Fueled by Bitcoin’s renewed rally and a price target triple-up from a major analyst, one crypto custody firm continued the bullish momentum, gaining over 28% today.
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Markets
U.S. stocks ended slightly higher on Thursday as optimism over rate cuts and cooling layoffs outweighed government shutdown concerns.
DJIA [+0.17%]
S&P 500 [+0.06%
Nasdaq [+0.39%]
Russell 2k [+0.64%]
Market-Moving News
Energy
Chlorine, Oil, and Warren Buffett Walk Into a Bar…
Occidental Petroleum (NYSE: OXY) just handed Warren Buffett a $9.7 billion prize by selling him OxyChem.
That’s the side of the business cranking out chlorine for pools and vinyl pipes — not flashy, but steady.
If you’ve ever sold your safest gig just to pay down bills, you know the trade doesn’t feel like a total win.
Wall Street didn’t cheer either, with the stock sliding on the news. People get nervous when a reliable paycheck walks out the door.
Buffett’s Trophy, Oxy’s Tightrope
Buffett walks away smiling with a cash cow, while Oxy trims its debt pile from $23 billion to under $15 billion.
That’s discipline, sure. But you know how dieting works: cut too much, and you might lose the strength you actually need for the long haul.
If you hold Oxy, you’re basically strapped into an oil rollercoaster without the stabilizer of a boring but safe side business. Bold? Yes. Comfortable? Not really.
The Oil-Only Bet
Oxy is doubling down on oil and gas, hoping strong prices cover the gap.
But let’s be real — would you give up guaranteed rent checks just to roll the dice on energy markets? Buffett wouldn’t. He buys the sure thing.
The punchline: Oxy’s lighter, Buffett’s fatter, and you’re left wondering who really walked away with the better deal.
Cloud
Wall Street Freaked, But Should You?
ServiceNow (NYSE: NOW) has dropped 22% from its highs, and if you just look at the chart, it screams trouble.
But peel it back and the story is way less dramatic: revenue is still growing fast, margins are holding up, and the company is woven into the workflows of nearly every Fortune 500 name you know.
You don’t lose that kind of market position overnight. If anything, the sell-off looks more like Wall Street throwing a tantrum than a company actually breaking down.
Why the “AI Threat” Isn’t the Whole Story
People love to say new AI startups will bulldoze ServiceNow, but that’s missing the point.
ServiceNow has already baked AI into its platform with Now Assist, and it’s not just a shiny add-on; it’s actually driving adoption.
If you’ve ever worked in a company drowning in tickets and processes, you know this tech isn’t optional anymore.
That makes ServiceNow sticky, and sticky software means cash flow you can count on.
Where You Come In
The dip makes this stock look beaten, but the fundamentals are saying otherwise.
You could wait around for headlines to turn positive again, or you could see this as the clearance rack moment where boring workflow tools turn into sneaky portfolio winners.
Because sometimes the “uncool” tech ends up being the one that makes you look smart at the coffee table.
And if ServiceNow stages a rebound, you’ll be the one saying you called it before the crowd came running back.
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Global Market
From Street to Riyadh, BlackRock Plays Kingmaker
BlackRock (NYSE: BLK) just planted its flag in Saudi Arabia’s Jafurah gas field with an $11 billion infrastructure play.
This isn’t some small pipeline; it’s the world’s largest shale gas project outside the U.S., and Aramco has 20 years of contracts locked in.
When you see that kind of stability, you know BlackRock isn’t just chasing quick wins.
It’s securing decades of steady cash flow while cementing ties with one of the most resource-rich regions on the planet.
China’s No-Show, BlackRock’s Gain
Here’s the eyebrow-raiser: China’s sovereign and state funds sat this one out, even as Chinese banks covered over a third of the financing.
For a country that was once heavily invested in these mega-energy projects, that’s a significant pullback.
And when China steps aside, it leaves more room for you to watch BlackRock and Middle Eastern backers like Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala call the shots.
That’s a power shift in who really owns the future of Gulf energy.
Why You Should Care
BlackRock thrives on being the toll collector for global infrastructure, and Jafurah fits that playbook perfectly.
You’re watching a company use scale, timing, and geopolitics to put itself right in the middle of a trillion-dollar energy transition.
Because in the end, when gas demand keeps rising and China bows out, BlackRock gets the bigger slice of the pie — and you know exactly who’s laughing all the way to the bank.
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Top Winners and Losers
Bakkt Holdings, Inc [BKKT] $43.92 (+28.61%)
Bakkt rose amid bullish Bitcoin and after Benchmark tripled its price target to $40, citing upside in crypto custody, stablecoins, and treasury plans.
Ondas Holdings Inc [ONDS] $9.21 (+25.99%)
Ondas gained after placing an initial order of 500 Wåsp combat drones for U.S. defense distribution via American Robotics.
USA Rare Earth Inc [USAR] $22.71 (+23.36%)
USA Rare Earth hit an all-time high as it recently acquired LCM, raised $125 million, and appointed a new CEO with a leadership background at Siemens USA.
Scilex Holding Co [SCLX] $17.35 (-16.10%)
Scilex slid as investors reacted to its $13 million warrant repurchase from Oramed, which drained cash without delivering immediate growth upside.
Fitell Corp [FTEL] $5.32 (-11.33%)
Fitell dropped as its $1.5 million purchase of Pump.fun tokens deepened its pivot into Solana-based crypto assets, raising fears about strategic drift from its core fitness business.
Transunion [TRU] $73.51 (-10.64%)
TransUnion tumbled after FICO launched a direct-to-lender mortgage score licensing program, threatening to bypass credit bureaus like TRU and slash margins.
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*This free resource is being sent by Zacks. We identify investment resources you may choose to use in making your own decisions. Use of this resource is subject to the Zacks Terms of Service.
*Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Investing involves risk. This material does not constitute investment, legal, accounting, or tax advice. Zacks Investment Research is not a licensed dealer, broker, or investment adviser.
Everything Else
Trump wants wins in pharma, AI, energy, and mining before midterms, basically shopping for bragging rights across every sector.
Markets may get rattled if Washington’s shutdown drags on, because nothing spooks investors like politicians on vacation.
EA’s $55 billion buyout put gaming IP in the spotlight, proving that franchises are worth more than the consoles they’re played on.
Tesla deliveries raced past estimates as EV buyers stampeded to grab tax credits before they vanish.
The S&P 500 hit a record, then stumbled for direction as the shutdown turned Wall Street into a waiting game.
Perplexity AI dropped its new Comet browser for free, blasting into the search wars with a global launch.
OpenAI’s valuation just rocketed to $500 billion, leapfrogging Musk’s SpaceX and crowning a new king of hype.
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— Adam G.
Elite Trade Club
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