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Tuesday, August 19

Noteworthy US mega-cap moves today: Eli Lilly and Co (LLY) +1.5%. 

Recent geopolitical developments are influencing market sentiment, particularly following a meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy aimed at negotiating peace in the ongoing conflict with Russia. The discussions have sparked optimism among investors regarding potential resolutions that could stabilize energy markets and improve trade dynamics within Europe.

In economic data releases, Canada reported an annual inflation rate of 1.7% for July 2025, which was below expectations of 1.9%, indicating persistent low inflation levels relative to central bank targets. Meanwhile, housing starts in the United States rose by 5.2% from June to reach a five-month high but were accompanied by a decline in building permits—down by 2.8%. This mixed signal reflects underlying trends affecting construction activity amid broader economic conditions.

Market reactions show varied performance across global indices; European stocks gained traction on hopes tied to Ukraine's situation while Asian markets experienced declines amidst cautious trading ahead of key speeches from central bankers later this week at the Jackson Hole Symposium—including Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s address—which may provide further insights into future monetary policy directions as traders anticipate possible interest rate cuts based on recent macroeconomic signals.

Ethereum (ETH/USD) [-3.2%] Cryptocurrency markets are experiencing notable declines today, with Ethereum (ETH/USD) dropping alongside major coins such as Bitcoin (BTC/USD) due to intensified profit-taking activities. The newly launched ETHZilla Corporation, focusing on an Ethereum treasury strategy, began trading on NASDAQ with Ether holdings valued at approximately $419 million. Social media discussions reveal significant trading activities, including a trader who transformed $125K into nearly $30 million through leveraged ETH trades. Additionally, BlackRock's ETHA holds 3.49 million ETH, representing 58% of all Ethereum ETFs. The NFT market has seen a substantial valuation drop, shedding $1.2 billion amid a cooling ETH rally. Liquidations have surged, with over $56 million liquidated in the last hour alone. Ethereum has recorded a daily return of approximately -3.2%, reflecting broader market sentiment and correlated movements with Bitcoin's decline of nearly 2%.

Bitcoin (BTC/USD) [-1.8%]
Bitcoin's price has dropped significantly in the last twenty-four hours, falling below $116,000 amid rising difficulty levels for miners and a broader cryptocurrency sell-off. This decline coincides with heightened geopolitical tensions related to U.S.-Ukraine discussions. In the institutional arena, Norges Bank Investment Management has increased its bitcoin-equivalent exposure, while Metaplanet has acquired additional BTC, raising its total holdings to 18,888 BTC. Concurrently, Ethereum has experienced a notable decline, reflecting the overall market sentiment. Notably, Canary Capital's CEO has projected that Bitcoin could reach between $140,000 and $150,000 by year-end due to increasing institutional demand. Despite this optimism, there are concerns about a potential bear market in 2026.

FN | -9.9% | -1.1B
Fabrinet | Electronic Manufacturing Services
Fabrinet reported its fourth-quarter financial results on August 18, 2025, achieving an adjusted EPS of 2.65, slightly above the consensus estimate of 2.64. Revenue reached 909.69 million, surpassing expectations of 884.9 million and reflecting a significant year-over-year increase from 753.26 million. Despite these positive results, the company issued Q1 guidance projecting revenue between 910 million and 950 million, slightly below the consensus estimate of 915.34 million, and a GAAP EPS forecast of 2.48 to 2.63 against an expectation of 2.65. Following the announcements, shares traded lower by approximately 0.95%. Social media discussions highlighted the positive performance relative to estimates but also noted the cautious guidance for the upcoming quarter.

PANW | +6.0% | +3.6B
Palo Alto Networks Inc | Systems Software
Palo Alto Networks reported fiscal fourth-quarter results showing revenue of $2.54 billion, surpassing analyst expectations of $2.50 billion, and an adjusted EPS of $0.95, exceeding estimates of $0.88. The company projects fiscal year 2026 revenue between $10.475 billion and $10.525 billion, above the consensus of $10.43 billion, with adjusted EPS anticipated in the range of $3.75 to $3.85, compared to the analyst estimate of $3.67. Remaining performance obligations grew by 24% year-over-year to $15.8 billion, while next-generation security annual recurring revenue increased by 32% to $5.6 billion. Following these results, shares experienced an uptick of approximately 5% in after-hours trading. Social media discussions highlighted these earnings and noted analyst upgrades, including a price target of $236 from Goldman Sachs and an upgrade from Bank of America to Buy with a target of $215.

INTC | +5.9% | +6.3B
Intel Corp | Semiconductors
Intel Corp has announced a $2 billion investment agreement with SoftBank Group, wherein SoftBank will acquire approximately 2% of Intel's outstanding shares at $23 per share. This strategic partnership aims to enhance commitments to semiconductor innovation in the United States. SoftBank's Chairman, Masayoshi Son, acknowledged Intel's leadership in the sector, while Intel's CEO, Lip-Bu Tan, expressed satisfaction in strengthening their collaboration. The investment follows discussions about a potential deal for Intel's contract chipmaking business. Following the announcement, Intel shares experienced a notable increase of approximately 5% in after-hours trading, reflecting a positive market reaction to the news.

CYBR | +5.2% | +978.5M
Cyberark Software Ltd | Systems Software
CyberArk Software Ltd's shares are experiencing upward momentum, increasing by 4.8% in pre-market trading. This rise follows positive earnings results from Palo Alto Networks Inc., which reported a 16% year-over-year revenue increase and adjusted earnings per share that surpassed forecasts. Palo Alto's planned acquisition of CyberArk for approximately $25 billion, offering shareholders $45 in cash and 2.2005 shares of Palo Alto stock per CyberArk share, has received unanimous board approval and is expected to finalize in the second half of fiscal 2026. Additionally, social media discussions have highlighted Palo Alto's anticipated free cash flow margins exceeding 40% over the next three years, further contributing to a bullish sentiment surrounding CyberArk. Concurrently, Palo Alto's shares have risen significantly, reflecting broader positive sentiment within the cybersecurity sector, which may also be influencing CyberArk's stock performance.

FLEX | +7.0% | +1.5B
Flex Ltd | Electronic Manufacturing Services
Flex Ltd has issued a warrant to Amazon for 3,859,851 shares at a price of 51.29, as disclosed in an SEC filing approximately 15 hours ago. This move may have implications for shareholder structure and capital allocation. Additionally, a recent analysis by Piper has reaffirmed an overweight rating on Flex Ltd, setting a price target of 94, reflecting a positive outlook on the company's performance. In social media discussions, a comparison between Flex and Fabrinet highlighted that Flex has a higher market capitalization of 18.68 billion compared to Fabrinet's 11.72 billion, suggesting Flex is viewed more favorably in both long-term and short-term analyses based on fundamental and technical indicators.

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