HOUSTON and LONDON, July 06, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- LyondellBasell (NYSE: LYB), a leader in the global chemical industry, will announce its second-quarter 2026 financial results before the U.S. market opens Friday, July 31, followed by a webcast and teleconference to discuss the results at 11 a.m. EDT.
Teleconference and webcast details
Friday, July 31, 2026
11 a.m. EDT
Hosted by David Dennison, head of investor relations
Access the webcast 10 to 15 minutes prior to the start of the call at www.lyb.com/earnings.
Presentation slides
Presentation slides will be available at the time of the teleconference and afterward at www.lyb.com/earnings.
Replay information
A replay of the call will be available from 1 p.m. EDT July 31 until August 31, 2026. The replay dial-in numbers are:
Toll-Free: 877-660-6853
Toll: 201-612-7415
Access ID: 13746218
About LyondellBasell
We are LyondellBasell (NYSE: LYB) – a leader in the global chemical industry creating solutions for everyday sustainable living. Through advanced technology and focused investments, we are enabling a circular and low carbon economy. Across all we do, we aim to unlock value for our customers, investors and society. As one of the world's largest producers of polymers and a leader in polyolefin technologies, we develop, manufacture and market high-quality and innovative products for applications ranging from sustainable transportation and food safety to clean water and quality healthcare. For more information, please visit www.lyondellbasell.com or follow @LyondellBasell on LinkedIn.
Micron Technology (NASDAQ: MU) is set to pay its next quarterly dividend later this month, with eligible shareholders scheduled to receive $0.15 per share on July 21, 2026.
The dividend remains unchanged from the company’s previous quarterly distribution, reflecting a consistent payout policy despite Micron’s strong share price performance over the past year.
Based on its annualized dividend of $0.60 per share, the stock offers a dividend yield of approximately 0.06% based on its last closing price of $975.56.
Investors holding 100 Micron shares will receive $15 before applicable taxes from the upcoming payment.
MU stock dividend payment schedule. Source: Dividend.com Assuming the company maintains its current quarterly dividend of $0.15 per share, shareholders with 100 shares would earn $60 in annual dividend income before taxes.
To qualify for the July payment, investors had to own Micron shares before the July 6, 2026, ex-dividend date. Shares purchased on or after the ex-dividend date are not eligible for this dividend.
While Micron’s dividend yield remains relatively modest, the company’s investment case continues to be driven primarily by capital appreciation rather than income.
Micron’s impressive 2026 run The semiconductor giant has been one of the best-performing large-cap stocks over the past year as demand for artificial intelligence memory chips continues to accelerate.
Shares have surged more than 700% over the past 12 months and approximately 242% year-to-date, pushing Micron’s market capitalization above $1.1 trillion despite a recent pullback.
MU one-year stock price chart. Source: Finbold The company recently reported record fiscal third-quarter results, with revenue climbing to $41.46 billion, driven by booming demand for high-bandwidth memory (HBM) used in AI accelerators.
Micron also issued strong guidance for the current quarter, forecasting revenue of around $50 billion at the midpoint.
Demand for AI memory remains the company’s key growth driver, with Micron reporting that its HBM production capacity is fully booked through 2026 under long-term supply agreements.
At the same time, Wall Street remains overwhelmingly bullish on Micron’s long-term prospects as AI infrastructure spending continues to expand.
Although the dividend provides a modest stream of recurring income, Micron remains a growth-oriented technology stock, with most investor returns expected to come from earnings growth and potential share price appreciation rather than dividend income.
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MercadoLibre v prvním pololetí 2026 oslabila o 16 %, protože jí dva po sobě jdoucí kvartály klesal zisk. Přesto tržby v 1. čtvrtletí vzrostly o 49 % meziročně.
MercadoLibre (MELI +1.27%) Stock fell 16% in the first half of 2026, according to data provided by S&P Global Market Intelligence. It reported declining profits for two consecutive quarters.
The dominant tech company in Latin America MercadoLibre enjoys a leading position in e-commerce and fintech in 18 Latin American countries. It consistently demonstrates high growth as it generates a shift to online shopping, and since its markets lag behind other global regions, it still has a vast opportunity. For example, e-commerce penetration in the U.S. is 27%, while it's only 14% in Latin America.
Image source: Getty Images.
The company is reporting incredible growth across segments and metrics. Total revenue increased 49% year over year in the 2026 first quarter, driven by both e-commerce and fintech. In e-commerce, gross merchandise volume (GMV) was up 42% over last year, with a 26% increase in unique active buyers. Items sold were up 47%, and items sold per unique buyer were up 16%. That's particularly impressive considering the number of new customers.
There was major growth in Brazil, its largest market, since it lowered its free shipping threshold in the country from $R79 to $R19.
Fintech is a similar story. Total payment volume was up 50% year over year, with a 29% increase in monthly active users to 83 million. The credit portfolio was up 87%, and assets under management were up 77%.
Laying the groundwork for the future Despite the fantastic performance, MercadoLibre stock has plunged because profits are declining. In the first quarter, operating income fell 20% from last year, and operating margin dropped from 12.9% last year to 6.9% this year.
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Management says it's focusing on the future. It sees a massive long-term opportunity, and it has the potential to gain the most with its first-mover's edge. "When your business is behaving like this, we believe the right response is not to harvest -- it is to invest," it said.
In Mexico, for example, more than half of the population relies on informal credit sources, while 85% pays for purchases under $30 with cash. In Argentina, while 80% of the population has a bank account, its use of credit is far below that of Brazil. Management sees the region as ripe for continued disruption, and the company has high customer satisfaction, which it takes as a mandate to improve the industry.
At the current price, MercadoLibre stock trades at 47 times trailing 12-month earnings, an attractive entry point for new investors.
GateToken (GT) dokončil on-chain burn za 2. čtvrtletí 2026, při němž bylo spáleno 2 570 063,3829548 GT v hodnotě přes 17,75 milionu USD. Celkem už bylo spáleno 189 947 219 GT, tedy více než 1,311 miliardy USD.
PANews July 6 news, according to an official announcement, the on-chain burn of GateToken (GT) for the second quarter of 2026 has been officially completed, with a total of 2,570,063.3829548 GT transferred to the burn address, valued at over 17.75 million USD. Since the Gate Chain mainnet launched in 2019, GT has been subject to a continuous burn mechanism. To date, a cumulative total of 189,947,219 GT has been burned, with a cumulative burn value exceeding 1.311 billion USD (based on quarterly average price). The total token supply has been significantly reduced by approximately 63.32% from the initial 300 million.
As the sole gas token of Gate Layer, GT’s usage frequency is steadily increasing. As the underlying infrastructure, Gate Layer provides high-performance network support for applications such as Gate Perp DEX, Gate Fun, Gate Meme Go, and Gate Swap. Additionally, Gate is continuously enriching its product ecosystem. Gate Stocks has established a 7×24-hour trading service system covering the three core markets of US stocks, Hong Kong stocks, and South Korean stocks, encompassing more than 12,500 stocks and ETF assets globally. It supports fractional share trading with a minimum investment of 0.01 share and offers dividend entitlements. The platform also supports cross-broker transfers for US and Hong Kong stocks, as well as corporate actions such as stock splits and reverse splits, further optimizing the stock investment service experience. Gate will continue to implement a long-term, stable GT burn mechanism, forging a tighter positive cycle between the token economic model, real usage demand, and ecosystem expansion.
Iridium dokončila akvizici Aireon, operátora jediného vesmírného systému ADS-B pro sledování leteckého provozu. Firma tím posiluje svou roli v oblasti bezpečnosti letectví a globálního řízení letového provozu.
, /PRNewswire/ -- Iridium Communications Inc. (Nasdaq: IRDM), a leading provider of global voice, data, and positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) satellite services, announced today that it has completed its acquisition of Aireon LLC, operator of the world's only space-based Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) air traffic surveillance system.
Iridium has completed its acquisition of Aireon, a key step in its strategy to lead the future of aviation safety. "Iridium and Aireon are fully aligned in our mission to advance the future of aviation safety. What began as a bold vision more than a decade ago has become a foundational capability for global air traffic management, delivering real-time surveillance and operational intelligence on a truly global scale," said Iridium CEO, Matt Desch. "Together, we will continue investing in the technologies and innovations that we believe will make aviation safer, more efficient, and more resilient for decades to come."
The completion of the acquisition expands Iridium's role in the aviation ecosystem by combining Aireon's space-based air traffic surveillance and aviation intelligence services with Iridium's global satellite communications network and resilient PNT capabilities. Together, these assets create a comprehensive platform for delivering real-time visibility, trusted connectivity and actionable operational data to aviation stakeholders worldwide. As airspace grows more complex and increasingly dependent on resilient infrastructure, Iridium is positioned to provide the critical services that help improve safety, efficiency and operational decision-making on a global scale.
As part of Iridium, Aireon will continue operating as a wholly owned subsidiary focused on delivering industry-leading air traffic surveillance and aviation data services. Don Thoma will continue to serve as Aireon's Chief Executive Officer and will report to Iridium's Chief Executive Officer Matt Desch, ensuring both leadership continuity and close alignment with Iridium's broader strategy.
For more information about Iridium, visit: www.iridium.com
For more information about Aireon, visit: www.aireon.com
About Iridium Communications Inc.
Iridium Communications Inc. (Nasdaq: IRDM) operates the world's only truly global mobile satellite network. It serves as a platform for innovation, enabling voice, data, and messaging, positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT), and aircraft surveillance services anywhere on Earth. Through its satellite constellation and integrated capabilities like Aireon, the world's only space-based air traffic surveillance system, Iridium delivers services that support safety-focused operations across aviation, maritime, government, industrial, and consumer markets. The company is a leader in satellite Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity and is advancing direct-to-device (D2D) communications based on open standards to expand access to satellite services.
Headquartered in McLean, Virginia, Iridium innovates through an ecosystem of more than 500 technology and distribution partners, serving millions of customers worldwide. For more information visit www.iridium.com.
Forward-Looking Statements Disclosure
Statements in this press release that are not purely historical facts may constitute forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The Company has based these statements on its current expectations and the information currently available to it. Forward-looking statements in this press release include statements regarding the Company's strategy to provide the foundational architecture for global aviation safety, bringing space-based surveillance, safety communications, PNT, and operational data together on a single network; continued investment in the technologies and innovations that the Company believes will make aviation safer, more efficient, and more resilient for decades to come; the future operations and management of Aireon; expected impacts of the acquisition of Aireon on the Company, and the timing thereof. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the words "anticipates," "may," "can," "believes," "expects," "projects," "intends," "likely," "will," "to be" and other expressions that are predictions or indicate future events, trends or prospects. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Iridium to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the Company's ability to realize the anticipated benefits of the Aireon acquisition, including expected synergies, on the expected timeline or at all, the risks that the integration of Aireon's business may be more difficult, time-consuming, or costly than expected, the Company's ability to maintain the health, capacity and content of its satellite constellation, as well as general industry and economic conditions, and competitive, legal, governmental and technological factors. Other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements include those factors listed under the caption "Risk Factors" in the Company's Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") on February 12, 2026, as well as other filings Iridium makes with the SEC from time to time. There is no assurance that Iridium's expectations will be realized. If one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or if Iridium's underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those expected, estimated or projected. Iridium's forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release, and Iridium undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements, except as required by law.
Prospect Capital poskytla ShipOffers první zajištěný seniorní termínovaný úvěr a kapitál navázaný na akcie. Investice má podpořit další růst fulfillmentové firmy.
July 06, 2026 07:01 ET | Source: Prospect Capital Corporation
NEW YORK, July 06, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Prospect Capital Corporation (NASDAQ: PSEC) (“Prospect”) and an affiliate have provided a first lien senior secured term loan and an equity-linked investment in ShipOffers (“ShipOffers” or the “Company”), in collaboration with the company’s founders and leadership team.
Founded in 2001 with a 25-year history, ShipOffers is a leading provider of on-demand product and order fulfillment services, offering sourcing, order processing, warehousing, pick-pack-and-ship, real-time tracking, and platform integrations for e-commerce and direct-to-consumer brands. ShipOffers operates fulfillment facilities in Colorado and Tennessee, as well as a facility in the Netherlands, enabling clients to scale distribution across the United States and Europe. The Company serves customers across the health and beauty, nutraceutical, and consumer products industries, and is led by co-founders Tony Grebmeier, Chief Executive Officer, and Doug Roberts, Chief Financial Officer.
“Prospect is pleased to provide strategic growth capital that supports continued evolution by the ShipOffers team in people, technology, and facilities,” said Angel Solis, Managing Director at Prospect. “ShipOffers has built a differentiated fulfillment platform over more than two decades, and we look forward to supporting the Company’s next phase of growth.”
The ShipOffers team was impressed with how quickly and thoughtfully Prospect worked to understand our business,” said Tony Grebmeier, Co-Founder and CEO of ShipOffers. “This investment allows our team to keep driving growth in the business we launched 25 years ago in 2001, while providing us the capital to expand our footprint and continue delivering for our clients.”
About Prospect Capital Corporation
Prospect is a business development company that primarily lends to and invests in middle market privately-held companies. Prospect’s investment objective is to generate both current income and long-term capital appreciation.
Prospect has elected to be treated as a business development company under the Investment Company Act of 1940. Prospect has elected to be treated as a regulated investment company under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.
About ShipOffers
Founded in 2001, ShipOffers is a globally recognized logistics and fulfillment company serving businesses across a range of industries. With facilities in Colorado, Tennessee, and the Netherlands, ShipOffers provides sourcing, order fulfillment, shipping, and strategic guidance, backed by a team of more than 150 professionals worldwide. For more information, visit www.shipoffers.com.
Caution Concerning Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, whose safe harbor for forward-looking statements does not apply to business development companies. Any such statements, other than statements of historical fact, are highly likely to be affected by other unknowable future events and conditions, including elements of the future that are or are not under our control, and that we may or may not have considered; accordingly, such statements cannot be guarantees or assurances of any aspect of future performance. Actual developments and results are highly likely to vary materially from any forward-looking statements. Such statements speak only as of the time when made, and we undertake no obligation to update any such statement now or in the future.
For additional information, contact:
Grier Eliasek, President and Chief Operating Officer [email protected]
Telephone (212) 448-0702
Porsche plánuje zrušit více než 4 000 pracovních míst, hlavně v manažerských a administrativních pozicích. Firma připravuje další balíček pro zefektivnění chodu.
Německý výrobce sportovních vozů Porsche se chystá zrušit další více než 4000 pracovních míst. S odkazem na zdroje deníku Handelsblatt o tom informuje agentura DPA. Podle listu by konečné číslo mohlo být ještě výrazně vyšší. Porsche nyní celosvětově zaměstnává přes 40 000 lidí.
Podle zprávy opatření postihnou především zaměstnance na manažerských a administrativních pozicích. Ve vývojovém centru ve Weissachu se údajně přehodnocuje využití přibližně 30 procent tamních kapacit.
Mluvčí Porsche odmítl potvrdit konkrétní počet dotčených pracovních míst. Zmínil jen, že firma aktuálně připravuje další "balíček pro budoucnost", který má zefektivnit její chod. Představit by ho chtěla do konce července.
Další snižování počtu pracovních míst nad rámec původního balíčku oznámil již v březnu generální ředitel Porsche Michael Leiters. V oblasti Stuttgartu má být do roku 2029 zrušeno přibližně 1900 pracovních míst. Kromě toho vypršely smlouvy zhruba 2000 dočasných zaměstnanců. V květnu společnost Porsche rovněž oznámila uzavření tří dceřiných firem, což se dotklo dalších 500 zaměstnanců.
Německé automobilky se potýkají s nárůstem čínské konkurence a také s americkými cly. Mercedes chce zpět 40hodinový pracovní týden. Masivní propouštění chystá i automobilový koncern Volkswagen. Podle médií hodlá v příštích letech celosvětově zrušit až 100 000 pracovních míst, což je asi 15 procent současného stavu.
NEW YORK, July 06, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Leading securities law firm Bleichmar Fonti & Auld LLP announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Hub Group Inc. (NASDAQ:HUBG) and certain of the Company’s senior executives for securities fraud after its significant stock drop resulting from potential violations of the federal securities laws.
If you invested in Hub Group, you are encouraged to obtain additional information by visiting: https://www.bfalaw.com/cases/hub-group-class-action-lawsuit.
