Editor&#8217;s Note: This article has been updated with additional content.



U.S. consumers showed signs of strain in May, as a key spending gauge contracted for the second time this year, fueling concerns of a demand slowdown amid <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/econ-s">tariff-related trade uncertainty.</a>



Headline retail sales slumped 0.9% month-over-month in May 2025, a sharp drop from April's downwardly revised 0.1% decline, the U.S. Census Bureau reported Tuesday. The print came in worse than economists' already grim forecasts for a 0.7% decline.



On a year-over-year basis, retail sales rose 3.3%, decelerating from April's 5% annual growth.



Among the few bright spots in the report:



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Miscellaneous store retailers: +2.9% month-over-month</li>



<li>Sporting goods, hobby, musical instruments, and bookstores: +1.3%</li>



<li>Furniture and home furnishings stores: +1.2%</li>
</ul>



The major drop occurred in motor vehicle and part dealers, down 3.5% on the month. Building material was another weak spending category, down 2.7%.



Excluding autos, retail sales dropped 0.3%, deeper than April's 0.1% decline.



Meanwhile, the control group—which strips out food services, autos, gas, and building materials—rose 0.4% in May. This component feeds directly into the GDP calculation via the personal consumption expenditures (PCE) metric. 



<figure class="wp-block-table is-style-stripes"><table class="has-fixed-layout"><thead><tr><th></th><th>May 2025</th><th>April 2025</th><th>Expectations</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Retail Sales MoM</td><td>-0.9%</td><td>-0.1%</td><td>-0.7%</td></tr><tr><td>Retail Sales YoY</td><td>3.3%</td><td>5.0%</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Retail Sales ex Autos</td><td>-0.3%</td><td>-0.1%</td><td>0.1%</td></tr><tr><td>Retail Sales (control group)</td><td>0.4%</td><td>-0.2%</td><td>0.3%</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Market Reactions</h3>



U.S. equity futures edged lower early Tuesday, as escalating Middle East tensions dented investor risk appetite. 



President Donald Trump abruptly exited the G7 summit in Canada, dismissing reports of a ceasefire between Israel and Iran and urging Tehran residents to evacuate. 



By 8:55 a.m. ET, S&amp;P 500 futures were down 0.5%, while Nasdaq 100 contracts slipped 0.6%. In fixed income, Treasury yields eased, with the 30-year yield dipping to 4.92% after briefly touching 4.97% on Monday. 



The U.S. dollar held steady ahead of the Fed's two-day policy meeting. The central bank is widely expected to hold rates at 4.25%–4.50%, with markets pricing in a 75% chance of a first cut by September.



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Macro Economic Events

Econ #s

Economics

Retail Sales Slump More Than Expected As Tariff Fears Hit Spending (UPDATED)

Citigroup&nbsp;has predicted a potential 25% slump in gold prices by the end of next year, signaling a possible halt to the metal&#8217;s unprecedented rally.



What Happened: Despite gold&#8217;s current record-breaking performance, Citi&#8217;s global commodity team anticipates a substantial decline in price by the second half of 2026. The team, led by Maximilian Layton, predicts that gold prices could fall to the range of $2,500 to $2,700 by the end of next year, <a href="https://www.marketwatch.com/story/citi-forecasts-golds-last-hurrah-as-it-says-prices-may-fall-as-much-as-25-next-year-9c1e73ce">reported</a> MarketWatch.



Gold is currently trading near all-time highs, both in dollar terms and when adjusted for inflation. The metal&#8217;s appeal as a hedge and safe-haven asset has led to a surge in demand, with central banks and investors alike showing strong interest.



However, Citi believes that this heightened demand has reached its peak and will soon start to wane.



The bank expects investment demand for gold to decline in late 2025 and into 2026, as the negative headlines that have shaped the 2025 trading environment begin to subside. Citi also foresees improved risk sentiment following the signing of trade agreements and the passage of the One Big, Beautiful Bill Act. This will also be around the time the U.S. mid-terms and President Donald Trump&#8216;s popularity come into focus.



Citi indicates that the Fed has significant scope to shift from a restrictive to a more neutral monetary policy, which could boost global growth sentiment and weaken the safe-haven appeal of gold. According to their estimates, a 100 basis point decrease in interest rates typically lowers forward gold prices by $200 per ounce.



SEE ALSO: <a href="https://benzinga.com/news/events/25/06/45967070/howard-lutnick-says-nearly-70000-register-for-5-million-trump-card-visa-as-us-eyes-1-trillion-windfal" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Howard Lutnick Says Nearly 70,000 Register For $5 Million ‘Trump Card' Visa As US Eyes $1 Trillion Windfall From Premium Immigration Plan</a>



Why It Matters: The recent surge in gold prices has prompted a rush of investors into&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/etfs/specialty-etfs/25/06/45939307/are-gold-etfs-really-a-hedge-during-a-geopolitical-crisis-heres-what-to-check-before-investing">gold ETFs</a>, with many seeking to capitalize on the metal&#8217;s impressive performance. However, questions have been raised about whether these ETFs are truly designed to provide a hedge during geopolitical crises.



Gold&#8217;s remarkable rally in 2025 has been driven by various factors, including&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/guidance/25/06/45928561/gold-biggest-boom-in-decades-and-investors-are-still-missing-out">safe-haven demand</a>&nbsp;following geopolitical events, such as Israel&#8217;s airstrikes on Iran&#8217;s nuclear facilities. This surge in demand has led to gold surpassing the euro to become the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/commodities/25/06/45900930/gold-surpasses-euro-to-become-second-largest-reserve-asset-still-far-behind-dollar-ecb-says">second-largest </a>reserve asset&nbsp;globally, according to the European Central Bank (ECB).



Meanwhile, Economist and gold advocate Peter Schiff highlighted renewed bullish momentum in the gold market on Friday via posts on X, noting that the outperformance of gold mining stocks compared to gold suggests a positive shift in investor sentiment, citing VanEck Gold Miners ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GDX#NYSE">GDX</a>) as an instance. 



Over the past month, VanEck Gold Miners ETF surged 13.12%. Meanwhile, shares of gold miners, Wheaton Precious Metals Corp (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/WPM#NYSE">WPM</a>) and Newmont Corporation (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NEM#NYSE">NEM</a>) soared 14.35% and 14.12%, respectively, as per <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/pro/">Benzinga Pro</a>. 



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<li>READ MORE:&nbsp;<a href="https://benzinga.com/markets/commodities/25/06/45948096/exxon-mobil-chevron-occidental-petroleum-in-focus-as-expert-says-us-economy-is-far-less-sensi" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Exxon Mobil, Chevron, Occidental Petroleum In Focus As Expert Says &#8216;US Economy Is Far Less Sensitive To An Oil Shock&#8217; Amid Israel-Iran Conflict</a></li>
</ul>



Image via Shutterstock



Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

Markets

Gold's Glory Days Numbered? Citi Predicts Shock 25% Crash By 2026 — Here's Why

Solar stocks fell sharply on Tuesday after the U.S. Senate Finance Committee unveiled its version of President Donald Trump's tax bill which slashed <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/legal/25/05/45568107/solar-energy-stocks-drop-as-house-approves-major-rollback-of-climate-incentives">renewable energy incentives.</a>



The Details: The Senate's draft proposal calls for a complete phase-out of tax credits for both solar and wind energy by 2028, accelerating the rollback of incentives originally established under the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022.&nbsp;



Read Next:<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/retail-sales/25/06/45953480/alibaba-pdd-stocks-climb-chinas-retail-sector-gains-despite-us-tariffs?utm_source=articleShare"> Alibaba, PDD Stocks Climb As China&#8217;s Retail Sector Gains Despite US Tariffs</a>



Under the new plan, credits for solar and wind projects would be reduced to 60% of their original value by 2026, drop to 20% in 2027, and be eliminated entirely for projects placed in service after 2028, according to Reuters.&nbsp;



The bill also proposes eliminating residential solar tax credits and consumer incentives for energy efficiency upgrades within 180 days of enactment, further tightening the landscape for renewable energy investments.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Solar Stocks React&nbsp;</h2>



Solar energy stocks responded swiftly to the Senate's proposal. In premarket trading Tuesday, shares of Enphase Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ENPH#NASDAQ">ENPH</a>) plunged nearly 20%, Sunrun, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/RUN#NASDAQ">RUN</a>) fell more than 35%, SolarEdge Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SEDG#NASDAQ">SEDG</a>) dropped 30% and First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/FSLR#NASDAQ">FSLR</a>) declined by about 17%.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Nuclear Stocks React</h2>



In contrast, the Senate's proposed bill extends tax incentives for nuclear energy until 2036, reflecting a shift in federal support toward these technologies. Shares of nuclear companies like Oklo, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/OKLO#NYSE">OKLO</a>), NuScale Power Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SMR#NYSE">SMR</a>) and Nano Nuclear Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NNE#NASDAQ">NNE</a>) moved higher in Tuesday's premarket trading.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Political Outlook&nbsp;</h2>



Senate Republicans are pushing to pass the legislation before the July 4 holiday, but the timeline remains uncertain due to procedural hurdles and possible amendments. GOP leaders may need to negotiate further which could push the bill's final passage into late July.



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Sunrun, First Solar Plunge—Solar Stocks Hit Hard By Trump Tax Bill: Latest

In a bid to attract&nbsp;more high-spending Millennials and Gen&nbsp;Z-ers,&nbsp;American Express&nbsp;(NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AXP#NYSE">AXP</a>) is set to roll out significant updates&nbsp;to its U.S. Consumer and&nbsp;Business Platinum Cards later this year.



What Happened:&nbsp;The company&#8217;s CEO,&nbsp;Steve Squeri, is eyeing a younger demographic for the company&#8217;s premium card offerings. The updates, which are the &#8220;largest investment ever in a card refresh&#8221; by the company, are expected to be implemented in late summer or early fall. 



Howard Grosfield, Group President for&nbsp;U.S. Consumer Services, revealed that the investment will be concentrated in two areas. &#8220;We&#8217;ll&nbsp;double down on all the&nbsp;things our cardmembers love now.&nbsp;And we&#8217;ll&nbsp;be adding lots of exciting&nbsp;new brands,&#8221; Grosfield said.



&nbsp;We're going to take these Cards to a new level, not only in what they offer in travel, dining and lifestyle benefits, but also in how they look and feel, to meet the evolving needs of our customers,&#8221; Grosfield elaborated.



Despite the Platinum card&#8217;s $695 annual fee, which is the highest in its class compared to Chase Sapphire&#8217;s $550, Grosfield is confident that the perceived value among Millennials and Gen Z users surpasses the cost.



