Weekly Market Recap | Aug 18 – Aug 24

Analyst Highlights

• Markets Weekly: S&P 500 +0.34%, Russell 2000 +3.86%, Dow +1.89%, NASDAQ +1.88%. Volatility ticked up, with VIX +5.5% to 16.45.
• Crypto divergence: Ethereum hit a record $4,867, outperforming Bitcoin as ETF inflows accelerated. Solana +7.7% also signaled altcoin momentum despite XRP weakness (−2%).
• Commodities: Gold $3,374 (+1.2%), Silver $39 (+2.8%), Brent $67.7 (+2.7%) — inflation hedges firmed as Powell’s dovish tilt boosted hard assets.
• Japan’s $7.6T bond market volatility resurfaced, with weak auctions fueling debt-sustainability concerns.
• Geopolitics: Russian strikes on U.S. assets in Ukraine, EU–US trade détente, India–US tariff standoff, and South Africa SWIFT risk highlighted shifting trade & security alignments.
• Tech & AI: Regulatory, political, and corporate fronts converged — from Silicon Valley’s $100M pro-AI PAC to GM’s AI hires and Hyundai’s robot-heavy EV plant.

IPO’s in the week

• NusaTrip Inc. (NUTR, Nasdaq Capital) – Jakarta-based online travel agency raised $15M on Aug 15, 2025, pricing 3.75M shares at $4.00 each. Backed by Society Pass (Nasdaq: SOPA), NusaTrip aims to become Southeast Asia’s premier travel hub through acquisitions, with over 1.3M users, 500 airlines, and 650K hotels integrated on its platform.
• Propanc Biopharma, Inc. (PPCB, Nasdaq Capital) – Australian cancer drug developer raised $4M on Aug 15, 2025, pricing 1M shares at $4.00 each. The company is advancing its lead therapy PRP, a pro-enzyme formulation targeting pancreatic, ovarian, and colorectal cancers.
• Yimutian Inc. (YMT, Nasdaq Global) – Beijing-based agricultural B2B e-commerce platform raised $20.5M on Aug 19, 2025, selling 5.01M shares at $4.10 each. The company operates China’s largest digital agri-commerce marketplace with 39M merchants and expanding smart farming and trading businesses.
• Cantor Equity Partners IV (CEPF, Nasdaq Global) – SPAC sponsored by Cantor Fitzgerald raised $450M on Aug 21, 2025, offering 45M shares at $10.00 each. The blank-check company, led by CEO Brandon Lutnick, will target acquisitions in financial services, digital assets, healthcare, real estate, technology, and software.
• Elite Express Holding Inc. (ETS, Nasdaq Capital) – California-based last-mile delivery company raised $15.2M on Aug 21, 2025, selling 3.8M shares at $4.00 each. Operating through subsidiary JAR Transportation, ETS runs a FedEx-exclusive delivery fleet completing up to 2,000 daily stops across California.

Markets Weekly

1. S&P 500 closed at 6,466.91 on Aug 22, gaining 21.89 points (+0.34%).
2. Russell 1000 (IWB) closed at 354.53 on Aug 22, gaining 5.55 points (+1.59%).
3. Russell 2000 closed at 2,361.95 on Aug 22, gaining 87.85 points (+3.86%).
4. Russell 3000 closed at 3,681.89 on Aug 22, gaining 61.55 points (+1.70%).
5. CBOE (VIX) closed at 16.45 on Aug 22, gaining 0.86 points (+5.52%).
6. Dow Jones closed at 45,631.74 on Aug 22, gaining 846.24 points (+1.89%).
7. NASDAQ closed at 21,496.54 on Aug 22, gaining 396.23 points (+1.88%).
8. Bitcoin closed at $113,458.43 on Aug 24, losing 3,995.48 points (-3.40%).
9. Ethereum closed at $4,779.65 on Aug 24, gaining 306.32 points (+6.85%).
10. Solana closed at $205.85 on Aug 24, gaining 14.69 points (+7.69%).
11. XRP closed at $3.0259 on Aug 24, losing 0.0631 points (−2.04%).
12. Gold closed at $3,374.40 on Aug 22, gaining 40.90 points (+1.23%).
13. Silver closed at $39.00 on Aug 22, gaining 1.05 points (+2.77%).
14. WTI Crude Oil closed at $63.66 on Aug 22, gaining 0.66 points (+1.05%).
15. Brent Crude Oil closed at $67.73 on Aug 22, gaining 1.78 points (+2.70%).