Key Details of the HUBG ($HUBG) Class Action:
Lead Plaintiff Deadline: August 28, 2026Alleged Misconduct: Securities fraud relating to Hub Group’s financial results, revenue recognition, accounting of costs, internal controls, and prospects for/drivers of growthLargest Stock Drop: February 6, 2026 – 18% Stock DropCourt: U.S. District Court for the Northern District of IllinoisFiling Law Firm: Bleichmar Fonti & Auld (“BFA Law”)Action: Contact BFA Law to discuss your rights Investors have until August 28, 2026, to ask the Court to be appointed to lead the case. The complaint asserts securities fraud claims under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 on behalf of investors in Hub Group securities. The class action is pending in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. It is captioned Lawler v. Hub Group, Inc., No. 1:26-cv-07596.
Why is Hub Group Being Sued for Securities Fraud?
Hub Group is a transportation and logistics freight carrier that provides trucking and related services to operators across the supply chain. Hub Group services a customer base extending across various industries, including retail, consumer products, automotive, and durable goods, and reports to be one of the largest freight transportation providers in North America.
The complaint alleges that throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and misleading statements concerning the premature and incorrect revenue recognition of certain transactions, the understatement of purchased transportation costs and accounts payable, the effectiveness of internal controls, and the Hub Group’s drivers of financial results and growth.
Why did Hub Group’s Stock Drop?
On February 5, 2026, Hub Group announced that the Company’s financial statements for the first three quarters of 2025 should not be relied upon and would be restated due to “an error that resulted in the understatement of purchased transportation costs and accounts payable in the first nine months of 2025.” Hub Group revealed that its reports for those quarters “were in each case materially misstated due to the aforementioned error and should no longer be relied upon” and that “the Company [wa]s also continuing to assess the effectiveness of its disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting and appropriate remediation steps.” Hub Group also estimated that “[t]he total amount of the reduction to accounts payable and purchased transportation costs related to this issue that was recorded during these periods is $77 million.”
This news caused the price of Hub Group stock to decline roughly 18%, from $51.33 per share at close on February 5, 2026, to $41.96 per share at close on February 6, 2026.
On May 12, 2026, Hub Group announced that it had “identified certain transactions that were prematurely or incorrectly recognized or not adequately supported,” causing its 2023 and 2024 annual reports filed with the SEC to be “materially misstated,” such that they “should no longer be relied upon.” Hub Group did not quantify the expected misstatement, although it “expect[ed] to conclude that it did not maintain effective disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting for each of the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023.”
This news caused the price of Hub Group stock to decline a further 13%, from $41.86 per share at close on May 11, 2026, to $36.62 per share at close on May 12, 2026.
Click here for more information: https://www.bfalaw.com/cases/hub-group-class-action-lawsuit.
What Can You Do?
If you invested in Hub Group, you may have legal options and are encouraged to submit your information to the firm.
All representation is on a contingency fee basis; there is no cost to you. Shareholders are not responsible for any court costs or expenses of litigation. The firm will seek court approval for any potential fees and expenses.
BFA is a leading international law firm representing plaintiffs in securities class actions and shareholder litigation. It has been named a top plaintiff law firm by Chambers USA, The Legal 500, and ISS SCAS, and its attorneys have been named “Elite Trial Lawyers” by the National Law Journal, “Litigation Stars” by Benchmark Litigation, among the top “500 Leading Plaintiff Financial Lawyers” by Lawdragon, “Titans of the Plaintiffs’ Bar” by Law360 and “SuperLawyers” by Thomson Reuters.
Most recently, The Legal 500 awarded BFA the most client satisfaction accolades of any plaintiff’s securities litigation law firm, with clients noting: “[t]here is no better service provider in the practice area,” “[t]he interest of the client is always front and center,” and “[t]here isn’t a better firm in this space.” One testimonial described the firm as “nimble and entrepreneurial,” with a “relentless focus on adding value for clients.”
Among its recent notable successes, BFA recovered over $900 million in value from Tesla, Inc.’s Board of Directors, as well as $420 million from Teva Pharmaceutical Ind. Ltd.
For more information about BFA and its attorneys, please visit https://www.bfalaw.com.
Parsons rozšířila své řešení PFAS v Severní Americe a nabízí čtyři hlavní technologie pro likvidaci těchto látek v půdě, vodě i odpadech. Firma uvádí, že její UV metoda dosahuje více než 99% destrukce PFAS.
Parsons is a leading PFAS solutions provider in North America.The company combines science-based strategies, in-house R&D, and an advanced contaminants elimination program to develop tailored, cost-effective solutions for customers.Parsons’ four core PFAS solutions include Hot ISCO, UV PFAS Destruction, Thermal Desorption, and AFFF Cleanout.
CHANTILLY, Va., July 06, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Parsons Corporation (NYSE: PSN) today announced the expansion of its comprehensive solutions to mitigate the impacts of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) on the environment. A leading provider of PFAS services across the United States and Canada, Parsons leverages 20 years of experience to strengthen its preeminent market position and advance its commitment to delivering sustainable PFAS solutions.
“Our investment in advanced PFAS technologies has positioned Parsons at the forefront of this critical environmental challenge. Our integrated suite of solutions addresses PFAS concerns and helps our clients meet today’s regulatory demands, while shaping the future of sustainable remediation,” said Carey Smith, chair, president, and chief executive officer for Parsons. “PFAS destruction technologies and holistic PFAS solutions are a strong example of how we translate innovation into long-term value for our clients and communities.”
Parsons applies an integrated, science-driven approach to PFAS challenges, combining advanced treatment technologies with practical implementation strategies tailored to each project. With a dedicated team of technologists, Parsons has delivered PFAS solutions for two decades, identifying future emerging contaminants and developing solutions to eliminate these pollutants – including PFAS – ahead of our clients’ needs. Parsons’ industry leading internal research and development program drives continual innovation of new remedial technologies and solutions. The company’s solutions are designed to reduce risk, meet evolving regulatory requirements, and deliver sustainable long-term outcomes at a competitive cost.
At the core of Parsons’ PFAS portfolio are four primary solutions: Hot In Situ Chemical Oxidation (Hot ISCO), Catalyzed Ultraviolet (UV) PFAS Destruction (Catalyzed UV), Thermal Desorption, and Aqueous Film-Forming Foam (AFFF) Cleanout services. Together, these four pillars provide a comprehensive PFAS management offering that span environmental investigation, removal from the consumer product stream, active in-situ and ex-situ destructive PFAS remediation and long-term stewardship.
This broad range of proven yet continuously advancing technologies provides Parsons’ clients with unique solutions and positions the company as a trusted partner for complex PFAS challenges across water, soil, and infrastructure. As new PFAS standards emerge and clients seek more sustainable, cost-effective solutions, Parsons can scale, refine, and integrate these technologies to expand service offerings, enter new markets, and drive continued innovation in PFAS management.
Hot ISCO
A patented technology in the U.S. and Canada, Parsons’ Hot ISCO is the first in-situ destructive technology on the market for PFAS.The technology targets PFAS-impacted source zones by coupling elevated temperatures with in-situ catalyzed chemical oxidation to destroy PFAS in-situ.Hot ISCO is also easily and efficiently applied ex-situ to destroy PFAS mass in contaminated water, wastewater, and manufacturing plant waste streams.This technology addresses difficult-to-reach source areas, without disrupting surface infrastructure, safely, rapidly, and cost effectively, resulting in shorter cleanup timeframes. Thermal Desorption of PFAS
A patented, turn-key solution for on-site applications, thermal desorption uses heat to remove PFAS from soil and other solids, and then destroys PFAS and other contaminants in the off-gas stream.This technology has been fully demonstrated on soil piles up to 2,000 cubic yards in size and in cold weather environments, including a project in the winter in Anchorage, Alaska for the United States Department of War (DOW) and the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU).This proven soil and debris treatment technology is rapidly implementable and scalable to remote and non-remote sites.
UV PFAS Destruction
A patent-pending technology that destroys PFAS in water, wastewater and complex liquid waste streams using UV-based catalytic reactions to break down these persistent compounds.Achieves greater than 99 percent of PFAS destruction under real-world conditions at a small fraction of the cost of competing high-energy and capital cost-intensive technologies.Fully demonstrated at laboratory and field scale for wastewater matrices such as AFFF cleanout solutions, landfill leachate, industrial wastewater, and contaminated groundwater, as well as in regeneration brines.
AFFF Cleanout of Fire Suppression Systems
Parsons’ AFFF cleanout service is an advanced capability that combines the company’s proprietary equipment and methods with PerfluorAd®, a product invented by Cornelsen for which Parsons is the exclusive North American Provider.This method achieves a much higher degree of AFFF system cleanout (99+ percent PFAS removal) at a competitive cost, protecting firefighters and reducing client’s long-term liability.AFFF cleanout service can be combined with Hot ISCO or UV PFAS Destruction for a turnkey, zero waste solution for firefighting clients that mitigates the risk and liability associated with PFAS firefighting foam.
Across installations and complex PFAS-impacted sites, Parsons’ PFAS solutions are being recognized through a growing portfolio of contract wins highlighting both our technical leadership and ability to deliver results at scale.
Thermal Desorption of PFAS in Soil: Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER)
Parsons completed a large thermal desorption of PFAS in soil remediation project at JBER in Anchorage, Alaska. The DOW and DIU funded and administered the 2,000 cubic yard soil stockpile project, respectively. The field study included detailed monitoring, sampling and analysis to track the status of PFAS and remedial results.
UV PFAS Destruction Field Demonstration:
Parsons has demonstrated proof-of-concept for the feasibility of an aqueous-electron-based complete defluorination and destruction of PFAS in aqueous phase media simulating wastewater, groundwater, and regeneration brines. Multiple projects are in development throughout North America including the support of VEI Contracting (VEI) who was awarded a pilot project for using this technology on a Canadian federal site with full study completion scheduled for Summer 2027.
AFFF Mobile System Cleanout:
Tucson International Airport – Parsons is managing the cleanout of the airport’s fire response trucks and of the design and execution of the airport wide PFAS remedial investigation.Denver International Airport – In 2025, Parsons managed and completed the cleanout of 20 fire response vehicles and trucks, with an average of 95 percent PFAS removal across the entire fleet.Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport – Parsons oversaw and led the cleanout of six fire response vehicles and one fixed storage tank in 2025. The results achieved a removal of 99 percent PFAS removal from all trucks and the tank.Parsons presented the AFFF cleanout capabilities with the Environment Canada and Climate Change AFFF working group to help Canada industry transition to non-PFAS containing foams. Together, these capabilities reinforce Parsons’ role as a trusted PFAS partner, helping clients navigate evolving regulations, reduce long-term risk, and protect communities and critical infrastructure for the future.
To learn more about Parsons’ PFAS capabilities, visit https://www.parsons.com/pfas/.
Developed by Cornelsen Umwelttechnologie GmbH, PerfluorAd is a biodegradable cleaning agent that forms a bond with PFAS, creating particles that Parsons filters and removes.
About Parsons
Parsons (NYSE: PSN) is a leading disruptive technology provider in the national security and global infrastructure markets, with capabilities across cyber and electronic warfare, space and missile defense, transportation, water and environment, urban development, and critical infrastructure protection. Please visit Parsons.com and follow us on LinkedIn to learn how we’re making an impact.
Forward-Looking Statements:
This document contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations, beliefs and assumptions, and are not guarantees of future performance. Forward-looking statements are inherently subject to uncertainties, risks, changes in circumstances, trends and factors that are difficult to predict, many of which are outside of our control. Accordingly, actual performance, results and events may vary materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements, and you should not rely on the forward-looking statements as predictions of future performance, results or events. Numerous factors could cause actual future performance, results and events to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements, including, among others: any issue that compromises our relationships with the U.S. federal government or its agencies or other state, local or foreign governments or agencies; any issues that damage our professional reputation; changes in governmental priorities that shift expenditures away from agencies or programs that we support; our dependence on long-term government contracts, which are subject to the government’s budgetary approval process; the size of our addressable markets and the amount of government spending on private contractors; failure by us or our employees to obtain and maintain necessary security clearances or certifications; failure to comply with numerous laws and regulations; changes in government procurement, contract or other practices or the adoption by governments of new laws, rules, regulations and programs in a manner adverse to us; the termination or nonrenewal of our government contracts, particularly our contracts with the U.S. federal government; our ability to compete effectively in the competitive bidding process and delays, contract terminations or cancellations caused by competitors’ protests of major contract awards received by us; our ability to generate revenue under certain of our contracts; any inability to attract, train or retain employees with the requisite skills, experience and security clearances; the loss of members of senior management or failure to develop new leaders; misconduct or other improper activities from our employees or subcontractors; our ability to realize the full value of our backlog and the timing of our receipt of revenue under contracts included in backlog; changes in the mix of our contracts and our ability to accurately estimate or otherwise recover expenses, time and resources for our contracts; changes in estimates used in recognizing revenue; internal system or service failures and security breaches; and inherent uncertainties and potential adverse developments in legal proceedings, including litigation, audits, reviews and investigations, which may result in materially adverse judgments, settlements or other unfavorable outcomes. These factors are not exhaustive and additional factors could adversely affect our business and financial performance. For a discussion of additional factors that could materially adversely affect our business and financial performance, see the factors included under the caption “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025, and our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All forward-looking statements are based on currently available information and speak only as of the date on which they are made. We assume no obligation to update any forward-looking statement made in this press release that becomes untrue because of subsequent events, new information or otherwise, except to the extent we are required to do so by law.
Media Contact:
Bernadette Miller
+1 980.253.9781 [email protected]
Investor Relations Contact:
Dave Spille
+ 1 703.775.6191 [email protected]
Opendoor Technologies klesla v první polovině roku o 21 %, protože po loňském růstu se vrací na zem v oslabeném trhu s bydlením. Nový šéf Kaz Nejatian sází na objem a rychlost, ale firma zůstává nerentabilní.
Opendoor Technologies (OPEN 0.81%) stock dropped 21% in the first half of the year, according to data provided by S&P Global Market Intelligence. After it skyrocketed with the help of social media and retail investors last year, it's been slowly coming back to earth as the housing market remains under pressure.
A new CEO and strategy There's been a lot going on at Opendoor over the past year. A concerted effort by retail investors to shake things up resulted in the previous CEO being ousted and replaced by Kaz Nejatian, a Shopify veteran. He has changed the digital real estate company's focus, and there's been some progress.
There's been some of the garden variety of change, such as bringing in more artificial intelligence (AI) to become more efficient and work faster. Opendoor is also creating more options for customers, such as its cash now, more later product, which accounted for a third of acquisition contracts in the first quarter.
Image source: Getty Images.
The highlight of the strategy, though, and where it truly acts differently, is its focus on volume and velocity. Previously, it put efforts into finding bargains and focusing on spread. Nejatian's take was that this was leading to the purchase of worse homes, which were harder to sell. The new model is buying excellent homes and turning them over more quickly, even if it's a lower spread, and the results have been promising in the limited time it's been going on.
In the 2026 first quarter, it purchased 45% more homes sequentially, and it had 5,000 under contract, double the fourth-quarter number and the highest number since 2022. The number of homes on the market for more than 120 days decreased from 33% the quarter before to 10%, below the the 33% market average. Contribution margin improved every month since September, when this all got started, and recent monthly cohorts are selling faster than corresponding months for every year since the pandemic.
A reality check This kind of progress should send the stock up, not down. But after the stock had an astronomical rise last year, the company is now doing the practical work of demonstrating that it can meet the moment. Early progress is great, but Opendoor is unprofitable and operating in a challenging environment. Interest rates aren't coming down right now, and the housing market is still under pressure.
The market has already priced in a potential recovery, and the company is still proving itself.
Jennifer Saibil has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Shopify. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
ProFrac refinancovala revolvingový úvěr zajištěný aktivy na 300 mil. USD a prodloužila splatnost do července 2030. Nová linka nahrazuje předchozí 275milionovou facility a zvyšuje likviditu.
WILLOW PARK, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--ProFrac Holding Corp. (NASDAQ: ACDC) ("ProFrac" or the "Company") today announced that, on July 1, 2026, ProFrac Holdings II, LLC, as borrower (the “ABL Borrower”), the guarantors party thereto and the lenders party thereto entered into a new credit agreement with Eclipse Business Capital LLC (“Eclipse”), as agent, collateral agent, swingline lender, lead arranger and bookrunner, providing for a $300 million asset-based revolving credit facility (the “Eclipse ABL Credit Facility”), which refinanced and replaced the Company’s preexisting $275 million asset-based revolving credit facility under that certain Credit Agreement, dated as of March 4, 2022, with JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as agent and collateral agent, as most recently amended by the Ninth Amendment to Credit Agreement, dated as of March 3, 2026 (the “Preexisting JPM ABL Facility”). The Eclipse ABL Credit Facility will mature in July 2030.
