NEW HOME SALES UP BIG, CRYPTO & MARKETS DOWN | MARKET CLOSE
NEW HOME SALES UP BIG, CRYPTO & MARKETS DOWN | MARKET CLOSE
226 days agoAmit Kukreja@amitinvesting
YouTube2 hr 17 min
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Note: AI-generated summary based on third-party content. Not financial advice. Read more.
Quick Insights

Consider starting a position in Amazon (AMZN), as the $200 to $220 range is viewed as an opportunistic entry point for a long-term investment. Opendoor (OPEN) is showing strong momentum following positive housing data and a new 5.9% stake taken by institutional investor Jane Street. Large investors are betting on significant upside for Tesla (TSLA), with major call option purchases targeting a move to $500-$550 by November 2025. For international exposure to the AI theme, Alibaba (BABA) is gaining momentum after announcing a new collaboration with NVIDIA and other AI advancements. For a high-risk, leveraged bet on Ethereum, consider buying the recent dip in BMNR, which is seen as a high-beta play on the crypto asset's price.

Detailed Analysis

BMNR

  • The host describes a "nasty, nasty day" for BMNR, noting it was down about 5% on the day and 15% on the week.
  • The host personally bought 50 more shares at $52.80 and another tranche at $51.77, acknowledging they are currently "underwater" on these new shares. Steve also mentioned buying the dip.
  • The stock's decline is linked to the fall in Ethereum's price. The host describes BMNR as a form of "leverage" against Ethereum.
  • It is considered a "super high beta" asset, meaning it's expected to be much more volatile than the underlying asset (Ethereum).

Takeaways

  • Investing in BMNR is essentially a leveraged, high-risk bet on the price of Ethereum (ETH).
  • You should only consider this stock if you are very bullish on Ethereum's long-term prospects and can tolerate significant volatility.
  • The host's actions indicate a "buy the dip" strategy, but this is a high-risk approach suitable only for investors who understand the connection to crypto and have a high-risk appetite.

Ethereum (ETH)

  • The price fell from $4,800 to $4,159 during the week, which was cited as the reason for BMNR's sharp decline.
  • The long-term bullish case is based on Ethereum's role as a foundational layer for other applications, similar to how Google's PageRank algorithm won out over Yahoo's revenue-focused approach in the early days of the internet.
  • A key bullish indicator mentioned is that $180 billion out of the $294 billion total stablecoin market cap resides on the Ethereum network. This dominance in stablecoins and tokenization is seen as a sign that Ethereum is likely the long-term winner among blockchains.

Takeaways

  • The investment thesis is that Ethereum is playing the long game by focusing on becoming credibly neutral infrastructure, rather than maximizing short-term revenue.
  • Its dominance in the stablecoin market is a major pillar of the bullish argument, suggesting it has the most usage and network effects.
  • If you believe in this long-term vision, holding ETH directly is the standard approach. For higher risk and potentially higher reward, derivative plays like BMNR are being considered by the podcast hosts.

Investment Theme: AI & Data Centers

  • The podcast highlights a strong and ongoing investment theme centered around the "AI revolution" and the massive build-out of data centers required to power it.
  • Bullish Sentiment: The long-term consensus is to be "long AI". The hosts believe the AI capital expenditure (CapEx) trend is real and not slowing down, citing massive spending commitments from companies like Microsoft, Meta, and Google. They argue against bearish takes, stating that betting against the CEOs of these trillion-dollar companies is a losing proposition.
  • Bearish Sentiment / Risks: Short-term fears of a bubble and an "unhealthy" surge in unprofitable tech stocks are mentioned. A key risk discussed is whether companies deploying AI will see a return on investment (ROI). A Bain study is cited, which suggests an $800 billion revenue shortfall by 2030 to fund the AI spending.
  • Energy Connection: The data center boom is directly linked to a massive need for more energy. Sam Altman is quoted as saying a "gigawatt of energy created every single week" is needed. This has created a sub-theme where any company associated with energy or data centers is "catching a bid."

Takeaways

  • The core insight is that the massive capital spending on AI infrastructure is a durable, multi-year trend.
  • Direct Plays: Investing in the "Magnificent Seven" and other key players like NVIDIA (NVDA), Broadcom (AVGO), TSMC (TSM), and AMD is the primary way to get exposure.
  • Picks and Shovels: A more speculative strategy discussed is investing in smaller companies related to the build-out. This includes:
    • Bitcoin miners transitioning to data centers: IREN, BitFarms (BITF), Clean Spark (CLSK), Hut 8 (HUT).
    • Energy and infrastructure companies: Fluence Energy (FLNC), Soluna Holdings (SLNH), Oklo (OKLO), NuScale Power (SMR). The host notes that many of these are very small, high-risk companies.
  • Investors should decide if they want to bet on the established giants or speculate on the smaller, higher-risk companies that support the ecosystem. The risk of a short-term pullback or "froth" is present, but the long-term conviction from the hosts is very high.

Intel (INTC)

  • Major News: A headline broke that Intel has asked Apple (AAPL) to make a strategic investment in the company.
  • Market Reaction: Intel's stock surged on the news, up about 7-8% and trading near its 52-week high around $31.36.
  • Analysis: The hosts believe Apple will agree to the investment, not for strategic or technological reasons, but for political ones. The logic presented is that with "Donnie T" being a shareholder in Intel, Apple would invest to "keep things good" with a potential future administration and show support for an American company building factories in the US.

