After months of relentless pressure from President Donald Trump to ease borrowing costs, the Federal Reserve is now all but certain to lower interest rates on Sept. 17, ending a nine-month pause and resuming what could be <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/federal-reserve">a prolonged cutting cycle.</a>



According to CME Group's FedWatch Tool, markets are pricing in a 100% probability that the Fed will cut the federal funds rate by 25 basis points, bringing the target range to 4.00%–4.25%. There's even an 11% chance of a more aggressive 50-basis-point cut.



But that's just the beginning. Traders now expect another cut in October, with 84% odds, and a third one in December 2025, priced at 75%.



But while Wall Street is cheering, with the SPDR S&amp;P 500 ETF Trust (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SPY#NYSE">SPY</a>) trading near record highs, not everyone is convinced this is good news.



See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/macro-economic-events/25/09/47539902/trump-could-zimbabwify-america-says-economist-paul-krugman-warns-against-fiscal-dominance-of-monetary-policy">Trump Could &#8216;Zimbabwify&#8217; America, Paul Krugman Warns Against &#8216;Fiscal Dominance&#8217; of Monetary Policy</a>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Does The Economy Even Need This Cut?</h2>



Market veteran Ed Yardeni doesn't think so. In a note released Monday, Yardeni said, "We continue to believe that by cutting rates this month, the Fed would be stimulating an economy that doesn't need easier monetary policy."



Yardeni highlighted that the Atlanta Fed's GDPNow model shows third-quarter real GDP growth tracking at 3.0% on an annualized basis. 



Yardeni noted that the real issue in the labor market isn't weak demand but a labor shortage. 



&#8220;Stimulating an economy that doesn't need stimulation won't create more workers to address the undersupply that's constraining the demand for labor,&#8221; he said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What Happens To the Stock Market Next?</h2>



Yardeni Research still holds a bullish base case for stocks. Their S&amp;P 500 target is 6,600 by the end of 2025, with a goal of 7,700 by the end of 2026.



But here's the twist: If the Fed cuts rates and signals more are coming, Yardeni said they would raise the probability of a ‘melt-up' scenario, with the S&amp;P 500 hitting 7000 by year-end 2025.



They currently assign 55% odds to the base case, 25% to a melt-up, and just 20% to a correction by the end of 2025.



"Our concern is that lowering interest rates will lead to financial instability, including a melt-up or meltdown in the stock market," he added. 



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Video game retailer GameStop Corporation (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GME#NYSE">GME</a>) looks to show off its growth in collectibles and improving profitability when the company reports second-quarter financial results Tuesday <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/earnings">after market close.</a>



Here's a look at the earnings estimates, what analysts are saying and key items to watch.



Earnings Estimates: Analysts expect GameStop to report second-quarter (Q2) revenue of $823.25 million, up from $798.30 million in last year's second quarter, according to data<a href="https://bzresearch.myclickfunnels.com/benzinga-pro-content-webinar-registration/?utm_source=BZprocontent090825&amp;t=be2bearmibe3na1"> from Benzinga Pro.</a>



The company missed analyst estimates for revenue in seven straight quarters. It also missed estimates in eight of the last 10 quarters overall.



Analysts expect the company to report 16 cents in earnings per share, up from 1 cent per share in earnings from last year's Q2.



The company has beaten analyst estimates for earnings per share in two straight quarters and three of the last four quarters. Overall, the company has beaten analyst estimates for earnings per share in six of the last 10 quarters overall.



Read Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/25/07/46448715/gamestop-ceo-is-not-scared-of-the-short-sellers-calls-it-un-american-to-bet-against-business-but-its-a-free-market">GameStop CEO Is &#8216;Not Scared Of The Short Sellers,&#8217; Calls It Un-American To Bet Against Business &#8216;But It&#8217;s A Free Market&#8217;</a>



What Analysts Are Saying: GameStop is not widely covered by analysts and hasn't been for years.



Wedbush Securities analyst Michael Pachter, one of the few analysts covering the stock, remains bearish on the retailer.



Pachter's<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-stock-ratings/analyst-color/25/06/45888497/bitcoin-probably-wont-fix-gamestops-troubles"> last investor note</a> said the company's Bitcoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/btc/usd">BTC</a>) investments wouldn't be enough to excite investors. The analyst said there remain no signs of a turnaround in the company's core business.



Pachter has an Underperform rating on GameStop with a $13.50 price target. The majority of the company's valuation comes from $12.50 per share in cash, securities and cryptocurrency, Pachter said.



&#8220;It is difficult to understand why any investor would be willing to pay more than 2x cash value for the possibility of GameStop converting more of its cash into Bitcoin, especially since these investors could invest in Bitcoin or a Bitcoin ETF themselves,&#8221; Pachter said.



The positive for GameStop is its growth in trading cards, according to the analyst.



&#8220;GameStop&#8217;s foray into the trading card business appears to be the only recent business venture to see modest success.&#8221;



Pachter said GameStop&#8217;s stock price is at a level that &#8220;overlooks the many challenges ahead.&#8221;



Key Items to Watch: Trading cards are a positive for the company, according to Pachter. The growth comes as the sector sees significant growth and <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/sports/25/08/47320665/kevin-oleary-among-investors-in-record-breaking-michal-jordan-kobe-bryant-card-why-the-shark-compares-it-to-bitcoin">sales at auctions.</a>



GameStop formed several key partnerships with the trading card grading company PSA. Together, they recently <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/25/07/46731362/gamestops-25-to-1000-pokemon-blind-bags-are-fueling-a-new-kind-of-collector-fomo">launched a blind bag</a> style "Power Packs.&#8221;



GameStop CEO Ryan Cohen considers the collectibles space to be a natural extension for the company and hinted at more growth coming from that area.



In the first quarter, Collectibles revenue grew to $211.5 million, the only of the three main sectors that saw year-over-year growth. That business segment is helping to offset declines in video game hardware, accessories and software.



Collectibles also come with higher margins, which are helping the company improve its profitability. The company has posted adjusted earnings per share profits in five of the last six quarters, after year's of losses.



GameStop <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/earnings/25/06/45872536/gamestop-q1-earnings-revenue-misses-despite-collectibles-growth-eps-beats-retailer-adds-4710-bitcoin">disclosed buying</a> 4,710 Bitcoin between May 3 and June 10. The company paid somewhere between $93,399.86 and $111,970.17 for the Bitcoin during that time period. With Bitcoin currently trading at $112,383.77, the company's Bitcoin holdings have gained in value, which could be reflected in the financials.



Investors and analysts will be closely watching to see if GameStop bought more Bitcoin in the quarter or is announcing plans to do so. Cohen said the company will not be turning into a Bitcoin treasury company, instead buying Bitcoin to hedge against inflation.



Cohen said the company's $9 billion in cash <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/crypto/cryptocurrency/25/07/46434376/ryan-cohen-says-gamestop-has-its-unique-strategy-and-isnt-a-mini-version-of-michael-saylors-bitcoin-whale-company-will-deploy-capital-re">would be deployed responsibly</a> for areas with high upside and limited downside.



GameStop went multiple quarters without hosting a conference call.



GME Price Action: GameStop stock is up 2.3% to $23.13 on Monday. Its 52-week trading range is from $19.31 to $35.81. GameStop shares are down 25% year-to-date in 2025.



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GameStop Q2 Preview: Will Bitcoin, Trading Cards Overshadow Video Game Business?

Think of the electric grid like the nation's highway system. Power plants are the factories. Big high-voltage lines are the interstates and local lines are neighborhood streets.



When traffic gets jammed or a bridge goes out, the whole system slows.



The most cost-effective way to harden the grid is first to maximize the use of our existing roads, then address the weak spots, and only after that, build new highways.



This matters because for the first time in more than a decade, U.S. power consumption is rising again. According to the Energy Information Administration, demand for electricity since 2020 has been increasing by 1.7% a year on average.



That&#8217;s close to the 2% yearly average rise we saw in 1990-2005, when the Internet came about and the world went digital &#8211; and it&#8217;s a big jump from the 0.1% yearly rise we saw between 2005 and 2020.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Turning September's Volatility Into 10x Trades</h2>



September's catalysts are lining up: jobs data, Fed pressure, bond swings, and energy uncertainty. Tim Melvin and Ryan Faloona will show you the exact signals they are following to profit from it all. Join them live this Wednesday at 6 PM ET and get the plan before the next big move hits. <a href="https://events2.benzinga.com/tim-melvin-webinar-wed-sept10-2025-registration/?utm_campaign=091025-webinar&amp;utm_adType=sponsorad&amp;utm_ad=RD090925">Reserve Your Free Spot</a>



The culprit is the rise of AI, which consumes huge amounts of data and power. That&#8217;s a boon for power producers, yes, but the companies building, upgrading, and fixing the power grid are raking in cash too.



The quickest win is a smarter use of today's wires. Utilities can add small sensors to lines and substations that read temperature and weather in real time. On cool or windy days, the same wire can safely carry more electricity. Simple software can also act like a navigation app for power, routing electricity around trouble spots and easing congestion. These upgrades are fast, usually measured in months, and do not require new land.



Hardening also means protecting the places where power is switched and controlled. Substations are the heart of local reliability. Basic steps like raising equipment out of flood zones, adding better fencing and cameras, and improving fire protection dramatically cut outage risk. On the cyber side, utilities are adding modern firewalls, better login rules, and constant monitoring so hackers cannot use the grid as a back door.



Burying lines is powerful but expensive. Underground lines are far less likely to be knocked out by wind, ice, or fire, which is why they make sense in dense cities and in the highest wildfire-risk areas. The tradeoff is cost. It can run roughly $3 million per mile for typical distribution lines and much more in rugged terrains. Outside of those hotspots, cheaper steps like insulated "covered" wires, more frequent switches, and quicker-acting protection often deliver more reliability per dollar.



For long routes that are already crowded, a smart middle path is to replace old wires with modern, high-capacity ones on the same towers. This "reconductoring" can double the amount that a power line carries without fighting years of new permits. It often costs a fraction of building a brand-new line and can be finished much faster. When we truly need new long-distance lines, we still build them, but we should use these cheaper tools first.



Permitting is the slow gear. New lines cross many counties and states, which means many approvals and frequent court challenges. Recent rule changes are pushing grid planners to think 10 to 20 years ahead, share costs more fairly, and study projects together rather than one at a time. That does not make transmission easy, but it does make it faster and clearer than the old way.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What It Costs, In Plain English</h2>



Smart sensors, software, and substation upgrades are the cheapest and fastest moves. These are the "months, not years" fixes. Reconductoring is the next-best value because it uses existing towers and land.



Undergrounding is the premium option for places where storms and fires hit hardest or where reliability must be near perfect. New long-distance lines create the biggest long-term benefits, but they take the longest to plan and permit.



Harden with brains first and muscle second. Use sensors and software to free up capacity on today's wires. Protect substations and improve cyber hygiene. Reconductor crowded lines to double capacity without new towers. Bury lines where risk and density demand it. Then build the new long-distance lines we still need. Follow that order and you get a stronger, more reliable grid at the lowest all-in cost, with a long runway of work for the companies ready to do it.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Three Companies Set Up To Benefit</h2>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Quanta Services</h3>



Quanta Services (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PWR#NYSE">PWR</a>) is the crew that shows up with the trucks, skilled labor, and the project managers to actually build and fix the grid. If a utility needs to harden substations, swap in better wires, or underground a neighborhood circuit, Quanta can do it. The company also builds long-distance lines once it finally gets the green light. In simple terms, Quanta sells execution at scale.



