US July CPI rose 3.4% year on year, down from 3.5%, while core CPI eased to 2.5% with moderate monthly gains. The inflation data came in softer than the prior reading, pushing markets to price a lower probability of a Fed rate hike in September, falling to 39% from 51%. Risk sentiment improved, lifting the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 alongside a rise in Treasury prices.

Bank of America downgraded AppLovin to “Neutral,” sending the stock down nearly 6% to $319. The move followed second-quarter results in which revenue rose 53% year over year to $1.92 billion and adjusted EBITDA increased 58% to $1.61 billion, but both fell short of management’s guidance. The miss has fueled doubts about AppLovin’s long-run pledge of 30% annual revenue growth, with analysts questioning whether gains tied to its self-learning algorithms can be sustained.

GameStop CEO Ryan Cohen may abandon a $56 billion proposal to acquire eBay, a move analysts say could reduce financial strain and be supportive for GME shares. GameStop, which has an $8.43 billion market capitalization, had planned to fund the deal with cash and stock while raising up to $20 billion in financing. Cohen already holds about a 9.8% economic stake in eBay via GameStop, allowing him to retain strategic influence. GME shares fell 1.93% on Monday, near a more-than-two-year low.

Cathie Wood’s ARK Invest recently sold about $17 million worth of Palantir shares, even as PLTR has surged 37% over the past month. The company posted a strong Q2, with revenue of $1.94 billion and adjusted EPS of $0.41, both topping Wall Street expectations. Palantir also raised its FY26 guidance and reported adjusted free cash flow of $1.2 billion.

ICE New York September cocoa fell 278 points (-4.78%) on Tuesday, while ICE London July cocoa dropped 179 points (-4.21%), with both contracts hitting 1-week lows. Ghana’s cocoa board said 750,000 MT had been harvested for the season ending at the end of August, up 25.6% from 597,000 MT a year earlier. Ivory Coast port data showed cocoa arrivals since October 1 have reached 2.11 MMT, up 20% year on year. Early assessments of next season point to poor pod development, with output for the season starting in September estimated at 1.8 MMT, down 18% from about 2.2 MMT expected for the current season.

Apple reported fiscal third-quarter revenue of $109.4 billion, up 16% year over year, with iPhone revenue rising 22% to $54.3 billion and Services up 12% to $30.7 billion. The company said it now has more than 2.5 billion active devices worldwide and more than 1.5 billion paid subscriptions. Even so, analysts have become less confident as Apple’s forward price-to-earnings multiple has climbed to 35.7 times.

Sugar prices extended a weeklong rally as concerns over global supply tightened sentiment. In Brazil’s Center-South, June sugar output fell 26.3% y/y to 3.903 MMT, while India’s weather office cut its monsoon rainfall forecast to 90% of the long-term average and reported rainfall was 12% below normal as of August 10. Global sugar consumption in 2026/27 is projected to rise to a record 179.991 MMT. Supply constraints alongside expectations for stronger demand have underpinned prices.

Michael Burry has opened a new short position in Oracle at around $145 per share, calling the company one of the “very fat, very large, easy to shoot” targets in the AI trade. He highlighted Oracle’s roughly $260 billion in future data center lease commitments as a key risk. ORCL is down about 25% year to date, even after a rebound, as investors weigh whether fast-growing AI demand can generate enough cash to cover rising capital needs.

Ondas recently completed an acquisition worth about $125 million, and the stock rose 4% on the day while gaining 29% over the past month, even as short interest sits around 40%. The company has funded its expansion largely through equity financing, including raising about $1 billion. It has a backlog of more than $450 million and booked over $150 million in new orders in the second quarter. Management has raised its 2026 revenue target to at least $525 million.