Be in the know. 21 key reads for Wednesday…

  1. A Bet on QXO Stock Is a Bet on This Billionaire. Why It’s Time to Buy. (barrons)
  2. US Housing Starts Rise to Five-Month High, Led by Multifamily (bloomberg)
  3. Lowe’s Boosts Full-Year Outlook, Shrugging Off Slow Housing Market (wsj)
  4. Trump again attacks Fed chair, says Powell ‘hurting’ the housing industry (reuters)
  5. Scott Bessent bets on stablecoins to bolster demand for Treasuries (ft)
  6. Intel, SoftBank Discussed a Sale. Now, a Cash Infusion Will Accelerate American AI. (wsj)
  7. Intel Rescue Will Depend on Trump as Investor — and Pitchman (bloomberg)
  8. Why the Russell 2000 has a real chance to beat the S&P 500 — finally (marketwatch)
  9. The Biggest Stocks Are Still Winning. Why There’s Hope for the Whole Market. (barrons)
  10. Where to Invest When Nothing Looks Cheap (morningstar)
  11. Why 2025 Is the Year to Invest in International Stocks (morningstar)
  12. Funds With $617 Billion Turn Less Bearish on China, Survey Shows (bloomberg)
  13. Hong Kong Regains IPO Crown as Exchange Operator Posts Record Earnings (wsj)
  14. Alibaba, Ant combine forces to take on Meituan in China’s instant commerce market (scmp)
  15. Bessent Says China Tariff Status Quo ‘Working Pretty Well’ (bloomberg)
  16. US Targets Chinese Steel and Lithium for Forced-Labor Scrutiny (bloomberg)
  17. Estée Lauder Sees Sales Growth in Early Sign of Turnaround (bloomberg)
  18. Estee Lauder forecasts annual profit below estimates as tariffs hit (reuters)
  19. As Nuclear Stalls, Oil Could Be the Surprise Winner. 3 Stocks to Buy Now. (barrons)
  20. ESPN launches streaming bundle with RedZone and NFL Network for $40 monthly (investing)
  21. Truist Securities raises Etsy stock price target to $75 on positive data (investing)