Schwab Network

With back to school season in full swing, Charles O'Shea turns to the retail sector and its durability and earnings potential ahead. He discusses the headwinds and tailwinds he sees for companies across the sector, from Kohl's (KSS) and Gap (GAP) in the clothing space, to retail giants like Walmart (WMT) and Target (TGT). Tom White offers an example options trade for Walmart.

Cooper Howard from @CharlesSchwab says he's surprised with how hawkish Fed Chair Kevin Warsh came off during his speech at Jackson Hole. He tells investors to keep an eye on incoming inflation data as the FOMC clearly emphasizes inflation as the metric to watch. Jim Farraioli talks about the "rebirth of the debasement trade" and how the tone of Warsh's press conference shapes Bitcoin and gold prices. He outlines the path ahead for crypto with a coin flip chance of an interest rate hike on the table.

Orphe Divounguy recaps Fed Chair Kevin Warsh's speech at Jackson Hole. He notes Warsh's comments on the labor force slowdown and AI's investment boom aiding it as a key takeaway, believing it will keep the FOMC focused on inflation. On the housing market, Orphe says Warsh is facing restraint from the bond market as "part of the calculus" to countering further weakness.

Tony Zipparro says the headline numbers for Big Tech earnings like Nvidia (NVDA), Microsoft (MSFT), and Amazon (AMZN) show "phenomenal" growth. The problem he sees lies in how the numbers will affect GDP, along with raising questions on how these earnings pave a clear path to AI ROI. Tony also explains that the growth picture faces a key headwind: a K-shaped economy where the bottom third of Americans are struggling.

Carol Schleif discusses the volatility she expects to see around the Fed's Jackson Home symposium and Fed Chair Kevin Warsh's speech. On the path of interest rates, she tells investors to brace for a mostly neutral road ahead as the FOMC remains divided on how to read inflation and jobs data. For inflation in particular, Carol notes the U.S.-Iran war and tariffs making the Fed's job even harder.

Rick Gardner of RGA Investments says markets are responding positively to Fed Chair Kevin Warsh’s Jackson Hole speech. Gardner says Warsh appeared flexible on whether additional rate hikes are needed while keeping inflation at the center of the Fed’s policy debate. He also points to Warsh’s use of new task forces as a sign that it is no longer business as usual at the central bank.

Drew Glover of Fiat turns to the venture capital space and how smaller firms can compete with more established names. As he explains, a lot of it comes down to distribution. Drew uses his own experience at Fiat to give people working in similar firms more perspective.

Synopsys (SNPS) "is such an important company" at "such an important time," says Cory Johnson. He explains how the company plays a critical role for Big Tech firms like Nvidia (NVDA) and ways its acquisition of Ansys expanded the company's moat. Cory adds that the AI evolution gives Synopsys more tools to build on software products.

Adam Lynch (@CharlesSchwab) offers his big picture take on the state of the crypto space following Bitcoin's recent rally. On the Clarity Act, Adam outlines the legislative path Congress has to navigate before passage. It comes as other cryptocurrencies like Ethereum, Solana, and Hyperliquid surge on anticipation of deeper regulation.

As AI bandwidth requirements rise, so do opportunities for growth in photonics and optical services, says Hong Yi Chen of Tema ETFs. He turns to key stocks he sees benefitting from the growing need, pointing to Lumentum (LITE) as a leader. Hong highlights the Tema Photonics & Optical ETF (LAZR) as a way his firm aims to provide returns portfolio returns as the space develops.

The whole buy now, pay later sector is doing really well in the fintech space, says Ted Rossman, noting that U.S. consumers are using these services for more essential goods. He touches on Affirm (AFRM) as a leader but discusses how growing consumer debt can come back to bite the company. Bryce Deeney talks more about Affirm earnings and ways the company can signal outperformance in the report — and how inflation looms over its guidance.

Salesforce (CRM) will be a company that benefits from AI instead of being disrupted by it, says Michael Monaghan after seeing the software giant's earnings. He adds that Anthropic's Claude being integrated into Agentforce will add pricing power to Salesforce's future earnings. Michael offers more insight into how earnings and Anthropic give Salesforce renewed momentum in the software trade.

Marvell (MRVL) will report earnings Thursday evening after Nvidia (NVDA) waved a green flag for the AI trade. Stephen Sopko explains how Marvell serves at a critical juncture of the AI trade and ways it can capitalize on earnings growth as tech evolves. He adds that the company's new partnership with Alphabet (GOOGL) offers a chance to compete with peers like Broadcom (AVGO).

