Alpha Coverage #121
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This Week’s Alpha Coverage: YouTube Playlist & Weekly Compilation.
Editor’s Pick:
[News] AMD jumps after report of plans to raise price of Instinct MI350 AI chips
Shares of Advanced Micro Devices (NASDAQ:AMD) rose about 4% on Monday after Wccftech reported that the company is thinking of increasing the price of its Instinct MI350 AI accelerator to $25,000 from $15,000.
The nearly 70% increase in average selling price is still cheaper than its counterpart product from tech giant Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA), the Blackwell B200. The report cited an HSBC analyst note.
The price increase indicates that AMD is seeing demand for its AI products.
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Jul. 28, 2025
ICLN 0.00%↑ QCLN 0.00%↑ TAN 0.00%↑ FAN 0.00%↑ NLR 0.00%↑
[News] Trump administration moves to repeal climate ‘holy grail’
The Trump administration on Tuesday proposed repealing the federal government’s bedrock scientific declaration on the dangers of greenhouse gases — a move that would run afoul of decades of research and topple most of the Environmental Protection Agency’s climate regulations.
The rollback is the most audacious attempt yet by President Donald Trump to undo federal restrictions on fossil fuels.
The so-called endangerment finding, which the Obama administration issued in 2009, laid out a comprehensive case for how human emissions of carbon dioxide, methane and other greenhouse gases threaten human health and welfare. The finding serves as the legal basis for most of EPA’s climate rules, including limits on power plant and vehicle emissions — and undoing it, agency Administrator Lee Zeldin said in March, would eliminate “the holy grail of the climate change religion.”
Also on Tuesday, EPA proposed scrapping all limits on carbon dioxide pollution from cars and trucks.
The elimination of the endangerment finding is sure to draw legal challenges from environmental groups and Democratic-controlled states.
Zeldin said the proposal will be open for 45 days of public comment once published in the Federal Register.
Link to Politico News Article - Jul. 29, 2025
Link to EPA News Release - Jul. 29, 2025
[News] Nvidia ordered 300K H20 chips from Taiwan Semiconductor last week - Reuters
Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) placed a fresh order for 300,000 H20 AI chips with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (NYSE:TSM) last week to meet rising demand from China, Reuters reported, citing two unnamed sources.
The new batch adds to an existing inventory of 600,000–700,000 chips, the sources said, adding that orders represent a switch from the original plan to just draw from the existing stockpile.
Earlier this month, the Trump administration cleared Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) to resume sales of its H20 graphics processing units to China.
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Jul. 29, 2025
[News] Nextracker launches AI & robotics division with $40M in strategic acquisitions; shares down
Nextracker (NASDAQ:NXT) has launched a new AI and robotics business initiative, appointing Francesco Borrelli as its first chief AI and robotics officer.
The company acquired OnSight Technology, offering AI-driven robotic inspection and fire detection systems, now commercially available in the U.S.
Nextracker also acquired SenseHawk IP (Aug 2024), which enables AI-based 3D mapping of solar sites for improved commissioning and optimization.
The third acquisition, Amir Robotics (Mar 2025), brings a water-free robotic cleaning solution aimed at reducing yield loss from soiling.
A global rollout of these AI and robotics solutions is planned, starting in 2026.
President Howard Wenger reported that Nextracker increased its global tracker market share to 26% in 2024 and remains the #1 provider for the tenth consecutive year.
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Jul. 29, 2025
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Jul. 29, 2025
[News] Palantir lands enterprise deal worth up to $10B from U.S. Army
Palantir Technologies (NASDAQ:PLTR) has secured a major deal from the U.S. Army worth up to $10B over the next decade, which establishes a framework for the Army's future software and data needs.
The new enterprise agreement - which consolidates 75 contracts (15 prime contracts and 60 related contracts) into a single one - will enhance military readiness, drive operational efficiency, and deliver cost efficiencies.
The deal establishes volume-based discounts for the contract's performance period of up to 10 years. The Army and other Department of Defense agencies have the option to buy Palantir's (NASDAQ:PLTR) commercial products during that period, not to exceed the $10B cap.
The award is one of the biggest DoD contracts ever, The Washington Post reported, and is the largest ever awarded to Palantir (NASDAQ:PLTR).
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Aug. 01, 2025
[News] Joby Aviation and L3Harris collaborate on military use of VTOL aircraft
The collaboration with L3Harris (NYSE:LHX) would combine Joby’s (NYSE:JOBY) existing commercial aircraft development program with L3Harris’ (NYSE:LHX) expertise on sensors, effectors, communication and collaborative autonomy.
Joby’s (NYSE:JOBY) gas turbine hybrid VTOL aircraft is designed for low-altitude missions and offers both piloted and fully autonomous flying options.
“The next-generation of vertical lift technology enables long-range, crewed-uncrewed teaming for a range of missions,” said Jon Rambeau, President, Integrated Mission Systems, L3Harris. “We share a vision with Joby to deliver urgently-required innovation by missionizing VTOL aircraft for defense needs.”
Flight testing is expected to start this fall with plans to perform operational demonstrations in 2026.
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Aug. 01, 2025
News, Facts, Analyst & Market Commentary - Short Reads:
Apollo's Torsten Sløk warns of continued deterioration in quality of CPI data
"To calculate CPI inflation, BLS teams collect approximately 90,000 price quotes every month covering 200 different item categories, and there are several hundred field collectors active across 75 urban areas," Torsten Sløk, Apollo's chief economist, said on Saturday, referring to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
"When data is not available, BLS staff typically develop estimates for approximately 10% of the cells in the CPI calculation. However, the share of data in the CPI that is estimated has increased significantly in recent months and is now above 30%," Sløk added.
