Technology & Policy - Chinese government reiterated that it will not let TikTok's parent company sell its algorithm [1] - AI company Anthropic has partnered with startup Binti [1] Market Trends - Chipmakers experienced significant losses on Wall Street Wednesday [1]

Market Overview - U.S. stock futures declined on Wednesday following mixed trading on Tuesday, with major benchmark indices showing lower futures [1] - The S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100's retreat was attributed to failed peace talks involving President Trump and European leaders [1] - The Dow Jones index ended slightly higher, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite saw declines of 0.59% and 1.46% respectively [6][7] Economic Indicators - Investors are focused on Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's upcoming speech for signals on interest rates, with an 82.9% likelihood of a rate cut projected for the September 17 decision [2] - The 10-year Treasury bond yielded 4.31%, while the two-year bond was at 3.76% [2] - U.S. housing starts increased by 5.2% to an annualized rate of 1.428 million in July, while building permits declined by 2.8% to an annualized rate of 1.354 million [5] Company Performance - Intel Corp. saw a 7% rally, extending its monthly gains to 27% after a $2 billion investment from SoftBank Group [5] - Palo Alto Networks Inc. jumped over 3% after reporting strong quarterly results [5] - La-Z-Boy Inc. dropped 24.57% after reporting weaker-than-expected financial results for Q1 of fiscal 2026 [15] Sector Performance - Real estate, utilities, and consumer staples stocks recorded the biggest gains on Tuesday, while information technology and communication services sectors closed lower [4] - Small-cap and value stocks have shown a tight correlation with interest rate expectations, becoming increasingly reactive to the Fed's next move [10][11] Analyst Insights - Economist Jeremy Siegel emphasized that Powell's speech could significantly influence market direction, with two primary scenarios outlined [9][10] - A dovish tone from Powell could signal a 25-basis-point rate cut, potentially benefiting small-cap stocks [14] - Conversely, a hawkish signal could lead to negative reactions in risk markets [14]

Market Dynamics & Geopolitics - The chip industry is navigating the impact of political factors, particularly concerning access to the Chinese market, which is one of the largest chip markets in the world [3][4][5] - Companies are trying to understand the "rules of the game" to maintain access to the Chinese market, potentially involving compromises or deals [2][5] - Restrictions on chip exports to China could impact the long-term growth and valuations of companies like AMD and NVIDIA [11][12] - China's potential shift towards domestic chip production could further impact the global chip market [11] Company Strategy & Risk Management - Companies are adopting a "read and react" approach to policy changes, rather than relying on forecasting [7] - Access issues to the Chinese market are expected to increase costs and complexity for chipmakers [13] - The fundamental narrative for investing in companies like AMD and NVIDIA remains strong despite these challenges [13] Intel's Situation - There are questions surrounding Intel's leadership and its ability to develop the right types of chips [14] - Potential leadership changes at Intel could be influenced by political factors [15][16] - Intel faces significant challenges in terms of corporate structure and innovation [17]