Friday, August 21, 2026

The Morning Call---Are hyperscalers toast?

 

The Morning Call

 

8/21/26

 

The Market

         

    Technical

 

            Thursday in the charts.

https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/stocks-tumble-yields-oil-jump-gold-bitcoin-surge-after-bessent-intervention-fails?gift=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJuaWQiOiIxMTIyMjkzIiwic2VuZGVyVWlkIjoiUUhnc3BaZVVFS2E3RHhXM216eFlKbjhaWEFoMiIsImlhdCI6MTc4NzI1NjgwNiwiZXhwIjoxNzg5ODQ4ODA2LCJhdWQiOiJ6aC1naWZ0In0.VS1HDLaluFvGLOyBWtRWZIpzOrAjcExneAD1UsBFuAA

 

            Thursday in the technical stats.

            https://www.barchart.com/stocks/momentum

            https://www.barchart.com/stocks/market-performance

            https://www.barchart.com/stocks/sectors/rankings

            https://www.barchart.com/stocks/signals/new-recommendations

 

Friday morning setup: US futures rebound from Thursday's slump, and trade at session highs on.  As of 8:15am ET, S&P 500 futures were 0.4% higher with Nasdaq 100 contracts up 0.6%, while Bitcoin headed for its best week in more than three years, rising just shy of $80,000 before reversing. S&P 500 futures jerked higher and yields extended declines as oil edged lower shortly after 7am ET on this headline: *IRAN’S PRESIDENT SAYS BETTER TO END WAR TODAY WITH DIGNITY:ISNA, and while the market erroneously viewed this as a sign of de-escalation, he has made many similar comments in the past. Among Iranian officials, Pezeshkian has long been one of the most vocal proponents of ending the war with the US through diplomacy. In any case, tech is again making headlines, with Broadcom in talks with lenders to raise as much as $100 billion in an off balance sheet SPV financing deal that would benefit Anthropic and other companies. Pre-market, Mag 7 are all higher led by META (+0.9%) and TSLA (+1.1%). Today is the monthly option expiration day so expect low volume volatility around key pin levels. TSY yields are down 1-2bps across the curve although the 10Y remains just around 4.70%. The slide in the greenback is continuing, with the Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index down 0.3% and at a three-month low. Commodities are mixed: base metals ad ags are all lower, while gold is 1.6% higher this morning; oil is unchanged. Overall, the overnight news flow was mostly quite as investors are waiting for today’s Global PMI release. Today's US economic data calendar includes Bloomberg US economic survey for August, and S&P Global US manufacturing, services and composite PMIs. No Fed speakers are scheduled for the session

 

 

    Fundamental

 

       Headlines

 

              The Economy

 

                        US

 

 

                        International

 

                          The July Japanese CPI rose 0.4% versus forecasts of +0.1%.

 

July UK retail sales fell 0.5%, in line; ex fuel, they declined 0.9% versus -0.5%.

                       

 The August flash Japanese manufacturing PMI came in at 55.1, in line; the flash services PMI was 52.3 versus 51.5; the flash composite PMI was 53.4 versus 52.8; the August flash German manufacturing PMI was 54.1 versus 52.0; the flash services PMI was 48.5 versus 50.1; the flash composite PMI was 51.0 versus 51.3; the August flash EU manufacturing PMI was 52.8 versus 51.8; the flash services PMI was 51.7 versus 51.5; the flash composite PMI was 52.0 versus 51.7; the August flash UK manufacturing PMI was 51.5, in line; the flash services PMI was 52.8 versus 51.8; the flash composite PMI was 52.5 versus 51.6;

 

                        Other

 

                          Real wages aren’t keeping up with inflation.

                          https://www.businessinsider.com/wage-growth-below-inflation-affecting-american-consumer-sentiment-2026-8

 

                          But employment remains strong.

                          https://bonddad.blogspot.com/2026/08/some-day-positive-trend-in-unemployment.html

 

            Iran

 

              Overnight news.