• Powell signaled a September rate cut, citing a “curious” softening labor market, but cautioned against aggressive easing amid tariff-driven inflation risks.
• Japan’s $7.6T bond market faces volatility as BOJ trims purchases and weak auctions stoke concerns over rising debt.
• The Dow hit a record as Powell signaled a September rate cut, fueling rallies in stocks, bonds, and crypto.
• Eric Trump will visit Tokyo on Sept. 1 for a Metaplanet meeting, extending the Trump family’s crypto push.
• Bitcoin’s volatility slump is driving traders to Ethereum, with Ether ETFs seeing big inflows as Bitcoin outflows grow.
• Ether hit a record $4,867, topping its 2021 peak, after Powell’s dovish signals boosted demand.
• Cheng family’s CTF Services halted a $2B toll road sale in China, citing steady cash flows, though a deal may return later.
• European gas fell near €33/MWh as traders eyed supply signals and Ukraine talks, with Norway flows partly restricted.
• Stocks slipped as rate-cut optimism eased and tariff worries grew; Stoxx 600 fell 0.3% with focus on US data and Nvidia.
• Oil held near recent highs with Brent around $68 and WTI above $63, supported by supply concerns and Fed rate-cut signals.
• Powell’s dovish shift lifted Treasuries, with markets seeing an 80% chance of a September rate cut.

Politics Weekly

• Wall Street fears politicization of U.S. labor data after Trump’s BLS clash. Investors turn to private sources like ADP and ISM.
• Russia and Ukraine exchanged 146 prisoners each in a UAE-mediated swap. Moscow said its troops are now in Belarus for medical aid.
• EU’s Ursula von der Leyen called the U.S.–EU trade deal “strong, if not perfect,” saying it averts a trade war and ensures favorable tariffs for European goods.
• China and Pakistan held strategic talks, calling their friendship “significant” for regional stability and pledging deeper cooperation under CPEC’s second phase.
• Russian missiles hit a US-owned Flex Ltd factory in western Ukraine, injuring 19, as Zelenskiy urged stronger US support.
• Former ECB chief Mario Draghi said 2025 exposed the “illusion” of EU global power, citing US tariffs, defense pressure, and Europe’s marginal role in global conflicts.
• Maduro urged Venezuelans to join militias as US warships head to the Caribbean, denouncing Washington’s threats.
• US–India trade talks continue despite Trump’s tariff threats, with Indian ministers stressing a positive outlook to end the stalemate.
• Ukraine said its forces hit Russia’s Ust-Luga gas facility with long-range drones, sparking a fire at Novatek’s terminal.
• Venezuela freed eight political prisoners and shifted five to house arrest, with 815 still detained amid rising US pressure.
• South Africa’s treasury and banks discussed SWIFT cutoff risks as US lawmakers weigh sanctions over Pretoria’s ties to rivals.

Technology Advancements in the week

• Apple is in talks with Google to use Gemini AI for a revamped Siri, while also weighing Anthropic and OpenAI options.
• Meta partnered with Midjourney to license its AI image tech, with plans for collaboration to bring creative tools to Meta’s platforms.
• Thoma Bravo is close to acquiring call center software maker Verint Systems in a ~$2B deal, sending Verint shares up over 20%.
• GM hired top tech talent from Google, Meta, AWS, and Pixar to drive new AI projects, including factory ‘cobots’.
• BofA’s new tech chief is directing $4B of its $13B budget into AI for personalized customer insights and employee tools.
• Tech firms are rolling out selfies, ID scans, and AI tools to meet new age-verification laws, but glitches and kids’ workarounds highlight the limits of enforcement.
• Nvidia paused its China-only H20 chip after Beijing pushback and now seeks U.S. approval for a downgraded Blackwell chip amid the tech standoff.
• Silicon Valley launches $100M+ PAC “Leading the Future,” backed by a16z and OpenAI’s Greg Brockman, to push pro-AI policies and fight stricter regulations in key states.
• Hyundai’s new Georgia EV plant uses 750 robots but still relies on humans for precision and quality tasks.

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