|
|
| ▼ S&P 500 |
6,362.90 |
-0.12% |
| ▲ Nasdaq |
21,129.67 |
+0.15% |
| ▼ Dow |
44,461.28 |
-0.38% |
| ▲ 10-Year |
4.368% |
+0.04% |
| ▼ Gold |
3,324.30 |
-1.68% |
| ▼ Bitcoin |
117,291.48 |
-0.21% |
*All data as of the previous day’s market close.
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The US economy grew a stronger-than-expected 3% in Q2, fueled by a sharp drop in imports and steady consumer spending, despite ongoing trade tensions. While some areas, like housing, showed signs of slowing, overall strength in key sectors and cooling inflation painted a picture of surprising resilience. But as solid as the pace was, the growth averaged 1.25% in the first half, which is a full percent below the same time in 2024. This sparked fresh calls from Trump again for Fed rate cuts, though the central bank held it steady again. |
The Fed kept interest rates steady at 4.25%-4.5%, despite pressure from Trump and dissent from two top officials who argued for a cut. It’s the first time since 1993 that multiple Fed governors publicly opposed a rate decision, highlighting growing division as inflation cools and economic growth slows despite being resilient. Investors are now watching closely for signs of a September rate cut, especially with the Fed’s Jackson Hole meeting coming up next month. |
Meta’s Q2 earnings report crushed expectations, with revenue and profit both coming in well above forecasts—sending its stock surging over 10% in after-hours trading. Alongside the strong results, Mark Zuckerberg doubled down on Meta’s bold AI ambitions, unveiling plans to chase “superintelligence” by investing billions into infrastructure and talent, as seen recently. While many are watching how this AI push impacts cash flow, Meta’s big quarter suggests it might have the financial firepower to pull it off. |
Microsoft stock also jumped 7% in the extended trading after crushing earnings expectations as well, with strong growth fueled by its booming Azure cloud business—which now brings in over $75 billion a year. The company also gave investors a rare look at Azure’s dollar revenue for the first time, showing 39% growth that outpaced analysts’ estimates. The stock has been trading near record highs already, and so far this year, it's up over 22%, alongside only Nvidia and Meta to have double-digit gains within the Magnificent Seven. |
Not all mid- and small-cap ETFs are created equal — and this year, that’s showing. ETFs tracking S&P indices like IJH and IJR are lagging behind peers like VO, IWR, and VB because they lean more heavily into smaller-cap names and miss out on some of the top-performing mid-cap stocks like Palantir and Coinbase. In today’s large-cap-driven rally, funds tracking CRSP and Russell indices, like the latter ETFs, are simply better positioned. |
QQQI is turning heads in the crowded covered call ETF space by delivering a 14% yield without the usual NAV decay—and it’s even outperformed the S&P 500 and most competitors like JEPQ and QYLD. Its secret? A data-driven options strategy on the volatile Nasdaq-100 that’s captured 98% of QQQ’s upside over the past year, all while maintaining stable payouts and tax-efficient benefits. However, the fund is still relatively new (only about 17 months old), so only time will tell if their strategy is better in the long term. But for now, it’s worth keeping it on your radar. |
This article explores a popular investor question: if today’s tech giants are way more profitable than the old industrial companies, shouldn’t future stock market returns be higher than the usual 4–5% expectations? While it’s tempting to think bigger margins mean bigger gains, it believes that size has its limits—just like elephants don’t grow forever, markets can’t either. It also highlighted some interesting things people usually say or think during bull and bear markets, showcasing a common trend of how investor optimism rides throughout the cycle. |
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