MONEY MASTER

Target Corporation (NYSE: TGT)  is set to release its second-quarter earnings on Wednesday before the market opens. Investors are watching closely to see whether improving store visits and digital momentum can offset mounting challenges from tariffs and intensifying competition. Earnings Snapshot: Revenue Estimate : $24.93 billion (vs. $25.45 billion YoY) EPS Estimate : $2.05 (vs. $2.57 YoY) Historical Performance : Missed in Q1; 6/10 beat on revenue, 7/10 on EPS Analyst Sentiment: Cautious Bank of America : Downgraded to  Underperform , PT cut to  $93 → Concerned about digital slowdown, margin pressure, and tariff exposure (50% of COGS from imports) Telsey Advisory : Maintains  Market Perform , PT  $110 Truist :  Hold , PT raised to  $107 Evercore ISI :  In-Line , PT raised to  $108 Key Themes to Watch: Store Visits : Q2 traffic down 3.1% YoY, but recovering from Q1’s -4.1% Digital Sales : Strong Q1 digital growth, particularly in same-day d...

  Key Facts On  August 13 (ET) , crypto exchange operator  Bullish (BLSH.US)  debuted on the  NYSE  at  $90 , 143% above its $37 IPO price. Shares closed at  $68 , still up  ~84%  on the day, valuing the company at  nearly $10 billion . Intraday gains reached  ~219% , fueled by a favorable backdrop: Bitcoin above  $120,000 Ethereum over  $4,700 Growing regulatory clarity and a crypto-friendly U.S. administration. Company Snapshot Founded:  2021 by blockchain firm  Block.one Focus:  Institutional crypto trading + digital asset information services Backers:  Peter Thiel’s Founders Fund & Thiel Capital, Nomura, Mike Novogratz, among others. Leadership:  CEO Thomas W. Farley (ex-NYSE President) Global footprint:  Licensed in the U.S., Singapore, Gibraltar, Germany, Hong Kong (SFC license in 2025). Business Model: The Dual-Engine Approach Institutional Trading Infrastructure Operates the...

After Friday’s sharp sell-off, US stocks staged a strong comeback Monday as weaker-than-expected payrolls fueled optimism for  interest rate cuts . “Fed operates with a lag, so markets are reacting in real time,”  – Allianz Investment   Rate Cut Watch September rate cut odds:  84%  (CME FedWatch) Investors now pricing in  2 cuts by year-end Trump fired BLS Commissioner, adding uncertainty over jobs data accuracy Fed Governor  Adriana Kugler  resigns ➝ opens door for Trump-aligned replacement   Key Index Moves (as of 11:39am ET) Dow Jones : ▲ 463.55 pts to  44,052.13  (+1.06%) S&P 500 : ▲ 74.56 pts to  6,312.57  (+1.2%) – biggest gain in 2+ months Nasdaq : ▲ 325.95 pts to  20,976.08  (+1.58%) All Sectors in the Green Communication Services led with  +2% Rate-sensitive tech stocks outperformed Factory orders dropped  4.8% in June  ➝ reinforcing slowdown fears   Stock Movers Tesla : ▲1.2% (El...

Figma Inc. (NYSE: FIG) made a stunning debut on Thursday, with shares closing at  $115.50 , up  250%  from its  $33  IPO price. The design software company raised  $1.2 billion  from its offering of 36.9 million shares, valuing the firm at nearly  $50 billion  based on the first-day close. The IPO marks a significant moment for the tech sector. Figma has established itself as a dominant player in product design software, attracting backing from major venture capital firms including Sequoia Capital, Greylock Partners, and Index Ventures. The company’s strong first-day performance follows successful IPOs by Circle and Chime Financial earlier this year, signaling renewed investor appetite for high-growth tech names. Financial Performance 2024 Revenue:  $749 million (+48% YoY) Q1 2025 Revenue:  +46% YoY Q1 2025 Net Income:  $44.9 million 2023 Net Income:  $737.8 million (boosted by $1B Adobe termination fee) 2024 Net Loss: ...