SEE ALSO: <a href="https://benzinga.com/crypto/25/06/45965340/bitcoin-ethereum-dogecoin-lose-early-gains-after-trumps-immediately-evacuate-warning-amid-iran-israel-conflict-analyst-sees-great-signal-for-risk-on-app" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bitcoin, Ethereum, Dogecoin Lose Early Gains After Trump&#8217;s &#8216;Immediately Evacuate&#8217; Warning Amid Iran-Israel Conflict: Analyst Sees &#8216;Great&#8217; Signal For Risk-On Appetite If This Happens </a>



Why It Matters:&nbsp;Millennials and Gen Z now make up 75% of new Amex Platinum and Gold cardholders in 2024, up from 60% in 2019. Gen Z membership jumped 40% year-over-year in Q1 2025, with both groups showing stronger credit records than the industry average. 



Together, they drove 35% of U.S. consumer spending last quarter. Their growing adoption of the $695 premium card boosted Amex's net card fee revenue by 18% last year. Amex reports high loyalty among these younger users, with an overall retention rate of 98%.



The move by American Express to revamp its Platinum Cards comes amid a <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-stock-ratings/analyst-color/25/06/45891293/amex-still-king-of-premium-credit-cards-but-chase-capital-one-are-closing-in-fast-analyst">highly competitive</a> premium credit card market. The U.S. premium credit card market is lucrative and fiercely competitive, with companies like&nbsp;Chase&nbsp;and&nbsp;Capital One&nbsp;making significant strides.



By targeting the younger demographic, American Express is strategically positioning itself to maintain its position as the leader in the premium credit card market.



Benzinga's Edge Rankings place American Express in the 71st percentile for quality and the 85th percentile for growth, reflecting its strong performance in both areas. Check the detailed report <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/premium/ideas/benzinga-edge-2#:~:text=Turn%20Market%20Chaos,when%20markets%20rebound">here</a>.&nbsp;



Over the past year, the stock surged 28.89%.



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Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

Amex Just Teased Its Biggest Platinum Card Update Ever—Here's What Millennials And Gen Z Can Expect

U.S. stock futures were trading lower on Tuesday following Monday&#8217;s advance. Futures of major benchmark indices were lower in premarket.



President Donald Trump called on <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/events/25/06/45964856/trump-asks-everyone-to-immediately-evacuate-tehran-odds-of-us-striking-iran-spike-on-crypto-betting-platform">Iranians to leave Tehran</a>, pointing to the government&#8217;s refusal to accept a deal aimed at limiting nuclear weapons development, amid ongoing attacks between Israel and Iran that marked the fifth consecutive day on Tuesday.



At the G7 summit in Canada, world leaders urged a reduction in tensions during the most severe clash ever between these regional adversaries, labeling Iran as a source of instability and insisting it must never acquire nuclear weapons, while also recognizing Israel&#8217;s right to self-defense.



Trump took to Truth Social on Monday to clarify his abrupt departure from the G7 Summit in Canada. He refuted Macron's claim that he was returning to Washington to negotiate a ceasefire between Israel and Iran. "He has no idea why I am now on my way to Washington, but it certainly has nothing to do with a Cease Fire. Much bigger than that," Trump wrote.



Trump had previously urged citizens of Tehran, Iran's capital, to evacuate immediately, indicating a potential U.S. involvement in the conflict.



Meanwhile, President Trump, while on Air Force One returning from the G-7 summit, told reporters he is seeking <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/25/06/45968002/trump-says-israel-iran-ceasefire-not-on-the-table-left-g7-early-for-a-much-bigger-reason-spy-qqq">&#8220;a real end&#8221; to Iran&#8217;s nuclear issue</a>, with Tehran giving it up &#8220;entirely.&#8221;



The 10-year Treasury bond yielded 4.43% and the two-year bond was at 3.96%. The CME Group's FedWatch <a href="https://www.cmegroup.com/markets/interest-rates/cme-fedwatch-tool.html">tool</a>&#8216;s projections show markets pricing a 99.9% likelihood of the Federal Reserve keeping the current interest rates unchanged in its June meeting. 



<figure class="wp-block-table is-style-stripes"><table class="has-fixed-layout"><tbody><tr><td>Futures</td><td>Change (+/-)</td></tr><tr><td>Dow Jones</td><td>-0.59%</td></tr><tr><td>S&amp;P 500</td><td>-0.54%</td></tr><tr><td>Nasdaq 100</td><td>-0.46%</td></tr><tr><td>Russell 2000</td><td>-0.94%</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



The SPDR S&amp;P 500 ETF Trust (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SPY#NYSE">SPY</a>) and Invesco QQQ Trust ETF (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QQQ#NASDAQ">QQQ</a>), which track the S&amp;P 500 index and Nasdaq 100 index, respectively, fell in premarket on Tuesday. The SPY was down 0.54% at $599.42, while the QQQ declined 0.58% to $531.18, according to <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard">Benzinga Pro</a> data.



Cues From Last Session:



Communication services, information technology, and consumer discretionary stocks recorded the biggest gains on Monday, leading most sectors on the S&amp;P 500 to close on a positive note, while utilities and health care stocks bucked the overall market trend, ending the session lower.



Sage Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SAGE#NASDAQ">SAGE</a>) shares surged over 35% on Monday following Supernus Pharmaceuticals&#8217; agreement to acquire the company.



Conversely, shares of Sarepta Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SRPT#NASDAQ">SRPT</a>) dropped more than 42% after the company halted ELEVIDYS shipments and paused the ENVISION trial due to a second fatal liver failure in non-ambulatory Duchenne patients.



On the economic front, the New York Empire State Manufacturing Index fell to a reading of -16 in June, down from May's figure of -9.2 and below market expectations of -5.5.



The Dow Jones index ended 317 points or 0.75% higher at 42,515.09, whereas the S&amp;P 500 index rose 0.94% to 6,033.11. Nasdaq Composite advanced 1.52% to 19,701.21, and the small-cap gauge, Russell 2000, gained 1.12% to end at 2,124.13.



<figure class="wp-block-table is-style-stripes"><table class="has-fixed-layout"><tbody><tr><td>Index</td><td>Performance (+/-)</td><td>Value</td></tr><tr><td>Nasdaq Composite</td><td>1.52%</td><td>19,701.21</td></tr><tr><td>S&amp;P 500</td><td>0.94%</td><td>6,033.11</td></tr><tr><td>Dow Jones</td><td>0.75%</td><td>42,515.09</td></tr><tr><td>Russell 2000</td><td>1.12%</td><td>2,124.13</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



Insights From Analysts:



Despite the dominating geopolitical headlines, a senior economist at WisdomTree, Jeremy Siegel, told investors that they need to focus on the more meaningful development: &#8220;the continued softening of inflation data.&#8221;



&#8220;Both CPI and PPI came in on the low side, confirming the disinflationary trend that's been evident. These price increases have not yet fully worked their way into the data and are likely to show up over the next couple of months. Even so, the underlying trend is down (excluding tariff impacts coming up). My view remains firm: ex-tariffs, inflation is cooling, and the Fed should begin easing policy,&#8221; he said.



He said that he remains &#8220;optimistic&#8221; about the stock market. &#8220;Markets have shown impressive resilience, inflation is heading in the right direction, and the Fed will ultimately come along. Stay focused on fundamentals and avoid getting whipsawed by noise,&#8221; he added.



Meanwhile, Jeff Buchbinder, the chief equity strategist at LPL Financial explained that there are several key questions to answer before we know how stocks will handle this geopolitical shock, including how much of Iran's energy infrastructure will be impaired and for how long, whether Iran's nuclear capabilities will be completely wiped out, and whether the current regime will remain in power.



For those surprised that the U.S. stock market held up well on Monday, Buchbinder argued that it was a combination of several factors:



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>The likelihood of regime change in Iran and a resulting "peace dividend",</li>



<li>U.S. energy independence,</li>



<li>Israel's interest in limiting the suffering of Iranian civilians (which could mean limited disruption to oil production facilities), and</li>



<li>Both players have limited resources and an interest in keeping the conflict contained.</li>
</ul>



See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/how-to-trade-futures">How to Trade Futures</a>



Upcoming Economic Data



Here&#8217;s what investors will keep an eye on Tuesday:



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>May&#8217;s U.S. retail sales and import price index will be out by 8:30 a.m. ET.</li>



<li>May&#8217;s industrial production and capacity utilization will be announced by 9:15 a.m. ET.</li>



<li>April Business inventories data and June&#8217;s home builder confidence index data will be released at 10:00 a.m. ET.</li>
</ul>



Stocks In Focus:



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Jabil Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/JBL#NYSE">JBL</a>) was up 0.65% in premarket on Tuesday as analysts expect it to report quarterly earnings of $2.31 per share on revenue of $7.06 billion, before the opening bell.</li>



<li>John Wiley &amp; Sons Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/WLY#NYSE">WLY</a>) advanced 2.03% ahead of its earnings, which are supposed to be released before the opening bell. Analysts expect earnings of $1.27 per share on revenue of $434.90 million.</li>



<li>La-Z-Boy Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/LZB#NYSE">LZB</a>) declined 0.077% as analysts expect it to report quarterly earnings of 93 cents per share on revenue of $557.44 million, after the closing bell.</li>



<li>Globus Maritime Ltd. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GLBS#NASDAQ">GLBS</a>) dropped 3.91% after posting downbeat results for the first quarter on Monday. The company reported a quarterly loss of 7 cents per share, compared to market estimates of a loss of 3 cents per share.</li>



<li>Lennar Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/LEN#NYSE">LEN</a>) was up 2.70% after reporting mixed results for the second quarter after Monday's closing bell.</li>



<li>Digital Turbine Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/APPS#NASDAQ">APPS</a>) jumped 6.86% after it reported quarterly earnings of 10 cents per share, which beat the analyst consensus estimate of four cents.</li>



<li>High Tide Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/HITI#NASDAQ">HITI</a>) edged 2.67% higher after it reported second-quarter revenue of $96.94 million versus estimates of $96.73 million, up 11% year-over-year.</li>



<li>Redwire Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/RDW#NYSE">RDW</a>) plunged 9.14% after it announced a $200 million registered public offering of common stock.</li>
</ul>



Commodities, Gold, And Global Equity Markets:



Crude oil futures were trading higher in the early New York session by 1.48% to hover around $71.29 per barrel.



Gold Spot US Dollar fell 0.18% to hover around $3,379.21 per ounce. Its last record high stood at $3,500.33 per ounce. The U.S. Dollar Index spot was higher by 0.19% at the 98.1870 level.



Asian markets ended mixed on Tuesday as South Korea's Kospi and Japan's Nikkei 225 indices rose. While China&#8217;s CSI 300, Hong Kong's Hang Seng, Australia's ASX 200, and India's S&amp;P BSE Sensex indices declined. European markets were lower in early trade.



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US Stock Futures Tumble After Trump Threatens 'Real End' To Iran's Nuclear Problem: '…Avoid Getting Whipsawed By Noise,' Says Expert

Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMZN#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>) confronts another National Labor Relations Board complaint over alleged union-busting activities at its DCK6 facility in San Francisco, marking the latest regulatory challenge for the $2 trillion e-commerce giant.



What Happened: The NLRB Region 20 complaint seeks to force Amazon to rehire terminated workers and ensure union supporters receive deserved raises, bonuses, and promotions. This follows a previous April complaint demanding Amazon bargain with the Teamsters at the same facility.



&#8220;Amazon Teamsters are securing victories on the ground and in the courts,&#8221; said Randy Korgan, Director of the Teamsters Amazon Division. &#8220;Workers will not back down, and we will continue to take on this behemoth of a company.&#8221;



The complaints stem from a December holiday strike where over 100 San Francisco workers joined a nationwide unfair labor practice strike. Ken Chu, an Amazon Teamster at DCK6, stated: &#8220;Amazon tried every trick in the book to stop us from organizing a union and we succeeded anyway.&#8221;



Amazon did not immediately respond to <a href="http://pro.benzinga.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga</a>'s request for comment.



See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/events/25/06/45967070/howard-lutnick-says-nearly-70000-register-for-5-million-trump-card-visa-as-us-eyes-1-trillion-windfall-from-premium-immigration-plan">Howard Lutnick Says Nearly 70,000 Register For $5 Million &#8216;Trump Card&#8217; Visa As US Eyes $1 Trillion Windfall From Premium Immigration Plan</a>



Why It Matters: This regulatory pressure intensifies amid broader labor disputes. Approximately 15,800 Amazon Flex drivers filed arbitration claims in June 2024, <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/24/06/39293353/amazon-faces-arbitration-from-flex-drivers-demanding-employee-rights-report">alleging misclassification as contractors rather than employees</a>. In October 2024, the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/government/24/10/41171072/amazon-accused-of-union-busting-after-drivers-unionize-nlrb-files-complaint?utm_source=chatgpt.com">NLRB charged Amazon</a> for refusing to bargain with unionized drivers in California.



The company spent over $3 million in 2023 to prevent unionization among delivery network employees. California fined Amazon $5.9 million for violating worker quota laws, while France imposed a $35 million <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/government/24/10/41171072/amazon-accused-of-union-busting-after-drivers-unionize-nlrb-files-complaint?utm_source=chatgpt.com">penalty for labor violations in 2024</a>.



 The Teamsters represent 1.3 million workers across North America, signaling potential for expanded union activity across Amazon&#8217;s logistics network.



According to Benzinga Edge Stock Rankings, AMZN demonstrates strong growth and positive momentum, backed by a reasonable valuation. The stock has sustained a favorable price trend over both short- and long-term periods. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/premium/ideas/benzinga-edge-2#:~:text=Turn%20Market%20Chaos,when%20markets%20rebound">Click here for the full stock analysis</a>.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/premium/ideas/benzinga-edge-2#:~:text=Turn%20Market%20Chaos,when%20markets%20rebound"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="890" height="640" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/17055143/image-261.png" alt="" class="wp-image-951946" style="width:638px;height:auto" srcset="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/17055143/image-261.png 890w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/17055143/image-261-300x216.png 300w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/17055143/image-261-768x552.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 890px) 100vw, 890px" /></a></figure>



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</ul>



Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.



Photo courtesy: Markus Mainka / Shutterstock.com

AMZN

Amazon Faces New NLRB Complaint Over Union-Busting At San Francisco Warehouse—'Workers Will Not Back Down,' Vows Teamsters Leader Randy Korgan

The CNN Money Fear and Greed index showed some improvement in the overall market sentiment, while the index remained in the &#8220;Greed&#8221; zone on Monday.



U.S. stocks settled higher on Monday, with the Dow Jones index gaining more than 300 points during the session after Iran signaled it wants to de-escalate tensions with Israel and return to negotiations, easing geopolitical jitters that had rattled investors and sent oil prices surging last week.



Sage Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SAGE#NASDAQ">SAGE</a>) shares surged over 35% on Monday after Supernus Pharmaceuticals agreed to acquire the company. Shares of Sarepta Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SRPT#NASDAQ">SRPT</a>) dipped more than 42% after the company suspended ELEVIDYS shipments and paused the ENVISION trial following a second fatal liver failure in non-ambulatory Duchenne patients.



On the economic front, the New York Empire State Manufacturing Index dipped to a reading of -16 in June compared to May&#8217;s reading of -9.2, and also down from market estimates of -5.5.



Most sectors on the S&amp;P 500 closed on a positive note, with communication services, information technology and consumer discretionary stocks recording the biggest gains on Monday. However, utilities and health care stocks bucked the overall market trend, closing the session lower.



The Dow Jones closed higher by around 317 points to 42,515.09 on Monday. The S&amp;P 500 gained 0.94% to 6,033.11, while the Nasdaq Composite climbed 1.52% to 19,701.21 during Monday's session.



Investors are awaiting earnings results from Jabil Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/JBL#NYSE">JBL</a>), John Wiley &amp; Sons Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/WLY#NYSE">WLY</a>) and La-Z-Boy Incorporated (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/LZB#NYSE">LZB</a>) today.



What is CNN Business Fear &amp; Greed Index?



At a current reading of 62, the index remained in the &#8220;Greed&#8221; zone on Monday, versus a prior reading of 60.3.



The Fear &amp; Greed Index is a measure of the current market sentiment. It is based on the premise that higher fear exerts pressure on stock prices, while higher greed has the opposite effect. The index is calculated based on seven equal-weighted indicators. The index ranges from 0 to 100, where 0 represents maximum fear and 100 signals maximum greediness.



Read Next: 



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/short-ideas/25/06/45948533/top-2-financial-stocks-that-may-plunge-in-q2">Top 2 Financial Stocks That May Plunge in Q2</a> </li>
</ul>



Photo via Shutterstock

Pre-Market Outlook

Dow Surges Over 300 Points As Iran Signals De-Escalation: Investor Sentiment Improves, Fear Index Remains In 'Greed' Zone

Social Capital CEO Chamath Palihapitiya believes Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSLA#NASDAQ">TSLA</a>) is one of the safest car choices for parents with teenage drivers.



What Happened: "My 16yo is in the process of getting his drivers license. CA requires someone under 18yo to get 50 hours of driving experience before they can take their drivers exam," the investor said, quoting a post on social media platform X on Monday that showcased Tesla's crashes per million miles data.



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">Number of accidents per million miles: • Tesla: 0.15 • Waymo: 1.16 • US Average 3.90 via Bloomberg Intelligence <a href="https://t.co/fMcwjVRgxh">pic.twitter.com/fMcwjVRgxh</a>&mdash; Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) <a href="https://twitter.com/SawyerMerritt/status/1934667924691689616?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 16, 2025</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



According to the chart, Tesla vehicles recorded just 0.15 crashes per million miles, compared to 1.16 for Alphabet Inc.&#8217;s (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>) (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>) Waymo and 3.90 for the U.S. average.



Palihapitiya noted that while he doesn't allow his son to drive with any driver-assist features yet, he plans to make him try Tesla's Full Self-Driving (FSD) once he's licensed. "As soon as he gets his license he MUST drive our Model Y with FSD on," Palihapitiya said.



Palihapitiya made a case for the FSD technology, citing the data. "Obviously safety isn't guaranteed," the investor said. He then said that it was "foolish" to review this data and wonder why parents should opt for anything other than a Tesla for their teenager to drive.



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">My 16yo is in the process of getting his drivers license. CA requires someone under 18yo to get 50 hours of driving experience before they can take their drivers exam. My rule is only that my son learn to drive with no aids so he has that skill BUT as soon as he gets his… <a href="https://t.co/4bStCx5X1r">https://t.co/4bStCx5X1r</a>&mdash; Chamath Palihapitiya (@chamath) <a href="https://twitter.com/chamath/status/1934764869687066732?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 17, 2025</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



Why It Matters: The investor's comments come in as Elon Musk's EV giant will roll out its <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/06/45854273/elon-musks-tesla-officially-named-av-operator-in-austin-ahead-of-robotaxi-launch">robotaxi service in Austin</a> on June 22. The company's FSD technology is a crucial aspect of its robotaxi ambitions.



Speaking of which, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, or NHTSA, <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/06/45942936/elon-musks-cybercab-ambitions-just-got-a-boost-as-nhtsa-eases-regulations-for-autonomous-vehicles">recently announced exemptions</a> from the safety regulations for autonomous vehicles, which can pave the way for Tesla to develop its Cybercab at a much quicker pace.



Still, the technology isn't flawless. A recent incident involving a Model 3 reportedly using FSD saw the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/06/45945298/tesla-model-3-on-fsd-mode-struck-by-train-after-getting-trapped-on-railroad-tracks-report">car stuck on train tracks and hit by a train</a>. The driver escaped unharmed, but the event highlights ongoing risks.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/premium/ideas/benzinga-edge-2#:~:text=Turn%20Market%20Chaos,when%20markets%20rebound"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="208" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/17010223/TSLA-JUN-17-2025-1024x208.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-951601" srcset="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/17010223/TSLA-JUN-17-2025-1024x208.jpg 1024w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/17010223/TSLA-JUN-17-2025-300x61.jpg 300w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/17010223/TSLA-JUN-17-2025-768x156.jpg 768w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/17010223/TSLA-JUN-17-2025-1536x312.jpg 1536w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/17010223/TSLA-JUN-17-2025.jpg 1549w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a></figure>



Tesla scores well on Momentum, Quality and Growth metrics, but offers poor Value. For more such insights, sign up for<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/premium/ideas/benzinga-edge-2#:~:text=Turn%20Market%20Chaos,when%20markets%20rebound"> Benzinga Edge Stock Rankings</a> today!



Check out more of Benzinga&#8217;s Future Of Mobility coverage by<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/mobility"> following this link.</a>



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</ul>



Photo courtesy: Ken Wolter / Shutterstock.com

GOOG

GOOGL

TSLA

Tesla Crashes Significantly Lower Than National Average: Chamath Palihapitiya Weighs In On Why It's The Ideal Choice For Teenage Drivers

Tesla (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSLA#NASDAQ">TSLA</a>) CEO Elon Musk, Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/META#NASDAQ">META</a>) CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Amazon (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMZN#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>) founder Jeff Bezos added billions to their net worth as Wall Street bounced back on Monday, erasing Friday&#8217;s losses.



What Happened: Musk became richer by $2.7 billion on a single day, while Zuckerberg and Bezos added $6.55 billion and $3.36 billion, respectively, to their net worth after the NASDAQ 100 rallied1.52% and closed at 19,701.21 on Monday, nearing an all-time high, following <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/25/06/45952716/stock-market-today-sp500-rises-iran-israel-nasdaq-near-record-highs">Iran&#8217;s signals of a desire to reduce tensions </a>with Israel and return to negotiations.



This development has alleviated geopolitical concerns that had previously unsettled investors and caused a surge in oil prices last week. Meanwhile, the S&amp;P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average ended 0.94% and 0.75% higher, respectively.



The shares of Meta, Amazon and Tesla surged 2.90%, 1.89% and 1.17%, respectively, amid improved investor sentiment. Additionally, Meta stock <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/movers/25/06/45954886/meta-stock-is-moving-higher-monday-whats-going-on">climbed </a>following the announcement that WhatsApp will display ads and offer paid subscriptions for the first time.



Microsoft co-founder Steve Ballmer and legendary investor Warren Buffett saw their net worth soar by $1.28 billion and $945 million, respectively. Meanwhile, Google (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>) (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>) co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin added $2.85, collectively, to their net worth.



See Also:&nbsp;<a href="https://benzinga.com/news/topics/25/06/45941425/a-dave-ramsey-caller-says-he-inherited-a-fortune-from-a-family-friend-who-turned-out-to-be-his-father" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">A Dave Ramsey Caller Says He Inherited A Fortune From A &#8216;Family Friend&#8217; Who Turned Out To Be His Father. &#8216;It&#8217;s Been A Wild Week For Me&#8217;</a>



Why It Matters: Amid rising economic and military pressure, Iran has <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/politics/25/06/45964516/iran-considers-bill-to-exit-nuclear-treaty-that-prevents-spread-of-atomic-weapons-israels-actions-affect-strategic-decisions">privately signaled to Arab mediators</a> its willingness to resume nuclear talks on the condition that the U.S. stays out of the conflict, as per the Wall Street Journal. This development, despite Israel&#8217;s firm stance, has eased fears of wider Middle East escalation and triggered a global risk-on rally in equities.



Coming to the billionaires, in 2025, despite a substantial $64 billion decrease in his net worth, Musk continues to hold more wealth than several leading automakers combined. Musk&#8217;s wealth, which primarily comes from his stakes in Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSLA#NASDAQ">TSLA</a>), SpaceX, and other ventures, stands at a staggering $369 billion. Remarkably, Musk&#8217;s wealth exceeds the combined value of several of the largest automotive companies by a surplus of $11.8 billion.



In a surprising turn of events last week, Oracle (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ORCL#NASDAQ">ORCL</a>) co-founder and Chairman, Larry Ellison, had surpassed Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg to <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/06/45919978/larry-ellison-overtakes-jeff-bezos-mark-zuckerberg-to-become-worlds-second-richest-amid-oracles-watershed-moment">secure the position of the second-richest person</a> globally. Ellison&#8217;s wealth surge followed Oracle&#8217;s robust earnings report, which saw the company&#8217;s stock hit a record of over $200 per share.



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>READ MORE:&nbsp;<a href="https://benzinga.com/news/topics/25/06/45950101/forget-tesla-chinas-41000-cybertruck-clone-comes-with-steer-by-wire-adaptive-chassis-and-a-wheel-that" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Forget Tesla? China&#8217;s $41,000 Cybertruck Clone Comes With Steer-By-Wire, Adaptive Chassis, And A Wheel That Moves Side To Side</a></li>
</ul>



Image via Shutterstock



Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

ORCL

Elon Musk's Net Worth Soars Nearly $3 Billion, Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg And Other Top 10 Billionaires Add Over $16 Billion As S&P 500, Nasdaq Jump, Erasing Friday's Losses

U.S. Treasury yields climbed sharply Monday after a 20-year bond auction showed signs of weakening foreign demand. This bolstered concerns over America's fiscal outlook and tested the market's tolerance for a 5% <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/bonds">long-term yield threshold.</a>



The spike in yields took place after 12:00 p.m. ET, with the 30-year Treasury yield rising 4 basis points to 4.96%, approaching the psychologically important 5% mark. The benchmark 10-year yield also rose 4 basis points to 4.45%.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="527" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/16152055/image-247-1024x527.png" alt="" class="wp-image-951297" srcset="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/16152055/image-247-1024x527.png 1024w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/16152055/image-247-300x154.png 300w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/16152055/image-247-768x395.png 768w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/16152055/image-247-1536x790.png 1536w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/16152055/image-247-2048x1053.png 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">20-Year Auction Triggers Yield Surge</h2>



Exante Data noted that Monday's 20-year bond auction showed a mixed picture of demand. 



The U.S. Treasury sold $14.3 billion in bonds at a high yield of 4.94%, with a bid-to-cover ratio of 2.68—landing in the top quartile of the last 50 auctions, suggesting solid headline interest. 



Primary dealers, who are required to take unsold debt, purchased 13.4%—in line with historical averages. 



Direct bidders, including mutual funds and hedge funds, made up 19.9% of demand, also in the top quartile. 



But indirect bidders, a group largely made up of foreign institutions, took just 66.7%—a level only slightly above the bottom quartile, pointing to weaker-than-usual foreign appetite.



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">20-Year Bond Auction Summary Today (Jun 16, 2025), the US Treasury auctioned a 20-Year bond for $14.3bn at a High Yield of 4.94%, recording a Bid to Cover of 2.68. In the chart below we summarize other auction metrics. <a href="https://t.co/fTi7kAL5UG">pic.twitter.com/fTi7kAL5UG</a>&mdash; Exante Data (@ExanteData) <a href="https://twitter.com/ExanteData/status/1934658822980706357?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 16, 2025</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



The yield move rattled bond proxies. The iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TLT#NASDAQ">TLT</a>) declined 1% on the day, as longer-duration bonds remain highly sensitive to rate moves.



This yield spike follows a broader trend of tightening financial conditions, raising questions about whether higher yields could derail the ongoing stock market rally.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Does The 5% Yield Threaten Stocks?</h3>



In a report this month, Goldman Sachs analysts indicated that fears around the 5% threshold for long-term Treasury <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/treasuries/25/06/45798569/think-5-yields-will-crush-stock-market-goldman-sachs-says-think-again">yields are largely overblown. </a>



While investors often compare Treasury yields to the S&amp;P 500's earnings yield—now also hovering around 5%—Goldman says this &#8220;parity logic&#8221; misrepresents the historical relationship.



"Because equities are tied to nominal earnings, we believe the inflation-adjusted real Treasury yield is a more appropriate comparator," Goldman said.



Historical data supports this view: when 10-year yields ranged from 5% to 6%, U.S. equities still delivered a median annual total return of 16%. Even during periods when yields exceeded 8%, stock returns averaged 19%.



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</ul>



Photo: Shutterstock

Large Cap

Bonds

Broad U.S. Equity ETFs

Treasuries

ETFs

Treasury Yields Near 5% After Soft Foreign Demand: A Red Flag For Stocks?

Markets cheered Monday after Iran signaled it wants to de-escalate tensions with Israel and return to negotiations, easing geopolitical jitters that had rattled investors and sent oil prices <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-stock-ratings/analyst-color/25/06/45940903/a-thin-strip-of-water-keeps-the-world-economy-on-edge-will-it-trigger-a-100-oil-shock">surging last week.</a>



A report from the <a href="https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/a-battered-iran-signals-it-wants-to-de-escalate-hostilities-with-israel-and-negotiate-9feab4ae">Wall Street Journal</a> revealed that Iran, facing mounting economic and military pressure, has quietly told Arab intermediaries it's open to resuming talks over its nuclear program—on the condition that the United States refrains from entering the conflict.



Reports also emerged that Iran requested Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Oman to urge President Donald Trump to pressure Israel into agreeing to an immediate ceasefire.



The overture follows days of intense Israeli airstrikes and threats from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who remains committed to dismantling Iran&#8217;s nuclear capabilities and missile infrastructure.



Despite Netanyahu's firm stance, Tehran&#8217;s signals appear to have reignited risk sentiment, easing fears escalation of Middle East conflict and leading to a risk-on rally across global equities.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Stocks Rally, VIX Falls</h3>



The S&amp;P 500 jumped 1.12% to 6,043 by 10:20 a.m. ET, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 1.14%, or 480 points, to 42,678. 



The tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 – as tracked by the Invesco QQQ Trust (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QQQ#NASDAQ">QQQ</a>) – rose 1.49% to 21,954, bringing it within just one percentage point of its all-time high.



The CBOE Volatility Index, or VIX, tumbled 10.3% to 18.8. 



Gold prices dipped 1.2% to just under $3,400 an ounce, with investors rotating out of safe-haven assets and into equities.



Bitcoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/btc/usd">BTC</a>) soared 2.7% to above $107,000, signaling improving sentiment towards crypto. 



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Nasdaq 100 Sprints Toward Record High—Only 1% To Go</h3>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="528" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/16103612/image-246-1024x528.png" alt="" class="wp-image-950933" srcset="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/16103612/image-246-1024x528.png 1024w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/16103612/image-246-300x155.png 300w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/16103612/image-246-768x396.png 768w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/16103612/image-246-1536x792.png 1536w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/16103612/image-246-2048x1056.png 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Tech And Consumer Stocks Lead Gains, Energy And Defense Companies Fall</h3>



Sector-wise, tech-heavy and consumer-related sectors outperformed. 



The Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XLK#NYSE">XLK</a>) gained 1.5% to hit a record $243 per share, while the Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XLF#NYSE">XLF</a>) and Communications Services Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XLC#NYSE">XLC</a>) rose 1.4% and 1.5%, respectively.



In contrast, energy and defense stocks lagged amid declining geopolitical risk. The Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XLE#NYSE">XLE</a>) tumbled 0.9%, the only S&amp;P 500 sector in the red. 



U.S. crude oil futures slid 3.4% to $70.40 per barrel, nearly erasing last Friday's 7.3% gain.



Oil explorers APA Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/APA#NASDAQ">APA</a>), Diamondback Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/FANG#NASDAQ">FANG</a>), and ConocoPhillips (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/COP#NYSE">COP</a>) each lost over 2%, tracking crude oil&#8217;s sharp decline.



Lockheed Martin Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/LMT#NYSE">LMT</a>), a major defense contractor, fell 2.08% to $476.35.



Read now:



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-stock-ratings/analyst-color/25/06/45948662/iran-israel-tensions-fuel-oil-rally-investors-are-piling-into-energy-etfs">Iran-Israel Tensions Fuel Oil Rally, Investors Are Piling Into Energy ETFs</a></li>
</ul>



Photo: Shutterstock

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Wall Street Roars Back As Iran Signals De-Escalation: Nasdaq 100 Nears All-Time High

Stocks in the United States have struggled to regain their February all-time highs amid the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/politics/25/05/45691310/trump-tariff-uncertainty-enters-courts-experts-say-investors-should-expect-elevated-turbulence-amid-the-bullish-gridlock">tariff uncertainty</a>. In fact, the S&amp;P 500 remains one of the worst-performing major stock indices in the developed world in 2025.



One of the fundamental shifts we've seen this year is the end of the ‘There Is No Alternative' (TINA) status of U.S. stocks, which have dominated global equities since the end of the Great Financial Crisis. This shift began when markets were emerging from the prolonged 2022 bear market.



The most notable example of this trend is Germany's DAX index, which comprises the 40 largest publicly listed companies on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. Since the end of the bear market in October 2022, the DAX has returned more than 95% compared to a 42% return for the S&amp;P 500.



All signs point to this outperformance continuing.



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXcAyWeL98PD4PErirpnL5o3pUyfXvGEw5QKM4nIhsKySkT3XLaUGR_q-8LmJE0OsmIhoeg3Q5tjSFp2evioFp3ZBC023_xVYOnHejQq506Jp47f1GcoCYguB6cFMahiYOvhNlDIAw?key=8ofR2zLIrjVQy99jKqOxKA" alt=""/></figure>



A gain of more than 40% in less than three years is something investors across history would gladly accept, but the outperformance of European equities compared to the U.S. is stark. There is also reason to believe that European stocks will continue challenging their American counterparts for market supremacy as the U.S. continues to engage in isolationist policies, while European central banks are slashing rates and governments commit to accommodative fiscal policies. 



U.S. stocks should never be counted out, especially with consumer sentiment picking up in Q2. However, European stocks currently have more tailwinds, and Germany appears poised to prime its markets with an influx of capital. Today, we'll examine five German companies listed on U.S. stock exchanges (or at least accessible to American investors) that possess fundamental and technical strength, hinting at more upside ahead in the second half of 2025.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Historic Summer Setup: 3 ‘Power Patterns' Triggering In The Next 75 Days</h2>



These market patterns come around just once a year – one with an astonishing 90% historical win- rate. Get the exact dates and tickers live on June 18th during the ‘Power Pattern Profits' LIVE event. Reserve Your Spot For Free <a href="https://events2.benzinga.com/power-pattern-profits-live/?utm_campaign=power-pattern-registration&amp;utm_adType=sponsorad&amp;utm_ad=RD061725&amp;he={{email}}&amp;adt_ei={{email}}&amp;utm_medium=newsletter&amp;el=ResearchDaily">HERE</a>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">SAP SE ADR</h2>



SAP (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SAP#NYSE">SAP</a>) has surged to become one of the largest enterprise software providers in the world, boasting a $341 billion market cap and annual sales revenue of more than $35 billion. The stock has already been up more than 50% in the last year but has traded flat over the previous month on heavy selling volume. However, the uptrend remains in place, and a new entry point could be about to materialize.



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXdBKy6nVMRW3p8ABP-iWO7RaGiQl63sHD6u5bIjWpVs165lKDheoYtqzwjYVKxYPB3xnG7DMy0wFPduNp2XvaSorX4J6bMMQPjIflqHWUvCxFwDOQd5YtrMAQzc6nntfIqruwCjfQ?key=8ofR2zLIrjVQy99jKqOxKA" alt=""/></figure>



Before President Trump&#8217;s so-called Liberation Day tariffs sent global markets into a tailspin, SAP shares had been steadily reaching new highs and riding the 50-day moving average for support. Now that those tariffs have been placed on indefinite hold, SAP has rebounded above the 50-day MA, which could once again serve as the stock's support level. With the Relative Strength Index (RSI) nearing Oversold and strong Benzinga Edge scores (97.45 for Growth, 90.23 for Momentum), keep an eye on this chart and see if support holds at the 50-day MA.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Fresenius Medical Care AG ADR </h2>



Fresenius (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/FMS#NYSE">FMS</a>) is the world's primary provider of dialysis services and equipment for patients suffering from kidney diseases. The company generates approximately $19.5 billion in annual sales and employs over 123,000 full-time staff members. FMS shares have been a significant winner in 2025, with gains exceeding 26%. Its Benzinga Edge Growth Score of 89.82 suggests a strong foundation for further growth.



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXfW1GZP1W4lL3UrUfvpXaDBUTah8sj02TT55878TOVCDLO2t5jQXw0va6YVm_m2dKoweUBZDRr_tjOvQgYAbDF1qktp40nUUrv-0iyAYJFwLh0T0e-UpIk1bSMsqPvpISGpn3UDtw?key=8ofR2zLIrjVQy99jKqOxKA" alt=""/></figure>



FMS had been riding the 50-day MA for support but broke out to new highs in May following a blowout earnings report. The stock has since been consolidating in a bullish wedge pattern characterized by higher lows and lower highs. This pattern often precedes another upside move, and indicators like the 50- and 200-day MAs and the RSI confirm that the uptrend is still in place. A breakout above the wedge pattern would be the entry point signal in this scenario.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">BioNTech SE ADR</h2>



BioNTech (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BNTX#NASDAQ">BNTX</a>), along with Pfizer, pioneered the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, and its shareholders were rewarded with parabolic gains in 2021. The stock briefly topped $350 per share but failed to maintain that momentum as COVID-19 faded and mRNA vaccines have struggled to make breakthroughs in other areas, such as cancer research. However, BioNTech is ready to boost its prospects by acquiring CureVac N.V. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CVAC#NASDAQ">CVAC</a>) in a $1.25 billion cash deal. The acquisition will enhance BioNTech's mRNA pipeline and provide new avenues for important oncology research.



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXdUf2fFpQq_Q6-pnsslWAkRjbRK2L_p_cxK5OJjxDqijeDsVvIDOxX9nfQrZ66ygT-lZz3abN1yC3m96e6CgoCc01017WYaTGMkbLDX8q6gRHQJ5OPz-jAIxSLc2M5viQB3wkxVAQ?key=8ofR2zLIrjVQy99jKqOxKA" alt=""/></figure>



Purchasing a promising contemporary like CureVac helps cement the momentum swing from the April lows. The stock has been volatile, but a support level has been forming; it recently broke an eight-day losing streak on the Friday following the acquisition announcement. The next upswing could finally take the stock back over $120 for the first time since January.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Rheinmetall AG</h2>



Since we last checked in on Rheinmetall (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/RNMBY#OTC">RNMBY</a>) in the wake of the White House shouting match between President Trump and Ukraine President Zelenskyy, the German-based defense manufacturer has posted its first-ever $10 billion (USD equivalent) quarter. In Q1 2025, Rheinmetall generated $10.48 billion in revenue and $755 million in profits, both records for the company. Profit margins remained strong at 7.2%, marking the eighth instance in the last 10 quarters where profit margins have exceeded 7%.



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXdmxVbbcdOXWWRhIzh8dl6LRvh0DBSKQmU-pe5qSO8fFSsFmgHeNLaV7-Dvth7Xb8uJZUUHG-QwfwEUfruwMy4pVa6i2mY4f85dbiv2mlbLKJWtFhIuvgN3JVnhJK3JzJh_AHKw_g?key=8ofR2zLIrjVQy99jKqOxKA" alt=""/></figure>



Germany's government is prepared to increase national defense spending, with fundamental and technical indicators pointing toward further gains. The 50-day MA has been a strong support level, and the RSI has dipped to its lowest point in weeks. A big selloff last week took shares down to the 50-day MA once again before immediately bouncing higher; this could be an ideal entry point for new investors with long-term timeframes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Siemens AG&nbsp;</h2>



If you're looking for German companies focusing on robotics, automation, and healthcare, Siemens (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SMAWF#OTC">SMAWF</a>) is worth a glance. The company generates 75% of its revenue from Germany, China, and the U.S. and its profit margins have increased from under 5% in 2022 to over 12% in 2025. Margin growth isn't the only thing driving the stock up over 25% this year either.



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXfz3M6iXDbHBXgxC_VTxubSaxMqlwNi08W04cWfDFrTgbEOVI-_G98vf8C6tPg4rPl-P6z3I_FDdLpTRKpwsfdor5IuRPy79fQ5tBJmShnF01tVHDUO6TqFJeJuKgy9YxyToYqN?key=8ofR2zLIrjVQy99jKqOxKA" alt=""/></figure>



The stock formed a Golden Cross when the 50-day MA rose above the 200-day MA in October, sending shares from $185 to $260 in under six months. After the tariff pullback in April, the stock quickly broke back above the 50-day MA but failed to reach new all-time highs, unlike some of its German counterparts. The RSI is fading, which could signal weakening momentum; however, the 50-day MA is also a potential support level, as the overall trend still points upward.



Editorial content from our expert contributors is intended to be information for the general public and not individualized investment advice. Editors/contributors are presenting their individual opinions and strategies, which are neither expressly nor impliedly approved or endorsed by Benzinga.



Photo: Shutterstock

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5 Stocks To Ride The German Market Rally

The reputation of Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSLA#NASDAQ">TSLA</a>) as a trailblazer in electric vehicles has long rested on bold innovation and disruptive design. But the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/24/12/42495127/tesla-hikes-model-s-price-by-whopping-5000-in-us">latest updates to its flagship Model S and Model X</a> cars by Elon Musk&#8216;s EV maker, announced on Friday, have landed with a thud—even among the brand's fans and industry watchers, who are voicing disappointment over what many see as minor tweaks paired with a major price hike.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Minor Changes, Major Price Hike</h3>



The 2025 Model S and Model X refreshes come with a $5,000 price increase across all configurations, pushing the Model S Plaid over the $100,000 mark and the Model X Plaid to $106,630.



For that, buyers get a handful of updates: a new Frost Blue paint color (which itself is a $2,500 option), updated wheel designs for improved aerodynamics, a front bumper camera for better visibility, dynamic ambient lighting, adaptive driving beams, and slightly improved suspension and noise cancellation.



See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/06/45945298/tesla-model-3-on-fsd-mode-struck-by-train-after-getting-trapped-on-railroad-tracks-report">Tesla Model 3 On FSD Mode Struck By Train After Getting Trapped On Railroad Tracks: Report</a>



The Model S Long Range now boasts up to 410 miles of range, a modest increase from the previous 402, while the Model X gets a bit more third-row space.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">&#8216;Disappointing, To Say The Least&#8217;</h3>



The response has been swift and largely negative across media platforms.



The Verge called the upgrades minor changes &#8220;that only the most dedicated Tesla fans will be sold on&#8221;, while EV news outlet InsideEVs suggested an average car buyer will struggle to spot the differences between the new and old versions of the Model S car. Tesla-focused media platform Teslarati called the changes &#8220;slim&#8221;.



Automobile news website Carscoops said the upgrade comprised minor product tweaks and large price increases. Electrek, another EV news outlet, called the update "quite a disappointing update, to say the least," highlighting that the changes are "very mild" and fail to deliver the technological leaps many expected.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">`Worst&#8217; Update In Tesla History?</h3>



On Musk&#8217;s own social-media platform X, the criticism was less restrained.



&#8220;I hate to say this, but this is the worst &#8216;update&#8217; in Tesla history,&#8221; an X account holder, who uses the name Imran Raz, wrote in a post on Friday. &#8220;This is precisely the same car with hardly any new features except for a few improvements, which is expected. I&#8217;m very disappointed with this so-called &#8216;new&#8217; model X. I&#8217;ve been waiting for this refresh for years to finally get one with a proper third row. Tesla keeps ignoring high-end customers.&#8221;



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">I hate to say this, but this is the worst "update" in Tesla history. This is precisely the same car with hardly any new features except for a few improvements, which is expected. I&#39;m very disappointed with this so-called "new" model X. I&#39;ve been waiting for this refresh for years…&mdash; Imran Raz (@Imran_Razaq) <a href="https://twitter.com/Imran_Razaq/status/1933394850843414883?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 13, 2025</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



&#8220;Barely anything major new… and for an extra 5 grand? No thanks,&#8221; another user, Scott Jones, wrote. &#8220;Maybe you should copy companies that are vastly improving their EV's versus minuscule changes with the same battery power.&#8221;



On YouTube, Tesla-focused channels such as Tesla Jigsaw questioned whether the updates were enough to tempt even the most devoted fans.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Where&#8217;s The Innovation, Elon?</h3>



At a time when Tesla is striving to recover from the first quarter&#8217;s steep 13% slump in vehicle deliveries, the bad publicity isn&#8217;t helping.



The much-hyped Cybertruck model has also faced setbacks. Tesla recently announced multiple recalls due to software bugs and mechanical issues, further dampening enthusiasm for the futuristic pickup.



For years, Tesla's ability to push boundaries has set it apart in the EV space. But this latest refresh has left many asking if the company is coasting on its legacy rather than leading with new ideas. With even the most loyal fans expressing disappointment and industry experts calling out the lack of meaningful upgrades, the question for Elon Musk and Tesla is clear: Where's the innovation?



Read Next:



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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/06/45920502/elon-musks-tesla-files-lawsuit-alleging-ex-employee-stole-humanoid-tech-to-launch-rival">Elon Musk&#8217;s Tesla Files Lawsuit Alleging Ex-Employee Stole Humanoid Tech To Launch Rival</a></li>
</ul>



Photo: Shutterstock

Elon Musk's Latest EV Play Sparks Savage Rebuff: 'Worst in Tesla History,' 'No Thanks'

Investors have flocked into energy plays in the aftermath of last week's flare-up between Israel and Iran, signaling heightened expectations that escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East will continue to lift oil prices <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/commodities">and benefit U.S. energy firms.</a>



On Friday, a day after Israel launched "Operation Rising Lion" targeting over 100 Iranian nuclear and military sites and Iran retaliated with missile attacks on Israeli cities, the Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XLE#NYSE">XLE</a>) attracted $199 million in fresh capital, according to TradingView data.



That marks the largest single-day inflow since late April and the third-highest this year. 



Over the full week, XLE pulled in $470 million—its biggest weekly haul since October 2024—while also logging six consecutive sessions of gains, the longest winning streak in eight months. 



Looking at specific energy industries, the SPDR Oil &amp; Gas Exploration &amp; Production ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XOP#NYSE">XOP</a>) also witnessed consistent demand throughout the week, recording five straight days of inflows. Weekly net investments hit $310 million, the second strongest week of 2025 for the fund.



Other sector-focused ETFs trailed the energy fund's inflows, with the Materials Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XLB#NYSE">XLB</a>) pulling in $295 million and the Utilities Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XLU#NYSE">XLU</a>) attracting $267 million for the week.



<figure class="wp-block-table is-style-stripes"><table class="has-fixed-layout"><thead><tr><th>ETF Name</th><th>ETF Weekly Flows (Jun 9 &#8211; Jun 13)</th><th>Performance 1W</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund</td><td>+$470 million</td><td>+5.6%</td></tr><tr><td>Materials Select Sector SPDR Fund</td><td>+$295 million</td><td>-0.5%</td></tr><tr><td>Utilities Select Sector SPDR Fund </td><td>+$267 million</td><td>+0.3%</td></tr><tr><td>Financials Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XLF#NYSE">XLF</a>)</td><td>+$259 million</td><td>-2.6%</td></tr><tr><td>Communication Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XLC#NYSE">XLC</a>)</td><td>+$240 million</td><td>-1.1%</td></tr><tr><td>Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XLK#NYSE">XLK</a>)</td><td>+$217 million</td><td>+0.3%</td></tr><tr><td>Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XLY#NYSE">XLY</a>)</td><td>+$53 million</td><td>-0.2%</td></tr><tr><td>Real Estate Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XLRE#NYSE">XLRE</a>)</td><td>+$4 million </td><td>0.0%</td></tr><tr><td>Industrials Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XLI#NYSE">XLI</a>)</td><td>-$64 million</td><td>-1.6%</td></tr><tr><td>Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XLP#NYSE">XLP</a>)</td><td>-$200 million</td><td>-0.9%</td></tr><tr><td>Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XLV#NYSE">XLV</a>)</td><td>-$262 million</td><td>1.3%</td></tr></tbody></table><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Data: TradingView</figcaption></figure>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Big Fear Is Iranian Oil Disruption</h3>



The renewed conflict pushed West Texas Intermediate crude to $72 per barrel by Friday, a 12% weekly gain and its strongest performance in years, as investors priced in rising supply risks.



Riding the wave of higher oil prices, the Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund outperformed the S&amp;P 500 by 6% last week—its biggest weekly outperformance since September 2024 and the second largest since October 2022.



"Thus far, at least, Israel has not directly targeted Iran's oil supply, which appears to be unaffected," said Matthew Ryan, head of market strategy at Ebury, in an emailed comment. 



"The big fear for investors is that an escalation will not only raise the risk of a prolonged conflict, but it could disrupt Iranian oil production."



The Goldman Sachs commodities team sees a rising geopolitical risk premium. In one modeled scenario, they assume Iran's output drops by 1.75 million barrels per day over six months due to infrastructure damage, with core OPEC+ offsetting only half of that.



In such a case, Brent could peak just above $90 before falling back to the $60s in 2026 as Iranian supply recovers.



Yet, Goldman's Daan Struyven also warned of more extreme outcomes. If broader regional production or logistics—especially in the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow passage that carries nearly 20% of global oil—are impacted, prices could exceed $100 per barrel.



"In that extreme tail scenario, OPEC+ may be unable to deploy enough spare capacity," Struyven said, highlighting that the oil market remains vulnerable to sudden shocks, particularly through chokepoints like Hormuz.



Read now: 



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-stock-ratings/analyst-color/25/06/45940903/a-thin-strip-of-water-keeps-the-world-economy-on-edge-will-it-trigger-a-100-oil-shock">A Thin Strip Of Water Keeps The World Economy On Edge: Will It Trigger A $100 Oil Shock? </a></li>
</ul>



Photo: Shutterstock

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Iran-Israel Tensions Fuel Oil Rally, Investors Are Piling Into Energy ETFs

Economist Jon Faust, a former senior advisor to Fed Chair Jerome Powell, believes that the equations surrounding a rate cut are now fundamentally altered as tensions flare in the Middle East.



What Happened: Faust, an economist who has advised former chairs Ben Bernanke and Janet Yellen before Powell, said that he believes the ongoing conflict in the Middle East could be the biggest external risk facing the Federal Reserve this year, during his interview <a href="https://www.marketwatch.com/story/the-situation-in-the-middle-east-is-a-major-wild-card-for-the-fed-former-powell-advisor-says-0378ab73">with</a> MarketWatch late last week.



Israel-Iran tensions are a &#8220;major wild card&#8221; that could rattle business and consumer confidence and potentially tip the U.S. economy into a slowdown, Faust said, adding that the extent to which the conflict &#8220;yields a large rise in oil prices and a further shock to uncertainty, and thereby confidence, is the sort of thing that would tip a slowdown.&#8221;



See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/macro-economic-events/25/06/45922984/trump-numbskull-fed-powell-inflation-interest-rates-israel-iran-oil">Trump&#8217;s &#8216;Numbskull&#8217; Insult Comes Back To Bite—In Record Time</a>



A Fellow at the Center for Financial Economics at Johns Hopkins University, Faust believes that while a rate cut in December is possible, he wouldn&#8217;t bet on it.



&#8220;I'd put the odds at 50/50,&#8221; he says, noting the Fed will &#8220;cut when the data support it, and not until then.&#8221; 



With the Fed&#8217;s latest Summary of Economic Projections due this week, involving an update to the so-called dot plot, Faust warns against reading too much into it, saying that &#8220;an equal case could be made for zero, one or two cuts this year.&#8221;



Why It Matters: This comes amid <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/politics/25/06/45913481/trump-rips-jerome-powell-over-rates-but-supreme-court-shields-fed-from-firing">growing attacks on Powell</a> by President Donald Trump for not cutting rates fast enough and blaming him for higher U.S. government debt costs, going as far as to calling him a &#8220;numbskull.&#8221;



Several prominent economists, too, have <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/economic-data/25/06/45906982/dollar-hits-27-month-lows-the-fed-should-cut-next-week-economist-says">joined in on this chorus</a> over the past week, with economist Neil Dutta of Renaissance Macro saying that the &#8220;Fed policy is too tight,&#8221; and that he expects the central bank to act. 



Read More: 



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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/politics/25/06/45944099/trump-tax-plan-targets-unfair-foreign-levies-risks-capital-war-say-experts">Trump Tax Plan Targets &#8216;Unfair&#8217; Foreign Levies, Risks &#8216;Capital War,&#8217; Say Experts</a></li>
</ul>



Photo courtesy: Domenico Fornas / Shutterstock.com

Rate Cut Odds '50/50' Amid Israel-Iran Conflict, Says Jerome Powell's Ex-Advisor Jon Faust

Broadcom Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AVGO#NASDAQ">AVGO</a>) and Marvell Technology Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MRVL#NASDAQ">MRVL</a>) are flexing serious silicon muscle as demand surges for <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/semiconductors">custom AI ASIC chips</a> — next-gen application-specific integrated circuits designed to outpace off-the-shelf GPUs from Nvidia Corp (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>) and Advanced Micro Devices Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMD#NASDAQ">AMD</a>).



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">ASIC Arms Race: Custom Chips Are The New Gold</h2>



According to JPMorgan analyst Harlan Sur, both companies have now secured 2nm design wins for AI accelerators powering hyperscalers like Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>) (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>) Google, Meta Platform Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/META#NASDAQ">META</a>), Amazon.com Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMZN#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>) and Microsoft Corp (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>). 



With the total ASIC market poised to hit $30 billion in 2025 and growing at a 30% clip, Broadcom and Marvell are not just playing catch-up — they're building the racetrack.



This boom is driven by the hyperscalers' appetite for AI compute power with better performance, lower power, and reduced silicon costs. As AI models swell past 100 billion transistors per chip, these tech giants are leaning on ASIC veterans like Broadcom and Marvell to bring their custom accelerators to life &#8211; and fast.



Read Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/options/25/06/45893665/mrvl-stock-trade-agreement-sleeper-options-opportunity">Options Corner: Why The Latest U.S.-China Trade Agreement Makes Marvell A Sleeper Opportunity</a>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Broadcom Leads the Charge, Marvell Fights From Behind</h2>



Broadcom, the market leader with 55%-60% share, is already clocking in major wins: from Meta's MTIA 2nm to Google's TPU v8. JPMorgan expects Broadcom's AI revenue to hit $31 billion next fiscal year — a 60% jump. The stock, up nearly 36% in the past year, is still rated Overweight by JPMorgan, with a bullish $283.33 average price target from Citigroup, Barclays and Susquehanna.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href=" https://www.benzinga.com/pro/register?utm_adType=bzprocontent&amp;utm_campaign=14daytrial&amp;utm_ad=0616"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="628" height="486" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/16085605/Screenshot-2025-06-16-at-6.25.27-PM.png" alt="" class="wp-image-950734" srcset="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/16085605/Screenshot-2025-06-16-at-6.25.27-PM.png 628w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/16085605/Screenshot-2025-06-16-at-6.25.27-PM-300x232.png 300w" sizes="(max-width: 628px) 100vw, 628px" /></a></figure>



<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/pro/register?utm_adType=bzprocontent&amp;utm_campaign=14daytrial&amp;utm_ad=0616" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Chart created using Benzinga Pro</a>



Technically too, AVGO is a buy across key longer-term averages.



