Apple, Amazon Lead a Packed Earnings Night

Big Tech in the Spotlight

This is one of the busiest evenings of the earnings season. AAPL and AMZN both report after the close today. Apple faces scrutiny over iPhone demand. Amazon's cloud and ad revenue are the key numbers to watch. Options flow remains cautious on META, which heads into its own report with its RSI at 41.4 and shares down 11% year-to-date. Bears are clearly not convinced the rally has legs.

Energy and Rates Dominate the Macro Picture

US borrowing costs have hit a 19-year high. The Federal Reserve held rates even as Iran-linked energy tensions push oil prices higher. CVX and XOM report this week. Analysts forecast their best results in 15 quarters. Options sentiment for both names leans bullish. Brent above $100 is doing the heavy lifting.

Europe: Defense Rallies, Chips Stumble

European stocks slid today but defence names bucked the trend. Ukraine ratified a $105 billion EU loan deal, lifting the sector. Meanwhile Korean stocks fell more than 5% as Samsung and SK Hynix followed Wall Street's AI-linked chip selloff. Short sellers are also raising bets against US-backed critical minerals companies, per FT reporting.

Bears and Insiders Make Moves

WOLF sits at 79% SI % FF despite a 162% three-month rally. Availability has hit zero — new short positions are nearly impossible to initiate. Insider selling remains active. GM CEO Mary Barra filed a $4.68 million sale on July 29. AVGO CLO Mark Brazeal filed nearly $19.5 million in sales. HSBC cut both ISRG and PG from Buy to Hold today, signalling limited near-term upside after strong runs.

RIVN offered a rare bright spot. The EV maker raised its full-year delivery outlook to 65,000–70,000 vehicles, up from 62,000–67,000.