Quanta's opportunity grows as utilities spend more on reliability and as new data centers and factories boost power demand. The backlog of work is deep, and many of these projects run for years. That gives Quanta a visible path for steady revenue and earnings growth. If grid spending rises to meet national goals, Quanta has room for outsized long-term gains because it is one of the few players large enough to take on the biggest jobs.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Hubbell Inc.</h3>



Hubbell (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/HUBB#NYSE">HUBB</a>) makes the nuts and bolts of the grid. Think connectors that tie lines together, insulators that keep power where it belongs, surge protectors for substations, and simple automation gear that helps lines heal themselves after a fault. When a utility upgrades lines or rebuilds after a storm, pallets of Hubbell parts go out the door.



This is a pick-and-shovel business with durable pricing power. Utilities buy from approved lists and stick with brands they trust. As spending shifts toward grid hardening and automation, Hubbell's mix gets richer and margins improve. That sets the company up for steady growth and strong cash generation. If the cycle accelerates, the combination of higher volumes and better mix can compound earnings and drive strong long-term returns.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">American Superconductor</h3>



American Semiconductor (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMSC#NASDAQ">AMSC</a>) makes equipment that keeps the grid stable when conditions get bumpy. Its systems act like shock absorbers for electricity. They balance voltage and reactive power so lights do not flicker when a big factory starts up, a wind farm ramps up, or a heat wave hits. Utilities bolt these units into substations to smooth power quality and prevent wider outages.



AMSC is a smaller company, which cuts both ways. Orders can be lumpy, but each win moves the needle. As more renewable projects connect and as cities add data centers and EV load, the need for these "grid stabilizers" grows. If adoption broadens, AMSC's revenue can scale quickly and operating leverage can kick in, creating the potential for outsized gains versus larger, slower-growing grid suppliers.



Editorial content from our expert contributors is intended to be information for the general public and not individualized investment advice. Editors/contributors are presenting their individual opinions and strategies, which are neither expressly nor impliedly approved or endorsed by Benzinga. 



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Alphabet, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>) (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>) reported an incident affecting Google Meet on <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/09/47553884/qualcomm-and-google-cloud-forge-ai-alliance-to-transform-cars-into-smart-agents">Monday afternoon.&nbsp;</a>



The Details: The Google Workspace Status Dashboard <a href="https://www.google.com/appsstatus/dashboard/">showed an incident </a>affecting Google Meet began at 5:30 PM UTC (1:30 PM EDT) on Monday and was ongoing at the time of publication. 



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User reports indicate that the problem appears to be affecting Google Meet, Google Workspace, Gmail and Google Chat, <a href="https://downdetector.com//">according</a> to Downdetector.com.&nbsp;&nbsp;



Users described error messages, failed logins, and call drops, which made it impossible for many to conduct or join meetings.&nbsp;



Several reports specifically mentioned the Google Meet interface loading, but calls failing to connect or producing no sound or video, sometimes dropping altogether. 



Alphabet shares were sliding after climbing into the green earlier Monday. It is unclear whether the stock's slide was related to the outage.&nbsp;



GOOG, GOOGL Price Action: GOOG shares were down 0.35% at $234.35 and GOOGL shares were down 0.37% at $234.14 &nbsp;at the time of publication, according to <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/?gspk=YWRhbWVja2VydDUzMzY&amp;gsxid=zBMR4PKmcgBw">Benzinga Pro</a>.&nbsp;



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U.S. stocks edged higher Monday as investors positioned for a busy week of economic reports leading up to next <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/federal-reserve">week's Federal Reserve meeting.</a>



HOOD shares are climbing. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/HOOD" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Check the market position here.</a>



The S&amp;P 500 gained 0.2%, while the Nasdaq 100 outperformed with a 0.5% rise. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was flat, and small caps edged 0.1% lower.



AI-linked stocks rebounded after last week's sell-off. GE Vernova Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GEV#NYSE">GEV</a>), Palantir Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PLTR#NASDAQ">PLTR</a>), and NVIDIA Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>) rose 3.5%, 2.4%, and 1.8%, respectively.



Broadcom Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AVGO#NASDAQ">AVGO</a>) extended its rally, climbing another 3.5% after Friday's 9.4% surge on blockbuster earnings. The chipmaker is on track for its best two-day performance since April 9.



Robinhood Markets Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/HOOD#NASDAQ">HOOD</a>) soared over 15% — its biggest one-day gain in five months — after news that it will be added to the S&amp;P 500 index.



In Europe, France's Prime Minister François Bayrou lost a confidence vote in the National Assembly and is expected to resign, a move that could prompt President Emmanuel Macron to call snap elections.



Gold's 2025 rally rolls on, with spot prices climbing 1.6% to around $3,650 per ounce and futures nearing $3,680 — marking gold's ninth positive session in the last eleven.



Newmont Corporation (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NEM#NYSE">NEM</a>) — the world's largest gold miner — has now outpaced Palantir in 2025, delivering the second-best year-to-date performance in the S&amp;P 500, trailing only Seagate Technology Holdings plc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/STX#NASDAQ">STX</a>). Meanwhile, silver added 0.8% on the day.



Bitcoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/btc/usd">BTC</a>) gained 1.1% to trade around $112,000.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Monday&#8217;s Performance In Major U.S. Indices, ETFs</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-table"><table class="has-fixed-layout"><tbody><tr><td>Major Indices</td><td>Price</td><td>Chg %</td></tr><tr><td>• Nasdaq 100</td><td>23,752.33</td><td>+0.4%</td></tr><tr><td>• S&amp;P 500</td><td>6,491.30</td><td>+0.2%</td></tr><tr><td>• Dow Jones</td><td>45,389.02</td><td>0.0%</td></tr><tr><td>• Russell 2000</td><td>2,387.55</td><td>-0.1%</td></tr></tbody></table><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Updated by 1:10 p.m. ET</figcaption></figure>



According to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/pro/?utm_source=BZprocontent&amp;t=be2bearmibe3na1">Benzinga Pro</a>&nbsp;data:



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>The&nbsp;Vanguard S&amp;P 500 ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/VOO#NYSE">VOO</a>) rose 0.2% to $595.94.</li>



<li>The&nbsp;SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average&nbsp;(NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DIA#NYSE">DIA</a>) flattened at $454.67.</li>



<li>The tech-heavy&nbsp;Invesco QQQ Trust Series&nbsp;(NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QQQ#NASDAQ">QQQ</a>)&nbsp;rose 0.5% to $578.77.</li>



<li>The&nbsp;iShares Russell 2000 ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/IWM#NYSE">IWM</a>) slipped 0.1% to $237.44</li>



<li>The&nbsp;Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XLK#NYSE">XLK</a>) outperformed, up 0.7%; the&nbsp;Real Estate&nbsp;Select Sector SPDR Fund&nbsp;(NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XLRE#NYSE">XLRE</a>) lagged, down 1.1%.</li>
</ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">S&amp;P 500&#8217;s Top 5 Gainers On Monday</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-table is-style-stripes"><table class="has-fixed-layout"><thead><tr><th>Name</th><th>Change %</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>GE Vernova Inc.</td><td>+3.5%</td></tr><tr><td>Take-Two Interactive (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TTWO#NASDAQ">TTWO</a>)</td><td>+3.51%</td></tr><tr><td>Broadcom Inc. </td><td>+3.5%</td></tr><tr><td>Uber Technologies Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/UBER#NYSE">UBER</a>)</td><td>+3.13%</td></tr><tr><td>Wynn Resorts Ltd. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/WYNN#NASDAQ">WYNN</a>)</td><td>+2.99%</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">S&amp;P 500&#8217;s Top 5 Losers On Monday</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-table is-style-stripes"><table class="has-fixed-layout"><thead><tr><th>Name</th><th>Change %</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Moderna Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MRNA#NASDAQ">MRNA</a>)</td><td>−4.74%</td></tr><tr><td>Enphase Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ENPH#NASDAQ">ENPH</a>)</td><td>−4.19%</td></tr><tr><td>Brown-Forman Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BFB#NYSE">BFB</a>)</td><td>−4.15%</td></tr><tr><td>American Tower Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMT#NYSE">AMT</a>)</td><td>−3.94%</td></tr><tr><td>International Paper Co. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/IP#NYSE">IP</a>)</td><td>−3.86%</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



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Gold Hits $3,650, Robinhood Spikes 15% On S&P 500 Inclusion: What's Moving Markets Monday?

While President Donald Trump aims to restore U.S. economic dominance on the global stage, China is quietly making a powerful statement of its own—stacking gold at a record pace and chipping away <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/donald-trump">at the U.S. dollar's supremacy.</a>



China's central bank extended its gold-buying streak to a 10th consecutive month in August, fueling a broader rally in the precious metal that has pushed prices to historic highs.



The People's Bank of China added 60,000 ounces last month, bringing its total gold holdings to 74.02 million ounces by the end of August, according to data published by the country&#8217;s State Administration of Foreign Exchange. 



In dollar terms, that lifted the country's official gold reserves by $9.9 billion to $253.84 billion, now accounting for a record 7.64% of its total foreign exchange reserves.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">$253 Billion Signal To The World </h2>



Beijing's accelerated gold accumulation is a strategic response to rising geopolitical uncertainty and growing concerns about the long-term stability of dollar-backed assets. 



&#8220;China released data today showing that its central bank has increased its gold holdings for the tenth consecutive month,&#8221; said Mohamed El-Erian, Allianz chief economic advisor. 



He added that this trend is "part of a broader risk diversification strategy," with central banks increasingly favoring gold.



According to International Monetary Fund data, central banks in emerging markets have increased their gold purchases fivefold since Russia's invasion of Ukraine.



While China piles into gold, it&#8217;s steadily backing away from U.S. debt. In June 2025, China's Treasury holdings dropped to $756.4 billion—down from $780.2 billion a year earlier—marking a slow but consistent trend of de-dollarization.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Private Investors Join The Gold Rush</h2>



The central bank shift is also influencing retail behavior. 



SPDR Gold Shares (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GLD#NYSE">GLD</a>), the world's largest gold-backed ETF, has attracted $11.3 billion in inflows this year. Meanwhile, iShares Gold Trust (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/IAU#NYSE">IAU</a>) has pulled in $6.87 billion. Both funds are on pace to eclipse their 2020 inflow records.



Gold spot prices reached $3,632 an ounce on Monday, marking a 38.4% increase since the start of 2025, putting the metal on track for the best year since 1978.



Read now:



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/commodities/25/09/47536944/gold-explainer-2025-rally-federal-reserve-trump">Gold&#8217;s Best Year Since 1978—What&#8217;s Driving The Relentless Rally?</a></li>
</ul>

Macro Economic Events

Specialty ETFs

Econ #s

Economics

Trump Can't Stop This—China's $253 Billion Gold Hoard Is A Silent Strike On Dollar

Artificial intelligence may be revolutionizing the economy, but in 2025, it's being outshined by something<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/gold"> far older—gold.</a>



As Palantir Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PLTR#NASDAQ">PLTR</a>) continues to ride the AI wave, up 104% year to date, it's being outpaced by an unlikely rival: a gold miner.



Newmont Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NEM#NYSE">NEM</a>), the world's largest gold producer and the only gold miner in the S&amp;P 500 Index, is up 105% year to date. 