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Jul. 26, 2025
Trump announces EU trade deal with 15% tariffs
President Donald Trump announced Sunday that the U.S. reached a trade deal with the European Union, following pivotal discussions with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen days before the Aug. 1 tariff deadline.
Trump said that the deal imposes a 15% tariff on most European goods to the U.S., including cars.
Some products, including aircrafts and their components, some chemicals and pharmaceuticals, will not be subject to tariffs, von der Leyen said in a briefing after the agreement was announced. She also said that the new 15% tariff rate would not be added to any tariffs already in effect.
The 15% tariff rate is lower than the 30% rate Trump had previously threatened against the United States’ largest trading partner, but higher than the 10% baseline tariffs the EU was hoping for.
Link to CNBC News Article - Jul. 27, 2025
WeRide secures Saudi Arabia’s first robotaxi permit, expanding its global autonomous fleet to six nations
WeRide (NASDAQ:WRD) announced on Monday that its robotaxi was granted Saudi Arabia's first robotaxi autonomous driving permit. With the permit, WeRide (NASDAQ:WRD) is authorized to operate an autonomous vehicle business and deploy Robotaxis nationwide in Saudi Arabia, starting with its pilot operations in Riyadh with Uber (UBER) and local partner Ai Driver. The permit in Saudi Arabia adds to WeRide's (WRD) list of robotaxi authorizations in China, the UAE, Singapore, France, and the U.S.
The company said the development makes it the world's only technology company with products holding autonomous driving permits in six countries.
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Jul. 28, 2025
SES AI expects Q2 revenue below consensus, Q1 level
Li-Metal and Li-ion batteries manufacturer SES AI (NYSE:SES) announced on Monday an estimated second-quarter revenue of $3.5M, vs. $4.33M consensus and $5.8M in the first quarter.
The company expects Q2 gross margin of 74% and cash used in operations of $10.8M. The Q2 cash used in operations represents a 51% decrease from the year-ago quarter and a 53% decrease from the first quarter.
Quarter-end liquidity is estimated to stand at $229M with no debt.
Additionally, the company affirmed its 2025 revenue guidance of $15M to $25M. The consensus stands at $20.53M.
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Jul. 28, 2025
Vertiv Holdings rated Outperform in new coverage at William Blair
They cited the company’s critical role in supporting the accelerating demand for AI-driven data center infrastructure.
According to the report, the rapid adoption of generative AI, cloud software and high-performance computing is fueling a historic boom in data center capacity. Industry projections suggest an annual increase of 13 to 20 gigawatts in new capacity through 2030, totaling up to 100 GW over the period.
Vertiv (NYSE:VRT) is well-positioned to capitalize on this growth thanks to its specialization in high-density, prefabricated power and thermal infrastructure tailored for GPU-intensive workloads, analysts Brian Drab and Tyler Hutin said in the note to clients.
Vertiv (VRT) earns roughly 80% of its revenue from the data center industry and maintains strategic relationships with top-tier chipmakers, hyperscalers and colocation providers.
The firm also highlighted Vertiv’s $7.9 billion backlog, covering a record 78% of expected revenue over the next 12 months, as a key indicator of sustained demand. The backlog offers strong forward visibility and reflects ongoing momentum in the global hyperscale space, modular infrastructure and liquid cooling markets.
“Vertiv stands out as one of the most concentrated AI infrastructure investment opportunities among public peers,” the analysts wrote.
The analysts caution that potential headwinds include project cancellations, customer concentration, power constraints and regulatory uncertainty.
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Jul. 28, 2025
Trump on global tariff rate
President Trump said Monday that he will likely set a blanket tariff of 15% to 20% for countries that haven't negotiated a separate trade deal with the U.S.
“For the world, I would say it’ll be somewhere in the 15 to 20% range ... I just want to be nice,” Trump told reporters in Scotland, where he is meeting with U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
“We’re going to be setting a tariff for essentially the rest of the world, and that’s what they’re going to pay if they want to do business in the United States, because you can’t sit down and make 200 deals,” Trump added, according to CNBC.
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Jul. 28, 2025
MongoDB receives Outperform rating due to growth in gen-AI workloads: BMO
BMO Capital Markets initiated coverage of MongoDB (NASDAQ:MDB) with an Outperform rating due in part to the database company's opportunity to take advantage of strong demand for generative artificial intelligence workloads and applications.
"As more Al workloads move to production, we think this will help sustain or improve database market growth," said BMO analysts, led by Keith Bachman, in an investor note on Monday. "Further, we believe that MongoDB can be one of the GenAl database winners.”
BMO also set a $280 price target on the stock.
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Jul. 28, 2025
GOOG 0.00%↑ CAR 0.00%↑ #Waymo
Waymo plans to roll out robotaxi service in Dallas next year
The company has partnered with Avis Budget Group (NASDAQ:CAR) to manage its autonomous fleet in Dallas, marking a strategic shift for Avis into the mobility services space.
Waymo is already testing its self-driving Jaguar I-PACE electric vehicles in downtown Dallas. These vehicles are equipped with the company’s “Waymo Driver” system, enabling Level 4 autonomous operation, fully driverless under specific conditions.
Once launched, users will be able to hail rides via the Waymo app
Waymo currently facilitates over 250,000 paid rides each week across its commercial markets.
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Jul. 29, 2025
INQQ 0.00%↑ #SSNLF
Samsung U.S. shipments soar in Q2; 'Made-in-India' smartphones skyrocket to 44% of imports
Samsung shipped 8.3 million units in Q2, marking a 38% year-over-year increase and boosting its market share from 23% to 31%.
Vendors continue to frontload devices and maintain high inventory levels to best cope with the risk of tariffs coming into play later in the year, said Runar Bjorhovde, Senior Analyst at Canalys.
The total volume of “Made-in-India” smartphones, meanwhile, grew 240% year on year and now accounts for 44% of smartphones imported into the US, up from only 13% of smartphone shipments in Q2 2024.
