Apple and Meta are proving it - AI is going corporate:

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After a fundraising round that pinned the AI startup's value at more than $60 billion, Anthropic (ANTH.PVT) has enjoyed a vigorous run.

The company notched an early court victory over a copyright lawsuit with implications for AI's future, and now it stands in contention to power Apple's new version of Siri.

That would place Anthropic's Claude model in one of the most enviable positions in tech.

This week, Bloomberg reported that Apple is considering using AI technology from outside firms to power an updated version of its assistant, possibly sidelining its own in-house efforts, as part of a broader push to keep pace in the AI arms race.

The report comes on the heels of Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg's aggressive recruitment drive to poach top AI researchers and engineers at rival shops. He has offered as much as $100 million to pull outside talent into the Meta fold. Yahoo Finance reports.

🎢 Stock market today: Dow, S&P 500, Nasdaq futures stall as focus tightens on Trump's trade deal progress: US stock futures hit pause on Wednesday as Wall Street weighed US progress on trade deals with just a week to go until the resumption of President Trump's sweeping tariffs.

Markets are watching for signs the US will hammer out deals with the likes of the EU and Japan before a pause on Trump's "reciprocal" tariffs lifts on July 9.

Trump reiterated on Tuesday that most countries will get a letter with a "take it or leave it" tariff rate. The fear is that historically high tariff rates could push up inflation as businesses pass on costs, which would likely shape the Federal Reserve's thinking on interest rates.

Meanwhile, eyes are on an ADP update on private payrolls for June, due before the bell on Wednesday. Yahoo Finance reports.

🎆 Trump tariffs live updates: Trump suggests he won't extend tariff pause, floats higher tariff level for Japan: President Trump stated that his team would force Japan to accept higher tariffs of "30%, 35% or whatever the number is that we determine."

Notably, that proposal is higher than the 24% "Liberation Day" level and the current baseline 10% tariffs in place while the two sides negotiate.

“I’m not sure we’re going to make a deal," Trump said. "I doubt it with Japan. They’re very tough. You have to understand, they’re very spoiled."

Trump's tariff hike threat on Japan is a worst case scenario for Tokyo and has led some to question Japan's trade negotiation tactics. Yahoo Finance reports.

🍺 Modelo owner Constellation Brands misses on earnings as aluminum tariffs hit profitability: Constellation Brands on Tuesday reported quarterly earnings and revenue that missed analysts’ estimates as tariffs on aluminum weighed on its profitability.

Still, the brewer reiterated its forecast for fiscal 2026, showing confidence that it can hit its financial targets despite the weaker-than-expected quarterly performance and higher tariffs.

Shares of the company fell less than 1% in extended trading. The stock has shed more than 20% of its value this year, fueled by concerns about how the higher duties imposed by President Donald Trump would affect demand for its beer. CNBC reports.

🛰️ Amazon Seeks to Strengthen Satellite Internet Team to Expand in East Asia: Amazon.com is recruiting government sales leads in Japan, South Korea and Taiwan to advance its Project Kuiper satellite internet business in East Asia, Bloomberg reported Wednesday, quoting job postings on Amazon's website.

According to the report, Amazon currently has 54 of its planned 3,236 Kuiper satellites in orbit and aims to begin commercial service later this year.

Kuiper will compete with SpaceX's leading Starlink by offering residential broadband alongside connectivity packages for government and corporate customers, the report added.

In 2023, Amazon struck a deal with a consortium of Japanese telecom companies to provide internet service in Japan, Bloomberg noted. MarketScreener reports.

🤖 Intel Considering Shift in Chipmaking Strategy: Intel (INTC) is reviewing whether to stop marketing its 18A chipmaking technology to external customers as part of a broader strategy shift in the chipmaking business under new CEO Lip-Bu Tan, Reuters reported late Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter.

The reported shift would be a significant departure from the previous strategy under former CEO Pat Gelsinger and could result in a multimillion-dollar write-off, the report said.

Intel is instead expected to focus resources on its next-generation 14A chipmaking process, which it believes will provide a competitive edge over rival Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSM), the report said.

Tan is preparing to present options to the board as early as this month, but a final decision may not be made until later this year, the report added. MarketScreener reports.

🚙 Tesla China Sales Rise Slightly in June: Tesla's China-made EV sales rose 0.8% year-over-year in June to 71,599 units, ending an eight-month decline, Reuters reported Wednesday, citing data from the China Passenger Car Association.

The report said the deliveries of Model 3 and Model Y from its Shanghai factory, both domestic and export, jumped 16.1% from May, despite intensifying competition from lower-priced Chinese rivals.

BYD, Tesla's top local competitor, saw global sales climb 11% to 377,628 vehicles last month, Reuters reports.

(All pricing and percent gains are based on Early Pre-Market from 4:00 AM to 7:00 AM Eastern Time)
Benzinga reports.

1) $DAIC: CID Holdco

Total gain: +201.08%

2) $ELWS: Earlyworks

Total gain: +78.42%

3) $NAMM: Namib Minerals

Total gain: +77.47%

4) $SCAG: Scage Future

Total gain: +62.46%

5) $BGL: Blue Gold

Total gain: +34.28%

The closing price of the top three market percent gainers trading near or above $3 on July 1.
Benzinga reports.

*All pricing and percent gains are based on regular market trading hours from 9:30am to 4:00pm Eastern Time

1) $BGLC: BioNexus Gene Lab

Total gain: +262.53%

The stock appeared to be moving on no notable news.

2) $RCT: RedCloud Holdings

Total gain: +37.99%

The stock appeared to be moving on no notable news.

3) $BMNR: BitMine Immersion Technologies

Total gain: +36.87%

The stock appeared to be moving on no notable news.

*Estimate and Actual numbers represent Earnings Per Share in US Dollars


FC: Franklin Covey
3Q 2025

After Market Close
Estimate: -0.080
Actual: N/A

UNF: UniFirst
3Q 2025

Before Market Open
Estimate: 2.090
Actual: N/A

NTZ: Natuzzi
1Q 2025

After Market Close
Estimate: N/A
Actual: N/A

“Losses loom larger than gains.”

- Daniel Kahneman

Sourced in: “Thinking, fast and slow”, by Daniel Kahneman, published in 2011.