                          https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/china-firmly-rejects-us-demand-back-its-most-crushing-economic-operation-against-iran

 

            Fiscal Policy

 

              US debt hits $40 trillion.

              https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/doom-loop-engaged-us-debt-hits-40-trillion-america-enters-endgame

 

              Bessent’s band-aid fix.

              https://www.capitalspectator.com/us-treasury-tries-to-slow-surging-yields-with-a-band%e2%80%91aid-fix/

 

              JP Morgan agrees.

  https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/jpmorgan-slams-bessents-treasury-intervention-market-will-view-treasury-lacking-credibility?gift=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJuaWQiOiIxMTIyMjQ2Iiwic2VuZGVyVWlkIjoiUUhnc3BaZVVFS2E3RHhXM216eFlKbjhaWEFoMiIsImlhdCI6MTc4NzI0ODQ2OSwiZXhwIjoxNzg5ODQwNDY5LCJhdWQiOiJ6aC1naWZ0In0.vR4pnv09lDhRp-7RafjT7MEsjgnuPqjk8kf3K6NNqDg

 

                           So does Goldman.

  https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/bessents-twist-dead-end-band-aid-fiscal-folly-not-technical-glitch-driving-long-end-yields?gift=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJuaWQiOiIxMTIyMjA5Iiwic2VuZGVyVWlkIjoiUUhnc3BaZVVFS2E3RHhXM216eFlKbjhaWEFoMiIsImlhdCI6MTc4NzI1MDc5OSwiZXhwIjoxNzg5ODQyNzk5LCJhdWQiOiJ6aC1naWZ0In0.yTzhUcYEHDKsnfCE1IA7ep5DqByo9H9jl3T_kTSoeX4

 

           

              Losing the long end is a nonstarter.

  https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/treasurys-clumsy-buyback-just-band-aid-bullet-hole-nomura-says-losing-long-end-now-non?gift=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJuaWQiOiIxMTIyMjUwIiwic2VuZGVyVWlkIjoiUUhnc3BaZVVFS2E3RHhXM216eFlKbjhaWEFoMiIsImlhdCI6MTc4NzI0OTIxMSwiZXhwIjoxNzg5ODQxMjExLCJhdWQiOiJ6aC1naWZ0In0.z1f2fHT7ZaClg1pkWXUOx1lNcdkkNDwZ56Ecfh_kpOY

 

            Inflation

 

              The impact of Super El Nino.

              https://www.zerohedge.com/commodities/anchovies-and-blueberries-why-el-nino-matters

 

            AI

 

              Are the hyperscalers toast?

              https://klementoninvesting.substack.com/p/if-this-is-true-the-hyperscalers

 

              Counterpoint.

  https://www.zerohedge.com/ai/ais-great-expectations-token-prices-crash-40-enterprise-spend-explodes-50-jevons-paradox-just?gift=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJuaWQiOiIxMTIyMjE0Iiwic2VuZGVyVWlkIjoiUUhnc3BaZVVFS2E3RHhXM216eFlKbjhaWEFoMiIsImlhdCI6MTc4NzI1MDA0NCwiZXhwIjoxNzg5ODQyMDQ0LCJhdWQiOiJ6aC1naWZ0In0.4vSNFjm3lR8pq28h4__MRbgJlqOX0u_QqNkH-WhvFLg

 

              The AI buildout needs a lot of money.

              The AI Buildout Needs a Lot of Money— Enter Debt (and Financial Engineering) - Wealth Management - Carson Group

 

              Just ask Broadcom.

              https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/broadcom-cds-explodes-it-seeks-100-billion-massive-balance-sheet-debt-deal

 

            Tariffs

 

              Trump, Canada, Mexico and tariffs.

              https://www.wsj.com/opinion/donald-trump-usmca-trade-agreement-mexico-canada-69d2b4d3?st=Rb6GYT&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink

 

     Investing

 

            Few bears left.

https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/bofa-poll-sees-few-bears-left-investors-pile-stocks?gift=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJuaWQiOiIxMTIyMjQ1Iiwic2VuZGVyVWlkIjoiUUhnc3BaZVVFS2E3RHhXM216eFlKbjhaWEFoMiIsImlhdCI6MTc4NzI1NDc1NCwiZXhwIjoxNzg5ODQ2NzU0LCJhdWQiOiJ6aC1naWZ0In0.wVQ7hbRuDN4swXkKbUV_gHTbay6-EV1LaQbG5_l-QYg

 

 

            The maturation of the high yield junk bond market.

            https://mailchi.mp/verdadcap/the-maturation-of-high-yield?e=c416b31325

 

    News (not Buy recommendations) on Stocks in Our Portfolios

 

            Merck

            https://talkmarkets.com/article/moderna-is-paring-back-gains-but-merck-stock-remains-a-buy-1787241350

           

            Microsoft

            https://talkmarkets.com/article/microsoft-qcells-partner-to-pair-ai-infrastructure-with-new-energy-capacity-1787238503

 

What I am reading today

 

            The changing world order.

            https://archive.is/V4l8d

 

 

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