On August 5, 2026 (Wednesday), U.S. equities opened broadly higher, with major benchmarks extending this year’s rally to fresh highs. Risk appetite is concentrated in technology and AI‑related names, while volatility products edge up and safe‑haven flows into precious metals remain strong.

By theme, U.S. gold miners and related ETFs are among the day’s strongest performers. The “U.S. Gold Stocks” basket (e.g. Gold Fields, Newmont, Kinross, Harmony Gold, Agnico Eagle) is up around 7%, supported by a synchronized surge in bullion and miners’ ETFs. Gold‑focused products such as GLD, IAU, GLDM, PHYS, AAAU and GDX/GDXJ advance roughly 3%–6%, indicating robust inflows into the sector. Silver is also in favor: U.S. silver miners and silver ETFs (SLV, AGQ, SIVR, SIL, SILJ and others) gain about 4%–8%, with leveraged products like AGQ and GDXU amplifying the move. In contrast, solar and EV‑charging themes are under pressure; U.S. solar stocks and charging‑pile names trade lower, reflecting stock‑specific disappointments such as SolarEdge and EVgo.

Within growth and tech, AI and networking remain key drivers. The U.S. AI basket (including NVDA, MSFT, META, AMZN and others) is generally higher, helped by strong earnings and guidance from infrastructure names. Streaming and media stocks are mixed: Walt Disney rallies on earnings and strategic news, while Apple is slightly weaker despite a broader semiconductor rebound. Healthcare is bifurcated: large‑cap pharma and obesity‑drug leaders in the U.S. pharma basket (LLY, NVO, AZN, AMGN, ABBV, etc.) are mostly higher on strong GLP‑1 demand and deal headlines, while some biotech names such as Recursion lag on weak results.

Apple is down 0.40%. The stock is weighed by headlines that Apple attempted to bring China’s ChangXin Memory into its supply chain and push for lower prices, but was rebuffed. ChangXin’s pricing is reported to be at or above that of Samsung and SK hynix and is supported by strong demand from major Chinese customers such as Huawei and Xiaomi. The news underscores Apple’s limited bargaining power in a tight memory market and highlights ongoing supply‑chain and cost‑pressure risks, capping the share price despite a broader tech rebound.

NVIDIA rises 2.97%. The move is driven by SpaceX’s decision to build its AI infrastructure exclusively on Nvidia chips, including the planned Starmind AI satellite network and orbital data‑center architecture. SpaceX expects computing capacity to exceed 2 GW by year‑end and approach 10 GW by 2027, implying massive incremental GPU demand. Multiple SpaceX disclosures emphasize that all AI compute will be based on Nvidia hardware, reinforcing Nvidia’s dominance in high‑end AI accelerators and supporting investor expectations for sustained data‑center growth.

Alphabet gains 1.02%. Google is in talks to acquire AI coding‑agent startup Mechanize in a deal valued at more than $1.5 billion, focused on talent acquisition and a non‑exclusive technology license. The prospective transaction signals Alphabet’s determination to strengthen its AI developer‑tools stack and compete more aggressively in code‑generation and agentic AI. Investors view the move as strategically accretive to Google’s AI roadmap, providing a modest boost to the share price.

SpaceX drops 12.23%. The company released its first quarterly report as a public company, with Q2 revenue of about $7.8 billion, up 92% year on year and ahead of expectations, driven by Starlink expansion and fast‑growing AI compute agreements. However, AI‑related capital expenditures surged to roughly $158–184 billion, and AI losses remain substantial. In addition, an imminent lockup expiration of around 900 million shares and over $100 billion in stock coming off lockup has raised fears of heavy supply. Despite strong top‑line growth and a large backlog, concerns over cash burn, high capex and lockup overhang are triggering sharp selling pressure.

Eli Lilly jumps 6.37%. The company reported Q2 revenue of $22.97 billion and adjusted EPS of $8.38, both beating market expectations. Management raised full‑year 2026 revenue guidance to $85–87 billion, up from $82–85 billion, citing exceptionally strong demand for obesity and diabetes drugs such as Mounjaro, Zepbound and Trulicity. The combination of a clean earnings beat, upgraded outlook and continued GLP‑1 momentum has fueled a strong rerating of the stock at the open.

SK hynix edges down 1.43%. While Hong Kong‑listed leveraged products tied to SK hynix and Samsung are rallying on a rebound in storage names and tight memory supply through 2027, SK hynix faces offsetting headwinds from a police investigation into alleged breach‑of‑trust issues involving its CEO over performance‑bonus arrangements. At the same time, reports that DRAM and HBM capacity at Samsung, SK hynix and Micron is fully sold out through 2027 highlight structural tightness in the memory market. The conflicting signals between strong fundamentals and governance concerns leave the stock slightly weaker.

