Track market-moving stories before they get noisy

The latest earnings season has been a solid one for artificial intelligence (AI) semiconductor companies, as healthy demand for data center infrastructure has driven impressive growth among chipmakers and chip designers.

This explains why the latest quarterly reports of Nvidia (NVDA +1.49%) and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD +1.10%) exceeded expectations. However, the market's attention will now turn to Micron Technology (MU +2.77%), which will release its fiscal 2026 fourth-quarter results on Sept. 30. While there is still some time to go before Micron releases its quarterly report, I think that this semiconductor stock could be the biggest mover among AI companies in September.

Let's look at the reasons why.

Image source: Micron Technology.

Nvidia and AMD's results clearly indicate that the AI trade is alive The past couple of months have been turbulent for Micron stock investors. It has dropped 11% since releasing its fiscal Q3 results on June 24. However, recent results from AMD, Nvidia, and other semiconductor companies clearly indicate that AI infrastructure demand remains robust.

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Nvidia reported a 106% year-over-year increase in revenue for the second quarter of fiscal 2027. What's more, the semiconductor bellwether notes that its revenue growth could land at a healthy 70% in fiscal 2028, well above the consensus estimate of 44%. However, Nvidia's growth could be stronger than that, as the company notes its forecast accounts for supply chain constraints.

AMD, on the other hand, posted a year-over-year jump of 50% in Q2 revenue. It projects a 41% increase in revenue for the current quarter. Importantly, AMD management believes that its long-term revenue could "grow substantially above our prior target of greater than 35%, and we expect to significantly exceed our $20 annual EPS target within our strategic timeframe."

AMD management also added that demand for high-performance computing could grow at an annual rate of 40% over the long term, presenting a $2 trillion revenue opportunity for chipmakers in 2030.

These sunny forecasts from AMD and Nvidia bode well for Micron. After all, Micron sells a critical component that helps the AI chips designed by Nvidia and AMD to perform tasks seamlessly. The dynamic random access memory (DRAM) chips that Micron manufactures help transport massive amounts of data rapidly to AI accelerators while maintaining low power consumption.

So, Nvidia and AMD's chips don't have to sit idle and wait for data, thanks to Micron's chips. Not surprisingly, these chip designers are packing large amounts of high-bandwidth memory (HBM) into their chips. Nvidia's NVL72 rack-scale server system carries more than 20 terabytes (TB) of HBM. AMD, on the other hand, is offering 31 TB of HBM on its Helios rack-scale system.

Strong shipments of these AI server racks should ensure that the demand for Micron's memory remains solid, especially because manufacturing HBM requires nearly 4x more wafer capacity over traditional memory chips. Also, Nvidia noted on the latest earnings call that the capital expenditures of the top five U.S. hyperscalers could increase from $800 billion this year to $1.3 trillion in 2027.

As such, the stage seems set for a strong rally in Micron stock in September, ahead of its earnings report. A big reason that's likely to be the case is its extremely attractive valuation.

Micron's valuation suggests that the stock is poised for a breakout in September Micron is priced like a value stock even though it has been clocking exponential growth. Analysts are expecting its revenue to jump by a whopping 348% year over year in fiscal Q4 to $50.8 billion. Earnings per share, meanwhile, could increase by more than 10x year over year to $31.28.

However, Micron's price-to-earnings ratio is just 21, suggesting the market isn't pricing in its tremendous growth potential. The forward earnings multiple of 6 is even cheaper. For a company that's expected to clock triple-digit earnings-per-share growth over the long run, Micron's valuation clearly suggests that it could make a parabolic move.

Moreover, Micron is expected to clock significantly faster growth than Nvidia and AMD, and it is way cheaper than both.

Data by YCharts

All this makes Micron a top AI stock to buy right now, as September could bring about a turnaround in its fortunes.

 | Source: Stryker Corporation

Portage, Mich., USA, Aug. 31, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --

Stryker has signed a definitive agreement to acquire ZuriMED, developer of the FiberLocker System, a commercialized technology that provides a novel approach for rotator cuff augmentation designed for increased biomechanical strength.The acquisition strengthens Stryker’s shoulder portfolio, enhancing its ability to support specialists across the continuum of care.The FiberLocker System is a soft tissue augmentation technology designed to reduce the occurrence of a key clinical failure mode in rotator cuff repair, one of the fastest-growing segments in sports medicine.
Stryker (NYSE:SYK), a global leader in medical technologies, announced it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire ZuriMED, a privately held company and developer of the FiberLocker® System. This commercialized technology provides a novel approach for rotator cuff augmentation with increased biomechanical strength to address a key clinical failure mode in rotator cuff repair.

Rotator cuff augmentation is one of the fastest-growing areas in sports medicine and represents a significant opportunity within shoulder care.1 The acquisition will enhance Stryker’s ability to support shoulder specialists across both sports medicine and arthroplasty, strengthening its portfolio in rotator cuff augmentation.

“ZuriMED has developed a differentiated technology that addresses an important clinical need within shoulder care,” said Andy Pierce, Group President, MedSurg and Neurotechnology, Stryker. “We are excited about the opportunity to add the FiberLocker System to Stryker’s portfolio. This acquisition reflects our continued commitment to advancing innovation and improving patient outcomes.”

This transaction is subject to customary closing conditions. Stryker and ZuriMED will continue to operate as separate entities and proceed with business as usual until the transaction closes.

About Stryker        
Stryker is a global leader in medical technologies and, together with our customers, we are driven to make healthcare better. We offer innovative products and services in MedSurg, Neurotechnology and Orthopaedics that help improve patient and healthcare outcomes. Alongside our customers around the world, we impact more than 150 million patients annually. More information is available at www.stryker.com.

Contacts
For investor inquiries:
Nick Mead
Vice President, Investor Relations
[email protected]

For media inquiries:
Kim Montagnino
Vice President, Chief Communications Officer
[email protected]

References

Mordor Intelligence. Rotator Cuff Treatment Market Size and Share Analysis – Growth, Trends, and Forecasts (2026–2031). Mordor Intelligence report.

Southwest Airlines just fell harder than every major carrier and the entire sector fund combined, and the reason traces back to one strategic decision the airline made long before oil prices turned ugly.

Southwest Airlines (NYSE:LUV | LUV Price Prediction) stock has emerged as the sector’s biggest laggard over the past month, and the reason pertains to a single strategic decision made well before crude oil turned higher this summer.

Southwest Airlines shares are down 2% to $38.67 in Monday midday trading, and the stock has fallen 14% over the past month. That trails the main U.S. carriers and a well-known airline sector fund.

The U.S. Global Jets ETF (NYSEARCA:JETS) is down 9% to $28.50 over the past month, so the entire group repriced together. Southwest Airlines stock simply fell the most, and the gap between Southwest Airlines and the fund is what this article has to explain.

Fuel Repricing Hit the Whole Group The peer moves confirm a broad sector event. Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) stock is down 11% over the past month. American Airlines Group (NASDAQ:AAL) stock is down 12% over the past month.

United Airlines Holdings (NASDAQ:UAL) stock is down 11% over the past month. Crude oil strengthened through the month, and U.S. strikes on Iranian targets pushed WTI crude oil above $86 in the current session. Jet fuel is an airline’s largest variable cost, which is why the whole group fell together.

Why Southwest Airlines Fell Hardest Southwest Airlines discontinued its fuel hedging program, leaving it fully exposed to price swings that hedged peers can absorb more gradually. That’s the cleanest available explanation for Southwest Airlines underperforming three larger carriers and the sector fund at the same time.

The guidance reset amplified the pressure. On July 23, Southwest Airlines replaced its prior full-year 2026 adjusted EPS guidance of at least $4 with a range of $3.25 to $4.25, reflecting the forward fuel curve as of July 17 and an estimated year-to-date fuel headwind of $1.33 per share. That lowered the earnings bar just before this month’s decline.

The bull side is genuinely strong. Southwest Airlines’ second-quarter 2026 adjusted EPS reached $0.94, up 120% year over year, with adjusted operating revenue setting a record of $8.7 billion on capacity growth of just 0.2% and adjusted operating margin expanding to 6.7%. CEO Bob Jordan stated on the second-quarter 2026 call, “While fuel prices have remained volatile and elevated, industry recapture has been swift and pricing has remained sticky.” Southwest Airlines’ managed business revenue grew 30% year over year and Southwest Airlines ended the quarter with $5.3 billion of liquidity.

The bear side is equally direct. The operating improvement is real, yet fuel is outrunning it, and with no hedges Southwest Airlines has no buffer if crude oil keeps climbing. Southwest Airlines also guided fourth-quarter capacity up 4% to 4.5% year over year, its largest sequential third-to-fourth-quarter increase, adding seats into a market where costs are rising.

What to Watch Next Investors can watch for the next monthly jet fuel print and any Southwest Airlines commentary on whether industry pricing continues to recapture the fuel move. If crude oil holds above $86, the fuel curve embedded inside the $3.25 to $4.25 EPS range gets meaningfully harder to hit, and the same math applies to Delta Air Lines, American Airlines Group and United Airlines Holdings.

Cautious position sizing should be considered with airline stocks now, including LUV stock. With no hedge program to smooth results, Southwest Airlines carries more single-variable risk than Delta Air Lines or United Airlines Holdings on any given fuel move, so anyone weighing a starter position should size to that volatility rather than to the second-quarter headline. The next scheduled catalyst is Q3 2026 earnings, when management could narrow or refresh the full-year range and either validate the transformation thesis or confirm that fuel has taken over the story.

Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M., Aug. 31, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ARRAY Technologies (NASDAQ: ARRY) (“ARRAY” or the “Company”), a leading global provider of solar tracking technology and fixed-tilt products, foundation solutions, software systems and services, today announced the successful completion of its acquisition of Affordable Wire Management, LLC (“AWM”), a leading provider of wire management, cable protection, and balance-of-system solutions for utility-scale solar and energy storage projects.

The strategic acquisition broadens ARRAY’s portfolio of complementary balance-of-system solutions, strengthens its ability to serve utility-scale solar and distributed generation customers, and is expected to create new growth opportunities in battery energy storage and datacenter infrastructure.

“This is an important milestone for ARRAY and another step in our strategy to provide customers with a more comprehensive, integrated portfolio of solutions,” said Kevin G. Hostetler, Chief Executive Officer of ARRAY. “AWM brings innovative products, strong engineering capabilities, a reputation for quality and customer service, and an experienced and proven leadership team. Together, we believe we are better positioned to simplify project design and installation, improve system performance, and deliver greater value across solar, storage, and datacenter markets.”

AWM’s products organize, secure, and protect electrical wiring to improve system reliability, safety, installation efficiency, and long-term performance. Its proprietary designs are engineered to provide greater durability, enhanced thermal management, and lower resistive losses than conventional solutions.

“We are incredibly excited for AWM’s future as we officially join ARRAY,” said Scott Rand, Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of AWM. “ARRAY’s scale, customer relationships, and global reach provide a strong platform to accelerate our growth and bring AWM’s solutions to more customers. Our teams share a culture of innovation and a relentless focus on the customer, and we look forward to the opportunities ahead.”

“Combining AWM’s wire management and balance-of-system products with ARRAY’s tracking, fixed-tilt, and foundation platform creates compelling opportunities to deliver integrated solutions engineered to work together,” said Dan Smith, Chief Technology Officer and co-founder of AWM. “We believe this combination will enable us to simplify design, improve installation, and reduce costs for customers.”