Molly Pieroni turns to two very different stocks that she sees having lots of value in the current stock market. For U-Haul (UHAL), she believes the company's services and staple name gives it enough of a moat to withstand inflation concerns. On Alphabet (GOOGL), Molly sees something similar with the Mag 7 giant's suite of tech products and potential to accelerate off AI innovation.

SalesboxAI's Alex Roy believes Nvidia (NVDA) has proven itself as the stock market leader after reaching nearly $100 billion in quarterly revenue. He explains why this figure is just one reason he sees a "very promising time" ahead for the company. Futurum's Dan O'Brien says Nvidia "left some room" to improve its already impressive earnings by noting memory supply constraints. He also sees the Mag 7 giant's margins as incredible given economic volatility.

nCino CEO Sean Desmond talks about the company's latest earnings and ways agentic AI is shaping the finance space. He discusses the feedback his company has gotten from customers to explain how he aims to boost nCino's future earnings and efficiency.

The post-earnings rally in Salesforce (CRM) gives Jason Brown confidence that there's more room to run for the software giant's stock. He also sees upside potential for Dollar General (DG) due to its reach and reliance in discount retail, along with HP Inc. (HPQ) despite its post-earnings selloff. Jason provides example options trades for his Big 3 picks while Rick Ducat takes investors through his technical analysis in the stock charts.

Options Play's Tony Zhang offers his takeaways on the broad tech strength in Thursday's trading session as Nvidia (NVDA) gives new life to the sector. He outlines options trading opportunities in CME Group (CME) and Marvell (MRVL) and makes a bull case in both even if the stock market is hit with another volatility wave.

Okta Inc. (OKTA) isn't showcasing as much growth as CrowdStrike (CRWD), says Shay Boloor, though he believes the company is finding more doors to open and expand future earnings. The stock rallied over 20% Thursday morning after beating earnings and raising guidance, and CrowdStrike shares weren't far behind. Shay offers a broader outlook on the need for cybersecurity as AI evolves. Tom White offers an example options trade for CrowdStrike.

Salesforce (CRM) saw a strong 20% rally Thursday morning after the company beat earnings and raised guidance. As Marley Kayden explains, a new partnership with Anthropic and integration of Claude with Agentforce added momentum for Salesforce bulls. She discusses the earnings in-depth and the slew of price target hikes from analysts. Joe Tigay takes investors through his example options trade for Salesforce.

Nvidia (NVDA) represents 18% of the S&P 500's (SPX) incoming growth and Micron (MU) represents 14%, says Liz Ann Sonders of Charles Schwab. She points to both stocks as a key signal that growth remains concentrated in the AI trade. Michael Townsend looks ahead to Jackson Hole and how Fed Chair Kevin Warsh will drop hints to the interest rate outlook. In D.C., Congress faces a contentious couple months as voters keep their eyes on midterm elections.

Joe Lavorgna, chief economist at SMBC Nikko Securities America and former Treasury advisor under President Trump, believes investors are "hyperventilating" over bond moves and interest rates. He believes there's no reason to panic unless interest rates show a strong, disorderly move. Joe explains how recent economic data and discussions from the Fed ahead of the Jackson Hole symposium suggest there's reason for investors to stay calm.

"We're feeling pretty good about the bond market," says Jeffrey Rosenkranz, though he tells investors not to ignore the existing risks to fiscal policy. He believes now is a good time to lean into credit risk for bonds. Jeffrey helps you navigate the "rapidly" changing macroeconomic environment by highlighting spots in the bond market he sees opportunity.

Natalia Lojevsky discusses her expectations for Kevin Warsh and the Fed at the Jackson Hole symposium and ways it will affect the bond market. For bondholders expecting an interest rate cut anytime soon, Natalia says, "you're waiting for the wrong thing." She addresses the Treasury's move to boost liquidity on some long-term bonds to curb yields, calling the decision one that won't last long-term.

"What's not to like" about Nvidia (NVDA) earnings? Andrew Graham says the report confirms his thoughts on the stock: it's a "must own" for investors. He outlines his bull case for Nvidia even as he outlines risks investors need to watch heading into the midterms. Some of Andrew's other top stock picks include Arista Networks (ANET), Cisco (CSCO), Snowflake (SNOW), and Palo Alto Networks (PANW).

