Dow Sheds 374 Points Under Pressure From Brent Crude Surpassing $90 as Energy Stocks Stand Out
Brent crude settled above $90 on Monday, while fresh U.S.-Iran hostilities triggered a 374-point drop in the Dow. The S&P 500 slipped 0.3%, as…
Market intelligence
Fast, evidence-led coverage of the companies and events moving global markets.
All coverage
Brent crude settled above $90 on Monday, while fresh U.S.-Iran hostilities triggered a 374-point drop in the Dow. The S&P 500 slipped 0.3%, as…
Snapshot: August 31, 2026 · 16:00 EDT
Prior interval: 15:00–16:00 EDT
| Index proxy | 15–16 EDT | Day |
|---|---|---|
| SPY | +0.14% | −0.30% |
| QQQ | +0.29% | +0.05% |
| DIA | −0.06% | −0.65% |
| IWM | +0.23% | −0.62% |
| ETF proxy | Day | Last hour |
|---|---|---|
| Energy · XLE | +2.04% | +0.61% |
| Technology · XLK | +0.44% | +0.31% |
| Health care · XLV | −0.36% | +0.01% |
| Industrials · XLI | −1.14% | −0.11% |
| Utilities · XLU | −1.17% | +0.02% |
| Communication · XLC | −1.35% | −0.20% |
| Security | Move | Catalyst |
|---|---|---|
| TSLA | +5.5% | megacap bid |
| XOM | +2.7% | oil |
| CVX | +2.1% | oil |
| AON | −8.6% | $17bn deal |
| PCG | −20.1% | wildfire law |
| EIX | −23.1% | liability |
| Firm | New view | Prior view | Target | Was |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wells Fargo | Equal Weight | Overweight | $24 | $25 |
| BMO Capital | Market Perform | Outperform | $21 | $28 |
| Mizuho | Neutral | Outperform | $16 | $21 |
Sources: Associated Press · Reuters via Euronext · Yahoo Finance · MarketsFN. All market figures are stamped 16:00 EDT unless marked settlement.
Shares of Nu Holdings declined 3.9% to $14.30 on Friday. The fall comes as the company posts record quarterly profit alongside a 6.9% late-stage…
| Metric | Q2 '25 | Q1 '26 | Q2 '26 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Customers | 122.7M | 135.2M | 138.9M |
| Monthly ARPAC | $12.50 | $15.90 | $17.10 |
| Revenue | $3.77B | $5.32B | $5.88B |
| Net income | $637M | $871M | $1.06B |
| Metric | Q2 '25 | Q1 '26 | Q2 '26 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15–90 day NPL | 4.5% | 5.0% | 4.8% |
| 90+ day NPL | 6.5% | 6.5% | 6.9% |
| Risk-adjusted NIM | 9.9% | 9.5% | 12.4% |
| ROE | 28% | 29% | 33% |
| Efficiency ratio | 21.3% | 17.6% | 19.5% |
| Firm | View | Target | Latest date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wolfe Research | Buy | $17.00 | Aug 25 |
| UBS | Buy | $18.20 | Aug 20 |
| Morgan Stanley | Buy | $21.00 | Aug 17 |
| Susquehanna | Hold | $16.00 | Aug 14 |
| Bank of America | Sell | $10.00 | Aug 13 |
The Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF finished 0.03% lower at $34.89 on Monday. Its displayed year-to-date total return was 29.07% through August 27. The…
| ETF | SEC yield | Fee | P/E |
|---|---|---|---|
| SCHD | 3.12% | 0.06% | 18.69× |
| VYM | 2.22% | 0.04% | n/a |
| DGRO | 1.97% | 0.08% | 24.48× |
| Top holding | Score | Target upside |
|---|---|---|
| Abbott | 2.96 | +8.4% |
| Amgen | 2.39 | −11.6% |
| Merck | 2.65 | −0.1% |
| Coca-Cola | 2.83 | +7.5% |
| Home Depot | 2.53 | +14.3% |
SAN FRANCISCO, August 31, 2026, 16:43 EDT — Uber Technologies shares declined 4% after Delivery Hero's announced deal premium of 13% underscored concerns about…
Delivery Hero spread, funding load and earnings capacity
| Metric | Level | YoY |
|---|---|---|
| Trips | 3.9B | +18% |
| Gross bookings | $58.0B | +24% |
| Revenue | $14.2B | +12% |
| GAAP operating income | $1.9B | +30% |
| Adjusted EBITDA | $2.8B | +33% |
| Free cash flow | $2.8B | quarter |
The Invesco NASDAQ 100 ETF closed Monday at $295.08, rising 0.03%. Strength in chip stocks balanced out losses among two of its biggest components.
