Category: What I’m Reading Today

Be in the know. 14 key reads for Thursday…

  1. Advance Auto Parts Stock Surges After Earnings. 2026 Off to a ‘Solid Start,’ CEO Says. (barrons)
  2. Bracken Darrell Discusses VF’s Return to Growth on CNBC’s ‘Mad Money’ (vfc)
  3. VF Earnings: Unexpected Sales Growth Shows Progress Toward Medium-Term Goals; Shares Attractive (morningstar)
  4. Alibaba unveils new Qwen model, custom chips in bid to become China’s ‘AI factory’ (scmp)
  5. Alibaba signals next phase of AI growth from investment to commercialisation (scmp)
  6. Global Funds Piled Back Into Chinese Stocks in April, Data Shows (bloomberg)
  7. China’s yuan hits 3-year high as global banks issue bullish forecasts (scmp)
  8. Is gas making a comeback on the US power grid? (ft)
  9. Memorial Day Travel Expected to Set Records Despite Higher Fuel Prices (barrons)
  10. Iran Says the US’s Latest Proposal Has ‘Narrowed the Gaps’ (bloomberg)
  11. More car buyers are shifting to EVs — but the reasons why are nuanced (cnbc)
  12. Stellantis to launch $70 billion business plan to 2030 with 60 new model offensive (reuters)
  13. Newly Passed Housing Bill Throws Lifeline to Home Builders (wsj)
  14. Trump Approved an Nvidia Chip for Sale in China. Beijing Doesn’t Want It. (nytimes)

Be in the know. 16 key reads for Wednesday…

  1. VF Returns to Revenue Growth, Issues Upbeat Outlook (wsj)
  2. VF Corp.’s Returned to Annual Growth With Surprise Q4 Gain (wwd)
  3. Vans owner VFC tops Q1 estimates and reinstates annual guidance; shares jump 10% (investing)
  4. Alibaba says its new AI chip is 3 times more powerful as China pushes local alternatives (cnbc)
  5. Alibaba Ramps Up AI Push With New Chip, Model Upgrades (wsj)
  6. China confirms order for 200 Boeing planes, calls aviation key area for U.S. cooperation (cnbc)
  7. China’s stocks have upside room as liquidity and earnings grow, JPMorgan says (scmp)
  8. US Pending Home Sales Increase for a Third Straight Month (bloomberg)
  9. Global EV and hybrid sales to hit 30% of car market this year, IEA forecasts (ft)
  10. Williams CEO Sees Gas Demand Outpacing Past Years on Powering AI (bloomberg)
  11. Pfizer Advances Pneumonia Shot After Getting Positive Results in Children (bloomberg)
  12. Investors haven’t been this bullish since the peak of the 2021 meme-stock frenzy, according to this chart (marketwatch)
  13. “Flow Fragility”: Citadel Securities Turns ‘Tactically Cautious’ (zerohedge)
  14. Cracks Are Starting to Appear in the Chip Stock Rally (barrons)
  15. Lowe’s Sales Boosted by Online Growth (wsj)
  16. Oil Prices Fall After Reports Supertankers Are Moving Through Strait of Hormuz (barrons)

Be in the know. 14 key reads for Tuesday…

  1. Guinness collaborates with Art of Football to deliver jersey exclusive to North America for FIFA World Cup (foxbusiness)
  2. Vans is Doing Everything Right (soleretriever)
  3. Home Depot says core shopper is resilient in the face of higher gas prices, sales rise 5% (cnbc)
  4. Home Depot beats earnings estimates as small DIY projects remain a ‘real source of strength’ (yahoo)
  5. Homebuilder sentiment improves on late spring surge in demand (cnbc)
  6. Estee Lauder CEO says Puig talks continue, no deal yet (investing)
  7. Alibaba teases new Qwen previews, highest-ranking Chinese AI models on Arena (scmp)
  8. Nvidia’s CEO Sees China Opening Market to AI Chips From US (bloomberg)
  9. Fund Managers Boost Stock Allocations by a Record in BofA Poll (bloomberg)
  10. Citadel Securities’ Rubner Sees Risk of Flow Unwind in US Stocks (bloomberg)
  11. Investors are piling into U.S. equity funds at the fastest pace in years. But now the pendulum may swing back, warns Barclays (marketwatch)
  12. Ford to launch new European models to try to boost car sales and fend off China (reuters)
  13. Stellantis to Start Production of New Small EVs in Italy (wsj)
  14. Hormel Foods Declares $0.2925 Quarterly Dividend; 5.7% Yield (investing)