The acquisition is expected to be at least high single digit accretive to ARRAY’s Adjusted EPS in the first year before synergies.

For more information about ARRAY Technologies and its industry-leading solar tracking solutions, visit www.arraytechinc.com.

Advisors & Additional Resources

Jefferies LLC acted as exclusive financial advisor, Jones Day acted as legal advisor, and Edelman Smithfield acted as strategic communications advisor to ARRAY. First Liberties Financial acted as exclusive financial advisor, and Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C. acted as legal advisor to AWM.

Additional information regarding the transaction will be included in a Current Report on Form 8-K to be filed by ARRAY with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”).

About Affordable Wire Management, LLC
Affordable Wire Management, LLC is a provider of wire management, cable protection, and balance-of-system solutions for the solar and energy storage industries, serving utility-scale and distributed generation customers across North America and select international markets.

About ARRAY Technologies 
ARRAY Technologies (NASDAQ: ARRY) is a leading global provider of solar tracking technology and fixed-tilt systems to utility-scale and distributed generation customers who construct, develop, and operate solar photovoltaic sites. With solutions engineered to withstand harsh weather conditions, ARRAY’s high-quality solar trackers, fixed-tilt systems, software platforms, foundation solutions, and field services combine to maximize energy production and deliver value to our customers for the entire lifecycle of a project. Founded and headquartered in the United States, ARRAY is rooted in manufacturing and driven by technology – relying on its domestic manufacturing, diversified global supply chain, and customer-centric approach to design, deliver, commission, train, and support solar energy deployment around the world. For more news and information on ARRAY, please visit www.arraytechinc.com. 

Forward Looking Statement 
This press release contains forward-looking statements that are based on our management’s beliefs and assumptions and on information currently available to our management. Forward-looking statements include statements that are not historical facts and can be identified by terms such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “seek,” “should,” “will,” “would,” or similar expressions and the negatives of those terms. These include statements regarding the acquisition of AWM, including the anticipated benefits and synergies, the anticipated impact on the Company’s business and future financial and operating results, and the timing of expected synergies and returns from the transaction. Our actual results and the timing of events could materially differ from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements as a result of risks and uncertainties, including without limitation: the Company’s ability to integrate AWM’s operations successfully and in the expected time period; the Company’s ability to achieve the strategic and other objectives relating to the transaction; risks relating to any unforeseen liabilities of AWM; changes in growth or the rate of growth in demand for solar energy projects; factors outside of our control affecting the variability and demand for solar energy, including but not limited to, the retail price of electricity, availability of in-demand components like high-voltage breakers, various policies related to the permitting and interconnection costs of solar plants, and the availability of incentives for solar energy and solar energy production systems, which makes it difficult to predict our future prospects; competitive pressures within our industry, competition from conventional and renewable energy sources; a loss of one or more of our significant customers, their inability to perform under their contracts, or their default in payment; a drop in the price of electricity derived from the utility grid or from alternative energy sources; fluctuations in our results of operations across fiscal periods, which could make our future performance difficult to predict and could cause our results of operations for a particular period to fall below expectations; any increase in interest rates, or a reduction in the availability of tax equity or project debt capital in the global financial markets, which could make it difficult for customers to finance the cost of a solar energy system and reduce the demand for our products; existing electric utility industry policies and regulations, and any subsequent changes or new related policies and regulations, including as a result of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which may present technical, regulatory and economic barriers to the purchase and use of solar energy systems and may significantly reduce demand for our products or harm our ability to compete; the interruption of the flow of materials from international vendors, which could disrupt our supply chain, including as a result of the imposition of new and/or additional duties, tariffs and other charges or restrictions on imports and exports; changes in the global trade environment, including the continuation or imposition of import tariffs or other import restrictions; geopolitical, macroeconomic and other market conditions unrelated to our operating performance including but not limited to a pandemic, the Ukraine-Russia war, attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and Straight of Hormuz, conflict in the Middle East, changing trade policies, and inflation and interest rates; our ability to convert our orders in backlog into revenue; the reduction, elimination or expiration, or our failure to optimize the benefits of government incentives for, or regulations mandating the use of, renewable energy and solar energy, particularly in relation to our competitors, which could reduce demand for solar energy systems; failure to, or incurrence of significant costs in order to, obtain, maintain, protect, defend or enforce, our intellectual property and other proprietary rights; delays in construction projects and any failure to manage our inventory; significant changes in the cost of raw materials; disruptions to transportation and logistics, including increases in shipping costs; defects or performance problems in our products, which could result in loss of customers, reputational damage and decreased revenue; delays, disruptions or quality control problems in our product development operations; our ability to retain our key personnel or failure to attract additional qualified personnel; additional business, financial, regulatory and competitive risks due to our continued planned expansion into new markets; cybersecurity or other data incidents, including unauthorized disclosure of personal or sensitive data or theft of confidential information and the use of artificial intelligence by cyber threat actors; a failure to maintain an effective system of integrated internal controls over financial reporting, which may impair our ability to report our financial results accurately; our substantial indebtedness, risks related to actual or threatened public health epidemics, pandemics, outbreaks or crises; changes to laws and regulations, including changes to tax laws and regulations, that are applied adversely to us or our customers; our ability to successfully integrate AWM into our existing operations, realize the anticipated benefits or synergies of the acquisition, and achieve strategic or other objectives relating to the acquisition; risks related to any unforeseen liabilities of AWM; and other factors listed and described in more detail in the section captioned “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K, our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and our other documents on file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, each of which can be found on our website, www.arraytechinc.com.

Given these uncertainties, you should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Also, forward-looking statements represent our management’s beliefs and assumptions only as of the date of this press release. You should read this press release with the understanding that our actual future results may be materially different from what we expect. Except as required by law, we assume no obligation to update these forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future.

Non-GAAP Financial Information

This press release references certain financial measures that are not presented in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles, including ARRAY’s Adjusted EPS. We define Adjusted net (loss) income as net (loss) income to common stockholders plus (i) amortization of intangibles, (ii) amortization of developed technology and backlog, (iii) amortization of debt discount and issuance costs, (iv) Series A preferred stock accretion, (v) equity-based compensation, (vi) change in fair value of contingent consideration, (vii) certain legal expenses, (viii) acquisition-related expenses, and (ix) income tax expense adjustments. We define Adjusted net (loss) income per common share as Adjusted net (loss) income divided by the basic and diluted weighted average number of shares outstanding for the applicable period.

Media Contact 
Steven Kirsch
+1 505-738-6923
[email protected]  

Investor Relations Contact 
ARRAY Technologies
Investor Relations
[email protected] 

Super Micro Computer Investigation Initiated: Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC Investigates the Officers and Directors of Super Micro Computer, Inc. - SMCI Former Attorney General of Louisiana, Charles C. Foti, Jr., Esq., a partner at the law firm of Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC (“KSF”), announces that KSF has commenced an investigation into Super Micro Computer, Inc. (“Super Micro” or the “Company”) (NasdaqGS: SMCI).

On March 19, 2026, post-market, the U.S. Department of Justice announced the unsealing of an indictment against three individuals associated with the Company, Yih-Shyan Liaw (the Company’s co-founder, director, and Senior Vice President of Business Development), Ruei-Tsang Chang (“a general manager in the [Super Micro’s] Taiwan office),” and Ting-Wei Sun (“a third-party broker and fixer”), for engaging in a “scheme to divert massive quantities of servers housing U.S. artificial intelligence technology to customers in China” violating U.S. export control laws, in order to “drive sales and generate revenues in violation of U.S. law” and enabled the sale of “approximately $2.5 billion worth of servers” between 2024 and 2025.

Thereafter, the Company and certain of its executives were sued in a securities class action lawsuit, charging them with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period in violation of federal securities laws, which remains ongoing.

KSF’s investigation is focusing on whether Super Micro’s officers and/or directors breached their fiduciary duties to its shareholders or otherwise violated state or federal laws.

If you have information that would assist KSF in its investigation, or have been a long-term holder of Super Micro shares and would like to discuss your legal rights, you may, without obligation or cost to you, call toll-free at 1-833-538-3606 or email KSF Managing Partner Lewis Kahn ([email protected]), or visit https://ksfcounsel.com/cases/nasdaqgs-smci/ to learn more.

About Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC

KSF, whose partners include former Louisiana Attorney General Charles C. Foti, Jr., is one of the nation’s premier boutique securities litigation law firms. This past year, KSF was ranked by SCAS among the top 10 firms nationally based upon total settlement value. KSF serves a variety of clients, including public and private institutional investors, and retail investors - in seeking recoveries for investment losses emanating from corporate fraud or malfeasance by publicly traded companies. KSF has offices in New York, Delaware, California, Louisiana, Chicago, and a representative office in Luxembourg.

TOP 10 Plaintiff Law Firms - According to ISS Securities Class Action Services

To learn more about KSF, you may visit www.ksfcounsel.com.

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View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260831189520/en/

Disclosures I/we have no positions in any stocks mentioned, and have no plans to buy any new positions in the stocks mentioned within the next 72 hours.

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SANTA CRUZ, Calif., Aug. 31, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- West Coast Community Bancorp (the “Company”) (OTCQX: WCCB), the parent company of West Coast Community Bank, today announced that it has filed a Registration Statement on Form 10 with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) to register its common stock under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”).

The filing of the Registration Statement follows the Company’s application to list its common stock on the Nasdaq Capital Market (“Nasdaq”).

Filing the Form 10 marks an important milestone for the Company. Upon the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, the Company will be subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act, which will provide shareholders with enhanced disclosures about the Company that it believes will increase transparency. The Company also believes the proposed SEC registration and uplisting from the OTCQX Best Market to Nasdaq will increase visibility within the investment community and improve access to capital and liquidity for shareholders.

The Registration Statement has not been declared effective by the SEC. The Registration Statement will become effective following the formal conclusion of the SEC's review. An effective Registration Statement is a required step of the Nasdaq uplisting process. The Company’s common stock will continue to trade on the OTCQX under the ticker symbol "WCCB" until the Company is able to uplist to Nasdaq.

ABOUT WEST COAST COMMUNITY BANK AND WEST COAST COMMUNITY BANCORP

Founded in 2004, West Coast Community Bank is the wholly owned subsidiary of West Coast Community Bancorp, a bank holding company. The Bank is a top-rated, locally operated and full-service community bank headquartered in Santa Cruz, Calif. with branches in Aptos, Capitola, King City, Monterey, Salinas, San Jose, San Luis Obispo, Santa Cruz, Scotts Valley and Watsonville. West Coast Community Bank is distinguished from "big banks" by its relationship-based service, problem-solving focus and direct access to decision makers. The Bank also is an SBA Preferred Lending Partner. As a full-service bank, West Coast Community Bank offers competitive deposit and lending solutions for businesses and individuals; including business loans, lines of credit, commercial real estate financing, construction lending, asset-based lending, agricultural loans, SBA and USDA government guaranteed loans, credit cards, merchant services, remote deposit capture, mobile and online banking, bill payment and treasury management. True to its community roots, West Coast Community Bank supports regional well-being by actively participating in and donating to local nonprofit organizations. Visit www.wccb.com for more information.