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Jul. 29, 2025
Procter & Gamble warns of price increases due to tariffs covering 25% of all products
Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG) said it will raise prices in the U.S. after estimating that tariffs will increase its costs by about $1 billion before tax for fiscal 2026.
The price increases will be implemented starting next month. Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG) Chief Financial Officer Andre Schulten said the price increases will be in the mid-single digit percentages and, in some cases, will be presented to consumers with improved product features.
The outlook on pricing from P&G was a bit of a reversal from its stance in April, when the household products giant said it was doing whatever it could to reduce higher costs from the broad set of tariffs.
Procter & Gamble (PG) said it has warned major retailers such as Walmart (WMT), Target (TGT), Amazon (AMZN), and Costco (COST) about the price hikes. Typically, big box retailers pass on most of the price increases straight to consumers, but the impact may be delayed on certain products for competitive positioning.
Last week, Walmart (CFO) John Rainey told CNBC that the retail giant has not raised prices in response to tariffs, opting to take market share amid the profit headwind.
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Jul. 29, 2025
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Jul. 22, 2025
Trump says India to face 25% tariffs starting August 1, cites penalties for Russian oil purchases
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that India will face a 25% tariff starting August 1.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump noted that despite being friends, India and the US have done relatively little business, and America has a "massive trade deficit" with India.
On Tuesday, he had suggested a possible 20–25% tariff but noted that no final decision had been made at the time.
A tariff of 20% or higher would disappoint India, which had hoped for a better deal than the 19% offered to Indonesia and the Philippines.
The proposed 20–25% tariff is slightly less than the 26% reciprocal tariff previously announced in April 2025, but much higher than the 10% baseline U.S. tariff introduced earlier this year while negotiations continued.
He also stated that New Delhi would incur additional penalties over its continued oil and military purchases from Russia amid the ongoing war in Ukraine.
When focusing on exports specifically, almost 18% of India’s goods exports went to the U.S. (approximately USD 86.5 billion of India’s total merchandise exports in FY 2024‑25).
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer has said more negotiation is needed, and both sides have scheduled another round of talks in New Delhi for mid- to late August.
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Jul. 30, 2025
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Jul. 30, 2025
Link to Economic Times News Article - Jul. 30, 2025
Link to NDTV Profit YouTube Video (03:53 Mins) - Jul. 30, 2025
Trump says U.S. strikes trade deal with South Korea, imposes 15% tariffs
U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced a trade deal with South Korea, setting a 15% reciprocal tariff on the country’s exports to the U.S.
U.S. goods will not be charged a tariff, Trump said.
“I am pleased to announce that the United States of America has agreed to a Full and Complete Trade Deal with the Republic of Korea,” Trump posted on Truth Social. "South Korea will give to the United States $350 Billion Dollars for Investments owned and controlled by the United States, and selected by myself, as President. Additionally, South Korea will purchase $100 Billion Dollars of LNG, or other Energy products and, further, South Korea has agreed to invest a large sum of money for their Investment purposes,” Trump added.
The full amount will be disclosed during South Korean President Lee’s visit to Washington for a bilateral summit in the next two weeks.
“It is also agreed that South Korea will be completely OPEN TO TRADE with the United States, and that they will accept American product including Cars and Trucks, Agriculture, etc. We have agreed to a Tariff for South Korea of 15%.” Trump said.
South Korea said $150 billion has been allocated for shipbuilding cooperation, with the remaining $200 billion directed toward investments in chips, batteries, biotechnology, and nuclear energy.
This deal reduces tariffs from the 25% threatened by Trump in his recent “tariff letter” to Seoul. Auto export duties, previously set at 25%, will also be lowered to 15% - the same rate as Japanese car imports.
Before Washington implemented the 25% auto tariff in April, most South Korean auto imports entered tariff-free under a bilateral trade agreement, while Japanese auto imports faced a 2.5% tariff.
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Jul. 30, 2025
Trump says August 1 tariff deadline stands
“THE AUGUST FIRST DEADLINE IS THE AUGUST FIRST DEADLINE — IT STANDS STRONG, AND WILL NOT BE EXTENDED. A BIG DAY FOR AMERICA!!!,” President Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Earlier in April, Trump announced that the U.S. will impose tariffs from a minimum of 10% to as high as 49%. However, he was forced to announce a 90-days pause on tariffs after financial markets reacted strongly to the decision.
On the other hand, after the latest round of trade talks ended on Tuesday in Stockholm, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told reporters that U.S. and Chinese negotiators will continue to discuss terms about extending their tariff truce, according to media reports.
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Jul. 30, 2025
Generac shares rise after earnings beat on residential and C&I demand
For the quarter ended June 30, Generac (NYSE:GNRC) reported net sales of $1.06 billion, up 6% from a year earlier and above Wall Street’s consensus estimate of $1.02 billion.
Adjusted earnings came in at $1.65 per share, topping analysts’ projections of $1.32 per share. Net income rose to $74 million, or $1.25 per share, compared with $59 million, or $0.97 per share, in the same quarter last year.
Chief Executive Aaron Jagdfeld in a statement attributed the performance to strong demand for home energy storage solutions—particularly in Puerto Rico—and continued growth from its Ecobee home energy management business.
He also highlighted a sustained high baseline of demand for standby generators following last year’s severe power outages. On the commercial side, shipments to industrial distributor and telecom customers were strong, and the company saw an encouraging early response to its entry into the data center power market, an area Generac expects will provide long-term growth opportunities fueled by AI-related infrastructure expansion.
Thomas Allen Moll, Stephens: Asked about data center market entry and revenue timing. Jagdfeld responded, "It will begin to impact revenues this year in the second half... but not much of an impact this year. It's really a 2026 story right now." He cited a market deficit of 5,000 machines for 2026 and strong initial order flow.
