Reports of new U.S. chip rules have traders rushing back into one struggling foundry. The upside is more contracts, better margins, and a rerating. The risk is none of it’s real until D.C. makes it law. Here’s what you should do in the interim.

Q3 Launch Trigger (Sponsored)
On Behalf of The FUTR Corp.
Every tech cycle has its turning point.
The moment a breakthrough goes from hype to everyday life.
In smartphones, it was the iPhone.
In EVs, it was Tesla.
In streaming, it was Netflix.
Now the same setup is happening in AI.
The first wave was chatbots. But the real wealth could come from AI Agents.
Agents that scan contracts, trigger payments, and deliver offers in real time.
And this tiny stock is first in line:
This isn’t vaporware. The rails are already proven:
$3B+ processed through FUTR Pay
1M+ transactions live across the platform
88% gross margins — rare for any small-cap tech
Zero-party data structured in personal vaults instead of being scraped by Big Tech
Data Protocol + Utility Token ready to monetize every transaction
Zero-party data is becoming the new oil. It’s structured, verified, and licensed directly by consumers. With their new payment platform and a Utility Token fueling every exchange, this model could turn the data economy into a perpetual revenue machine.
The big trigger? A Q3 2025 consumer launch that could put it on the radar overnight.
Don’t wait until CNBC is hyping it.
Get the name and stock symbol here before the crowd.
*Examples that we provide of share price increases pertaining to a particular Issuer from one referenced date to another represent an arbitrarily chosen time period and are no indication whatsoever of future stock prices for that Issuer and are of no predictive value. Our stock profiles are intended to highlight certain companies for YOUR further investigation; they are NOT stock recommendations or constitute an offer or sale of the referenced securities.

Futures at a Glance📈
Markets are stuck in neutral ahead of the inflation report. The print could make or break the Fed’s next move, so we’re holding steady and waiting for the verdict.


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What to Watch
Premarket Earnings:
36Kr Holdings Inc. [KRKR]
KNOT Offshore Partners LP [KNOP]
Moving iMage Technologies Inc. [MITQ]
Economic Reports:
Richmond Fed President Barkin TV Appearance: 7:30 am
Personal Income [Aug.]: 8:30 am
Personal Spending [Aug.]: 8:30 am
PCE Index [Aug.]: 8:30 am
PCE (Year-over-Year) [Aug.]: 8:30 am
Core PCE Index [Aug.]: 8:30 am
Core PCE (Year-over-Year) [Aug.]: 8:30 am
Richmond Fed President Barkin Speech: 9:00 am
Consumer Sentiment (Final) [Sept.]: 10:00 am
Fed Vice Chair for Supervision Bowman Speech: 1:00 pm

Consumer
Starbucks Cuts Foam, Tries for a Cleaner Pour

Starbucks (NASDAQ: SBUX) is ripping the band-aid: a $1B restructuring, ~1% net reduction in North American company stores (roughly 500 gross closures), and ~900 non-retail layoffs.
That means fewer underperformers, more resources closer to the customer, and a reset after six straight quarters of negative same-store sales. The plan concentrates spend on remodeled formats and service standards, with 2025 absorbing most charges and footprint growth resuming in 2026.
Niccol’s new exec team is in place, labor hours were boosted earlier this year, and management is leaning into the third place vibe again. The dividend (~2.9%) helps, but this is still a fix-it year with competitive heat and price sensitivity nipping at traffic.
My Take For You: If you’re already in, you can hold through the rehab as long as comps stabilize and store closures don’t spook traffic. If you’re just getting in now, don’t chase green candles, let the dust settle and hunt entries on weak days.
Watch U.S. comps, unit economics on remodels, and margin progress as costs flow through. If union headlines flare around closures, expect choppy tape.
My Verdict: Patient hold for those still buying long-term on the story, but new buyers should scale in only on dips. The turnaround is sensible, but you’re paying with time, not hype.

Retail
Costco Swipes the Membership Card… Again

Costco (NASDAQ: COST) did what Costco does: beat on revenue ($86.2B) and EPS ($5.87), grow membership fee income double digits, and post 13.5% e-comm growth ex-gas/FX.
Younger shoppers keep signing up, traffic rose ~3.7% globally, and the chain is opening more warehouses next year while managing tariff headwinds with Kirkland swaps and sourcing tweaks.
Mix was solid (fresh and non-food both strong), but comps have decelerated for two quarters and valuation isn’t exactly bargain-bin (P/E ~53). When a membership machine compounds, the bear case usually needs a macro shock or a loyalty crack, and neither showed up this quarter.
My Take For You: Core holders, keep it. This is a long runway story driven by renewals, upgrades, and footprint growth.
Fresh money, I would recommend you buy-the-dip over FOMO. Use market wobbles or single-stock pullbacks to build. Watch renewal rates, fee growth vs. unit growth, and any margin squeeze if tariffs bite harder.
My Verdict: You should buy in bulk on weakness, as opposed to when prices are high. For traders, respect the multiple and fade rips into resistance, reload on orderly retraces.

Next Wave Retail (Sponsored)
With equity in the brand and athletes pushing viral drops, the University of Alabama is betting on more than just football wins.
This company built the tech-and got the team on board.