Advanced Micro Devices falls 6.69%. AMD’s Q2 revenue grew 50% to $11.54 billion, beating expectations, with data‑center sales more than doubling on robust AI chip demand. However, the company’s Q3 revenue guidance, while above consensus, failed to satisfy aggressive investor expectations, leading to a sharp post‑earnings sell‑off. Mixed analyst actions—some raising price targets to $550–$700, others trimming them—underscore the high bar embedded in the valuation. The stock is under pressure as the market digests strong current results against a more measured near‑term outlook.

Coca-Cola is up 0.23%. Coca‑Cola HBC reported H1 2026 net revenue of €6.2294 billion, with 9.6% organic growth and a 15.2% increase in comparable EBIT to €760.1 million, both ahead of expectations. The company guided for 8%–10% organic EBIT growth and 6%–7% organic revenue growth for 2026, signaling confidence in its medium‑term trajectory. The solid, defensive earnings profile supports the stock, though the price reaction is relatively muted in a risk‑on session.

Palantir Technologies Inc. adds 0.48%. The stock is digesting a prior 29% surge driven by a massive options trade—about $52 million in notional value—targeting $200 strike calls via bullish call spreads. Options turnover reached roughly $1.47 billion, reflecting intense speculative interest. The earlier squeeze, fueled by a broad risk‑on mood in U.S. equities, has left positioning stretched; today’s modest gain suggests consolidation after the options‑driven spike.

Novo-Nordisk A/S rises 1.60%. Novo Nordisk’s Q2 results showed overall revenue and obesity‑drug sales still growing, but Wegovy oral and U.S. injectable sales came in below expectations, raising questions about GLP‑1 growth trajectories and competitive pressures. Management emphasized that there are no major M&A plans and that the company will focus on accelerating early‑stage assets and scientific innovation. The stock’s advance indicates that investors are looking past the short‑term sales miss and focusing on the long‑term obesity franchise.

Arista Networks surges 12.20%. The company’s Q2 earnings beat expectations, with adjusted EPS of $1.02 and revenue of $3.036 billion, and it guided Q3 revenue to about $3.3 billion versus Wall Street’s $2.94 billion estimate. Management highlighted strong demand from AI and high‑performance computing customers, with AI‑driven networking upgrades becoming a major growth engine. The combination of a solid beat and bullish guidance has triggered a sharp re‑rating, positioning Arista as a key AI infrastructure beneficiary.

McDonald's gains 1.27%. JPMorgan cut its price target from $305 to $280, and several other institutions have recently adjusted targets in a wide $273–$356 range, with ratings from Hold to Buy and Overweight. McDonald’s Q2 profit beat expectations with EPS of $3.38, though revenue of $7.1 billion was slightly below forecasts. The mixed but generally constructive analyst stance, coupled with resilient earnings, supports a modest rebound in the shares.

Shopify jumps 22.57%. Q2 revenue reached $3.58 billion, beating the $3.45 billion consensus, while gross merchandise volume climbed to about $115.6 billion. Adjusted EPS of $0.42 topped estimates, and management guided Q3 revenue growth in the low‑30% range, above the roughly 26% expected. Shopify highlighted strong growth in merchant solutions and AI‑enhanced tools such as the Sidekick assistant and AI search, which are boosting engagement and sales, particularly for smaller brands. The combination of a strong beat, upbeat guidance and a compelling AI narrative is driving a powerful re‑rating.

Uber declines 4.26%. The company reported Q2 gross bookings of $58.0 billion, net income of $2.394 billion and free cash flow of $2.792 billion, with adjusted EPS of $0.81 in line with expectations. Revenue of $14.191 billion was marginally below consensus, and Q3 adjusted EPS guidance of $0.84–$0.88 came in just under the $0.89 street forecast. Management also signaled increased investment in robotaxi technology. Despite solid current profitability, the slightly weaker outlook and higher spending plans are pressuring the stock.

CoreWeave, Inc. edges up 0.45%. The AI cloud‑computing company signed a multi‑year agreement with storage‑solutions provider Solidigm to secure priority access to enterprise‑grade SSD capacity. The deal is intended to strengthen CoreWeave’s integrated AI cloud platform and ensure reliable storage for high‑growth AI workloads. Investors see the agreement as supportive of CoreWeave’s ability to scale infrastructure, though the share‑price reaction is modest.

