Opendoor Closes Up 80% on CEO Bombshell – Rabois Returns as Chairman in Power Move

Posted on September 11, 2025 by Olumide Adesina

Opendoor’s shares soared nearly 80 percent on Thursday following the appointment of co-founder Keith Rabois as chairman and Shopify executive Kaz Nejatian as CEO. This year, the company has seen extraordinary growth, with its stock rising over 500 percent and achieving a 52-week high.

Former CEO Carrie Wheeler resigned following a pressure campaign from investors, which included strong criticism from hedge fund manager Eric Jackson, who has significantly contributed to the stock’s recovery this year, along with Rabois. Both Rabois and Eric Wu, the company’s first CEO, who resigned in 2023, will return to the board as part of Opendoor’s announcement on Wednesday that it is “going into founder mode.”

Opendoor went public in 2020 by merging with a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC). The company uses technology to buy and sell homes, keeping the profits for itself. According to Nejatian, Opendoor intends to leverage artificial intelligence to “radically simplify, speed up, and streamline” the home buying and selling process.

Oracle Propels 40% as Larry Ellison Dethrones Elon Musk as World’s Richest Man

Posted on September 10, 2025 by Olumide Adesina

Larry Ellison, 81, the founder of the US software company Oracle, surpassed Elon Musk as the world’s richest person on Wednesday. Ellison’s wealth increased by $101 billion to $393 billion on Wednesday, while Elon Musk’s wealth was $385 billion. It was the biggest wealth increase Bloomberg has ever seen in a single day. Ellison is now at the top of Bloomberg’s list of the wealthiest people for the first time.

This honor is due to Oracle’s soaring share price, which jumped over 40 percent on Wall Street on Wednesday. The demand for artificial intelligence is driving the rapid expansion of the group’s cloud business. A significant amount of processing power is required for this growth.

The development of AI, which requires ever-increasing computing storage capacity, is largely responsible for this commercial success.

His achievement is attributed to the remarkable surge in his share price on the New York Stock Exchange. Investors have evaluated the strong demand for AI infrastructure that the American cloud provider will benefit from in the coming years, despite the challenges it presents. Its order book has increased fourfold to $455 billion in a year.

Oracle’s valuation has skyrocketed from $250 billion to over $940 billion in just a few hours. Unlike the flashy personality of Elon Musk, Larry Ellison, 81, maintains a more discreet presence. He owns an extensive real estate portfolio and various assets, including the island of Lanai in Hawaii, which is the sixth-largest island in the U.S. Pacific archipelago. Ellison purchased Lanai for $300 million in 2010.

Crude Oil Rises as Israel’s Strike in Qatar Revives Geopolitical Uncertainty

Posted on September 10, 2025 by Olumide Adesina

Crude Oil prices increased as traders evaluated the potential impact on crude flows from the Middle East, which supplies around one-third of the world’s supply, of an Israeli attack in Qatar that intensified the conflict in the region.

West Texas Intermediate rose 0.6 percent to near $63 per barrel following an Israeli Defense Forces strike in Doha against the senior leadership of Hamas, a group that the United States and Europe have designated a terrorist organization.

.Khalil al-Hayya was among the leaders the strike targeted, but Al Jazeera reports that he survived.

The strike marks the first time Israel has attacked Doha since the conflict that has rocked the world’s oil markets for almost two years began. US attempts to negotiate a peace agreement between Israel and Hamas could have sucked out any remaining Middle East risk premium due to the incident. The attack was a “wholly independent” operation, according to Israel, which also claimed full responsibility for it.

The trading session momentarily diverted attention from OPEC’s intentions to restart idled production sooner than anticipated, which has raised concerns about a glut that, by some measures, is already underway. Crude has spent the majority of the last month trading between $62 and $66 and has dropped roughly 13% so far this year.

Oil had already increased as stocks rose in response to growing expectations that the Federal Reserve would reduce borrowing costs.