Regular close: August 31, 2026, 16:00 EDT. After-hours quote: 16:10 EDT. Holdings source date: August 12, 2026. Performance through June 30, 2026.
Nvidia, Micron, AMD and Broadcom. A 5% parallel move implies roughly ±0.98 percentage point before all other effects.
Moves at Aug. 31 regular close, 16:00 EDT.
Aug. 31, 2026 regular session. Activity was lighter than the displayed average.
Fund snapshot checked Aug. 31, 2026.
| Series | YTD | 1 year | 3 years annualized |
|---|---|---|---|
| QQQM NAV | 20.22% | 34.17% | 26.66% |
| Nasdaq-100 | 20.31% | 34.38% | 26.83% |
| S&P 500 | 10.21% | 22.32% | 20.61% |
| Russell 1000 Growth | 5.33% | 17.71% | 22.58% |
Invesco/FactSet total-return data. Past performance is not a forecast.
S&P Global consensus and average-target upside. These are stock calls, not a QQQM recommendation.
Broadcom, a 3.11% holding, reports fiscal third-quarter results. Its AI revenue and outlook can test the chip-led side of QQQM’s return.
Nearly one-fifth of assets sits in four chipmakers. A valuation reset or synchronized semiconductor decline can outweigh gains elsewhere.
Kalshi on Monday issued a permanent ban against former U.S. Representative George Santos. The prediction market company also levied a $71,356 fine, citing insider…
First lifetime trader ban shifts attention from growth to surveillance and regulatory reach.
Kalshi action reported August 31, 2026. CFTC order dated July 31, 2026.
| Metric | Period | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Trading volume | 2025 | $22.9B |
| Fee revenue | 2025 | $263.5M |
| Implied fee yield | 2025 | 1.15% |
| Institutional volume growth | 6 mo. to May | +800% |
| Series F capital | May 7 | $1.0B |
Illustrative only; $22 billion valuation held constant. These are not forecasts.
| Front | Status | Business signal |
|---|---|---|
| Federal / CFTC | Designated contract market | Core nationwide distribution claim |
| Nevada sports | Blocked | State enforcement may continue |
| Nevada elections | Remanded | Scope remains unresolved |
| New Jersey | Federal pre-emption favored | Conflicting appellate result |
| State litigation | ~20 states | Potentially fragmented access |
Legal status compiled August 31, 2026, 15:59 EDT, from the August 28 Ninth Circuit coverage.
The lifetime ban is financially small beside a $22 billion valuation. Its signaling value is larger. Kalshi’s premium depends on nationwide access, liquid markets and credible prices. Stronger surveillance can protect those assets, but state litigation may still limit distribution. The key measure is whether volume and fee revenue keep scaling after stricter controls.
Sources: Kalshi, CFTC, Associated Press, Reuters and KPMG. Company volume and institutional-growth figures are self-reported. Fee-revenue scenarios are arithmetic illustrations, not investment advice.
AUSTIN, Texas, August 31, 2026, 15:12 EDT — Tesla shares advanced by nearly 5% on Monday following the release of a federal crash report…
Snapshot: August 31, 2026 · 15:12 EDT
| Item | Reading |
|---|---|
| Crash report | Fatal, May 2026 |
| ADAS status | Verified engaged |
| Pre-crash speed | 104 mph |
| Causation | Not established |
| Q2 metric | Result |
|---|---|
| Revenue | $28.24B, +26% |
| FSD subscriptions | 1.48M, +56% |
| Operating margin | 1.4% |
| Free cash flow | -$1.09B |
FSD subscription growth can improve recurring software revenue and margins. Safety investigations can delay rollout, add compliance cost and weaken adoption. With the stock valued at roughly 183 times forward earnings, regulatory and execution outcomes have an outsized effect on fair value.
Watch: NHTSA EA26002 updates · supervised FSD miles and interventions · subscription growth · operating-margin conversion.
NEW YORK, August 31, 2026, 15:00 EDT — U.S. equities traded lower late on Monday as oil prices climbed following a U.S. strike on…
Session snapshot and preceding 60 minutes · August 31, 2026 · 15:00 EDT
| Proxy | Session | Last hour |
|---|---|---|
| SPY | -0.44% | -0.04% |
| QQQ | -0.24% | -0.03% |
| DIA | -0.59% | -0.01% |
| IWM | -0.84% | Flat |
| Indicator | Reading |
|---|---|
| WTI crude | $85.51 · +2.5% |
| Brent crude | $90.34 · +2.5% |
| S&P breadth | 158 up / 345 down |
| Main catalyst | U.S. strike near Hormuz |
TSLA +4.96% · XOM +2.04% · CVX +1.53%
EIX -23.22% · PCG -18.83% · AMZN -2.88%
A persistent oil shock raises inflation and margin pressure, potentially reducing the Fed’s flexibility. Energy benefits, but broader equity multiples face a discount-rate headwind.
