Markets kicked off this week with a strong bias toward risk: Fed rate cuts are expected, inflation remains a watchword, and any softness in the data could become fuel for further upside. On the global stage, both the Russia/NATO conflict and US/China tension are back in the news cycle creating additional headline risk.

By afternoon The S&P 500 and Nasdaq climbed, with the Nasdaq hitting record highs again. Tesla popped after Elon Musk disclosed a ~$1B share purchase, giving a shot of confidence to tech. Alphabet also passed a $3 trillion market cap, reinforcing that mega-cap herd is doing a heavy lifting today. Meanwhile, some semis slipped on concerns: Nvidia is under renewed scrutiny by Chinese regulators for antitrust issues. Yields fell slightly (10-year in the ~4.04-4.05% zone) and gold edged higher… both classic “flight toward safety / priced-in cuts” signals. The USD weakened, oil and commodities rose modestly amid global geopolitical tensions and trade chatter.

Apple just secretly added Starlink satellite support to iPhones through iOS 18.3.

One of the biggest potential winners? Mode Mobile.

Mode’s EarnPhone already reaches 50M+ users that have earned over $325M, and that’s before global satellite coverage. With SpaceX eliminating "dead zones" worldwide, Mode's earning technology can now reach billions more in unbanked and rural populations worldwide.

Their global expansion is perfectly timed, and you still have a chance to invest in their pre-IPO offering before it closes. 

50,000 investors participated in Mode’s previously sold out offering and limited space remains in the current round.

With their recent 32,481% revenue growth and newly reserved Nasdaq ticker, Mode is one step closer to a potential IPO.

Join 50,000+ investors before Mode’s pre-IPO offering closes.

Disclosures

Mode Mobile recently received their ticker reservation with Nasdaq ($MODE), indicating an intent to IPO in the next 24 months. An intent to IPO is no guarantee that an actual IPO will occur.

The Deloitte rankings are based on submitted applications and public company database research, with winners selected based on their fiscal-year revenue growth percentage over a three-year period.

In making an investment decision, investors must rely on their own examination of the issuer and the terms of the offering, including the merits and risks involved. Mode Mobile has filed a Form C with the Securities and Exchange Commission in connection with its offering, a copy of which may be obtained here: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1748441/000164117225025402/ex99.pdf

Ben Carlson’s latest A Wealth of Common Sense piece reflects two striking market stories you might have missed: first, Oracle jumped as much as 40% in a day after wildly bullish cloud-revenue forecasts, vaulting it toward a $1T valuation, proof that the mega-cap tech train isn’t slowing anytime soon. The top-10 list is now nine tech giants + Buffett. Then, there’s the labor market surprise: the BLS’s massive jobs revision (−911,000 vs prior estimates), and for the first time since the pandemic, there are more unemployed than job openings… a hint that the red-hot labor engine is cooling.

What’s odd is how peripheral all this seems to the stock ticker: even as labor cools, S&P is setting new highs, powerful tech names are making noise, and most of the market is leaning into the belief that macro risks are “priced in.” Carlson’s contrarian beat? Maybe the market’s ignoring what should matter most: consumer strength, hiring, and inflation still lurking underneath the shine.

On this episode of The Investor’s Podcast, Clay Finck brings back Brian Feroldi for an essential masterclass in reading financial statements… not just to passively understand them, but to actually use them. You’ll learn the three core reports (income statement, balance sheet, cash flow), what GAAP vs non-GAAP accounting really means, and why stock-based compensation can mask actual profitability for many companies. 

Feroldi goes deeper: he shows how treating each dollar differently matters, how some revenue is high-quality (repeating, cash-converting) and some is noise, and why growth firms often deserve different valuation metrics. By the end, you’ll be able to spot red flags, judge management’s decisions, and feed better inputs into your valuation process—skills that turn headline watchers into investors who see what others miss.