The stock is the second-best performer in the index and now stands as a symbol of gold's comeback. The yellow metal is up over 38% year-to-date, on track for its best performing year since 1978. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Chart: Newmont Corp. Is Outperforming AI-Darling Palantir In 2025</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="556" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/08112515/image-109-1024x556.png" alt="" class="wp-image-1060988" srcset="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/08112515/image-109-1024x556.png 1024w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/08112515/image-109-300x163.png 300w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/08112515/image-109-768x417.png 768w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/08112515/image-109-1536x834.png 1536w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/08112515/image-109-2048x1112.png 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Value Over Hype?</h2>



At the heart of this story is not just performance, but valuation. 



Newmont trades at a next-12-month price-to-earnings ratio of just 15x, while Palantir's forward P/E sits at a sky-high 212x. For investors looking at growth without nosebleed multiples, the value case for gold—and Newmont—is suddenly compelling.



Investors are increasingly buying into the bullish case for gold miners.



 The VanEck Gold Miners ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GDX#NYSE">GDX</a>) brought in $531 million in net inflows in August alone—its highest since November 2023. And last week, gold-linked ETFs saw $3.9 billion in inflows, the largest since April.



&#8220;Gold miners are on fire,&#8221; said The Kobeissi Letter in a Sept. 7 post, pointing out that GDX has rallied 95% in 2025, nearly tripling the performance of the gold spot price itself.



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">Gold miners are skyrocketing: The gold miners ETF, <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%24GDX&amp;src=ctag&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">$GDX</a>, attracted $531 MILLION in net inflows in August, the most since November 2023. Last week alone, investors bought $3.9 billion in gold-linked ETFs, marking the largest inflow since April. Year-to-date, the largest gold… <a href="https://t.co/SE6bX40IZf">pic.twitter.com/SE6bX40IZf</a>&mdash; The Kobeissi Letter (@KobeissiLetter) <a href="https://twitter.com/KobeissiLetter/status/1964463626439237896?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 6, 2025</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



Jeff Jacobson, analyst at 22V Research, said their long-running commodity trade had &#8220;another good week&#8221; as gold, silver and copper miners hit new 52-week highs.



"None of these trades show any signs of slowing down their upside momentum," Jacobson said, citing softer U.S. data and the Friday jobs report as key catalysts for the dollar's decline. 



The U.S. dollar index (DXY) is now sitting right on its 15-year uptrend support and looks poised to break lower—a move that would further lift gold and other commodities.



According to Tavi Costa, partner and portfolio manager at Crescat Capital, the gold miners ETF has now hit record levels in assets under management. But Costa believes this could still be early innings.



"Even though precious metals mining stocks have performed well over the past year, their performance relative to gold suggests we could still be early in the move," he said, noting that the gold miners-to-gold ratio remains nearly 60% below its 2011 highs.



"I wouldn't be surprised to see those levels re-tested—and probably go well beyond them as this cycle plays out," Costa said. "This is just my perspective, but for mining investors, I believe this setup is extremely compelling."



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Bottom Line</h3>



Artificial intelligence may be shaping the future—but in 2025, gold is owning the present. 



As political risks mount and confidence in institutions wavers, investors are making a powerful statement: value, hard assets, and real-world scarcity still matter. And if this gold cycle is just getting started, miners like Newmont may have a lot more room to run.



Read Next:



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/macro-economic-events/25/09/47549681/china-gold-reserves-dollar-trump-2025">Trump Can&#8217;t Stop This—China&#8217;s $253 Billion Gold Hoard Is A Silent Strike On Dollar</a></li>
</ul>



Photo: Shutterstock

Long Ideas

Gold Beats AI? This Miner Just Crushed Palantir In 2025

Nvidia Corp's (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>) biggest cloud allies are suddenly entertaining a new suitor &#8211; and it's Alphabet Inc&#8216;s (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>) (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>) Google. The tech giant has quietly inked a <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-stock-ratings/analyst-color/25/08/47291373/terawulfs-bold-moves-transform-it-into-top-us-data-center-player">deal with London-based Fluidstack</a>, a cloud provider known for filling racks with Nvidia's most in-demand GPUs, to host its homegrown Tensor Processing Units (TPUs) in a New York data center. 



The move signals a calculated bid to muscle in on Nvidia's turf and seed adoption of Google's chips beyond its own cloud empire.



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Track NVDA stock <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/NVDA">here</a>.</li>
</ul>



For investors, this is a rare peek at Alphabet's aggressive ambitions in AI infrastructure. Until now, Google Cloud was the primary gateway for renting TPUs, with tech players like Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAPL#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>), Midjourney, and even OpenAI briefly kicking the tires earlier this year.



By convincing Fluidstack &#8211; a startup Nvidia has championed &#8211; to house its hardware, Google is striking at the heart of Nvidia's GPU rental network, <a href="https://www.theinformation.com/articles/google-ramps-ai-chip-competition-nvidia?utm_campaign=%5BREBRAND%5D+Forum+Dige&amp;utm_content=1091&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=cio&amp;utm_term=122">reported</a> The Information. It's sweetening the deal too, offering a $3.2 billion backstop to ensure Fluidstack's New York build-out stays afloat, effectively buying market entry one data center at a time.



Read Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/08/47313628/elon-musks-biggest-ai-fear-isnt-google-its-china">Elon Musk&#8217;s Biggest AI Fear Isn&#8217;t Google—It&#8217;s China</a>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Alphabet's Offensive</h2>



This marks Google's first foray into planting TPUs in third-party data centers, a bold step toward hardware independence. The stakes are high: Nvidia's market dominance has made AI compute notoriously expensive, and hyperscalers like Google, Amazon.com Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMZN#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>), and Meta Platforms Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/META#NASDAQ">META</a>) have all started designing custom chips to break that stranglehold. 



Alphabet's financial lifeline for Fluidstack signals a willingness to underwrite an entire ecosystem to see its chips succeed &#8211; potentially making GPU-only racks a relic of AI's first wave.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Nvidia's Calm, For Now</h2>



Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has downplayed competition, arguing that developers prefer GPUs for their versatility and mature software stack. But Google's approach &#8211; turning Nvidia's own partners into TPU hosts &#8211; underscores just how serious the AI chip wars are getting. 



With Crusoe and CoreWeave Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CRWV#NASDAQ">CRWV</a>) also <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/08/47088601/coreweave-ai-double-signals-microsoft-googles-deal">in talks with Google</a>, Wall Street may need to start pricing in a future where Nvidia shares its dominance with its biggest customer-turned-competitor.



For now, Nvidia remains the AI kingpin. But Alphabet's strategy is clear: if you can't beat them, fund their friends &#8211; and then fill their racks.



Read Next: 



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/09/47471835/googles-no-longer-just-search-and-microsofts-not-sleeping-well">Google&#8217;s No Longer Just Search &#8211; And Microsoft&#8217;s Not Sleeping Well</a></li>
</ul>



Photo Courtesy: JRdes / Shutterstock.com

AAPL

AMZN

CRWV

Nvidia's Closest Friends Just Got Cozy With Google

Jefferies Financial Group Inc. has raised its price target for&nbsp;Apple Inc.&nbsp;(NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAPL#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>) from $190.67 to $205.82, citing tariff relief and the potential of an AI-driven Siri service in 2026.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Apple Price Target Raised Amid Tariffs, AI, Antitrust Hopes</h2>



Although Jefferies maintains a Hold rating, it has raised its price target for Apple, placing it within the current analyst range of $175 to $300,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.investing.com/news/analyst-ratings/jefferies-raises-apple-stock-price-target-to-20582-on-tariff-relief-93CH-4228145">reported</a>&nbsp;Investing.com on Monday.&nbsp;



Jefferies highlighted tariff relief, potential U.S. antitrust remedies, and the anticipated AI-driven Siri service as key factors that have propelled Apple&#8217;s stock up by 18% over the last three months.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Weak Demand, High Costs And Legal Risks: Jefferies</h2>



Despite the price target increase, Jefferies raised concerns about Apple's fundamentals, citing a &#8220;saturated smartphone market,&#8221; &#8220;lack of technological innovations,&#8221; and rising &#8220;bill of materials costs for AI features&#8221; amid uncertain consumer demand.



Check out the current price of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/AAPL" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">AAPL stock here.</a>



Jefferies remains &#8220;unexcited&#8221; about the upcoming iPhone 17, despite favorable U.S. consumer survey results, stating that Apple stock is &#8220;unattractive&#8221; at a 30 times FY26 estimated price-to-earnings ratio compared to a 15% compound annual growth rate.



Jefferies also cautioned that &#8220;pull-in demand&#8221; in the third quarter of fiscal year 2025 could result in a revenue miss in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2025. &nbsp;These concerns, along with the ongoing patent infringement lawsuit filed by Cerence Inc, could impact Apple&#8217;s stock performance in the future.



Meanwhile, HSBC has reaffirmed its &#8220;Hold&#8221; rating on Apple stock, maintaining a price target of $220. MoffettNathanson upgraded Apple from &#8220;Sell&#8221; to &#8220;Neutral,&#8221; setting a new price target of $225, citing the resolution of several key risks.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Tariff Relief After Diversifying Production Base</h2>



The tariff relief comes after Apple&#8217;s CEO, Tim Cook, successfully navigated the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/09/47492682/tim-cook-dodged-trumps-tariffs-but-apple-still-expected-to-raise-iphone-prices-this-month">tariff issue</a> with the Trump administration. Despite this, Apple was expected to raise the prices of its new iPhones.



In August 2025,&nbsp;Apple was focusing on <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/08/47221403/apples-india-production-milestone-could-cushion-earnings-against-tariff-impact">diversification </a>to combat rising tariff rates, reaching a significant production milestone in India. This diversification strategy could have contributed to the tariff relief that Jefferies cites as a factor in Apple&#8217;s stock rise.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="445" height="290" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/08090602/image-107.png" alt="" class="wp-image-1060677" srcset="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/08090602/image-107.png 445w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/08090602/image-107-300x196.png 300w" sizes="(max-width: 445px) 100vw, 445px" /></figure>



Benzinga Edge Stock Rankings shows that Apple had a strong price trend over the short term, medium and long term. Check the<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/premium/ideas/benzinga-edge-2#:~:text=Turn%20Market%20Chaos,when%20markets%20rebound"> detailed report here </a>to assess the other ratings. 



READ NEXT:



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/09/47542395/apple-iphone-17-event-ultra-thin-iphone-17-air-apple-watch-11-airpods-pro-3-and-more-expected-on-awe-dropping-day">Apple iPhone 17 Event: Ultra-Thin iPhone 17 Air, Apple Watch 11, AirPods Pro 3 And More Expected On &#8216;Awe Dropping&#8217; Day </a></li>
</ul>



Image via Shutterstock



Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

Legal

Top Analyst 'Unexcited' About iPhone 17 Event, Despite Boosting Apple Stock Price Target, Cautions Q4 Revenue Miss

Economist Mohamed El-Erian warned of "significant challenges" for Xi Jinping's growth model after fresh data showed a sharp drop in US-China trade.



The analysis follows <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2025/09/08/china-exports-growth-in-august-drops-missing-expectations-.html">a</a> CNBC report that Chinese exports to the U.S. plunged 33% in August year-over-year, a development El-Erian said shows U.S. tariffs have begun to &#8220;bite.&#8221;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">China's Shipments To US Plunge 33% In August</h2>



The sharp decline in U.S.-bound shipments was the primary factor limiting China&#8217;s overall export growth to a six-month low of 4.4% in August, a figure that fell short of consensus forecasts.