Highlights
Refinances the Preexisting JPM ABL Facility, which would mature in September 2027, with the Eclipse ABL Credit Facility, which matures in July 2030 Provides improved borrowing base terms to position the Company with increased liquidity Improves maximum facility size from $275 million to $300 million Extends the Company’s ABL maturity profile and provides additional runway Transaction Overview
Proceeds of loans under the Eclipse ABL Credit Facility were used to repay amounts outstanding under the Preexisting JPM ABL Facility and to pay certain fees and expenses. This refinancing transaction provides the Company with additional liquidity compared to the Preexisting JPM ABL Facility and an extended ABL maturity profile to support continued execution of its strategic initiatives. The credit agreement governing the Eclipse ABL Credit Facility (the “Eclipse Credit Agreement”) provides for revolving commitments of up to $300 million on the closing date, compared to $275 million under the Preexisting JPM ABL Facility, and includes an uncommitted accordion feature that permits the ABL Borrower to request increases in the facility of up to $25 million in the aggregate, subject to the terms and conditions set forth therein, for a maximum facility size of up to $325 million.
The Eclipse ABL Credit Facility is secured by liens on substantially all of the assets of the ABL Borrower and the guarantors, subject to permitted liens, certain exceptions and the applicable intercreditor agreement. The liens securing the Eclipse ABL Credit Facility are first-priority liens on current asset collateral and, to the extent applicable, second-priority liens on fixed asset collateral.
Borrowings under the Eclipse Credit Agreement bear interest at Adjusted Term SOFR plus 4.25% until January 1, 2027, and thereafter at a per annum rate equal to either (i) the Base Rate plus an applicable margin ranging from 3.00% to 3.50% or (ii) Adjusted Term SOFR plus an applicable margin ranging from 4.00% to 4.50%, in each case based on availability and a fixed charge coverage ratio pricing grid.
The Eclipse Credit Agreement matures on July 1, 2030, unless terminated earlier in accordance with its terms, and borrowings thereunder are subject to customary conditions precedent. The Eclipse Credit Agreement also contains various representations, warranties and affirmative and negative covenants that the Company considers customary for asset-based lending facilities.
The Eclipse Credit Agreement contains customary events of default, including, without limitation, nonpayment of principal, reimbursement obligations in respect of letters of credit, interest, fees or other amounts, material inaccuracy of representations and warranties, covenant defaults, cross-defaults to certain material indebtedness, insolvency proceedings, judgments, ERISA events, change of control and certain invalidity or unenforceability events. During the continuance of an event of default, the applicable interest rate may increase by 2.00%, subject to certain exceptions and cure rights.
The foregoing description is a summary of the material terms of the Eclipse Credit Agreement and is not complete and is subject to, and qualified in its entirety by, the complete text of the Eclipse Credit Agreement which will be filed as an exhibit to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K.
Advisors
Moelis & Company LLC acted as exclusive placement agent, and Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP acted as legal counsel to ProFrac in connection with the refinancing.
About ProFrac Holding Corp.
ProFrac Holding Corp. is a technology-focused, vertically integrated, innovation-driven energy services holding company providing hydraulic fracturing, proppant production, other completion services and other complementary products and services including distributed power generation to leading upstream oil and natural gas companies engaged in the exploration and production (“E&P”) of North American unconventional oil and natural gas resources throughout the United States. ProFrac operates in four business segments: Stimulation Services, Proppant Production, Manufacturing, and Flotek. For more information, please visit ProFrac’s website at www.PFHoldingsCorp.com.
Certain statements in this press release may be considered “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements may be accompanied by words such as “may,” “should,” “expect,” “intend,” “will,” “estimate,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “predict,” “momentum,” or similar words. Forward-looking statements relate to future events or the Company’s future financial or operating performance. These forward-looking statements include, among other things, statements regarding: the Company’s strategies and plans for growth; the Company’s positioning, resources, capabilities, and expectations for future performance; customer, market and industry demand and expectations; customer contracts, activity, relations, or pricing; fleet deployment levels; the Company’s expectations about price fluctuations, global activity, market reactions and macroeconomic conditions impacting the industry; competitive conditions in the industry; success of the Company’s ongoing strategic initiatives; the Company’s intention to increase the number of fully integrated fleets; the Company’s currently expected guidance regarding its 2026 financial and operational results; the Company’s ability to earn its targeted rates of return; the Company’s ability to achieve or realize benefits from its asset optimization program; pricing of the Company’s services in light of the prevailing market conditions; the Company’s currently expected guidance regarding its planned capital expenditures; statements regarding the Company’s liquidity and debt obligations; the Company’s anticipated timing for operationalizing and amount of contribution from its fleets and its sand mines; the amount of capital that may be available to the Company in future periods; any financial or other information based upon or otherwise incorporating judgments or estimates relating to future performance, events or expectations; any estimates and forecasts of financial and other performance metrics; and the Company’s outlook and financial and other guidance. Such forward-looking statements are based upon assumptions made by the Company as of the date hereof and are subject to risks, uncertainties, and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations include, but are not limited to: the ability to achieve the anticipated benefits of the Company’s acquisitions, mining operations, and vertical integration strategy, including risks and costs relating to integrating acquired assets and personnel; risks that the Company’s actions intended to achieve its 2026 financial and operational guidance will be insufficient to achieve that guidance, either alone or in combination with external market, industry or other factors; the failure to operationalize or utilize to the extent anticipated the Company’s fleets and sand mines in a timely manner or at all; the Company’s ability to deploy capital in a manner that furthers the Company’s growth strategy, as well as the Company’s general ability to execute its business plans; the risk that the Company may need more capital than it currently projects or that capital expenditures could increase beyond current expectations; risks regarding the ability to access to additional capital on acceptable terms or at all; industry conditions, including fluctuations in supply, demand and prices for the Company’s products and services and for oil and natural gas; global and regional economic and financial conditions, including as they may be affected by hostilities in the Middle East and in Ukraine, as well as the instability in Venezuela; the effectiveness of the Company’s risk management strategies; and other risks and uncertainties set forth in the sections entitled “Risk Factors” and “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), which are available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.
Nothing in this press release should be regarded as a representation by any person that the forward-looking statements set forth herein will be achieved, in whole or part, or that any of the contemplated results of such forward-looking statements will be realized, including without limitation any expectations about the Company’s operational and financial performance or achievements through and including 2026. There may be additional risks about which the Company is presently unaware or that the Company currently believes are immaterial that could also cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements. The reader should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. The Company anticipates that subsequent events and developments will cause its assessments to change. However, while the Company may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, it expressly disclaims any duty to update these forward-looking statements, except as otherwise required by law.
Solstice Advanced Materials a Element Solutions jednají o fúzi, která by mohla vytvořit chemickou firmu s hodnotou kolem 27 miliard USD včetně dluhu. Dohoda by měla být převážně akciová s částí v hotovosti.
SummaryCompaniesDeal could come together as soon as this week, FT reportsMerger likely to be mostly stock-based with some cash, FT reportsJuly 6 (Reuters) - Honeywell (HON.O), opens new tab spinoff Solstice Advanced Materials (SOLS.O), opens new tab is in talks to merge with Element Solutions (ESI.N), opens new tab in a deal that could create a chemicals company valued at about $27 billion including debt, the Financial Times reported on Monday.
The talks happen as both companies seek to capitalize on growing demand for specialty chemicals used in AI data centers and semiconductor manufacturing.
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Solstice and Element Solutions are discussing a merger of equals and a deal, likely to be mostly stock with some cash, could come together as soon as this week, the FT report said, citing people familiar with the talks.
No formal agreement had been reached and the discussions could still fall apart, the report said.
Neither company responded to Reuters requests for comment outside regular business hours.
Solstice, which was spun off from Honeywell last year, makes specialty chemicals and materials used in industries, including semiconductor, refrigeration, nuclear power and healthcare.
The company said in May that increasing demand for its thermal management and refrigerant products in AI-driven data centers, as well as the growing need for advanced computing solutions in semiconductor electronic materials, was helping growth.
Element Solutions, which primarily supplies specialty chemicals for electronics manufacturing, reported more than 40% growth in first-quarter revenue this year, driven mainly by AI-related demand.
Solstice has a market value of about $12.73 billion, while Element Solutions is valued at $10.63 billion, according to LSEG data.
Their shares have risen sharply this year, with Element Solutions up nearly 75% and Solstice up about 65%.
Reporting by Sumedha Mukherjee and Shubham Kalia in Bengaluru; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab
SoFi Technologies v 1. čtvrtletí zvýšila očištěné čisté tržby o 41 % a počet nových členů dosáhl rekordních 1,1 milionu. Akcie ale po reportu short-sellera zůstávají pod tlakem.
SoFi Technologies (SOFI 1.06%) stock dropped 32% in the 2026 first quarter, according to data provided by S&P Global Market Intelligence. A short-seller report that put the market on edge, and investors have been scrutinizing the digital bank's performance with a fine-tooth comb.
Most things are going right It's curious how low SoFi stock has fallen, considering how fast it's growing. In the 2026 first quarter, adjusted net revenue growth accelerated to 41% year over year. Its core business, lending, is driving the growth, with a 53% increase in adjusted net revenue. Lending products increased by 33%, and contribution profit was up 60%. Loan originations increased 68%, with healthy growth in all of its categories -- 51% in personal loans, 119% in student loans, and 137% in home loans, which is even more impressive as interest rates remain high.
Image source: Getty Images.
SoFi is onboarding new members at a rapid pace, with record add-ons of 1.1 million in the first quarter. The cross-selling strategy is strong, and cross-buy accelerated to 43%. SoFi has expanded into a complete digital financial app, and its financial services segment, which includes non-lending products like investing tools and bank accounts, is also growing fast. Revenue was up 41% year over year in the first quarter, and contribution profits increased 32%.
Management sees an enormous opportunity to attract new customers and convert them to new products. It's constantly adding new features and services to the platform, with many based around cryptocurrency, and it recently acquired artificial intelligence (AI) investing tool, Composer.
What's going wrong In March, Muddy Waters put out a short-seller report alleging misleading accounting practices. SoFi vigorously denied the claims, but the damage had been done.
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But it's more than that. SoFi stock is expensive, and carrying a premium valuation makes it susceptible to falling if there are any errors. While the company as a whole is demonstrating robust performance, it's not flawless. For example, its third segment, Tech Platform, has been a bit of a bust. Management likens it to the Amazon Web Services (AWS) of financial infrastructure, and it has highlighted how the technology has helped it release new features quickly. But it has been growing at mediocre rates at best, and sales were down 27% from the prior year in the first quarter.
At the current price, SoFi stock trades at 41 times trailing 12-month earnings, which is still expensive, but reasonable considering the company's future opportunity.
Lighter (LIT) vyskočil o více než 20 % na 2,6 USD po úpravě tokenomiky, která zavádí trvalé spalování a nový staking model. Burza už odkoupila asi 15,5 milionu LIT.
Lighter (LIT) surged more than 20% on Monday to $2.6, its highest level since January, after the perpetuals exchange unveiled a tokenomics overhaul that adds permanent burns and a revamped staking model.
The move made LIT the top gainer among the 100 largest cryptocurrencies. It extended a rally that has lifted the token roughly 40% over the past week, far outpacing the broader market.
Lighter (LIT) Token Price Performance. Source: BeInCrypto MarketsFollow us on X to get the latest news as it happens
Lighter Introduces Tokenomics UpdateLighter has bought back LIT with exchange revenue after its token launch. The exchange said it has repurchased about 15.5 million LIT, or roughly 6.3% of the circulating supply. Lighter said it plans to use the buybacks to permanently reduce the LIT supply through burns.
The burns will run by sending LIT to a burn address on the Ethereum (ETH) mainnet. Lighter plans its first burn in the weeks after the second quarter closes. It noted it may burn undistributed LIT rather than the exact repurchased tokens.
“This is economically equivalent for LIT holders and allows Lighter to manage treasury operations efficiently and avoid unnecessary costs,” the exchange said.
Staking Rewards Shift to ReserveLighter also changed how it funds staking rewards. Since launching its staking program in January, it has distributed about 3.72 million LIT using pre-TGE revenue, including roughly 170,000 LIT through its fee credits program.
That approach is ending. The exchange will now fund staking rewards using its remaining ecosystem tokens, which total 250 million LIT.
The protocol is targeting a 6% annualized staking yield. With about 125 million LIT currently staked, that would distribute roughly 7.5 million LIT per year.
LIT still trades well below its $7.86 record set in December. Whether the new model sustains demand may hinge on trading revenue holding up in the months ahead.
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Meta Platforms zvažuje vlastní cloudový byznys a prodej přebytečné výpočetní kapacity, což má zmírnit obavy z vysokých výdajů na infrastrukturu. Minulý kvartál jí tržby vzrostly o 33 % na 56,3 miliardy USD.
Meta Platforms (META 4.80%) has been one of the best companies at applying artificial intelligence (AI) to its core business to drive growth. However, the stock has nonetheless struggled amid investor concerns about its high spending on data center infrastructure.
The company helped allay investors' fears when it was announced that the social media giant planned to sell excess computing power and launch its own cloud business. The move would put it into the same business as Amazon, Microsoft, and Alphabet.
Like all three of those companies, Meta has a strong, growing core business that generates substantial operating cash flow. However, it has been their cloud computing units that have driven growth for these companies, as demand for both AI infrastructure services and solutions has been insatiable.
Image source: The Motley Fool.
Moving to the cloud According to Bloomberg, Meta is still deciding whether to sell access to its computing infrastructure or host large language models (LLMs) in its data centers. Meta has developed its own LLMs, and many cloud providers offer their customers third-party AI models like those from Anthropic and OpenAI.
Regardless of which route it goes, the move into cloud computing demonstrates that there is currently so much demand for these services that it is difficult to overbuild your own AI infrastructure, since you can just rent it out to someone else. This is also something that Elon Musk's Space Exploration Technologies (a.k.a. SpaceX) has done, getting strong rates from other players in the field that need the capacity.
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For the stock, it should let investors focus on Meta's core business, which has been hitting on all cylinders. Last quarter, the company saw its revenue growth accelerate, climbing 33% to $56.3 billion.
The growth was driven by a combination of increased ad impressions, which jumped 19% year over year, and higher ad prices, which climbed 12% year over year. Meta is using AI to improve its recommendation algorithm, which keeps users on its apps longer and allows it to serve more ads to them. At the same time, AI is helping advertisers better target and convert users, which is driving up ad prices.
Despite its strong and accelerating revenue growth, Meta trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio (P/E) of only 18 times this year's analyst estimates. That's cheap for a leading company with that type of growth.
With the move into cloud computing helping ease concerns about overspending and bolstering its strong core business, Meta is one of my favorite AI stocks to own right now for the long term.
Geoffrey Seiler has positions in Alphabet, Amazon, and Meta Platforms. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Amazon, Meta Platforms, and Microsoft. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
By all accounts, the stock should be up. Deliveries and production of its electric vehicles (EVs) were both up sequentially and year over year, handily topping analysts' expectations.
Yet Tesla (TSLA 7.35%) shares tumbled on Thursday after its report showed it delivered 480,126 EVs during the three months ending in June while also manufacturing 451,758 automobiles. Most analysts were only looking for deliveries of a little over 400,000.
Data source: Tesla. Chart by author.
Importantly, strong deliveries cleared out Q1's concerning inventory buildup. The strong numbers confirm that the company can not only consistently make automobiles in large numbers but also that its brand still enjoys a certain marketability cache. It just wasn't enough to satisfy investors.
But there's more to the story.
Several stumbling blocks, all of which may have tripped the stock up There are a handful of theories about this stock's setback. And all of them are reasonable. All of them may have contributed to the sell-off, too.
The prevailing explanation is that American automakers Ford Motor Company and General Motors both suffered severe drop-offs in their U.S. electric vehicle businesses in Q2, which has obvious bearish implications for Tesla as well.
Image source: Getty Images.
It's not necessarily doing as well as it seemingly should be overseas, either. Although the company doesn't divulge regional unit data, the China Passenger Car Association reports that over half of Tesla's Q2 deliveries were made in China, where Tesla is doing well but not as well as its top EV rival BYD (BYDDY +3.68%). BYD delivered nearly 400,000 new-energy vehicles within China in June alone, versus only 89,091 Tesla-made EVs. Moreover, after a catastrophic drop in BYD's global deliveries in Q1 -- to levels below Tesla's -- the Chinese company bounced back last quarter, delivering a Tesla-beating 557,090 units worldwide.