Aaron P. Jagdfeld, CEO, announced the formal introduction of large megawatt generators for data centers and C&I applications, noting "very strong receptivity to our initial entry into the data center market," with a global backlog exceeding $150 million. He also pointed to the upcoming launch of a next-generation home standby generator line, featuring "the market's first 28-kilowatt air cooled generator."
Michael Patrick Halloran, Baird: Asked about profitability timeline for clean energy. Jagdfeld confirmed ecobee is profitable and emphasized recalibrating investment in clean energy products, targeting profitability by 2027.
Brian Paul Drab, William Blair: Questioned pricing impacts and tariffs. Jagdfeld noted, "We put price into the market in response to what we understood the tariff environment to be... Did not see much material impact on demand."
Mark Wesley Strouse, JPMorgan: Probed data center backlog and capacity expansion. Jagdfeld listed nine global facilities and recent investments, stating, "We could build some factories, we could buy some buildings... we're going to have to take and make some big bold bets on additional capacity."
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Jul. 30, 2025
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Jul. 30, 2025
Palo Alto Networks to acquire CyberArk for $25B
This strategic move marks Palo Alto’s official entry into identity security, making it a key part of the company’s multi-platform strategy.
The deal is expected to close during the second half of Palo Alto’s fiscal 2026 and be immediately accretive to Palo Alto Networks revenue growth and gross margin.
Palo Alto Networks also expects the transaction to be accretive to free cash flow per share in fiscal year 2028 following the first full year of realization of synergies.
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Jul. 30, 2025
Qualcomm's current quarter revenue and profit guidance exceeds expectations
For its FQ3 ended June 29, the company earned $2.77 per share on an adjusted basis on revenue of $10.37B (+10% Y/Y). Analysts had expected earnings of $2.71 per share on revenue of $10.35B.
Sales from handsets rose 7% Y/Y in the quarter to $6.33B, while revenue from automotives increased 21% Y/Y to $984M, and revenue from internet of things improved 24% Y/Y to $1.68B. The three businesses comprise the company's QCT segment, which brought in revenue of $8.99B (+11% Y/Y).
Turning to Qualcomm's (NASDAQ:QCOM) FQ4 guidance, the firm expects to earn $2.75 to $2.95 per share on an adjusted basis (midpoint of $2.85) on revenue of $10.3B to $11.1B (midpoint $10.7B). Analysts were expecting earnings of $2.82 per share on revenue of $10.61B.
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Jul. 30, 2025
Comex copper plunges after Trump unveils 50% tariffs on copper products
U.S. copper prices plunged by as much as 20% in late trading Wednesday after President Trump said he would begin 50% tariffs starting August 1 on imports of semi-finished copper products, but not on the raw material itself.
When Trump first flagged the likelihood of tariffs early this year, he triggered a surge in U.S. copper prices relative to the rest of the world and set off a race to ship copper to the U.S. to beat the tariffs.
The move to exclude copper in its less processed forms, such as concentrate and cathodes, and instead slap tariffs on products made with copper, such as pipe and wire, likely will further roil global trade flows of the metal, which plays a crucial role in the global economy thanks to its widespread use in electrical wiring.
Analysts say the massive volumes of copper that have been shipped to the U.S. in recent months created a huge stockpile that may now be re-exported.
The tariffs are intended to protect domestic manufacturers of electronics, plumbing fittings and other products, but not miners, smelters or others looking to invest in domestic production capacity.
The White House said the copper levies, which come under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act, will not stack on top of separate charges on automobile imports, which Trump put in place earlier this year, and the import tax on vehicles will apply and not the copper duty if a product is subject to auto tariffs.
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Jul. 30, 2025
Teradyne targets $710M–$770M Q3 sales as AI compute demand strengthens and robotics pivots to large customers
Gregory Stephen Smith, CEO, reported that "strength in AI compute is more than offsetting lower demand in auto and industrial end markets" and that visibility is starting to improve, with a shift towards sales of new systems for AI compute and mobile applications rather than upgrades.
Timothy Michael Arcuri, UBS, inquired about the Robotics business and manufacturing expansion. Smith replied that the opportunity is "primarily driven in the U.S., North America more generally," and revenue impact in 2025 "is not going to have a material effect," but in 2026, "it will represent a sizable fraction of the UR business."
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Jul. 30, 2025
Microsoft outlines double-digit revenue and operating income growth for FY 2026 as AI momentum accelerates
Satya Nadella, Chairman & CEO reported, "The next big accelerator in the cloud will be Quantum," referencing the world's first operational Level 2 Quantum computer deployment with Atom Computing.
Nadella stated that Copilot apps surpassed 100 million monthly active users and AI feature engagement exceeded 800 million monthly active users, with Microsoft 365 Copilot recording its largest quarter of seat additions since launch. GitHub Copilot users reached 20 million, with enterprise customers increasing 75% quarter-over-quarter.
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Jul. 30, 2025
TransMedics outlines 35% 2025 revenue growth outlook as global expansion and clinical programs accelerate
CEO Waleed Hassanein stated, "We are already ramping up our investments to drive the next several waves of growth that will deliver substantially more top and bottom line growth for TransMedics," and outlined a vision to grow OCS NOP volumes "beyond the 10,000 planned for 2028" through pipeline expansion and international initiatives.
Hassanein also detailed the company's clinical pipeline, noting FDA conditional approval for the OCS Lung IDE and anticipation of launching both next-gen OCS Heart and Lung clinical programs before year-end. He stressed these as "potential major growth catalysts for 2026" but clarified they are not expected to contribute materially in 2025.
