, with resistance at the 0.8075 area under pressure.

On the macroeconomic front, data from the Swiss National Bank revealed that Foreign Currency Reserves rose to CHF759 billion in June, from CHF 711 billion in May. 

The Swissie, however, remains weighed by the downbeat employment figures released on Monday, which showed that the Unemployment Rate rose to a five-year high of 3.1%. Later in the day, the US ISM Services Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) met expectations with solid growth in activity, while the S&P Global Services PMI revealed an unexpected slowdown.

Technical Analysis: Looking for direction above 0.8050

USD/CHF is in a corrective phase after completing a 5-wave (Elliot Wave) bullish cycle, with momentum indicators showing mixed signals. The daily chart reflects a constructive Relative Strength Index (14), near 58, while the Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) has slipped marginally into negative territory.

Bulls need to break resistance around 0.8075 (June 26, 30 lows and July 6 high) to confirm the completion of the corrective phase, and shift focus towards the late June and early July highs, between 0.8120 and 0.8135.

On the downside, a bearish reaction below 0.8045 session lows would add pressure towards Friday's trading floor at the 0.8010 area. If this level gives way, an A-B=C-D correction would target the 61.8% Fibonacci retracement off the bullish run, just above 0.7900.

(The technical analysis of this story was written with the help of an AI tool. Know more.)

Swiss Franc Price This week The table below shows the percentage change of Swiss Franc (CHF) against listed major currencies this week. Swiss Franc was the strongest against the Japanese Yen.

USDEURGBPJPYCADAUDNZDCHFUSD0.10%-0.23%0.37%0.17%-0.06%0.39%0.43%EUR-0.10%-0.36%0.26%0.04%-0.13%0.25%0.28%GBP0.23%0.36%0.50%0.39%0.23%0.61%0.63%JPY-0.37%-0.26%-0.50%-0.24%-0.32%0.02%0.02%CAD-0.17%-0.04%-0.39%0.24%-0.10%0.27%0.24%AUD0.06%0.13%-0.23%0.32%0.10%0.38%0.41%NZD-0.39%-0.25%-0.61%-0.02%-0.27%-0.38%0.02%CHF-0.43%-0.28%-0.63%-0.02%-0.24%-0.41%-0.02% The heat map shows percentage changes of major currencies against each other. The base currency is picked from the left column, while the quote currency is picked from the top row. For example, if you pick the Swiss Franc from the left column and move along the horizontal line to the US Dollar, the percentage change displayed in the box will represent CHF (base)/USD (quote).

Polestar (PSNY 0.39%) was initially an attractive and intriguing investment for a handful of reasons. Its early products, such as the Polestar 1 and Polestar 2, were rated well and showed the company could produce compelling and stylish vehicles. It also had more established and reliable production early on, as it was producing thousands of vehicles at the time it went public, and had the backing of bigger automakers Geely and Volvo. Fast-forward to now, and Polestar vehicles are now banned in the U.S. market, leaving investors in a bad position. Let's dig into how bad this scenario is and where investors can now turn for a better investment option.

A brutal blow Polestar, majority-owned by Geely Holding, may have sent some warning signals, but now it's official: The young electric vehicle (EV) maker says the Trump administration is barring U.S. sales of its EVs after the current model year due to prohibited Chinese connected technology. The Trump administration isn't solely to blame, as the decision was driven by the Biden-era provisions on Chinese hardware and software, barring Polestar sales in the U.S. for the 2027 year and beyond.

While this is a brutal blow, at least in the near term, especially for investors hoping to uncover unique and high-potential young EV stocks, Europe still remains the automaker's growth engine. Europe generated about 78% of Polestar's first-quarter sales, compared to a more modest 6% from the U.S. market. Still, it's a bitter pill to swallow as Polestar's roughly 32 U.S. dealerships will largely now be used for service and repairs for existing customers. It's also a blow to future growth as the U.S. is expected to continue gaining steam in EV sales over the next few years.

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Two reasons the decision is strange There are a lot of questions facing investors, dealerships, and Polestar management, and few concrete answers. One reason this is a strange development is that it's not an automotive bankruptcy, which leaves the company operating in unusual waters and with few answers for the franchisees that have invested millions of dollars. Another reason this decision is a little strange is that while Polestar didn't receive authorization to continue selling its vehicles in the U.S., Polestar's sibling brand, Volvo, did receive such authorization, despite similar ties and shared Chinese ownership.

