Vape Stock Puffs 589% Higher on BNB Hoarding

A penny-stock nobody watched just shot up 589%. Why? It hoarded BNB Coin like MicroStrategy hoarded Bitcoin.

The escalating U.S.-China trade tensions are reshaping the AI landscape.

Companies like Nvidia are facing significant revenue hits with the U.S. imposing new export restrictions on advanced AI chips to China.

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U.S. stocks were mixed Monday as investors digested a tentative U.S.-EU trade deal and awaited key earnings and economic data, including the Federal Reserve’s policy decision later this week.

FedEx (NYSE: FDX) will update its dimensional weight calculation starting August 18, rounding up any fractions of an inch instead of rounding down.

This change will apply to all packages and could raise shipping costs for many bulky or irregular items.

The company will also raise its U.S. inbound processing fee from $1.50 to $2.50 per shipment.

For long-term shareholders, the move reflects FedEx’s strategy to focus on pricing discipline and margin control.

Rather than chasing volume, the company is tightening rules around how space is used in its network.

These changes support more predictable revenue per package and help offset softer demand periods without expanding costs.

As more surcharges and pricing rules take effect, FedEx is reinforcing its shift toward efficient, profitable growth.

For investors looking at FedEx, this signals a company confident in its pricing power and execution.

The updated measurement rules give FedEx better control over large shipments and reward customers who package efficiently.

With UPS also adjusting how it calculates large-package surcharges, shippers are under pressure to adapt, and FedEx is positioning itself as a structured, premium logistics provider.

These pricing changes may not grab headlines, but they show up where it matters, i.e., on the bottom line.

FedEx is managing the fine print to stay ahead. Investors should monitor how these changes impact margins as we head into year-end.

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PayPal (NASDAQ: PYPL) is rolling out a major update to its merchant platform, which will enable businesses to accept more than 100 cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin and Ethereum, with automatic conversion to fiat or stablecoins.

The new service, branded "Pay with Crypto," supports wallets such as Coinbase and MetaMask and routes all payments through PayPal USD (PYUSD), the company's U.S. dollar-backed stablecoin.

The move expands PayPal's capabilities in cross-border commerce, with the company offering a promotional transaction fee of just 0.99% through mid-2026, far lower than the traditional credit card processing fee.

For current shareholders, this marks a notable acceleration in PayPal's effort to reposition itself beyond peer-to-peer payments.

By integrating decentralized tokens and reducing legacy payment friction, PayPal is creating a more flexible and cost-effective channel for global merchants, particularly in markets where currency exchange and settlement times have been pain points.

Investors watching for long-term growth catalysts should see this as more than a crypto experiment.

While Coinbase and Stripe have focused on token custody and trading access, PayPal is building a transactional bridge for everyday commercial use.

PayPal's control over both the checkout experience and the stablecoin layer creates an infrastructure moat that smaller fintechs will struggle to match.

If adoption scales, the company could see stronger engagement from merchants seeking to avoid high card fees and broaden international reach.

This launch marks a significant shift in how PayPal defines its role in global commerce.

By handling conversion, compliance, and settlement internally, it's reducing barriers for merchants while expanding its payment rail influence.

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Not every stock needs a story built around AI or a viral breakout to create wealth.

The strongest compounding machines tend to be businesses that are consistently profitable, structurally advantaged, and disciplined in their capital allocation.

Investors seeking to grow their capital over time are rediscovering names that excel at the basics: generating cash, reinvesting wisely, and staying focused on return on capital.

Three stocks that stand out today for those reasons are Altria, Mastercard, and Ulta Beauty.

They don’t operate in the same industries. Still, all three share something far more critical: high returns on invested capital, attractive setups, and strong market signals that suggest there’s more upside ahead.

Altria (NYSE: MO)

Altria has quietly rallied 20 percent over the past year, but it’s still priced like a value trap. That’s where the disconnect lies.

With a dividend yield of nearly 7 percent and a payout history spanning decades, Altria offers both income and leverage.

Its return on invested capital sits near 43 percent, putting it in rare territory for a consumer name.

This efficiency enables the company to continue buying back stock, raising dividends, and strengthening its balance sheet, even in a mature market.

Short sellers are catching on. Short interest dropped more than 8 percent last month alone, and analysts are starting to reassess downside targets.

Altria won’t deliver tech-style growth, but for long-term capital compounding, the math here still works.

Mastercard (NYSE: MA)

Every time someone taps a card or pays online, Mastercard collects. That tollbooth model has made it one of the cleanest long-term compounding stories in the S&P 500.

ROIC is now above 56 percent, and its drawdowns typically last only briefly.

The stock isn’t cheap, but quality often isn’t. Analysts are beginning to push targets higher again, with UBS setting a fresh high-end target of $670, implying more than 20 percent upside.

Given Mastercard’s global penetration and its ability to benefit from both discretionary and recurring spend, it remains one of the clearest compounders in any market environment.

Ulta Beauty (NASDAQ: ULTA)

Ulta doesn’t get the kind of media attention that high-growth tech stocks attract, but its return profile says it should.

ROIC sits at nearly 27 percent, and its loyal customer base has proven remarkably resilient across economic cycles.

Beauty and skincare have quietly become staples, not just discretionary purchases.

Ulta shares are up over 30 percent in the past quarter, with short interest collapsing and analysts raising their price targets ahead of earnings.

For investors seeking durable consumer exposure with pricing power and efficiency, Ulta remains a standout.

Buy the Margin, Not the Hype

What ties these three together isn’t momentum. It’s margin.

Companies that consistently produce strong returns on invested capital tend to outperform over time, even if they don’t make headlines along the way.

Altria delivers cash and pays it back. Mastercard owns the rails that global commerce runs on. Ulta proves that steady execution can outperform even in saturated sectors.

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Cea Industries Inc [VAPE] $57.58 (+589.64%)

Cea Industries skyrocketed after the company announced plans to become the largest public holder of Binance Coin (BNB), mirroring MicroStrategy's Bitcoin strategy.

Visionwave Holdings Inc [VWAV] $11.00 (+368.09%)

VisionWave surged after securing up to $55 million in new funding to accelerate the rollout of its AI-powered defense technologies.

Celcuity Inc [CELC] $36.80 (+167.25%)

Celcuity stock soared after its breast cancer therapy showed a dramatic improvement in progression-free survival in a Phase III trial.

Tao Synergies Inc [TAOX] $6.52 (-22.47%)

Tao Synergies plunged after surging briefly on its $10 million investment in Bittensor (TAO), as traders sold off amid concerns over its move from biotech to crypto, especially as TAO has been bearish.

Aim Immunotech Inc [AIM] $7.18 (-14.52%)

AIM shares dipped despite positive Phase 2 cancer trial data, as the results were early-stage and lacked definitive evidence of long-term clinical benefit.

Blue Gold Limited [BGL] $14.75 (-16.62%)

Blue Gold declined as the latest update focused more on tokenized gold concepts and payment platforms than concrete mining output, prompting caution among traditional gold investors.

Market volatility, policy shifts, and economic tension are leaving many investors overwhelmed.

But buried under the chaos are clear signals of opportunity — if you know where to look.

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Thanks for reading. I'll see you at the next open! 

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— Adam G.
Elite Trade Club

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