Housing Slump Drives Realtors Out, Marvell Jumps 25%

Since 2024 the National Association of Realtors has lost roughly 150,000 members as sales volumes plunge and inventory swells. With only 5% of residential agents closing a single deal last year and many earning under $10,000, countless agents are abandoning real‑estate for other work.

Marvell Technology shares surged over 25% in pre‑market trading after Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang called the chipmaker the "next trillion‑dollar company" during Computex. The endorsement follows Nvidia’s $2 billion investment in Marvell and reflects growing demand for AI‑focused custom chips. Marvell’s market cap rose to $234 billion, near a record high.

The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission issued a policy statement and order permitting a regulated exchange to list a Bitcoin‑linked perpetual contract. By treating perps as futures, the CFTC paves the way for continuous crypto derivatives trading, a shift that could reshape Wall Street’s market dynamics and liquidity.

Crude prices stay near $95‑$96 per barrel despite geopolitical tension, but a historic 8.5 million‑barrel‑per‑day inventory drawdown is draining the market’s shock absorbers. Analysts warn that as Gulf shut‑ins and the Strait of Hormuz remain closed, the dwindling buffers could push oil prices sharply higher in June‑July.

Urenco USA announced a multi‑billion‑dollar expansion of its New Mexico National Enrichment Facility, adding 2.1 million SWU and increasing capacity by nearly 50%. The move secures domestic low‑enriched uranium supply for existing reactors and future advanced designs, supporting U.S. energy security as nuclear power use grows.

The ongoing war in Iran is adding to global food costs, and lingering tariff effects are amplifying the impact. Bloomberg projects grocery prices will keep rising through the fall, tightening consumer budgets.

The NY Fed’s research by Emanuel, Harrington, and Pallais shows remote‑work arrangements explain roughly 64 % of the post‑pandemic rise in unemployment among recent college graduates, while exposure to AI has minimal impact. The findings suggest firms’ reluctance to train remote entry‑level hires is a key factor.

Citadel is launching an alpha‑capture platform that will pay boutique hedge funds, brokers and analysts for vetted trading ideas. The $67 billion firm will embed the program in its Global Quantitative Strategies unit, aiming to augment its own research pipeline with niche expertise from external managers.

The U.S. Department of Commerce announced a $2 billion program to acquire equity positions in nine quantum‑computing firms, including a $1 billion stake in IBM’s new chip venture and $375 million for GlobalFoundries. The move aims to secure U.S. leadership in the emerging technology and reduce reliance on foreign suppliers.

At Build 2026, Microsoft introduced Project Solara, a chip‑to‑cloud software platform built for devices that run AI agents instead of traditional apps. The rollout includes a wearable badge on Qualcomm silicon and a desktop hub using MediaTek IoT chips, signalling a shift toward agent‑first computing.

In a Substack post, Michael Burry called Palantir a ‘sand castle’ propped up solely by AI hype and flagged a head‑and‑shoulders chart pattern that could trigger a sell‑off. He warned the stock may slide further as investors reassess its AI‑driven valuation.

Signed on June 2, the U.S. executive order on advanced AI directs the Treasury, Homeland Security, Defense and other agencies to roll out AI‑driven cyber‑defense tools for critical infrastructure such as utilities, hospitals and banks. It creates an AI cybersecurity clearinghouse and compels federal and private operators to adopt AI‑powered safeguards, positioning firms like Cloudflare as key partners.