For investors not prepared to give up on young EV stocks, Rivian (RIVN +8.11%) is becoming a more compelling option. Thanks primarily to the company's joint venture with Volkswagen, and the latter's multifaceted investments and payments, Rivian has now achieved gross profitability, which is a big step toward proving to investors it has the ability to become a viable long-term investment. Further, Rivian is currently ramping up production of its R2, the highly anticipated, more affordable electric SUV from the company, which will be far more compelling for investors with the significant reductions in costs per unit.

Image source: Rivian.

What it all means For investors who have been interested in Polestar from the beginning, this is just the latest (albeit large) geopolitical setback that has consistently provided speed bumps for the business. Polestar has a large Chinese export hub, and tariffs on Chinese-built vehicles essentially forced Polestar to discontinue sales of the Polestar 2 fastback in the U.S. market, delay the Polestar 4 crossover, and increase the price on the upcoming Polestar 5, which made it far less compelling. While this is certainly a blow to Polestar's near-term growth, and there are more questions than answers for investors right now, the automaker can at least focus all its efforts on its more lucrative overseas markets.

Ballard Announces Q2 2026 Results Conference Call PR Newswire VANCOUVER, BC, July 6, 2026

Not financial or tax advice. PANews content is strictly educational and informational and is not investment advice, financial advice, tax advice, legal advice, or a solicitation to buy or sell any digital asset, security, or financial product. Do your own research and consult qualified advisers.

Disclosure. PANews may publish sponsored content, partner content, advertisements, affiliate links, event promotions, and market commentary involving Web3 projects, service providers, or financial products. PANews personnel, contributors, or affiliates may hold digital assets or other interests related to covered topics. See our Terms of Service.

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Disclosure. PANews may publish sponsored content, partner content, advertisements, affiliate links, event promotions, and market commentary involving Web3 projects, service providers, or financial products. PANews personnel, contributors, or affiliates may hold digital assets or other interests related to covered topics. See our Terms of Service.

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FIFA did something it almost never does: it overturned the automatic one-match suspension for US striker Folarin Balogun after his straight red card against Bosnia and Herzegovina on July 1, 2026. Now, with the Round of 16 clash against Belgium set for July 6 at Seattle’s Lumen Field, the officiating crew is under a microscope, and crypto traders are doing what they do best. They’re betting on the chaos.

The Belgian Football Association has publicly said it is “astonished” by FIFA’s reversal, hinting at formal complaints if the decision ends up disadvantaging their squad.

The red card reversal that broke the internet Balogun picked up a straight red in the US victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina, a decision reviewed by VAR during the match. Under normal FIFA rules, that’s an automatic one-game ban, which would have sidelined him for the Belgium fixture. FIFA chose to suspend that ban, effectively clearing Balogun to play.

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Jordanian referee Adham Makhadmeh will lead the officiating crew, with Khamis Al-Marri from Qatar handling VAR duties.

Adding another layer of intrigue: the previous match’s referee, Brazil’s Raphael Claus, has reportedly faced scrutiny related to a match-fixing inquiry.

Prediction markets and meme tokens enter the chat Prediction markets have seen a minor flurry of activity tied to the Balogun situation. Traders are placing bets on everything from match outcomes to whether Belgium will file a formal protest.

Solana has seen new tokens emerge specifically tied to Balogun’s World Cup performance. These meme tokens and prediction market bets represent a niche corner of the ecosystem, not a structural shift.

What this means for crypto investors For traders considering the meme token angle, the risk profile is about as straightforward as it gets. These tokens are pure speculation with zero underlying utility. They tend to spike on social media virality and collapse once the news cycle moves on. Anyone buying a Balogun-themed Solana token should treat it as entertainment spending, not an investment thesis.

Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.

