Market Overview - Investors have maintained a bullish outlook recently, but markets experienced a slight decline as the Federal Reserve's two-day meeting commenced, with the S&P 500, Nasdaq Composite, and Dow Jones Industrial Average all slightly lower than their all-time highs [1] - The S&P 500 closed 0.13% lower after reaching a new 52-week high at the open, while the Nasdaq also saw a 0.07% drop from its new 52-week high [1] Stock Performance - The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) fell by 0.27%, with Nvidia experiencing a 1.64% drop in stock price [2] - Webtoon, a digital comic platform, surged by 36.8% following news of a Disney deal, while Steel Dynamics rose by 7.2%, making it a top performer in the S&P 500 [2] - Warner Bros Discovery was the worst performer, declining by 6.5% after a downgrade from TD Cowen, which changed its rating from Buy to Hold due to unattractive risk/reward dynamics [2][7] Notable Stocks - Warner Bros Discovery's stock has increased by 72.7% year-to-date, despite recent performance issues [3] - Other notable stock movements include APA Corp (+6.9%), Steel Dynamics Inc (+6.2%), and Occidental Petroleum Corp (+5%) [6] - Conversely, Warner Bros Discovery (-6.2%), Paramount Skydance Corp (-5.7%), and Emerson Electric Co (-4.9%) were among the worst performers [6] Acquisition Concerns - Warner Bros Discovery faces uncertainty regarding a potential takeover, with analysts suggesting the stock could "quickly round-trip" if the acquisition does not materialize [7] - Senator Elizabeth Warren expressed concerns over the concentration of media power related to a potential merger involving Warner Bros Discovery and Paramount [8] - Warner Bros, Disney, and Universal have filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against a Chinese AI firm, Minimax, amidst these acquisition concerns [8]

Group 1 - Webtoon Entertainment's shares surged by 42.5% in a single day following an expanded partnership with Walt Disney, significantly enhancing the business value of the Webtoon digital comics platform [1][6] - The new agreement builds on a previous deal made on August 12, which included 100 selected comics from popular franchises like Star Wars and Spider-Man, leading to a notable increase in investor interest [3][4] - The expanded partnership will feature over 35,000 titles from Disney's comic-book worlds, many of which are newly available in digital format, along with original titles being developed specifically for the platform [4][5] Group 2 - The combined announcements from Disney have resulted in a total stock price increase of 117% for Webtoon in less than five weeks [6] - Webtoon, as a subsidiary of Naver, is less likely to issue new shares to capitalize on the stock surge, which would protect existing shareholders from dilution of their stakes [7][8] - The development of the mobile app and back-end infrastructure for the new project is still ongoing, with no confirmed release date, although the partnership benefits from Naver's data centers and Disney's marketing capabilities [9][10]

Company Overview - Webtoon Entertainment (WBTN) shares increased by 5.1% to close at $14.96, following a notable trading volume that exceeded typical levels, contrasting with a 4.9% loss over the past four weeks [1] - The company is experiencing strong growth in its English-language WebComic app, with monthly active users (MAU) increasing by 19% for three consecutive quarters [2] Financial Performance - Webtoon is expected to report quarterly earnings of $0.04 per share, reflecting a year-over-year decline of 81.8%. Revenue is anticipated to be $385.17 million, which is a 10.7% increase from the same quarter last year [3] - The consensus EPS estimate for Webtoon has remained unchanged over the last 30 days, indicating that stock price movements may not sustain without trends in earnings estimate revisions [4] Industry Context - Webtoon operates within the Zacks Internet - Software industry, where another company, Affirm Holdings (AFRM), saw a 7.6% increase in its stock price, closing at $89.43, with a 5.5% return over the past month [4] - Affirm Holdings has experienced a significant change in its consensus EPS estimate, increasing by 27.2% over the past month to $0.1, which represents a year-over-year change of 132.3% [5]

