What retail investors are buying, trading day takeaways

Market Trends & Investor Sentiment - Retail investors are increasingly active in the stock market, favoring individual stocks over ETFs, with mega-cap tech and AI-related stocks being popular choices [2][4][8][11][13] - Investopedia's survey indicates strong positive sentiment among self-directed investors, driven by record highs and expectations of deregulation and rate cuts [5][6][7][17][18][36] - Investors show a preference for holding onto their current stock investments, particularly in large-cap tech, with Nvidia, Palantir, Microsoft, Apple, and Amazon being top choices for the next 10 years [9][10] - A survey reveals that if investors had an extra 10,000 (unit unspecified), 22% would invest it in individual stocks [4] Economic Indicators & Monetary Policy - The Producer Price Index (PPI) showed higher than expected inflation, particularly in services, raising concerns for the Federal Reserve [1][24][25] - Despite inflation data, markets largely expect the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates by 25 basis points in September [26][27] - Crypto markets experienced a downturn with Bitcoin down 4% after hitting an all-time high, but overall, crypto has seen significant gains year-to-date, supported by institutional interest and a friendlier regulatory environment [30][31][32] Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac Potential IPO - The Trump administration is considering an IPO for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which could raise approximately 30 billion (unit unspecified) for taxpayers and unwind their 2008 conservatorship [3][37][38] - An IPO would introduce new shares and capital, potentially leading to a major exchange listing, but the government's backing is likely to continue unless Congress intervenes [45][46] - The value of the two mortgage giants could exceed 500 billion (unit unspecified) combined if the IPO proceeds [45] - Existing shareholders are expected to face massive dilution, with the federal government potentially owning over 90% [44][45]