Forward-Looking Statements

This release contains forward-looking statements, including statements regarding the expected effectiveness of the Company’s Registration Statement on Form 10 and uplisting of the Company’s common stock to the Nasdaq Capital Market and the potential benefits of such registration and listing. Words such as “believe,” “expect,” “estimate,” “project,” “forecast,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “may,” “will,” “could,” “should,” “predicts,” “continue” and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements; however, the absence of these words does not mean the statements are not forward-looking. Forward-looking statements are based on current expectations, estimates and assumptions and are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ include, but are not limited to, market conditions, the Company’s ability to secure effectiveness of the Form 10 and satisfy, or continue to satisfy, Nasdaq listing requirements and successfully uplist to Nasdaq, regulatory developments, economic conditions, interest rate changes, and competitive pressures and other risks described in the Company’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including those discussed in the Company’s Registration Statement on Form 10. Any anticipated benefits of the uplisting of the Company’s common stock to the Nasdaq Capital Market are subject to market conditions and other factors outside of the Company’s control and no assurance can be given as to the effect that the uplisting may have on the price or trading volume of its common stock or on the liquidity of an investment in its common stock. Investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. West Coast Community Bancorp undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements except as required by law.

MEDIA CONTACTS
Krista Snelling, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Cecilia Situ, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
[email protected]

TEMPE, Ariz.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dutch Bros Inc. (NYSE: BROS) ("Dutch Bros" or the "Company"), one of the fastest-growing brands in the U.S. quick-service beverage industry, today announced that it elected not to increase its total offer for the previously announced site acquisition of up to 65 Salad and Go™ locations across Arizona, Nevada, Oklahoma and Texas.

“New shop growth is one of the most important drivers of our long-term strategy, and we remain highly confident in our path to 2,029 shops in 2029,” said Christine Barone, Chief Executive Officer and President of Dutch Bros. “We’ve always been disciplined in how we allocate capital. While we have chosen not to increase our original offer, we remain engaged in the process and will continue to evaluate opportunities where the total investment provides the appropriate return.”

Looking ahead, Dutch Bros will remain focused on its long-term strategy of investing in its people, delivering exceptional customer experiences, and thoughtfully expanding its presence across the country.

About Dutch Bros Inc.

Dutch Bros Inc. (NYSE: BROS) is a fun-loving, mind-blowing drive-thru specialty beverage leader dedicated to making a massive difference, one cup at a time. It was founded in Grants Pass, Oregon, in 1992 and now shares its vibrant culture and fully customizable drinks at 1,225 locations as of June 30, 2026. Dutch Bros Coffee serves a wide variety of unique, handcrafted beverages such as its exclusive Dutch Bros Rebel® energy drink, Myst Energy Refresher™, specialty coffee, nitrogen-infused cold brew, tea, lemonade, soda and more.

Dutch Bros Coffee is wholeheartedly focused on radiating kindness and sharing the Dutch Luv®. In addition to its mission of speed, quality and service, the Dutch Bros Foundation® is passionate about giving back to the communities it serves. Through local giving and annual nation-wide initiatives, the Dutch Bros Foundation makes impactful contributions to causes across the country.

To learn more about Dutch Bros, visit www.dutchbros.com, follow Dutch Bros Coffee on Instagram, Facebook, X, and TikTok, and download the Dutch Bros app to earn points and score rewards!

Forward-Looking Statements

In addition to historical information, this press release contains a number of “forward-looking statements” as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements regarding: receipt of applicable approvals and consummation of the proposed site acquisitions, and the timing and anticipated benefits of the proposed site acquisitions. These statements are based on Dutch Bros’ current expectations and beliefs, as well as a number of assumptions concerning future events. Such forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other important factors, many of which are outside Dutch Bros’ control that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements, including those related to Dutch Bros’ inability to recognize the anticipated benefits of the site acquisitions, Dutch Bros’ ability to hire and retain employees in connection with the site acquisitions or otherwise, any problems that may arise in successfully integrating acquired sites and assets, which may result in Dutch Bros not operating as effectively and efficiently as expected, or general economic conditions, and other risks, including those described in Dutch Bros’ Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on February 13, 2026, Dutch Bros’ Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2026, filed with the SEC on August 5, 2026, and in our future reports to be filed with the SEC. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of this date, and Dutch Bros undertakes no duty to update such information except as required under applicable law.

More News From Dutch Bros Inc.

Key Takeaways SoFi saw 51 of new products opened by existing members in Q2, up from 35% a year earlier.SoFi's non-lending offerings now account for 87% of total products, supporting lower-cost engagement.SoFi's adjusted net revenues rose 40% year over year, while adjusted EBITDA increased 44%. SoFi Technologies (SOFI - Free Report) is increasingly moving beyond its roots as an online lender toward becoming a broad digital financial-services platform. The company’s strategy rests on attracting members through products such as checking and savings, investing and financial planning, and then encouraging them to use additional services across the platform. As that ecosystem expands, the opportunity to increase customer engagement and lifetime value also grows.

This approach differentiates SoFi from fintech peers with more concentrated business models. Upstart Holdings (UPST - Free Report) remains more closely tied to AI-driven lending, while Affirm Holdings (AFRM - Free Report) is primarily associated with buy-now-pay-later financing. In contrast, SoFi combines banking, investing, lending, payments and financial technology infrastructure under one umbrella.

Yet SOFI stock has struggled in 2026, declining sharply despite continued business expansion. Its performance has been broadly weak alongside Upstart Holdings, while Affirm Holdings has held up comparatively better. This disconnect between operating progress and share price performance makes SoFi’s improving product flywheel particularly important to the investment debate.

Year-to-date Stock Price Performance

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Cross-Buy Is Becoming Central to SoFi’s Growth StoryThe strongest part of SoFi’s strategy is no longer simply adding new members. The more important development is that existing customers are increasingly adopting additional products.

SoFi’s model starts with products that can attract users frequently and at relatively low acquisition costs, such as SoFi Money, Relay and Invest. Once customers enter the ecosystem, the company can introduce lending, credit cards, investing services and other offerings without having to spend as much to acquire that customer again.

Recent trends support this strategy. In the second quarter, 51% of new products were opened by existing members compared with 35% a year earlier. Management also said products per member have accelerated over the past two quarters, suggesting that the benefits of its “everything app” strategy are becoming more visible.

This matters because higher cross-buy can improve economics in several ways. It raises revenue per customer, spreads acquisition costs across more products and creates opportunities to build longer relationships. This gives SoFi a potential advantage over Upstart Holdings, where revenues remain more dependent on credit origination activity, and Affirm Holdings, whose growth is closely connected with merchant volumes and consumer financing demand.

SOFI’s New Products Are Giving Flywheel More FuelSoFi is also widening the number of ways members can interact with its platform. The relaunched SoFi Plus subscription is one example. More than 200,000 members had adopted the paid offering after one quarter, with most coming from SoFi’s existing customer base. A portion of those subscribers subsequently opened another SoFi product.

SoFi Coach represents another effort to deepen engagement by using customer financial data to provide personalized guidance. Meanwhile, the Invest platform continues to expand through new investment tools and broader asset access. Its August-announced private-market offerings from CAZ Investments and AngelList Asset Management add another dimension to the investing business and could help SoFi capture more customer assets over time.

These products are important because 87% of SoFi’s total products are now non-lending offerings. Such products tend to be used more frequently and generally carry lower acquisition costs than lending products, helping bring users into the ecosystem before they potentially adopt higher-value services later.

Diversification Could Make Earnings More Durable for SOFIAnother encouraging part of the story is SoFi’s attempt to reduce its dependence on traditional balance sheet lending. The Loan Platform Business allows the company to originate loans for partners and earn fee income without retaining all of the credit exposure.
SoFi is extending that model beyond personal loans into small-business lending and home-equity products. Management believes this can increase capital-light fee revenues while also bringing more members into the broader ecosystem.

At the same time, Financial Services and Technology Solutions are intended to become a larger portion of the revenue mix. This could gradually make SoFi less sensitive to lending cycles and funding conditions. Relative to Upstart Holdings and Affirm Holdings, SoFi offers a broader mix of revenue opportunities, although that diversification makes execution more complex.

Quarterly performance provides evidence that the strategy is progressing. Adjusted net revenues increased 40% year over year in the latest quarter, while adjusted EBITDA rose 44%. The more relevant takeaway is that SoFi is generating enough profitability to keep investing in new products without abandoning earnings discipline.

SOFI’s Estimate Revisions Depict an Improving OutlookOver the past 60 days, estimates for SOFI’s 2026 and 2027 EPS have been revised marginally upward. The consensus mark for 2026 and 2027 EPS suggests a year-over-year increase of 53.85% and 34.86%, respectively.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Valuation Keeps Expectations ElevatedSOFI trades at 4.24X forward 12-month price-to-sales versus 4.67X for AFRM and 1.65X for UPST.

The key issue is that investors already assign significant value to SoFi’s growth potential. Its valuation remains above UPST’s and closer to AFRM’s, meaning continued member growth, stronger cross-buy and improving margins are necessary to support the premium.

There are also execution risks. Technology Solutions still needs to become a stronger growth contributor, lending remains exposed to credit conditions, and rapid product expansion requires sustained investment. If cross-buy slows or customer acquisition costs rise, the economics of the flywheel could become less attractive.

Valuation

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

What Should Investors Do With SOFI Now?SoFi’s investment case is becoming more balanced as its product ecosystem begins to generate stronger cross-buy and deeper customer engagement. The combination of banking, investing, lending and newer subscription and advisory products gives it more growth paths than UPST and a broader financial-services model than AFRM. Greater fee-based revenues could also make earnings more durable over time.

Still, the current valuation assumes that much of this progress will continue, while execution and credit risks remain. Existing investors may consider retaining their exposure, while prospective investors could wait for a more attractive entry point or further evidence that the flywheel can sustain its pace.

At present, SOFI carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

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HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Tidewater Inc. (NYSE: TDW) (the “Company”) today announced the completion of its acquisition of Wilson, Sons Ultratug Participações S.A. and its affiliate Atlantic Offshore Services S.A. (collectively, “WSUT”), effective August 31, 2026.

Quintin Kneen, Tidewater’s President and Chief Executive Officer, commented, “We are pleased to announce the closing of the WSUT acquisition, and we are excited to welcome our new employees to Tidewater. The WSUT fleet of 22 PSVs is an excellent complement to the Tidewater fleet and further expands our leading global market position in OSVs. We are excited about growing our presence in Brazil and remain optimistic about the long-term opportunities ahead of us in this market.”

About Tidewater

Tidewater owns and operates one of the largest fleets of offshore support vessels in the industry, with 70 years of experience supporting offshore energy exploration, production, generation and offshore wind activities worldwide.