In a post on the social media platform X, El-Erian also highlighted that imports from the U.S. dropped by 16%, restricting China&#8217;s total import growth to just 1.3%, which was also &#8220;worse than the consensus expectation.&#8221;



&#8220;These numbers, none of which bode well for a Chinese economy already facing significant challenges, highlight the urgent need for more concerted government efforts aimed at reforming the country&#8217;s growth model,&#8221; El-Erian stated in his post.



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">China's trade with the US is in substantial contraction as tariffs bite A 33% drop in Chinese exports to the US was the main factor limiting total export growth in August to 4.4% year-on-year, which was below the consensus forecast. Meanwhile, imports from the US fell by 16%,… <a href="https://t.co/TrL8qfPvIx">pic.twitter.com/TrL8qfPvIx</a>&mdash; Mohamed A. El-Erian (@elerianm) <a href="https://twitter.com/elerianm/status/1964909091899470321?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 8, 2025</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Tariff Workarounds Lose Effectiveness</h2>



The August trade figures, released by Chinese customs, signal that the impact of exporters&#8217; &#8220;frontloading&#8221; shipments to get ahead of tariffs is fading.



The slowdown is also attributed to a U.S. crackdown on the transshipment of goods through third countries to sidestep the duties.



See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/economic-data/25/09/47494307/federal-reserve-to-follow-slower-rate-cutting-cycle-despite-trumps-pressure-as-beige-book-d">Federal Reserve To Follow &#8216;Slower Rate Cutting Cycle&#8217; Despite Trump&#8217;s Pressure As Beige Book Dampens Sentiment: Don&#8217;t Expect 50 Bps Cut Hints Shapiro</a>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">U.S. Deficit With China Grows In July</h2>



This downturn follows a July report from the U.S. Census Bureau and U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, which showed the American <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/macro-economic-events/25/09/47502229/july-trade-data-deficit-goods-services-balance-trump-tariffs">trade deficit in goods</a> with China had widened by $5.3 billion to $14.7 billion for that month.



While its trade with Washington falters, Beijing has increasingly turned to other partners. In August, China's shipments to the European Union and Africa surged by 10.4% and nearly 26%, respectively. Despite the steep decline, the U.S. remains China's largest single-country export destination.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Price Action</h2>



The SPDR S&amp;P 500 ETF Trust (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SPY#NYSE">SPY</a>) and Invesco QQQ Trust ETF (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QQQ#NASDAQ">QQQ</a>), which track the S&amp;P 500 index and Nasdaq 100 index, respectively, rose in premarket on Monday. The SPY was up 0.23% at $648.74, while the QQQ advanced 0.40% to $578.35, according to <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard">Benzinga Pro</a> data.



Read Next: 



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/macro-economic-events/25/09/47502229/july-trade-data-deficit-goods-services-balance-trump-tariffs">Trump&#8217;s Tariffs Are Hitting America Harder Than Its Rivals, Trade Data Show</a></li>
</ul>



Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.



Image via Shutterstock

Trump's Tariffs 'Bite' China As Trade With US Sees 'Substantial Contraction,' El-Erian Warns Of 'Significant Challenges' To Xi Jinping's Growth Plan

Cryptocurrency markets are trading higher on Monday morning.



<figure class="wp-block-table"><table class="has-fixed-layout"><tbody><tr><td>Cryptocurrency</td><td>Ticker</td><td>Price</td></tr><tr><td>Bitcoin</td><td>(CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/btc/usd">BTC</a>)</td><td>$111,886.84</td></tr><tr><td>Ethereum</td><td>(CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/eth/usd">ETH</a>)</td><td>$4,320.35</td></tr><tr><td>Solana</td><td>(CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/sol/usd">SOL</a>)</td><td>$213.59</td></tr><tr><td>XRP</td><td>(CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/xrp/usd">XRP</a>)</td><td>$2.93</td></tr><tr><td>Dogecoin</td><td>(CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/doge/usd">DOGE</a>)</td><td>$0.2331</td></tr><tr><td>Shiba Inu</td><td>(CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/shib/usd">SHIB</a>)</td><td>$0.00001269</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



Notable Statistics:



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Coinglass data shows 118,552 traders were liquidated in the past 24 hours for $190.03 million.  </li>
</ul>



Trader Notes: Crypto trader Ted Pillows <a href="https://x.com/TedPillows/status/1964996902682050564">noted</a> whales have sold about 100,000 BTC in the past month, marking their largest offload since Q1 2025 just before the tariff crash, sparking speculation they may have early insight into potential risks.



Still, trader CryptoUB <a href="https://x.com/CryptoUB/status/1964849002094252092">argued</a> that support remains too strong to justify a bearish stance, calling the price action a classic consolidation phase likely to resolve upward.



Ethereum held near $4,400 after climbing from $1,400 to $4,800 earlier this year. 



Trader Crypto Caesar <a href="https://x.com/CryptoCaesarTA/status/1964967201317810497">described</a> the pullback as healthy consolidation, not a trend reversal, noting that unless $4,500 breaks decisively, ETH is still positioned for higher cycle targets. 



He framed current levels as a good opportunity to DCA into strong projects.



XRP continued to attract attention, with CW pointing to the next major resistance at $3.00. 



Altcoin Gordan went further, <a href="https://x.com/AltcoinGordon/status/1964935086236897686">saying</a> XRP's extended consolidation is setting up for an "inevitable" explosive move to $6.00.



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">The next sell wall for <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%24XRP&amp;src=ctag&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">$XRP</a> exist at $3 <a href="https://t.co/Aca6brJTjq">pic.twitter.com/Aca6brJTjq</a>&mdash; CW (@CW8900) <a href="https://twitter.com/CW8900/status/1964959366446227491?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 8, 2025</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



Solana also attempted a breakout, with trader Jeremy <a href="https://x.com/Jeremyybtc/status/1964995953552998861">noting</a> that a confirmed flip of the $217 support could trigger a rapid rally toward $270.



Dogecoin rallied but drew cautionary signals. Analyst Ali Martinez flagged the TD Sequential flashing a sell signal, suggesting the meme coin could face a short-term retracement if support levels give way.



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">Dogecoin <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%24DOGE&amp;src=ctag&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">$DOGE</a> could be about to retrace as the TD Sequential flashes a sell signal! <a href="https://t.co/HyFtsYue8o">pic.twitter.com/HyFtsYue8o</a>&mdash; Ali (@ali_charts) <a href="https://twitter.com/ali_charts/status/1964991602142687319?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 8, 2025</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



Read Next:



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/crypto/cryptocurrency/25/09/47541098/planning-to-go-all-in-on-bitcoin-popular-analyst-says-they-hate-fiat-but-the-reality-is-you-need-old-fashioned-cash">Planning To Go All-In On Bitcoin? Popular Analyst Says They &#8216;Hate&#8217; Fiat But The Reality Is You Need Old-Fashioned Cash</a></li>
</ul>



Image: Shutterstock

$DOGE

$ETH

$SHIB

$SOL

$XRP

Bitcoin Taps $112,000 As Ethereum, XRP, Dogecoin Creep Higher

The stock of Robinhood Markets Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/HOOD#NASDAQ">HOOD</a>) surged 7.46% during the Monday pre-market trading session following Friday&#8217;s news that it will be included in the S&amp;P 500.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Robinhood Joins S&amp;P 500, Marking A Milestone For HOOD Stock</h2>



The S&amp;P Dow Jones Indices announced a major update to its benchmarks on Friday, which includes <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/25/09/47537068/robinhood-enters-sp-500-marking-retail-tradings-shift-to-wall-street-core">new additions</a> to the S&amp;P 100, S&amp;P 500, S&amp;P MidCap 400, and S&amp;P SmallCap 600.



The inclusion of Robinhood in the S&amp;P 500 is a crucial moment for the brokerage, signifying its evolution from a symbol of pandemic-driven speculation to a mainstream financial player. The company now manages billions in assets across stocks, options, and cryptocurrencies, underlining its enduring influence on retail investor participation.



This development extends beyond Robinhood, as being added to the S&amp;P 500 automatically places the company in index funds, pensions, and retirement accounts globally. HOOD stock has surged over 415% in the past year, according to <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/HOOD">Benzinga Pro</a>.



Companies added to the S&amp;P 500 typically experience increased demand due to the large pool of passive investors tied to the index.



Besides Robinhood, the companies are joining the S&amp;P 500 are AppLovin Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/APP#NASDAQ">APP</a>) and Emcor Group Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/EME#NYSE">EME</a>). They will replace MarketAxess Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MKTX#NASDAQ">MKTX</a>), Caesars Entertainment Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CZR#NASDAQ">CZR</a>), and Enphase Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ENPH#NASDAQ">ENPH</a>), who will be moved to smaller-cap indexes.



See Also: <a href="https://benzinga.com/crypto/cryptocurrency/25/09/47536857/mark-cuban-once-dubbed-dogecoin-real-money-while-kevin-oleary-brushed-it-off-as-gambling-whose-advice-would-have-netted-you-more-profit" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Mark Cuban Once Dubbed Dogecoin &#8216;Real Money,&#8217; While Kevin O&#8217;Leary Brushed It Off As &#8216;Gambling&#8217; — Whose Advice Would Have Netted You More Profit &#8211; Benzinga</a>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">AI Rollout In Focus, Tokenized Stocks Raise Concern</h2>



This news comes on the heels of Robinhood&#8217;s recent expansion of its <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/08/47252402/robinhood-unveils-cortex-ai-tool-digests-in-uk-bringing-real-time-stock-explanations-to-everyday-investors-after-95-us-approval">artificial intelligence</a> (AI) offerings with the U.K. launch of Digests, a real-time stock analysis tool. The Digests feature, first released under Robinhood&#8217;s new Cortex AI platform, provides plain-language insights for everyday investors, breaking down complex market moves using breaking news, analyst reports, technical data, and the company&#8217;s proprietary datasets.



CEO Vladimir Tenev believes AI will transform how Americans approach investing, forecasting that market participation will become a &#8220;much bigger and more necessary part of individual lives&#8221; over the next ten years.



However, the company&#8217;s move to double up on <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/crypto/25/09/47443198/as-robinhood-doubles-up-on-tokenized-stocks-eu-securities-watchdog-executive-flags-risks-of-investor-misunderstanding">tokenized stocks</a> has raised concerns. A top executive of the European Union's securities watchdog warned that tokenized stock offerings could potentially lead to "investor misunderstanding."



READ NEXT:



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-stock-ratings/price-target/25/09/47541136/caseys-gears-up-for-q1-print-here-are-the-recent-forecast-changes-from-wall-streets-most-accurate-analysts?utm_source=taboola&amp;utm_medium=exchange&amp;tblci=GiD1tFFNH-r-bulyXzVS-mm-BVNR3nb6Ojb3DSX9l1ZrFSCN1VcohP7vrMSN3YVWMO-ISg#tblciGiD1tFFNH-r-bulyXzVS-mm-BVNR3nb6Ojb3DSX9l1ZrFSCN1VcohP7vrMSN3YVWMO-ISg">Casey&#8217;s Gears Up For Q1 Print; Here Are The Recent Forecast Changes From Wall Street&#8217;s Most Accurate Analysts</a></li>
</ul>



Image via Shutterstock



Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

MKTX

Robinhood Stock Surges Over 7% In Monday Pre-Market: What's Going On?

U.S. stock futures were advancing on Monday following Friday&#8217;s negative moves. Futures of major benchmark indices were higher.



Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/macro-economic-events/25/09/47540897/scott-bessent-warns-of-half-tariff-revenue-refund-if-supreme-court-rules-against-but-trump-may-have-another-plan-say-experts">warned of potential consequences</a> if the Supreme Court rules against the administration, despite expressing confidence over the Donald Trump Administration's appeal to the higher court. 



&#8220;We would have to give a refund on about half the tariffs," a situation Bessent described as "terrible for the Treasury".



Bessent defended Trump's tariff policy despite possible setbacks, arguing that tariffs do not act as a tax on Americans and highlighting other signs of economic strength, pointing to the second quarter GDP growth and the recent stock market performance.



Meanwhile, the 10-year Treasury bond yielded 4.09% and the two-year bond was at 3.50%. The CME Group's FedWatch <a href="https://www.cmegroup.com/markets/interest-rates/cme-fedwatch-tool.html">tool</a>&#8216;s projections show markets pricing a 100% likelihood of the Federal Reserve cutting the current interest rates for the Sept. 17 decision. 



<figure class="wp-block-table is-style-stripes"><table class="has-fixed-layout"><tbody><tr><td>Futures</td><td>Change (+/-)</td></tr><tr><td>Dow Jones</td><td>0.16%</td></tr><tr><td>S&amp;P 500</td><td>0.20%</td></tr><tr><td>Nasdaq 100</td><td>0.31%</td></tr><tr><td>Russell 2000</td><td>0.10%</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



The SPDR S&amp;P 500 ETF Trust (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SPY#NYSE">SPY</a>) and Invesco QQQ Trust ETF (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QQQ#NASDAQ">QQQ</a>), which track the S&amp;P 500 index and Nasdaq 100 index, respectively, rose in premarket on Monday. The SPY was up 0.19% at $648.45, while the QQQ advanced 0.34% to $578.00, according to <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard">Benzinga Pro</a> data.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Cues From Last Session</h2>



Energy, financial, and industrials stocks recorded the biggest losses on Friday as most sectors on the S&amp;P 500 closed on a negative note. However, real estate and communication services stocks bucked the overall market trend, closing the session higher.



U.S. stocks settled lower following a disappointing jobs report.



Nonfarm payrolls grew by a meager 22,000 in August, after July's weak 79,000 and a June revision showing a 13,000 job loss — the worst since 2020. The three-month hiring pace has collapsed to 29,000, locking in expectations for Fed rate cuts in September, October, and December.



ABM Industries Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ABM#NYSE">ABM</a>) reported mixed fiscal third-quarter 2025 results. Shares of Lululemon Athletica Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/LULU#NASDAQ">LULU</a>) dipped more than 18% after the company lowered FY25 guidance and received multiple analyst downgrades. Shares of Guidewire Software Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GWRE#NYSE">GWRE</a>) jumped 20% after the company reported fourth-quarter results above analyst estimates.



The Dow Jones index ended 220 points or 0.48% lower at 45,400.86, whereas the S&amp;P 500 index fell 0.32% to 6,481.50. Nasdaq Composite declined 0.034% to 21,700.39, and the small-cap gauge, Russell 2000, gained 0.48% to end at 2,391.05.



<figure class="wp-block-table is-style-stripes"><table class="has-fixed-layout"><tbody><tr><td>Index</td><td>Performance (+/-)</td><td>Value</td></tr><tr><td>Nasdaq Composite</td><td>-0.034%</td><td>21,700.39</td></tr><tr><td>S&amp;P 500</td><td>-0.32%</td><td>6,481.50</td></tr><tr><td>Dow Jones</td><td>-0.48%</td><td>45,400.86</td></tr><tr><td>Russell 2000</td><td>0.48%</td><td>2,391.05</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Insights From Analysts</h2>



According to Ed Yardeni and William Pesek from Yardemi Research, the upcoming week&#8217;s inflation data is the final hurdle for a potential Federal Reserve rate cut. While they anticipate a slowdown in the Producer Price Index (PPI), they caution that both the PPI and the Consumer Price Index (CPI) could show persistent underlying price pressures.



Following a weaker-than-expected employment report, Yardeni and Pesek state that the market&#8217;s hope for a &#8220;liquidity jolt&#8221; from a Fed rate cut hinges on &#8220;reasonably tame figures for August&#8217;s PPI (Wed) and CPI (Thu).&#8221; However, they immediately warn that &#8220;tame figures aren't a given.&#8221;



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Producer Price Index (PPI): The August PPI, scheduled for Wednesday, is &#8220;expected to be up 0.3% month on month following July&#8217;s 0.9% jump.&#8221; Yardeni and Pesek suggest that goods inflation likely increased because &#8220;the costs of imported materials and parts have been boosted by tariffs.&#8221;</li>



<li>Consumer Price Index (CPI): They believe Thursday&#8217;s CPI report &#8220;may show that underlying inflation pressures are enough to keep the pace of Fed easing moves up for active debate.&#8221; Citing the Cleveland Fed&#8217;s Inflation Nowcasting model, they note expectations for year-over-year increases of 2.84% for headline CPI and 3.05% for core CPI.</li>
</ul>



Before the inflation reports, another significant event is the Bureau of Labor Statistics&#8217; preliminary benchmark revision for employment data on Tuesday. Yardeni and Pesek expect this revision to show that job growth between April 2024 and March 2025 was overstated by -450,000 to -750,000.



Such a revision would imply stronger productivity and &#8220;confirm widespread expectations of a Fed rate cut on September 17.&#8221; This could also cause the 10-year Treasury bond yield to fall below 4.00%, but they add a crucial caveat: &#8220;not if the PPI and CPI inflation rates run hotter than expected later this week.&#8221;



Yardeni and Pesek also point to other data releases that will inform the Fed&#8217;s outlook:



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Initial Jobless Claims: They expect claims to remain low, hovering around 231,000, indicating that &#8220;the rate of layoffs remains low.&#8221;</li>



<li>NFIB Survey: The small business survey from the National Federation of Independent Business is seen as increasingly important. Yardeni and Pesek highlight &#8220;conflicting signals&#8221; in the July report, where both the optimism and uncertainty indexes rose. This, they argue, shows &#8220;why the trajectory of the Fed&#8217;s rate moves isn't as straightforward as markets believe.&#8221;</li>
</ul>



Meanwhile, Mohamed El-Erian said in a Substack post that the &#8220;main interest&#8221; this week would be in U.S. CPI inflation, especially after last week's weak job report and ahead of next week's Federal Reserve policy meeting.



&#8220;The consensus forecast anticipates somewhat greater tariff pass-through, maintaining the monthly core rate at 0.3%. PPI inflation data will be released later in the week,&#8221; he said.



Erian added that &#8220;While on U.S. data, there will be more than usual interest in the periodic BLS payroll revisions. This one covers the data from last March. Other interesting U.S. data releases this week include jobless claims and consumer sentiment.&#8221;



See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/how-to-trade-futures">How to Trade Futures </a>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Upcoming Economic Data</h2>



Here's what investors will be keeping an eye on this week;



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>On Monday, July&#8217;s consumer credit data will be out by 3:00 p.m. ET.</li>



<li>On Tuesday, August&#8217;s NFIB optimism index data will be released by 6:00 a.m. ET.</li>



<li>On Wednesday, August&#8217;s headline and core producer price index data will be announced by 8:30 a.m., and July&#8217;s wholesale inventories data will be released by 10:00 a.m. ET.</li>



<li>On Thursday, August&#8217;s headline and core consumer price index data and the initial jobless claims for the week ending Aug. 16 will be out by 8:30 a.m. ET.</li>



<li>August&#8217;s monthly U.S. federal budget data will be out by 2:00 p.m. ET.</li>



<li>On Friday, September&#8217;s preliminary consumer sentiment data will be released at 10:00 a.m. ET.</li>
</ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Stocks In Focus</h2>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Robinhood Markets Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/HOOD#NASDAQ">HOOD</a>) rose 6.91% in premarket on Monday after it was announced over the weekend that it would be added to the S&amp;P 500 index. The changes will be effective before the market opens on Sept. 22.</li>



<li>Applovin Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/APP#NASDAQ">APP</a>), up 7.29% and Emcor Group Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/EME#NYSE">EME</a>), higher by 2.32% were also set to join the S&amp;P 500 index along with HOOD.</li>



<li>Children&#8217;s Place Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PLCE#NASDAQ">PLCE</a>) jumped 6.62% after posting better-than-expected sales for the second quarter and also said it has plans to mitigate approximately 80% of the effects of tariffs.</li>



<li>Planet Labs PBC (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PL#NYSE">PL</a>) gained 5.97% as it is expected to report earnings before the opening bell. Analysts estimate earnings loss of 4 cents per share on revenue of $65.74 million.</li>



<li>Dynagas LNG Partners LP (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DLNG#NYSE">DLNG</a>) advanced 1.33% as analysts expect it to report earnings of 24 cents per share on revenue of $36.50 million before the opening bell.</li>



<li>Caseys General Stores Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CASY#NASDAQ">CASY</a>) was 0.80% higher as it is expected to report earnings after the closing bell. Analysts estimate earnings of $5.04 per share on the revenue of $4.48 billion.</li>



<li>Mission Produce Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AVO#NASDAQ">AVO</a>) was 1.45% higher as analysts expect it to report earnings of 14 cents per share on revenue of $320.25 million after the closing bell.</li>



<li>New Fortress Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NFE#NASDAQ">NFE</a>) dropped 12.24% after it missed third-quarter revenue estimates.</li>
</ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Commodities, Gold, And Global Equity Markets</h2>



Crude oil futures were trading higher in the early New York session by 1.58% to hover around $62.85 per barrel.



Gold Spot US Dollar rose 0.68% to hover around $3,611.27 per ounce. Its last record high stood at $3,613.58 per ounce. The U.S. Dollar Index spot was 0.14% lower at the 97.6270 level.



Asian markets closed higher on Monday, except Australia's ASX 200 index. Hong Kong's Hang Seng, China&#8217;s CSI 300, India&#8217;s S&amp;P BSE Sensex, South Korea's Kospi, and Japan's Nikkei 225 indices rose. European markets were also higher in early trade.



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Photo courtesy: Shutterstock

Earnings

Pre-Market Outlook

CASY

DLNG

GWRE

LULU

PLCE

Stock Market Today: Dow, Nasdaq Futures Rise As Market Bets On September Rate Cut—Robinhood, Applovin, Caseys General In Focus

As Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAPL#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>) gears up for its <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-stock-ratings/reiteration/25/08/47363338/goldman-sachs-sees-apple-revenue-acceleration-as-iphone-17-ai-take-center-stage">highly anticipated</a> iPhone 17 launch, industry analyst Daniel Newman has criticized the company for relying on predictable upgrades rather than delivering innovation.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Daniel Newman Says Apple Is ‘Better Than This'</h2>



On Sunday, Newman, CEO of Futurum Group, took to X, formerly Twitter, to vent his frustration with Apple ahead of the company's Sept. 9 event.



"The next ‘big $AAPL event' will be to launch a new iPhone 17 Air," he said, adding, "I am no longer surprised by Apple's lack of innovation and ingenuity. But come on for crying out loud. You're better than this, Apple."&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">The next ‘big <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%24AAPL&amp;src=ctag&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">$AAPL</a> event' will be to launch a new iPhone 17 Air. &#x1f634; I am no longer surprised by Apple's lack of innovation and ingenuity. But come on for crying out loud. You're better than this, Apple. &#x1f92f;&mdash; Daniel Newman (@danielnewmanUV) <a href="https://twitter.com/danielnewmanUV/status/1964829905952412020?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 7, 2025</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



His remarks come just days before Apple's "Awe Dropping" keynote at the Steve Jobs Theater in Cupertino, California.