Hassanein also addressed recent market confusion, asserting, "As TransMedics continue to execute and gain more market share, the results of our peers with smaller footprints in the market could be negatively impacted. This should not come as a surprise or be misunderstood as a negative indicator of TransMedics' current or future performance."
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Jul. 31, 2025
NVDA 0.00%↑ #AKAAF #OpenAI #Nscale
Nscale, Aker, and OpenAI to launch Stargate Norway with 230 MW data center
Sam Altman's OpenAI on Thursday announced the launch of Stargate Norway, its first AI data center initiative in Europe, as part of the OpenAI for Countries program.
Stargate Norway is planned to deliver 230 MW of capacity with ambitions to expand by an additional 290MW.
The facility will target delivering 100,000 Nvidia (NVDA) GPUs by the end of 2026, to expand significantly in the years ahead.
Stargate Norway partners include Nscale, an AI infrastructure provider with experience in delivering cloud infrastructure across Europe and North America, and Aker (OTCPK:AKAAF).
The site will be designed and built by Nscale and is expected to be owned by a 50/50 joint venture between Nscale and Aker.
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Jul. 31, 2025
Robinhood aims for record net deposits in 2025 amid accelerated product rollout and $0.25T customer assets
Vladimir Tenev, Co-Founder, President, CEO & Chairman announced that average assets per funded customer reached over $10,000 for the first time, with customer assets doubling year-over-year to more than $0.25 trillion. Robinhood Strategies grew to over 100,000 funded customers and more than $0.5 billion in assets. The number of Robinhood Gold cardholders tripled year-to-date to over 300,000, and retirement assets surpassed $20 billion.
Tenev revealed plans to launch Robinhood Banking in the fall, stating, "we've rolled this out internally to the full employee base. It's really good. I think we're putting the finishing touches on it."
On international expansion, Robinhood expanded its European offering to 30 countries and launched stock tokens, with perpetual futures "coming soon in Europe."
Tenev highlighted, "third highest quarter of net deposits ever, 6 straight quarter, over $10 billion actually for net deposits, and that's continued through July." Gold subscribers reached a record 3.5 million.
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Jul. 31, 2025
[Newsletter Exclusive] Bessent: Trump baby accounts 'a backdoor' for privatizing Social Security
Concerns over Social Security's viability are mounting, as the trust fund that helps pay retirement benefits is projected to run out by 2033-end.
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Jul. 31, 2025
Microsoft surges after 'slam-dunk' Q4, company continues to capitalize on 'AI Revolution,' says Wedbush
The analysts added that Azure revenue growth, which remains the major focal point to gauge the strength of its AI contribution, came in at 39% year-over-year, well above both the Street’s 34% expectation and the 36% bogey number with Azure surpassing $75B in revenue.
Analysts noted that Azure growth accelerated eight full percentage points in constant currency over the second half, from 31% in January to 35% in March to 39% exiting the year.
Microsoft provided strong guidance to start the year, as it remains clear fiscal year 2026 remains the true inflection year of AI growth for Microsoft, according to the analysts.
For fiscal 2026, Intelligent Cloud revenue is expected to be in the range of $30.1B to $30.4B (Street at $29.42B) with Azure expected to grow at nearly 37% in constant currency (Street at 34%) despite expecting to be capacity constrained through the first half of 2026, the analysts noted.
Ives and his team said that Microsoft is doubling down on the AI monetization strategy within cloud with fiscal first quarter 2026 capex guidance of over $30B reflecting a $120B capex run rate for fiscal year 2026 as Microsoft looks to continue building out its cloud infrastructure while looking to bring more data center capacity online to capitalize on strong demand signals.
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Jul. 31, 2025
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Jul. 31, 2025
Robotaxis or Not? Tesla launches a ride-hailing service in the San Francisco area featuring chauffeurs
Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) CEO Elon Musk said the company has launched its ride-hailing service in the San Francisco Bay Area. "You can now ride-hail a Tesla in the SF Bay Area, in addition to Austin," read the cryptic post by Musk on social media site X.
Notably, California has not yet permitted Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) to offer a full robotaxi service. The California Public Utilities Commission said last week that Tesla was not allowed to "test or transport the public" with or without a driver in a self-driving vehicle.
It is possible that regarding the San Francisco Bay area service, Musk may be referring to Tesla's (NASDAQ:TSLA) Full Self-Driving (Supervised) feature, which can perform many driving tasks but requires a human driver to pay attention and be ready to take over at all times. In that case, Tesla (TSLA) could be running a chauffeur-style or black car service, where riders are driven by human drivers who may supervise Tesla's (TSLA) Full Self-Driving software.
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Jul. 31, 2025
[Newsletter Exclusive] Shake Shack delivers strong Q2, but soft comps weigh on shares
“Same Shack” sales were up 1.8% during the quarter versus +4.0% a year ago, and below the consensus estimate of 2.2%, weighing on shares and overshadowing otherwise solid Q2 results, including an above consensus profit of $0.41 per share and revenue of $356.5M.
Looking ahead to the remainder of the year, Shake Shack (NYSE:SHAK) raised its FY25 EBITDA guidance to $210M to $220M versus prior guidance of $205M-$215M on a higher outlook for licensing revenue. Total revenue guidance remains unchanged at $1.4B to $1.5B, straddling the $1.45B consensus estimate.
For the current quarter, the company expects revenue to be between $358M to $364M, with the midpoint of $361M below the $364.7 consensus estimate. Same shack sales are expected to be up by low single digits, with a profit margin of 22% to 22.5%.
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Jul. 31, 2025
Lam drops despite strong Q4 results due to heavy reliance on China: analysts
"While the company cited increased spending of multinationals in China, significant domestic China WFE growth is still the most likely reason for the exceptional strength," said Needham analysts Charles Shi and Ross Cole, in a Thursday investor note. "What may be adding pressure on the stock is that management expects China strength to fade in C4Q25, which alone could send total revenue and GM back to C1Q25 levels."