Marvell, trailing with a 15% share, has momentum too. It's already ramping up production for Amazon's Tranium 2 and Google's Axion CPU and has landed design wins for 2nm next-gen chips at AWS and Microsoft. 



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/pro/register?utm_adType=bzprocontent&amp;utm_campaign=14daytrial&amp;utm_ad=0616"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="628" height="486" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/16085638/Screenshot-2025-06-16-at-6.25.40-PM.png" alt="" class="wp-image-950737" srcset="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/16085638/Screenshot-2025-06-16-at-6.25.40-PM.png 628w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/16085638/Screenshot-2025-06-16-at-6.25.40-PM-300x232.png 300w" sizes="(max-width: 628px) 100vw, 628px" /></a></figure>



<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/pro/register?utm_adType=bzprocontent&amp;utm_campaign=14daytrial&amp;utm_ad=0616" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Chart created using Benzinga Pro</a>



Yet despite its potential, the stock tells a different story — down 41% year-to-date and trading below its 200-day average. Analyst sentiment remains bullish, with Loop Capital and China Renaissance setting targets as high as $90 and $110, respectively, but the near-term setup looks shakier.



So who wins this silicon sprint? 



Broadcom has the scale, the pipeline, and the technical tailwinds. Marvell may be a promising underdog &#8211; but right now, it's Broadcom that's doing the heavy lifting.



Read Next: 



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/25/06/45790867/how-nvidias-10-ripple-effect-could-lift-adobe-salesforce-servicenow">How Nvidia&#8217;s $10 Ripple Effect Could Lift Adobe, Salesforce, ServiceNow</a></li>
</ul>



Image: Shutterstock

Long Ideas

AVGO

MRVL

MSFT

NVDA

Broadcom, Marvell Ride The $30B ASIC Wave – But Only One Looks Ready For Takeoff

Ark Invest&#8217;s Cathie Wood is raising questions over an unusual discrepancy in Chinese automaker BYD Company Ltd.'s (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BYDDF#OTC">BYDDF</a>) reported delivery data, citing a roughly 20% gap between the company's vehicle deliveries and corresponding registration figures.



What Happened: On Sunday, Wood, who is a prominent Tesla Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSLA#NASDAQ">TSLA</a>) investor, posted on X with just a &#8220;?&#8221; while quoting a post by Akaash TK, a research associate at Ark. In his post, Akaash highlighted significant discrepancies in the sales and delivery figures being cited by the Chinese EV giant, with a gap that goes as high as 20%.



See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/politics/25/06/45942949/white-house-orders-scrutiny-of-spacex-contracts-even-as-trump-musk-relationship-warms-report">White House Orders Scrutiny Of SpaceX Contracts Even As Trump-Musk Relationship Warms: Report</a>



&#8220;A 20% gap between BYD&#8217;s delivery numbers and likely registrations from Jan–Apr. Inventory build or something else?&#8221; he asks, referring to the significant differences between the number of vehicles that the company has claimed to have delivered and those that have been registered from January through April 2025.



Akaash questions whether this is an inventory build, referring to a potential rise in inventory in anticipation of a spike in demand, or something else altogether.



BYD did not immediately respond to <a href="http://pro.benzinga.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga</a>'s request for comment.



<figure class="wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">? <a href="https://t.co/u9cUhvSgWx">https://t.co/u9cUhvSgWx</a>&mdash; Cathie Wood (@CathieDWood) <a href="https://twitter.com/CathieDWood/status/1934274389886796025?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 15, 2025</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



Why It Matters: This comes amid <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/asia/25/05/45611701/chinese-regulators-will-meet-tesla-rival-byd-other-companies-to-discuss-zero-mile-used-cars-report">growing concerns regarding</a> &#8220;Zero Mile&#8221; used cars in Chinese markets, a practice wherein cars with zero mileage are sold as used cars, primarily to boost sales and clear inventory. 



A few weeks ago, this prompted Chinese regulators to meet with the country&#8217;s automakers, including BYD, to address these concerns.



China&#8217;s Commerce Ministry was prompted to act following Great Wall Motor Company&#8217;s (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GWLLF#OTC">GWLLF</a>) Chairman Wei Jianjun&#8217;s comments on the matter in recent weeks.



Jianjun said that at least 3,000 to 4,000 vendors on Chinese used car markets were selling such brand new cars, with no mileage, as used cars at discounted prices, according to a report by Reuters.



Price Action: Shares of BYD were down 3.07% on Friday, trading at $16.86 per share in the OTC markets.



Read More:



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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/politics/25/06/45943372/obama-calls-for-dignity-in-immigration-enforcement-as-ice-crackdown-escalates">Obama Calls For Dignity In Immigration Enforcement As ICE Crackdown Escalates</a></li>
</ul>



Photo by Cobalt S-Elino via Shutterstock

BYDDF

GWLLF

Cathie Wood Flags BYD's 20% Delivery-to-Registrations Gap Amid Concerns Over Zero-Mileage Used Car Sales Practices

U.S. stock futures were trading higher on Monday following Friday&#8217;s sharp declines. Futures of major benchmark indices were higher in premarket.



Iran <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/politics/25/06/45940864/trump-threatens-iran-with-unprecedented-us-military-action-in-case-of-attack-if-we-are-attacked-in-any-way-us-armed-forces-will-come-down-on-you-at-levels-never-seen-before">retaliated against Israel's Operation</a> "Rising Lion," which began on Thursday, following which President Donald Trump issued a stern warning to Iran. He stated that any attack on U.S. forces or land would be met with an unprecedented military response in a Truth Social post.



The 10-year Treasury bond yielded 4.43% and the two-year bond was at 3.97%. The CME Group's FedWatch <a href="https://www.cmegroup.com/markets/interest-rates/cme-fedwatch-tool.html">tool</a>&#8216;s projections show markets pricing a 99.8% likelihood of the Federal Reserve keeping the current interest rates unchanged in its June meeting. 



<figure class="wp-block-table is-style-stripes"><table class="has-fixed-layout"><tbody><tr><td>Futures</td><td>Change (+/-)</td></tr><tr><td>Dow Jones</td><td>0.39%</td></tr><tr><td>S&amp;P 500</td><td>0.45%</td></tr><tr><td>Nasdaq 100</td><td>0.55%</td></tr><tr><td>Russell 2000</td><td>0.86%</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



The SPDR S&amp;P 500 ETF Trust (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SPY#NYSE">SPY</a>) and Invesco QQQ Trust ETF (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QQQ#NASDAQ">QQQ</a>), which track the S&amp;P 500 index and Nasdaq 100 index, respectively, rose in premarket on Friday. The SPY was up 0.38% at $599.25, while the QQQ advanced 0.45% to $529.34, according to <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard">Benzinga Pr</a>o data.



Cues From Last Session:



S&amp;P 500&#8217;s sectors closed in the red on Friday, as financial, information technology, and materials stocks experienced the most significant declines. However, energy stocks defied the broader market trend, ending the session higher.



This came as U.S. stocks settled lower, with the Dow Jones index plummeting over 700 points during the trading day following Israel's unexpected airstrike on Iranian nuclear sites.



Meanwhile, RH (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/RH#NYSE">RH</a>) shares saw a gain of approximately 7% on Friday. This boost came after the company announced stronger-than-anticipated first-quarter adjusted EPS results and confirmed its commitment to its current FY25 guidance, despite ongoing uncertainties from tariffs and macroeconomic events.



On the economic front, the University of Michigan's consumer sentiment index rose to 60.5 in June, up from 52.2 in the preceding two months, also surpassing market expectations of 53.5.



The Dow Jones index ended 770 points or 1.79% lower at 42,197.79, whereas the S&amp;P 500 index fell 1.13% to 5,976.97. Nasdaq Composite declined 1.30% to 19,406.83, and the small-cap gauge, Russell 2000, tumbled 1.85% to end at 2,100.51.



<figure class="wp-block-table is-style-stripes"><table class="has-fixed-layout"><tbody><tr><td>Index</td><td>Performance (+/-)</td><td>Value</td></tr><tr><td>Nasdaq Composite</td><td>-1.30%</td><td>19,406.83</td></tr><tr><td>S&amp;P 500</td><td>-1.13%</td><td>5,976.97</td></tr><tr><td>Dow Jones</td><td>-1.79%</td><td>42,197.79</td></tr><tr><td>Russell 2000</td><td>-1.85%</td><td>2,100.51</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



Insights From Analysts:



As major U.S. equity benchmarks fell on Friday due to heightened tensions between Israel and Iran, LPL Financial&#8217;s analysis of 25 wars over seven decades suggests long-term gains for the S&amp;P 500 index.



Jeff Buchbinder, Chief Equity Strategist at LPL, noted, &#8220;Assuming no imminent recession, which is LPL Research's base-case scenario, history shows that markets are roughly flat over the next month following these geopolitical and economic shocks, but frequently move higher over the following three, six, and 12-month periods. In the case of an event near a recession, such as Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in 1990 and 9/11, stocks have almost always moved lower in the subsequent 3, 6, and 12 months.&#8221;



Ed Yardeni from Yardeni Research said,&#8221; The S&amp;P 500 is now in the middle of the Middle East,&#8221; and advised investors to buy the dip.



&#8220;We anticipated this development in last Thursday&#8217;s QuickTakes and recommended using any selloff in the stock market as a buying opportunity,&#8221; he said.