Watch: Hormuz headlines · SPY near $766 · energy relative strength · late breadth · August labor data.
Costco Wholesale shares slipped 0.4% to $941.90 on Monday. The move left the warehouse retailer valued at 47.4 times trailing earnings.
| Company | Day | P/E | Market cap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Costco | -0.38% | 47.4× | $418.5bn |
| Walmart | +1.38% | 37.6× | $833.8bn |
| Target | -1.24% | 16.7× | $73.6bn |
| BJ's | +0.08% | 19.8× | $11.6bn |
| Case | Value | Return |
|---|---|---|
| 40.0× | $823 | -12.6% |
| 47.4× | $975 | +3.5% |
| 52.3× | $1,077 | +14.3% |
Sensitivity only; not a price forecast.
Shares of Broadcom Inc. rose 0.8% on Monday, with investors bracing ahead of a tough earnings challenge. At 14:33 EDT, the stock changed hands…
| Revenue | $29.4B |
| Adjusted EPS consensus | $3.24 |
| AI semiconductor target | $16.0B |
| Adjusted EBITDA guide | 68% of sales |
| Non-GAAP operating income | 67% of sales |
| Metric | Value | YoY |
|---|---|---|
| Semiconductor solutions | $15.01B | +79% |
| Infrastructure software | $7.18B | +9% |
| AI semiconductors | $10.80B | +143% |
| Free cash flow | $10.26B | +60% |
| Adjusted EBITDA | $15.24B | +52% |
The earnings debate turns on whether a 54.4% AI revenue mix can preserve Broadcom's cash conversion while supporting a roughly 15× annualized-sales valuation. A clean beat must include the $13.4B non-AI remainder, not only accelerators.
Risks: advanced-node supply, hyperscaler concentration, custom-silicon and networking competition, VMware execution, and valuation sensitivity.
Shares of Oklo Inc. gained 0.8% to $40.44 by 14:02 EDT. The stock was the fifth most-searched term on U.S. Google Trends, as insider…
| Shares sold | 3,264 |
| Execution price | $39.77 |
| Sale value | $129,811 |
| Direct shares retained | 7,822 |
| Joint-account shares | 5,000 |
| Plan adopted | Apr. 2, 2026 |
| Metric | Latest | Signal |
|---|---|---|
| Q2 revenue | $1.21M | First revenue |
| Q2 operating loss | -$73.19M | 60× revenue |
| H1 operating cash use | -$65.46M | 2.1× prior year |
| 2026 operating cash guide | $120M-$150M | Funded |
| 2026 capex guide | $400M-$500M | Build phase |
| Low | $51.00 | +26% |
| Average | $74.75 | +85% |
| High | $100.00 | +147% |
| Ratings | 7 Buy · 7 Hold · 0 Sell | |
Take-Two Interactive Software dropped 7.5% to $217.70 in early trading Monday. The decline wiped out gains from Friday’s reveal and reduced the company’s market…
| Item | Figure | Investor signal |
|---|---|---|
| Standard edition | $79.99 | Higher base price |
| Ultimate edition | $99.99 | $20 premium |
| GTA V sell-in | >230M units | Franchise reach |
| GTA spending, Q1 | +3% | Legacy monetization |
| Metric | Figure | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Q1 bookings | $1.39B | Above guidance |
| Rockstar FY27 mix | 37% | ≈$3.0B implied |
| Operating cash flow | >$1B | Launch-year conversion |
| Mobile bookings | -7% | Offsetting weakness |
Leaks have shifted the near-term debate from trailer demand to release control. The valuation bridge requires November delivery, premium-edition conversion and sustained GTA spending. Delay, piracy or weaker mobile results would push more value beyond fiscal 2027.
Sources: Rockstar Games; Take-Two fiscal Q1 2027 investor presentation; Google Finance; Investing.com. Time-sensitive figures carry their source timestamp. Derived figures use the $8.1B guidance midpoint.
Shares of CrowdStrike Holdings rose 4.0% on Monday. The stock was priced at $227.22 at 11:23 ET, close to its session high.