Then there's the simple possibility that this is nothing more than a "buy the rumor, sell the news" event, where good news is already priced into a stock. Once the news is reported, there's nothing else new to price in. The next move from that ticker's recent buyers is an exit. To this end, Tesla shares had rallied 12% in just the three days leading up to Thursday's report, setting the stage for profit-taking.
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Or, maybe investors were simply trying to clean up their portfolios before U.S. exchanges closed for a three-day holiday weekend.
Don't overthink it Regardless of the reason, Thursday's sizable sell-off doesn't necessarily mean much and certainly doesn't change the stock's overarching investment thesis. Tesla has always been a volatile ticker, pushed and pulled by an ever-changing global EV market, energy storage market, and soon, the AI robot market. You own this name for the long haul because it's a leading brand and has the greatest potential to capitalize on these industries' ongoing growth. That's also why you pay a premium for it.
To this end, all the post-report noise and chatter aside, Tesla's second-quarter delivery and production numbers are precisely the sort of progress and resiliency the bulls want to see ... at least on the EV front.
Boeing v pondělí spustí čtvrtou montážní linku 737 MAX v Everettu, aby zvýšil výrobu při silné globální poptávce. Linka North Line zatím nepřispěje k navýšení z 42 na 47 letadel měsíčně před začátkem roku 2027.
The Boeing logo on the doors to the Boeing factory in Renton, Washington, U.S., April 15, 2026. REUTERS/Genna Martin/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab
EVERETT, July 6 (Reuters) - Boeing (BA.N), opens new tab plans to begin operating a fourth 737 MAX assembly line on Monday at its Everett, Washington, factory.
The new line, known inside Boeing as the North Line, is part of the U.S. planemaker's long-term plans to significantly increase output of its popular single-aisle jetliner to keep up with historically high global demand for jets.
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Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg said in June the company would "load" the first aircraft onto the Everett line on July 6. He described the line as a copy of the three 737 final assembly lines in Boeing's Renton plant, south of Seattle.
The start comes as Boeing ramps 737 production from 42 to 47 jets a month after consulting with the Federal Aviation Administration. The North Line is not expected to contribute to any rate increases before early 2027, when Boeing aims to increase 737 output to 52 jets a month.
The company is studying increasing the 737 production rate to as much as 70 jets per month.
Boeing needs to increase 737 output to help regain its financial footing after years of production disruptions, safety crises and supplier strains.
The FAA imposed limits on Boeing's 737 production after a January 2024 midair blowout of a door plug on a nearly new Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9. The incident intensified scrutiny of Boeing's manufacturing controls and forced the company to slow output while it addressed quality lapses.
The Everett plant is the world's largest building by volume. It once housed production lines for the 747, 767, 777 and 787, but it has considerable available factory space after the end of 747 production and the consolidation of 787 assembly in South Carolina.
The 737 MAX competes with Airbus' (AIR.PA), opens new tab A320neo family in the high-volume single-aisle market, where airlines are waiting years for new aircraft.
Reporting by Dan Catchpole in Seattle; Editing by Jonathan Oatis
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab
BlackRock spustí iShares Bitcoin Premium Income ETF, který má sledovat bitcoin a zároveň vyplácet výnos pomocí opční strategie. Roční výnos má činit 12,5 %.
Bitcoin (BTC 0.04%) is taking it on the chin. The dominant cryptocurrency currently trades 51% off its all-time record (as of July 2).
This bear market hasn't stopped BlackRock (BLK +1.57%) from continuing to expand its related product suite. With the January 2024 launch of the iShares Bitcoin Trust, the massive asset manager already has a stake in Bitcoin's success. Even with record net outflows in June, this exchange-traded fund (ETF) currently has $44 billion in total assets.
BlackRock isn't done. It just launched the iShares Bitcoin Premium Income ETF (BITA +2.19%) on June 9. Is this new investment vehicle a buy?
Image source: Getty Images.
Generating income from a no-yield asset The iShares Bitcoin Premium Income ETF "seeks to track the performance of bitcoin while generating premium income through an actively managed options strategy," according to its website. The ETF, which comes with an expense ratio of 0.65%, uses a covered call strategy. The portfolio's holdings consist of Bitcoin and the iShares Bitcoin Trust.
This ETF is different from BlackRock's previous Bitcoin offering. The iShares Bitcoin Trust owns the underlying cryptocurrency and a tiny amount of cash. Its sole purpose is to track the digital asset's price movements.
The iShares Bitcoin Premium Income ETF provides access to Bitcoin in a unique way. It caps exposure to Bitcoin's upside, since the options strategy forces the ETF to sell its positions if the crypto's price rises above a certain threshold. If its price is surging higher, these investors won't capture the entire gain.
However, the ETF provides better downside protection. If Bitcoin is volatile but continues to trade sideways, there's a nice income stream. Based on the ETF's upcoming July 8 distribution of $0.52 per share, the annual yield amounts to 12.5%.
Bitcoin doesn't produce income. The iShares Bitcoin Premium Income ETF is structured to provide investors with a way to earn a yield. Some market participants will find this extremely valuable.
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Built for a specific investor BlackRock offers 487 different ETFs to its client base. The investment firm has a front-row seat at the assets, themes, and exposures that the investment community desires. It can leverage its vast resources to create and distribute these products.
Therefore, I suspect there will be demand for the iShares Bitcoin Premium Income ETF, even though its asset base of $43 million is tiny right now. Bitcoin is in a bear market. Disappointed by the lack of any gains, investors are starved for yield. Leave it to a colossal Wall Street entity to engineer a product that can generate fee revenue, while targeting investors who are interested in a unique approach to Bitcoin.
Only buy this ETF if you expect the cryptocurrency's price to grow at a slow pace in the future. If you're extremely bearish, then stay away.
Bitcoin bulls, on the other hand, won't find this ETF attractive for their portfolios. To them, buying the digital asset outright and holding it in cold storage is still the best course of action.
Neil Patel has positions in iShares Bitcoin Trust. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Bitcoin, BlackRock, and iShares Bitcoin Trust. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Bristol Myers Squibb má dividendový výnos 4,3 % a podle článku je zatím bezpečný, protože zisk pokrývá dividendu. Rizikem zůstává patentový útes v roce 2028, kdy Eliquis a Opdivo ztrácejí patentovou exkluzivitu.
Bristol Myers Squibb (BMY +3.98%) belongs to an elite group. Only two other large-cap healthcare stocks offer higher dividend yields. Bristol Myers Squibb's juicy yield of 4.3% is absolutely grabbing the attention of many income investors.
The drugmaker has paid a dividend for an impressive 94 consecutive years. Bristol Myers Squibb has increased its dividend for 17 straight years. But is its dividend safe now? Here's what investors need to know.
Image source: Getty Images.
The coverage, the cliff, and the catalysts Let's start with some good news. Bristol Myers Squibb's dividend payout ratio currently stands at 70%. While a lower ratio is preferable, the pharma giant's earnings are more than sufficient to cover its dividend right now.
Sure, Bristol Myers Squibb didn't generate enough free cash flow in the first quarter of 2026 to fund its dividend program. However, this reflected the negative impact of lower Eliquis pricing that should be largely offset later this year by lower rebate payments.
The bad news for Bristol Myers Squibb's dividend, though, is the company's looming patent cliff. Blockbuster drugs Eliquis and Opdivo lose patent exclusivity in 2028. These two products generated roughly half of Bristol Myers Squibb's total revenue last year.
However, the patent cliff is only part of the story. Bristol Myers Squibb's growth portfolio now represents the majority of the company's total revenue. Sales for newer products, including cancer immunotherapies Breyanzi and Opdualag, autoimmune disease drug Sotyktu, and schizophrenia therapy Cobenfy, are growing rapidly. The drugmaker's pipeline also features around 50 programs in development, several of which hold the potential to be growth catalysts.
Today's Change
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3.98
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2.22
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$
58.03
The verdict My take is that Bristol Myers Squibb's 4.3% dividend yield is safe, at least for the next couple of years. What about beyond that point? I'm cautiously optimistic.
I expect that Bristol Myers Squibb's growth portfolio will generate enough revenue that the company will be able to avoid cutting its dividend later this decade. It wouldn't surprise me, though, if the streak of dividend increases comes to a screeching halt.
That said, it's still possible that the patent cliff could hurt Bristol Myers Squibb worse than I'm anticipating. The drugmaker's debt also totaled $44.5 billion at the end of the first quarter of 2026. That's manageable but coud become problematic if the growth portfolio and pipeline don't deliver as I think they will.
I wouldn't completely rule out a dividend cut in the future. However, I still view this pharma stock as a good pick for income investors over the near term (and potentially over the long term, too).
On July 2, cybersecurity leader CrowdStrike (CRWD +0.52%) underwent a 4-for-1 stock split, reducing its share price to $193. The day before, the stock closed around $773 per share, and each stockholder of record received four shares for each share they held.
The price rose after the split took effect, up about 2% to $196 during the trading day. That's not unusual -- splits generally result in the stock price popping, both before and shortly after the split.
Since the split was announced on June 3, CrowdStrike's stock is up about 8%. This is because investors wanted to buy in to get the split, and they anticipate it getting a lift from its new, more accessible stock price.
Image source: Getty Images.
But does it really change anything for the stock beyond this short-term spike?
CrowdStrike stock is not cheap The stock has had a good year, up about 66% year to date on a split-adjusted basis.
It has been fueled by excellent performance. In the latest quarter, revenue rose 26% to $1.39 billion, and CrowdStrike posted net income of $28 million, up from a $104 million loss the same quarter a year ago. Its net new annual recurring revenue (ARR) jumped 32%, and it posted record free cash flow.
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194.19
Management raised its revenue and earnings guidance for fiscal 2027 and lifted its outlook for net new ARR by 520 basis points.
The company has great momentum, and the stock split should make it more accessible to more investors who can now more easily buy full shares.
But the concern is its valuation. CrowdStrike has a sky-high price-to-earnings ratio (P/E) of 401 but a more reasonable forward P/E of 39. I do think the stock is a buy, but it might be wise to wait for the split spike to subside and buy at a lower price.
Dave Kovaleski has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends CrowdStrike. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Ryan Specialty Underwriting Managers dokončila sérii konsorciálních smluv u Lloyd’s pro své globální syndikované portfolio delegovaného upisování. Šest syndikátů převezme dohromady 15% podíl a zapojení začne při obnovách od 1. srpna.
CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ryan Specialty Underwriting Managers (“RSUM”), the underwriting management division of Ryan Specialty (NYSE: RYAN), is pleased to announce the completion of a series of Lloyd’s of London consortium stamps that will attach to its global syndicated P&C delegated underwriting portfolio. The consortium stamps are supported by six leading Lloyd’s syndicates and will take a combined 15% share on all classes, lines and geographies (except for a partial share of Velocity Risk Underwriters, RSUM’s critical CAT managing general underwriter). The consortium stamps will begin joining facilities at their natural renewals starting August 1st.
Miles Wuller, CEO of RSUM, commented, “We are proud of both the continued interest in our portfolio and our ability to transform our diverse, highly curated, well-performing family of businesses into an accessible specialty insurance asset. Moreover, we are pleased to contribute broad-based data and structural efficiency to the specialty marketplace.
“I would like to highlight the forward-looking investment Ardonagh has made in Axiiem, its technology-enabled digital exchange, which will serve as the facilitation agent for the structure,” Miles added. “We appreciate Lloyd’s constructive support throughout the process, helping bring together market-leading expertise and capacity. Additionally, we would like to thank Markel for their cornerstone support, and all the new and existing syndicate stakeholders that brought this transaction to life.”
About Ryan Specialty Underwriting Managers
Ryan Specialty Underwriting Managers is an industry leader in delegated authority underwriting services. Our family of managing general underwriters and national programs have the expertise and authority to design, underwrite, bind, and administer a diverse portfolio of risks. Our value proposition originates with our 1500+ industry professionals who are empowered by centralized technical support and policy lifecycle administration, coupled with a broad distribution network of retail and wholesale brokers. We have been diligently servicing our valued clients and trading partners since our establishment in 2010 and now have operations in North America, the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Asia Pacific. To learn more, please visit rsum.com.
HomeIndustriesComcast to pay $1.6 billion in cash upfront as well as contribute a studio arm to ITVJuly 6, 2026, 3:21 a.m. ET
ITV is selling its broadcast unit to Comcast's Sky. Photo: paul ellis/Agence France-Presse/Getty ImagesJust a week after Comcast announced a plan to spin off NBCUniversal, the Philadelphia media-and-broadband conglomerate said it’s buying a British broadcaster.
Comcast’s CMCSA Sky division says it will pay £1.2 billion ($1.6 billion) in cash and up to £200 million more, depending on advertising performance, to ITV in return for the U.K. company’s media and entertainment business, which comprises its free-to-air television, pay TV and streaming unit.
About the Author
Steven Goldstein is based in London and responsible for MarketWatch's coverage of financial markets in Europe, with a particular focus on global macro and commodities. Previously, he was Washington bureau chief, directing MarketWatch's economic, political and regulatory coverage. Follow Steve on Twitter: @MKTWgoldstein.
Český zbrojař Michal Strnad vyjednává o koupi 14procentního podílu v italském výrobci pneumatik Pirelli od jeho největšího akcionáře čínské státní firmy Sinochem. S odkazem na své zdroje o tom informuje agentura Bloomberg a další média. Italský deník Corriere della Sera v pátek přinesl s odkazem na zdroje zprávu, že odkoupit část podílu v Pirelli se spolu se Strnadem chystá i podnikatel Pavel Tykač.
Koupí menšinového podílu v Pirelli by Strnad expandoval mimo svou hlavní oblast podnikání. Případná úspěšná transakce by zásadně změnila rozložení sil v Miláně, uvádí web Börse Global.
Hodnota případné transakce by výrazně přesáhla miliardu eur (24 miliard Kč). Po takovém obchodu by Sinochem ve společnosti Pirelli držel již jen zhruba 20 procent.
Řím přísně omezuje vliv společnosti Sinochem na správní radu. Příchod Strnada by dále posílil evropskou vlastnickou strukturu společnosti Pirelli, zdůrazňuje agentura. Tykač, který byl do vyjednávání zapojen na začátku, už z nich odstoupil, uvádějí zdroje Bloombergu.
Podle informovaných zdrojů již byly dohodnuty základní podrobnosti týkající se kupní ceny. K uzavření obchodu by podle nich mohlo dojít již koncem července. Transakci musí schválit čínští regulátoři.
Finanční trhy na plány reagují citlivě. Akcie společnosti Pirelli v Miláně krátkodobě vzrostly o více než čtyři procenta. Akcie Strnadovy Czechoslovak Group (CSG) uzavřely páteční obchodování na hodnotě 14,59 eura, což představuje týdenní nárůst o více než jedenáct procent. Akcie této zbrojařské společnosti nicméně zůstávají pod tlakem. Jejich cena se pohybuje téměř 60 procent pod rekordním maximem z ledna.
Úspěšné uzavření transakce by výrazně diverzifikovalo Strnadovo investiční portfolio. Společnost CSG zároveň dále rozšiřuje aktivity v oblasti obranného průmyslu ve Spojených státech a v Evropě. V roce 2022 získala 70procentní podíl v italské společnosti Fiocchi Munizioni a v loňském roce odkoupila i zbytek tohoto výrobce munice.
Britská nízkonákladová letecká společnost easyJet v zásadě souhlasí s vylepšenou nabídkou na převzetí od americké investiční společnosti Castlelake. Ta nabízí 6,90 libry za akcii, uvedly firmy v nedělním společném oznámení. Nejnovější nabídka aerolinky oceňuje na 5,23 miliardy liber (zhruba 147 miliard Kč), uvedla agentura Bloomberg. Vedení easyJet je nyní připraveno doporučit nabídku akcionářům.
Aerolinky dosud čtyři nabídky odmítly, většinou se zdůvodněním, že podmínky transakce neodrážejí skutečnou hodnotu firmy. V červnu však easyJet ve snaze udržet jednání o převzetí při životě oznámil, že umožní firmě Castlelake omezený přístup k vybraným obchodním údajům. Tím naznačil zájem pokračovat v jednáních. Předchozí nabídka činila 6,50 libry za akcii, což aerolinky ocenilo na 4,93 miliardy liber.
