Inflation got spicy, yields spiked again, but our AI chips are still pretending it's 2023

GainStreet Daily Brief · Wednesday, August 26, 2026

AI-generated research · published by Today is Tomorrow LLC · how we use AI · not financial advice

Morning brief: Smaller AI bets popped, crypto caught a bid, and now the whole market holds its breath for Nvidia

Published Aug 26, 2026, 8:01 AM EDT

Futures are flat as Wall Street braces for Nvidia's post-close Q2 results, serving as the ultimate litmus test for AI hardware demand.

Shares jumped 4.91% after Raymond James upgraded the stock to Strong Buy with a $641 target, citing server CPU market share gains.

The stock popped 11.54% as investor demand for nuclear energy solutions to power AI data centers continues to fuel speculative buying.

HOOD rallied 8.17% amid renewed crypto momentum and rising trading volume across retail investor accounts ahead of upcoming product rollouts.

All eyes are on NVDA's Q3 revenue guidance tonight, followed tomorrow by earnings from Marvell and Workday plus fresh PCE inflation data.

Posture: With Fear & Greed at 59 (Greed) ahead of NVDA earnings, posture is Neutral-Aggressive focused on high-quality AI and crypto momentum.

Tickers in focus: NVDA, AMD, OKLO

Published Aug 26, 2026, 8:01 PM EDT

U.S. stocks edged lower as slightly hotter July inflation pushed Treasury yields higher, dampening rate-cut hopes ahead of key earnings.

Snap sank 8.45% after Pennsylvania filed a child safety lawsuit, contrasting Meta's gain following its $17 billion multistate settlement.

Silicon Motion jumped 8.80% as surging demand for enterprise AI NAND controllers and optical storage drove strong bullish momentum.

Lumentum rose 6.04% as strong AI data center photonics demand and post-earnings price target hikes extended its upward momentum.

With Fear & Greed easing to 55, traders focus on after-hours earnings tomorrow from Marvell and Workday to test tech sentiment.

Posture: With Fear & Greed easing to 55, we maintain a balanced posture, leaning into high-quality defensive compounders amidst sticky inflation.

Tickers in focus: SIMO, LITE

Aug 26, 2026 · ANET — Sold @ $202 +7.2% (Target hit)
Booked +7.2% in three days. We flagged take-profit at 4% from our value on Tuesday; today it traded through $198 and the discipline is the same in both directions — we sell at value. The robot bought well, the desk booked it.