Lam reported that China accounted for 35% of its sales revenue from the fourth quarter of fiscal 2025.
Needham isn't particularly worried about the China reliance, as it maintained its Buy rating and edged its price target on the stock up to $115 from $110.
Cantor reiterated its Overweight rating on the stock and $115 price target.
"Mgmt. raised its CY25 WFE outlook to $105B (vs prior $100B) driven by an uptick in domestic China spending (little more spending from a handful of customers as Wuhan, Shanghai, and Beijing all battle it out for domestic China semi supremacy; nothing to indicate pull-in), with non-China investment consistent with the outlook 3 months ago," said Cantor analysts, led by C.J. Muse, in a note.
Meanwhile, Morgan Stanley reiterated its Equal-weight rating on the stock and increased its price target to $94 from $87. Analysts highlighted Lam's record gross margin of 50.2% for the quarter.
"There's a lot to appreciate about LAM (NAND, GAA, GM%) and we don’t think the SepQ should be viewed merely as 'an earnings beat led by China,' but we question how much more the story can improve," said Morgan Stanley analysts, led by Joseph Moore, in a note. "We are struggling to identify drivers for LAM into 2026, partly due to 2025 being a much stronger year than expected (tough y/y comp) and partly because there isn't a standout revenue driver (like NAND/GAA in 2025)."
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Jul. 31, 2025
Compass Pathways outlines FDA engagement and accelerated pathways for COMP360 in TRD while advancing PTSD program
Kabir Kumar Nath, CEO reported, "In late June, we announced the successful achievement of the primary endpoint of the COMP360, 005 trial, the first of our 2 pivotal Phase III trials," adding that the results showed "a 3.6 point difference in change from baseline in mattress between the 25-milligram and the placebo arms at 6 weeks, exceeding the 3-point difference that is both clinically meaningful and commercially viable."
Nath emphasized that COMPASS is "on track to disclose the 26-week data" from the second pivotal Phase III trial, COMP006, in the second half of next year, and confirmed ongoing recruitment and positive investigator sentiment.
Management is preparing for commercial launch by working with mental health providers.
Regarding pipeline expansion, Nath shared, "We're in the final steps of designing a late-stage clinical program in PTSD, and we look forward to updating you when that design is finalized and once we've reviewed it with the FDA."
Nath also provided an update on the anorexia study, stating, "There was an encouraging positive signal in the reduction of eating disorder and depressive symptoms in the 25-milligram arm, which was sustained through 12 weeks."
Loxam reported cash and cash equivalents of $222 million at the end of June and debt under the Hercules loan facility of $30.9 million at the end of the second quarter.
Cash used in operations for Q2 was $38.7 million, with expected full-year net cash use between $120 million and $145 million for 2025.
No additional revenue or EPS figures were explicitly stated in the transcript.
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Jul. 31, 2025
Arm plummets but analysts urge investors to remain on board amid business shift
Arm Holdings (NASDAQ:ARM) plunged 11% during Thursday trading following its first quarter fiscal 2026 earnings report, but analysts contend the company is spending more money now to transform into a stronger firm down the road.
"As ARM seems to be drifting away from a traditional IP business model to a product business model, its cost structure seems to be undergoing a major change, as management guides meaningfully higher OpEx to support 'new opportunities', which seems about entering the chip/chiplet business," said Needham analysts Charles Shi and Ross Cole in a Thursday investor note. "While we view ARM's transition from selling process core IP to selling CSS was largely successful, as evidenced in above-market royalty revenue growth, the next transition appears to be a much bigger leap, which will likely come with a bigger price."
Meanwhile, Needham reiterated its Hold rating while noting that SoftBank (OTCPK:SFTBY) appears to be playing a larger role in Arm's strategy. SoftBank contributed $126M to Arm during the first quarter.
"They say the transaction is related to SoftBank's AI vision and Stargate, and also allude to a potential business model transformation from selling traditional IP to selling chiplets and even full chips, as ARM's 'direction of travel' would imply," Shi said.
Morgan Stanley retained its Overweight rating and $194 price target as it finds the higher operating expenditures, which are expected to total $655M during the second quarter, "suggests the company is building for long-term demand."
"The company is ramping spending and hiring heavily in R&D as we previewed, and we see this as the clearest signal that Arm is bulking for a range of new projects to come," said Morgan Stanley analysts, led by Lee Simpson, in a note.
The analysts at Guggenheim also appreciate the long game that Arm appears to be playing, as they reiterated a Buy rating and $187 price target.
KeyBanc also finds the lower EPS in the short-term points to Arm investing heavily for a brighter future. The bank reiterated its Overweight rating and increased its price target to $190 from $175.
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Jul. 31, 2025
ABBV 0.00%↑ ATAI 0.00%↑ MNMD 0.00%↑ CMPS 0.00%↑ #GilgameshPharmaceuticals
Psychedelic stocks up after report on AbbVie-Gilgamesh deal talks
AbbVie’s (NYSE:ABBV) move to buy New York-based psychedelic drug developer Gilgamesh Pharmaceuticals in a deal worth around $1B, according to Bloomberg News, rallied the psychedelic space on Thursday.
Citing people familiar with the matter, Bloomberg News added that Peter Thiel-backed Atai Life Sciences (NASDAQ:ATAI) has engaged an investment bank to assess early-stage interest from leading industry players.
In addition to Atai (NASDAQ:ATAI), Cybin (NYSE:CYBN), and Mind Medicine (MNMD), also traded higher in reaction. COMPASS Pathways (NASDAQ:CMPS) added ~13% following its better-than-expected second-quarter earnings for 2025.
