There’s Still Life in the AI Trade. Today’s Pop in Bloom Energy Stock Is the Latest Example.
16 minutes ago
While investors try to work out whether we’re in an “AI bubble”—and how much time there might be before it pops—there are still hot trades to be had.
The latest: Shares of Bloom Energy (BE) were up more than 20% Monday morning on the news that asset manager Brookfield (BAM) would spend $5 billion deploying the fuel cell company’s technology in AI factories. A press release didn’t offer too many details, but cited global opportunities and “a site in Europe that will be announced before the end of the year.”
Today’s pop marks another step higher for Bloom, which has climbed steadily and substantially in 2025. The stock recently was at $107, up from around $22 at the end of last year, as investors have sought to buy into AI up and down the food chain.
Traders have found ways to profit on the AI trade even as worries of a bubble persist.
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It’s also a fresh example of how there’s still appetite for action even as questions remain about how much longer enthusiasm for AI spending can sustain strength in stocks amid a range of sources of worry. This morning alone, it was easy to find newsletters from financial media and research sources asking just how much longer the party could continue.
One recurring theme in recent days was the notion that, sure, things look hot, but that doesn’t mean impending doom—or, at least, not at any time that can be predicted with confidence.
Read the full article here.
What Bank Earnings Could Tell Us About the Economy
59 minutes ago
With a government shutdown forcing a data blackout, the upcoming U.S. bank earnings season will let investors gauge the economy’s health.
Big banks such as JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Citigroup, Goldman Sachs and Bank of America begin reporting their earnings next week. At least as of Sept. 30, banks were in solid shape and poised for more improvement in the last quarter of the year, analysts say.
Their borrowers, whether credit card holders or large corporations, showed little sign of stress. Loan activity was improving, and ebullient markets were driving fees to the Wall Street operations of larger banks. President Donald Trump’s administration is loosening bank regulations, whether on tiny one-branch banks or megabanks.
Earnings from big banks could give investors insights into the health of the economy in the absence of government data.
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“The group’s backdrop is about as strong as we could hope,” Scott Siefers, a bank analyst at Piper Sandler, wrote in a note to clients.
However, the optimism could fade if the economy takes a turn—an increasingly difficult scenario to gauge since the shutdown means the official September jobs report and other economic data haven’t been released.
Read the full article here.
We Asked Mars Wrigley’s ‘Chief Halloween Officer’ About This Year’s Top Candy Trends—Here’s What He Had To Say
1 hr 58 min ago
October is here, which means prime-time baseball—and Halloween, the “Super Bowl” of candy sales.
Americans are expected to shell out more than $13 billion to celebrate Halloween this year, according to the National Retail Federation, with nearly $4 billion of that on candy. That makes it vitally important for confectioners like Mars Wrigley, one of the biggest candy, chocolate and gum makers in the world, which spent more than two years developing its 2025 lineup.
Timothy LeBel, president of sales with Mars Wrigley North America—he also holds the title of “Chief Halloween Officer”—told Investopedia the company will offer more than 90 products this fall as it seeks to capitalize on a busy season for an industry estimated to be worth more than $50 billion.
A range of tastes and trends are expected to land in candy baskets this year.
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As the company, known for products like Snickers, 3 Musketeers and Milky Way bars, develops its menu, it considers shifting trends in consumer tastes and preferences, generational differences in how people enjoy treats, and emerging influences like the effect of GLP-1 medications on purchases of candy and other snacks.
Sometimes trends that lead to pullbacks in one direction create opportunity in another. GLP-1s, for example, can suppress appetites, but some users can also experience dry mouth or unpleasant breath, experts say. “Our gum business has benefited from that,” LeBel said.
Read the full article here.
Looking to Short a Few Stocks? JPMorgan Analysts Have a Few Ideas
2 hr 53 min ago
With stocks not far from their recent highs, are you looking to bet on which ones might fall?
Some investors look to profit from share prices they consider elevated by making short bets, borrowing shares to sell that they then seek to repurchase when they’re less expensive, pocketing the difference.
Last week, JPMorgan asked its analysts to pick their favorite short ideas headed into the start of the fourth quarter. They handed back a list of 27 stocks, which included those of a major airline and a burger chain.
Read here for summaries of a few of those picks.
Stock Futures Rally as Trump Softens Tone on China
3 hr 22 min ago
Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.7%.
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S&P 500 futures advanced 0.9%.
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Nasdaq 100 futures jumped 1.4%.
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