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Finance
Markets, money, and the business of the world. Read-only — these stories don't post to Matrix.
606 stories archived
Paper Tiger: the Failure of America’s Trillion Dollar War Machine
A high-level historical assessment shows that the US image of dominance in war has persistently fallen short in practice.
Here Come the HELOCs: Mortgages, Housing-Debt-to-Income-Ratio, Serious Delinquencies, and Foreclosures in Q2 2026
Why we keep an eye on the housing-debt-to-income ratio.
CPI Dragged Down by Energy, Hotels & Motels (Shelter), Auto Insurance, and Meat (Finally)
But inflation thrived in housing, electronics (hit by the AI boom), medical services, auto repair, used vehicles, etc.
Layoffs Tied to AI Hurt Worker Productivity – and the Reason May Surprise Managers
AI routinely fails to increase corporate productivity. Using it to get rid of workers is a big reason why.
GE Vernova’s AI Power Boom Faces a Profit Test
GE Vernova posted 22% revenue growth and a record $176 billion backlog in Q2 2026, but missed adjusted EPS estimates amid wind segment losses and tariff costs.
Cardinal Health Earnings: Can Perfection Get Priced In Twice?
Cardinal Health stock hit a new all-time high after mixed earnings, with analyst price target hikes, gene therapy logistics wins and a 29-year dividend growth streak supporting the uptrend.
Nebius’ Q2 Beat Shows the AI Bottleneck Is Capacity, Not Demand
Nebius Group's Q2 revenue surged 454% year-over-year to over $582 million, driven by faster capacity ramps, with analysts bullish but price targets suggesting shares are fairly valued near $230.
Legacy Jet Builders Stall While Embraer Accelerates to New Highs
Embraer posted a Q2 earnings beat, raised full-year EBIT margin and free cash flow guidance, and grew its backlog to $34.5 billion, gaining ground on Boeing and Airbus.
Intel’s Rally Gave It a $20 Billion Opportunity and Now Comes the Hard Part
Intel upsized its stock offering to $20 billion on Aug. 11, bolstering its balance sheet for AI-era capital needs even as the raise dilutes existing shareholders amid its ongoing turnaround.
Visa’s AI Opportunity Is Hiding in Every Transaction
Visa benefits from AI-driven commerce growth without picking a winner, posting record $4 trillion quarterly payment volume as analysts raise price targets toward all-time highs.
Links 8/12/2026
Iran War: Iran, Ansar Allah Keep Up Attacks on Ships as Trump Insists He Controls Strait of Hormuz, Will Break Iran Economically; Press Highlights Trump Cowardice in Catering Truck Escape From Ankara
Today's Iran war news: Trump holds fast momentarily as his humiliation becomes more visible and Iran and Ansar Allah keep attacking.
Notes on Discovery in Biology
I was able to work for five weeks of the summer of 2011 at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole. This is the one place that all biologists should want to spend time, whatever the focus of their interests and research. Alas, too many don’t. I learned much that summer as MBL lived up […]
On Holding's Price Stumble May Be an Opening for a Company Built to Run
On Holdings shares fell on a revenue miss tied to wholesale strategy and FX, but margins widened and earnings beat estimates, with analysts maintaining a Moderate Buy consensus.
TSMC's 44.7% Sales Surge Signals the AI Boom Is Still Alive
Taiwan Semiconductor's monthly sales jumped 44.7%, signaling robust AI chip demand even as it raises 2025 capital spending guidance to $60 billion to $64 billion amid investor caution.
CoreWeave's $129 Billion AI Backlog Changes the Bull Case
CoreWeave shares rallied after Q2 revenue grew 113% year-over-year and its backlog topped $104 billion, though analysts remain cautious about cash burn, debt, and the path to profitability.
Tesla's Robotaxi Reality Check: Time to Deliver
Tesla's thin auto margins and negative free cash flow are pressuring its stock as investors await Robotaxi deployment data to justify its 300x earnings multiple.
Hims & Hers’ Revenue Beat Came With a Profitability Problem
Hims & Hers topped Q2 revenue estimates and raised guidance, but missed EPS forecasts, posted a wider net loss, and faces an FTC lawsuit, leaving Wall Street cautious with a Hold rating.
A Westinghouse IPO Could Reset the Nuclear Stock Conversation
Cameco-backed Westinghouse Electric has filed confidentially for a potential IPO, a move that could ease Cameco's debt load and boost investor interest in nuclear stocks like NuScale Power and Fluor.
Fastly’s Q2 Rally Shows Investors Are Buying the Edge AI Turnaround
Fastly shares jumped 27% after strong Q2 revenue and margin growth prompted analyst price target hikes and heavy institutional buying, though its high valuation remains a key risk.
Paramount’s 30-Film Promise Puts AMC Back in the Box Office Conversation
Paramount Skydance's 30-film theatrical guarantee could stabilize cinema chains like AMC, but the plan hinges on its Warner Bros. Discovery merger surviving a March 2027 antitrust trial.
DraftKings’ Predictions Push Could Be the Bet That Matters Most
DraftKings shares rallied after mixed Q2 2026 results, as an EPS beat and Predictions market expansion offset a revenue miss and shrinking margins.
Concierges, Adjunct Professors, Potato Chip Tasters: US Employers Are Relying More and More on ‘Disposable’ Workers
No wonder workers have so little bargaining power. The boss class has gotten better at making them disposable.
Household Debts, Debt-to-Income Ratio, Delinquencies, Foreclosures, Collections & Bankruptcies in Q2 2026
How Americans are handling their debts.