Circle Internet Corp. falls 4.85%. Circle reported Q2 revenue and reserve income of $701 million, slightly below the $717.5 million IBES estimate, but delivered EPS of $0.18, beating the $0.16 consensus and marking a turnaround from a loss a year earlier. Adjusted EBITDA reached $143 million with a 50% margin, and net income was $48 million. The company also highlighted progress toward the September 16 mainnet launch of its ARC network, with institutional buying from ARK Invest helping lift the stock pre‑market. The current pullback suggests profit‑taking after the earlier rally despite improving fundamentals.

Hecla Mining climbs 5.23%. Q2 results showed revenue of $333.9 million, adjusted EBITDA of $199 million, free cash flow of $135.8 million and net income of $117.9 million, indicating strong operational performance. While EPS of $0.17 was slightly below some estimates, the robust cash generation and leverage to rising precious‑metal prices are supporting the share price as investors rotate into gold and silver miners.

Recursion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. drops 6.65%. The company reported a pretax loss of $131.0 million, net loss of $131.0 million and operating loss of $135.0 million for Q2, with operating revenue of just $7.3 million, well below the $11.9 million IBES estimate. The combination of heavy losses and a significant revenue miss underscores execution and funding risks in its AI‑driven drug‑discovery model, prompting investors to reduce exposure.

AstraZeneca PLC advances 5.19%. AstraZeneca and CSPC announced a joint venture in Shijiazhuang to build a next‑generation biologics manufacturing base, with CSPC holding 51% and AstraZeneca 49%, initially focused on biologic drug substance production. CSPC also received a $10 million milestone payment from AstraZeneca for progress in an oral small‑molecule R&D collaboration. At the same time, both AstraZeneca and Bristol‑Myers Squibb clarified that there have been no merger talks, dispelling prior deal rumors. The combination of tangible partnership progress in China and the removal of M&A uncertainty is lifting AstraZeneca’s shares.

Walt Disney gains 4.17%. Disney’s fiscal Q3 results showed adjusted EPS of $2.06, beating the $1.86 estimate, on revenue of $25.25 billion, slightly below expectations. The company reiterated its full‑year guidance and highlighted cost‑cutting progress. Strategically, Disney agreed to sell its 50% stake in A+E Global Media to Hearst for about $1.2 billion, making A+E a wholly owned Hearst subsidiary, and announced a global short‑form content‑sharing partnership with TikTok that will allow creators to use Disney film and series assets, with some content also appearing on Disney+. The CEO also outlined plans to expand Disney+ globally, add gaming and merchandise features, and push ahead with cruise and theme‑park projects. The earnings beat and clearer streaming and content strategy are driving the stock higher.

Bristol-Myers Squibb slips 1.65%. Reports from Reuters and company sources confirmed that there are no ongoing transaction discussions between AstraZeneca and Bristol‑Myers Squibb, contradicting earlier merger speculation. The clarification has removed a potential takeover premium from Bristol‑Myers’ shares, contributing to the decline, while AstraZeneca benefits from reduced uncertainty.

SolarEdge plunges 14.68%. The company’s Q2 revenue rose 19.6% year on year to $346.2 million, slightly above expectations, and adjusted net income of $3.6 million and adjusted operating profit of $10.2 million beat forecasts, even as GAAP net loss remained $30.8 million. However, the results fell short of elevated market hopes following prior optimistic guidance, and the solar sector remains under pressure. The sharp pre‑market drop of around 9% has extended into regular trading, reflecting investor disappointment with the pace of recovery.

EVgo Inc​. declines 8.09%. Q2 revenue of $82.65 million beat the $79.9 million estimate, and adjusted gross profit reached $26.28 million, but the company posted a net loss of $46.34 million and an adjusted EBITDA loss of $10.57 million, with capex of $33.82 million. The combination of ongoing heavy losses and high investment needs in a challenging EV‑charging environment is weighing on sentiment, leading to a steep sell‑off despite the top‑line beat.

Medline Inc drops 12.25%. The company reported Q2 revenue of $7.685 billion, gross profit of $2.215 billion and operating income of $395 million, with pretax profit of $235 million and net income of $139 million. While the figures indicate solid absolute profitability, the market reaction suggests that investors had priced in stronger growth or margins, and the results may have fallen short of expectations, triggering a sharp de‑rating.

Lucid Group Inc falls 9.38%. Lucid announced that it will delay the launch of its more affordable mid‑size EV platform and related models to the second half of 2027, from an earlier plan targeting late 2024. The postponement, tied to an internal business review, pushes out the timeline for volume growth and margin improvement in a highly competitive EV market. Investors are reacting negatively to the extended path to scale and profitability.