Takeaways

  • This is a catalyst-driven trade based on a rumor. The significant price jump has already occurred.
  • The potential investment by Apple is viewed as a political move rather than a fundamental one. This could provide a short-term boost and positive sentiment for Intel, but investors should question the long-term strategic benefit for either company.
  • This news makes Intel a stock to watch closely for confirmation or denial of the investment, which would cause significant price movement.

Opendoor (OPEN)

  • The stock was up 15% during the day and another 7% after hours.
  • Catalyst 1: Strong new home sales data for August, which came in at 800,000, crushing expectations of 650,000. This is seen as a positive for the real estate market and, by extension, for Opendoor.
  • Catalyst 2: An after-hours headline revealed that institutional investor Jane Street has taken a 5.9% stake in the company, buying 44 million shares. This is seen as a strong institutional buy-in.

Takeaways

  • Opendoor is benefiting from both positive macroeconomic data in its sector (housing) and a significant vote of confidence from a major institutional investor.
  • The stock is showing strong momentum. For investors interested in the real estate tech space, these catalysts could signal a positive turn for the company's outlook.

Amazon (AMZN)

  • The host announced they are now long Amazon, having bought shares at $222. The stock was trading around $220 at the time of the podcast.
  • The host considers the $200 to $220 range an "opportunistic" area to look at the stock more deeply, drawing a parallel to how Google traded flat for months before a big move up.
  • Strategy: The host is taking an "invest and investigate" approach, starting with a small position (100 shares) with the potential to build it up. They are not yet "loading the boat" as they don't believe $220 is the absolute bottom, suggesting it could fall to $210 or the low $200s in a market pullback.

Takeaways

  • For investors who have been watching Amazon, the current price level is seen as an attractive entry point for starting a position, even if it's not the absolute bottom.
  • The strategy discussed is to start a small position and average down if the price drops further, especially during a potential October market correction.
  • The long-term thesis is that, like other big tech names, it has the potential for a significant move after a period of trading flat.

PayPal (PYPL)

  • The stock was up slightly on the day.
  • It's discussed as a classic value trap: a company that looks cheap based on valuation metrics but whose stock price fails to appreciate.
  • Bear Case: The market has ignored all of PayPal's positive actions (revenue growth, free cash flow, massive share buybacks). It faces serious competition, and the hosts are skeptical it can accelerate growth enough to get investors excited again. Steve states he would not buy it.
  • Bull Case / Catalyst: The main discussion revolves around PayPal being an attractive acquisition target. The hosts brainstorm potential buyers, concluding that American Express (AXP) would be a perfect fit. An acquisition would provide a significant, immediate return for current shareholders.

Takeaways

  • Investing in PayPal at these levels is a bet on value realization, which has not worked for the past two years. Don't expect a growth story.
  • The most likely catalyst for a major price increase appears to be a buyout. The discussion suggests American Express is a logical acquirer, which could offer a premium over the current $65 billion market cap.
  • This is a stock for patient, value-oriented investors who are comfortable with the risk of the stock continuing to trade sideways, or for those speculating on an acquisition.

Tesla (TSLA)

  • The stock was a notable green name on a red day, up over 4% to $442.90.
  • The host saw no fundamental news to explain the move.
  • A significant options market transaction was highlighted: approximately $15 million worth of call options were purchased with strike prices of $500 to $550 for November 2025.

Takeaways

  • The strong price action combined with the large, bullish call option purchase suggests that some large investors are betting on significant upside for Tesla over the next year.
  • A move to $500 would represent a new all-time high. This activity could be a signal of positive sentiment building ahead of Q3 earnings.

SoFi (SOFI)

  • The stock was down over 2% on the day, trading around $28.47.
  • The host noted it "can't get its way back up to that $30 range."
  • Steve, who sells covered calls on the stock, is hoping the price stays just under $30 ($29.99) for the next two days so his shares don't get called away.

Takeaways

  • SoFi appears to be facing resistance at the $30 level.
  • The discussion about covered calls highlights a strategy some investors use to generate income but also reveals the risk of having to sell your shares if the price rises above your strike price. The hosts' "addiction to the thrill of the pain" suggests this is a common dilemma for options sellers.

Robinhood (HOOD)

  • The stock was holding green on a mixed day, ending around $126.85 after touching $130.
  • CEO Vlad Tenev tweeted about the company's vision to become a "financial super app," encompassing traditional assets, crypto, prediction markets, and more on a single interface.
  • Steve mentioned he will become a customer of the prediction markets but is "standing his ground" and will not buy the stock.

Takeaways

  • The company is actively promoting its long-term vision of becoming an all-in-one financial platform, which is the core of the bullish thesis.
  • The stock has shown strong momentum recently, and dip-buyers stepped in when it pulled back from $130 to $125, indicating resilient demand.

Alibaba (BABA)

  • The stock had an "absolutely incredible" day, up 8%.
  • This was driven by a series of positive announcements:
    • Increased capital expenditure (CapEx) investment.
    • A new collaboration with NVIDIA.
    • A new release of their large language model (LLM).
  • Analysts are describing Alibaba as a "serious global competitor" that can go "head to head with Google" in AI, data centers, and cloud services.

Takeaways

  • Alibaba is making aggressive moves in AI that are being well-received by the market.
  • For investors looking for international exposure to the AI theme, Alibaba is positioning itself as a key player and is gaining positive momentum.
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Video Description
twitter: https://x.com/amitisinvesting 00:00 - Intro 15:00 - Market Close 24:50 - Headlines 1:05:00 - Steve Joins
About Amit Kukreja
Amit Kukreja

Amit Kukreja

By @amitinvesting

Breaking down stocks, business, tech. Thank you for following along the journey!