Bitcoin (BTC) mining profitability slid more than 7% in Sept. as the price of the world’s largest cryptocurrency fell 2% while the network’s hashrate jumped about 9%, according to investment bank Jefferies. While the network’s hashrate has eased somewhat this month, the sharp decline in the bitcoin price has intensified pressure on miner profitability heading into the fourth quarter of 2025, the bank said in the report on Sunday. The hashrate refers to the total combined computational power used to mine ...

Market Performance - The U.S. stock market rebounded on October 17, 2025, with major indexes closing higher after a volatile week, indicating renewed investor confidence [1][2] - The S&P 500 Index rose by 0.5% to 6,664.01, the Dow Jones Industrial Average increased by 0.5% to 46,190.61, and the Nasdaq Composite Index climbed 0.5% to 22,679.98 [2] - The Nasdaq led the weekly performance with a 2.1% gain, followed by the S&P 500's 1.7% increase and the Dow's 1.6% rise [2] Economic Factors - Concerns over regional banks subsided, contributing to the market's recovery, with several regional bank stocks recovering losses [3] - President Trump's comments on tariffs being "not sustainable" alleviated trade-related anxieties, positively impacting market sentiment [3] - The CBOE Volatility Index (VIX) stabilized after a significant jump, indicating reduced market fear [3] Upcoming Economic Data - The September Consumer Price Index (CPI) report is anticipated to show a year-over-year inflation increase to 3.1%, the highest since May 2024, which will be crucial for investors and the Federal Reserve [4] - Additional economic data releases include S&P Global flash Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) and existing home sales figures, amidst ongoing uncertainty from a federal government shutdown [5] Global Economic Indicators - Investors are closely monitoring China's third-quarter GDP figures and other economic data, with the Communist Party's Fourth Plenum expected to provide potential policy signals [6] - Flash PMI data will be released across various countries, offering insights into global economic health [6] Company-Specific Developments - American Express (AXP) shares surged 7.3% to an all-time high following a strong third-quarter earnings report with $18.43 billion in revenue, an 11% year-over-year increase [8] - Kenvue (KVUE) shares bounced back 8.4% after previous losses due to a lawsuit, while Gilead Sciences (GILD) shares rose 4% after a price target upgrade [9] - Several companies received significant stock movements after being among the first to receive FDA review vouchers, including Achieve Life Sciences (ACHV), Disc Medicine (IRON), and Revolution Medicines (RVMD) [10] Market Sentiment and Future Outlook - The positive trading session on October 17 provided a constructive close to a week marked by volatility, suggesting underlying market strength [14] - Upcoming earnings reports from major companies, including Tesla (TSLA) and Procter & Gamble (PG), are highly anticipated and may influence market direction [12]

Core Viewpoint - The cryptocurrency-related stocks in the US market opened lower on Friday, reflecting a decline in major cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum [1] Group 1: Market Performance - Riot Platforms (RIOT.US) and HUT 8 (HUT.US) both fell over 3% [1] - MARA Holdings (MARA.US) dropped more than 2% [1] Group 2: Cryptocurrency Prices - Bitcoin is currently down 2.18%, with a 24-hour decline exceeding 5%, priced at $105,499 [1] - Ethereum has decreased by 2.33%, with a 24-hour drop of over 6%, currently at $3,779 [1]