Forward-Looking Statements

In accordance with the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, the Company notes that certain statements set forth in this communication are forward-looking statements which reflect our current view with respect to future events and future financial performance. Forward-looking statements are all statements other than statements of historical fact, including, without limitation, statements about the expected benefits of the WSUT acquisition and our ability to integrate its operations and business successfully. All such forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the control of the Company, and our future results of operations could differ materially from our historical results or current expectations reflected by such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, without limitation: potential adverse reactions or changes to business relationships resulting from the completion of the transaction; the effects of disruption to our business; the effects of industry, market, economic, political or regulatory conditions outside of our control; transaction costs; our ability to achieve the benefits from the transaction, including the anticipated cash flow generation and customer relationships; our ability to promptly, efficiently and effectively integrate the vessels into our own operations; unknown liabilities; and the diversion of management time on integration-related issues. Other important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include: fluctuations in worldwide energy demand and oil and gas prices; fleet additions by competitors and industry overcapacity; limited capital resources available to replenish our asset base as needed, including through acquisitions or vessel construction, and to fund our capital expenditure needs; uncertainty of global financial market conditions and potential constraints in accessing capital or credit if and when needed with favorable terms, if at all; changes in decisions and capital spending by customers based on industry expectations for offshore exploration, field development and production; consolidation of our customer base; loss of a major customer; changing customer demands for vessel specifications, which may make some of our older vessels technologically obsolete for certain customer projects or in certain markets; rapid technological changes; delays and other problems associated with vessel maintenance; the continued availability of qualified personnel and our ability to attract and retain them; the operating risks normally incident to our lines of business, including the potential impact of liquidated counterparties; our ability to comply with covenants in our indentures and other debt instruments; acts of terrorism and piracy; the impact of regional or global public health crises or pandemics; the impact of potential information technology, cybersecurity or data security breaches; integration of acquired businesses and entry into new lines of business; disagreements with our joint venture partners; natural disasters or significant weather conditions; unsettled political conditions, war, civil unrest and governmental actions, such as expropriation or enforcement of customs or other laws that are not well developed or consistently enforced; risks associated with our international operations, including local content, local currency or similar requirements especially in higher political risk countries where we operate; interest rate and foreign currency fluctuations; labor changes proposed by international conventions; increased regulatory burdens and oversight; changes in laws governing the taxation of foreign source income; retention of skilled workers; enforcement of laws related to the environment, labor and foreign corrupt practices; increased global concern, regulation and scrutiny regarding climate change; increased stockholder activism; the potential liability for remedial actions or assessments under existing or future environmental regulations or litigation; the effects of asserted and unasserted claims and the extent of available insurance coverage; the resolution of pending legal proceedings; and other risks and uncertainties detailed in our most recent Form 10-K, Form 10-Qs and Form 8-Ks filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission. If one or more of these or other risks or uncertainties materialize (or the consequences of any such development changes), or should our underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results or outcomes may vary materially from those reflected in our forward-looking statements. Statements in this communication are made as of the date hereof, and the Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update publicly or revise such statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

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A public valuation validates Tencent's chip investment while revealing how much strategic scarcity investors are already paying for. Summary

Tencent is simultaneously Enflame’s major shareholder and largest customer.

Tencent Holdings TCEHY, China's gaming, advertising and cloud-computing powerhouse, fell approximately 1.9% to $57.29 Monday as investors weighed the looming market debut of Tencent-backed Enflame. According to Reuters, the loss-making AI-chip developer priced its Shanghai offering at 142.18 yuan per share and expects to raise 6.1 billion yuan, or roughly $908 million.

The deal comes with a towering valuation. Enflame is set to list at 61.8 times 2025 sales—below the multiples exceeding 160 fetched by Chinese rivals Moore Threads and MetaX, but miles above the 25.4-times Nvidia benchmark cited in its filing. Tencent has real skin in the game. It is a major shareholder and Enflame's largest customer, making this far more than another venture-capital bet.

Tencent's latest results showed quarterly capital expenditure rocketing 176% to 52.8 billion yuan as the company poured money into AI infrastructure. Enflame offers a domestic chip alternative as access to advanced foreign hardware tightens, though the close supplier relationship creates concentration risk. Valuation provides a cushion: at $57.29, Tencent trades 17.13% below its GF Value™ estimate of $69.13, pointing to potential upside if that AI spending starts producing bigger profits.

Disclosures I/we have no positions in any stocks mentioned, and have no plans to buy any new positions in the stocks mentioned within the next 72 hours.

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Key Takeaways SOUN signed a seven-figure healthcare deal and secured multiple expansions and renewals.A top-20 healthcare provider quadrupled its spending with SoundHound in the second quarter of 2026.OASYS can cut complex healthcare deployment times from months to minutes, supporting broader adoption. SoundHound AI’s (SOUN - Free Report) healthcare business is emerging as a potentially important growth driver as enterprises increasingly adopt conversational and agentic AI for complex customer-service workflows. In the second quarter of 2026, SoundHound signed a seven-figure deal with a nationally ranked healthcare system employing 30,000 people. It also added Champion Payer Solutions, expanded business with healthcare and electronic-health-record customers and secured several renewals across nursing, rehabilitation and biopharmaceutical organizations.

The expansion appears to extend beyond new customer wins. Management said that a top-20 healthcare provider quadrupled its spending with SoundHound during the second quarter of 2026, while five additional healthcare organizations expanded or renewed contracts. This traction is particularly encouraging because healthcare requires strong security, traceability and reliability for mission-critical workflows, areas where SoundHound believes its OASYS platform has an advantage.

OASYS could further strengthen this opportunity by reducing deployment times for complex healthcare applications from months to minutes. SoundHound is also preparing to move one of its largest healthcare customers onto its proprietary models after seeing improvements in cost, accuracy and latency.

Still, healthcare revenues are not separately disclosed, making its financial contribution difficult to quantify. SoundHound remains loss-making despite second-quarter 2026 revenues rising 45% to $61.9 million. Nevertheless, accelerating customer spending, renewals and larger contracts suggest healthcare could become a meaningful new growth engine if adoption continues to scale.

How SoundHound Compares With Healthcare AI PeersNICE (NICE - Free Report) is a relevant competitor as healthcare organizations increasingly automate patient engagement, contact-center workflows and customer service. NICE offers AI-driven customer experience and workforce solutions that can help providers manage high call volumes, improve routing and automate routine interactions. NICE also benefits from an established enterprise customer base and broad contact-center capabilities. However, SoundHound’s OASYS platform emphasizes conversational and agentic AI, proprietary voice models and faster deployment, potentially giving it an edge in complex voice-first healthcare use cases.

Five9 (FIVN - Free Report) is another key rival, providing cloud contact-center software and AI-powered automation across industries, including healthcare. Five9 helps organizations deploy virtual agents, automate customer interactions and improve agent productivity. Five9’s mature cloud platform and integrations strengthen its competitive position. Still, SoundHound’s healthcare momentum, growing customer spending and ability to build self-optimizing AI agents could differentiate it as healthcare providers seek more advanced automation.

SOUN’s Price Performance, Valuation & EstimatesSoundHound’s shares have lost 28.7% year to date (YTD), underperforming the industry, as shown below.

SOUN’s YTD Price Performance

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

From a valuation standpoint, SOUN trades at a forward price-to-sales (P/S) multiple of 12.65, slightly above the industry’s average.

SOUN’s P/S Ratio (Forward 12-Month) vs. Industry

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Over the past 30 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for SoundHound’s 2026 and 2027 loss per share has narrowed to 16 cents and 13 cents, respectively, as shown below. The expected loss for 2026 remains wider than the previous year’s loss of 13 cents per share.
 

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

SOUN currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Jupiter, the largest decentralized exchange aggregator on Solana, posted $822,000 in daily protocol revenue on August 30, its best single-day performance in nearly seven months. The number marks a meaningful departure from recent daily averages hovering around $534K, and it lands during a week where the entire Solana dApp ecosystem was already flexing.

Solana-based decentralized applications collectively generated $35 million in weekly revenue for the period ending August 24, a 29-week high. Jupiter, which routes roughly 63% of organic DEX aggregator volume on Solana, is clearly riding that wave rather than fighting against it.

What’s driving the revenue spike Jupiter started life as a straightforward liquidity aggregator, the kind of protocol that finds traders the best swap price across multiple decentralized exchanges. But the platform has since expanded well beyond that original mandate.

The addition of perpetual futures trading through Jup Perps and lending services has diversified Jupiter’s revenue base considerably. Perps trading in particular tends to generate outsized fees during periods of market volatility, which partly explains why a single day can swing from $534K to $822K without much warning.

That diversification matters because Jupiter’s core aggregation business faces growing pressure. Competitors like OKX’s DEX aggregator and DFlow have chipped away at market share, even if Jupiter still commands a dominant position.

Tokenomics and the buyback machine For JUP token holders, revenue isn’t just an abstract protocol health metric. Jupiter allocates approximately 50% of its protocol revenue to buying back and burning JUP tokens through a mechanism called the Litterbox Trust. At $822K in daily revenue, that translates to roughly $411K worth of buying pressure on JUP in a single day.

Whether this mechanism moves the needle on token price depends heavily on consistency. A single standout day is nice. Sustained daily revenues above the recent $534K average would be far more meaningful for long-term value accrual. The seven-month gap since the last time Jupiter hit this revenue level suggests the protocol is still working through the hangover from 2025’s peak activity, when monthly revenue figures regularly reached into the millions and annual gross revenue exceeded $500 million.

By comparison, 2026 gross revenue through August sits in the low-to-mid millions. The $822K day is notable precisely because it suggests the floor may be rising again after that correction.

Context within the Solana recovery Jupiter’s fortunes are inextricable from Solana’s. The network processed over $1 trillion in cumulative volume through Jupiter alone during 2025, making the aggregator one of the most important pieces of infrastructure in the ecosystem.

For Jupiter specifically, the competitive landscape bears watching. The protocol’s 63% share of organic aggregator volume gives it a substantial moat, but that moat is built on execution quality and routing efficiency rather than network effects that lock users in.

DFlow’s solver-based approach and OKX’s integration of its centralized exchange liquidity into on-chain routing both represent genuine threats to Jupiter’s dominance. The aggregator market on Solana is far more competitive today than it was a year ago.

The more interesting question is whether Jupiter’s expansion into perps and lending can offset any potential erosion in its core aggregation business. Perpetual futures trading on decentralized platforms has proven to be one of DeFi’s stickiest revenue generators, with protocols like Hyperliquid demonstrating that on-chain perps can sustain meaningful volume over extended periods.

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

IREN's co-CEO just made a bold claim about how the company funds its massive fiscal 2027 buildout without a big equity raise, and the market is reacting while peers like TeraWulf head in the opposite direction.

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Shares of IREN (NASDAQ:IREN) are rising Monday afternoon after co-founder and co-CEO Daniel Roberts said the AI cloud operator‘s fiscal 2027 capital plan doesn’t require a large equity raise. IREN stock is up 4% to $36.76 at midday, extending a run that had shares up 21% over the past month through Friday’s close.

This move is company-specific. The SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (NYSEARCA:SPY) is down 0.5% to $765.91, so the broad market is slightly lower even as IREN stock rises. Peer TeraWulf (NASDAQ:WULF) stock is down 2% to $15.09, while fellow miner-turned-AI-host Cipher Mining (NASDAQ:CIFR) isn’t participating, underscoring that today’s catalyst is IREN-specific funding news rather than a sector-wide bid.

Roberts Post Addresses the Dilution Worry In a post Monday, Roberts said IREN’s forecasted $25 billion to $30 billion of fiscal 2027 capital expenditures “isn’t an equity number.” He added, “Customer prepayments can cover about half the GPU capex. Lenders can fund most of the rest.” That speaks directly to investor anxiety that followed the fiscal 2026 fourth-quarter report, when the market questioned whether an at-the-market offering or more convertible notes would be needed to fund the plan.

Management said IREN entered fiscal 2027 with about $14 billion in cash, committed GPU financing and customer prepayments, and is targeting another $8 billion through GPU financing and prepayments. The rest is expected to come from data center financing, operating cash flow and corporate sources. Recent customer prepayments have covered 45% to 55% of associated GPU capital expenditures on new deals.

