Be in the know. 17 key reads for Thursday…

  1. An earnings boom is around the corner, and it could blindside the stock-market bears (marketwatch)
  2. From an Earnings Standpoint, the World Is Wonderful (zerohedge)
  3. ‘The Setup Is Asymmetric To The Upside’: Citadel Securities Positive As Market Transitions Back To Fundamentals (zerohedge)
  4. Hedge Funds Closing Stock Short Bets at Fastest Pace Since 2020 (bloomberg)
  5. Traders Pounce on the Cease-Fire, Even as Missiles Keep Flying (wsj)
  6. Disney Planning Layoffs Under New CEO Josh D’Amaro (wsj)
  7. Alibaba Stock Rises. How It’s Trying to Catch Up in the AI Race. (barrons)
  8. Alibaba creates CEO-led technology committee amid intensifying AI race (scmp)
  9. Intel’s stock soars to a five-year high. This is what’s driving its massive momentum. (marketwatch)
  10. Builder Stocks Jump on Cease-Fire. A Tough Year Could Be Turning Around. (barrons)
  11. Interest rates are headed lower — real yields suggest a half-point Fed cut is coming (marketwatch)
  12. US banks could release $320 billion in capital with new draft rules, analysts say (reuters)
  13. As millions lose weight on GLP-1s, they’re starting to turn to retailers to refresh their wardrobes (cnbc)
  14. Goldman Embraces ‘Picks and Shovels’ of AI With More Capex Ahead (bloomberg)
  15. China EV Exports Jump to Record as Iran Oil Shock Entices Buyers (bloomberg)
  16. “Investors should be encouraged” by upcoming Trump-Xi meeting, says Dalio (streetinsider)
  17. Markets Have Faced a Year of Chaos and Still Done Awfully Well (nytimes)