The AI buildout comes with about $1.5 trillion in lease obligations, according to Mona Dajani, who discusses how these numbers can shift if the AI outlook takes a sudden turn. She believes the AI race will only accelerate, though it's important to keep certain risks in mind as hyperscalers and other companies write contracts for their own data centers.

Value stocks gaining ground on Wall Street in recent weeks is a sign of market health Sam Miller likes to see. He believes sectors like healthcare and industrials moving higher with the broader market add muscle to sustain the broader rally. Sam says that's more important than ever until more companies can quantify how AI is growing their businesses.

Matt Maher says quarterly earnings aren't as critical to investors as much as "the story Jensen tells" on the future of the AI buildout. With investors turning their attention to the future of AI, Matt makes the case that Huang's vision for Nvidia is the story investors will use to gauge the rest of the tech evolution.

Lisa Martin offers more insight into Nvidia's (NVDA) beat and raise quarter by discussing the astronomical expectations into the report and whether the numbers were enough. She talks about the company benefitting from the "hundreds of billions" of dollars dedicated toward AI infrastructure as one that extends the Mag 7 company's runway. Collaborations and securing supplies amid shortages are another factor Lisa believes will be critical in maintaining margins.

Nvidia (NVDA) earnings took the attention of Wall Street on Wednesday, though Marvell (MRVL) earnings Thursday will add more color to the full picture for AI chipmakers. Derek Yan says investors are underappreciating the data connectivity side of Marvell's business. That said, he sees the company's recent custom silicone partnership with Alphabet's (GOOGL) Google as a significant tailwind. The dilution from that deal is a headwind Derek sees but one that will pay off in the long-term.

Eddie Ghabour is telling clients to expect a ramp in volatility during September, which he sees opening the door to a "buy the dip" opportunity. He goes in-depth on how he's positioning portfolios, from buying gold ahead of the anticipated pullback, to AI chips like Micron (MU) and Marvell (MRVL) afterward. Outside of tech, Eddie names the healthcare as the sector to watch, naming Eli Lilly (LLY) as a leader due to its GLP-1 leadership.

As the AI infrastructure story presents new investment opportunities, Neena Mishra of Zacks Investment Research points to photonics companies as one of the largest. The space includes everything from photonics-centric stocks like Lumentum (LITE) and Coherent (COHR) to chipmakers with less exposure like Nvidia (NVDA) and Broadcom (AVGO). Neena highlights photonic ETF opportunities she sees.

Brian Jacobsen says markets got a "sigh of relief" that PCE didn't come in higher than headline numbers showed, so long as core PCE doesn't leak into greater inflation woes.When it comes to the path ahead for interest rates, Ben Ayers doesn't think the print is enough for the Fed to raise yet. Both guests offer their takes on what July's PCE print means for the greater inflation picture.

"AI starts and ends with Nvidia (NVDA)," says R. "Ray" Wang, pointing to an anticipated earnings beat and tentative upside surprise in data center revenue to back his claim. He adds that the Mag 7 giant's Blackwell and Vera Rubin roadmaps remain strong as the company expands its reach. As CEO Jensen Huang makes a push to turn AI chips into an asset class, Ray discusses how the financial move adds to Nvidia's "six-layer cake" of an AI ecosystem.

Ran Grushkowsky, CEO of Masspay, discusses the outlook he sees for stablecoins as the Clarity Act sluggishly moves through Congress. As companies like Mastercard (MA) and Visa (V) expand their reach into the crypto space, he takes a closer look at how the fintech space is adapting to the blockchain.

Jeffrey Small sees an elevated risk of a correction in the coming weeks, as he outlines risks on both the macro and micro fronts. As for Nvidia (NVDA) earnings, he expects the company to beat and raise. While the Mag 7 giant has traditionally sold off after the report, Jeffrey sees a rally happening this time around. He offers his bull cases in Microsoft (MSFT) and Alphabet (GOOGL) due to AI anchoring future growth prospects.

There's more opportunities in South Korea, says Ryan Myers, who points out AI memory having lots of room to run. His firm remains overweight in companies like Samsung and SK Hynix (SKHY). Among other industries Ryan likes in the years ahead for emerging and established markets: South Korean financials and Chinese construction. He later explains what makes Alibaba (BABA), PDD Holdings (PDD), and BYD Co. (BYDDY) stocks to watch as the AI buildout continues.