The financing stack has already scaled quickly. IREN arranged $3.6 billion of Microsoft-related GPU financing at a weighted average interest rate of 6%, and secured $2.8 billion for other deployments, including $2.4 billion at a 9% fixed rate for the Mackenzie expansion, while raising approximately $19 billion, with about $3 billion of that from equity over the past 12 months. Its entire data center portfolio remains unencumbered, including the four Horizon deployments at Childress, and no data center financing transaction has closed yet.

Roberts framed the mechanism as a “funding flywheel.” When customer prepayments cover roughly half of GPU cost and lenders finance 90% of the balance, the arithmetic can leave IREN with more cash than the compute itself required, freeing capital to seed the surrounding data center shell. GPU financing, once a private-credit product with mid-teens returns, now includes investment-grade paper in the 6% area.

Bear Case Still Sits in the Numbers The financials matter here. IREN’s net loss widened 176% sequentially to $684 million in the fiscal 2026 fourth quarter, with $450.4 million of impairments accounting for most of the shortfall. Mining revenue dropped 40% to $66.7 million as older rigs came out ahead of GPU installations.

Adjusted EBITDA also fell hard sequentially. IREN posted $19.2 million in adjusted EBITDA in the June quarter, versus $59.5 million the prior quarter, as costs across sales, R&D and site operations ran ahead of the AI Cloud ramp. Cash SG&A is guided up another $40 to $50 million sequentially in the September quarter.

The offset sits on the AI side. AI Cloud Services revenue reached $70.5 million in the June quarter, up from $33.6 million in March. The company has $4 billion in contracted annual recurring revenue tied to capacity expected online by year-end, which is what makes the funding math workable in the first place.

Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT | MSFT Price Prediction) is the anchor Horizon customer behind that ARR figure. The first 50-megawatt Horizon deployment was delivered in August, and Horizons 2 through 4 are targeted for the December quarter.

Peer Divergence Is the Signal TeraWulf stock is falling while IREN stock rises, even though both names sit in the same Bitcoin (CRYPTO:BTC)-mining-to-AI-infrastructure trade (we profiled seven of the picks-and-shovels names powering the AI buildout, from power to cooling, in a free report you can grab here).

Cipher Mining is quiet on the session. Today’s move separates the group by funding certainty and near-term delivery timeline rather than repricing everyone together.

What to Watch The near-term catalyst is any data center financing announcement. Roberts has described that layer as the “next frontier,” and IREN has confirmed no transaction has closed yet. A first close on an asset-backed deal against the unencumbered Horizon portfolio would validate the funding model Roberts sketched out Monday.

Investors should size their IREN share positions carefully given the execution stakes. The fiscal 2027 plan is large, delivery timelines are compressed, and hardware impairments are still weighing on the GAAP line. A gain on a single executive post is a sentiment shift, and the balance sheet claim underneath it can be tested only quarter by quarter.

Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.

Photo: Photo: Rostislav Uzunov / Pexels / Pexels

Hyperliquid’s native token, HYPE, has experienced a price increase following reports that the decentralized protocol is in discussions with Kraken’s parent company, Payward, about entering the U.S. market. This development, first reported by Bloomberg, comes amid ongoing efforts by U.S. regulators to facilitate Hyperliquid’s compliant entry into the American market. The token was around $81.26 to $81.63 on August 31, 2026, slightly below its recent peak but indicating positive market sentiment regarding potential regulatory approval. Market participants appear to be anticipating a significant impact from these talks, which could enhance Hyperliquid’s volume and investor confidence.

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Key Takeaways Market participants appear to view the reported talks between Hyperliquid and Payward as supportive of a potential YES outcome for Hyperliquid’s entry into the U.S. market. HYPE’s price reflects optimism, although it remains below its late-August peak, suggesting cautious optimism about regulatory approval. Current market pricing suggests a 62.5% probability that Hyperliquid will reach $100 by the end of 2026, reflecting confidence in future growth. What to Watch Watch for any official announcements from Hyperliquid or Payward confirming the progress or outcome of their talks, as these could significantly impact market sentiment. Developments in U.S. regulatory discussions regarding crypto market entries could further affect HYPE’s price trajectory. Market participants will also be monitoring any changes in volume or strategic partnerships that may reinforce the likelihood of reaching the $100 price target by the end of 2026.

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Term Structure

Contract Odds Δ since publish Volume 24h December 31 62.5% — — View market → January 1 2027 4.2% — — View market → January 1 2027 2.8% — — View market → January 1 2027 6.3% — — View market → January 1 2027 3.1% — — View market → January 1 2027 78.5% — — View market → January 1 2027 14% — — View market → January 1 2027 6.5% — — View market →

Photo: Pixabay / Pexels

North Korean hackers have reportedly moved over $30 million in bitcoin through the decentralized derivatives platform Hyperliquid over the past three weeks. This information, sourced from blockchain analytics firm Arkham and reviewed by CoinDesk, suggests that the hackers have been active on the platform, moving significant amounts of bitcoin. Although Hyperliquid faced scrutiny in December 2024 for its association with North Korean-linked wallets, the company maintained that no breaches or loss of user funds occurred at that time. The ongoing transactions highlight continued vigilance around potentially illicit activities on the platform.

Key Takeaways Recent data suggests that North Korean hackers have been using Hyperliquid to move over $30 million in bitcoin. The platform’s previous scrutiny in 2024 involved similar activities, but no security breaches were reported then. Market activity appears to reflect concerns about Hyperliquid’s security and regulatory standing following the report. What to Watch The reported activities may influence Hyperliquid’s market performance, with market participants likely monitoring for any regulatory actions or platform responses. Observers will be attentive to any official statements from Hyperliquid regarding the security of its platform and potential measures to prevent illicit activity. Further market reactions could be contingent on additional details emerging about the scope and impact of the transactions.

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Term Structure

Contract Odds Δ since publish Volume 24h December 31 62.5% — — View market → January 1 2027 4.2% — — View market → January 1 2027 2.8% — — View market → January 1 2027 5.6% — — View market → January 1 2027 2.8% — — View market → January 1 2027 78.5% — — View market → January 1 2027 14% — — View market → January 1 2027 6.5% — — View market →

Apple treated Tim Cook to a farewell tour as he wrapped up his 15-year tenure as CEO on Monday and passed the reins to successor John Ternus – who faces challenges ranging from a troubled AI rollout to a worldwide memory crunch that’s forced it to hike prices.

Cook and Ternus, the 51-year-old head of Apple’s hardware division, have been “inseparable at internal meetings” ahead of the leadership transition, which takes effect Tuesday, Bloomberg reported. The new CEO is expected to move into Cook’s office at the company’s headquarters in Cupertino, Calif.

Ternus will need to hit the ground running in a critical period for Apple. It is set to roll out its latest product releases this fall, including its first foldable iPhone and a long-delayed AI-powered makeover of its Siri voice assistant. Siri AI will be under the microscope when it launches in public beta, with analysts warning that Apple needs a strong showing to reassure Wall Street.

Apple CEO Tim Cook thanks guests and officials during a ribbon-cutting ceremony for Apple’s Advanced Manufacturing Center in Houston on Aug. 13. AP Photo/Annie Mulligan Ternus will also look to maintain demand for core products like MacBooks and iPads despite a wave of price hikes – with some items surging as much as $500 – due to a shortage of computer chips. Apple described the crunch as an “unprecedented challenge.”

Despite the headaches, Cook has been effusive in his praise of Ternus, declaring in April that “he is without question the right person to lead Apple into the future.”

Meanwhile, Cook, 65, was fêted at a farewell party on Sunday at Apple’s headquarters to commemorate his lengthy run at the helm. The event featured a performance by Cook’s favorite band, OneRepublic, and drew about 200 attendees, The Information reported.

Laurene Powell Jobs, the widow of late Apple cofounder and CEO Steve Jobs, was among those who honored Cook at the event. Ternus also spoke at the soiree, as did longtime Apple executive Eddy Cue and former COO Jeff Williams.

The intensely private Cook, who came out as gay in 2014, also delivered remarks at the event and addressed his partner, Mike, who was in attendance, according to the outlet.

While Cook is stepping down as CEO, he will remain at the company as executive chairman. His work will include “engaging with policymakers around the world,” according to Apple.

(L-R) Brendan Hunt, Tanya Reynolds, Jason Sudeikis, John Ternus, Tim Cook, Hannah Waddingham, Jeremy Swift and Juno Temple attend the premiere of Apple TV’s “Ted Lasso” season four in Los Angeles on July 27. AFP via Getty Images

Tim Cook served as Apple CEO for 15 years. AP Photo/Annie Mulligan “Sending lots of love to the Apple community on my last day as CEO,” Cook wrote on X. “My title changes tomorrow, but the love I have for the Apple community never will. Thank you for being a constant source of inspiration. My gratitude is endless, and I’m excited for the next chapter!”

Cook cultivated close ties with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle during his time as Apple’s boss and was a fixture at White House events under both former President Biden and President Trump. He also oversaw a major expansion with Apple’s business in China, which required managing tenuous relations between Washington, DC, and Beijing.

John Ternus officially becomes Apple CEO on Sept. 1. EPA Cook has reportedly said he plans to spend more time at his vacation home in Palm Springs, Calif., and “take up more outdoor activities” – even as he remains heavily involved at the company, according to the outlet.

The transition marks the end of an era for Apple, which has seen its market cap surge from about $350 billion in 2011 to more than $4.5 trillion today.

Apple representatives did not immediately return requests for comment.

Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL) stock fell more than 2% Monday as broader weakness in mega-cap growth stocks coincided with fresh scrutiny over Google’s 260 million pounds U.K. app-store settlement.

The Nasdaq declined 0.23%, the S&P 500 fell 0.45% and Communication Services dropped 1.2%.

• Alphabet shares are experiencing downward pressure. Why are GOOG shares declining?

Alphabet, Google’s parent company, agreed to pay 260 million pounds ($352,294,800) to settle a U.K. class action accusing Google of charging excessive commissions to developers distributing apps through the Google Play Store.

The lawsuit alleged Google abused its dominant market position by imposing unfair fees on developers whose apps run on Android devices.

Alphabet reached the agreement before a 10-week trial scheduled to begin next month. The company did not admit liability, and the Competition Appeal Tribunal must still approve the settlement.

UK Developers Could Receive 160 Million PoundsIf approved, about 160 million pounds will go to U.K. developers, while the remaining 100 million pounds will cover litigation funding, legal fees and other expenses, the Financial Times reported Friday.

Legal academic Professor Barry Rodger, who led the case, had sought as much as one billion pounds in compensation. He called the settlement a "great deal" and said it could provide meaningful compensation to businesses that could not have challenged Google individually.

Thousands of developers could qualify for payments, ranging from 200 pounds for the smallest businesses to several million pounds for some larger developers.

Alphabet held approximately $242.47 billion in cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities as of June 30, 2026.

UK Keeps Pressure on Big Tech App StoresAlphabet said it was pleased to reach an agreement with developers and reiterated its commitment to supporting the U.K. developer community.

The settlement marks a notable outcome for the U.K. class action system, where many cases against major technology companies have struggled to generate significant payouts.

It also follows a separate victory for claimants against Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL), after the Competition Appeal Tribunal found last year that Apple charged excessive fees to developers distributing software through its App Store.

