Halftime Report The Road Ahead for Stocks 8/26/25
Aug 26, 2025
In this discussion, Josh Brown, a CNBC speaker renowned for his stock expertise, and Malcolm Etheridge, a market trend analyst on CNBC, dive into the future of the stock market and the Federal Reserve's influence. They analyze major moves in companies like Netflix, Uber, and AT&T. The potential AI ambitions of Apple and its impact on tech stocks are also explored. Additionally, they dissect trends in the restaurant industry and highlight Ulta Beauty ahead of earnings, with insights into the latest investments in cybersecurity.
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Episode notes
Apple Likely To Partner, Not Buy Big
- Apple is discussing buying AI firms like Perplexity or Mistral but likely prefers licensing models or partnerships.
- Steve Kovacs and Josh Brown say Apple will probably partner rather than make large acquisitions immediately.
Apple Card Partnership Offers Quicker Gains
- Malcolm Ethridge recounts skepticism about rapid benefits from an Apple-Perplexity deal versus a card partnership with JPMorgan.
- He argues a credit card partnership could add to Apple's earnings much faster than an AI acquisition.
Nvidia Earnings Will Set AI Tone
- Nvidia sits atop the AI hardware market and its earnings can calm or amplify market AI anxiety.
- Brian Belsky expects Nvidia's results and guidance to be a major calming event for AI sentiment.