The Open Bell — Ep. 018 — 17 Jul 2026

Today on The Open Bell: TSMC, the Taiwanese company that makes the chips inside almost everything AI runs on, just reported its best earnings in years and its stock still fell more than 4%, which tells you the AI trade isn't about fundamentals anymore, it's about whether the next number can keep topping the last one. SpaceX dropped below its $135 IPO price this week, just one month after raising $75 billion in the biggest public offering in history, and Elon Musk went from the world's first trillionaire to technically not one faster than most people get through a job probation period. US mortgage rates have climbed to 6.55%, a near one-year high, and the uncomfortable part is the Fed hasn't actually moved, the bond market has just decided it will, and that distinction matters a lot if you're trying to buy a house right now. If today's episode helped you make sense of the week, a quick five-star rating genuinely helps other people find the show. Hosted by Alex Monroe. New episodes every weekday morning at theopenbell.co Not investment advice. For informational purposes only. --- Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 00:13 TSMC Q2 Earnings Beat Sends Chip Stocks Tumbling Anyway 03:07 SpaceX Drops Below $135 IPO Price, Wiping Trillionaire Statu 05:35 US Mortgage Rates Hit Near-One-Year High at 6.55% on Inflati 07:23 Closing thoughts