Privately held Gilgamesh, which focuses on developing drugs for mental conditions including depression and anxiety, touted positive results from a mid-stage trial for its lead asset GM-2505 against major depressive disorder in May.
A potential M&A deal between AbbVie (NYSE:ABBV) and Gilgamesh could “increase the Street’s confidence that psychedelics are an investable space,” Bloomberg News reported, quoting Jefferies analysts, who also cited a favorable regulatory backdrop for the drug class.
The analysts noted that Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and FDA Commissioner Marty Makary have recently voiced support for psychedelics.
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Jul. 31, 2025
Amazon posts a powerhouse quarter again; shares fall as guidance is weighed
Operating income was reported at $19.2 billion (+31% Y/Y) in comparison to the consensus mark of $16.9 billion and the company's guidance range of $13.0 billion to $17.5 billion.
Looking ahead, Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) expects revenue of $174.0 billion to $179.5 billion (midpoint $176.3 billion) for the third quarter, vs. $173.3 billion consensus. Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) also guided for operating income of $15.5 to $20.5 billion (midpoint $18.0 billion) vs. $19.4 billion consensus.
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Jul. 31, 2025
Trump administration weighs expanding price support for U.S. rare earth projects - Reuters
Trump administration officials recently told a group of rare earths companies that they are pursuing a COVID-era approach to boost U.S. critical minerals production by guaranteeing a minimum price for their products, Reuters reported Thursday.
The July 24 meeting reportedly was led by Trump trade advisor Peter Navarro and National Security Council official David Copley, and included 10 rare earths companies plus tech giants Apple (AAPL), Microsoft (MSFT) and Corning (GLW), which all rely on consistent supply of critical minerals to make electronics.
Navarro and Copley told the meeting that the floor price for rare earths extended to MP Materials (MP) earlier this month as part of a multibillion-dollar investment by the Department of Defense was "not a one-off" and that similar deals are in the works, according to the report.
The officials reportedly relayed President Trump's desire to quickly boost U.S. rare earths output in a manner that would evoke the speed of the 2020 Operation Warp Speed, which developed the COVID-19 vaccine in less than a year.
USA Rare Earth (NASDAQ:USAR) and Ramaco Resources (METC) jumped following the report, +14% and +2.6%, respectively, but TMC the metals company (TMC) and Rare Element Resources (OTCQB:REEMF) closed -2.8% and -2.1%, respectively.
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Jul. 31, 2025
Trump issues revised tariff orders
U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an executive order revising “reciprocal” tariffs on dozens of countries, setting new duty rates between 10% and 41%.
According to the White House, any goods deemed to be transshipped to evade these duties will incur an additional 40% tariff.
Syria faces the highest tariff at 41%, while exports from Laos and Myanmar will be taxed at 40%. Switzerland and South Africa will see rates of 39% and 30%, respectively, while shipments from Taiwan will face a 20% tariff, lower than the 32% rate set earlier.
Trump also proceeded with his plan to raise tariffs on Canadian imports to 35% from 25%, effective August 1, 2025.
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Jul. 31, 2025
Enovix signals Fab2 capacity expansion and targets higher ASPs as A1 platform advances smartphone and smart eyewear penetration
CEO Raj Talluri highlighted "great progress in Q2 in all fronts," announcing the launch of the A1 product platform, key milestones with strategic customers, and the production of the first A1 batteries at Fab2 in Malaysia. Talluri stated, "Now with our product sampling to 2 major smartphone OEMs and a leading eyewear company and strategic IoT customers, we are truly now moving into the commercialization phase of our journey."
On product developments, Talluri described the A1 platform as having "the highest watt hours per liter, 900 watt hours per liter battery with 3C charge rate, and now we feel it goes up to 1,000 cycles. This is the first platform that has 100% active silicon anode, and it's in commercial qualification with our customers now."
Colin William Rusch, Oppenheimer: Asked about customer progress on specs and timing for product announcements. Talluri explained the first smartphone customer is testing batteries and expects order placement after qualification, with a second OEM now sampling. "We feel our current technology can meet those," said Talluri. Board member emphasized the new collaborative approach: "They're going to buy it, and we're going to build it the way they want it."
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Aug. 01, 2025
WeRide reports Q2 results
WeRide press release (NASDAQ:WRD): Q2 Revenue of $17.8M, up 60.8% year-on-year.
Robotaxi revenue grew 836.7% Y/Y to $6.4 million — the highest-ever since company inception — and contributed to 36.1% of total revenue, marking the highest Robotaxi concentration since 2021.
Gross profit also rose 40.6% YoY, reflecting steady growth.
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Aug. 01, 2025
First Solar surges after raising full-year sales forecast; CEO says Trump tax law makes it stronger
First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) +5.7% in Friday's trading after posting Q2 earnings that easily beat analyst estimates, fueled by an increase in sales volume of solar modules to third parties, and raising full-year revenue guidance.
Q2 net income fell slightly to $341.9M, or $3.18/share, from $349.4M, or $3.25/share, in the year-earlier quarter, but well above the $2.66/share analyst consensus estimate according to FactSet, and revenues rose to $1.1B from $1.01B a year ago.
First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) raised its full-year revenue guidance to $4.9B-$5.7B from its prior outlook for $4.5B-$5.5B, and narrowed its earnings guidance to $13.50-$16.50/share from $12.50-$17.50/share previously, both in line with FactSet consensus of $14.88 EPS and $5.06B in revenues.
The company also raised the bottom end of guidance for full-year solar module shipments to 16.7-19.3 GW from 15.5-19.3 previously, and narrowed its outlook for gross margin to $2.05B-$2.35B from $1.96B-$2.47B previously.
First Solar (FSLR) is in a greater position of strength after the passage of President Trump's Big Beautiful Bill than it was following former President Biden's landmark 2022 climate law, CEO Mark Widmar said on the company's earnings conference call.
