1. Interesting Stat on Chat GPT
2. .$3B in Forced Sales (Margin) Crypto First 7 Days in August
3. Consumers Not Slowing at Walmart
Morningbrew One of the main beneficiaries of US consumer spending was Walmart, which said sales increased by 4.2% last quarter, operating income jumped by 8.5%, and digital sales rocketed up 22%. The retailer also raised its outlook for the rest of the year as shoppers power through their weariness about inflation
4. Year to Date-Walmart Doubles the Return of Amazon
5. Equal Weight Sector Index…Utilities Outperform Next Closest Sector by 5%
Nasdaq Dorsey Wright
Utilities is far and away the best performing equal weight sector through the start of the year. Up almost 16% year-to-date (through 8/14), the Invesco S&P Equal Weight Utilities ETF (RSPU) has outperformed the next highest equal weight sector by over 5%, as seen in the graph below. Equal weighted ETFs can be a measure of how well the average stock is performing, which means the average utility stock has done better than the average stock of any other sector so far this year. In fact, utilities is the only equal weighted sector to outperform the S&P 500 (SPX) YTD
https://www.nasdaq.com/solutions/nasdaq-dorsey-wright-research-platform-login
6. Dip Buyers Stick with Mega Cap Stocks.
Equities: Just give me the largest 50 stocks and forget the rest …
Source: The Daily ShotSource: @markets Read full article
7. Travel and Leisure Stock Post Covid
8. China Home Sales Slump to 9-Year Low
Also, While Chinese industrial and retail reports for July were mostly a mixed bag, the elephant in the room remains the ailing housing sector and Thursday’s data showed China’s new home prices fell at the fastest pace in nine years in July.
9. In U.S….Ultra-Luxury Sales Hitting Record
A $115 million purchase of a duplex high above New York’s Central Park in June ended a nearly two-year drought for the city’s ultra-luxury real estate market.
The closing was ultimately a turning point. Less than a month later, a nearby five-story penthouse went for $135 million.
With more than four months of the year still to go, home sales of $100 million or more are on pace to set a new record in the city. Billionaires globally have seen their wealth boom, generating momentum for major home purchases. The pace of sales is spurring optimism among agents tasked with finding buyers for other top listings around the US.
Nationwide, there have been six deals at $100 million or above this year through the end of July, just three shy of a record set in 2021. Those have stretched from Southern California, where an oceanfront estate notched a record for the state at $210 million, to Aspen, Colorado — where a transaction this year crossed the nine-figure threshold for the first time.
10. Robot’ Dogs of War Deployed in Ukraine
The robotic K-9s, which resemble the commercially developed Unitree Go2 quadruped, have been used to collect data, transport cargo, and perform surveillance.
by Peter Suciu
“Cry ‘Havoc!’ And let slip the dogs of war” probably wasn’t actually uttered by Roman General Mark Antony. It was simply an invention of William Shakespeare for the play “Julius Caesar.” The line wasn’t even about actual canines. But the passage serves to remind us that man’s best friend has also marched to war for eons. Dogs have tracked enemies, guarded prisoners, and protected soldiers since antiquity. Though these loyal companions are all too willing to put their lives on the line—and in fairness really can’t understand the risks they face—there are now efforts to develop a more disposable version of canine warriors.
Enter the Robot Dogs of War
In June 2022, the U.S. Army announced it would provide Kyiv with a pair of robotic dogs that could aid in clearing minefields and in the disposal of other ordnance. The robotic canines were seen as being just as effective as living, breathing dogs at sniffing out landmines, and they would not be distracted.
Most importantly, the innovation meant that real dogs wouldn’t have to risk life and paw in the process.
Two years later, Ukrainian soldiers from the 28th Separate Mechanized Brigade are taking to Telegram to share results from field testing of a robotic dog in combat conditions. While robotic dogs have already been used as guards to patrol the perimeter of a military base, the Ukrainian robotic dogs have been employed as scouts near villages on the frontlines around Toretsk, near the destroyed city of Bakhmut.
The robotic K-9s, which resemble the commercially developed Unitree Go2 quadruped, have been used to collect data, transport cargo, and perform surveillance. “The robotic dog in use possesses advanced technological features that make it especially suitable for such tasks. It has high mobility due to its four-legged design, allowing it to overcome various obstacles and operate on uneven surfaces,” United 24Media reported. “Its balance system ensures stability, while advanced sensors and cameras enable it to accurately perceive its surroundings and avoid obstacles.”
https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/robot-dogs-war-deployed-ukraine-212299