Welcome to the MarketReader Minute.

Below are AI-generated insights on today’s premarket moves, powered by MarketReader technology.

If you find the insights useful, you may subscribe to our new sector-specific newsletters or share this on Twitter.

Friday, August 22

Noteworthy US mega-cap moves today: Alphabet Inc (GOOG) +1.5%.

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's upcoming speech at the Jackson Hole Economic Symposium is drawing significant attention, as it may provide insights into future monetary policy and interest rate cuts. Market expectations for a September cut have decreased from over 85% to around 73%, reflecting mixed economic data including rising initial jobless claims and robust PMIs that complicate the Fed’s decision-making process.

In Europe, recent economic indicators reveal concerning trends; Germany's economy contracted by 0.3% in Q2—worse than initially estimated—and France reported stagnant business sentiment with its manufacturing climate indicator remaining below average. These developments are contributing to cautious trading across European markets ahead of Powell’s remarks.

Additionally, Japan has seen inflation pressures persist above target levels despite slight easing in core CPI growth rates. This situation raises speculation about potential tightening measures from the Bank of Japan while impacting currency dynamics against major currencies like USD amid broader market volatility linked to geopolitical tensions and central bank policies globally.

VanEck Gold Miners ETF (GDX) [-1.0%]
Gold prices are declining globally, influenced by reduced expectations for significant rate cuts from the US Federal Reserve, which has bolstered the US Dollar. This has created downward pressure on gold, a non-yielding asset sensitive to currency fluctuations. Fed officials have expressed a preference for maintaining a restrictive monetary policy amid ongoing inflation concerns, which is affecting market sentiment towards gold investments such as the VanEck Gold Miners ETF (GDX). Meanwhile, social media discussions highlighted that gold miners within GDX achieved a new all-time high in total return, reflecting substantial growth over the past decade. The ETF has moved down 0.8% since Thursday, coinciding with a slight decrease in the United States Copper Index Fund (CPER), suggesting a broader market sentiment that may also be impacting GDX. Top contributors to GDX's performance included AU, WPM, RGLD, AEM, and NEM, all of which posted negative returns.

Alphabet Inc (GOOG) [+1.5%, +38.4B]
Alphabet Inc's share price has moved higher, coinciding with a significant uptick in the Interactive Media & Services sector. This rise follows the announcement of a cloud computing agreement valued at over $10 billion between Alphabet's Google and Meta Platforms. The six-year contract will see Meta utilizing Google Cloud's servers, storage, and networking services. This development has garnered positive attention in the market, leading to a notable increase in Alphabet's stock during after-hours trading. Additionally, Google is expanding its AI Mode to over 180 countries and territories, further bolstering its position in the artificial intelligence sector. Social media discussions have echoed this sentiment, highlighting the importance of the cloud deal and its potential impact on Alphabet's equity.

NEGG | +10.3% | +5.0B
Newegg Commerce Inc | Computer & Electronics Retail
Newegg Commerce Inc. reported notable financial results for the first half of 2025, with net sales increasing by 12.6% to approximately 695.7 million, compared to 618.1 million in the prior year. The company's net loss narrowed significantly to 4.2 million from 25 million last year. Gross merchandise value rose by 13.7% to about 849.1 million, while gross profit increased by 26.5% to around 79.8 million. The average order value also climbed to approximately 467 from 401, and active customers grew to 1.13 million from 1.09 million. CEO Anthony Chow attributed this growth to strong demand for GPUs and key product launches, including the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 50 Series and AMD Radeon RX 9000 Series graphics cards. The stock experienced a substantial rally following the announcement of these results.

INTU | -6.2% | -11.3B
Intuit Inc | Application Software
Intuit Inc. reported fourth-quarter results that exceeded consensus estimates, with adjusted earnings per share at 2.75 compared to the expected 2.66, and revenue of 3.83 billion against an estimate of 3.75 billion. Despite these positive results, the stock fell significantly in after-hours trading. The company projected first-quarter adjusted EPS between 3.05 and 3.12, slightly below the analyst estimate of 3.07, and anticipated revenue growth of 14% to 15%, which is below the expected 16.12%. For fiscal year 2026, Intuit's adjusted EPS guidance is set between 22.98 and 23.18, with revenue expectations ranging from 21 billion to 21.19 billion, both figures falling short of analyst projections. Social media discussions reflected mixed sentiments regarding the company's forward guidance, particularly concerning future revenue growth potential.

UI | +11.1% | +2.9B
Ubiquiti Inc | Communications Equipment
Ubiquiti Inc. reported its fourth-quarter fiscal 2025 financial results, revealing a gross margin of 45.1% and revenues of $759.2 million, significantly exceeding analyst expectations of $618.8 million. The adjusted net income reached $214.4 million, resulting in an adjusted EPS of $3.54, surpassing the consensus estimate of $2.23 by nearly 59%. This represents a substantial increase from earnings of $1.74 per share in the same quarter last year. Additionally, Ubiquiti declared a cash dividend of $0.80 per share and initiated a stock repurchase program authorizing up to $500 million in buybacks. These strong earnings and shareholder returns have coincided with a notable increase in Ubiquiti's stock price today.

WDAY | -4.6% | -2.7B
Workday Inc | Application Software
Workday Inc. has announced a definitive agreement to acquire Paradox, an AI company focused on enhancing candidate experiences in high-volume hiring sectors, with the deal expected to close in the third quarter of fiscal 2026, pending regulatory approvals. The company reported a 12-month subscription revenue backlog of $7.91 billion, reflecting a year-over-year increase of 16.4%. However, Workday has lowered its fiscal year 2026 sales guidance from $9.5 billion to $8.815 billion, diverging from analyst expectations. Following these announcements, shares of Workday declined by approximately 4.2%. In its Q2 earnings report, Workday posted revenues of $2.348 billion and an adjusted EPS of $2.21, both slightly exceeding estimates, yet concerns arose regarding future revenue growth amid lowered guidance. Concurrently, Intuit Inc. has seen a significant decline, which may also correlate with Workday's stock movement.

ZM | +4.2% | +992.6M
Zoom Video Communications Inc | Application Software
Zoom Video Communications Inc reported second-quarter earnings with revenue of $1.22 billion, reflecting a 4.7% increase year-over-year and surpassing analyst expectations of $1.20 billion. Adjusted earnings per share (EPS) reached $1.53, exceeding the consensus estimate of $1.37 and marking a 10.07% rise from the previous year. The company raised its full-year revenue guidance to between $4.825 billion and $4.835 billion, up from prior estimates. For the third quarter, Zoom anticipates adjusted EPS between $1.42 and $1.44, above the forecast of $1.39. Additionally, an operating margin of 26.4% was reported, alongside a free cash flow outlook for the fiscal year between $1.74 billion and $1.78 billion. Following the earnings announcement, shares rose significantly in after-hours trading, reflecting a positive market response.

Thank you for spending a minute with us. 

If you have 2 more minutes, watch this demo of the MarketReader Platform: