With the Fed holding rates steady, investors are flocking to collateralized loan obligation ETFs for higher yields and floating‑rate protection. VettaFi’s research shows new CLO‑focused ETFs launching, but warns only AAA‑rated tranches offer low default risk while lower‑grade slices remain vulnerable to tech‑sector stress. The shift could reshape the fixed‑income ETF market.
After a 80% surge, semiconductor ETFs have slipped double‑digits, while software‑focused funds like IGV are climbing. The swing reflects investors favoring AI‑enabled SaaS and infrastructure over pricey chips, betting the next AI earnings wave will run on applications rather than hardware.
Kalshi announced two closed insider‑trading cases, one a gubernatorial candidate who traded on his own race, another a YouTube streamer’s editor who bet on streaming markets. Penalties included bans and fines, and both were reported to the CFTC, underscoring Kalshi’s tighter market‑integrity measures.
Berkshire Hathaway reported Q2 2026 net earnings of $25.7 billion, a 107% year‑over‑year jump, driven by $12.7 billion in investment gains and a 16% rise in operating earnings to $13 billion. CEO Greg Abel’s first quarter as head of the conglomerate also saw $4.5 billion of stock repurchases, trimming the cash hoard and signaling a more active capital deployment.
Visa estimates baby boomers will pass on $36 trillion, about $515,000 per household, but after stripping debt, taxes and spending, the bulk goes to the top 10% of families. Roughly three‑quarters of heirs fall outside that bracket, meaning most millennials and Gen Xers will inherit a fraction of the headline figure.
Prime Minister Mark Carney is negotiating a package of concessions to head off a looming 50% U.S. tariff on dozens of Canadian exports. He insists any relief must be part of a broader, modernized trade agreement, warning that without it Canadian producers face severe cost spikes.
A 404 Media investigation shows companies are staging coordinated Reddit upvote campaigns to surfacing favorable content that ChatGPT and Google’s AI cite. Since brand‑owned sites account for under 4% of AI citations, firms now depend on third‑party reviews to appear in AI‑driven answers, reshaping online reputation dynamics.
On Jan 28, Deep Isolation launched the first at‑depth demonstration of its directional‑drilling nuclear‑waste canisters, a joint effort with Halliburton, Amentum and other partners. If the non‑radioactive pilot proves the concept, regulators could green‑light a permanent, underground disposal method that avoids costly geologic‑repository siting and eases the national waste backlog.
Google’s new AI content licensing pilots pay publishers for extended display rights, but referral traffic has plunged 30‑40% since AI Overviews launched. Publishers such as USA Today, Reuters and The Economist say the deals haven’t made up the loss and are weighing blocks on Google’s crawlers. The standoff could reshape how news is fed to AI.
You’re caught up.
That was all 9 stories in the 9 August issue.