TLDR: BONK faces renewed scrutiny after BonkDAO confirmed a malicious governance proposal drained about $20 million from its treasury. The attacker reportedly spent about $4.4 million buying BONK tokens to gain enough voting power for the proposal. The vote passed through the DAO’s own governance process, meaning the attack did not rely on a smart contract exploit. BONK price action weakened after the drain, with the token trading below major moving averages and facing resistance near $0.00000445. BONK faced fresh selling pressure after BonkDAO confirmed a malicious governance proposal drained about $20 million from its treasury. The incident took place on July 6, 2026, and exposed a weak point in token-weighted voting systems. BonkDAO said the attacker used a proposal to move treasury funds into a wallet they controlled. 

The move did not involve a smart contract exploit. Instead, the attacker used the DAO’s own rules to pass the vote. BONK traded near $0.00000442 after the incident, with an intraday low near $0.00000414.

Source: solscan.io BONK Treasury Drain Shows DAO Voting Risk BonkDAO described the incident as a malicious governance proposal that drained an estimated $20 million in BONK tokens. The project said it identified exchange wallets used to buy tokens before the proposal. It also said it was working with exchanges, bridges, the Solana Foundation, and law enforcement.

BonkDAO was the target of a malicious governance proposal resulting in an estimated $20M worth of BONK tokens being drained from the BonkDAO treasury.

During the investigation, BonkDAO identified the exchange wallets used to purchase BONK ahead of the proposal. BonkDAO is…

— BONK!!! (@bonk_inu) July 6, 2026

The attacker reportedly built voting power over several days. Onchain reports said the wallet spent about $4.4 million buying BONK before the vote. That stake gave the attacker enough influence to push the proposal past quorum.

The proposal then transferred about 4.43 trillion BONK from the treasury. The vote passed with only a small number of active wallets involved. Most DAO members did not take part, which left the treasury exposed to a concentrated vote.

The attack stands out as it used valid transactions. The buying, voting, and treasury transfer all moved through the governance system. That makes the case different from a front-end hack or direct wallet drainer.

In March 2026, Bonk.fun faced a separate website-related incident. Attackers used a fake signing flow to target users. This time, no individual user wallets were drained. The target was the DAO treasury itself.

BONK Price Weakens as Governance Attack Hits Confidence BONK price action weakened after news of the treasury drain spread. The token’s market value fell below the $500 million area, while trading volume rose sharply. That mix pointed to heavy speculation and fading short-term confidence.

Technical pressure also stayed visible. BONK traded below its 20-day, 50-day, and 200-day moving averages. The token faced resistance near $0.00000445, while short-term forecasts pointed to a possible range between $0.00000352 and $0.00000548.

Source: Coingecko The governance attack also revived a wider debate across DAOs. Token-weighted voting can expose treasuries when quorum levels sit too low. A wealthy attacker can buy enough influence, pass a proposal, and exit after execution.

This risk is not new, but the BonkDAO case shows how fast it can hit a major memecoin treasury. Many DAO systems focus on smart contract safety. Governance settings now need the same level of review.

Projects may respond with longer timelocks, higher quorum rules, and emergency multisig controls. Time-weighted voting could also reduce the risk of last-minute token accumulation. For BONK, the next focus is fund tracing, exchange cooperation, and whether any treasury assets can be frozen or recovered.

As Q3 rolls out, blockchain infrastructure is entering its biggest coordinated transformation to date. It includes rising institutional demand rather than another race for retail adoption.

More than $30 billion in RWA now sits on public blockchains, exposing weaknesses in existing networks.

Source: RWA.xyz Throughput, settlement speed, compliance, and reliability have become immediate priorities. Therefore, major blockchains are redesigning their foundations instead of relying on incremental upgrades.

Ethereum [ETH], Solana [SOL], Base, and Avalanche [AVAX] each target different bottlenecks through protocol-level improvements.

However, they share the same objective of supporting institutional-scale financial activity. This synchronized rebuild signals that infrastructure quality is becoming the industry’s main competitive advantage.

As deployments continue through 2026 and 2027, capital, developers, and liquidity will increasingly favor networks that execute these upgrades successfully.

How major blockchains are rebuilding for institutional finance The upgrade process has evolved beyond faster and better speeds. The need for greater reliability as an institutionally viable option was brought forth by institutions and banks. Institutions have come to expect and therefore demand predictable settlement times, regulatory compliance, and uninterrupted execution.

That expectation has highlighted weaknesses in all areas of current decentralized networks.