The event, which will be livestreamed on apple.com and through the Apple TV app, marks the company's first major showcase since June's Worldwide Developers Conference.



See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/09/47536448/mark-cuban-once-said-first-trillionaire-could-be-one-dude-in-a-basement-now-hes-putting-ai-tools-directly-in-high-school-classrooms" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Mark Cuban Once Said First Trillionaire Could Be ‘One Dude In A Basement' — Now He's Putting AI Tools Directly In High School Classrooms</a>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What To Expect From Apple's iPhone 17 Launch</h2>



Apple is expected to <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/previews/25/08/47363134/apple-stock-to-get-boost-from-awe-dropping-iphone-17-event-not-so-fast-says-past-history">unveil multiple versions</a> of the iPhone 17, including what could be its slimmest model yet—the iPhone 17 Air. Reports suggest the Air will replace the iPhone Plus model, following a broader industry trend toward thinner designs.



Other updates may include new colors such as purple and green, enhanced cameras and incremental design improvements. Pricing is expected to start at $800 for the base model, $1,050 for the Pro, and $1,250 for the Pro Max.



A foldable iPhone is rumored for 2026, but no announcement is expected this year. Apple is also set to reveal updates to the Apple Watch series and AirPods Pro 3.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Analysts See Risks Of ‘Sell-The-News' Event</h2>



While Apple's launch events typically drive consumer excitement, some Wall Street analysts caution that this year could turn into a "sell-the-news" moment if the upgrades are perceived as modest.



Previously, Gene Munster of Deepwater Asset Management argued that Apple's bar for AI <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/09/47515140/apples-ai-story-could-finally-take-off-says-gene-munster-as-siri-gets-google-powered-upgrade-is-the-bar-about-to-be-raised">innovation remains low</a> but could rise sharply as Siri reportedly receives Alphabet Inc.'s (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>) (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>) Google Gemini integration in 2026.



Meanwhile, Wedbush analyst Dan Ives has repeatedly <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/08/47147306/dan-ives-says-apples-ai-strategy-has-been-a-disaster-and-no-one-on-the-street-believes-innovation-will-come-from-within">labeled Apple's AI strategy</a> a "disaster," criticizing its reliance on partners rather than internal breakthroughs.



Subscribe to the&nbsp;<a href="https://bztechtrends.beehiiv.com/subscribe" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Tech Trends newsletter</a>&nbsp;to get all the latest tech developments delivered to your inbox.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Balancing Legacy With Investor Expectations</h2>



With more than 2.4 billion iOS devices in circulation, Apple remains one of the most powerful players in consumer tech.



But Newman's criticism reflects growing impatience among analysts and investors who see rivals like Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>), Google and Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/META#NASDAQ">META</a>) racing ahead in artificial intelligence.



Apple is one of only two stocks in the Magnificent Seven, alongside Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSLA#NASDAQ">TSLA</a>), showing a negative year-to-date performance. Shares are down 1.71% YTD, though they have risen 8.50% over the past 12 months, according to <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/pro/">Benzinga Pro</a>.



Benzinga's Edge Stock Rankings indicate that AAPL maintains a solid upward trend across short, medium and long-term periods. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/premium/ideas/benzinga-edge-2#:~:text=Turn%20Market%20Chaos,when%20markets%20rebound'">Additional performance details can be found here</a>.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/premium/ideas/benzinga-edge-2#:~:text=Turn%20Market%20Chaos,when%20markets%20rebound'"><img decoding="async" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/08001706/Screenshot-2025-09-08-at-9.45.04%E2%80%AFAM.png" alt="" class="wp-image-1059639"/></a></figure>



Check out more of Benzinga&#8217;s Consumer Tech coverage by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/consumer-tech" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">following this link</a>.



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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/05/45599346/why-googles-demis-hassabis-disagrees-with-co-founder-sergey-brin-on-when-agi-will-arrive-and-sets-a-much-higher-bar" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Why Google&#8217;s Demis Hassabis Disagrees With Co-Founder Sergey Brin On When AGI Will Arrive: ‘I Have Quite A High Bar&#8217;</a></li>
</ul>



Photo Courtesy: hanohiki on Shutterstock.com



Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

MSFT

TSLA

Apple's Upcoming 'Awe Dropping' Event With iPhone 17 Air Draws Criticism As Commentator Daniel Newman Slams 'Lack Of Innovation'

The CNN Money Fear and Greed index showed a decline in the overall market sentiment, while the index moved to the &#8220;Neutral&#8221; zone on Friday.



U.S. stocks settled lower on Friday, with the Dow Jones index falling more than 200 points during the session following a disappointing jobs report.



Nonfarm payrolls grew by a meager 22,000 in August, after July&#8217;s weak 79,000 and a June revision showing a 13,000 job loss — the worst since 2020. The three-month hiring pace has collapsed to 29,000, locking in expectations for Fed rate cuts in September, October and December.



ABM Industries Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ABM#NYSE">ABM</a>) reported mixed fiscal third-quarter 2025 results. Shares of Lululemon Athletica Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/LULU#NASDAQ">LULU</a>) dipped more than 18% on Friday after the company lowered FY25 guidance. Multiple analysts downgraded the stock. Shares of Guidewire Software Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GWRE#NYSE">GWRE</a>) jumped 20% after the company reported fourth-quarter results above analyst estimates.



Most sectors on the S&amp;P 500 closed on a negative note, with energy, financial and industrials stocks recording the biggest losses on Friday. However, real estate and communication services stocks bucked the overall market trend, closing the session higher.



The Dow Jones closed lower by around 220 points to 45,400.86 on Friday. The S&amp;P 500 fell 0.32% to 6,481.50, while the Nasdaq Composite slipped 0.03% to 21,700.39 during Friday's session.



Investors are awaiting earnings results from Planet Labs PBC (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PL#NYSE">PL</a>), Mission Produce Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AVO#NASDAQ">AVO</a>) and Caseys General Stores Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CASY#NASDAQ">CASY</a>) today.



What is CNN Business Fear &amp; Greed Index?



At a current reading of 53.1, the index moved to the &#8220;Neutral&#8221; zone on Friday, versus a prior reading of 55.5.



The Fear &amp; Greed Index is a measure of the current market sentiment. It is based on the premise that higher fear exerts pressure on stock prices, while higher greed has the opposite effect. The index is calculated based on seven equal-weighted indicators. The index ranges from 0 to 100, where 0 represents maximum fear and 100 signals maximum greediness.



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Photo courtesy: Shutterstock

Dow Dips Over 200 Points Following Weak Jobs Data: Investor Sentiment Declines, Fear & Greed Index Moves To 'Neutral' Zone

Leading cryptocurrencies traded higher on Sunday, as investors braced for a week marked by key inflation data.



<figure class="wp-block-table"><table class="has-fixed-layout"><thead><tr><th>Cryptocurrency</th><th>Gains +/-</th><th>Price (Recorded at 9:30 p.m. ET)</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Bitcoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/btc/usd">BTC</a>)</td><td>+0.26%</td><td>$110,807.77</td></tr><tr><td>Ethereum (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/eth/usd">ETH</a>) &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</td><td>-0.14%</td><td>$4,288.17</td></tr><tr><td>XRP (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/xrp/usd">XRP</a>)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</td><td>+2.05%</td><td>$2.87</td></tr><tr><td>Solana (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/sol/usd">SOL</a>)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</td><td>+1.92%</td><td>$205.89</td></tr><tr><td>Dogecoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/doge/usd">DOGE</a>)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</td><td>+5.03%</td><td>$0.2279</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Bitcoin Moves In A Sideways Market</h2>



Bitcoin failed to break past the $112,000 resistance, oscillating within the tight trading range between $110,500 and $111,500. The coin's trading volume rose 22% in the last 24 hours.



Strategy Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSTR#NASDAQ">MSTR</a>) chairman Michael Saylor dropped a cryptic post, saying, "Needs More Orange," fueling speculation that his Bitcoin treasury company may make additional purchases.



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">Needs More Orange <a href="https://t.co/yvgqvmKtOb">pic.twitter.com/yvgqvmKtOb</a>&mdash; Michael Saylor (@saylor) <a href="https://twitter.com/saylor/status/1964663226039492970?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 7, 2025</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



Ethereum reached an intraday high of $4,334.27, but then fell below $4,300 late in the evening. Solana lifted nearly 2% over the last 24 hours..



About $140 million was liquidated from the cryptocurrency market in the last 24 hours, with $87 million in bearish shorts wiped out. Over $330 million in Bitcoin shorts risked liquidation if the leading cryptocurrency rises to $113,000.



Bitcoin's open interest dropped 0.49% in the last 24 hours. The majority of Binance futures traders with open BTC positions were positioned long as of this writing.



The overall market sentiment remained "Neutral," according to the Crypto Fear &amp; Greed Index.



Top Gainers (24 Hours)



<figure class="wp-block-table"><table class="has-fixed-layout"><thead><tr><th>Cryptocurrency</th><th>Gains +/-</th><th>Price (Recorded at 9:30 p.m. ET)</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>MYX Finance (MYX)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</td><td>+178.46%</td><td>$3.62</td></tr><tr><td>Somnia (SOMI)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</td><td>+64.16%</td><td>$1.70</td></tr><tr><td>Chintai (CHEX)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</td><td>+15.05%</td><td>$0.1250 </td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



The global cryptocurrency market capitalization stood at $3.83 trillion, growing by 0.56% in the last 24 hours.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What To Expect This Week</h2>



Stock futures ticked higher overnight Sunday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average Futures rose 47 points, or 0.10%, as of 8:57 p.m. EDT.&nbsp; Futures tied to the S&amp;P 500 gained 0.17%, while Nasdaq 100 Futures added 0.35%.



Investors will be watching key inflation reports this week, including the consumer price index and producer price index, for signs on the direction of interest rate cuts.



This follows a weaker-than-expected August jobs report, cementing expectations that the Federal Reserve <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/economic-data/25/09/47519931/august-employment-report-nonfarm-payrolls-wall-street-friday-interest-rate-cuts">will be compelled to cut interest rates.</a> Traders priced in a 92% chance of a 0.5% rate cut in the meeting later this month, <a href="https://www.cmegroup.com/markets/interest-rates/cme-fedwatch-tool.html">according</a> to the CMC FedWatch tool.



Stocks rallied sharply on Thursday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lifted 350.06 points, or 0.77%, to close at 45,621.29. The S&amp;P 500 rose 0.83% to finish at 6,502.08, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite closed up 0.98% at 21,707.69.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Blip Before A Rip?</h2>



Widely followed cryptocurrency analyst ZYN stated that Bitcoin usually bottoms at 0.382 Fibonacci level, which currently stood at around $100,000.



"So the worst case scenario is a 10% drop before a 50% rally above $150,000," they projected.



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%24BTC&amp;src=ctag&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">$BTC</a> usually bottoms at 0.382 Fibonacci level. This happened in Q3 2024, Q2 2025 and will probably happen again. For anyone wondering how low we can go, 0.382 Fibonacci level is currently around $100K. So the worst case scenario is a 10% drop before a 50% rally above $150,000. <a href="https://t.co/gdeLIe4RRF">pic.twitter.com/gdeLIe4RRF</a>&mdash; ZYN (@Zynweb3) <a href="https://twitter.com/Zynweb3/status/1964610365263896958?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 7, 2025</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



Meanwhile, Michaël van de Poppe predicted an interesting week ahead, stating that Bitcoin's breakout past $112,000 could be a "massive trigger" for the market.