Be in the know. 11 key reads for Monday…

  1. Chinese tech giants, from Alibaba to Tencent, race to dominate AI-powered digital gateways (scmp)
  2. China ramps up building a national computing power network as AI token demand surges (scmp)
  3. China Home Price Slump Eases in Sign Market Is Stabilizing (bloomberg)
  4. China Says It Has Agreed With U.S. to Set Up Trade and Investment Bodies (wsj)
  5. Baidu AI Sales Eclipse Waning Legacy Ads for the First Time (bloomberg)
  6. Global banks raise yuan forecasts, fuelled by China’s export strength and stable US ties (reuters)
  7. Williams Trading upgrades VF Corp. stock rating on Vans momentum (investing)
  8. Memorial Day Travel Expected to Set Records Despite Higher Fuel Prices (barrons)
  9. Evercore ISI raises Advance Auto Parts stock price target on margin outlook (investing)
  10. Ford Bets on Bronco SUV to Revive Flagging European Sales (bloomberg)
  11. Venezuela Circulates Draft of Oil Law Regulations for Companies (bloomberg)

Be in the know. 12 key reads for Sunday…

  1. Work boots, the new red carpet shoe – just ask Timothée Chalamet and Austin Butler (scmp)
  2. Canada Goose CEO Dani Reiss Focuses In on Profitability After Strong Growth Year (wwd)
  3. Gen Z shoppers helping revive America’s malls with push for in-person experiences (foxbusiness)
  4. Etsy Taught AI to Find the Unfindable (pymnts)
  5. Papa Johns to bottle, sell iconic garlic sauce in stores nationwide (usatoday)
  6. Diageo readies Tequilas for World Cup travel retail takeover (thespiritsbusiness)
  7. Pending Home Sales Jump 10% From a Year Ago to Highest Level Since 2022 (redfin)
  8. New-Vehicle Inventory Holds Steady in April as Automakers Sell Down Model Year 2025 Inventory (coxauto)
  9. AliViews: Eddie Wu on Alibaba’s Q4 Earnings (alizila)
  10. Big tech is sacrificing its cashflows to prop up the AI boom (economist)
  11. America is experiencing a productivity miracle (economist)
  12. Investor Patience Pays Off (seeitmarket)

Be in the know. 15 key reads for Saturday…

  1. Trump-Xi Summit Ends With Few Breakthroughs. Chinese Stocks Emerge the Winner. (barrons)
  2. Trump says China to buy 200 Boeing jets, order could rise up to 750 (reuters)
  3. Trump, Xi to Set Up Trade and Investment Boards, China Says (bloomberg)
  4. Disney Is Banking on Baby Yoda to Revive the Star Wars Franchise (bloomberg)
  5. Diageo Top Chiefs to Exit as CEO Dave Lewis Pushes Revamp (bloomberg)
  6. U.S. Industrial Production Rose in April (wsj)
  7. Motor vehicles, AI boost US manufacturing production; supply shortages from war loom (reuters)
  8. Cooper-Standard Holdings shareholders elect board and approve key proposals (investing)
  9. Toyota Mulls $2 Billion Investment to Add Assembly Line in Texas (wsj)
  10. Sources: Final Bids in for Estée Lauder Cos.’ Smashbox, Too Faced and Dr. Jart (wwd)
  11. Spam ditches the can for new format – hot dogs (usatoday)
  12. 10 Quality Stocks That Hit New Lows This Week—and Look Like Bargains (barrons)
  13. Big Tech goes beyond Wall Street for huge AI borrowing (ft)
  14. U.S. industrial natural gas consumption expected to hit records in 2026 and 2027 (eia)
  15. Why Stocks Sometimes Fall for No Obvious Reason (morningstar)

Be in the know. 14 key reads for Friday…

  1. Exclusive: Largest Papa John’s franchisee joins Irth in buyout bid for pizza chain, sources say (reuters)
  2. Despite Record Low Sentiment, US Retail Sales See Strongest Annual Gain In 8 Months (zerohedge)
  3. Consumers Spent More in April Despite High Gas Prices (nytimes)
  4. The North Face And U.S. Ski & Snowboard Enter 8-Year Apparel Deal (forbes)
  5. Inside QXO’s growth plan after $30.2 billion acquisition spree (housingwire)
  6. US business inventories post biggest gain in nearly four years in March (reuters)
  7. China will order 200 Boeing jets, Trump tells Fox News (cnbc)
  8. Trump discloses big buys of shares in Boeing and Nvidia as the companies look set to gain from his China trip (marketwatch)
  9. Exclusive: US clears H200 chip sales to 10 China firms as Nvidia CEO looks for breakthrough (reuters)
  10. Alibaba, Tencent present a tale of two strategies for AI spending (scmp)
  11. China will work behind the scenes to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, Bessent says (cnbc)
  12. JPMorgan Strategist Says Winners in Global Stocks Go Beyond AI (bloomberg)
  13. Kevin Warsh on the Fed, in His Own Words (wsj)
  14. Quest Diagnostics, Altria, and 12 More Stocks That Are Coming Back to Life After a Rough Patch (barrons)

Be in the know. 18 key reads for Thursday…

  1. Canada Goose Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year Fiscal 2026 Results (canadagoose)
  2. Canada Goose shares gain as quarterly results exceed expectations (investing)
  3. Alibaba CEO signals capex boost as China tech giant forges full-stack AI path (scmp)
  4. Alibaba targets $4.4b in AI revenue by 2026 (techinasia)
  5. Alibaba and Tencent now seen as AI plays, not just e-commerce, says analyst (cnbc)
  6. Chinese companies are ramping up homegrown AI chips, even if Nvidia is coming back (cnbc)
  7. China’s Forgotten Tech Trade Is Exploding (zerohedge)
  8. US Treasury’s Bessent expects large Boeing order during China visit (reuters)
  9. Boeing lost China. Trump—and 500 jets—may be about to win it back (fortune)
  10. Xi Tells US CEOs Accompanying Trump That China Will Open Up More (bloomberg)
  11. Bessent Says US, China Discussing ‘Board of Investment’ (bloomberg)
  12. How the U.S. Became the World’s Greatest Energy Exporter (wsj)
  13. Energy Stocks Have Soared. Why the Boom Can Last. (barrons)
  14. Truist tracks Vans TikTok Shop sales amid promotional discipline (investing)
  15. April Consumer Spending Should Remain Solid, Even With Higher Gas Prices (barrons)
  16. What the biggest mid-cycle earnings acceleration on record means for the stock market (marketwatch)
  17. Global Fund Managers Playing Catch-Up May Fuel S&P’s Next Leg Up (bloomberg)
  18. Kevin Warsh Is Confirmed as Fed Chair in 54–45 Senate Vote (wsj)

Be in the know. 17 key reads for Wednesday…

  1. Xi-Trump meeting could lift Chinese stocks 12%: Morgan Stanley (scmp)
  2. What Trump and Xi Want to Achieve at Their High-Stakes Summit (wsj)
  3. Alibaba AI revenue logs triple-digit growth for 11th quarter amid strategic reshuffle (scmp)
  4. Alibaba’s cloud revenue jumps 40% on AI demand (techinasia)
  5. Alibaba’s Quarterly Profitability Still Under Pressure (wsj)
  6. Alibaba, Tencent AI Bets Face ‘Show Me the Profits’ Scrutiny (bloomberg)
  7. China AI Stocks Surge as Huang’s Visit Boosts Nvidia Supply Bets (bloomberg)
  8. China’s Profit Outlook to Improve Further, Morgan Stanley Says (bloomberg)
  9. Boeing could finally reignite its China business. Will that breathe new life into its stock? (marketwatch)
  10. Boeing’s new order bookings surge in April (reuters)
  11. The summer box office is off to a hot start as weekend ticket sales top $160 million (cnbc)
  12. The TV Ad Market Is Being Taken Over by Streaming Platforms (wsj)
  13. 10 Big Roofing Takeaways From Brad Jacobs’ QXO Investor Q&A (roofingcontractor)
  14. Senate confirms Kevin Warsh to Fed board as he clears another hurdle to becoming chairman (nypost)
  15. Tariff Refunds of $35.5 Billion Cleared for Importers So Far (bloomberg)
  16. Morgan Stanley boosts S&P 500 target. Why Mike Wilson says the market has already priced in the biggest risks. (marketwatch)
  17. Global EV demand rises for second month, data shows (reuters)

Be in the know. 19 key reads for Tuesday…

  1. Investors Bet on Xi-Trump Summit to Extend Trade-Truce Rally (bloomberg)
  2. Chinese Stocks See Risk Appetite Revival as Margin Loans Jump (bloomberg)
  3. Emerging markets rebound on inflows as Xi-Trump talks eyed for momentum (scmp)
  4. Boeing Bets Its Comeback on Trump, China and an Elusive New Plane (bloomberg)
  5. Boeing gets FAA approval to return MD-11 cargo planes to service (investing)
  6. A Trump-Xi deal could revive US energy exports to China (reuters)
  7. Despite the War, Energy Stocks Are Cheap (wsj)
  8. JD Profit Beats Estimates After China Curbs Food Delivery War (bloomberg)
  9. Cash-strapped homeowners may soon have no choice but to repair their aging houses. These stocks can benefit. (marketwatch)
  10. The Cost of Buying a Home Is Getting a Little Better. Why Sales Are Still Stuck. (barrons)
  11. Papa John’s tests drone delivery in North Carolina suburb (reuters)
  12. TJX, Gap and Other Retail Stocks That Could Be AI Winners (barrons)
  13. Gen Z Shoppers Driving Traffic Growth at Simon’s Malls, CEO Says (bloomberg)
  14. U.S. Small-Business Confidence Ticks Up (wsj)
  15. Trump Says He Supports Suspending the Federal Gas Tax (wsj)
  16. AAA Forecasts Record Memorial Day Drivers Despite High Gas Prices (bloomberg)
  17. The S&P 500 Is Following Earnings Higher—Perhaps a Lot Higher (barrons)
  18. Big Tech Keeps Piling On AI Debt. Spending Is Set to Soar. (barrons)
  19. Why ‘Buying the Crash’ Beats Buying the Dip (morningstar)