Analyst Consensus & Recent Actions: The stock carries a Buy rating with an average price forecast of $436.25. Recent analyst moves include:

JP Morgan: Overweight (Lowers target to $420 on July 23) TD Cowen: Buy (Maintains target to $475 on July 23) Oppenheimer: Outperform (Lowers target to $400 on July 23) Top ETF Exposure State Street Communication Services Select Sector SPDR ETF (NYSE:XLC): 8.78% Weight Motley Fool 100 Index ETF (BATS:TMFC): 8.46% Weight iShares Global Comm Services ETF (NYSE:IXP): 9.85% Weight Significance: Because GOOG carries such a heavy weight in these funds, any significant inflows or outflows for these ETFs will likely force automatic buying or selling of the stock.

GOOG, GOOGL Price ActionAlphabet (GOOG) shares were down 2.36% at $334.80 and Alphabet (GOOGL) shares were down 2.28% at $338.68 at the time of publication on Monday, according to Benzinga Pro data.

Photo: Alphabet on a smartphone, Sundar Pichai against a Google background via Shutterstock

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Operating cash flow remains enormous, but higher discount rates make Amazon's negative free cash flow harder to overlook. Summary

AI investment increased trailing property-and-equipment purchases by $66.1 billion.

Amazon.com AMZN, the e-commerce and cloud-computing giant, dropped approximately 2.1% to $260.90 Monday as the 10-year Treasury yield charged toward 4.75%. Reuters reported that renewed inflation fears pushed the market-implied probability of a September Federal Reserve rate increase above 60%. Bond yields went up. Amazon went down. The reason is sitting inside its AI spending bill.

Amazon's cash engine is roaring, but its capital expenditures are roaring louder. The company's second-quarter filing showed trailing operating cash flow jumping 33% to $161.4 billion, while free cash flow flipped from an $18.2 billion inflow to a $7.6 billion outflow. That ugly reversal followed a $66.1 billion increase in property and equipment purchases as Amazon poured money into AI infrastructure.

The chart adds another pressure point: Amazon's $260.90 share price sits 5.55% above its $247.18 GF Value™, leaving little room for an AI payoff that takes longer than expected. AWS may eventually turn those servers into a cash machine. For now, investors see a $25.8 billion free-cash-flow swing and a rising risk-free rate. When money gets more expensive, patience gets cheaper.

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Microsoft (MSFT -0.69%) will send its shareholders their next dividend payment ($0.91 per share, declared on June 10) on Sept. 10. For most dividend stocks, that would be the least interesting data point of the month, because the payment arrives right at the time of year when the board has historically announced its annual increase. The latter is likely what dividend investors will care about more.

The software giant has raised its dividend every year for more than a decade -- 16 consecutive annual increases, all announced in September. The most recent came on Sept. 15, 2025, when the board brought the quarterly payment from $0.83 to $0.91 -- an increase of just under 10%.

That track record is steady enough to support a real forecast. So let's make one.

Image source: The Motley Fool.

A raise in the same band year after yearMicrosoft's dividend growth has been strikingly stable.

The last six annual increases were 9.8%, 10.7%, 9.7%, 10.3%, 10.7%, and 9.6% -- all within a band between 9.6% and 10.7%. And a longer window barely changes the story. The quarterly payment has grown from $0.36 at the end of 2015 to $0.91 at the end of 2025, which equates to about a 9.7% annual compound rate over that decade.

Apply that band to the current payment of $0.91, and the next quarterly dividend lands between about $1.00 and $1.01.

So the answer from history is specific. Expect about $1.00 per quarter, or $4.00 a year, which would be an increase of about 10%, likely announced in September. Of course, the calendar is a pattern, not a promise. Microsoft has not scheduled or confirmed anything, and a board can always go off script.

Can the spending surge bend the pattern?The reasonable concern is Microsoft's capital expenditures. The company allocated $115.9 billion to property and equipment in fiscal 2026 (the year ended June 30) -- an 80% jump from last year as it builds artificial intelligence (AI) data center capacity.

All that construction eats into the cash that would otherwise accumulate. Despite a 34% rise to $182.9 billion in operating cash flow, only about $67 billion in free cash flow remained after capital expenditures -- compared with about $72 billion a year earlier.

The earnings underlying the payment, however, are growing much faster than the payment itself. Fiscal 2026 revenue grew 18% to $331.8 billion, and Azure revenue crossed $100 billion for the year while rising 41%. The company's net income of $133.7 billion, meanwhile, came in 31% above the prior year.

A dividend that grows 10% a year while earnings grow at rates like those becomes safer each year, not riskier.

Now consider what the dividend actually costs. At $0.91 per quarter across about 7.4 billion shares, Microsoft pays out about $27 billion a year. That's about 15% of operating cash flow, and about 20% of the $17.95 per share the company earned in fiscal 2026. And a 10% increase adds something like $2.7 billion a year to the tab -- manageable but still meaningful.

Still, the AI spending surge is squeezing Microsoft's free cash flow, and even the squeezed figure still covers the dividend more than twice over.

The only unknown is the sizeIf anything bends this September's figure, I would expect it to bend toward the lower end of the band and not below it. With data center construction of that scale still underway, boards tend to protect flexibility. An increase near 9% or 10% preserves the streak and is easy to fund.

Could the board surprise with something larger? Yes, it has room. But nothing in its behavior for a decade suggests it wants to grab headlines with the dividend, and I don't expect it to start now.

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The dividend yield will remain small either way. At about $505 per share, Microsoft yields about 0.7%, and an extra dime per quarter doesn't change that.

The increase, assuming one occurs, matters for what it signals, which is a payment that grows through every cycle -- AI construction included.

So what will this year's raise amount to? I expect a move to about $1.00 per quarter, announced in September, in the same band as the last six. For investors who own Microsoft, the most important thing to watch is free cash flow. The dividend is easily affordable today. Whether it remains so depends on a data center bill that's still rising.

OpenAI just built an AI-designed chip that already beats Nvidia's best in early tests, and one macro investor has pinpointed exactly when Nvidia's most valuable competitive advantage disappears entirely.

Two days after the biggest quarter in semiconductor history, macro investor Jordi Visser told listeners on The Pomp Podcast that the scarcity holding up NVIDIA (NASDAQ:NVDA | NVDA Price Prediction) has an expiration date. His argument separates near-term results from terminal value, laid out in a single line: OpenAI’s new Jalapeno silicon “a chip designed by OpenAI, by AI” and “is not going to disrupt their numbers this year, it’s not going to disrupt them next year.” Then the pivot: “Nvidia right now has scarcity, but at some point, five years from now, six years from now, it won’t have scarcity.” NVIDIA’s market cap of $5.31 trillion reflects future discounted cash flows. If the market decides GPUs are optional in a decade, that value contracts.

Record Quarter Priced Into Every Model NVIDIA’s Q2 FY2027 report delivered. Revenue landed at $96.22 billion, up 105.8% year over year, with Data Center revenue of $89.02 billion and non-GAAP EPS of $2.22. Supply commitments jumped to $279 billion, largely memory tied to Vera Rubin. See the Q2 FY2027 8-K exhibit for the full breakout.

Jensen Huang told analysts fiscal 2028 revenue should grow approximately 70% year over year, and that “at this moment, we have supply for 70%. We have more supply than 70%, but about 70%. Our demand is much higher than that.” The stock dropped 4.57% on Aug 28, 2026, from $227.98 to $217.55, though shares are up 16.79% year to date and trade at a forward P/E of 26.

Jalapeno Already Tests Better on TCO Chip analyst and 247 Wall Street contributor Eric Bleeker cited a SemiAnalysis headline reading “OpenAI Jalapeno better than Nvidia Blackwell,” noting initial tests point to superior total cost of ownership compared to Blackwell. Jim Cramer on CNBC added: “Nvidia invested 30 billion in OpenAI” and OpenAI is “downright gleeful about inventing this new chip, Jalapeno, that can compete with Nvidia’s.”

Chamath Palihapitiya made the structural case on All-In: “You’re going to look at these big companies in five years, they’re all going to have their own cloud, they’re all going to have their own models, they’re all going to have their own silicon, they’re all going to have their own data centers.”

Two Timelines Investors Must Reconcile Huang counters that OpenAI’s existing and planned commitments represent approximately 12 gigawatts of NVIDIA compute through 2030, and AI-lab demand should contribute roughly a quarter of NVIDIA’s business next year. Visser agrees on the near term, calling the current setup “the sweet spot of the infrastructure build out” with “another three to five years of needing a lot.”

The terminal value debate is where the fight lives. If custom silicon peels off even a quarter of hyperscaler workloads by 2031, the DCF supporting today’s price gets rewritten downward. If Vera Rubin’s economics of $40 billion per gigawatt keep expanding, the moat holds.

Where the AI Compute Dollars Are Landing Eli Lilly (NYSE:LLY) cited a co-innovation AI lab with NVIDIA for drug discovery and posted $22.97 billion in Q2 revenue with EPS of $8.38, raising FY26 revenue guidance to $85.0 billion to $87.0 billion. LLY shares are up 61.49% over one year.

Coinbase (NASDAQ:COIN) shows the flip side: Q2 revenue fell 18.51% to $1.22 billion, and the stock is down 21% year to date even with prediction-markets revenue past $100 million annualized.

For NVIDIA investors, the forward question is direct. If Jalapeno and successors take even a slice of inference workloads by 2030, does the current multiple compress before fiscal 2028 growth arrives? Watch memory pricing, hyperscaler capex mix, and how quickly OpenAI’s chips move from tests to deployment.

Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.

Key Takeaways United Airlines is adding 10 international cities and three new routes across Europe and Asia.United Airlines plans new Osaka, Milan and Paris services, plus a San Francisco-Tel Aviv return.United Airlines' A321XLR will support 2027 growth with new routes and upgraded cabin features. In a bid to strengthen its network and expand globally, United Airlines Holdings, Inc. (UAL - Free Report) recently announced multiple major initiatives in its business. These include the addition of 10 new international cities and three new routes across Europe and Asia, marking UAL’s largest international network expansion in its history and the launch of the newest international aircraft in its fleet, the 'Born to Explore' A321XLR.

The aforesaid announcement was made public at an event at Newark Liberty International Airport, which was attended by UAL’s chief executive officer (CEO), Scott Kirby; chief commercial officer, Andrew Nocella and senior vice president of Global Network Planning and Alliances, Patrick Quayle.

UAL’s CEO, Scott Kirby, stated, "The creative and strategic way we've expanded our international network since the pandemic has made all the difference, not only for our customers and employees, but also as a way to differentiate United and build a brand focused on customers. We offer the most flights across the Atlantic and Pacific and Newark is the best Atlantic gateway in the country - so far this year, it's the most on-time airport in the New York City area. We're going to keep building on that momentum as we welcome the new A321XLR to our fleet and continue to elevate the travel experience for every customer who chooses United."

UAL’s Global Expansion Plans & New Fleet DetailsUAL plans to start flying to 10 new international cities as early as March 2027. United Airlines' 10 new destinations include San Francisco (SFO) – Okinawa (OKA); Washington, D.C. (IAD) – Toulouse (TLS); Newark (EWR) – Luxembourg (LUX); Newark (EWR) – Ljubljana (LJU); Newark (EWR) – Olbia (OLB); Newark (EWR) – Catania (CTA); Newark (EWR) – Ibiza (IBZ); Newark (EWR) – Valencia (VLC); Newark (EWR) – Marseille (MRS); and Newark (EWR) – Terceira (TER).  These 10 new international cities

UAL is also offering new international routes to destinations it already serves from three of its U.S. hubs. UAL plans to offer new daily service from Los Angeles to Osaka, Japan, thereby positioning itself as the only airline to serve Osaka from two continental U.S. cities. This route is slated to start on March 27, 2027, and is expected to boost UAL’s existing service from San Francisco and Guam.