Group 1 - Proactive provides fast, accessible, informative, and actionable business and finance news content to a global investment audience [2][3] - The news team covers key finance and investing hubs including London, New York, Toronto, Vancouver, Sydney, and Perth [2] - Proactive focuses on medium and small-cap markets while also covering blue-chip companies, commodities, and broader investment stories [2][3] Group 2 - The team delivers news and insights across various sectors including biotech, pharma, mining, natural resources, battery metals, oil and gas, crypto, and emerging technologies [3] - Proactive adopts technology to enhance workflows and improve content production [4][5] - All content published by Proactive is edited and authored by humans, ensuring adherence to best practices in content production and search engine optimization [5]

Group 1 - WEBTOON Entertainment Inc. (NASDAQ: WBTN) is viewed positively as the business strengthens with scale, indicating potential for long-term growth [1] - The author emphasizes a diverse investment approach, incorporating fundamental, technical, and momentum investing strategies to enhance the investment process [1] Group 2 - The article serves as a platform for tracking investment ideas and connecting with like-minded investors [1]

Core Insights - Webtoon Entertainment and Walt Disney have signed a non-binding agreement to develop a new digital comics platform featuring Disney's comic franchises [1][4] - Shares of Webtoon Entertainment surged 30% in premarket trading following the announcement of the collaboration with Disney [1][4] Company Developments - The new platform will include current comic book runs and decades of past comics from Disney's portfolio, including Marvel and Star Wars [2] - Disney will acquire a 2% equity interest in Webtoon as part of the deal, which is still to be finalized [3] Market Reaction - The announcement has positively impacted Webtoon Entertainment's stock, which had previously spent most of 2025 in negative territory before the recent spike [3] - Walt Disney's shares have also shown an upward trend year-to-date [3]

Core Viewpoint - Shares of Webtoon Entertainment experienced a significant increase following Disney's announcement to acquire a minority stake in the company and collaborate on developing a new digital platform [1] Company Summary - Webtoon Entertainment is a South Korean storytech company that focuses on digital content [1] - The acquisition by Disney indicates a strategic partnership aimed at enhancing Webtoon’s platform and expanding its market reach [1] Industry Summary - The digital content industry is witnessing increased interest from major players like Disney, highlighting the growing importance of digital storytelling and content consumption [1] - The collaboration between a traditional media giant and a digital content provider reflects the ongoing trend of convergence in the entertainment industry [1]

Market Movements - US stock index futures are all up, with Dow futures rising by 0.02%, S&P 500 futures up by 0.18%, and Nasdaq futures increasing by 0.22% [1] - European indices show declines, with Germany's DAX down by 0.54%, UK's FTSE 100 down by 0.26%, France's CAC 40 down by 0.15%, and the Euro Stoxx 50 down by 0.16% [2][3] - WTI crude oil prices increased by 0.54% to $63.64 per barrel, while Brent crude rose by 0.34% to $67.67 per barrel [3][4] Economic Insights - US retail sales for August are expected to show a month-on-month increase of 0.2%, with core retail sales projected to rise by 0.4% when excluding automobiles and gasoline [5] - The S&P 500 index, excluding technology stocks, has risen by 13% over the past year, while profits have only grown by 6.4%, indicating potential overvaluation in non-tech sectors [5] Company News - Oracle (ORCL.US) shares rose over 5% in pre-market trading as it is reportedly involved in a consortium to maintain TikTok's operations in the US [7] - Tesla (TSLA.US) is under investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration regarding potential issues with the electronic door handles of certain Model Y vehicles [8][9] - Nvidia's (NVDA.US) new RTX6000D chip for the Chinese market is facing low demand, with major tech companies showing little interest due to high pricing and perceived low value [9] - TSMC (TSM.US) saw its market share in the semiconductor foundry sector rise to 38% in Q2 2025, driven by strong AI demand and Chinese subsidies [10] - Google (GOOGL.US) faces challenges as the DOJ rejects its proposal to divest part of its advertising technology business, insisting on a complete separation of its AdX platform [10] - Corteva (CTVA.US) is reportedly considering splitting its seed and pesticide businesses, but this potential move has raised concerns among Wall Street analysts [11] - Disney (DIS.US) has acquired a 2% stake in Webtoon (WBTN.US) and will collaborate to develop a digital platform for classic comic content, leading to a pre-market surge of over 39% in Webtoon shares [11]

