Market Overview - US stock indices collectively declined due to investor concerns over potential hawkish comments from Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, which could lead to market volatility [1] - The probability of a rate cut in September is around 80%, but this expectation is facing challenges as investors reassess risks and choose to take profits [1] - Data from LSEG indicates that traders' bets on a 25 basis point rate cut have dropped from 99.9% to 79% [1] - The S&P 500 index saw declines across 9 of its 11 sectors, with consumer staples leading the drop at 1.18% [3] Company Performance - Walmart's stock fell 4.5% after reporting Q2 revenue of $177.4 billion, exceeding analyst expectations of $176.16 billion, but adjusted EPS of $0.68 fell short of the expected $0.74, marking the first miss in three years [4] - Major tech stocks continued to decline, with Tesla down 1.17%, Meta down 1.15%, and Amazon down 0.83% [4] - Coty experienced a significant drop of 21.4% due to anticipated sales declines attributed to weak demand in the US market [5] Sector Dynamics - Recent data showed a rebound in US business activity for August and an unexpected month-over-month increase in July home sales, contributing to rising US Treasury yields and further pressure on the stock market [2] - The technology sector has faced a sell-off, raising concerns over inflated valuations since April and increasing regulatory scrutiny from the US government [2] Notable Developments - Apple raised the monthly subscription price for Apple TV+ by 30% to $13 as part of its strategy to expand service revenue, with the annual plan remaining at $99 [9] - Anthropic is in talks to raise up to $10 billion in new funding, which would be one of the largest funding rounds for an AI startup to date, with strong investor demand driving the increase from an initial target of $5 billion [8]