Obě strany se zároveň dohodly na prodloužení lhůty podle britských pravidel pro převzetí. V té době musí Castlelake předložit závaznou nabídku, nebo od záměru ustoupit. Nový termín připadá na 3. srpna v 17:00 londýnského času (18:00 SELČ).
"Nelze zaručit, že bude učiněna závazná nabídka, a to ani v případě, že budou splněny nebo prominuty všechny předběžné podmínky,“ uvádí se v prohlášení. Společnost Castlelake zároveň uvedla, že chová k easyJetu i jeho zaměstnancům mimořádný respekt a hodlá podporovat další růst letecké společnosti i její program modernizace flotily.
Protože pravidla Evropské unie vyžadují, aby většinu letecké společnosti vlastnili občané EU, Castlelake už dříve navrhl vlastnickou strukturu, která splní tyto požadavky. Plán předpokládá, že firma uzavře partnerství se dvěma občany EU, kterými jsou bývalý provozní ředitel easyJetu Peter Bellew a konzultant leteckého odvětví Mark Breen. Ti budou vlastnit společnost se sídlem v EU, která bude mít většinovou kontrolu nad leteckou společností.
Společnost EasyJet patří mezi největší letecké společnosti v Evropě. Loni firma přepravila více než 90 milionů cestujících a provozuje přes 1200 linek ve 38 zemích. Založil ji v roce 1995 britsko-kyperský podnikatel Stelios Haji-Ioannou. Ten je stále největším investorem, se svou rodinou vlastní v aerolinkách zhruba 15procentní podíl. Castlelake sídlí v Minneapolisu a je významným investorem v leteckém odvětví. Spravuje aktiva zhruba za 38 miliard USD (přes 803 miliard Kč).
Indická vláda varovala Meta kvůli placené reklamě s materiály o sexuálním zneužívání dětí na Instagramu a požaduje okamžité stažení obsahu, který takové zneužívání propaguje. Firma musí do sedmi dnů vysvětlit situaci.
The Indian government has warned of action against two of Meta's three major platforms, WhatsApp and Instagram, within a week, underscoring the growing regulatory risks the U.S. social media giant faces in a key market.
On Saturday, India's Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology issued a "stern notice to Meta over the presence of Child Sexual Exploitative & Abuse Material (CSEAM) in paid advertisements on Instagram," according to a report by Indian state broadcaster DD News.
The government has directed Instagram to "immediately disable all advertisements and content that promote" child abuse and has sought a detailed explanation from Meta within seven days, the report said.
The regulatory warning to Meta came after an investigation by the BBC revealed on Friday that Instagram was running paid advertisements promoting child sexual abuse material in India.
Meta has a "Zero tolerance policy" for child abuse-related content, a spokesperson for Meta told CNBC in an email. The company is using "AI technology to proactively detect violating content and individuals, but we are in a constant battle with criminals who hide among our 3.5 billion users and try to evade our detection," it added.
Earlier this year, the European Commission found that the social media giant was violating EU law by failing to prevent children below 13 from accessing its platforms. Though Meta had disagreed with the preliminary findings, it could face fines of up to 6% of its total worldwide annual turnover if the findings are confirmed.
The U.S. company is not facing an immediate risk of a fine in India, but has come under sharp regulatory scrutiny in its biggest market. The country has the largest audience base for Instagram, with more than 480 million users, more than double the U.S. as of 2025, as per data from Statista. It also has more than 400 million Facebook users, the most globally.
Neil Shah, vice president of research at Counterpoint Research, said this was a "wake-up call for Meta to tighten its compliance and control for its platforms" as the Indian government is keen "to tighten the leash over these massive digital platforms."
Last week, Meta's messaging app, WhatsApp, which has over half a million users in India, was also issued a warning over the roll-out of its username feature. The government claimed the feature could increase cybercrime incidents and has directed the platform to pause its plans.
Meta defended the introduction of usernames, calling it a "major privacy feature" designed to help people stay connected without giving away phone numbers.
"I would describe India as a more demanding regulatory market rather than a hostile one," Reema Bhattacharya, head of Asia research at Verisk Maplecroft, told CNBC. Given India's importance as a key digital market, she added that companies should expect regulators to engage more actively on "issues ranging from online safety to data governance."
VeriSign (VRSN +0.48%) runs the plumbing of the modern internet, ensuring user requests reach the right destination reliably. Thanks to its exclusive regulatory agreements, the company operates the core registry infrastructure for all .com and .net domains, a monopoly position that comes with pricing power and nearly zero marginal costs.
This is a capital-light tollbooth that collected $1.1 billion in free cash flow on just $1.7 billion in revenue last year. Yet, for a business of this quality, the stock has been stuck in neutral, underperforming the broader market by around 30% over the past year.
The fundamentals of the business remain as strong as ever, but the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots has changed how users navigate the internet, and the upcoming renewal of its core contract creates an overhang for the stock.
Image source: Getty images.
Growth today, disruption tomorrow? For now, the adoption of AI has been a net positive for VeriSign. Management reports that new AI-powered tools are lowering the barrier to creating websites, helping drive a rebound in registration growth after a period of stagnation.
The domain base grew 3.7% year over year in the first quarter of 2026, and Domain Name System (DNS) traffic on its network has roughly tripled over the past three years. But this near-term tailwind is just the initial stage of a much larger transformation.
The risk is that AI eventually changes how people use the internet, potentially reducing the value of a web address.
If we increasingly interact with AI agents that browse and transact on our behalf, the .com address could become less relevant. Management's counterargument is that these agents will still need a trusted, stable identifier to verify content.
A regulatory moat intact, though the terms remain up for debate Compounding the AI uncertainty is the renewal of VeriSign's .net and .com contracts with internet regulators, which expire in 2029 and 2030, respectively. While the company has a presumptive right of renewal and has successfully navigated this process for decades, there are risks, particularly around pricing.
The company has long been seen as a "utility-like" tech company, but long-term investors will eventually begin to weigh the risk associated with its regulatory moat, especially as critical renewals approach. The marginal buyer of the stock, who is needed to push the stock higher, may stay on the sidelines until there is more clarity.
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For a company with mid-single-digit revenue growth, the stock is not cheap. At around 27 times forward earnings, the likelihood of a favorable outcome in which the monopoly remains intact is already being priced in.
The result is a high-quality company with clouds lingering overhead. We should have a much better grasp of AI's impact on the web well before its key agreements expire.
For now, it's a great business to admire, but a tough stock to buy.
Aave V4 překročil 250 milionů USD v depozitech, ale část růstu tvoří přesun z V3, ne jen nové peníze. Celková likvidita zůstává pod tlakem, i když vklady cbETH rostou.
Aave [AAVE] V4 has reached an important adoption milestone, highlighting continued demand despite a challenging DeFi environment. The protocol has now surpassed $250 million in deposits, reflecting strong early traction for its upgraded lending infrastructure.
This growth was driven by improvements in capital efficiency, enhanced risk parameters, and expanded lending options to attract additional liquidity. As well as growing the amount of deposits, it is also essential that the quality of these deposits remain high.
Source: Aave on X Some portion of the deposits to V4 were due to users moving their previous positions from V3. Yet, they did not all represent new capital entering the Aave ecosystem.
Despite this, there have been positive signs indicating that new deposits continue to flow into the platform. This is in addition to the migrated assets. For Aave to be able to sustain further growth, they need to continue to draw new capital into the platform.
Should V4 continue to outperform V3 in terms of true net additions of liquidity, then Aave can solidify its position as the dominant liquidity provider within DeFi.
Broader liquidity tells a different story Although Aave V4 continues to see record-breaking deposit numbers, the overall trend in liquidity is much more nuanced. The TVL previously reached an all-time high of about 13.4 million ETH. However, it fell dramatically due to the recent downturn in markets.
TVL has since bounced back to about 7.4 million ETH. Still far from the previous highs, this indicates that significant amounts of capital have been slow to recover even with improvements in investor sentiment.
Source: DeFiLlama That said, withdrawals are still outpacing some portion of the influx of new capital into V4, which is limiting how much liquidity grows as a whole.
While V4 has seen continuous updates to its protocols and has seen a recovery in TVL. Still, these indicators suggest a resilient position by V4 for future growth but do not show that V4 is structurally weak.
Moreover, cbETH deposits across Aave have increased lately. Deposits held near $18-$20 million through May before increasing to early July levels of approximately $70 million.
Source: TokenLogic This rapid increase indicates a strengthening demand for liquid staking collateral; additionally, it reinforces the liquidity and lending capacity of Aave.
Whether Aave can expand once again as a larger ecosystem will be determined by the ability to continue seeing net positive flows to the platform over time, excluding internal migration.
Final Summary Aave V4 growth depended on sustained net new liquidity, not internal capital migration. Aave’s liquidity was strengthening as cbETH deposits continued to rise across the protocol.
SOL za týden vzrostl o 15 % a síť zpracovala 137,5 milionu transakcí, blízko letošních maxim. Testy upgradu Alpenglow ukazují finalitu kolem 110 milisekund.
6 July 2026 | 00:18 Solana is one of the best performers among major cryptocurrencies this week, and the price move has usage data and a concrete upgrade behind it rather than just market sentiment.
Key Takeaways SOL gained 15% weekly, reclaiming its 50-day average. Daily transactions sits around 137.5 million, near yearly highs. Alpenglow test data shows finality near 110 milliseconds. The 100-day average at $80.54 is the level to watch. SOL trades at $80.98 at the time of writing after a 15% weekly gain according to CoinMarketCap data, the strongest in the top ten. The bounce started from the June low near $62 and has now done something the March and May rallies could not: it climbed back above the 50-day moving average at $75.31 and is sitting right at the 100-day at $80.54, the line that rejected the last two recovery attempts.
SOL/USD daily technical chart on Coinbase. The simple way to read the chart: below $75, the recovery failed. Above $80.54 with a daily close, SOL escapes the zone that has capped it since April, and the next meaningful level is the 200-day average near $93. The momentum gauge (RSI) sits at 62.5, its highest reading of the year, which signals genuine buying pressure but also means the easy part of the bounce is likely behind. SOL remains far below its January level near $150, so this is a recovery inside a down year, not a new high.
The Network Is Busier Than the Price Suggests Here is the part that separates Solana’s bounce from a generic altcoin pop. Data from Artemis shows the network processed 137.5 million transactions on July 4 after reaching 158 million on 29th of June, close to the year’s highs near 160 million set in February, and sharply up from the 90–100 million range where activity sat through the spring. Usage began climbing in June, before the price did.
Solana daily transaction volume trends from January to July 2026. That sequence matters. When transactions rise while price falls or stagnates, it means people are using the chain for reasons other than speculation, trading, payments, applications, and when price later catches up, the move rests on real activity rather than pure sentiment. It is the healthiest pattern an on-chain chart can show, though not a guarantee: transaction counts include plenty of low-value activity, so the signal is directional, not precise.
Alpenglow: The Upgrade Behind the Story The third dataset explains why developers are paying attention. Test results from Alpenglow, the largest upgrade in Solana’s history, show the network confirming transactions for a majority of validators in roughly 110 milliseconds, with even the slowest full-network confirmation near 270 milliseconds. A detailed breakdown by Solana infrastructure firm Helius puts those numbers in context: about 65% of the network’s stake finalizes within 50 milliseconds of the raw network delay, meaning most validators vote almost the instant data arrives, and total finality runs at roughly twice the physical speed limit of the internet itself. In plain terms, the protocol overhead is nearly gone; what remains is mostly the time light takes to cross oceans.
Alpenglow latency breakdown for a leader node in Zurich / Source: dwf-labs The comparison numbers make the leap concrete. Solana’s current true finality takes about 12.8 seconds, and as TheStreet notes, a typical Visa authorization takes one to three seconds. Alpenglow targets 100 milliseconds when at least 80% of validators respond in the first voting round, and 150 milliseconds on its fallback path, faster than the quickest competing blockchain’s self-reported 400 milliseconds, per Helius.
The upgrade also changes the economics of running the network. Validators currently pay roughly 1 SOL per day in on-chain voting fees, their single largest operating cost. Alpenglow moves voting off-chain, and Helius estimates that eliminating those fees would cut the minimum stake needed for a validator to be profitable from around 4,850 SOL (roughly $800,000) to about 450 SOL (roughly $75,000), a change that could meaningfully broaden who can afford to help secure the network.
Co-founder Anatoly Yakovenko told Consensus Miami the upgrade could reach the main network as soon as this quarter, calling it a pivotal step toward making the chain reliable enough for time-sensitive financial applications. The upgrade replaces two of Solana’s founding technologies with a leaner voting system, and validators approved it with over 98% support.
Not everyone is uncritical. Experts interviewed by The Defiant have questioned whether such speeds are achievable globally without trade-offs, noting that physics itself limits how fast data crosses oceans and that the data-relay design carries real-world unpredictability. The test histogram partially answers this, the speeds hold for most of the network, but the slowest tail is real, and mainnet conditions are harsher than test clusters.
Solana enters July with three things pointing the same direction: the strongest weekly price gain among majors, network usage near yearly highs that started rising before price did, and a dated catalyst in Alpenglow’s targeted Q3 mainnet launch. That alignment is rare in the current market and explains the outperformance.
For now SOL still trades roughly 45% below its January level, the 100-day average directly overhead has ended two rallies already this year, and upgrade timelines in crypto slip more often than they hold. The next daily close above $80.54, or the failure to get one, could show whether this week was the start of something or the third rejection at the same wall.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or investment advice. Cryptocurrency markets are highly volatile. Always conduct your own research before making investment decisions.
Author
Kosta has reported on cryptocurrency markets and blockchain infrastructure since 2020, bringing over six years of hands-on experience in the crypto industry built through daily tracking of markets, trends, and emerging blockchain developments. Specializing in Bitcoin on-chain analysis, institutional ETF flows, and digital asset price action, his work at Coindoo has been cited by other news agencies and consistently covers market developments with a focus on data-driven reporting across Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, and XRP. Over the years, Kosta has contributed to multiple crypto media outlets in different regions, authoring over 6,000 articles across the sector. His reporting spans cryptocurrency markets and the broader fintech industry, tracking not only price action but also the technological and regulatory forces shaping the ecosystem. To support his analysis, Kosta actively leverages on-chain data and metrics from leading platforms such as Santiment, Glassnode, and CryptoQuant, enabling deeper, evidence-based market insights. He believes in the power of transparency and the data that underpins the blockchain ecosystem. His academic background in Marketing Management from Denmark further complements his analytical approach, adding a strong understanding of communication strategy and content positioning to his work.
Nike má dividendový výnos 3,7 %, ale volný peněžní tok za posledních 12 měsíců klesl o 65 % na něco přes 1 miliardu USD. Firma sice drží 7,5 miliardy USD v hotovosti, přesto je krytí dividendy slabší.
Nike's (NKE +2.39%) iconic global brand is not delivering the steady growth investors are used to. The stock has been in a downward spiral since hitting an all-time high during the COVID-19 pandemic and has fallen another 32% year to date.
The discount has brought the dividend yield up to 3.7%, more than three times the S&P 500 average. Is this yield too good to pass up? Let's first assess Nike's dividend payout health before determining whether this is the smartest dividend stock to buy in 2026.
Image source: The Motley Fool.
Dividend coverage is weakening Nike is still navigating challenging macroeconomic headwinds, including inflation and higher energy prices, which are hurting consumer spending. It reported flat revenue for fiscal 2026, which ended in May, with fourth-quarter revenue down 1% year over year.
The weak top-line growth and investments to turn things around have caused Nike's trailing-12-month free cash flow to plummet 65% year over year to just over $1 billion. This doesn't leave enough room for the dividend. The company paid out nearly $2.4 billion in total dividends to shareholders over the last year.
Nike generated $3.1 billion in net income over the last year. With over $7.5 billion in cash on the balance sheet, the dividend is unlikely to be cut. Still, the elevated payout ratio to free cash flow raises this risk for investors unless there is a material recovery in profitability.
The good news is that management has made progress in tightening inventory to better manage costs. It is prioritizing margins over maximizing near-term revenue growth, with gross margin expected to improve starting this quarter.
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Nike's turnaround will take time Nike sportswear and Jordan streetwear remain weak, and together account for about half of Nike's total revenue. The only bright spot appears to be running, which has delivered five consecutive quarters of double-digit growth.
Management is actively working to reduce discounting to boost margins and adjust its product mix to drive sales growth. Over 150 stores have refreshed their inventory with performance-based products, which are seeing stronger demand than lifestyle products. Nike is also introducing a dozen new footwear styles later this year. However, management expects these efforts to take time to generate consistent results.