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">Interesting week coming up.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bitcoin?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Bitcoin</a> breaking through $112K would be a massive trigger for the entire market. It would be the start of the next leg up for the entire market. <a href="https://t.co/EZIJZR56vk">pic.twitter.com/EZIJZR56vk</a>&mdash; Michaël van de Poppe (@CryptoMichNL) <a href="https://twitter.com/CryptoMichNL/status/1964779705787351132?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 7, 2025</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



Photo Courtesy: Shutterstock/CKA



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MSTR

Bitcoin, Dogecoin, Solana Gain; Ethereum Steady: Analyst Says BTC's Breakout Past This Level Could Be A 'Massive Trigger'

Shigeru Ishiba, Japan&#8217;s Prime Minister, has stepped down following substantial election setbacks. This development comes at a pivotal moment for Japan&#8217;s economy, which ranks as the fourth-largest globally.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Ruling Coalition Suffers Election Setbacks</h2>



Ishiba announced his resignation on Sunday after the ruling coalition suffered significant parliamentary losses, according to Reuters. 



Ishiba, 68, cited the need to take responsibility for the election defeats, which were driven by public dissatisfaction over rising living costs. He has directed the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) to hold an emergency leadership election and will continue his duties until a successor is chosen.



The resignation of Shigeru Ishiba was anticipated following the coalition&#8217;s poor performance in the House of Councillors election, as noted by senior executives of the LDP in July. The decision was <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/politics/25/07/46563459/japan-pm-ishiba-resignation-seen-as-inevitable-decision-expected-in-august-report">seen as inevitable</a>, with rising discontent within party ranks. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Resignation Comes After Trade Deal With Trump</h2>



The resignation follows a finalized trade agreement with the United States aimed at reducing tariffs imposed by President&nbsp;Donald Trump. Ishiba expressed hope that his successor will uphold the deal and address&nbsp;voter concerns over living costs.



The landmark $550 billion trade deal with the United States, announced by President Trump, aimed to resolve tariff disputes that Ishiba had previously criticized as <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/economic-data/25/07/46288472/japans-prime-minister-criticizes-trumps-tariff-decision-shigeru-ishiba-calls-move-truly-regrettable">&#8220;truly regrettable.&#8221; </a>



The trade agreement included provisions for Japan to <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/08/46889179/trump-says-japan-will-import-ford-f-150-trucks-amid-confusion-over-15-tariff-timeline-announces-650-billion-deal-with-eu">import Ford F-150 trucks</a>, amidst confusion over a 15% tariff timeline. The political shift in Japan could have significant implications for the execution of this trade deal and the country&#8217;s economic policies moving forward.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Sanae Takaichi, Shinjiro Koizumi Among Potential Successors</h2>



Potential successors include LDP veteran Sanae Takaichi and Shinjiro Koizumi, Ishiba&#8217;s farm minister. Takaichi&#8217;s stance on fiscal policy and interest rates could influence financial markets, according to Kazutaka Maeda of the Meiji Yasuda Research Institute, as reported by Reuters.



Political uncertainty has already impacted Japan&#8217;s yen and government bonds, with further market reactions anticipated. The LDP remains the largest party in the lower house, making the next president a likely prime minister candidate.



Ishiba reportedly expressed hope that his successor will carry out the trade deal with the United States.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Nikkei Rises, Yen Slips After Japanese Prime Minister&#8217;s Exit</h2>



The yen slipped 0.7% to 148.43 against the dollar in early trade, according to Reuters. The Nikkei climbed 1.52% to 43,671.97 at the time of writing. Photo Courtesy: A.PAES on Shutterstock.com



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This story was generated using <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/benzinga-neuro">Benzinga Neuro</a> and edited by <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/shivdeep-dhaliwal" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Shivdeep Dhaliwal</a>

Japan's Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba Resigns, Hopes Trump Trade Deal Will Be Executed By His Successor

President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs, meant to boost American jobs and revenue, are driving major exporters in Brazil and India toward China while U.S. consumers face looming price hikes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Brazil Coffee Exporters Turn To China After 50% US Tariff</h2>



Brazil, the world's largest coffee supplier, was hit with a 50% U.S. import tax, prompting exporters to redirect shipments to China's growing cafe market, as reported <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4gzrqd4pdjo">by</a> BBC News on Friday.&nbsp;



"If the tariffs are meant to weaken Brazil, in reality, it is pushing sellers closer to China," said Hugo Portes, a global coffee trader.&nbsp;



More than 180 Brazilian coffee firms recently registered to export to China, an "unprecedented" shift, according to Portes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">India's Seafood And Tea Producers Diversify Amid US Trade Pressures</h2>



Indian exporters of tea and seafood are also adjusting after Washington<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/politics/25/08/46954702/india-is-ready-for-it-says-pm-narendra-modi-on-trumps-tariff-threats-will-never-compromise-on-farmer-interests"> imposed 50% tariffs and additional levies tied</a> to New Delhi's oil trade with Moscow.&nbsp;



"It will be a difficult time," said K.N. Raghavan of the Seafood Exporters Association of India, while adding that he was optimistic about securing new markets.&nbsp;



China and Europe are emerging as top alternatives for Indian producers, though exporters warn they could lose ground to cheaper African suppliers.



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Trump Downplays US-India Rift After Tariffs On Indian Goods</h2>



Trump downplayed tensions with India on Saturday, saying there was "nothing to worry about" in U.S.-India ties despite Washington imposing a 50% tariff on Indian goods over New Delhi's purchases of Russian energy. 



He insisted he remained friends with Prime Minister Narendra Modi but criticized Modi's engagement with Russia and China.



Modi welcomed Trump's remarks, stressing that India and the U.S. share a "forward-looking Comprehensive and Global Strategic Partnership." 



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">Deeply appreciate and fully reciprocate President Trump&#39;s sentiments and positive assessment of our ties. India and the US have a very positive and forward-looking Comprehensive and Global Strategic Partnership.<a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> <a href="https://t.co/4hLo9wBpeF">https://t.co/4hLo9wBpeF</a>&mdash; Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/1964180697012228163?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 6, 2025</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">US Manufacturing Contracts As Tariffs Drive Up Costs</h2>



Trump's <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/politics/25/09/47452441/trump-tariffs-manufacturing-pmi-ism-activity-prices">tariff strategy backfired on U.S. manufacturing</a>, which shrank for the sixth straight month as companies reported rising costs, layoffs, and planning chaos. 



The Institute for Supply Management's August PMI came in at 48.7%, below the 50% threshold for expansion and weaker than expected.



While new orders ticked up slightly, production, employment, supplier deliveries, and inventories all deteriorated. 



Input prices rose and both imports and exports contracted. Business leaders directly blamed tariff policy for stagflation and uncertainty.



A transportation equipment executive said the industry was in worse shape than during the 2008–09 recession. Food and beverage companies have warned of higher costs due to Brazilian tariffs and USDA quota changes. 



Electronics and machinery firms said reshoring was stalling due to raw material inflation. One electrical equipment maker raised prices by 24%, laid off 15% of staff and froze hiring.



<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/macro-economic-events/25/09/47514252/trump-warns-foreign-chipmakers-build-in-us-or-we-will-be-putting-a-very-substantial-tariff">Other firms across hardware</a>, chemicals, and petroleum also cut forecasts, citing tariff-driven volatility.



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Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.



Photo courtesy: Joshua Sukoff / Shutterstock.com

Global

Trump's Global Tariffs Backfire: Brazil, India Shift Coffee, Seafood Exports To China—US Consumers Face Higher Prices

The U.S. labor market slowed sharply this summer, with August payrolls adding just 22,000 jobs after July's 79,000 and a downward <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/economic-data/25/09/47531002/week-in-review-gold-sp500-labor-market-trump-fed-independence" rel="noreferrer noopener">June revision showing a 13,000 loss.</a>



The three-month average now stands at 29,000, virtually guaranteeing Federal Reserve rate cuts starting with a quarter-point move at the September 17 meeting, followed by more later this year.



Despite the weak jobs backdrop, Wall Street has stayed buoyant, pushing the S&amp;P 500 to fresh highs before a modest pullback, leaving the index up about 10% year-to-date.



Also Read: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/25/09/47537068/robinhood-enters-sp-500-marking-retail-tradings-shift-to-wall-street-core" rel="noreferrer noopener">Robinhood Enters S&amp;P 500, Marking Retail Trading&#8217;s Shift To Wall Street Core</a>



Gold has surged past $3,500, rising in seven of the last eight sessions and up 37% in 2025, on pace for its strongest <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/commodities/25/09/47536944/gold-explainer-2025-rally-federal-reserve-trump" rel="noreferrer noopener">annual run since 1978. </a>Investors are also positioning defensively, with safe-haven demand driven by both rate-cut expectations and political uncertainty over the Fed's independence under President Donald Trump.



Earnings



Nio (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NIO#NYSE">NIO</a>) reported fiscal&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/pressreleases/25/09/g47443184/nio-inc-reports-unaudited-second-quarter-2025-financial-results" rel="noreferrer noopener">second-quarter r</a>evenue of 19.01 billion Chinese yuan&nbsp;($2.65 billion), up 9.0%&nbsp;year-over-year (Y/Y). The revenue <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/earnings/25/09/47445295/nio-lifts-deliveries-outlook-as-ceo-hints-at-suv-market-shakeup" rel="noreferrer noopener">grew by&nbsp;57.9%&nbsp;sequentially.</a>



Broadcom Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AVGO#NASDAQ">AVGO</a>) reported third-quarter revenue of $15.95 billion, beating&nbsp;analyst estimates of $15.83 billion,<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/earnings/25/09/47510899/broadcom-beats-q3-earnings-estimates-as-ai-revenue-growth-accelerates" rel="noreferrer noopener"> according to&nbsp;Benzinga Pro.&nbsp;</a>



Dollar Tree, Inc.&#8217;s (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DLTR#NASDAQ">DLTR</a>) second-quarter sales increased 12.3% to $4.567 billion, beating the consensus of $4.484 billion. Same-store net sales increased 6.5%, driven by a 3% increase in traffic<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/earnings/25/09/47473483/dollar-tree-raises-outlook-but-tariff-pressures-spark-investor-selloff" rel="noreferrer noopener"> and a 3.4% increase in average ticket.</a>



Macy&#8217;s Inc (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/M#NYSE">M</a>) reported better-than-expected&nbsp;second-quarter earnings&nbsp;and raised its fiscal outlook. Net sales reached $4.81 billion for the quarter, down 2.5% year over year, beating the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-stock-ratings/analyst-color/25/09/47507901/macys-new-fit-earnings-beat-outlook-raised-tariffs-pinch" rel="noreferrer noopener">consensus of $4.76 billion.</a>



DocuSign, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DOCU#NASDAQ">DOCU</a>) posted second-quarter earnings of 92 cents per share, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-stock-ratings/analyst-color/25/09/47529283/docusign-nears-post-reset-stability-amid-execution-market-gains" rel="noreferrer noopener">topping the consensus of 84 cents.</a>



DocuSign also raised its fiscal&nbsp;2026 revenue guidance&nbsp;to $3.19–3.20 billion, above the prior Street estimate of $3.16 billion.



lululemon athletica inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/LULU#NASDAQ">LULU</a>) &nbsp;reported second-quarter revenue of $2.53 billion, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/earnings/25/09/47510629/lululemon-stock-tumbles-on-mixed-q2-earnings-lower-guidance" rel="noreferrer noopener">missing the&nbsp;consensus estimate of $2.54 billion</a>.