Conversely, Louis Navellier of Navellier &amp; Associates highlighted a significant market concern: &#8220;The primary fear is that the fighting spreads to other countries and U.S. military bases in the region.&#8221;



Meanwhile, Nigam Arora from The Arora Report maintained that the &#8220;Israel Iran war is not a risk.&#8221;



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">Stock futures are mostly unchanged this Sunday evening. Right or wrong, so far investors are believing Israel Iran war is not a risk. See the chart. What to do now and 360 degree analysis in the Morning Capsule. <a href="https://t.co/tvFOS2xaD3">https://t.co/tvFOS2xaD3</a><a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%24msft&amp;src=ctag&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">$msft</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%24meta&amp;src=ctag&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">$meta</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%24amzn&amp;src=ctag&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">$amzn</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%24tsla&amp;src=ctag&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">$tsla</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%24nvda&amp;src=ctag&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">$nvda</a>… <a href="https://t.co/ytHkowyRNz">pic.twitter.com/ytHkowyRNz</a>&mdash; Nigam Arora (@TheAroraReport) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheAroraReport/status/1934393320920248401?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 15, 2025</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/how-to-trade-futures">How to Trade Futures</a> 



Upcoming Economic Data



Here&#8217;s what investors will keep an eye on this week:



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>On Monday, June&#8217;s Empire State manufacturing survey will be released by 8:30 a.m. ET.</li>



<li>On Tuesday, May&#8217;s U.S. retail sales and import price index will be out by 8:30 a.m. ET.</li>



<li>May&#8217;s industrial production and capacity utilization will be announced by 9:15 a.m. ET.</li>



<li>April Business inventories data and June&#8217;s home builder confidence index data will be released at 10:00 a.m. ET.</li>



<li>On Wednesday, May&#8217;s housing starts data, building permits data and the initial jobless claims data for the latest week will be out by 8:3 a.m. ET.</li>



<li>The Federal Open Market Committee will announce its interest-rate decision at 2:00 p.m. ET.</li>



<li>Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell will address a press conference at 2:30 p.m. ET.</li>



<li>On Thursday, markets will remain closed on account of the Juneteenth holiday.</li>



<li>On Friday, June&#8217;s Philadelphia Fed manufacturing survey will be out by 8:30 a.m. and May&#8217;s U.S. leading economic indicators will be released by 10:00 a.m. ET.</li>
</ul>



Stocks In Focus:



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Renew Energy Global PLC (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/RNW#NASDAQ">RNW</a>) rose 1.62% in premarket on Monday as analysts expect it to report quarterly earnings of 96 cents per share on revenue of $351.85 million, before the opening bell.</li>



<li>Lennar Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/LEN#NYSE">LEN</a>) was up 0.63% ahead of its earnings, which are supposed to be released after the closing bell. Analysts expect earnings of $1.94 per share on revenue of $8.16 billion.</li>



<li>PowerFleet Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AIOT#NASDAQ">AIOT</a>) jumped 6.29% as analysts expect it to report a quarterly loss of 2 cents per share on the revenue of $103.59 million, before the opening bell.</li>



<li>Digital Turbine Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/APPS#NASDAQ">APPS</a>) advanced on its earnings, which are supposed to be released after the closing bell. Analysts expect earnings of 4 cents per share on revenue of $116.64 million.</li>



<li>Johnson Controls International PLC (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/JCI#NYSE">JCI</a>) gained 1.30% after it reported a $9 billion increase to its share repurchase program.</li>



<li>Unusual Machines Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/UMAC#NYSE">UMAC</a>) was 1.89% higher after the company agreed to acquire Rotor Lab in an all-stock deal valued at $7 million on Friday. The company also announced the termination of the definitive agreement to acquire Aloft.</li>



<li>Urogen Pharma Ltd. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/URGN#NASDAQ">URGN</a>) edged up by 3.74% after the FDA approved ZUSDURI for intravesical solution as the first and only medication for recurrent low-grade intermediate-risk non-muscle invasive bladder cancer.</li>
</ul>



Commodities, Gold, And Global Equity Markets:



Crude oil futures were trading lower in the early New York session by 0.53% to hover around $70.91 per barrel.



Gold Spot US Dollar rose 0.41% to hover around $3,418.45 per ounce. Its last record high stood at $3,500.33 per ounce. The U.S. Dollar Index spot was lower by 0.22% at the 97.9660 level.



Asian markets ended higher on Monday as South Korea's Kospi, China&#8217;s CSI 300, Hong Kong's Hang Seng, Australia's ASX 200, Japan's Nikkei 225, and India's S&amp;P BSE Sensex indices advanced. European markets were higher in early trade.



Read Next:



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/forex/25/06/45943600/is-us-dollar-losing-its-edge-de-dollarization-and-fading-exceptionalism-raise-alarms">Is US Dollar Losing Its Edge? De-Dollarization And Fading Exceptionalism Raise Alarms</a></li>
</ul>



Photo courtesy: godongphoto / Shutterstock.com

AIOT

UMAC

URGN

US Stocks Likely To Rebound After Sharp Decline Amid Israel-Iran Conflict: S&P 500 Historically Moves Higher After Wars, Says Expert

Palmer Luckey, the founder of defense technology startup&nbsp;Anduril Industries, has reportedly backed a cryptocurrency-friendly banking startup that aims to revolutionize the financial sector.



What Happened: Luckey is backing a budding&nbsp;financial firm that aims to&nbsp;provide &#8220;stability&#8221; to Silicon Valley,&nbsp;The New York Post&nbsp;<a href="https://nypost.com/2025/06/13/business/andurils-palmer-luckey-plots-erebor-digital-bank-startup-sources/">reported</a> on Friday, citing insiders. The firm&#8217;s main objective is to assist tech entrepreneurs in growing their businesses, rather than focusing on maximizing returns on deposits.



Luckey is said to be partnering on the bank startup with tech investor and Palantir Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PLTR#NASDAQ">PLTR</a>) co-founder Joe Lonsdale



See Also:&nbsp;<a href="https://benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/24/11/42049664/paul-tudor-jones-boosts-bitcoin-holdings-potentially-making-btc-his-largest-non-options-investment" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Paul Tudor Jones Boosts Bitcoin Holdings, Potentially Making BTC His Largest Non-Options Investment</a>



The startup, currently named &#8220;Erebor,&#8221; is a reference to&nbsp;the mountain where the dragon&nbsp;Smaug keeps his gold in J.R.R. Tolkien&#8217;s 1937 novel &#8220;The Hobbit.&#8221; However, insiders have hinted that the name might not be final and could be subject to change.



In addition to cash, Erebor plans to accept deposits in <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/stablecoin">stablecoins</a>, a form of digital currency whose value is tethered to a fiat currency, such as the U.S. dollar. The project is in its early stages, and the plans have not been finalized, according to the report.



Benzinga didn&#8217;t immediately hear back from Anduril and Lonsdale's venture firm, 8VC, on the matter.



Why It Matters: This comes just days after Luckey confirmed plans for Anduril&#8217;s initial public offering. 



During an interview, Luckey emphasized that Anduril is being run <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/ipos/25/06/45877601/anduril-ceo-palmer-luckey-confirms-ipo-plans-to-compete-for-trillion-dollar-defense-contracts-we-are-definitely-going-to-be-a-publicly-traded">&#8220;to be the shape of a publicly traded company,</a>&#8221; highlighting the need for public status to compete for substantial defense contracts



The public listing plans come as Anduril <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/market-summary/25/06/45810158/anduril-raises-2-5-billion-at-30-5-billion-valuation-doubling-in-a-year-as-defense-contracts-grow" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reaches new valuation heights</a>. The company recently raised $2.5 billion in fresh capital, catapulting its valuation to $30.5 billion. According to Forbes, his net worth was <a href="https://www.forbes.com/profile/palmer-luckey/">estimated </a>to be $3.6 billion as of this writing.



Read Next:&nbsp;



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/crypto/cryptocurrency/25/06/45942372/anthony-scaramucci-welcomes-philippe-laffonts-bitcoin-advocacy-after-billionaire-hedge-fund-manager-says-apex-crypto-has-become-central-to-investment-portfolios">Anthony Scaramucci Welcomes Philippe Laffont&#8217;s Bitcoin Advocacy After Billionaire Hedge Fund Manager Says Apex Crypto Has Become &#8216;Central&#8217; To Investment Portfolios</a></li>
</ul>



Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/benzinga-neuro" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Neuro</a>&nbsp;and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/apis?utm_source=benzinga.com&amp;utm_campaign=article-bottom" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank"></a>



Photo Courtesy: Paopano on Shutterstock

Cryptocurrency

PLTR

Anduril Founder Palmer Luckey, Palantir Co-Founder Joe Lonsdale To Invest In Crypto-Friendly Startup Bank: Report

On Sunday, Taiwan added Chinese tech giants Huawei Technologies and Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp. (SMIC) to its strategic export control list, signaling escalating efforts to restrict Beijing's access to advanced chip technologies.



What Happened: Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs updated its strategic high-tech commodities entity list on June 10, adding 601 entities—including Huawei and SMIC—alongside organizations from Russia, Iran and Myanmar, reported Reuters.



The ministry cited "the prevention of arms proliferation and other national security considerations" as the reason behind this development.



The updated list was published on the ministry's trade administration website and includes references to terrorist groups like the Taliban and al-Qaeda.



See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/insights/news/25/05/45380785/analyzing-nvidia-in-comparison-to-competitors-in-semiconductors-amp-semiconductor-equipment-industr">Analyzing NVIDIA In Comparison To Competitors In Semiconductors &amp; Semiconductor Equipment Industry</a>



&#8220;Manufacturers must comply with export control regulations, fulfil their verification obligations and carefully assess transaction risks,&#8221; the statement read.



Why It's Important: Taiwan is home to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSM#NYSE">TSM</a>), the world's largest contract chipmaker and a key supplier to global firms like Nvidia Corporation (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>).



Adding Huawei and SMIC to the blacklist reflects growing concerns over Chinese firms allegedly stealing intellectual property and <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/03/44531802/chinas-top-chipmaker-smic-under-scrutiny-for-allegedly-targeting-taiwans-engineers-through-secret-samoan-front-company">poaching chip talent</a> from Taiwan.



Both companies are at the center of China's ambitions to build a self-reliant semiconductor supply chain amid sweeping U.S. export restrictions. The move aligns with Washington's efforts to <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/global/25/03/44494896/us-adds-50-chinese-entities-to-export-restriction-list-curtailing-access-to-nvidia-amd-chips">choke off China's access to high-end chips</a> and AI technologies, especially those involving U.S.-origin tools and software.



Earlier this week, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang announced the company will <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/25/06/45918580/nvidia-drops-china-from-guidance-after-2-5-billion-q1-revenue-hit-ceo-jensen-huang-says-hes-not-">exclude China from future revenue</a> and profit forecasts due to U.S. export restrictions.



Nvidia had to <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/05/45644145/nvidia-stock-is-bullish-ahead-of-q1-earnings-but-will-h20-chip-woes-dampen-the-party">halt shipments of its China-specific</a> H20 AI chips, leading to a $2.5 billion revenue loss in the first quarter. While the company anticipated a $5.5 billion hit from excess inventory, it ended up recording a $4.5 billion charge.



Benzinga's Edge Stock Rankings indicate that Nvidia continues to show robust upward momentum across short, medium and long-term timeframes. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/premium/ideas/benzinga-edge-2#:~:text=Turn%20Market%20Chaos,when%20markets%20rebound'">Additional performance metrics can be accessed here</a>.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/premium/ideas/benzinga-edge-2#:~:text=Turn%20Market%20Chaos,when%20markets%20rebound'"><img decoding="async" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/15222222/Screenshot-2025-06-16-at-7.50.47%E2%80%AFAM.png" alt="" class="wp-image-950070"/></a></figure>



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Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.



Image Via Shutterstock

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Taiwan Blacklists Huawei And SMIC, Citing National Security — Manufacturers Must Carefully Assess 'Transaction Risks' As US-Led Chip War With China Intensifies

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