^{_{Welcome to the TraderTV Live Morning Research Note. Here's what's making major moves in the market today.}}

Tesla Inc (TSLA)

+1.58%

On watch after CEO Elon Musk confirmed that the company signed a $16.5 billion chip manufacturing deal with Samsung Electronics to produce its next-generation AI6 chips at Samsung’s new Texas facility. The deal, which was announced via a regulatory filing from Samsung, has been called “strategically important” by Musk. The long-term agreement wil run through 2033 and marks a major boost for Samsung’s foundry business as it competes with TSMC, which will manufacture Tesla’s AI5 chips in Taiwan and Arizona.

Big Tech and Liquefied Natural Gas Plays

+0.25%

On watch as a group after US President Donald Trump announced a trade deal with the European Union just before the August 1 tariff deadline. Under the agreement, the US will impose a 15% tariff on most European goods. In return, the EU agreed to purchase $750 billion in U.S. energy, invest an additional $600 billion in the US, and buy significant amounts of American military equipment; the energy aspect of the agreement has led to a gap up for LNG plays. Representatives from the US and China are set to meet on Monday to discuss trade between the countries. Separately, a federal appeals court will hear arguments next week in a major lawsuit challenging President Trump’s authority to impose tariffs unilaterally under the guise of a national emergency.

AMZN, MSFT, GOOGL, PLTR, NEXT, VG, LNG

Meta Platforms Inc (META)

+0.37%

The company has appointed Shengjia Zhao—co-creator of ChatGPT, GPT-4, and other OpenAI models—as chief scientist of its newly formed Superintelligence Lab. CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced Zhao will lead the lab’s scientific direction alongside Meta’s Chief AI Officer Alexandr Wang, as the company ramps up its ambitions in advanced AI research. Meta is scheduled to report earnings after the bell on Wednesday, July 30, alongside Microsoft.

NVIDIA Corp and Advanced Micro Devices

+1.11%

AMD is trading higher premarket after South Korean news agency Newsis reported that the company has increased the price of its MI350 AI chip to $25,000, reflecting stronger competitiveness against Nvidia’s Blackwell B200. Following the report, HSBC now projects AMD’s AI chip sales to reach $15.1 billion in 2025, up sharply from its prior estimate of $9.6 billion. Separately, Jefferies reported that Nvidia’s H20 AI chip supply, estimated at 600K–900K units, is unable to meet China’s soaring demand of up to 1.8M units amid a brief easing of U.S. export restrictions.

Nike Inc (NKE)

+4.04%

Gapping up after JPMorgan upgraded the stock to Overweight from Neutral and raised its price target to $93. The analyst attributed the upgrade to a multi-year recovery path for Nike, projecting high-teens to 20% EPS growth through FY30. JPMorgan also cited factors like improving inventory alignment, strengthening wholesale orders, and significant operating margin recovery as positive factors for Nike going forward.

Apple Inc (AAPL)

+0.21%

On watch ahead of its postmarket earnings report on Thursday, July 31. Bank of America warns of a tough Q3 setup for Apple due to tariffs, regulatory risks, and lagging AI developments, though it maintains a Buy rating and $235 price target. Despite $900M in tariff-related costs pressuring gross margins, BofA expects Q3 revenue of $90.2B and EPS of $1.45, slightly above consensus estimates. The analyst also noted the possibility of future margin improvement from high-end product launches like a slimmer iPhone this fall.

Semiconductors

+0.44%

On watch as a group after Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick announced that the US will reveal the results of its semiconductor import probe within two weeks, as the national security review under Section 232 nears completion. The outcome could lead to major tariffs on foreign chipmakers unless they boost U.S. production, with international companies already planning domestic investments to avoid potential penalties.

TSM, INTC, SMCI, MU, MRVL, AVGO, ARM, CRWV

PagerDuty Inc (PD)

+5.92%

TD Cowen upgraded the stock from Hold to Buy and raised its price target from $17 to $22, citing a high likelihood of acquisition after Reuters reported that PagerDuty is working with Qatalyst Partners towards a potential sale. The analyst highlighted the stock's attractive valuation at 2.5x EV/CY26E Sales with a fair value range of $19–$24.50, making the risk/reward compelling.

Alibaba Group Holding Ltd (BABA)

+1.47%

The company unveiled its first smart glasses, the Quark AI Glasses, on Monday. Powered by Alibaba’s Qwen large language model and Quark AI assistant, these glasses mark the company’s first entry into the wearable tech space. The glasses are set to launch in China by the end of the year and will offer features like real-time translation, meeting transcription, navigation, Alipay integration, and price comparisons on Taobao. This offering positions Alibaba to compete with Meta, Snap, and Xiaomi in the emerging AR wearables market.

Quantum Stocks

+1.98%

Trading higher as a group after CNBC reported that IonQ has hired Marco Pistoia, former head of applied research at JPMorgan Chase, as senior vice president of industry relations to help corporate clients adopt its quantum computing technologies. The company The move comes as the race to commercialize quantum computing intensifies, with both major tech firms and smaller players seeking breakthroughs in hardware, algorithms, and cybersecurity.

IONQ, QUBT, QBTS, RGTI

WeRide Inc (WRD)

+6.77%

Gapping up after becoming the first company to secure a nationwide Robotaxi autonomous driving permit in Saudi Arabia, marking its expansion into a sixth country and launching a pilot program in Riyadh with Uber. The company plans a full commercial rollout by the end of 2025 and is also introducing Robobus and Robosweeper services as part of a broader autonomous mobility initiative in the region.

Upexi Inc (UPXI)

+7.86%

Trading sharply higher premarket after announcing a $500 million equity line agreement with A.G.P. related to Upexi’s Solana treasury strategy. The stock, which has rallied in the past, has a market capitalization of approximately $328.67 million and a float of 42.53 million shares.

Mill City Ventures III Ltd (MCVT)

+93.22%

Continuing to trade with increased volatility following a 218% increase on Friday. The stock halted throughout Friday’s trading session and rallied without any apparent news catalyst.