Semis
GlobalFoundries Gets a Policy Sugar Rush

GlobalFoundries (NASDAQ: GFS) jumped on reports that Washington may slap levies on chipmakers missing domestic production goals, while dangling credits for those building locally. The story is still rumor, but for a foundry that’s bled 23% YTD, policy sugar is better than caffeine.
Here’s why it matters. GFS is the world’s third-largest foundry, running a major New York fab. If incentives line up, it could secure more contracts, fatten margins, and close the valuation gap to peers. Eleven of 21 analysts still rate it a buy with a $40 median target, meaning this could be the jolt needed to get off the floor.
The problem is that none of this is law yet. Policy chatter can move stocks, but factories don’t get built overnight. And semis remain cyclical, with pricing, utilization, and customer mix still driving the fundamentals. Without confirmation, this is a trade on hope, not a thesis on earnings.
My Take For You: Trade the momentum above the mid-$30s into the $38–$40 zone. Step aside if it breaks back under $33. Long-term players can nibble, but don’t go all-in until Washington inks the rulebook.
My Verdict: Tactical buy on the rumor, but don’t confuse headlines with cash flows.

Poll: What feels more like wealth than money itself?

Movers and Shakers

Viridian Therapeutics [VRDN]: Premarket Move: +2%
Viridian just finished enrolling patients for its big Phase III thyroid eye disease trials. That’s biotech-speak for we finally got enough volunteers, which is a milestone Wall Street loves. Topline results won’t land until 2026, but the stock already bounced 30% in three months as optimism returned after a rocky year.
The rub is that Viridian trades at nearly 5x book value, way pricier than most peers. Investors are clearly paying up for the hope that VRDN-003 becomes a blockbuster. But biotech hope is like bubble tea, it looks sweet until you realize half of it is air pockets.
My Take: The news is good, but don’t mistake enrollment for revenue. If you’re in, fine to ride the hype, but keep a leash. New buyers might wait for dips, as plenty can go wrong before 2026.
PACCAR [PCAR]: Premarket Move: +6%
Trump just slapped a 25% tariff on imported heavy trucks, and PACCAR shareholders popped the clutch. The Kenworth and Peterbilt parent jumped after-hours, because nothing says buy like your competition suddenly getting more expensive.
The catch is that tariffs sound great for domestic makers, but they also jack up parts costs and make trucks pricier for end buyers. Analysts already think production could slow in 2026 as freight demand cools. So yes, PACCAR gets a sugar rush today, but the long-haul economics are still bumpy.
My Take: Fun trade on the tariff headline, but don’t confuse politics with fundamentals. Above $100 it’s playable, just don’t chase it like it’s a Tesla.
Concentrix [CNXC]: Premarket Move: −22%
Concentrix bombed its Q3 earnings like a student who forgot there was an exam. Margins shrank, guidance fell short, and Wall Street punished it with a 20% haircut. For a company that sells customer experience, this was not a great look.
The stock’s cheap on paper, trading under 1x book, but an Altman Z-Score in the distress zone and insider selling say caution. Basically, this is the corporate version of “I’m fine” when their house is on fire.
My Take: Value hunters will be tempted, but this is a falling knife until guidance stabilizes. If you’re feeling brave, nibble small. Otherwise, let it bleed and wait for signs of a turnaround.

Game-Changing AI (Sponsored)
On Behalf of The FUTR Corp.
Most “next big AI” stories are still burning cash.
But not this one.
The foundation is already in place:
$3B+ processed through FUTR Pay
1M+ transactions live across the platform
88% gross margins — rare for any small-cap tech
Zero-party data structured in personal vaults instead of being scraped by Big Tech
Data Protocol + Utility Token ready to monetize every transaction
Now comes the real catalyst. The rollout of consumer AI agents.
Agents that can read your bills, flag your renewals, pay your obligations, and reward you for sharing your structured, verified data.
Every bill, contract, and policy hides valuable zero-party data. A new payments backbone combined with a Utility Token unlocks it, creating a consent-driven marketplace where every transaction generates recurring revenue.
This isn’t just another startup promise. It’s a scaled, profitable engine ready to tap one of the fastest-growing markets of the decade.
And right now, the market hasn’t priced it in.
Click here to get the name and stock symbol before it does.
*Examples that we provide of share price increases pertaining to a particular Issuer from one referenced date to another represent an arbitrarily chosen time period and are no indication whatsoever of future stock prices for that Issuer and are of no predictive value. Our stock profiles are intended to highlight certain companies for YOUR further investigation; they are NOT stock recommendations or constitute an offer or sale of the referenced securities.

Everything Else
BP is quietly backing out of the takeover spotlight, proving even oil giants sometimes prefer a night in over speed-dating M&A deals.
Trump said the U.S. will slap a 100% tariff on drugs unless pharma builds locally. Nothing like a little trade war to spice up your medicine cabinet.
Xiaomi is cooking up a next-gen chip for its smartphones, because why stop at undercutting Apple on price when you can flex your own silicon too?
Amazon will cough up 2.5 billion to settle Prime deception claims, which is basically one day’s shipping revenue for them, but hey, accountability looks good in the cart.BMW is recalling nearly 200,000 cars over a starter defect. If your Beemer suddenly doesn’t want to start, it might just be following corporate guidance.

That’s all for today. Thank you for reading. If you have any feedback, please reply to this email.
Best Regards,
— Adam Garcia
Elite Trade Club
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