The turnaround is progressing, but probably not as quickly as Wall Street anticipated. Management is confident in its actions to improve margins. Still, the elevated dividend payout to free cash flow doesn't make the stock the safest choice for income investors.
I wouldn't call Nike the "smartest" dividend stock to buy right now. There are more durable consumer brands, such as Coca-Cola, that offer high yields but don't carry the execution risk associated with a major turnaround effort. Investors who buy Nike shares will need to closely monitor its quarterly earnings to ensure the company is on track to recover margins and free cash flow, which is crucial for sustaining and growing the dividend.
SemiAnalysis uvedla, že klíčová racková architektura Kyber od NVIDIA se kvůli výrobním potížím s PCB deskou odkládá z roku 2027 na 2028. Zpoždění může dát prostor konkurenci AMD a Google.
NVIDIA's next marquee product — the Kyber rack-scale architecture designed to house its 2027 Rubin Ultra chips — has been delayed by more than 12 months to 2028, according to research firm SemiAnalysis, the latest in a string of reported setbacks raising questions about the AI giant's product roadmap.
Kyber is a server cabinet that packs 144 of Nvidia's most powerful chips into a single unit so they can work together as one giant computer, providing the horsepower AI companies need to train and run their most advanced models.
The design mounts graphics processing units in compute trays that sit vertically instead of horizontally to boost density and reduce latency, and had been slated to debut with Vera Rubin Ultra, Nvidia's next-generation rack-scale system, in 2027.
The setback stems from difficulties manufacturing a key circuit board at the heart of the system, SemiAnalysis said in a post on Monday.
"Kyber NVL144 rack architecture has been delayed to 2028 as the PCB midplane remains challenging from a manufacturability standpoint," the firm said, referring to a specialized, multi-layer printed circuit board that connects electronic modules within a system.
NVL576 — a larger system linking eight racks via optical connections — is also likely delayed or limited to small volumes, the research firm said.
Nvidia did not respond to CNBC's request for comment.
The reported delay adds to mounting strains across Nvidia's product lines, underscoring concerns that Nvidia's breakneck annual release cadence is colliding with manufacturing limits.
A backup plan — bolting two of Nvidia's current-generation racks together for similar power — has also been scrapped after cloud customers rejected the design as awkward and costly to operate. "It has since been cancelled due to heavy pushback from CSPs [cloud service providers] and hyperscalers over its odd design and heavy operational burden," SemiAnalysis said.
That leaves Nvidia with "no proven solution to expand the scale-up world size for Rubin Ultra," SemiAnalysis said, predicting that could give rivals Advanced Micro Devices and Google, whose in-house chips are already winning business from top AI labs, a rare technical opening at the high end of the market.
Nvidia's current-generation Rubin systems are in full production and begin shipping this fall to eight cloud partners, including Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud. SemiAnalysis also projects Nvidia's data-center compute revenue will run 20% above Wall Street consensus in the second half of fiscal 2027.
Shares of Nvidia fluctuated in premarket trading, last down less than 0.1% at $194.79.
Palantir tento týden vzrostl o 14 % po zprávě o spolupráci s Nvidií na využití open-source AI pro americkou vládu. Analytik D.A. Davidson navíc zvýšil doporučení na koupit a cílovou cenu na 175 USD.
Shares of Palantir Technologies (PLTR +2.99%) rose 14% this past week, following news of a potentially lucrative collaboration with an artificial intelligence (AI) giant and a bullish analyst note.
Image source: The Motley Fool.
A powerful alliance Palantir is teaming up with Nvidia (NVDA 1.39%) to make it easier for the U.S. government to reap the benefits of open-source AI models.
By combining Palantir's sovereign AI operating system with Nvidia's Nemotron open models and accelerated computing infrastructure, government agencies could achieve gains in cost, safety, and customization while preserving data security.
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The partnership could provide a boost to Palantir's already fast-growing government division. Revenue in this segment soared 84% year over year to $687 million in the first quarter.
A new Palantir bull D.A. Davidson analyst Gil Luria sees more reasons to be bullish on Palantir's stock.
Luria believes it makes more sense for companies to build on Palantir's platform, which offers access to a wide range of AI models from nearly all major providers, rather than directly on the models developed by the likes of OpenAI and Anthropic.
He highlighted Anthropic's confrontation with the Trump administration last month, which forced it to temporarily disable access to its models. A business that solely relied on Anthropic's model could have faced "catastrophic" disruptions, according to Luria.
On the other hand, companies that used Palantir's platform would have faced minimal downtime as it quickly shifted to alternative models.
In turn, Luria upgraded Palantir's stock from neutral to buy on Thursday and placed a $175 price target on its shares.
Joe Tenebruso has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Nvidia and Palantir Technologies. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Citi zvýšila cílovou cenu TSMC na NT$3,800 z NT$2,875 a očekává zrychlující se poptávku po AI čipech před výsledky 16. července. Banka zároveň vidí širší a trvalejší AI cyklus.
TSMC stock is hovering near its 52-week high as analysts grow more confident that the world’s most important contract chipmaker still has room to run.
Taiwan-listed shares recently traded around NT$2,445-NT$2,465, close to their 52-week high of NT$2,535.
The latest push comes after Citi Research raised its price target to NT$3,800 from NT$2,875 and reiterated a Buy rating, citing accelerating AI chip demand ahead of TSMC’s July 16 earnings report.
Citi’s argument is no longer just that TSMC is riding the AI chip boom, but the boom is becoming broader, more durable and harder for rivals to match.
The brokerage said demand for TSMC’s advanced process technologies is spreading beyond AI graphics processors into custom AI chips, cloud TPUs, networking silicon, optical interconnects and CPUs.
That matters because it makes the AI cycle less dependent on one product line, one customer or one phase of data-centre spending.
Citi also expects TSMC to raise its 2026 revenue growth outlook and long-term growth targets when it reports quarterly earnings later this month.
The stronger visibility into AI-related demand supports a more optimistic earnings view ahead of the company’s July 16 analyst meeting.
The latest note also puts more weight on pricing power. Citi expects wafer prices to keep rising into next year as demand strengthens for TSMC’s N2 and N3 process technologies.
That should help support margins, even as depreciation costs rise because of heavy investment in new capacity.
The bigger point is that TSMC’s advantage is increasingly about scale, not just technology.
Citi said the company’s combined leading-edge node capacity could approach 350,000 to 400,000 wafers per month by the end of 2028, supporting higher utilisation and giving customers more confidence that TSMC can meet the next wave of AI demand.
Advanced packaging is becoming a bigger part of TSMC’s bull case as AI chips become more complex and harder to scale.
For customers building AI accelerators, making the processor is only one part of the challenge.
These chips also need to be packaged with high-bandwidth memory and other components in a way that allows them to move huge amounts of data quickly and efficiently.
That makes packaging capacity almost as important as wafer capacity.
Citi’s latest note puts that shift at the centre of TSMC’s investment case.
The brokerage said TSMC’s advantage is increasingly coming from the combination of leading-edge manufacturing scale and advanced packaging leadership, rather than process technology alone.
That is important because AI demand is no longer limited to GPUs.
Citi expects the cycle to keep broadening into custom AI chips, cloud TPUs, networking silicon, optical interconnects and CPUs.
Each of those areas increases demand not just for advanced nodes such as N2 and N3, but also for the packaging technologies needed to turn those chips into usable AI systems.
TSMC is therefore spending heavily to stay ahead of the bottleneck.
UBS analyst Sharon Lin also lifted the firm’s TSMC target to NT$3,400 from NT$3,000 and raised capex forecasts for 2026 through 2028, arguing that higher investment commitments should help ease customer concerns about limited supply and second-source diversification.
That captures why TSMC’s valuation story is changing. Investors are no longer looking only at how many advanced chips the company can manufacture.
They are also asking whether TSMC can provide the packaging scale, capacity visibility and long-term supply assurance that AI customers need before committing to the next wave of spending.
Defense heavyweight Lockheed Martin is leading the race to buy naval defense group Ultra Maritime, CNBC has learned.
The deal to acquire Ultra is roughly $3.5 billion, and Guggenheim and JPMorgan are advising on the sell side, according to sources close to CNBC.
Ultra is owned by private equity firm Advent International, and specializes in anti-submarine technology. The company makes radar and electronic warfare systems, as well as torpedo defense countermeasures.
A Financial Times report last week said that talks were still ongoing and a deal could be announced as early as this week.
Advent was reportedly put up for sale earlier in 2026 for more than 3 billion pounds, or $4 billion.
Lockheed Martin is one of the world's largest defense firms, producing planes such as the F-35 Lightning II fighter jet and munitions like the Patriot air defense missile.
Defense stocks have enjoyed a bumper year in 2026, as conflicts from Ukraine to Iran increase demand for munitions worldwide.
In April, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute said global defense outlays in 2025 climbed to a staggering $2.89 trillion, led by massive spending by European nations.
McDonald's ve čtvrtek vyskočil asi o 4 %, zatímco Nasdaq klesl o 0,8 %. Řetězec má 49 let po sobě rostoucí dividendu a čtvrtletní výplatu 1,86 USD na akcii.
On a day when investors sold their technology winners, they went shopping for shelter -- and found the golden arches. McDonald's (MCD +4.08%) jumped about 4% on Thursday while the Nasdaq Composite slipped 0.8%, marking one of the sharpest single-day gaps between the burger giant and the tech-heavy index this year.
One strong session doesn't settle much on its own. McDonald's shares are still down about 8% in 2026 as of this writing, and they sit nearly 18% below their 52-week high. But the rotation raises a fair question: If nervous money is hunting for defensive dividend payers, does this one deserve the bid?
Image source: Getty Images.
A reliable royalty stream The case for McDonald's as a defensive holding starts with what the company actually sells -- and it mostly isn't hamburgers. Of the 45,356 McDonald's restaurants at the end of 2025, about 95% were franchised. The company's income arrives largely as royalties and rent from those franchisees, payments that keep flowing even when a franchisee's own margins get squeezed.
The company's own accounts show how lopsided the economics are. In 2025, franchised locations generated $13.9 billion in margin dollars, against $1.4 billion from company-operated restaurants -- more than 90% of the restaurant margin pool, flowing from the fee-collecting side of the business.
That structure is why the stock attracts money in anxious markets. It's also why the dividend record runs so deep: McDonald's has raised its payout for 49 consecutive years, a streak dating to its first dividend in 1976.
The dividend stock's quarterly payout now stands at $1.86 per share, for a dividend yield of about 2.7% at the current price. If the pattern holds, this fall's increase would be the 50th in a row -- a milestone very few public companies ever reach.
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Lagging stock, steady business If the model is this durable, why has the stock lagged all year? Because steady isn't the same as exciting. In the first quarter, global comparable sales rose 3.8%, and earnings per share came in at $2.78 -- up 7%, though just 2% in constant currencies. Growth like that looks slow next to what technology stocks have been delivering, and the market priced it accordingly. U.S. comparable sales rose 3.9% in the quarter, and consolidated operating income grew 12%.
"Our 6% global Systemwide sales growth shows how we executed with discipline, proving that we can drive results even in a challenging environment," said CEO Chris Kempczinski in the company's first-quarter earnings release.
Under the surface, though, the quarter carried more momentum than the headline suggests. Global systemwide sales -- the sales of the whole restaurant network, franchised and company-owned alike -- grew 11%, to more than $34 billion. And the loyalty program has quietly become enormous, with members spending over $9 billion in the quarter across 70 markets.
Those loyalty numbers matter for the defensive case. A customer who orders through the app tends to come back, and tens of millions of them give McDonald's pricing and promotion levers that most restaurant chains can't match in a weak consumer economy. In a downturn, fast food also tends to catch customers trading down from pricier meals, which is part of why the stock attracts defensive buyers in the first place.
The risks are the quiet kind: a value war that squeezes franchisees, a consumer trade-down that even loyalty can't fully offset, and a payout that already consumes about 60% of earnings, which caps how fast the dividend can grow from here.
So, is the Dividend Juggernaut back? The better answer is that it never left -- the stock just spent six months out of style. Thursday's pop reflected the market's mood, not a change in the business, and moods reverse without warning.
What matters for buyers today is the price of that durability. At about $281 per share, McDonald's trades at about 23 times earnings -- a discount to where several defensive consumer names have been bid this year, for a royalty-style business with half a century of dividend growth behind it.
For income investors, I think that's a reasonable entry -- not because of one rotation-day pop, but because the yield is decent and sustainable, and the valuation doesn't require anything spectacular. As a dividend stock, McDonald's earns its place the boring way. I'd just buy it for the royalties, not the rally.
Shares of Robinhood Markets (HOOD +3.75%) climbed 14% this past week after the financial services company unveiled an array of new product innovations.
Image source: The Motley Fool.
Going global With roughly 28 million customers in 38 countries, Robinhood's financial platform already possesses impressive scale and reach. Yet it continues to expand into new markets.
Robinhood's acquisition of digital asset services provider WonderFi in June gave it a beachhead in Canada. The fintech platform also plans to launch crypto trading and brokerage services in the U.K. and Singapore.
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In addition to entering new international markets, Robinhood launched its new stock tokens in over 120 countries. The tokenized debt securities are designed to offer economic exposure to popular stocks and ETFs. They're tradable 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Robinhood also expanded its popular perpetual futures offering in European markets to include commodities, ETFs, and foreign currencies.
Agentic trading Investors were perhaps most intrigued by Robinhood's plans to integrate more artificial intelligence (AI)-powered features into its platform. Robinhood wants to become a hub for agentic AI trading by enabling its customers to use AI agents to buy and sell stocks, options, and cryptocurrencies on their behalf.
Many of these products and services will be enabled by the fintech's new blockchain platform, Robinhood Chain. The Layer 2 blockchain is built on the Arbitrum Platform and integrates with leading decentralized finance networks like Chainlink and Uniswap.
Joe Tenebruso has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Chainlink and Uniswap Protocol Token. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
SummaryMatch Group remains a Buy, with valuation still implying a significant discount even after a 20% rally.MTCH posted strong Q1 results: 4% revenue growth, a 42% net income increase, and a 25% higher Adj. EBITDA, despite a 5% decline in payers.Tinder's user decline is offset by price hikes, but Hinge's 15% YoY growth and international expansion are key future drivers while they work on their pillar's turnaround.Solid balance sheet, robust cash flow, and ongoing turnaround efforts position MTCH well for industry growth despite macro and competitive risks.Jonathan Kitchen/DigitalVision via Getty Images
Introduction During my last coverage of Match Group (MTCH), I upgraded it to a Strong Buy, initiating a position not long afterwards as the re-rating setup was too compelling to ignore at that point, with
3.17K Followers
Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have a beneficial long position in the shares of MTCH either through stock ownership, options, or other derivatives. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.
Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.
Revolution Medicines letos vzrostla téměř o 140 % díky pozitivním výsledkům pozdní klinické studie a blíží se podání žádosti o regulační přezkum. Daraxonrasib u metastatického karcinomu slinivky prodloužil přežití na 13,2 měsíce oproti 6,7 měsíce u standardní chemoterapie.
Revolution Medicines (RVMD +0.92%) spent most of its history as a publicly traded company -- that's since 2020 -- trading for less than $50 a share. The company offers a new approach to oncology treatment, aiming for targets once thought to be "undruggable." In recent months, Revolution has clearly demonstrated the potential of its technology and is rapidly approaching the finish line. So, it's no surprise that investors have been taking notice.
In fact, they've taken so much notice that the stock price has soared nearly 140% this year. This is amid positive late-stage clinical trial results and optimism about potential revenue ahead. Considering the full picture and after its triple-digit gain, is this hot biotech stock still a buy? Let's find out.
Image source: Getty Images.
Making the "undruggable" protein "druggable" We'll start off by taking a look at Revolution's technology and pipeline progress. The company focuses on treating cancers linked to the activity of RAS proteins. RAS proteins have generally been called "undruggable" because potential therapeutics can't bind to their surfaces. But Revolution, using its tri-complex inhibitor platform, has found a way, producing "druggable" sites -- the investigational therapeutics then go on to block cancer signaling.
Revolution is exploring its candidates in cancers in which RAS proteins play a key role, and the company recently reported solid results from a phase 3 trial of previously treated metastatic pancreatic cancer. Daraxonrasib delivered a survival rate of 13.2 months versus a survival rate of 6.7 months for patients treated with the standard care of chemotherapy.
The company said these results are considered final, and it's submitting them to support a request for regulatory review. Revolution is also advancing another candidate, zoldonrasib, in phase 3 trials for the same indication.
