Weekly Market Recap | Aug 11 – Aug 17

Analyst Highlights

• IPOs Raised $1.8B+: 11 listings led by Bullish ($1.1B), Miami International ($345M), and SPACs including Highview ($200M) and McKinley ($150M).
• Equities stronger: S&P 500 closed at 6,449.80 (+0.94%), Dow at 44,946.12 (+1.72%), Nasdaq at 21,622.98 (+0.76%), while Russell 2000 outperformed at +2.91%.
• Crypto diverged: Ethereum surged 6.35% to 4,524, Solana gained 3.99%, XRP rose 1.04%, while Bitcoin slipped -1.05% to 118,049.
• Commodities softened: Gold fell -1.42%, Silver -0.39%, WTI -1.07%, and Brent -0.57%—despite strong equity momentum.
• Jackson Hole pivotal: Bond traders eye Powell’s speech for signals on Fed easing; markets heavily price in a September cut.
• Tech & AI advances: Chips Act–Intel stake talks, Samsung’s HBM4 memory lead, Europe’s RISC-V push, U-blox’s $1B+ takeover talks, and OpenAI’s $500B valuation drove sector news.

IPO’s in the week

• Highview Merger Corp. (HVMCU, Nasdaq Global) – A Cayman Islands–incorporated SPAC targeting $750M–$1.5B+ private equity–backed companies in North America and Western Europe. IPO priced on Aug 12, 2025, at $10.00 per unit, raising $200M from 20M shares.
• Magnitude International Ltd (MAGH, Nasdaq Capital) – A Singapore-based electrical installation services provider for residential, commercial, and public sector projects. IPO priced on Aug 12, 2025, at $4.00 per share, raising $8.8M from 2.2M shares.
• McKinley Acquisition Corp (MKLYU, Nasdaq Global) – A Cayman Islands–incorporated SPAC targeting businesses valued at $500M–$2B in progressive industries such as fintech, transporttech, agtech, cleantech, spacetech, and AI. IPO priced on Aug 12, 2025, at $10.00 per unit, raising $150M from 15M shares.
• Bullish (BLSH, NYSE) – An institutional-grade global digital asset platform and owner of CoinDesk, offering trading, liquidity, data, and indices services. IPO priced on Aug 13, 2025, at $37.00 per share, raising $1.11B from 30M shares.
• Nasus Pharma Ltd (NSRX, NYSE American) – An Israeli clinical-stage biotech developing intranasal powder drugs for emergencies such as severe allergies and opioid overdose. IPO priced on Aug 13, 2025, at $8.00 per share, raising $10M from 1.25M shares.
• BUUU Group Ltd (BUUU, Nasdaq Capital) – A Hong Kong–based MICE solutions provider specializing in event management and stage production. IPO priced on Aug 14, 2025, at $4.00 per share, raising $6M from 1.5M shares.
• Miami International Holdings, Inc. (MIAX, NYSE) – A Delaware-based operator of regulated financial marketplaces including MIAX options, futures, and BSX. IPO priced on Aug 14, 2025, at $23.00 per share, raising $345M from 15M shares.
• rYojbaba Co., Ltd. (RYOJ, Nasdaq Capital) – A Japan-based provider of labor consulting services and osteopathic health clinics addressing work-related stress. IPO priced on Aug 14, 2025, at $4.00 per share, raising $5M from 1.25M shares.
• NusaTrip Inc (NUTR, Nasdaq Capital) – An Indonesian online travel agency (OTA) and acquisitions-focused travel platform aiming to be the premier hub in Southeast Asia. IPO filed to raise $21.6M from 3.75M shares at $4.00–$5.00 per share.
• Propanc Biopharma Inc. (PPCB, Nasdaq Capital) – An Australia-based biopharmaceutical firm developing novel cancer treatments. Uplisted from OTC Pink with a $4.00 per share offering, raising $4M from 1M shares. Nasdaq trading began on Aug 15, 2025.

Markets Weekly

1. S&P 500 closed at 6,449.80, up 60.13 points and 0.94% for the week.
2. Russell 1000 (IWB) closed at 353.25, up 3.40 points and 0.97% for the week.
3. Russell 2000 closed at 2,286.52, up 64.61 points and 2.91% for the week.
4. Russell 3000 closed at 3,663.70, up 38.01 points and 1.05% for the week.
5. CBOE closed at 15.09, up 0.66 points and 4.57% for the day.
6. Dow Jones closed at 44,946.12, up 761.76 points and 1.72% for the week.
7. NASDAQ closed at 21,622.98, up 163.33 points and 0.76% for the week.
8. Bitcoin closed at 118,048.73, down 1,258.08 points and 1.05% for the week.
9. Ethereum closed at 4,524.35, up 270.12 points and 6.35% for the week.
10. Solana closed at 193.15, up 7.41 points and 3.99% for the week.
11. XRP closed at 3.1108, up 0.0321 points and 1.04% for the week.
12. Gold closed at 3,336.00, down 47.90 points and 1.42% for the week.
13. Silver closed at 37.89, down 0.15 points and 0.39% for the week.
14. WTI Crude Oil closed at 62.80, down 0.68 points and 1.07% for the week.
15. Brent Crude Oil closed at 65.85, down 0.38 points and 0.57% for the week.