Meanwhile, Ukraine is continuing its military campaign against Russia’s energy infrastructure, overnight attacking a portion of the Kuibyshev-Lysychansk oil pipeline. Russian industry is beginning to suffer as a result of Kyiv’s drone strikes; in September, the Kremlin reported that refinery run rates had decreased as a result of the attacks.

iPhone 17 Debut: Apple’s Stock Faces ‘Sell-the-News’ Pressure

Posted on September 9, 2025 by Olumide Adesina

Investors are anticipating Apple’s biggest product event of the year, which is expected to be the next spark for its recently revived stock, but it might end up disappointing.

Apple shares rose another 3.3 percent last week following an antitrust ruling that allowed the iPhone manufacturer to continue receiving billions of dollars from Alphabet search payments, after the company’s best month in over a year in August, helped by relief from President Donald Trump’s tariffs. Shares dropped less than 1 percent yesterday.

APPL is believed to have limited potential for further gains after rising by $430 billion in market value since the end of July, with the company’s artificial intelligence strategy still under scrutiny, barring a surprise at Tuesday’s unveiling.

The iPhone 17 lineup, expected to include a new, slimmer model, is likely to be unveiled by Apple. There are also plans for improved versions of the Apple Watch and Vision Pro headset. The main question is whether these updates will be enough to boost growth, which has lagged behind its peers for some time.

This issue is especially urgent now, given the lack of more advanced AI features and the anticipated major changes over the next few years, such as the 2026 launch of a foldable iPhone.

Historically, since Apple shares often decline on the days of new iPhone releases, the odds are not in the bulls’ favor, at least in the near future. Additionally, in the era of AI, there is a risk that the event might raise more concerns about its slower growth and high stock market multiple if it cannot convince investors that it is making sufficient progress in developing technology-based features.

iPhone Air Launch Propels Apple (AAPL) to $248 Price Target

Posted on September 7, 2025September 7, 2025 by Olumide Adesina

Apple (AAPL) is expected to unveil its latest iPhone and Apple Watch models at its annual fall event, scheduled on September 9. The most anticipated announcement is likely to be the iPhone 17 Air. Think of it as a similar iPhone to the others that have been experimenting with Ozempic.

It will be significantly thinner than the standard iPhone and iPhone Pro, at only 5 mm thick. The iPhone Pro measures 8.3 millimeters in thickness, while the standard model is 7.8 millimeters.

Mark Gurman, an Apple watcher at Bloomberg, stated that the Air’s thinner design could come with some tradeoffs. The phone might have just a single wide-angle camera rather than the dual-camera setup found on the base iPhone or triple-camera setup found on the Pros.

It might also have a smaller battery, which could impact battery life unless Apple can work some of its software wizardry. Customers may find it difficult to sell because they typically want phones with more cameras and larger batteries.

A potential upside of roughly 3.4% from the current price is indicated by the average 12-month price target of $248, which ranges from a high of $325.00 to a low of $184.00. Recent Upgrades/Downgrades: Barclays set a lower price target of $184.00 (Underweight), while Wedbush increased theirs to $325.00 (Outperform).

AAPL closed at $239.69 on September 5, 2025, a decrease of 0.4 percent from the previous close of $239.78. Throughout the day, the stock ranged between a low of $238.49 and a high of $241.32. Intraday data indicate that trading remained relatively steady, with only slight dips and recoveries during the session

Monthly Trend: AAPL had a good month, rising about 4% from August 8, 2025, when it was trading at $229.96, to September 5, 2025, when it traded at $239.23.

The stock showed consistent upward momentum on September 3rd, reaching a peak of $238.14. Yearly Trend: From $233.00 in September 2024 to $239.69 in September 2025, AAPL gained a moderate 2.87 percent over the past 12 months. With a 52-week high of $260.10 and a low of $169.21, the stock exhibited notable volatility.

The performance during the first seven months of the year is down 7.07%, indicating challenges in maintaining steady growth.

OPEC+ Agrees to Ramp Up Crude Oil Supply

Posted on September 7, 2025 by Olumide Adesina

OPEC+ reached a principled agreement to boost production again next month as the group shifts its policy from defending prices to gaining market share.

