Buffett calls market a casino as SpaceX short interest hits 29%

Warren Buffett told CNBC the market is drifting toward pure gambling, with one‑day options and leveraged ETFs crowding out real value opportunities. He warned that patient, disciplined investors will find fewer chances, and that the surge of retail speculation makes true value stocks harder to spot.

More than 1.2 million South Korean retail investors, over 3% of adults, were forced into margin calls after the KOSPI plunge. The sell‑off rippled across Asia, dragging down chip stocks in Japan and Taiwan, highlighting the systemic risk of leveraged speculation.

The British government seized British Steel from Chinese owner Jingye to keep the Scunthorpe blast furnaces running. The move saves roughly 2,700 jobs and secures domestic steel for construction and defense projects, while an independent review will decide any compensation for Jingye.

About 185 million SpaceX shares, roughly $25 billion, are now short, about 29% of the tradable float, up from 5‑7% weeks ago. The surge comes as the stock traded around $131, under its $135 IPO price, and precedes upcoming lockup releases that could flood the market with more shares.

After Party City and Joann Fabrics went under, Apollo‑owned Michaels quickly added party‑supply sections and bought Joann’s IP, turning its stores into a celebrations hub. CEO David Boone says the move has already delivered double‑digit sales and earnings growth, ending a decade of stagnation.

Companies ranging from PepsiCo to McCormick are earmarking most of the $71 billion in customs tariff rebates to cushion soaring commodity, freight and energy costs sparked by the Middle East conflict. Instead of boosting profits or cutting prices, the refunds are becoming a stop‑gap against inflation, reshaping margins across sectors.

Even as the headline unemployment rate sits at a historic low, about 2 million Americans have been jobless for six months or more, the highest level since 2021. The prolonged idle pool threatens household finances and could sap consumer demand, warning policymakers that headline gains mask a deep labor market split.

Trump Media & Technology Group unveiled a "Truth API" that sells licensed, low‑latency access to posts from President Trump and other top accounts on Truth Social. The service, aimed at hedge funds and banks, promises a trading edge by delivering market‑moving political signals before they hit the public feed.

Eli Lilly will acquire AtaiBeckley for $2.8 billion upfront and up to $1 billion in milestones, gaining BPL‑003, a late‑stage psychedelic nasal spray for treatment‑resistant depression. Analysts project the drug could generate $1‑2 billion in sales, underscoring pharma’s rush into psychedelic therapeutics.