As  Intel Corp. (INTC)  gears up to report earnings Thursday, all eyes are on CEO  Lip-Bu Tan . Investors aren’t just looking for numbers—they want a  credible roadmap to profitability and growth . And patience is running thin. A Promising Start, but Momentum Stalls Since Tan took the reins in March, Intel’s shares are up  19% , a modest recovery compared to  Nvidia’s 50% surge  and  AMD’s 64% jump  over the same period. Optimism around Tan’s appointment has given way to skepticism. “There’s still a great opportunity in Intel, but we’ve cut our position,” said  Joe Tigay , fund manager at Rational Equity Armor Fund. What Wall Street Expects Intel is forecast to post a  Q2 loss of 31 cents per share  on  $11.9 billion in revenue , down  7% year-over-year , according to Bloomberg data. The company isn’t expected to turn a profit or see growth  until mid-2026 . Cutting Costs Isn’t Enough Tan has pledged to slash ope...

Markets opened Thursday with cautious optimism, buoyed by  trade deal hopes  and a wave of  big-name earnings  that sparked notable premarket moves. Here’s a quick look at the key stocks making headlines: Tesla (TSLA)  –  Down 6.2% Tesla reported a  16% drop in net income  on  12% lower revenue  ($22.5B). Automotive revenue fell 16%, while its energy unit slipped 7%. CEO  Elon Musk  teased a  cheaper EV model  launching possibly in Q4 and announced ambitious plans to  expand the robo-taxi service  to cover  half the U.S.  by year-end. But the numbers disappointed. Alphabet (GOOG)  –  Up 3% Alphabet beat estimates with  Q2 earnings of $2.31/share  on  $96.43B revenue  (vs. $2.19/share on $93.99B expected). Cloud revenue surged to  $13.62B , and CEO  Sundar Pichai  said capex is rising to  $85B  amid strong cloud demand. IBM (IBM)  –  D...

SAP (NYSE: $SAP) just dropped its Q2 report — and the market didn’t love it.  The Numbers:   EPS:  €1.50 (beat est. €1.43)   Revenue:  €9.03B (missed est. €9.09B)   ADR Reaction:  Down 3.4% in after-hours. So… what’s the story here? Why the red? My Take: Beat on Profit, Missed on Growth — Market Wants Both Investors were  primed for perfection , especially after SAP’s  25% YTD gain  (vs S&P’s 7.5%). While EPS exceeded expectations, the  slight revenue miss  spooked short-term holders, especially with  AI and cloud hype  already priced in. Remember: high expectations = low room for error.  What I’m Watching AI & Cloud Migration:  SAP is still aggressively transitioning clients to the cloud. That’s expensive upfront — but profitable long-term. Tariff Watch:  With Trump’s renewed tariffs, will enterprises  tighten IT budgets ? If so, that could drag on SAP and peers like $MSFT, $NOW, and $GOOG...

 Key Expectations Ahead of July 23 Earnings Tesla is set to release its  Q2 FY2025 earnings  after market close on  July 23 , with investors closely watching whether  energy storage growth  and  margin improvements  can  offset declining automotive sales . Snapshot Estimates: Metric Q2 2025E YoY Change Revenue $22.36B ↓ 12.3% EPS $0.32 ↓ 23.4% 4 Key Things to Watch 1️⃣  Vehicle Deliveries & Competition Q2 Deliveries:  384,122 vehicles (↓13.5% YoY; ↑14% QoQ) Q2 Production:  410,244 vehicles Challenge:  Tesla’s  EV market share is eroding , with  GM’s share growing to 12.9%  in H1 2025. 🔧 Outlook hinges on whether Tesla can hit  1M+ deliveries in 2H25  and exceed 2024’s 1.79M total. 2️⃣  Automotive Gross Margin Under Pressure Q1 2025:  16.3% , down from 18.3% in Q2 2024 Q2 2025 expected:  ~16.4% Margins remain under strain from pricing pressures and rising competition, though the...