From Washington, D.C., UAL plans to fly three times a week on a nonstop basis to Milan.  Effective from May 28, 2027, this route will become the only airline to connect the nation's capital to Milan nonstop.

From Denver, UAL plans to fly on a daily nonstop basis to Paris, starting from May 27, 2027. This new route shall enhance UAL’s existing service from Newark/New York, Washington Dulles, Chicago and San Francisco.

UAL is also gearing up to resume services from San Francisco to Tel Aviv on March 28.

Additionally, UAL plans to relaunch the new destinations for summer 2027 (which were added in summer 2026) with flights from Newark/New York to Split, Croatia; Bari, Italy; Glasgow, Scotland; and Santiago de Compostela, Spain.

UAL’s 'Born to Explore' Airbus A321XLR is expected to amplify its international growth in summer 2027 with service to new destinations in Ibiza, Luxembourg, Marseille, Toulouse and Valencia.

Airbus A321XLR’s onboard travel experience comes with features like a new United Polaris suite with a privacy door, free Starlink Wi-Fi for MileagePlus members, 4K OLED screens with Bluetooth connectivity, a snack bar in United Economy and the new Economy Plus seats with extra elbow room and access to a shared table across an open middle seat. The aircraft also offers 32 premium seats (which include 20 United Polaris suites and 12 United Premium Plus seats). The number reflects 16 more premium seats than the Boeing 757-200.

To ConcludeUnited Airlines has been constantly working hard to expand internationally. Since 2017, UAL has added 58 international destinations to its route map. The airline now flies to more than 160 international destinations. UAL carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

Given that United Airlines’ goal is to be able to meet every traveler’s need, be it a business trip, a dream honeymoon, a bucket-list adventure, or a trip to hometown to see family, the latest announcements seem to be a strategic business step on UAL’s part. 

Stocks to ConsiderInvestors interested in the Zacks Transportation sector may consider Expeditors International of Washington, Inc. (EXPD - Free Report) and Seanergy Maritime Holdings (SHIP - Free Report) . 

Expeditors currently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

EXPD has an expected earnings growth rate of 28.6% for 2026.  The company has an encouraging earnings surprise history. Its earnings outpaced the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the trailing four quarters, delivering an average beat of 17.15%.

Seanergy Maritime Holdings currently sports a Zacks Rank #1.

SHIP has an expected earnings growth rate of more than 100% for the current year. The company has an encouraging earnings surprise history. Its earnings topped the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the trailing four quarters, delivering an average beat of 38%.

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Strategy, the Nasdaq-listed bitcoin treasury company led by Executive Chairman Michael Saylor, acquired 4,603 bitcoin for $369.7 million last week, its first purchase since late June, lifting its total position to 845,050 BTC, according to a Form 8-K filing dated August 31, 2026 with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The disclosure, part of the company’s regular weekly update, ends a roughly two-month pause in accumulation and arrives as bitcoin trades near $78,000 following its strongest month in nearly two years.

The filing shows Strategy bought the coins between August 24 and August 30 at an average price of $80,318 each. The aggregate purchase price of $369.7 million, inclusive of fees and expenses, brings the company’s cumulative holdings to 845,050 bitcoin acquired for $63.73 billion at an average cost of $75,412 per coin. The new coins were added at a price about 6.5 percent above that long-run cost basis, a reminder that the company is still willing to pay up to expand its position after pausing for two months. Strategy remains the largest publicly traded corporate holder of the asset.

Funding the Purchase Through Stock Sales The acquisition was financed through Strategy’s at-the-market, or ATM, offering program. The 8-K reports that the company raised $602.8 million in net proceeds from sales of Class A common stock during the week, splitting the deployment into four pieces: $369.7 million toward the bitcoin purchase, $151.8 million to repurchase shares of its variable-rate STRC preferred stock, $50.7 million to cover dividends on that preferred stock, and $30.0 million added to its cash account. The STRC repurchases continue a buyback program Strategy announced on June 29 that still has about $364.8 million of remaining capacity, according to the filing.

The company also reported a U.S. dollar reserve of $5.10 billion and a separate cash balance of $1.61 billion as of August 30. Strategy has funded its bitcoin accumulation since 2020 through a combination of equity, preferred shares and convertible debt, and the latest tranche follows that same playbook rather than drawing down the company’s existing bitcoin or cash reserves.

Ending a Two-Month Pause in Accumulation The purchase ends a stretch in which Strategy did not add to its position, with its previous bitcoin acquisition reported in late June. The return to buying follows the company’s largest single week of accumulation, when it acquired roughly $1 billion of bitcoin in April, and it indicates that management still sees room to expand the treasury even with the asset trading well above the company’s average cost basis.

Saylor has repeatedly framed the company as a long-term holder rather than a trader, telling investors to measure the strategy in years and recently describing a four-year minimum holding period for MSTR investors. Resuming purchases at current prices is consistent with that stated posture, and it reopens a debate among investors about how aggressively the company should keep adding exposure.

Market Context and What Remains Unsettled The disclosure lands in the middle of a broad crypto rally, with bitcoin up more than 30% in August and on track for its best month since November 2024, while MSTR shares moved higher in premarket trading after the announcement. Because Strategy’s purchases and financing activities are closely watched across the sector, the return to buying is likely to be read by other treasury-style holders as a signal of continued institutional conviction.

The filing does not commit the company to future purchase amounts or a schedule, and the pace of accumulation will continue to depend on how much capital Strategy can raise through its ATM program and other instruments. Saylor has argued the treasury can absorb prolonged price weakness, pointing to models suggesting the company could last for decades even at zero bitcoin returns, but the decision to buy rather than hold cash reflects a continued bet on the asset at today’s levels. Investors will now watch whether Strategy sustains purchases in its next weekly filing and whether the pace of ATM share sales accelerates to fund additional buying.

AUTHOR

With over five years of experience in crypto, blockchain, and tech content, Ishtiyaq makes complex topics easy to understand. He simplifies blockchain and digital currency concepts for a wide audience, ensuring that beginners and experts alike can grasp key ideas. His clear and engaging writing helps readers stay informed about the latest trends, developments, and innovations in the crypto space. Whether explaining blockchain technology, digital assets, or DeFi, Ishtiyaq breaks down complicated ideas into simple, digestible content. His goal is to help people navigate the fast-changing world of cryptocurrency with confidence, clarity, and a deeper understanding.

Bitcoin’s ability to extend its August rally has come under a fresh test as analysts have pointed to sustained spot ETF demand as a key requirement for overcoming rising expectations of a September Federal Reserve rate hike.

Summary

Bitcoin is trading near $78,700 after retreating from last week’s high above $81,000. Bitfinex analysts say spot buying and relatively contained leverage suggest the market is not showing signs of overheating. CoinEx’s Jeff Ko sees $80,000–$83,000 as a major supply zone where real capital allocation will be tested. BTSE’s Jeff Mei says ETF demand needs to remain strong across multiple funds, while softer inflation could ease pressure from the Fed. U.S. labor and inflation data will be closely watched before the Fed’s Sept. 15–16 meeting. According to Bitfinex analysts in an Aug. 31 market report shared with crypto.news, Bitcoin’s latest advance has relied increasingly on spot demand rather than excessive leverage, leaving the market in a stronger position to absorb selling even as U.S. monetary conditions become less supportive.

According to data from crypto.news, Bitcoin (BTC) price was trading around $78,700 at the time of writing, down about 0.4% over the past 24 hours. The asset briefly climbed above $81,000 last week before falling to a low of $76,857 after Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh used his Jackson Hole address to signal that interest rates may still need to rise.

The decline interrupted a rally that had carried Bitcoin from below $65,000 in mid-August to above $80,000. As previously covered by crypto.news, Bitcoin gained about 24% during the previous week as Treasury buybacks, ETF demand, and forced short covering helped fuel the recovery.

Bitcoin ETF demand now faces a tougher test Bitfinex analysts said the derivatives market has not shown the kind of rapid leverage build-up that typically accompanies an overheated rally. Bitcoin open interest stood at $55.6 billion, more than 20% above its level at the start of August, but the increase has been gradual while basis levels have remained relatively low.

“We are in a market driven by spot buying and, notwithstanding large short liquidations, open interest has only gradually increased, while basis has remained relatively low and at healthy levels historically,” the analysts said.

Holding $77,100, which Bitfinex identified as an important lower-timeframe support level, alongside continued spot buying would indicate that the market remains relatively balanced, according to the report.

ETF flows provide another measure of whether that demand can continue.

U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs absorbed about $3.04 billion during nine consecutive positive sessions from Aug. 17 through Aug. 27, according to Bitfinex. Friday then produced the first net outflow in 10 sessions, with investors withdrawing $201.9 million as Bitcoin reversed from above $81,000.

Despite Friday’s redemptions, the funds still finished the week with $924.5 million in net inflows, while inflows across the previous two weeks reached about $2.8 billion.

BlackRock’s IBIT accounted for only $33.4 million of Friday’s withdrawals after collecting roughly $2.3 billion during the preceding nine sessions. ARKB and BITB together recorded $164.6 million in outflows.

Institutional demand has also been absorbing Bitcoin sold by larger holders, Bitfinex said. Whale addresses holding between 1,000 and 10,000 BTC have reduced their balances by 50,500 BTC since the end of June, while institutional custodial holdings associated with exchanges and ETF platforms increased by 59,100 BTC.

During the latest August advance alone, custodial balances rose by 31,500 BTC, a move the analysts said closely tracked ETF inflows.

“While whales took profits during the rally, institutional demand absorbed that supply, indicating that assets moving into these regulated vehicles may be less prone to sudden liquidation on the basis of short-term macroeconomic news.”

$80K–$83K could test whether real buyers remain Jeff Ko, chief analyst at CoinEx, told crypto.news that part of Bitcoin’s August rally came from Treasury buybacks pushing yields and the dollar lower at the same time that traders had built large short positions.

Ko said the mechanical part of the resulting squeeze has now “largely played out,” leaving spot demand as a more important factor around $80,000.

“Treasury buybacks pushed yields and the dollar lower, and that impulse collided with crowded short positioning to produce the squeeze,” Ko said. “What matters from here is whether spot buyers keep absorbing supply around $80K.”

The Treasury catalyst had already produced a sharp response earlier in August. On Aug. 19, the department announced that it would at least double the maximum size of liquidity-support buybacks for 10-to-20-year and 20-to-30-year nominal coupon securities from $2 billion to at least $4 billion per operation from Sept. 9 through Nov. 4.

The change helped compress long-term yields as Bitcoin surged. An Aug. 20 analysis of the buybacks found that BTC jumped 8.2% from an intraday low of $64,100 to $69,500 within 12 hours of the Treasury announcement, while $1.44 billion in short positions were liquidated.

Ko now sees $80,000–$83,000 as more than a technical resistance area because the zone could show whether new investment can replace the buying pressure previously created by forced short covering.

“It is a major supply zone, and the point at which the rally stops being a short squeeze and becomes a test of real capital allocation.”

Ether could provide another signal. Ko said ETH had traded near $2,490 heading into Jackson Hole but subsequently lagged Bitcoin on price. If Treasury yields and the dollar remain elevated while Ether starts outperforming Bitcoin on both price and investment flows, he would view the move as evidence of stronger crypto risk appetite.