Hence, rather than simply applying patches or making incremental changes, many of the major decentralized networks are being redesigned at the foundation level.

Ethereum is leading that transition.

Development on Glamsterdam accelerated in late 2025 before active devnets launched in early 2026. The mainnet version will be deployed in H1 2026. The upgrade will raise gas limits from approximately 60 million to 200 million.

Notably, it introduces PBS (pre-blocked state). This will be enshrined in the Ethereum codebase, as well as block-level access lists. Both of these enhancements will provide increased settlement capabilities while preparing Ethereum to run parallel executions as per the Lean roadmap.

In contrast, Solana is solving a different challenge.

Alpenglow went into the production phase during 2025 and then proceeded through test nets in Q1 to Q2 2026. Solana plans to deploy Alpenglow on the mainnet in H2 2026.

Source: BCW Research Unlike Ethereum’s approach of initially enhancing its capacity, Solana is redesigning its consensus mechanism. Finality time decreases from 12.8 seconds down to about 100-150 ms.

Beyond reducing finality, Alpenglow removes vote transactions that currently consume nearly 75% of Solana’s network resources. These improvements should enhance the reliability of Solana during periods of prolonged institutional utilization.

Building infrastructure beyond speed Once settlement and execution improve, infrastructure must support regulated financial activity. This new requirement has caused a shift in focus from development, deployment, and programmability towards compliance.

Base began developing Beryl in late 2025, with deployment scheduled for Q3 2026.

In addition to creating better ways to sequence information and provide access to this information via Beryl, it also includes a standardized form of tokens called the B20 token standard.

Source: Base on X This standard can include stablecoins issued under regulatory conditions, tokenization of other types of assets, and equity issuance using compliant mechanisms built into the protocol.

Octane on Avalanche was ramped up during the first quarter of 2026 after the Etna upgrade. Deployments continue to occur from the middle of Q2 through to Q3 of 2026.

Octane upgrades allow for greater transaction processing speeds while decreasing the cost of deploying an enterprise application. These advancements have made it possible to create an institutional blockchain specifically designed to operate for extended periods of time.

Source: AVAX.network While Bitcoin [BTC] represents the most conservative path within the industry, OP_CAT (Opcode Concatenate) gained significant traction during 2025. The larger community continues to test OP_CAT through 2026. Activation of OP_CAT is predicted to occur by either late 2026 or early 2027.

Rather than redesigning Bitcoin, OP_CAT expands scripting while preserving its security model. Together, these timelines show institutions are no longer demanding faster blockchains alone. They increasingly require infrastructure built for long-term financial activity.

Scaling for institutional demand The infrastructure race now enters its most important stage.

Technical upgrades alone will not determine long-term leadership because institutions ultimately allocate capital based on proven execution.

Although every major network is strengthening scalability, compliance, and reliability, adoption continues favoring ecosystems already supporting regulated financial activity.

Ethereum retains the largest share of tokenized assets and stablecoin issuance, benefiting from mature compliance standards, deep liquidity, and established settlement infrastructure.

Base further strengthens that advantage through its compliant token framework, simplifying regulated asset issuance.

Meanwhile, Solana continues narrowing the gap through stronger stablecoin growth and improved finality, while Avalanche attracts institutions seeking dedicated blockchain environments.

Those improvements broaden competition without immediately displacing existing leaders.

As these upgrades move from deployment to production throughout 2026 and 2027, institutions will increasingly judge networks by operational resilience rather than theoretical performance.

The blockchain that consistently delivers reliable settlement, regulatory compatibility, and uninterrupted service during periods of market stress is likely to attract the greatest share of future tokenized capital, regardless of which network processes transactions the fastest.

Final Summary Blockchain infrastructure upgrades, led by Ethereum [ETH], are shifting competition toward institutional readiness instead of transaction speed. Blockchain networks, including Ethereum, will increasingly compete on reliability, compliance, and real-world institutional adoption.

Belgium just punched their ticket to the World Cup knockout stage with a 3-2 extra-time thriller against Senegal in Seattle. For crypto, it’s a live stress test for whether fan tokens can actually matter during the moments that count.

