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Finance
Markets, money, and the business of the world. Read-only — these stories don't post to Matrix.
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Tesla’s Delivery Surprise Was Big—Earnings Need to Be Bigger
Tesla beat delivery estimates by 18% ahead of its July 22 earnings, but analysts say gross margins and updates on robotaxi, energy storage, and AI initiatives will determine investor reaction.
Senators and Representatives Block $1.15 Trillion Pentagon Bill Over Trump’s Illegal Iran War, Israel Integration
A preliminary success in blocking Trump's plan to supersize the Pentagon budget and integrate the IDF.
Coffee Break: Texas Gets Trampled by Trump’s DHS
Texas is getting what it voted for with Trump good and hard with ICE murdering a Houston man in cold blood, border walls threatening to mar the Big Bend, and data centers guzzling water and pricing small town families out of their homes.
Producer Price Inflation beyond Energy: “Core” PPI Accelerates to 4.7%, Services PPI to 4.6%. Lots of Inflation Going on in Here
The plunge in energy prices pushed down overall PPI inflation, to a still very high 5.5%. It has been zigzagging higher since mid-2023.
Should BRICS+ Lead the Global South?
BRICS seems destined never to live up to hopes for it. Is strengthening the Non-Aligned Movement a better strategy?
Why Johnson & Johnson’s Earnings Dip Looks Like a Buying Opportunity
Johnson & Johnson's post-earnings pullback follows a revenue and EPS beat, raised guidance, and analyst price target increases, with talc litigation remaining the key risk to watch.
CPI Comes In Cool: Why It Could Revive These 3 Rate-Sensitive Stocks
June's cooler-than-expected CPI report eased rate-hike odds, benefiting rate-sensitive stocks. See why D.R. Horton, Realty Income, and Sofi Technologies could gain from the shift.
Why ASML’s AI Monopoly Is Still Getting Stronger
ASML's Q2 results showed strong revenue growth, expanding margins, and raised guidance, prompting analyst price target increases, though geopolitical risks and valuation remain concerns.
Apple’s AI Toll Booth Thesis Faces Its Biggest Test Yet Before Earnings
Apple shares near record highs face a test at its July 30 earnings, as rising component costs, an unproven AI monetization thesis, and a 36x forward multiple raise skeptics' concerns, including KeyBanc's.
2 Quantum Stocks That Could Challenge IonQ’s Leadership
As IonQ shares slide amid a lofty valuation, Quantinuum and Quantum Computing Inc. emerge as speculative alternatives with strong cash positions but minimal revenue and rising expenses.
Links 7/15/2026
Iran War: Trump TACOs on Strait of Hormuz Fee as Blockade Starts but Again Threatens to Attack Iran Energy and Critical Infrastructure as Iran Warns of Closure of Bab el-Mandeb, Destruction of Gulf State Energy Production
Today's Iran war news: Trump's continued ferocity is way out of line compared to what the US can achieve. So what might transpire?
The Peculiar Notion of “Free Stuff” in Modern American Society
Because reasons, today’s post will be something different, and more personal. I will also come close to violating Horowitz’s Rule: Never generalize about your own necessarily limited experience. Joel Horowitz was my freshman sociology teacher all those many years ago. He was in his mid-thirties when he taught us, and his PhD was a second […]
Plot Twist: 12 States Could Stall the Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery Mega-Merger
A 12-state antitrust lawsuit threatens to delay Paramount Skydance's $110 billion merger with Warner Bros. Discovery, exposing both companies' weak balance sheets to costly penalty deadlines.
Alphabet’s AI Spending Question Looms Over Q2 Earnings
Alphabet reports Q2 2026 earnings July 22, with analysts eyeing Google Cloud growth, a $462 billion backlog, Search resilience, and rising CapEx guidance as key catalysts.
3 Small-Cap Stocks Trading Under $10 With Room to Run
Analyst James Early highlights Aveanna Healthcare, Genworth Financial and eGain as profitable small-cap stocks under $10, citing fundamentals over hype amid a big tech pullback.
CleanSpark Inks a $6.6B AI Lease to Become a Digital Landlord
CleanSpark secured a $6.6 billion, 20-year triple-net lease for AI data center capacity in Georgia, projecting $330 million in annual net operating income starting in 2027.
3 Gold Stocks Under $5 With Massive Upside
Central banks keep buying gold despite cooling inflation. Gold Royalty, Americas Gold and Silver, and B2Gold offer revenue-generating exposure to gold and silver, all trading under $5.
Blueprint for a Billion: Nebius Group Secures the AI Floor
Nebius Group shares fell 6% amid a tech sell-off, but a $1 billion Reflection AI compute deal pushed its contracted backlog to roughly $50 billion, bolstering its neocloud position.
As the Iran War Resumes, 2 Energy ETFs Ride Oil’s Renewed Rally
Renewed Iran-U.S. tensions have pushed oil prices and energy stocks higher, with the Vanguard Energy ETF (VDE) and iShares Global Energy ETF (IXC) both rallying off their July 1 lows.
Tower Semiconductor’s AI Rally Is Built on a Light-Speed Bet
Tower Semiconductor shares rose after it unveiled a $3 billion silicon photonics expansion in Japan, backed by a $1 billion government grant and $1.3 billion in 2027 customer contracts.
Hochul Temporarily Bans New Data Centers in NY Amid Scrutiny of Climate Impacts
Mirabile dictu! New York intends to make data centers hew to more stringent pollution, water use and energy cost/impact rules.
Marriott vs. Viking: Why the Better Quarter Doesn't Mean the Better Decade
Amid resilient travel spending, Marriott and Viking Holdings show strong earnings and booking trends, though both stocks trade near their consensus price targets ahead of Q2 reports.
Largest “Foreign” Holders of US Treasuries, incl. US Hedge Funds in the “Basis Trade” & US Companies with Overseas Entities
How much of that foreign demand for US Treasuries is actually “foreign?” Less than it seems. Here are some clues.