For: August 5, 2026

>>Ahead Of The Bell

(New York, NY) -- The opening bell rings this morning after stocks closed sharply higher on Wall Street yesterday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 both notched new records as optimism grows that the Strait of Hormuz will be reopened. At the closing bell,the Dow Jones Industrial Average added 907 points to 54-085. The S&P 500 gained 136 points to 77-36. The Nasdaq rose 671 points to 26-584.

>>SpaceX Releases First Earnings Report As Publicly Traded Company

(Starbase, TX) -- SpaceX reported better than expected quarterly profit in its first report as a public company, but concern over massive spending on artificial intelligence sent the stock down more than six percent after-hours. The rocket company posted Q2 revenue of seven-point-eight-billion dollars, mostly from its Starlink internet service. But its xAI unit, which runs Grok, spent nearly 16-billion-dollars, the majority of SpaceX's capital expenditures. SpaceX ranks as one of the top ten largest companies in the world based on market cap.

>>Paramount Warner Bros Antitrust Trial

(Los Angeles, CA) -- A federal judge has set a March 2027 trial date in the antitrust lawsuit challenging Paramount's proposed merger with Warner Bros. Discovery. The date is later than Paramount requested and could prove costly, as the company is set to begin paying Warner Bros. Discovery shareholders seven-million dollars a day starting October 1st until the deal closes. A coalition of 12 state attorneys general argues the 111-billion dollar merger would reduce competition, while the Writers Guild of America has filed a separate lawsuit raising concerns about its impact on writers. Paramount maintains the merger would strengthen its ability to compete with major streaming companies and ultimately benefit consumers.

>>California Democrats Endorse Billionaire Tax Measure

(Sacramento, CA) -- California Democrats are officially backing a ballot measure that would tax the state's wealthiest residents to help fund healthcare. The state Democratic Party's executive board voted to endorse Proposition 40, which would impose a five-percent tax on the net worth of billionaires to help prevent healthcare cuts, hospital closures and layoffs. Supporters say the measure would protect essential services, while opponents, including Governor Gavin Newsom, some labor groups and business organizations, argue it could drive wealthy residents out of California and reduce long-term tax revenue. 

For: August 4, 2026

>>Ahead Of The Bell 

(New York, NY)  --  The opening bell rings this morning after stocks closed higher on Wall Street Monday as Iran tensions ease.  Stocks rallied with the Dow Jones Industrial Average surging to a record high as oil prices declined after President Trump called off planned strikes against Iran.  Tech shares including Meta Platforms, Amazon, Alphabet and Microsoft all climbed about five percent or more.  At the closing bell, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 693 points to 53-178.  The S&P 500 rose 110 points to 76-00.  The Nasdaq jumped 540 points to 25-913.

>>SpaceX's First Earnings Report As Publicly Traded Company Due Today 

(Starbase, TX)  --  SpaceX is preparing to release its first quarterly earnings report as a publicly traded company today.  Among the line items investors will be watching - total revenue, revenue from its Starlink satellite internet service and AI revenue guidance will be highly scrutinized.  The earnings report also triggers an expiration lock up period ending Thursday, which opens more than 910-million shares for sale that were purchased by early investors.  SpaceX ranks as one of the top ten largest companies in the world based on market cap.

>>Amazon Market Cap

(Seattle, WA)  --  Amazon continues to rise after its market value topped three-trillion for the first time.  Shares hit a record high Monday, rising about four-percent after the company reported their second-quarter earnings, fueled by major growth in its cloud computing business and rising demand for artificial intelligence services.  Amazon Web Services brought in more than forty-two-billion-dollars in revenue, beating Wall Street expectations and highlighting the continued AI boom across the tech industry.  CEO Andy Jassy says Amazon plans to increase its spending on AI infrastructure, projecting capital investments could reach two-hundred-twenty-billion this year as the company works to keep up with demand.

>>Trump: Oil Companies Are Making Too Much Money

(Washington, DC)  --  President Trump says ExxonMobil and Chevron are making too much money.  Speaking in the Oval Office Monday, Trump said the country's two largest oil companies were taking in too much money based on a shortage and that they ought to give some of that windfall back to the public.  The President said he's a big free enterprise guy but he's not happy about the situation.  The oil industry argues current profits are based on global supply and demand.   The American Petroleum Institute also cites uncertainty over the Strait of Hormuz, the critical oil trade route that's been choked to a trickle by the Iran war.  

>>Jobs Report Out This Week 

(Undated)  --  The monthly jobs report will be in the spotlight when it's released by the Labor Department this week.  Most analysts expect to see that the economy added an estimated 85-thousand new, non-farm payroll jobs in July.  That would be a notable increase from the 57-thousand jobs added the month prior, although the unemployment rate is forecast to tick slightly up to four-point-three percent.  The latest U.S. employment report is set for release on Friday.

For: August 3, 2026

>>Watching Wall Street 

(New York, NY)  --  The opening bell rings this morning after stocks closed higher on Friday to wrap up the final trading session of July.  Amazon surged 15 percent after reporting better than expected second quarter results.  Investors looked past rising bond yields as chip stocks extended their rally to end the week.  At the closing bell, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 276 points to 52-485.  The S&P 500 added 52 points to 74-89.  The Nasdaq rose 251 points to 25-373.

>>Some Improvement Expected In Monthly Jobs Report 

(Undated)  --  Coming up in the business week ahead - jobs data.  We'll get the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey on Tuesday, followed by ADP's monthly hiring survey on Wednesday.  The payroll processor only looks at private employers, but economists consider it a good indication of what to expect from the big headline story of the week - the monthly jobs report.  That's due to be released by the Labor Department on Friday.  Most analysts estimate the economy added about 85-thousand new, non-farm payroll jobs in July.  That would be a notable increase from the 57-thousand jobs added the month prior, although the unemployment rate is forecast to tick slightly up to four-point-three percent.  

>>Consumer Sentiment Rises Nearly 12% In July  

(Ann Arbor, MI)  --  Consumer sentiment jumped in July as inflation fears eased.  The University of Michigan's final reading for last month rose nearly 12 percent from June.  The survey's chief economist said despite the recent gains overall sentiment is still down eleven percent from a year ago.  She noted consumers remain focused on pocketbook issues after five years of high inflation and high prices.  One-year inflation expectations dipped slightly to their lowest readying since March.

>>Americans Hold Record New Vehicle Debt 

(Santa Monica, CA)  --  New car prices are causing buyers to go deeper into debt to finance purchases.  Data from Edmunds shows almost 30-percent of new car buyers are still paying off loans for their trade-ins.  Edmunds said the average amount of remaining balances on cars traded in the second quarter of 2026 was nearly seven-thousand dollars.  That's the highest for a second quarter on record.

>>Ford Recalls 47k Trucks To Fix Rear Camera Display Issue 

(Detroit, MI)  --  Ford is recalling over 47-thousand F-150 and F-250 pickup trucks.  A spokesperson says the rear camera's display screen blocks when the menu is open when reversing.  It violates a federal rule and may cause an accident.  Owners will be sent a letter starting this month.  An over-the-air software update may fix this issue for most trucks.  For more details, go to the NHTSA webpage.