Market Overview - The U.S. stock market showed mixed results with the Dow Jones up by 0.64%, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq fell by 0.01% and 0.66% respectively as investors await Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell's speech at the global central bank conference [1][3]. Federal Reserve Insights - The upcoming Jackson Hole conference from August 21 to 23 focuses on "Labor Market Transformation: Demographics, Productivity, and Macroeconomic Policy," reflecting recent significant changes in the U.S. labor market [3]. - Powell faces a challenging economic situation with signs of a cooling labor market indicating potential economic slowdown, while tariffs from the Trump administration are exacerbating inflation, complicating interest rate decisions [3]. - Market expectations suggest an 83% probability of a 25 basis point rate cut in September, with Powell likely to emphasize the Fed's independence from the administration during his final Jackson Hole appearance [3]. Intel's Stock Surge - Intel's stock price surged by nearly 12% after receiving substantial investments from the Trump administration and SoftBank Group, ultimately rising over 8% [5]. - The Trump administration is expected to acquire approximately 10% of Intel's shares, potentially providing around $10 billion to support Intel's revival strategy led by CEO Pat Gelsinger [7]. - SoftBank Group has agreed to purchase $2 billion in Intel shares, aiming to leverage Intel's chip manufacturing technology for artificial intelligence applications, while also increasing its stake in Nvidia [8]. Viking Therapeutics' Stock Decline - Viking Therapeutics' stock plummeted over 41% following disappointing mid-stage trial results for its experimental oral weight loss drug, VK2735, which showed only a 12.2% weight reduction in patients [10]. - Approximately 28% of participants dropped out of the trial within three months, raising concerns about the drug's competitiveness against products from Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk [10]. - Other pharmaceutical companies have also faced stock declines due to underwhelming results from weight loss drug trials, highlighting the significant scientific challenges in this emerging market [11].