Company Performance - Marathon Digital Holdings, Inc. (MARA) closed at $22.84, reflecting a +2.7% increase from the previous day, outperforming the S&P 500 which gained 0.4% [1] - Prior to the latest trading session, MARA shares had increased by 26.87%, contrasting with the Finance sector's decline of 1.05% and the S&P 500's gain of 1.02% [1] Earnings Forecast - The upcoming earnings disclosure is expected to show an EPS of -$0.26, representing a 31.58% improvement from the same quarter last year [2] - Revenue is forecasted to be $244.09 million, indicating an 85.41% growth compared to the corresponding quarter of the previous year [2] Full-Year Estimates - For the full year, Zacks Consensus Estimates predict earnings of -$0.58 per share and revenue of $986.07 million, reflecting year-over-year changes of -133.72% for earnings and +50.23% for revenue [3] Analyst Estimates - Recent changes to analyst estimates for Marathon Digital Holdings, Inc. are important as they reflect short-term business trends [4] - Positive estimate revisions indicate analyst optimism regarding the company's business and profitability [4] Zacks Rank System - The Zacks Rank system, which ranges from 1 (Strong Buy) to 5 (Strong Sell), has shown that 1 stocks have delivered an average annual return of +25% since 1988 [6] - Currently, Marathon Digital Holdings, Inc. has a Zacks Rank of 4 (Sell), with the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate having decreased by 24.93% in the past month [6] Industry Overview - The Financial - Miscellaneous Services industry, part of the Finance sector, holds a Zacks Industry Rank of 94, placing it in the top 39% of over 250 industries [7] - Research indicates that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1 [7]

Core Insights - Investors showed strong interest in Mara Holdings, reflected in a 10% stock price increase, significantly outperforming the S&P 500's 0.3% rise [1] - Analyst Michael Donovan raised his price target for Mara Holdings from $18 to $30, nearly doubling his previous assessment, although he maintains a neutral recommendation [2][6] - The increase in price target is attributed to factors such as the recent peak in Bitcoin prices and indications of increased production from crypto miners [3] - Mara Holdings is diversifying into data centers and next-generation services, which are expected to benefit from the growing demand for artificial intelligence [4] Investment Considerations - Despite the positive outlook, Mara Holdings was not included in a list of the top 10 stocks recommended by The Motley Fool Stock Advisor, which suggests alternative investment opportunities [5]

Core Viewpoint - The article highlights a strong upward movement in certain cryptocurrency-related stocks in the U.S. market, indicating a positive trend in this sector [1] Group 1: Stock Performance - CleanSpark (CLSK.US) saw an increase of over 5% [1] - Marathon Holdings (MARA.US) rose by more than 3.8% [1] - Iren Ltd (IREN.US) experienced a gain of over 2% [1] - Cipher Mining (CIFR.US) increased by more than 1% [1]

Group 1: Market Recovery and Performance - Crypto mining stocks, particularly Bitfarms (BITF) and Cipher Mining (CIFR), saw significant gains of 26% and 20% respectively on Monday, recovering from Friday's market downturn [1] - Other mining companies like Bitdeer (BTDR), IREN (IREN), and MARA Holdings (MARA) also advanced around 10%, indicating optimism in the market due to AI compute demand [1] Group 2: Influential Deals and Partnerships - OpenAI's partnership with Broadcom (AVGO) to develop custom chips for AI and machine learning may have contributed to positive market sentiment [2] - Bloom Energy (BE) announced a $5 billion deal with Brookfield Asset Management to deploy fuel cells in data centers, addressing the energy demands of AI [2] Group 3: Market Context and Investor Sentiment - The gains in the crypto sector followed a steep downturn due to heightened trade tensions between the U.S. and China, with Trump imposing a 100% increase in tariffs on Chinese goods [3] - Investor concerns eased over the weekend, leading to a 2.1% increase in the Nasdaq and a 1.4% increase in the S&P 500 on Monday [3] Group 4: Other Crypto-Related Stocks - Other crypto-related companies experienced modest gains, with Strategy (MSTR) rising 2.8% and Robinhood increasing by 1% [4] - BitMine (BMNR) reported a nearly 7% bounce after purchasing over 200,000 Ethereum tokens worth over $840 million, capitalizing on recent price dips [4]

Bitcoin Holdings - MARA recently purchased 400 BTC for $46 million [1] - MARA's total Bitcoin holdings now amount to 53,250 BTC [1] - The total value of MARA's Bitcoin holdings is $6 billion [1]