Key alliance members said in a video call on Sunday that they expect to approve an increase by 137,000 barrels as the group led by Saudi Arabia and Russia begins to unwind the next phase of halted supplies.

The reductions of 1.66 million barrels per day, which were set to last until the end of 2026, will start to resume in October with an increase. Some representatives said discussions are still ongoing.

The upcoming increase would reinforce the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies’ significant change in direction. In recent months, the group surprised oil markets by restarting 2.2 million barrels of halted production a full year after predictions of a slowdown, in an effort to regain market share.

Demand has been affected by US President Donald Trump’s trade war, and increased supply from OPEC+ + nations and other sources has caused crude prices to drop 12% this year. Nonetheless, the market has shown surprising resilience to the alliance’s new approach, encouraging Saudi Arabia and its allies to return even more barrels.

Trump has often called for lower oil prices to control inflation and to pressure Russia to end its war against Ukraine, so further accelerating production increases is likely to please him. In November, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is scheduled to visit Washington to meet the US president.

However, because some members face pressure to compensate for earlier oversupply, forgo their share of production hikes, and because several countries lack spare capacity, the actual volume will likely be lower than announced. Member countries that rely on higher prices will face greater pressure from this move, especially those unable to increase production.

Nvidia, AMD, Microsoft Drag S&P 500 Down, Dampening Rate-Cut Optimism

Posted on September 6, 2025 by Olumide Adesina

The S&P 500 Index declined from its peak amid Nvidia’s drop, and other tech companies countered Broadcom’s rally, which previously boosted chip and tech stocks.

The S&P 500 reached an intraday high but then fell 0.3 percent. Meanwhile, the Nasdaq 100 Index rose by 0.1 percent. The Magnificent Seven companies’ index declined 0.3 percent. The Cboe VIX Index was around fifteen. Nvidia, the world’s most valuable firm, dropped 2.70 percent after it was revealed that it was helping OpenAI develop an accelerator chip for artificial intelligence.
AMD declined by 6.6 percent, and Microsoft lost 2.6 percent.

The S&P 500’s losses were mainly driven by Nvidia, but cyclical companies, which are highly sensitive to economic changes, also performed poorly, with energy and financial stocks falling more than 1 point.

Friday’s weaker-than-expected jobs report increased economic uncertainty but also boosted expectations for a Federal Reserve interest rate cut later this month.
U.S. employment decreased in June for the first time since 2020, while nonfarm payrolls rose by 22,000 in August. A report released on Friday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed that the unemployment rate slightly increased to 4 percent.

Chair Jerome Powell hinted at the central bank’s September interest rate cut at the Federal Reserve’s annual Jackson Hole symposium last month, which has traders hedging their wagers.

Energy stocks declined as oil prices fell, after Saudi Arabia stated it wanted OPEC+ to consider increasing production. As geopolitical tensions, anxiety, and threats to the US central bank’s independence prompted investors to seek safety in gold, stocks broke a 2011 high. Interest-rate sensitive homebuilder stocks also performed well.

Klarna Eyes $1.3 Billion U.S. IPO, Valuing Fintech at Up to $14 Billion

Posted on September 2, 2025 by Olumide Adesina

Klarna Group and some of its shareholders plan to raise $1.27 billion as the financial technology company resurrects a New York initial public offering that was postponed earlier this year because of market volatility.

The company and a few of its investors are offering 34.3 million shares for $35 to $37 each. The company’s market value would be approximately $14 billion at the upper end of the range. Klarna intends to sell 50.6 million shares, while selling holders like executives and entities associated with Sequoia Capital and Heartland A/S, are expected to offer 28.8 million shares.

Klarna filed for an initial public offering (IPO) with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC); however, in April, the market was rocked by US President Donald Trump’s trade war, which caused the company to halt its plans.