SMCI: Riding the AI Boom  🤖 Super Micro Computer (SMCI)  is seizing the AI wave, with plans to  expand manufacturing in Europe  to meet soaring demand for AI servers. Key Highlights: Boosting AI server production to serve Europe’s growing market Already manufacturing in the Netherlands; eyeing new locations Global demand for AI infrastructure is expected to grow for years Powered by  Nvidia GPUs , SMCI servers are essential for training & deploying GenAI CEO Charles Liang: “Demand is not only strong in Europe—it’s global.” Stock Performance YTD Gain:  +74.44% Last Price:  US$53.17 Analysts:  9 Buys | 11 Holds | 3 Sells Highest Target:  US$59.00  (Bloomberg)

The Buzz: Ferrero — the chocolate giant behind Nutella, Ferrero Rocher, and Kinder — is reportedly close to scooping up  WK Kellogg Co. (NYSE: KLG)  in a $3 billion deal. That’s  double its market value . Why It Matters for Investors: KLG’s stock surged 56%  in after-hours trading — insiders say the deal could close  this week . WK Kellogg has been under pressure as cereal loses ground to trendier breakfasts —  but a Ferrero lifeline could spark a brand revival . Key Numbers: Market Cap: ~$1.5B Debt: ~$570M Ferrero’s Offer: $3B Potential Upside: Huge, especially for short-term traders. The Backstory: Spun off from Kellanova in 2023, KLG struggled to grow on its own. Morningstar recently said it has “no enduring competitive edge.” But now? With Ferrero's marketing firepower and distribution, this could  flip the script . The Takeaway: KLG isn’t just cereal anymore — it’s a potential acquisition breakout. If this deal locks in, early investors might enjo...

As markets navigate policy shifts and macro uncertainty, investors are rotating into stocks that offer both stability and income. U.S. Bancorp (NYSE: USB), a leading regional bank with nationwide reach, presents a compelling case for medium- to long-term investors looking for a balance of growth and income. Why U.S. Bancorp Deserves a Closer Look Steady Earnings Growth on the Horizon U.S. Bancorp is projected to grow its net profit by 9.1% annually over the next three years, reaching close to $7.7 billion by FY2027. This growth is underpinned by a solid 24.3% net profit margin, supported by diversified operations in consumer banking, corporate lending, and wealth management. Valuation Remains Attractive Trading at a forward P/E of just 10.67x, USB is reasonably priced compared to sector peers. With the stock currently at $46.49—below its 52-week high of $53.98—it offers potential for upside. Analysts estimate a fair value of $50.38, indicating room for an 8.4% price increase. A Strong ...

Market Overview: After months of volatility and macro uncertainty, the S&P 500 and Nasdaq have surged to record highs. Tech giants, known as the Magnificent Seven — Apple, Microsoft, Nvidia, Amazon, Alphabet, Meta, and Tesla — have fueled the rally, adding over  $4.7 trillion  in market cap since April lows. Sector Breakdown: Tech & Communication Services:  Up 41% and 28% respectively since April. Cyclical Strength:  Industrials (+27%), Financials (+19%), and Materials (+19%) also contributed, suggesting parts of the rally are broad-based. Market Breadth Mixed: NYSE Advance-Decline line hit new highs, suggesting positive breadth. Only  50%  of S&P 500 stocks trade above their 200-day moving averages — traditionally healthy markets show  65%-80% . Equal-weight S&P 500 rose  18.7%  vs.  24%  for market-cap weighted, indicating concentrated gains. Macro Tailwinds: Fed rate cuts expected by year-end could boost rate-sens...

Bond investors are adopting defensive positions as uncertainty around the Federal Reserve's interest-rate cuts continues to mount. A combination of persistent inflation and weaker-than-expected labor market data has led traders to scale back expectations for further Fed easing in 2024. This shift drove Treasury yields to their highest levels since July, while volatility in the bond market , as measured by the ICE BofA Move Index , climbed to its highest point since January. Amid this uncertainty, asset managers such as BlackRock Inc. , Pacific Investment Management Co. (PIMCO) , and UBS Global Wealth Management are recommending that investors focus on five-year bonds , which offer a balance between risk and reward. Solita Marcelli , chief investment officer at UBS Global, suggests positioning portfolios in medium-term Treasuries and investment-grade corporate securities to hedge against potential economic shocks and capitalize on durable income opportunities. Investors have ...