A PEACE DEAL ON THE HORIZON?

President Donald Trump said on Monday that he believes Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to end the war in Ukraine, suggesting potential progress towards peace negotiations.

Trump made these remarks during a bilateral meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Oval Office, which followed the Russia–United States summit in Alaska on Friday where Trump met Putin.

“I think Putin wants this to end,” Trump said during the meeting, adding that there is a “chance something could come out of the meeting with Putin.”

The US president hinted at possible trilateral talks, saying: “If all goes well, we’ll have a trilateral meeting,” while cautioning: “I wouldn’t say this is the end of the road.”

A BOLD BET ON UNH

Buffett and Burry made the same market move during the second quarter, taking positions in UnitedHealth (UNH) at a time of heavy pressure on the US healthcare sector.

Buffett purchased more than 5 million shares, making UnitedHealth his 18th largest holding, behind Amazon (AMZN) and Constellation Brands (STZ).

So far in 2024, UnitedHealth has lost 46% of its value, hit by operational challenges and the abrupt exit of its CEO.

Burry expanded his portfolio with investments in Lululemon (LULU), Estee Lauder (EL), and MercadoLibre (MELI), pointing to global diversification with a focus on consumer and e-commerce.

APPLE: PRICE TARGET $240

Morgan Stanley stated that Apple may be “turning a corner” after stronger-than- expected iPhone sales prompted an upward revision to September quarter production plans.

The bank’s Greater China Technology Hardware team raised its iPhone production forecast for the September quarter by 8%, from 50 million units to 54 million, citing “better-than-expected iPhone sales in the June quarter.”

The revision was “entirely for the iPhone 16 (2 million units) and Pro Max (2 million units) models.”

NEW NVIDIA CHIP: WILL THE RALLY CONTINUE?

Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) is preparing a new artificial intelligence chip for the Chinese market, based on its latest Blackwell architecture, which will outperform the H20 model it currently sells there, Reuters reported on Tuesday.

Specifications have not yet been finalised, but Nvidia aims to ship samples to Chinese customers for testing as early as next month, the report added.

“We evaluate a variety of products for our roadmap, to be prepared to compete as permitted by governments,” Nvidia said in a statement. “Everything we offer has full approval from the relevant authorities and is designed solely for beneficial commercial
use.”

₿ BITCOIN IN RETIREMENT PLANS?

The United States may mark a milestone for Bitcoin adoption and unlock billions of dollars in fresh capital, potentially pushing the asset above $200,000 by the end of 2025, according to André Dragosch, head of European research at crypto asset
manager Bitwise.

President Donald Trump paved the way for the inclusion of cryptocurrencies in US retirement plans after signing an executive order on 7 August, granting Americans access to digital assets through their retirement savings.

This “bullish” development may be even “bigger than the US Bitcoin ETF approval itself”, signalling a further $122 billion in new capital, assuming a modest 1% portfolio allocation.

The move represents an institutional validation for Bitcoin and other digital assets, shifting from being viewed as a fringe innovation to mainstream investment options with long-term potential.

It could also enhance diversification and improve risk-adjusted returns in retirement portfolios, though it carries risks and will require proper regulation, education, and security mechanisms.

META: BANK OF AMERICA PREDICTIONS

Bank of America Securities maintained its Buy rating and $900.00 price target for Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ:META), in line with the broader analyst consensus.

Analyst targets range from $658 to $1,086, with 32 analysts recently revising earnings estimates upwards despite reports of another restructuring within the company’s AI division.

The research firm continues to view Meta as well positioned in the AI space due to its massive user base and technological infrastructure, factors that support maintaining the Buy rating.

STABLECOINS: BREAKING RECORDS

According to Bitwage, 48% of global company payments went to Argentine professionals, with 75% choosing stablecoins and salaries up to 25% higher than the global average, according to a release sent to Cointelegraph in Spanish.

Argentina has ranked first globally in the use of cryptocurrencies for business payments, based on internal data from the platform, with stablecoins such as USDT or USDC being the preferred method for receiving payments.

The local average salary exceeded $1,600, 25% above the global average, the report added.

ETFS: A KEY DATE IN OCTOBER

The United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has once again delayed its decisions on several cryptocurrency exchange-traded funds (ETFs), pushing back approval deadlines for seven proposed funds until October 2025.

The affected ETFs include the Truth Social Bitcoin and Ethereum ETF, several XRP (XRP) ETFs, a Litecoin (LTC) ETF, and an Ethereum (ETH) ETF with staking.

According to filings on 18 August 2025, the SEC extended the review period for the Truth Social Bitcoin and Ethereum ETF until 8 October 2025.

INTEL TO THE RESCUE

SoftBank Group Corp. and Intel announced on Monday that the Japanese tech conglomerate had agreed to buy $2 billion worth of shares in the struggling chipmaker, with the aim of building advanced chip manufacturing facilities in the United States.

SoftBank will pay $23 per share for Intel’s common stock.

“This strategic investment reflects our belief that advanced semiconductor manufacturing and supply will further expand in the United States, with Intel playing a critical role,” said SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son in a statement.