• Walmart, Target and other major retailers report next week, testing US consumer strength. Tariffs and inflation threaten spending that drives two-thirds of GDP.
• Private-market secondaries surge toward $17B in deals as investors chase “free money” discounts, sparking mania concerns.
• Central bankers meet in Jackson Hole with Powell set to outline policy signals. Markets watch for clues on September rate cuts amid tariff and growth concerns.
• Ether ETFs surge past $1B in trading volume, with iShares Ethereum Trust (ETHA) hitting $10B AUM in record time after a strong rally.
• Saylor’s Strategy Inc. plans perpetual preferred stock to fund Bitcoin buys, targeting $100B despite volatility risks.
• Gemini, led by the Winklevoss twins, has filed for a Nasdaq IPO under “GEMI” after reporting a $282M loss on $68M revenue, joining a wave of crypto firms going public.
• India-China thaw sparks hunt for stock winners, with fund managers eyeing pharma, electronics, and aviation gains.
• The EU is looking to Sweden’s equity culture as a model to boost household investing, planning savings accounts and reforms to channel trillions into markets.
• EU-US trade statement delayed over digital laws, as Washington seeks concessions on Big Tech rules while tariffs linger at 15%.
• China’s $11T stock market lags global peers, hurting consumer spending and forcing Xi to push reforms, while Trump’s tariffs add pressure.
• AI boom lifts EM outlook, with fund managers betting on China’s DeepSeek and chipmakers like TSMC, SK Hynix, and Samsung to drive long-term growth.
• Bond traders see Powell’s Jackson Hole speech as pivotal, with markets betting on a Fed rate cut in September and possibly more by year-end despite inflation risks.

Politics Weekly

• Trump and Putin held their longest Alaska summit, discussing Ukraine and possible future talks with Zelenskyy and European leaders.
• Europe weighs Ukraine security guarantees as Trump seeks quick deal, with Zelenskyy talks ahead.
• European leaders will join Zelenskyy’s meeting with Trump in Washington to back Ukraine as pressure mounts for a quick peace deal with Russia.
• Trump and Putin agreed the US could offer Ukraine security guarantees short of NATO membership, though details remain unclear.
• China will send Foreign Minister Wang Yi to India for talks on easing border tensions, trade, and flights as ties thaw amid US tariffs.
• India said defense ties with Washington remain on track despite Trump’s 50% tariffs, with joint military drills and a US delegation visit confirmed.
• Bolivians vote in presidential and congressional elections amid unrest, shortages and the worst inflation in three decades, threatening the ruling socialists’ grip on power.
• Mali’s junta says it foiled a coup, arresting senior officers and a French national amid deepening ties with Russia and rising repression.
• The US is weighing sanctions on Rosneft and Lukoil to pressure Putin into a Ukraine ceasefire, alongside possible tanker and tariff measures.
• Canada will keep several pre-Carney tax measures, including small business and capital gains changes, ahead of its October budget.
• Trump said Xi assured him China won’t act on Taiwan while he is president, framing his leadership as a deterrent.
• UK PM Keir Starmer joined Trump, Zelensky, and EU leaders on a call after Trump’s ceasefire talks with Putin ended without a Ukraine deal.
• UK steelmakers still face 25% US import tax despite Trump–Starmer’s zero-tariff pledge; industry warns of closures.
• Japan, EU & South Korea also waiting on auto tariff concessions; Japan says “the bleeding hasn’t stopped.”

Technology Advancements in the week

• AI in chip design accelerates, with Nvidia, Synopsys, and Cadence integrating generative AI to slash semiconductor design cycles and cut costs. 
• Quantum race intensifies, as IBM and Google expand quantum cloud services, targeting breakthroughs in error correction to make systems commercially viable.
• Samsung leads memory innovation, unveiling next-gen HBM4 chips to power AI data centers, positioning itself ahead of SK Hynix and Micron.
• Europe pushes digital sovereignty, with EU funding RISC-V and open-source chip projects to reduce reliance on U.S. and Asian tech giants.
• Meta’s AI app faces flaws months after debut, raising concerns about Zuckerberg’s ability to compete with OpenAI and rivals in consumer AI.
• Swiss chipmaker U-blox confirms takeover talks with Advent, with a potential deal valued above $1B after shares surged on Bloomberg report.
• Trump administration considering using Chips Act funds for Intel stake, aiming to bolster U.S. semiconductor capacity; Intel shares surged 11% on the news.
• OpenAI staffers to sell $6B in shares to SoftBank, Thrive, Dragoneer at a $500B valuation, making it the world’s most valuable startup.

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