Lisa Martin offers more insight into Nvidia's (NVDA) beat and raise quarter by discussing the astronomical expectations into the report and whether the numbers were enough. She talks about the company benefitting from the "hundreds of billions" of dollars dedicated toward AI infrastructure as one that extends the Mag 7 company's runway. Collaborations and securing supplies amid shortages are another factor Lisa believes will be critical in maintaining margins.

"Astronomical" numbers in Nvidia (NVDA) earnings won't be enough to impress investors focused on the future, says Hatem Dhiab. He expects earnings and guidance to be impressive, though Hatem tells investors to look beyond several quarters and instead watch what Nvidia has in store "several years" from now. Nvidia's diversification in the tech space and companies it partners with will be what Hatem considers the true driver in the "Ai economy."

Steven Nigro says investors are becoming more selective in the stock market even as earnings show plenty of strength. He explains how he's helping his clients navigate the sudden changes to the greater market mindset as uncertainty circulates around interest rates. Another monetary landmine to keep in mind: volatility in the bond market.

"Tech is key to this market" and will be for some time, argues Michael Reinking, though keep the recent rotation in mind as investors offload some tech stocks. He adds that pressure coming from the Strait of Hormuz is squeezing price action in oil, contributing to weakness in the stock market.

Talley Leger is surprised to find himself more bullish than expected in 2026, highlighting a still-strong economy and neutral Fed to support his bullishness. He takes a "step back" perspective for investors and touches on how a Kevin Warsh-led FOMC opens the door for a deeper bull run. While there's some weakness in stocks as Wall Street weighs on inflation and job market goals, he tells investors to treat the pullbacks as "gifts, not punishments."

"There are no winners in a trade war," says Michelle Gibley of @CharlesSchwab, who points to consumers as a key losers. She sees that trend holding after the U.S. issued more tariffs against Canada. Michelle adds that the picture will be further complicated as trade relations between the U.S. and China turn murky. Kasey McCurdy tells investors to keep an eye on Fed Chair Kevin Warsh and the FOMC's Jackson Hole symposium. Both address Nvidia (NVDA) earnings as a catalyst to watch.

The U.S.'s "warning shot" to Iran through issuing sanctions is something Peter Tchir sees leading to a "miserable" speedbump between U.S. and China relations. The reason? Crude oil and continued tensions centered on the Strait of Hormuz. Peter adds that the U.S. Treasury's big liquidity boost puts a band-aid over the concerns in yield increases but doesn't cover the core inflation issue.

After Bitcoin touched $80,000 for the first time since May, Cory Klippsten believes this uptrend signals the start of crypto's next bull run. He believes the added liquidity to bonds and liquidized shorts gave new life to Bitcoin, though he remains skeptical of the Clarity Act's power in expanding the runway. Cory sees $100,000 as a milestone that's back on the table for Bitcoin if it can break strong resistance levels and overcome inflation headwinds.

Andrew Wells believes the Treasury's planned liquidity boost to longer-term bonds will add long-term pressure to fixed income markets. He points to the "big move" in yields, from the 10-year to the 30-year, as a bigger warning sign than he believes the Treasury is seeing. Andrew adds to his input by explaining how it all weighs on the Fed's interest rate outlook and this week's Jackson Hole symposium.

The 2026 IPO market is proving to be a more mixed picture than Jim Neesen expected. He explains what reset some expectations for IPOs this year and how it sets the stage for other potential Big Tech public debuts like Anthropic and OpenAI. "There is a lot of appetite" for Anthropic, says Jim, as the company has its sights on a tentative $2 trillion valuation.

Justin Bergner talks about Gabelli Dividend Growth Fund holdings including Alphabet (GOOGL), Amazon (AMZN), Merck (MRK), and Ferguson Enterprises (FERG) in the context of countervailing market forces. With rising yields, the U.S. budget deficit, and hyperscaler CapEx, what could cause a market correction? Bergner is focused on “bottoms up” equity research to find “idiosyncratic winners.”

The cost of pennies and nickels now cost more to produce than they are actually worth. What does this mean for the future of cash? John Deal says the physical U.S. dollar still has a place in the economy even as credit and debit card usage accelerates.

With the weakening consumer, and both the U.S. Treasury and the Federal Reserve trying to keep demand strong by lowering rates, Luke Lloyd, President and CEO of Lloyd Financial Group, thinks “it is a perfect time to get longer duration.” He thinks higher rates would lead to a recession, and is more focused on unemployment risk than on oil or geopolitics.