Market Movements - US stock index futures are all up ahead of the market opening, with Dow futures up 0.02%, S&P 500 futures up 0.18%, and Nasdaq futures up 0.22% [1] - European indices are down, with Germany's DAX down 0.54%, UK's FTSE 100 down 0.26%, France's CAC 40 down 0.15%, and the Euro Stoxx 50 down 0.16% [2][3] - WTI crude oil is up 0.54% at $63.64 per barrel, while Brent crude oil is up 0.34% at $67.67 per barrel [3][4] Economic Data - US retail sales for August are expected to show a month-on-month increase of 0.2%, with core retail sales (excluding autos and gas) expected to rise by 0.4%, indicating consumer spending may be a bright spot despite overall economic weakness [4] Company News - Oracle (ORCL.US) shares are up over 5% in pre-market trading as it is reported to be participating in a consortium to maintain TikTok's operations in the US [7] - Tesla (TSLA.US) is under investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration regarding potential issues with the electronic door handles of certain Model Y vehicles [8] - Nvidia's (NVDA.US) new RTX6000D chip for the Chinese market is facing low demand, with major companies showing little interest due to high pricing and perceived lack of value [8] - TSMC (TSM.US) has seen its market share in the semiconductor foundry market rise to 38% in Q2 2025, driven by strong AI demand and Chinese subsidies [9] - Google's (GOOGL.US) proposal to divest part of its advertising technology business has been rejected by the Justice Department, which is seeking a complete separation of its AdX platform [9] - Corteva (CTVA.US) is reportedly evaluating a potential split of its seed and pesticide businesses, but this move has raised concerns among Wall Street analysts [10] - Webtoon (WBTN.US) shares surged over 39% in pre-market trading after Disney (DIS.US) announced a partnership to develop a digital platform for classic comic content [10]

Core Viewpoint - Premarket trading is showing notable activity with significant price movements indicating potential investment opportunities before the market opens [1] Premarket Gainers - FGI Industries Ltd. (FGI) is up 278% at $15.02 [3] - Senmiao Technology Limited (AIHS) is up 96% at $4.22 [3] - Conifer Holdings, Inc. (CNFR) is up 86% at $2.11 [3] - WEBTOON Entertainment Inc. (WBTN) is up 39% at $20.81 [3] - Nukkleus Inc. (NUKK) is up 18% at $6.08 [3] - Tantech Holdings Ltd (TANH) is up 12% at $2.13 [3] - Check-Cap Ltd. (CHEK) is up 9% at $2.33 [3] - Ivanhoe Electric Inc. (IE) is up 8% at $9.71 [3] - Wolfspeed, Inc. (WOLF) is up 8% at $3.21 [3] - Bolt Projects Holdings, Inc. (BSLK) is up 5% at $3.95 [3] Premarket Losers - Envirotech Vehicles, Inc. (EVTV) is down 17% at $2.27 [4] - Dave & Buster's Entertainment, Inc. (PLAY) is down 15% at $20.40 [4] - NanoVibronix, Inc. (NAOV) is down 12% at $9.37 [4] - ADTRAN Holdings, Inc. (ADTN) is down 10% at $9.37 [4] - Rain Enhancement Technologies Holdco, Inc. (RAIN) is down 10% at $6.00 [4] - CNS Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (CNSP) is down 7% at $8.50 [4] - AVITA Medical, Inc. (RCEL) is down 7% at $6.22 [4] - Vince Holding Corp. (VNCE) is down 7% at $2.60 [4] - Monte Rosa Therapeutics, Inc. (GLUE) is down 6% at $6.50 [4] - Meiwu Technology Company Limited (WNW) is down 6% at $2.06 [4]