Analysis

TradingKey - Moderna (MRNA) and Merck (MRK) announced on Wednesday that their jointly developed personalized mRNA cancer vaccine achieved positive results in a large-scale Phase 3 clinical trial. This marks the first time a personalized mRNA cancer vaccine has succeeded in a large Phase 3 clinical trial. While mRNA technology was previously best known for its application in COVID-19 vaccines, the latest results signify a major step forward toward commercialization in the field of cancer treatment. Driven by the news, Moderna's stock surged over 100% at one point in U.S. pre-market trading, while Merck's stock also traded higher.

TradingKey — On Wednesday (August 19) Eastern Time, futures on the three major U.S. stock indexes fluctuated in a narrow range in pre-market trading as market sentiment stabilized somewhat following a sell-off in AI and chip stocks in the previous session. Today, investors are focused on the minutes of the Federal Reserve's July meeting, earnings reports from U.S. retail giants, and the impact of the Middle East situation on oil prices and inflation expectations.

Walmart reports Q2 FY2027 earnings on August 20. Digital sales, advertising growth, consumer demand and guidance will determine whether WMT can justify its premium valuation.

Selling pressure triggered by SpaceX's second wave of lock-up expirations has stalled the stock's push toward $150, escalating the risk of a drop toward the $100 mark.

TradingKey - Walmart (WMT) is scheduled to report its second-quarter fiscal 2027 financial results before the market open on August 20 ET. The market currently expects Walmart's Q2 revenue to range between approximately $186.3 billion and $186.9 billion, representing a year-over-year increase of about 5% to 6%, with adjusted earnings per share (EPS) estimated at $0.73 to $0.74. Walmart's previously issued quarterly guidance projected net sales growth of 3.5% to 4.5% and adjusted EPS of $0.72 to $0.74.

TradingKey - On August 18, Eastern Time, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal, OpenAI's second-quarter revenue reached $6.7 billion, up 18% quarter-on-quarter. However, its operating loss expanded from $9.3 billion in the first quarter to $12.3 billion, with the growth rate of losses far outpacing revenue growth.

TradingKey - SK Hynix (SKHY) announced on August 19 that its board of directors has approved a share repurchase plan worth 40 trillion won (approximately $28.4–28.6 billion). The company plans to repurchase a total of 24.07 million common shares in the open market over the next three months, aiming to cancel the shares and enhance shareholder returns.

TradingKey - On August 19, Japanese and South Korean stock markets suffered a new round of sell-offs. South Korea's KOSPI index closed down 5.80% at 6,471.17 points, while Japan's Nikkei 225 Index fell 3.16% to 65,326.42 points, declining for a second consecutive day to hit its lowest closing level in nearly two weeks.

Micron shares plunged over 7%, triggering selling pressure, with technical analysis warning of a potential 20% downside risk.

TradingKey - On August 19, according to a Financial Times report citing two people familiar with the matter, Nvidia's (NVDA) H200 AI chips have been approved to enter the mainland Chinese market in small batches.

TradingKey - On August 19, Asia-Pacific time, a key turning point emerged in SK Hynix's (SKHY) 2026 wage negotiations, which had previously been deadlocked over a record bonus allocation formula. According to South Korean media reports, the labor union and management have reached a tentative agreement, bringing a temporary end to the weeks-long tug-of-war.

TradingKey - On August 17, the VIX dropped to an intraday low of approximately 14.18, hitting its lowest level since 2026. Compared to the 31.65 recorded on March 27, the index has fallen by more than 50% in less than five months.

TradingKey - During Asian trading hours on August 19, the Nikkei 225 Index fell for the second consecutive day, with early losses widening to as much as 3%. As of writing, the Nikkei 225 traded near 65,734 points, down 2.56%. The TOPIX Index also weakened, falling 2.76%.

TradingKey - NVDA Q1: Revenue $81.6B (+85% YoY), Data Center $75.25B (+92%), networking +199% to $14.8B. Q2 guide $91B ±2%. Vera Rubin in production (Foxconn Q4 ramp). NEW: Financing $500B AI fund, $105B OpenAI guarantee. Technical: $221 retest, $229 resistance. Aug 26 earnings in 9 days.

TradingKey - INTC Q2: Revenue $16.1B (+25% YoY), DCAI $6.3B (+59%), margin 41.8%, EPS $0.42. $20B capital raise. 14A process: Tesla Terafab validation. Long-term CPU contracts (3-5yr). Q3 guide $15.8-16.8B. Technical: $95.68 support, $103 resistance, descending trendline. Aug 26 Deutsche Bank cataly

TradingKey - Pressure from the bond market sent U.S. stocks down for a third consecutive session, with the Nasdaq plunging more than 1%.

TradingKey - On August 19, Japanese and South Korean stock markets weakened in tandem during early trading. The Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) fell over 6%, prompting the Korea Exchange to activate the sidecar mechanism and suspend program sell orders for the KOSPI. Meanwhile, Japan's Nikkei 225 Index extended its decline to 2.82%.

Weighed down by the U.S. 30-year Treasury yield hitting a 19-year high and rising oil prices, the three major U.S. stock indexes all came under pressure. Semiconductor stocks led the losses, with the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index falling by around 5% and memory chip stocks tumbling. At the close, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.22% to 53,343.40 points; the Nasdaq Composite Index fell 1.33% to 26,289.71 points; and the S&P 500 Index dropped 0.69% to 7,691.76 points.

Anthropic is reportedly planning to expand its revolving credit facility to over $10 billion to secure ample liquidity ahead of a potential initial public offering (IPO). Sources familiar with the matter said the company's original financing target was around $10 billion, but several banks are offering higher commitments to compete for prominent IPO underwriting roles, though the final facility size may still end up near or even below the initial target.

Nvidia (NVDA) recently announced a strategic partnership with SB Energy to provide a credit guarantee of up to $105 billion for the PORTS-Pike Technology Park in Ohio. The site will be developed into a hyperscale data center dedicated to Nvidia's AI computing infrastructure, with OpenAI serving as the sole tenant.