Widmar said he sees the new law driving demand for its domestically produced solar panels while placing restrictions on manufacturing tax credits for products tied to China.
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Aug. 01, 2025
Fed's Bostic not ready to boost rate cut view after weak jobs report
Atlanta Fed President Raphael Bostic said on Friday that he isn't ready to increase his projections for 2025 rate cuts due to the weaker-than-expected jobs report that came out today.
"Inflation is still further from (the Fed's) target than employment is from its (target)," he said in an interview on CNBC. "But we will just have to watch and see how things evolve over the next several months."
He would be open to penciling in more rate cuts this year if it looks like the labor market is weakening "in a sustained way" and the risks on the employment side have increased in relation to the risks on the inflation side. "Today, I don't see that right now."
He said he didn't think he would have changed his vote to keep rates unchanged if he had seen the jobs report earlier this week. "There is still a lot of strength underlying the labor market," Bostic said. "We do see that wages are not collapsing, so wages are operating in a way that we typically see in a solid labor market."
He also said he's "not hearing from businesses that they're on the verge of letting go a lot of people. So in many regards the labor market still looks good."
For the past 12 months, annual job creation still exceeds 100K jobs, he said. So, Bostic sees this latest report as evidence that the market is slowing down. "The task we have is really to figure out to what extent is this slowdown likely to persist and get us into a more troublesome position."
Fed Governors Christopher Waller and Michelle Bowman argue that tariffs are a one-time price increase and don't lead to persistent inflation, and indicate that the Fed should "look through" the one-time price increases.
Their views are based on a text-book case of what tariffs do in an economy, Bostic said. "I think the situation today is different," he said. First, the tariffs have been rolled out over an extended period of time, which is not the classic text-book example. With tariffs in consumers' consciousness over a period of time, inflation expectations could shift.
The second difference is that these tariffs are intended to change supply chains "in pretty significant ways... Those structural changes should, I would expect, have implications for the dynamics for inflation in other things moving forward," Bostic said.
Furthermore, as businesses assess the tariffs, it will take anywhere from three to 12 months for them to adjust pricing strategies for the new environment.
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Aug. 01, 2025
MSOS 0.00%↑ #GTBIF
Trump privately backed marijuana rescheduling since taking office: Scotts Miracle-Gro CEO
In an interview with Fox Business on Thursday, the CEO of the gardening supply company said that he had multiple conversations with Trump regarding cannabis policy reforms since the President took office for his second term in January.
Hagedorn added that Trump has assured him and others that he still plans to support cannabis reforms.
The proposal made by the Department of Justice during the Biden administration to reclassify cannabis in a low-risk category under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) is currently undergoing review at the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Aug. 01, 2025
SPY 0.00%↑ TLT 0.00%↑ GLD 0.00%↑ UUP 0.00%↑
Trump urges Fed board 'assume control' if Powell doesn't cut rates
President Donald Trump continued to rail against Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell on Friday for not cutting interest rates on Wednesday, calling on the Fed board to "assume control" if rates aren't cut substantially and immediately.
"Jerome 'Too Late' Powell, a stubborn MORON, must substantially lower interest rates, NOW," Trump wrote on social media. "IF HE CONTINUES TO REFUSE, THE BOARD SHOULD ASSUME CONTROL, AND DO WHAT EVERYONE KNOWS HAS TO BE DONE!"
Chances of a September rate cut plunged below 50% the day before yesterday after chair Jerome Powell's hawkish remarks, and then fell below 40% on Thursday after a stubborn inflation report. But Friday's jobs data has caused a significant reversal, sending the odds back above 80%.
The roller coaster ride began on Wednesday. After the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) held its key policy rate steady for a fifth straight meeting, Powell told reporters that the central bank was in no hurry to cut interest rates as the full effect of Trump's tariffs had yet to be felt.
Traders rushed to recalibrate their September rate cut expectations after Powell's remarks. A stubborn core personal consumption expenditures price index reading on Thursday further dampened those expectations.
But things changed dramatically on Friday. According to government data, U.S. job growth in July was much weaker than anticipated, while payrolls for May and June were collectively revised lower by 258K. Joseph Brusuelas, principal and chief economist at RSM US LLP, dubbed it the "worst major economic report in the post-pandemic era."
Trump had earlier said he was firing the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Commissioner Erika McEntarfer accusing her of faking jobs data. He claimed that the jobs data from this morning was "rigged" to make him and the Republican party "look bad."
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Aug. 01, 2025
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Aug. 01, 2025
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Aug. 01, 2025
YouTube:
[CNBC] How Florida Quietly Became A Solar Powerhouse
Solar energy is booming across the U.S. and for the first time, Florida is catching up to solar powerhouses like Texas and California.
Despite removing climate change from its official state policy in 2024, Florida added more utility-scale solar than California that year for the first time, with over 3 gigawatts of new capacity coming online.
Unlike other states where rooftop panels drive adoption, Florida’s growth is led by utilities like Florida Power & Light, which built more than 70% of new solar last year.
A state rule that speeds up approvals for mid-sized projects has helped fast-track development.
And at the community level, towns like Babcock Ranch are powered almost entirely by solar and are showing what’s possible with hurricane-resilient microgrids.
But challenges are looming. Florida still gets most of its electricity from natural gas, and new federal policy is cutting solar tax credits earlier than expected. With rising demand for power and policy pushback, can Florida’s solar boom last? CNBC visited Babcock Ranch and spoke to experts to find out.
Link to Full Video (11:57 Mins) - Jul 31, 2025
Charts & Technicals:
Apple GAAP EPS of $1.57 beats by $0.14, revenue of $94.04B beats by $4.88B
Link to Seeking Alpha News Article - Jul. 31, 2025
Disclosure: We own positions in some/all of the tickers mentioned in this article.