Revolution has phase 3 trials ongoing for daraxonrasib in non-small cell lung cancer, and zoldonrasib as a combination therapy with standard of care is entering phase 3.
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Results just ahead And the biotech company is conducting earlier-stage trials in colorectal cancer and aims to share results of these combination studies -- with standard of care or investigational approaches -- this year.
Meanwhile, Revolution doesn't yet have products on the market, so it isn't generating revenue -- and due to this period of heavy investment in research and development, the company's loss in the recent quarter doubled from the year-earlier period to more than $453 million. The cash position at $1.9 billion and the $2.1 billion in net proceeds from financing should help support ongoing R&D.
The company clearly has developed an interesting approach to cancer treatment and has made significant progress in pancreatic cancer -- a key area where better treatments are needed. The fact that the company's lead candidate is approaching the finish line is positive, too, as that suggests a revenue stream may be right around the corner. So, if all goes smoothly, Revolution could be very close to becoming a commercial-stage biotech. This could reduce risk as a potential regulatory nod represents a vote of confidence for the technology that's used throughout the pipeline -- and would open the door to revenue and eventually profit.
And speaking of the financial picture, it's not worrisome to see the company's R&D costs climb right now -- this is a standard pattern across biotech companies in the clinical development stage.
Now, let's consider whether the stock is a buy. If you're a cautious investor, it's best to focus on biotech players that already have at least one product on the market and either are profitable or have made steps toward profitability. Biotech companies that aren't yet commercial-stage represent a certain amount of risk.
But, if you're a growth investor who can handle this risk, Revolution, even after its big gain, represents a compelling buy. This is because the company has shown the strength of its technology and may be very close to potential product approval. A regulatory nod and revenue growth to follow could result in significant gains, and Revolution's strong pipeline could lead to more strength down the road. All of this means that, over time, the stock may have plenty of room to run.
Netflix čeká 16. července výsledky za 2. čtvrtletí; investoři budou sledovat růst reklamního byznysu, který míří na 3 miliardy USD v roce 2026. Důležitý bude i vývoj marží po silném prvním pololetí.
Earnings season brings out a lot of noise. Most of it is guesswork dressed up as analysis. But when Netflix (NFLX +4.77%) reports results for the second quarter of 2026 on July 16, there are three specific things I think could tell investors whether the next chapter of this company's growth story is actually playing out or just being promised.
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The advertising business is no longer a side project When Netflix first launched its ad-supported tier, the skeptics were loud. Ads felt off-brand for a company built on the idea of uninterrupted streaming. That conversation is over now.
Netflix's ad-supported tier reached 250 million global monthly active viewers as of its Upfront presentation in 2026, up from 190 million in late 2025. The company is on track to double its advertising revenue to $3 billion in 2026, after already doubling it to $1.5 billion in 2025. More than 80% of ad-tier members watch weekly, which is the kind of engagement stat that keeps advertisers coming back.
What I'll be watching on July 16 isn't the headline revenue number, but rather whether Netflix gives any updated signal on its path to $9 billion in ad revenue by 2030. That figure is the one that reframes how the market should think about this company's long-term earnings power. If management tightens that guidance or adds color on advertiser retention, this stock could move.
Image source: Getty Images.
Live sports is giving the ad business real leverage Netflix's live sports push isn't just about subscriber acquisition anymore. It's also an advertising play. The company is testing dynamic ad insertion technology with WWE programming and plans to roll it out across its NFL Christmas Day games. It also expanded NFL coverage in 2026 with an international regular-season game and added the Westminster Dog Show to its live events lineup.
Live programming changes the economics of streaming advertising because it's the one format where viewers don't skip and advertisers will pay a premium for it. Walt Disney and Comcast have known this for years through ESPN and NBC Sports. Netflix is now in that conversation in a way it wasn't 18 months ago. The Q2 report will be the first time investors can start to see whether live content is moving the needle on ad pricing.
The margin setup heading into the second half is underappreciated Netflix entered 2026 warning investors that content spending would be front-loaded into the first half of the year. The company reported a 32.3% operating margin in Q1 -- solid, but management guided for 32.6% in Q2. The full-year operating margin target is 31.5%.
Here's the math that I think matters: If content spend is weighted toward the first half and the company hits or exceeds its first-half margin targets, the back half of the year should show margin expansion. Netflix generated $12.25 billion in revenue in Q1, up 16% year over year. If that rate holds through Q2 while costs flatten in the second half, the operating leverage could be more visible than the current stock price reflects.
Netflix no longer reports quarterly membership numbers, which makes it harder to independently verify growth claims. And a business growing this fast attracts competitive pressure -- Amazon, Apple, and others are not sitting still. If ad revenue growth disappoints or management's second-half cost narrative doesn't hold, July 16 could go the other way.
The three catalysts above are real. But earnings are always a two-sided event, and Netflix has trained investors to expect a lot. What makes Netflix different to me this time around is that most of the streaming investments aren't just about the scale of content, but rather whether the company can keep finding new revenue layers inside a business most people thought was already mature. I think Netflix has that piece. That's a rare thing, and July 16 is a chance to see how much further it can go.
Micah Zimmerman has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Amazon, Apple, Netflix, and Walt Disney. The Motley Fool recommends Comcast. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Nike (NKE +2.39%) desperately wants to get back in shape financially, but its "Win Now" turnaround campaign is being held back for one main reason: China. While the retailer's fourth-quarter results actually beat Wall Street's expectations, revenue in Greater China fell a whopping 17% in the quarter and 13% in fiscal year 2026.
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"Win Now" is, however, showing signs that it's beginning to work in other capacities. Nike's running business has grown by double digits for five consecutive quarters. Nike is also rebuilding its wholesale relationships.
Wholesale revenue grew 4% year over year in the fourth quarter. Nike Running also gained market share in both Western Europe and North America. The brand also believes margin expansion could begin this quarter, earlier than the company's original projection.
Image source: The Motley Fool.
China remains Nike's biggest challenge. There's increasing competition within the country, and consumers there have shifted preferences. It doesn't seem like Nike has a real answer to this significant headwind yet.
Shares of Nike are down almost 31% this year and over 72% in the past five years. Investors hoping for a turnaround will, unfortunately, need even more patience as CEO Elliott Hill and his team navigate a tricky global market.
I still believe Nike will make its comeback, but it won't be easy against a defiant Chinese market. Nike needs a stronger strategy in China, as the brand has lost its prestige and cool factor in the market. Current and prospective investors should recognize that this will be a multiyear effort and that the turnaround of a massive global brand will be slower than expected.
Catie Hogan has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Nike. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Analytici zvýšili cílovou cenu Micron Technology na 1 500 USD, tedy asi o 45 % nad současnou cenu. Firma těží z boomu kolem AI, který žene poptávku i ceny paměťových čipů.
Even with its impressive 740% return over the past 12 months, some analysts believe Micron Technology (MU 5.68%) could still go higher. Three analysts recently raised their price targets for the stock to $1,500, representing a 45% increase from its current price, as of this writing.
Here's why this bull case for Micron stock is rooted in reality and why now could be a good time to buy shares despite their recent volatility.
Image source: Getty Images.
Here's why Micron has a chance of reaching $1,500 Investors have been wondering when the boom in artificial intelligence (AI) might fizzle out and if some stocks are currently in an AI bubble. And while some are certainly benefiting from the technology without having a strong foundation in it, that's not the case for Micron.
Consider the huge AI supercycle currently underway, which is driving sales of its memory processors. This year alone, some of the leading technology companies will have $750 billion in capital expenditures, mostly for AI.
That's a huge amount of AI spending, and it may not slow down anytime soon. Alphabet has already said it will spend up to $190 billion this year and added, "And next year, we expect it to significantly increase compared to 2026."
All of this spending is doing two very important things for Micron: It's driving huge sales of its memory chips and causing its processor prices to skyrocket due to demand.
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The results speak for themselves. Sales rose 345% in the 2026 third quarter to $41.5 billion, and adjusted earnings per share spiked more than 1,300% to $24.67 in the quarter. Management said recently that the run rate for its data center revenue (where sales of its memory chips live) is $100 billion for 2026.
In short, demand is high, allowing Micron to charge more for its memory processors and resulting in skyrocketing profits. So when analysts and investors look at the current data center boom and the company's soaring profits from it, it's not hard to imagine investors continuing to drive up its share price as AI infrastructure investments continue.
Some volatility is inevitable along the way The stock could reach $1,500, but it's also worth noting that some investors are questioning some of the AI spending from tech companies, which has led to market volatility.
Micron stock isn't immune to this, and some investors were disappointed when management didn't raise its full-year AI chip guidance recently, prompting some to sell. If investors continue to take an overly skeptical view of AI spending, it could impact the company's share price in the short term.
But Micron is highly profitable, its sales are expanding, and it's benefiting from a unique demand environment for its memory processors that could last for the next few years. When you add it all together, it's not unrealistic to think the stock could reach $1,500.
Spotové ETF na Hyperliquid zaznamenaly za týden končící 4. července čisté přílivy kapitálu ve výši 4,32 mil. USD, což je jejich nejslabší týden od spuštění v polovině května 2026. Dohromady už drží 2,28 % obíhající nabídky $HYPE.
The spot @HyperliquidX ETFs posted net inflows of $4.32M for the week ending July 4, marking their weakest weekly performance since launching in mid-May 2026. While still positive, the figure represents a notable cooldown from the pace that made these products some of the most closely watched new ETFs in crypto this year.
A Strong Start That Has Slowed The suite of spot $HYPE ETFs, which includes Bitwise's BHYP, 21Shares' THYP, and Grayscale's HYPG, had an explosive debut. The products crossed $100M in combined net inflows within just 10 trading sessions of their mid-May 2026 debut, a pace that, on a market-cap-adjusted basis, no prior altcoin ETF had matched. Inflows accelerated sharply early on, jumping from $6.89M in the partial launch week to $68.02M for the full week ending May 22, a near 10x week-over-week surge.
The momentum continued into June. Spot Hyperliquid ETFs attracted $111M in net inflows on June 29 alone, even as U.S. spot Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs faced significant outflows. That single-day figure dwarfs the entire week's tally reported this week, underscoring how sharply the pace has moderated.
Despite the slower week, the ETFs have seen remarkably few down days. According to @BSCNews, the products have recorded only two days of net outflows since launch (June 5 and June 30), a sign of durable if cooling institutional interest.
Supply Lock-Up Continues Perhaps more telling than weekly flow figures is the cumulative supply impact. The spot $HYPE ETFs now collectively hold 2.28% of $HYPE's current circulating supply, a meaningful concentration that reduces the float available to open-market participants. The two leading funds have attracted over $137M in total, validating institutional demand for the asset.
Part of the structural appeal for ETF investors is $HYPE's built-in buyback mechanism. Hyperliquid runs a mechanism called the Assistance Fund, with 99% of trading fees from the exchange's perpetual and spot markets flowing into it, and the fund spending that money buying $HYPE on the open market. That dynamic, combined with ETF inflows locking up supply, has drawn comparisons to the demand structures seen in early Bitcoin and Ethereum ETF cycles.
Whether this week's softer inflow number signals a sustained deceleration or simply a pause after June's record-setting activity remains to be seen. What is clear is that the $HYPE ETF category, barely two months old, has already redefined expectations for altcoin ETF launches.
Sources:
CNBC: Bitcoin is cratering, but a new Wall Street crypto hype is on the rise
CryptoNews: Hyperliquid Price Prediction 2026
FXStreet: Hyperliquid Price Forecast, Easing ETF Flows
Pump.fun s PumpSwap dosáhl přibližně 1,769 miliardy USD 24hodinového objemu a předstihl Uniswap i PancakeSwap. Platforma tak ovládla obchodování napříč všemi chainy.
A memecoin launchpad that didn’t exist two years ago just out-traded every decentralized exchange on the planet. Pump.fun, operating through its integrated DEX called PumpSwap, recorded approximately $1.769 billion in 24-hour trading volume, placing it ahead of Uniswap, PancakeSwap, and every other competitor across all chains.
How a memecoin machine became a trading giant Pump.fun launched on January 19, 2024, with a straightforward pitch: let anyone create and trade memecoins without needing to seed liquidity pools upfront. That low barrier to entry turned it into the dominant launchpad for Solana’s memecoin economy almost immediately.
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The real strategic move came in March 2025, when the platform introduced PumpSwap, its own built-in DEX. Instead of sending users to Raydium or other external exchanges once tokens graduated from the bonding curve, Pump.fun kept the trading activity in-house.
That decision is now paying off in spectacular fashion. The ~$1.769 billion daily volume isn’t even the platform’s all-time high. Back in early January 2026, Pump.fun hit a $2.03 billion single-day volume, suggesting this isn’t a one-off spike but a sustained pattern of massive trading activity.
The revenue engine behind the volume By mid-March 2026, the platform’s cumulative revenue crossed the $1 billion mark. In the 30 days leading up to its record volume event, Pump.fun generated approximately $39 million in revenue, with daily revenue running around $1.13 million.
A significant piece of Pump.fun’s economic model is its aggressive buyback program for the native $PUMP token. The platform spent roughly $332 million, equivalent to about 2.328 million SOL, buying back more than 106 billion $PUMP tokens. That effort reduced the circulating supply by approximately 30%.
The $PUMP token itself launched through a public sale from July 12-15, 2025, priced at $0.004 per token.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
Litecoin za posledních šest měsíců přidal 22 milionů nových adres a celkem jich má už 409 milionů. To naznačuje silný organický růst sítě i přes tlak na cenu $LTC.
Something is building inside the @Litecoin ecosystem. The chain has now reached a total of 409 million unique addresses, with some 22 million of those created in just the past six months. That works out to roughly 5.37% of all $LTC addresses ever created, generated in half a year.
On-Chain Data Points to Real Momentum Address growth of this scale is one of the cleaner signals of organic network expansion in crypto. It suggests new participants are arriving, not just existing holders reshuffling funds. According to BitInfoCharts data, active Litecoin addresses grew roughly 7.5% between February 2026 and recent weeks, even as the token's price remained under pressure. The same data shows around 180,915 transactions processed in a 24-hour window, with an average fee of just $0.0023, figures that support Litecoin's payment-focused use case.
On-chain charts show that $LTC consistently ranks second only to $BTC in daily transactions, maintaining roughly 30 to 40% of Bitcoin's transaction count over the past four years. That kind of sustained throughput gives the address growth figure more weight. It is not simply a vanity metric.
A Broader Ecosystem Building Behind the Numbers The address surge is arriving at a moment when the wider Litecoin ecosystem is expanding on multiple fronts. A mid-year review highlighted that the network surpassed 400 million lifetime transactions, with hashrate growing nearly four times since the 2023 halving. Nasdaq-listed Lite Strategy also invested $1 million into LitVM, a zero-knowledge Layer-2 aiming to bring smart contracts and DeFi to Litecoin without altering its base layer.
On the institutional side, the Canary Litecoin ETF (LTCC) launched and began trading, giving institutions and retail brokerage clients regulated exposure to $LTC for the first time, though assets under management remain modest at around $5.5 million. MEI Pharma also acquired 929,548 Litecoin, establishing a $110.4 million Litecoin treasury.
Address growth alone does not guarantee price performance. As of late June 2026, Litecoin was trading around $42, down roughly 45% year-to-date, though it remains one of the more liquid assets in the market with over a decade of uninterrupted operation. Still, the pace at which new addresses are being created points to a network that is broadening its base regardless of near-term price action.
Sources:
StealthEX: Litecoin Price Analysis and 2026 ETF Outlook
CoinPedia: Litecoin Retail-Driven Growth
CoinMarketCap: Latest Litecoin Network Updates
LitecoinVM staví na Litecoinu EVM-kompatibilní Layer 2 se smart kontrakty, DeFi a tokenizací aktiv bez zásahu do hlavní sítě. Testnet LiteForge už zpracoval přes 75 milionů transakcí a mainnet má přijít později v roce 2026.
Litecoin's first smart contract layer takes shapeLitecoin ($LTC) has spent 14 years doing one thing well: fast, cheap payments. That scope is now expanding. @LitecoinVM, an EVM-compatible zero-knowledge rollup, is building a Layer 2 that brings smart contracts, DeFi, and real-world asset tokenization to Litecoin without touching its base layer.