Bitfinex also pointed to Ether ETFs as a possible gauge of demand. U.S. spot Ether products took in $815.7 million last week and extended their positive run to 10 sessions, according to the firm. Nearly 12.3% of cumulative Ether ETF inflows since launch arrived during August, while demand adjusted for the relative size of the assets was roughly four times as intense as Bitcoin ETF demand during the past week.

Fed rate hike risk threatens the liquidity support The pressure on Bitcoin now comes from a less favorable interest-rate outlook.

Warsh’s Jackson Hole remarks pushed the market-implied probability of a September rate increase to about 57%, according to Bitfinex. Ko similarly said CME-implied odds had risen from 39.9% on Aug. 21 to 57% following the speech, while the two-year Treasury yield moved to around 4.31% and the dollar returned toward a two-week high.

Bitfinex analysts said persistent inflation remains one of the main constraints on easier monetary policy. Headline Personal Consumption Expenditures inflation stood at 3.7%, with core inflation at 3.3%, while private domestic demand expanded at a 4.2% annualized pace during the second quarter.

Jeff Mei, chief operating officer of BTSE, told crypto.news that Warsh’s speech had raised the hurdle for Bitcoin because higher interest rates could reduce the amount of liquidity available for crypto assets.

“For a sustained rally, we need a few things to happen. First, ETF demand has to stay strong across all ETF products, and not just BlackRock’s IBIT ETF. Second, we need better inflation data for the Fed to back off and keep rates steady.”

Mei also cautioned that the boost associated with Treasury buybacks could fade quickly.

Earlier in August, Bitcoin broke above $76,000 as ETF inflows accelerated alongside improving U.S. liquidity conditions. Spot Bitcoin ETFs took in $606 million on Aug. 20 alone, extending a run of institutional demand that accompanied the recovery from the mid-August lows.

Bitcoin needs U.S. data to ease the rate pressure Attention now turns to a run of U.S. economic releases that could alter expectations before the Federal Reserve meets in September.

Ko identified Friday’s August payroll report as the most important immediate event and the final jobs report before the FOMC decision. July payrolls fell by 23,000 against an 80,000 consensus estimate, while May and June were revised lower by a combined 103,000 jobs, according to figures cited by Ko. The unemployment rate currently stands at 4.1%.

Before payrolls, ISM Manufacturing and JOLTS data are due Tuesday, followed by ADP employment figures and the Federal Reserve’s Beige Book on Wednesday and ISM Services on Thursday. Bitfinex analysts also identified the August labor-market and inflation releases as the next major tests for rate expectations.

The August inflation report is scheduled for Sept. 11, putting another major data point immediately before the Sept. 15–16 FOMC meeting.

Ko also pointed to the CLARITY Act as a crypto-specific U.S. catalyst, with a Senate procedural vote currently scheduled for Sept. 15. In his view, the vote represents one of the largest asset-specific events on the September calendar, while the Fed meeting will determine the monetary backdrop facing Bitcoin and other risk assets.

For price, Mei sees $87,000 as the next level that would materially strengthen the bullish case after Bitcoin clears the nearer resistance areas.

“If we break the $87k mark and hold, $100K becomes the real target, and we could be looking at a bull market.”

XRP price traded near $1.36 on Aug. 31 after falling roughly 7% over seven days, as fading momentum and leveraged position unwinding offset record weekly demand from U.S. spot exchange-traded funds.

Summary

XRP price retreated from $1.48 to $1.36 but remained above its 4-hour Supertrend support at $1.341. U.S. spot XRP ETFs attracted $110.49 million during their strongest inflow week of 2026. CoinGlass data shows major liquidation concentrations near $1.35, $1.38, and between $1.44 and $1.50. A break below $1.34 could expose $1.28, while reclaiming $1.40 would improve the recovery setup. XRP price pulls back 7% after August rally According to data from crypto.news, XRP (XRP) price was trading around $1.36 on Aug. 31 at the time of writing. The token had declined from approximately $1.48 over the previous seven days, leaving it down about 7% for the period.

The pullback followed a rapid recovery from an August low near $0.98. XRP gained more than 30% during the month and briefly reached $1.70 on Aug. 22 before sellers rejected the move. Price then formed a series of lower highs below $1.55, $1.50, and $1.45.

XRP’s 4-hour chart shows that the latest decline brought the token back toward a support area that formed during the initial breakout. The Supertrend indicator remained bullish at $1.341, placing its active support slightly below the market price.

XRP price 4-hour chart — Aug. 31 | Source: crypto.news However, the Awesome Oscillator registered a negative reading of -0.0364. Its histogram also stayed below zero, indicating that short-term bearish momentum had not fully cleared despite XRP’s attempt to stabilize above $1.35.

The combination leaves XRP at a decision point. Holding $1.34–$1.35 would preserve the higher trading range created by the August rally, while a confirmed 4-hour close below it could weaken the remaining bullish structure.

ETF inflows counter XRP derivatives reset U.S. spot XRP ETFs recorded $110.49 million in net inflows during the week ending Aug. 28, according to data from SoSoValue. It was their strongest weekly result of 2026.

The funds held about $1.44 billion in net assets after the inflows, while cumulative net inflows reached approximately $1.66 billion. The demand created a contrast between institutional fund flows and XRP’s falling market price.

Derivatives traders took a more defensive position. Aggregate XRP futures open interest had climbed to approximately $2.73 billion earlier in August, its highest level since October, as leveraged traders positioned for a larger move.

Price and open interest later declined together as XRP retreated from the $1.48–$1.50 resistance zone. Such a combination generally points to traders closing existing positions rather than building an aggressive new short position, although open-interest changes alone cannot identify every trader’s direction.

The reset reduced some of the leverage accumulated during the rally. It did not, however, produce enough spot buying to return XRP above $1.40 before the end of the month.

XRP liquidation map identifies the next price magnets The one-week CoinGlass liquidation heatmap places the largest nearby liquidity concentrations around $1.35 and $1.38. XRP tested both areas during the Aug. 31 decline and was trading between them when the chart was captured.

XRP liquidation heatmap | Source: CoinGlass A concentrated band around $1.35 could attract further price movement if sellers retest the weekly low. Losing that level would place the next visible liquidity pockets near $1.33 and $1.30.

Liquidity also remains stacked above the market. The first meaningful overhead cluster appears near $1.40–$1.42, followed by a broader concentration between $1.44 and $1.45. Larger liquidation bands extend toward $1.48–$1.50.

Those zones could accelerate a rebound if XRP moves higher and forces leveraged short positions to close. They can also act as resistance because traders may use the same levels to exit positions.

The daily chart provides a more constructive signal. Chaikin Money Flow stood at 0.09, keeping the indicator above zero and pointing to net buying pressure over its 20-day measurement period. The positive reading suggests capital has not fully left the market despite the weekly price decline.

XRP price daily chart — Aug. 31 | Source: crypto.news XRP nevertheless remained close to the daily Murrey Math pivot near $1.40. A daily recovery above that level would open a path toward $1.50 and the chart’s $1.60 resistance. Failure to reclaim it would leave the token exposed to another test of the lower trading range.

XRP support at $1.28 becomes the main downside test Chart analyst ChartNerd said XRP had failed to reclaim its 50-week exponential moving average for a second consecutive week. The analyst placed that average near $1.53 and identified the 20-week EMA around $1.27 as the next short-term support floor.

The weekly rejection adds weight to the $1.48–$1.53 resistance range. A break above the zone would invalidate the present series of lower highs and allow buyers to target $1.60, followed by the August wick near $1.70.

On the downside, the 4-hour Supertrend at $1.341 offers the first line of support. A decisive break could send XRP toward $1.30 and the weekly 20 EMA near $1.27–$1.28. The bullish August recovery would become more vulnerable if the price closes below that moving average.

Ripple’s scheduled escrow release adds another short-term consideration. The company’s monthly system is set to unlock 1 billion XRP on Sept. 1, although Ripple has historically returned a large share of the released tokens to escrow. The scheduled release does not mean the full amount will enter the open market at once.

CLARITY Act vote adds a US policy catalyst The U.S. Senate is expected to hold a procedural vote on the CLARITY Act on Sept. 15. The vote would test whether supporters can secure the 60 votes required to advance the market-structure legislation.

The vote is not final passage, and no signed law is scheduled for Sept. 15. Its outcome could still affect sentiment toward U.S.-traded digital assets because the proposal seeks to clarify federal oversight of crypto markets.

For XRP, the immediate technical range remains more important. Buyers must protect $1.34–$1.35 and reclaim $1.40 to shift short-term momentum. Losing the lower boundary would increase the risk of a deeper correction toward $1.28, while a move above $1.50 would put the August recovery back in control.

Disclosure: This article does not represent investment advice. The content and materials featured on this page are for educational purposes only.

The XRP Ledger is moving beyond payments and token transfers as Clearpool, Ripple, and Cicada work on a new institutional lending market. The project could bring corporate credit onto XRPL, with loans settled in RLUSD.

Vet, the XRPL Foundation community lead and dUNL validator, says institutional “lending is coming.”

But can institutional lending also create new utility and demand for XRP, XRPL?

Clearpool Builds Credit Market With Ripple and CicadaIn a recent announcement on X, Clearpool said it is building the credit infrastructure using XRPL’s XLS-65 Single Asset Vaults and XLS-66 Lending Protocol.

Clearpool said that it;

“Institutions were never missing on-chain yield. They were missing a venue built for credit.

Therefore, its new project with Ripple and Cicada aims to address that gap by building lending infrastructure directly on XRPL.

Most on-chain credit runs on smart contracts: flexible, composable, battle-tested. XRPL takes a different path, lending as a native ledger primitive.

XLS-65 (Single Asset Vault) and XLS-66 (Lending Protocol) build the vault and the loan into the ledger itself. pic.twitter.com/WOL6HCGss7

— Clearpool (@ClearpoolFin) August 31, 2026 Cicada will handle borrower’s financial position, cash flows, and credit history before determining how much they can borrow and what rate they should pay. Borrowers and lenders will also need to pass KYC and AML checks.

Meanwhile, Ripple will provide the XRPL and RLUSD for loan payments and settlements. Ripple will also participate as a liquidity provider.

The goal is to create lending pools where vetted businesses can borrow RLUSD from institutional lenders and repay the loans with interest. 

However, these features are not live on XRPL Mainnet yet. 

Could Lending Increase XRP Utility?The immediate benefit is expected to go into XRPL, but it may also create some additional demand for XRP. Clearpool’s lending platform is expected to connect with XRPL’s native AMM, giving institutions a way to move between RLUSD and other assets.

For example, market makers providing liquidity to XRP/RLUSD pools would need to hold both XRP and RLUSD. This could increase the use of XRP within the lending ecosystem and potentially reduce some XRP from the freely traded supply.

The XRP Ledger also burns 100% of its transaction fees. Every transaction requires a small fee in XRP, and that XRP is permanently removed from circulation.

XRPL Network Activity Continues to BoomThe XRPL network is already processing around 1.09 million transactions per day, although activity has recently fallen by 42.7% from earlier monthly levels.

At the current rate, about 117.83 XRP is burned daily, while the ledger has burned around 7,680.43 XRP over the past 30 days.

These numbers show that XRPL already has strong network activity and a built-in XRP burn mechanism. However, the planned lending market is still under development, so it is too early to say how much additional XRP demand it could create.

For now, the key development is that institutional credit is being built directly around XRPL’s native features, potentially giving the network another major financial use case.

Story Ends Here

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