NASDAQ: CRWD · Fiscal Q2 2027 results
Net new ARR accelerated fastest, reaching a record $332.8 million.
| FY27 revenue midpoint | $6.001bn |
| Price / guided revenue | 39.6× |
| Price / guided ARR | 35.9× |
| Annualized Q2 FCF yield | 0.6% |
| Consensus target spread | +0.9% |
The operating performance is strong; the debate is how much is already priced in.
| Metric | Q2 FY27 | YoY |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $1.471bn | +26% |
| Subscription revenue | $1.400bn | +27% |
| Free cash flow | $377.4m | +33% |
| GAAP operating margin | -2.3% | +6.8 pts |
| Non-GAAP operating margin | 25.3% | +3.5 pts |
Sales cycles can lengthen. Competition may pressure growth or pricing. Product defects and litigation tied to the July 2024 incident remain material risks.
Valuation sensitivity: high. The stock trades near the average analyst target.
| Checkpoint | Company guide | Investor read-through |
|---|---|---|
| Q3 FY27 revenue | $1.523bn–$1.529bn | Tests whether 26% growth persists |
| Q3 ending ARR | $6.184bn–$6.188bn | Measures AI-security demand conversion |
| FY27 non-GAAP operating income | $1.497bn–$1.508bn | Tests operating leverage |
Sources: CrowdStrike investor relations; Investopedia; MarketScreener; market quotes timestamped above.
U.S. futures remained under pressure around 07:00 EDT as renewed Gulf fighting lifted crude. The oil move kept inflation and interest-rate risks at the…
| Instrument | 05:00 | 06:00 | Hour |
|---|---|---|---|
| S&P 500 | −0.16% | −0.17% | −1.25 pts |
| Dow | −0.15% | −0.18% | −14 pts |
| Nasdaq-100 | +0.07% | −0.13% | −57.50 pts |
| Contract | Price | Vs. Oct. |
|---|---|---|
| Oct. 2026 | $86.56 | — |
| Nov. 2026 | $84.68 | −$1.88 |
| Dec. 2026 | $82.55 | −$4.01 |
| Jan. 2027 | $80.62 | −$5.94 |
| Jun. 2027 | $74.47 | −$12.09 |
| Signal | Read | Transmission |
|---|---|---|
| Brent | Above $91 | Inflation premium |
| Equity futures | Broadly lower | Risk appetite |
| WTI curve | $12.09 backwardation | Prompt supply risk |
| Cash open | 09:30 EDT | Breadth test |
Watch: tanker flows, Treasury yields and whether energy strength broadens after the opening bell.
Dell Technologies gained 0.96% to $460.64 as of 10:50 EDT. Market participants are anticipating an approximately 10% swing following Tuesday’s earnings report.
| Metric | Estimate | Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Q2 revenue | $45.19B | ~+52% |
| Q2 adjusted EPS | $4.91 | ~+112% |
| Q1 revenue | $43.84B | +88% |
| Q1 adjusted EPS | $4.86 | $2.94 prior estimate |
$60B
$167B
AI servers equal about 36% of midpoint revenue, increasing exposure to accelerator costs and large orders.
| Company | Price | Session | Market value | Trailing P/E |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dell | $460.64 | +0.96% | $302.2B | 36.7× |
| HPE | $52.33 | +0.04% | $74.9B | 48.0× |
| HP Inc. | $30.27 | -0.84% | $28.1B | 11.6× |
Low target · options downside · current · average target · high target.
A revenue beat is largely expected. The stronger signal would be higher full-year profit guidance with stable margins. Misses on AI-server mix, customer timing or component costs could trigger the full implied downside.
Catalyst: fiscal Q2 results, September 1, 2026, after the closing bell.
Palantir Technologies dropped 0.45% to $185.45 as of 10:36 EDT. Palantir's stock lagged behind Nvidia even though the company posted quicker revenue growth.
| Company | Price | Move | Market cap | P/E |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palantir | $185.45 | -0.45% | $476.4B | 158.5× |
| Nvidia | $220.38 | +1.30% | $5.35T | 27.7× |
PLTR’s multiple premium is 473%, despite Nvidia’s much larger earnings base.
Intraday range: $183.05-$186.72. Volume: 5.30M shares versus 41.88M average.
| Metric | Current | Growth / comparison | Investor read |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q2 revenue | $1.94B | +93% YoY | Scale is accelerating |
| U.S. government | $809M | +90% | Defense demand remains strong |
| FY revenue guide | $8.150-$8.158B | ~+82% | 58× guided sales at current cap |
| U.S. commercial guide | >$3.424B | ~+134% | Primary growth driver |
| Q3 revenue guide | $2.160-$2.164B | 8.1% above prior consensus | Next execution hurdle |
Google Finance: 17 Buy, 4 Hold, 2 Sell. MarketScreener: 32 analysts, Buy consensus.
Contract timing can distort quarterly growth. European resistance may limit international expansion. Palantir also needs sustained margin and cash-flow execution to support a 158.5× earnings multiple.
Near-term checkpoint: Q3 revenue versus the $2.160-$2.164B company range.