War, Oil, And Chips 🛢️

Welcome to LazyListen. This is The Daily Rip for today. S.

forces striking over 80 targets linked to Iranian attacks near the Strait of Hormuz. This spike in crude prices pushed energy stocks higher, while materials lagged and banks remained under pressure. Despite semiconductor stocks slipping, tech overall held steady thanks to gains in Nvidia and Broadcom.

The backdrop is a renewed war risk that’s rattling markets. S. Central Command confirmed military action, fueling safe-haven demand for oil and energy assets.

Meanwhile, Chinese stocks gained on rumors of Alibaba’s e-commerce revival, but South Korea’s benchmark index slipped into bear market territory after Samsung’s strong earnings failed to lift the region broadly. Looking ahead, earnings season is heating up, but Goldman Sachs warns that the extraordinary profit beats seen in the second quarter will be tough to repeat. Investors are bracing for a more challenging reporting cycle.

I. chip trade took an interesting twist. S.

foundry powerhouse, is now the expensive momentum stock. I. GPU leader, is trading cheaper than usual.

Nvidia shares rose about four percent but remain down sixteen percent from their mid-May peak. Intel, on the other hand, fell around three percent despite a strong rally this year that’s pushed its valuation well above its 200-day average. This valuation gap tells the story.

S. manufacturing growth. But the path is uncertain.

Nvidia faces its own challenges—custom chip competition, memory cost pressures, and geopolitical risks—but still controls ninety seven percent of the server GPU market and has analysts raising profit forecasts. Its forward price-to-earnings ratio is back near 2019 levels, suggesting the stock may be undervalued. Investor sentiment is split but leans toward buying the Nvidia dip, with about fifty two percent bullish sentiment among watchers, compared to fifty six percent bullish on Intel.

I. trade to a more nuanced underdog story for Intel. ” The Fed held rates steady between three and three-quarter percent with a unanimous vote, but the minutes revealed a split among officials on the future path.

Some saw a case for hikes, while others were more cautious. The Fed also announced five new task forces aimed at improving policy processes and communication. The takeaway?

Less guidance, fewer words, and a more data-dependent approach. I. demand, but the Fed chose to keep things tight and procedural.

I. infrastructure and energy-adjacent plays. I.

lease in Kentucky, and Nebius, which rallied eleven percent on eased demand concerns. I. switch launch, while CoreWeave popped eight percent on the Anthropic lease news.

In sports betting, Flutter climbed three percent after Michael Burry disclosed new stakes. On the downside, Moderna fell seven and a half percent after analysts questioned the upside potential for its cancer vaccine pipeline. m.

m. Earnings reports to watch before the open include Anavex Life Sciences and PepsiCo, with Diginex reporting after the market closes. So, oil and energy lead on geopolitical jitters, tech holds firm despite semiconductor rotation, and the Fed signals a more cautious, less vocal approach.

Earnings season looms with expectations tempered after a record-breaking quarter. I. chip space, the old guard Intel is now the pricey comeback story, while Nvidia trades cheaper despite its dominance.

Keep an eye on those dynamics as markets digest these shifting narratives. Thanks for listening. Catch you next time on LazyListen.