Technology



Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAPL#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>) &nbsp;is reportedly developing its own artificial intelligence-powered web search tool, internally dubbed "World Knowledge Answers,"<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/09/47536532/apple-plans-siri-ai-upgrade-to-outpace-perplexity-as-wall-street-pushes-30-billion-buyout-report" rel="noreferrer noopener"> for integration into Siri by 2026.</a>



Apple was hit with a class-action lawsuit on Friday alleging the tech giant illegally used copyrighted books without permission <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/legal/25/09/47536273/apple-faces-class-action-lawsuit-over-reported-use-of-copyrighted-books-to-train-ai" rel="noreferrer noopener">to train its artificial intelligence systems.</a>



Palantir Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PLTR#NASDAQ">PLTR</a>)&nbsp;is&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/palantir" rel="noreferrer noopener">strengthening its role</a>&nbsp;in the U.S. industry by expanding key partnerships and scheduling <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/09/47498885/palantir-deepens-industry-ties-as-lear-and-lumen-embrace-its-ai-platforms" rel="noreferrer noopener">its next central customer showcase.</a>



The company announced a five-year extension with&nbsp;Lear Corporation (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/LEA#NYSE">LEA</a>), a new collaboration with&nbsp;Lumen Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/LUMN#NYSE">LUMN</a>), and plans for its upcoming AIPCon 8 event in September 2025.



NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>) is paying $1.5 billion to rent its own chips – yes, the same GPUs it sold to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/08/47309490/supermicro-lambda-expand-ai-infrastructure-with-nvidia-blackwell-powered-servers" rel="noreferrer noopener">Lambda</a><a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/08/47309490/supermicro-lambda-expand-ai-infrastructure-with-nvidia-blackwell-powered-servers" rel="noreferrer noopener">, a cloud startup it partly owns</a>.



Roku, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ROKU#NASDAQ">ROKU</a>)&nbsp;announced Friday that it has partnered with&nbsp;YouTube TV&nbsp;to bring live sports directly to its Sports Channel, enabling viewers to stream NFL and NBA games<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/entertainment/25/09/47526564/roku-boosts-streaming-options-as-youtube-tv-joins-sports-hub" rel="noreferrer noopener"> without switching between multiple apps.</a>



Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/META#NASDAQ">META</a>)&nbsp;CEO&nbsp;Mark Zuckerberg&nbsp;said on June 8, 2023, that his lessons from Jiu-Jitsu, including the willingness to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/23/06/32807615/how-mark-zuckerberg-harnesses-jiu-jitsu-to-run-meta-better-your-ability-to-keep-doing-interesting-th" rel="noreferrer noopener">embrace embarrassment</a>, helped him grow as a leader and<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/09/47536617/mark-zuckerberg-used-jiu-jitsu-lessons-to-reinvent-himself-from-being-criticized-as-robotic-to-emerging-as-a-silicon-valley-power-player" rel="noreferrer noopener"> reshape both his image and his company&#8217;s direction.</a>



Artificial Intelligence



The artificial intelligence sector continues to attract significant venture capital despite broader economic uncertainties, with the past week seeing over $120 million invested <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/opinion/25/09/47501908/over-120-million-pours-into-ai-startups-across-new-frontiers" rel="noreferrer noopener">across a diverse range of AI startups.&nbsp;</a>



Jeff Bezos&#8217; Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMZN#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>)&nbsp;and&nbsp;Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>)-backed&nbsp;Anthropic&nbsp;agreed to pay $1.5 billion to settle a class-action lawsuit from authors who accused&nbsp;the artificial intelligence company&nbsp;of using their books without permission to<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/legal/25/09/47535904/jeff-bezos-backed-anthropic-to-pay-1-5-billion-in-ai-copyright-settlement-with-authors-after-13-billion-funding-round" rel="noreferrer noopener"> train its Claude chatbot.</a>



HubSpot, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/HUBS#NYSE">HUBS</a>) unveiled over 200 product updates at its INBOUND 2025 event, pitching AI-driven growth initiatives but holding firm on its 2027 margin outlook, leaving investors<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-stock-ratings/initiation/25/09/47506429/hubspot-ai-rollout-fails-to-ease-concerns-over-stagnant-margins" rel="noreferrer noopener"> weighing innovation against profitability.</a>



DeepSeek&nbsp;and MEITUAN (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MPNGY#OTC">MPNGY</a>)&nbsp;are emerging as China&#8217;s strongest contenders in the escalating race to challenge&nbsp;OpenAI,&nbsp;Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>), Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BABA#NYSE">BABA</a>), and&nbsp;Tencent Holding Ltd. (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TCEHY#OTC">TCEHY</a>)&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/09/47517325/deepseek-and-meituan-emerge-as-chinas-boldest-ai-challengers" rel="noreferrer noopener">in global&nbsp;artificial intelligence.</a>



Automobile



BYD Co., Ltd. (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BYDDY#OTC">BYDDY</a>)&nbsp;has reportedly slashed the annual sales target for 2025<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/asia/25/09/47492684/tesla-rival-byd-slashes-annual-sales-target-by-16-amid-profit-drop-report" rel="noreferrer noopener"> by 16% amid a decline in profits.</a>



Downloads for&nbsp;Tesla, Inc.&#8217;s (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSLA#NASDAQ">TSLA</a>)&nbsp;Robotaxi app on&nbsp;Apple&#8217;s&nbsp;App Store hit a record high amid proposed<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/09/47516653/tesla-robotaxi-downloads-outpace-uber-by-40-on-apples-app-store-amid-ease-of-self-driving-regulations" rel="noreferrer noopener"> autonomous driving regulations.</a>



Tesla board of directors unveiled a striking new compensation plan for CEO&nbsp;Elon Musk&nbsp;that could be worth as much as $1 trillion, setting the stage for one of the largest pay packages<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/09/47518118/tesla-board-unveils-900-billion-award-plan-that-could-put-elon-musk-on-trillionaire-track-if-company-hits-wild-targets" rel="noreferrer noopener"> ever seen in corporate America</a>.



Lucid Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/LCID#NASDAQ">LCID</a>)&nbsp;has unveiled its&nbsp;latest global&nbsp;brand campaign, Driven, featuring Academy Award-nominated <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/movers/25/09/47507740/what-going-on-with-lucid-group-stock-thursday" rel="noreferrer noopener">actor&nbsp;</a><a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/movers/25/09/47507740/what-going-on-with-lucid-group-stock-thursday" rel="noreferrer noopener">Timothée Chalamet.</a>



BMW Group and QUALCOMM Incorporated (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QCOM#NASDAQ">QCOM</a>)&nbsp;have introduced Snapdragon Ride Pilot on Friday, a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/pressreleases/25/09/b47516893/qualcomm-and-bmw-group-unveil-groundbreaking-automated-driving-system-with-jointly-developed-softw" rel="noreferrer noopener">new automated driving platform</a>&nbsp;aimed at advancing safety and driver assistance.



WeRide Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/WRD#NASDAQ">WRD</a>) has officially launched&nbsp;round-the-clock commercial operations of its mass-produced<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/09/47493429/weride-rolls-out-24-7-driverless-robotaxi-service-in-guangzhous-huangpu-district" rel="noreferrer noopener"> Robotaxi GXR in Guangzhou's Huangpu District.</a>



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Consumer Tech News (September 1 – September 5): Apple AI Push, Palantir Expands Partnerships, Tesla Robotaxi Surge, NVIDIA's $1.5B Chip Deal

The weekend was a whirlwind of tech and political news, with major players like&nbsp;Elon Musk&nbsp;and&nbsp;President Donald Trump&nbsp;making headlines. From Musk&#8217;s missed White House invitation to Trump&#8217;s tariff warning to foreign chipmakers, the tech world was abuzz with developments. Let&#8217;s dive into the top stories.



Musk Misses White House Invite



Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSLA#NASDAQ">TSLA</a>) CEO Elon Musk revealed that he was invited to a Rose Garden event at the White House but was unable to attend. The news came in response to a social media post questioning why Musk was not invited to the exclusive event, which saw the likes of Microsoft Corp founder Bill Gates and Meta Platforms Inc. CEO Mark Zuckerberg in attendance.



<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/politics/25/09/47514535/amid-trumps-white-house-rose-garden-event-snub-elon-musk-says-he-was-invited-but-unfortunately-coul">Read the full article here.</a>



Trump&#8217;s Tariff Warning To Foreign Chipmakers



President Trump has issued a stern warning to foreign chipmakers, stating that his administration will impose tariffs on semiconductor imports from companies that have not committed to shifting production to the United States. The announcement came ahead of a White House dinner with major tech CEOs.



<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/macro-economic-events/25/09/47514252/trump-warns-foreign-chipmakers-build-in-us-or-we-will-be-putting-a-very-substantial">Read the full article here.</a>



See Also:&nbsp;<a href="https://benzinga.com/news/politics/25/09/47515533/trumps-transportation-secretary-sean-duffy-proposes-eased-regulations-for-autonomous-driving-americ" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Trump&#8217;s Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy Proposes Eased Regulations For Autonomous Driving: &#8216;America Must Lead&#8230;&#8217;</a>



Google Slapped With $425 Million Privacy Penalty



Alphabet Inc. has been ordered to pay $425 million after a federal jury ruled that Google violated user privacy by continuing to collect data even when account tracking settings were switched off. The verdict was delivered in a San Francisco federal court.



<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/09/47490088/google-ordered-to-pay-425-million-in-privacy-class-action-company-says-data-was-nonpersonal-and-stored-securely">Read the full article here.</a>



Apple and Google Score Big in Antitrust Case



Shares of both Alphabet Inc and&nbsp;Apple Inc. are trading higher after a favorable ruling from a U.S. judge. Analysts have hailed the ruling as a &#8216;monster win&#8217; for both companies.



<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/25/09/47477245/apple-gets-home-run-ruling-in-google-antitrust-case-analyst-says-monster-win-for-both-mag-7-stocks">Read the full article here.</a>



Potential AI Partnership For Apple And Google



Following their courtroom victory, Alphabet Inc.&#8217;s Google should consider a new chapter in artificial intelligence collaboration with Apple Inc., according to Wedbush analyst Dan Ives. This comes after U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta ruled that Google will not be forced to divest core businesses or end its multibillion-dollar deal with Apple.



<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/09/47490974/dan-ives-says-apple-and-google-could-walk-down-the-aisle-on-bigger-gemini-ai-partnership-after-antitrust-win-dream-scenario">Read the full article here.</a>



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<li><a href="https://benzinga.com/24/12/42680592/peter-thiel-once-said-he-would-bet-on-the-reversal-of-silicon-valleys-math-bias-as-ai-continues-to-rise-isnt-that-a-long-overdue-rebalancing-of-our-society" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Peter Thiel Once Said He Would Bet On The Reversal Of Silicon Valley&#8217;s Math Bias As AI Continues To Rise: &#8216;Isn&#8217;t That A Long Overdue Rebalancing Of Our Society&#8217;</a></li>
</ul>



Photo Courtesy: Photo Agency on Shutterstock.com



This story was generated using <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/benzinga-neuro">Benzinga Neuro</a> and edited by <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/ananya-gairola" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ananya Gairola</a>

Elon Musk Snubs Trump Event, Google Hit With $425 Million Privacy Payout, Dan Ives Sees Apple-Gemini AI 'Dream Scenario' — This Week In Tech

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