Klarna, a Stockholm-based company, gained notoriety as a supplier of “buy now, pay later” financing during a pandemic-era surge in online shopping. The business is working to establish itself as a digital bank under CEO Sebastian Siemiatkowski.

Klarna experienced a net loss of $153 million on total revenue of $1.52 billion for the six months ending June 30.

This is in contrast to a net loss of $38 million on total revenue of $1.33 billion during the same period last year. In an earnings report last month, the business revealed that it had to increase its reserves for possibly soured loans. According to Siemiatkowski, that does not imply that more clients are unable to repay them.

Gold Hits All-Time High Above $3,500 as Rate Cuts Loom

Posted on September 2, 2025September 2, 2025 by Olumide Adesina

Gold reached a record high as the multiyear rally in precious metals gained new momentum due to the possibility of rate cuts by the Federal Reserve and mounting worries about the central bank’s future.

Gold for immediate delivery increased by as much as 0.9 percent to $3,508.73 an ounce before reversing some gains during early London trading on Tuesday, surpassing the previous peak set in April. The precious metal is among the top-performing major commodities, having increased by over 30% this year.

Gold and its less expensive cousin, silver, have more than doubled in value over the last three years, with growing geopolitical, economic, and international trade risks driving up demand for the traditional haven assets. Investors are becoming increasingly alarmed by President Donald Trump’s attacks on the Fed this year, as worries about the central bank’s independence threaten to undermine trust in the US.

The latest run has been driven by expectations that the US central bank will do so this month after Fed Chair Jerome Powell cautiously hinted at a rate cut. The case for cuts is likely to be strengthened by a significant US jobs report this Friday, which is expected to add to indications of a more muted labor market. Because precious metals don’t pay interest to holders, this has increased their appeal.

The yellow metal posted gains of more than 2 percent, marking a strong finish last month. Buyers held this level and maintained upward momentum since last year. However, after months of consolidation, there is renewed enthusiasm for gold as we start the new week. With today’s surge, gold has reached its highest level since late April, when the upward trend paused after hitting the $3,500 mark.

This weekend’s US tariff issues highlighted why gold remains a popular haven during tough times. This year’s dollar sentiment has taken a hit amid ongoing turbulence in US policy and unclear communications.

Additionally, many investors are hesitant to stick with the dollar and US assets, especially with Trump threatening the Fed’s independence. As a result, with other factors like central banks in play, gold is becoming even more attractive. Inflation data bolstered expectations that the Fed might cut interest rates this month, and markets are also wary of new US trade uncertainties after a US court ruled last Friday that President Trump’s global tariffs were largely illegal.

BYD Feels the Heat: Shares Crash as Q2 Earnings Fall 30%

Posted on September 1, 2025 by Olumide Adesina

BYD, listed in Hong Kong, dropped nearly 8% on Monday after the Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer announced a sharp decline in quarterly profit amid intense pricing competition in its home market.

Tesla rival reported a net profit of 6.36 billion yuan ($891 million) for the April-June quarter on Friday, which was roughly 30% less than the same period last year. The company’s revenue increased 14 percent year over year to approximately 201 billion yuan, despite a rise in overseas sales.

The start of yet another discount war in China last quarter, a common occurrence in the industry, hurt BYD’s profitability. “Increased price competition and frequent occurrences of excessive marketing” in China’s EV space have “performed an adverse periodic impact on the development of the industry,” the company stated in its mid-year earnings filing.

Retail car prices have fallen by about 19 percent over the past two years to around 165,000 yuan ($22,900) in China, according to a recent Nomura report citing industry data from Autohome Research Institute.

Chinese authorities, frustrated with unfair competition, threatened to penalize automakers in May for encouraging price cuts. In the first half of the year, BYD’s net profit rose nearly 14% to 150.5 billion yuan.

Chinese automakers like BYD have been expanding into new international markets. Over the past two years, BYD has led that effort by opening showrooms across Europe and offering its vehicles at affordable prices. The European Automobile Manufacturers Association reports that BYD recorded over 13,000 new registrations in Europe in July, a 225 percent increase from the previous year.