IPO market surges in August with companies 'striking while the iron is hot'

📊 Dow, S&P 500, Nasdaq futures climb as investors await retail data after rate-cut bets cool:

US stock futures were mixed on Friday as Wall Street tempered its rate-cut hopes and awaited July's retail sales report.

Traders were also awaiting Friday's meeting between President Trump and Vladimir Putin, looking for clues on how the outcome could steer markets.

Futures attached to the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose around 0.6%.

Futures attached to the benchmark S&P 500 were flat and futures attached to the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 fell below the flatline.

UnitedHealth stock soared on Friday before the bell after a regulatory filing showed Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway bought 5 million shares in the company.

Intel shares jumped premarket Friday on news that the US government is considering taking a stake in the company. President Trump met with Intel's CEO on Monday after calling on him to resign the previous week. Yahoo Finance reports.


👜 Tapestry shares plunge nearly 16% as Coach parent says tariffs will bite into profits:

Shares of Coach and Kate Spade parent Tapestry plunged Thursday after the company said tariffs will bite into its profits even as sales grow.

The company’s stock closed the day at $95.69, down nearly 16%. The handbag, shoe and accessory maker said costs from higher duties will total $160 million for its coming fiscal year and drag on its profits. It said it expects full-year fiscal 2026 earnings of $5.30 to $5.45 per share, while analysts polled by FactSet were looking for $5.49.

On the company’s earnings call, Chief Financial Officer Scott Roe said sales trends have been strong. Yet he said the company is “facing greater than previously expected profit headwinds from tariffs and duties, with the earlier than expected ending of de minimis exemptions being a meaningful factor.” CNBC reports.


🎢 'Big Short' investor Michael Burry reveals fresh bets on Meta, Alibaba, and UnitedHealth:

Michael Burry bet big on stocks in the second quarter, swapping out bearish put options for bullish call options and adding several fresh holdings to his portfolio.

The investor of "The Big Short" fame revealed in a quarterly filing on Thursday that he purchased calls on Alibaba, ASML, JD.com, Estee Lauder, Lululemon, Meta, Regeneron, UnitedHealth, and VF last quarter.

Burry's Scion Asset Management also built direct stakes in Bruker, Lululemon, Regeneron, UnitedHealth, and MercadoLibre, while cutting his direct wager on Estee Lauder from 200,000 shares to 150,000. Yahoo Finance reports.


📊 Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway reveals new stake in beleaguered insurer UnitedHealth:

Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway revealed a new stake in troubled insurer UnitedHealth last quarter, according to a regulatory filing, a surprising buy because of the company’s current reputation, but perhaps not considering his history of bargain investing.

The Omaha-based conglomerate bought more than 5 million shares in the health care firm for a stake worth about $1.6 billion at the end of June.

The stake puts it as the 18th biggest position in the Berkshire portfolio behind Amazon and Constellation Brands, according to VerityData.

Berkshire’s equity portfolio is worth about $300 billion, so it is possible that Buffett’s two investing lieutenants Todd Combs and Ted Weschler were more responsible for this purchase rather than the “Oracle of Omaha” himself. CNBC reports.


🏬 Ulta and Target will end deal for in-store beauty shops next year:

Ulta Beauty and Target said Thursday that they have decided to end a deal that opened makeup and beauty shops in hundreds of Target’s stores.

Shares of Target and Ulta closed the day down about 1%.
In a news release, the companies said the partnership - which also added some of Ulta’s merchandise to Target’s website - will end in August 2026. Target had added more than 600 Ulta Beauty shops to its stores since 2021, according to a company spokesperson. CNBC reports.


🤖 Intel stock surges over 7% on Government stake talks:

Intel (INTC) shares jumped more than 7% yesterday, making it the best-performing stock in the S&P 500 index (US SPX 500 mini on FXOpen). The surge followed a report in Barron’s claiming that the U.S. government is in discussions to acquire a stake in Intel.

Intel declined to comment on the Barron’s article. White House spokesperson Kush Desai stated: “Discussion about hypothetical deals should be regarded as speculation unless officially announced by the Administration.”

In addition, Bloomberg reported that the Trump administration is negotiating with Intel over a potential U.S. government investment in the company. The move would aim to strengthen domestic manufacturing capacity and support Intel’s plans to build a new facility in Ohio. FinanceFeeds reports.

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