Market Overview - US stock index futures are all up, with Dow futures rising by 0.77%, S&P 500 futures by 1.14%, and Nasdaq futures by 1.69% [1] - European indices show mixed results, with Germany's DAX up by 0.21%, UK's FTSE 100 down by 0.06%, France's CAC 40 up by 0.23%, and the Euro Stoxx 50 up by 0.54% [2][3] - WTI crude oil prices increased by 1.26% to $59.64 per barrel, while Brent crude rose by 1.13% to $63.44 per barrel [3][4] Earnings Season Insights - The upcoming earnings season is critical for the market, with major banks like JPMorgan, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Bank of America, Citigroup, and Wells Fargo expected to report strong Q3 results due to a recovery in investment banking and resilient economic conditions [5] - The options market indicates that stock prices of S&P 500 companies are expected to fluctuate by an average of 4.7% post-earnings announcements, reflecting heightened volatility [6] Bull Market Analysis - The current bull market in the US stock market is celebrating its third anniversary, with the S&P 500 index having risen by 83% since October 12, 2022, adding approximately $28 trillion in market value [7] - Historical data suggests that for bull markets to sustain momentum, they need to broaden their gains beyond a few sectors [7] Strategic Moves in Defense Sector - The US Department of Defense plans to invest up to $1 billion in key minerals to enhance strategic reserves, marking one of the largest expansions of strategic material reserves in years [8] Trade and Investment Strategies - Amid rising US-China trade tensions, Wall Street strategists are recommending a shift towards undervalued and defensive Chinese value stocks as a new type of safe haven, alongside traditional assets like gold and US Treasuries [9] Oil Market Outlook - OPEC maintains its global oil demand growth forecast and anticipates a significant narrowing of supply gaps by 2026, with recent production increases reflecting compliance with approved output quotas [10] Company-Specific Developments - Oracle's upcoming AI World Conference is seen as a pivotal moment for the company to validate its substantial market cap increase of approximately $370 billion this year, driven by its cloud computing business [11][12] - Tritax Big Box REIT is acquiring a £1 billion ($1.3 billion) UK warehouse portfolio from Blackstone, with part of the payment made in shares, indicating strategic moves in the real estate sector [12] - Marathon Digital Holdings (MARA) has purchased 400 bitcoins for $46.29 million, indicating institutional interest in the cryptocurrency market following recent price declines [13] - Samsung Electronics is expected to report its highest quarterly profit in three years, driven by rising memory chip prices due to increased server demand [14]

Market Sentiment and Performance - U.S. equity futures are showing a strong rebound, indicating a positive start to the week, driven by President Trump's conciliatory tone on trade relations with China [1][3] - Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) futures are up approximately 0.9% to 1.44%, S&P 500 (SPX) futures have climbed between 1.2% and 1.43%, and Nasdaq 100 (NDX) futures are leading with gains of 1.4% to 2.69% [2] - The broader U.S. stock market index (US500) has risen to 6638 points, reflecting a 1.30% increase from the previous session and a 13.27% increase over the past year [4] Major Stock Movements - The "Magnificent 7" technology giants are experiencing significant gains, with Nvidia Corp. up 3.57%, Tesla Inc. up 2.70%, and Amazon.com Inc. climbing 2.09% [9] - Chipmakers like Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) and Nvidia (NVDA) are poised for a strong rebound after being affected by trade concerns [10] - MP Materials, a key player in rare earth minerals, surged 10% in premarket trading due to easing U.S.-China trade tensions [11] Earnings Season and Economic Indicators - The upcoming week marks the start of earnings season, with major financial institutions set to report third-quarter results, including JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, and Goldman Sachs [7] - Investors are closely monitoring economic indicators, including the NAHB Housing Market Index and various production and employment figures, despite the ongoing U.S. government shutdown [6] International Trade Data - China's September trade figures showed exports surging 8.3% year-over-year and imports growing 7.4%, indicating resilience amid global trade tensions [8]