The Red Devils’ win at Lumen Field on July 1 sets up a Round of 16 clash against the United States. It also triggers real financial consequences for holders of the $BELG fan token, which launched on June 3 via Socios.com on the Chiliz Chain. Eligible stakers earn Match Win Bonuses as part of a “Nations in Play” campaign running from June 11 to July 19, meaning Belgium’s dramatic qualification just became the most exciting thing to happen on Chiliz all summer.

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The match and what it means for fan tokens Belgium has fifteen World Cup appearances and a third-place finish in 2018. Their squad features Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, and Thibaut Courtois under coach Rudi Garcia.

Here’s the thing about fan tokens: they’ve always lived in this awkward middle ground between genuine utility and marketing gimmick. The $BELG token promises governance-lite features like voting on minor team decisions and access to exclusive content. The Match Win Bonuses add a speculative layer, essentially rewarding holders when the team performs well on the pitch.

Chiliz and the sports token ecosystem Socios.com and its underlying Chiliz Chain host fan tokens for dozens of major clubs and national teams. The Nations in Play campaign runs for just over five weeks during the peak of global soccer attention, from June 11 to July 19.

Every World Cup match Belgium plays through July 19 is essentially a marketing event for the Chiliz ecosystem. A deep tournament run would give the $BELG token weeks of additional exposure and staking reward triggers. An early exit against the US would cut that narrative short.

The broader market implication worth watching is whether the 2026 World Cup drives measurable user growth for Socios.com and Chiliz Chain, validating the thesis that sports fandom is one of crypto’s most natural distribution channels. Traditional fans who buy a $BELG token to earn match bonuses are, whether they realize it or not, setting up wallets, learning about staking, and interacting with blockchain infrastructure.

Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.

For America’s small business owners, optimism and caution are no longer opposing forces. They are operating simultaneously.

Even as inflation pressures persist, borrowing costs remain elevated and economic uncertainty continues to shape decision-making, a growing number of entrepreneurs are expressing confidence about their prospects. The apparent contradiction reflects a deeper shift underway in how small businesses think about growth, resilience and the role technology plays in navigating volatility.

“This is probably an optimistic group to begin with,” Shena Ashley, president, Capital One Insights Center, told PYMNTS. “When you have vision and you are setting your own course to go out there and do something in the world, you probably have a little bit more of an optimistic lean.”

Ashley argued that optimism today is being reinforced by something more tangible than entrepreneurial instinct. Small business owners increasingly have access to digital tools, financial platforms and integrated systems that allow them to operate with greater visibility and control than previous generations of entrepreneurs.

That access is changing the growth equation.

Preparedness Fuels Confidence For many entrepreneurs, confidence today is less about expecting stability and more about believing they can adapt to whatever comes next. After navigating pandemic shutdowns, supply chain disruptions, inflation spikes and labor shortages, resilience has become a core business capability.

“Small business owners right now have access to more tools and technology, and that’s a part of the story for what’s driving their optimism as well,” Ashley said. “They’re trying to create pathways of opportunity.”

According to research from Capital One’s Insight Center, more than 75% of surveyed small business owners are confident in their ability to grow, while 69% say they are already positioned for expansion. Ashley said many entrepreneurs view growth as part of a larger ambition.

“Many small business owners are looking at their balance sheet as a way to further a vision that they had, that they could create an opportunity that could be legacy building for them, their family, even their coworkers and folks that they have hired,” Ashley said. “This aspiration for growth, the ability to scale, is what’s driving some of that optimism.”

Capital as a Growth Engine Access to capital remains central to turning that optimism into expansion. The research found that 66% of surveyed owners view credit as a key growth driver, enabling businesses to manage cash flow, invest in equipment, hire employees and respond to opportunities.

“Access to credit and access to capital is a key operational lifeline for businesses,” Ashley said.

At the same time, business owners increasingly want financing embedded within broader financial systems that help them understand when and how to deploy capital. Ashley emphasized that entrepreneurs are looking for financing tools that provide real-time visibility and connect seamlessly with their financial operations.

“It’s not just that it’s there, it’s accessible, it’s ready when they need it,” she said. “They know how to be able to call on that resource.”

The study also found that 84% of surveyed small business owners actively maximize credit card rewards programs, using benefits to offset operating expenses, invest in equipment and support employee incentives. The finding underscores how entrepreneurs are treating every available financial resource as part of a broader growth strategy.