LitVM is an EVM-compatible, zero-knowledge Layer 2 rollup designed to bring smart contracts and DeFi to Litecoin without altering its base layer. It operates as a Layer 2 rollup that posts proofs to Litecoin's existing blockchain, requiring no hard fork, soft fork, or consensus change. The network is built on a modular stack comprising Arbitrum Orbit, Espresso's decentralized sequencing, Succinct's SP1 zkVM for zero-knowledge validity proofs, and BitcoinOS' Grail Bridge for trustless LTC bridging.
The network's native gas token is zkLTC, Litecoin trustlessly bridged to LitVM, meaning every transaction on the network is powered by $LTC rather than a speculative token. The testnet, known as LiteForge, launched in April 2026 and has already processed over 75 million transactions. If mainnet fees remain in a similar range to testnet levels, LitVM would be competitive with the cheapest Layer 2s on Ethereum.
Institutional backing and a mainnet timeline LitVM is backed by Litecoin creator Charlie Lee, who has joined as an adviser and investor, with support from the Litecoin Foundation. On the institutional side, Lite Strategy, Inc. (Nasdaq: LITS), the first U.S. public company to adopt Litecoin as its primary treasury reserve asset, announced the closing of a $1.0 million lead strategic investment in ZK Innovations Inc., the developer of LitVM. The deal was structured as a SAFE at a $50 million post-money cap and includes a token warrant for up to 2% of LitVM's supply at launch, plus governance rights and a Strategic Advisory Committee seat.
Charlie Lee, the creator of Litecoin and a member of Lite Strategy's board, said the programmable layer could open the door to new applications while preserving Litecoin's security and decentralization. The mainnet launch is pending the completion of multiple independent security audits and is expected later in 2026. If LitVM delivers, Litecoin's long-established reputation for reliability could become the foundation for a broader Web3 ecosystem, rather than just a payments rail.
Sources
Lite Strategy press release via Manila Times: $1M investment in LitVM
The Crypto Times: LiteForge testnet launch and early transaction data
CoinMarketCap: LitVM joins CMC Labs accelerator
Ethereumův hard fork Glamsterdam dorazil do finálního devnetu se 10 uzamčenými EIP a vývojáři jej označují za největší změnu protokolu od The Merge. Mainnet se čeká nejdříve mezi zářím a prosincem 2026.
Glamsterdam, @ethereum's next major hard fork, has reached its final devnet stage with ten Ethereum Improvement Proposals (EIPs) locked in. Core developers call it the most significant protocol change since The Merge.
Two EIPs Driving the UpgradeTwo proposals sit at the heart of the upgrade. Enshrined Proposer-Builder Separation (ePBS), defined in EIP-7732, integrates the block-building process directly into the Ethereum protocol. This removes the current 80 to 90 percent reliance on third-party relays like MEV-Boost, reducing centralization risks and ensuring a fairer, more transparent distribution of Maximal Extractable Value (MEV).
The second headliner is EIP-7928, Block-Level Access Lists (BALs). Block-level Access Lists let blocks declare the accounts and state they will touch, enabling faster parallel execution and raising the L1 transactions-per-second ceiling.
Beyond the two headliners, the package also contains EIP-7708 (ETH transfers and burns emit a log), EIP-7778 (block gas accounting without refunds), EIP-7843 (a SLOTNUM opcode), EIP-7954 (raising the maximum contract size from roughly 24 KiB to 32 KiB), EIP-7975 (eth/70 partial block receipt lists), EIP-8024 (backward-compatible SWAPN, DUPN and EXCHANGE opcodes), EIP-8037 (state-creation gas-cost increase), and EIP-8159 (eth/71 Block Access List Exchange).
Gas Limit and TimelineTogether, the two headline proposals clear a path toward a dramatically higher gas ceiling. The 200 million gas limit is the design target for what Glamsterdam unblocks, not a value the fork itself enforces. Validators set the limit via standard gas-vote signaling, which they currently coordinate around the 60 million range, and would step it up only as nodes prove they can handle the larger blocks without degraded propagation.
The final devnet is the last major engineering phase before client releases, security reviews, and public testnets. Holesky and Hoodi will fork before mainnet, and only after multi-client stability holds for several epochs across those networks. Past forks have run two to four months of public-testnet seasoning, putting a mainnet window broadly between September and December 2026.
Ethereum Foundation contributors note Glamsterdam is proving trickier and slower than Fusaka, so a slip remains possible. No firm mainnet activation slot has been set. What is clear is that $ETH's base layer, if the upgrade lands on schedule, will be materially more capable heading into 2027.
Sources:
The Defiant: Ethereum's Glamsterdam Upgrade Enters Final Devnet Phase
Datawallet: Ethereum Glamsterdam Upgrade and EIPs Explained
Kiln: Glamsterdam, Ethereum's Next Hard Fork Explained
Cardano spouští testnet RealFi fáze 1 6. července, který má propojit DeFi s reálnou ekonomikou a využít nevyužitou on-chain likviditu v půjčkách a úvěrech. Charles Hoskinson jej označil za největší upgrade v historii sítě.
@Cardano's RealFi Phase 1 testnet goes live on July 6, opening the first public testing window for what founder @IOHK_Charles has called the largest upgrade in the network's history. The project aims to bridge decentralized finance with the real-world economy by putting idle on-chain liquidity to work in lending and credit markets. Hoskinson says RealFi is moving from the concept stage to actual implementation, with mainnet deployment expected to follow the testnet shortly after.
What RealFi Is Trying to Solve The core argument behind the initiative is direct: stablecoins have scaled as money but not as capital, leaving hundreds of billions of dollars sitting idle with no utility and no impact on the real economy. RealFi is @realfi_co's answer to that problem, with the testnet designed to let users stress-test the protocol's core features before a mainnet rollout. During Phase 1, participants can explore the platform, use its core features, and share feedback that will directly shape the protocol, framing the process as collaborative infrastructure-building in public.
Founder Charles Hoskinson called it "the largest upgrade" in the project's history, with the ambition of transforming hundreds of billions in idle stablecoins into productive capital for real-world economic impact. The broader RealFi vision extends beyond DeFi-native users. The milestone represents a significant step toward Cardano's long-standing mission of bringing financial services to unbanked populations while connecting blockchain liquidity with real-world economic activity.
A Busier Technical Calendar for $ADA The RealFi testnet is not the only upgrade on Cardano's near-term roadmap. Concurrently, the Protocol Version 11 (van Rossem) hard fork, for which major exchanges including Binance and Coinbase are already prepared, promises cheaper smart contracts and ZK-ready cryptography. Hoskinson has reiterated that Cardano's long-term fundamentals remain intact, pointing to continued progress across RealFi, the Midnight privacy chain, and Bitcoin DeFi as evidence that the ecosystem is expanding despite temporary setbacks.
For now, attention is on July 6. The Phase 1 testnet is open to the public, with @realfi_co inviting users to test core features and shape the protocol ahead of a mainnet launch that Hoskinson says is not far behind.
Sources:
The Crypto Basic: Hoskinson Says Largest Upgrade in Cardano History Is Imminent
CryptoPotato: Why Is Cardano (ADA) Up 15% in a Week?
DigitalToday: Cardano Nears Biggest Upgrade, Hoskinson Says ADA Fundamentals Solid
Cardano Foundation zkoumá integraci s Open USD, novou iniciativou s více než 140 zakládajícími partnery včetně Visa, Mastercard, BlackRock a Stripe. Cardano zatím mezi veřejnými launch partnery není, mezi něž patří i Ripple a MoonPay.
The @Cardano_CF has signaled it is exploring integration with OpenUSD (OUSD), the newly announced stablecoin consortium that counts Visa, Mastercard, BlackRock, and Stripe among its more than 140 founding partners. The development positions Cardano as a potential participant in what is shaping up to be the broadest cross-industry stablecoin alliance assembled to date.
Brale as the Bridge The Foundation's current connection to OpenUSD runs through @brale_xyz. The Cardano Foundation's formal tie to OpenUSD currently runs through Brale, a compliant stablecoin issuance platform that secured a launch partner slot in the new consortium. The Foundation highlighted that relationship publicly, welcoming the announcement of OpenUSD and Brale as a launch partner. Brale already maintains a working relationship with the Cardano ecosystem, having partnered with the Cardano Foundation in 2025 to support compliant and native stablecoin issuance on the network.
The Foundation made clear that Brale is not the end of the story. It is exploring additional integration options, signaling that Brale may represent only one of several possible pathways into the OpenUSD ecosystem, with further details to be shared as discussions progress.
What OpenUSD Is, and Why It Matters for $ADA Open Standard, the company behind OpenUSD, announced the stablecoin with Stripe, Visa, BlackRock, and over 140 other businesses signed on as partners. Once live, OpenUSD will let businesses mint and redeem the stablecoin with no fees or volume caps, while returning most reserve earnings back to participating partners. Unlike most existing stablecoins, it will be run by Open Standard, a separate company whose board is made up of its partner businesses. Open USD is expected to go live later in 2026.
Cardano is not listed among OpenUSD's public launch partners, which include Visa, Mastercard, Ripple, MoonPay, Stripe, and more than 140 other companies. Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson went further than the Foundation in explaining the gap, tying Cardano's absence not to any external rejection but to internal governance choices made by the network's delegated representatives, known as DReps, who had previously rejected proposals specifically designed to accelerate commercialization.
Being part of a major stablecoin initiative like OUSD could significantly boost Cardano's DeFi activity, liquidity, and overall network utility, while the outcome of these integration efforts could influence Cardano's competitive position against other blockchain networks already in the consortium, such as Solana and Polygon. The Foundation says more integration options are being actively explored, with details to come.
Sources:
Fortune: Stripe, Visa and over 140 businesses to launch Open USD stablecoin
Brale: Brale x Cardano Foundation Native Stablecoin Infrastructure
Cryptonomist: Cardano Open USD Integration
Cardano navrhuje zvýšit limit čisté změny financování z 350 milionů ADA na 500 milionů ADA, tedy o 43 %, aby více financovalo infrastrukturu, DeFi a ekosystémové projekty. V síti zároveň přibylo 14 783 nevyprázdněných peněženek a ADA se vrátila na zhruba 0,20 USD.
Cardano’s [ADA] treasury has become a central mechanism in developing the ADA ecosystem and funding long-term development. As governance expands in the Voltaire era, there is a need to evaluate if current spending limits are adequate. Therefore, Cardano has proposed to increase the Net Change Limit (NCL).
If the NCL increases from 350 million ADA to 500 million ADA, this represents a 43% increase in the treasury’s ability to fund infrastructure, DeFi, and the ecosystem projects.
Source: X The treasury currently contains approximately 1.47 billion ADA, with only approximately 68 million ADA withdrawn to date. This indicates that funding capability consistently exceeds usage.
While these numbers provide insight into the potential size of the treasury, they also highlight the importance of governance. Currently, DRep voting represents over 5 billion ADA. However, proposal ratification is averaging around 56%.
Looking ahead, stronger oversight and efficient capital deployment will determine whether the higher limit accelerates growth or reduces fiscal discipline.
On-chain activity begins to validate the outlook Whether that additional treasury flexibility translates into long-term growth now depends on how the broader Cardano ecosystem responds. Since the 23rd of June bottom, the network has added 14,783 non-empty wallets, reversing the previous slowdown in holder growth.
This represents a reversal of the earlier slowing rate of addition of new holders. Notably, ADA simultaneously recovered to about $0.20, rebounding 35% from its late‑June low. Such a recovery supports the idea that there is increasing participation and less speculation at this time.
Source: Santiment Notably, the continued increase in the number of wallets indicates users are continuing to enter or rebuild their positions even during the current volatile market conditions. This change occurred while the overall ecosystem was experiencing an unusually high level of uncertainty over several weeks.
Sustained growth in the number of holders, combined with a definitive recapture of $0.20, will further support the notion that recent capitulation has shifted to a larger-scale accumulation phase.
Taken together, Cardano requires efficient treasury execution and growing network participation to sustain its emerging recovery.
Final Summary Cardano could strengthen ecosystem growth if higher treasury funding is matched by disciplined governance and efficient capital allocation. ADA wallet growth and a price recovery toward $0.20 suggest confidence is gradually returning across the network.
Stellar bude 8. července hlasovat o upgradu Protocol 27 „Zipper“, který z delegování autentizace udělá nativní funkci sítě. Zlepší také bezpečnost a otevře cestu k levnějším, flexibilnějším účtům.
What Zipper Actually ChangesStellar's Protocol 27, named Zipper, is set for a mainnet validator vote on July 8. The upgrade centres on a single but consequential change: making authentication delegation a first-class feature on Stellar, meaning one account can officially authorise another to act on its behalf.
Before Zipper, delegation existed on Stellar only as an accidental side effect. Developers who tried to use it faced a tangle of manual steps, extra simulation passes, and bloated transaction sizes, so most teams avoided it entirely. Zipper turns that workaround into a clean, supported tool.
In practical terms, the upgrade opens the door to features that have been difficult or impossible to build cleanly until now. Cheaper transactions and more flexible account designs, including social recovery, delegated signing keys, and modular multisig, become practical to build. Transactions also become smaller and cheaper because all delegated signers bundle into a single authorisation entry instead of requiring separate ones.
On the security side, CAP-0071-02 adds address-bound Soroban credentials, closing a narrow replay vulnerability where accounts sharing private keys could be exposed to cross-account signature reuse.
Laying the Ground for Protocol 28Zipper's significance extends beyond what it ships on day one. CAP-0071-01 is explicitly foundational to CAP-0072, which adds contract-based authentication to classic Stellar accounts. The delegation mechanism introduced here is the same one that more visible features in future protocols will depend on.
The Stellar Development Foundation has confirmed that Protocol 28 will bring contract-based authentication to classic Stellar accounts, the standard ones most users hold today, and the delegation mechanism in Zipper is a direct prerequisite for that. In effect, what validators are being asked to approve on July 8 is as much an infrastructure decision as a feature release.
The release timeline ran as follows: Stellar Core shipped June 5, RPC and Galexie on June 10, SDKs between June 5 and 11, Horizon on June 12, and the testnet upgrade on June 18, ahead of the mainnet protocol vote on July 8.
Sources:
Stellar Development Foundation: Zipper, Protocol 27 Upgrade Guide
Stellar Docs: Software Versions and Protocol Features
GitHub: Stellar Core v27.0.0 Release Notes
There are plenty of artificial intelligence (AI) stocks grabbing investors' attention these days, and many of them are semiconductor designers and manufacturers. But while the AI data center boom is driving many chip stocks higher, there are other ways to play the artificial intelligence supercycle.
Arista Networks (ANET 3.78%) is a prime example. The company's networking equipment and software help the biggest tech companies run their AI data centers -- and it could benefit from infrastructure spending for years to come.
Image source: Getty Images.
Why Arista stands out in the AI crowd Arista Networks sells data center networking hardware and software that enables tech companies to manage their data center systems. That's become a very good business to be in, considering that the largest technology players are spending an estimated $750 billion on AI infrastructure this year alone.
While Arista has most of its business tied to a handful of large companies -- including Microsoft and Meta -- it's somewhat protected from this concentration. Once a company begins using Arista's hardware and software, it becomes difficult to switch. AI data center systems are complex and costly, and hardware and software upgrades are expensive.
What's more, most of its customers don't want to switch, with independent data showing that 94% of them are strongly positive about Arista.
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Arista is in great financial shape Arista reported its first-quarter 2026 results in May, and investors were initially disappointed by the management's gross margin guidance of between 62% to 64% for 2026. Arista's gross margins for 2025 were 64.1%, but investors were hoping they would expand further.
The slight margin decline comes as memory prices have skyrocketed over the past few years due to a supply shortage driven by AI data centers. Arista uses memory in its hardware systems, so it's feeling the pricing pressure too. It's worth noting that this isn't an Arista-specific issue. Apple just raised prices on many of its devices due to rising memory costs.
The bigger picture -- and what potential investors should focus on -- is how Arista is benefiting from surging AI data center demand. The company's sales jumped 35% to $2.7 billion in the first quarter, and non-GAAP (generally accepted accounting principles) earnings per share rose nearly 32% to $0.87.
What's more, Arista has no debt, it generated $1.64 billion in free cash flow in the first quarter, and management expects sales to rise 28% in 2026 to $11.5 billion.
In short, Arista is in great financial shape and continues to benefit from a rapidly expanding AI market.
If there's one concern for potential buyers of Arista Networks, it's that its stock currently has a trailing price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 56, above the tech sector average of about 41.
But with strong sales and earnings growth, high gross margins, and strong free cash flow, there's little to worry about with Arista.
Chris Neiger has positions in Apple. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Apple, Arista Networks, Meta Platforms, and Microsoft. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
