Musk vs. Apple, Trade War Reloaded & Intel’s Trump Problem

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Dear Money Master,

This week continues with tension and opportunity. China’s industrial profits are stabilizing after months of steep losses, while Trump’s sudden end to the century-old “de minimis” trade rule has European shippers halting deliveries to the U.S. 

Intel is sounding alarms over the risks of Washington owning 10% of its stock, and Major League Baseball is finalizing a game-changing streaming deal with ESPN, NBC, and Netflix. ⚾

Meanwhile, Musk’s xAI is taking Apple and OpenAI to court in a high-stakes antitrust showdown, Nvidia is betting big on robotics with its new “robot brain” chip, and YouTube TV risks losing Fox channels over a contract standoff.

On the earnings front, Okta and Box impressed Wall Street, while BJ’s faced fuel-price pressures despite record memberships.🌍💼

📰 Your Daily Financial Digest - August 27th, 2025

🌍 Economics and Finance:

1. China’s Industrial Profits Narrow Decline 📉
   Profits slipped 1.5% YoY in July, a sharp recovery from June’s 4.3% drop as Beijing’s clampdown on price wars stabilized margins. Mining firms, however, remained a drag. Read More

2. Europe Halts Shipments Amid U.S. Trade Shift 🚢
   Postal carriers across nine European nations are suspending shipments to the U.S. after Trump ended the “de minimis” exemption, which let sub-$800 parcels bypass tariffs. Read More

3. Intel Warns of Trump Stake Fallout ⚠️
   Intel flagged risks tied to Washington’s 10% ownership, saying overseas clients may reconsider ties as 76% of its sales come from abroad. Read More

4. MLB Nears Streaming Mega-Deal ⚾
   Baseball is close to striking a three-year deal with ESPN, NBC, and Netflix for live game rights, reshaping its digital strategy post-ESPN exit. Read More

💻 Technology:

1. YouTube TV at Risk of Losing Fox Channels 📺
   Google’s streaming service may lose Fox News, Sports, and broadcast channels if no deal is reached by today, potentially disrupting millions of subscribers. Read More

2. Musk’s xAI Sues Apple & OpenAI ⚖️
   The lawsuit alleges collusion to block rivals, accusing Apple of downranking Grok in its App Store while integrating ChatGPT into iPhones. Read More

3. Nvidia Launches $3,499 ‘Robot Brain’ Chip 🤖
   The Jetson AGX Thor developer kit enables advanced robotics prototyping, with production-ready modules priced lower for bulk buyers. Read More

💹Earnings:

1. BJ’s Earnings Beat but Fuel Sales Drag 🚗
   BJ’s posted EPS of $1.14 vs. $1.09 expected, but comparable club sales slipped 0.3% due to falling fuel prices. Memberships hit a record 8 million, boosting fee income 9%. Read More

2. Okta Tops Estimates with 13% Growth 🔐
   Okta reported adjusted EPS of $0.91 and $728M revenue, beating forecasts. Net income more than doubled YoY as demand for identity security strengthened despite macro uncertainty. Read More

3. Box Revenue Rises 9% But EPS Slips 📦
   Box delivered $294M in revenue and record $239M non-GAAP gross profit. However, EPS fell to $0.33 from $0.44 as deferred tax expenses weighed on results. Read More

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To your financial empowerment, The Money Masters Team

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