The Cost of Operational Friction While capital remains critical, time may be equally valuable. Many small businesses still operate across fragmented financial systems that require significant manual effort, creating what Ashley described as “back-office friction.”

“What we saw in the study is that a lot of small business owners are operating in a very fragmented financial system today that is becoming a drain on their time and their ability to grow,” she said.

Nearly three-quarters of respondents said operational challenges make it difficult to manage and predict cash flow effectively. As a result, integrated platforms that combine accounting, bookkeeping, payments, credit and forecasting are becoming important.

“Having the kind of integrated tools that allow you to have visibility into your cash flow was an important resource that small business owners cited as a particular lever for their growth,” Ashley said.

According to the survey, 79% of small businesses now use integrated accounting and bookkeeping platforms, while 51% say those tools free up time that can be redirected toward customers and growth initiatives.

“They’re able to deploy their capital with a little bit more security and the knowledge that their financial operations can support their growth and their goals moving ahead,” she said.

Ashley sees that trend pointing toward a future in which resilience is increasingly tied to the integration of capital, technology and operational insight.

“To me, that’s the leading edge. That’s the future,” Ashley said. “That’s where we need to meet small business owners with the kind of financial tools that really allow them to have visibility into their operations and planning.”

Watch the full interview with Capital One Insights Center President Shena Ashley to hear more about:

Why small business optimism is rooted in preparedness, not certainty. Ashley discusses how entrepreneurs are leveraging technology, financial tools and operational visibility to navigate economic uncertainty while pursuing growth. How access to capital is evolving beyond traditional financing. The discussion examines why business owners increasingly view credit, rewards programs and real-time financial insights as essential components of their growth strategy. How integrated financial platforms are reducing back-office friction. Ashley outlines how connected accounting, bookkeeping and cash-flow tools are helping businesses save time, improve forecasting and scale with greater confidence.

The Pound to Canadian Dollar (GBP/CAD) exchange rate climbed to its strongest level in around a decade on Monday as persistently weak oil prices continued to undermine the commodity-linked Canadian Dollar.

At the time of writing, GBP/CAD was trading at CA$1.8971, having eased back slightly after touching a session high of CA$1.8980.

Latest — Exchange Rates:
Pound to Canadian Dollar (GBP/CAD): 1.89894 (+0.16%)
Euro to Canadian Dollar (EUR/CAD): 1.623308 (-0.04%)
Dollar to Canadian Dollar (USD/CAD): 1.42169 (+0.12%)

DAILY RECAP:

The Canadian Dollar (CAD) found itself under pressure on Monday, as weaker oil prices continued to weigh heavily on the commodity-linked currency.

Crude has fallen sharply since the US and Iran agreed an interim peace agreement, allowing shipping to resume through the Strait of Hormuz.

Brent crude – the global benchmark for oil – remains below $72 per barrel, its lowest levels since before the war began in late February and down from its mid-war peak of $113.

This sharp decline in crude has dragged the Canadian Dollar lower in recent weeks, with subdued prices continuing to pressure CAD on Monday.

Meanwhile, the Pound (GBP) enjoyed modest support on Monday as markets continued to unwind the political risk premium that has burdened Sterling in recent weeks.

MP Andy Burnham is largely expected to become the next Prime Minister, without a drawn-out leadership contest unsettling investors.

Burnham has sought to soothe markets since announcing his bid for Labour leader, committing to the government’s existing fiscal rules and laying out ambitious plans for the economy.

GBP investors have responded positively to Burnham’s rhetoric, helping GBP rally as political anxiety eases.

Near-Term GBP/CAD Forecast: Canadian PMI to Aid the ‘Loonie’? Looking forward, Canada’s latest Ivey PMI is due out on Tuesday afternoon. The survey is expected to reveal another acceleration in economic activity in June, with the index forecast to reach its highest level since September 2025, when it hit a 15-month peak.

If the PMI prints as anticipated, the Canadian Dollar could catch bids.

Meanwhile, oil price movements could continue to influence the commodity-linked ‘Loonie’. If crude prices remain subdued, this could offset the potential upside from the PMI results.

As for the Pound, UK data is in short supply on Tuesday, potentially leaving the British currency to trade without a clear direction.