TheChek News Flow

(FNL) XTX Markets' top quants share GBP600m profit pool

(BZG) EchoStar To Sell 3.45 GHz And 600 MHz Spectrum Licenses To AT&T For $23B, Establishes Hybrid MNO Agreement With Boost Mobile To

>>> US Early premarket gappers

Early premarket gappers

Gapping up:
- SATS +55.4%, DOMO +7.9%, KNTK +4.8%, TLN +4.6%, IBKR +4.1%, LEU +3%, WOLF +3%, AMD +2.7%, ICFI +2.3%, BMO +2%, WU +1.8%, BF.A +1.4%, NA +1.4%, BHLB +1.2%, NVTS +1.1%, NVS +1.1%, T +1%, SMTC +1%, HEI +1%, BNS +1%, BA +0.7%, IBM +0.7%
Gapping down:
- EH -8.7%, BWLP -2.8%, BEKE -1.9%, ZIP -1.6%, BRKL -0.8%, RCKT -0.8%, BKE -0.7%

>>> BIT Mining launches DOLAI, a U.S. dollar-backed stablecoin

BIT Mining launches DOLAI, a U.S. dollar-backed stablecoin

Key Highlights of the Stablecoin Launch

Compliant, Institutional-Grade Stablecoin: DOLAI stablecoin is jointly introduced by Bit Mining and Brale in pursuant to existing U.S. regulatory requirements, ensuring 1:1 dollar collateralization with reserves held in cash and short-term U.S. Treasuries. The infrastructure incorporates robust AML/KYC and OFAC screening to facilitate compliance with current U.S. regulatory requirements.
Seamless Integration with AI Agents, Multi-chain Interoperability, and Banking:
AI-Agent Integration: DOLAI is not only a compliant, dollar-backed stablecoin, but also an AI-native payment currency, designed to integrate with emerging AI payment protocols (e.g., x402) that enable autonomous machine-to-machine transactions. This positions DOLAI to serve as a settlement layer for the agentic economy, where AI agents can in the future independently request services, verify value, and complete payments without human intervention.
Multi-chain Interoperability: DOLAI is natively available on Solana, with API connectivity enabling seamless swaps across multiple blockchains (Ethereum, Base, Canton, and more) and 20+ stablecoins (e.g., USDC, USDP).
Banking rails: Institutions can mint and redeem DOLAI directly via ACH or wire transfers, bridging traditional finance with crypto-native settlement.

TechCrunch : Tesla could have avoided that $242.5M Autopilot verdict, filings sh

Tesla could have avoided that $242.5M Autopilot verdict, filings show

Months before a jury awarded a $242.5 million verdict against Tesla over its culpability in a 2019 fatal crash, the automaker had a chance to settle for $60 million. Instead, Tesla rejected that offer, according to new legal filings that were first reported by Reuters.

The settlement proposal, which was made in May, was disclosed in a filing that requested Tesla cover legal fees for the plaintiffs in the case.

Earlier this month, a jury in federal court in Miami found Tesla partly to blame for a fatal 2019 crash that involved the use of the company’s Autopilot driver assistance system. One person was killed when a Tesla Model S with Autopilot engaged plowed through an intersection and hit a Chevrolet Tahoe. The crash victims, Neima Benavides Leon and her boyfriend Dillon Angulo, were standing outside the vehicle on the shoulder at the time. Leon was killed while Angulo was severely injured.

The driver, who was not a defendant in this case, was sued separately for his responsibility. The lawsuit filed in 2021 against Tesla centered on Autopilot, which was engaged but did not brake in time to avoid going through the intersection. The jury assigned the driver two-thirds of the blame and attributed one-third to Tesla. As part of the verdict, the jury awarded the $242.5 million verdict as part of its decision.

Tesla, in a statement provided to TechCrunch earlier this month, said it plans to appeal the verdict “given the substantial errors of law and irregularities at trial.”

TechCrunch has reached out to the plaintiffs’ attorneys as well as Tesla. An outside PR firm that previously provided statements on Tesla’s behalf declined to comment and directed TechCrunch to the company’s press address. Tesla disbanded its communications team several years ago.

The lawsuit, case 1:21-cv-21940-BB, was filed in 2021 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.

>>> Europe : Brokers Upgrades & Downgrades - 26th of August 2025 V2(+)

>>> Up

* Bouygues Raised to Overweight at JPMorgan; PT 49 euros
* Cemex ADRs Raised to Overweight at JPMorgan; PT $10.50

* Clarkson PT Raised to 4,350 pence at Deutsche Bank (+)

* DiaSorin Raised to Overweight at Morgan Stanley; PT 101 euros

* Huber+Suhner Raised to Add at AlphaValue/Baader

* Oxford Biomedica PT Raised to 930 pence from 800 pence at RBC

* Pfisterer Holding PT Raised to 74 euros at Berenberg

* PVA TePla PT Raised to 30 euros from 26 euros at Deutsche Bank (+)

* TUI Raised to Add at AlphaValue/Baader (+)

* Var Energi Raised to Buy at SpareBank; PT 38 kroner (+)

* VF Corp Raised to Outperform at Baird; PT $20

>>> Down

* AB Foods Cut to Sell at Deutsche Bank; PT 2,130 pence
* BioMerieux Cut to Equal-Weight at Morgan Stanley; PT 124 euros

* Commerzbank Cut to Underperform at BofA; PT 33 euros

* HelloFresh Cut to Add at AlphaValue/Baader

* KCC Cut to Neutral at Clarksons; PT 80 kroner (+)

* Kingfisher Cut to Hold at Deutsche Bank; PT 280 pence

* Odfjell Cut to Neutral at Clarksons; PT 125 kroner (+)

* Wickes Cut to Sell at Deutsche Bank; PT 195 pence

* Wix.com Cut to Sell at Deutsche Bank; PT $195 (+)

>>> Initiation

* Alphabet Reinstated Buy at William O'Neil

* Amer Sports Reinstated Buy at William O'Neil

* Argenx Rated New Buy at William O'Neil
* Bico Group Reinstated Suspended Coverage at Stifel

* EnQuest Rated New Buy at Peel Hunt; PT 24 pence

* Krones Rated New Buy at Jefferies; PT 175 euros

* SolGold Rated New Speculative Buy at Canaccord; PT 46 pence (+)

* Tecno SpA Societa Benefit Rated New Buy at Intesa Sanpaolo (+)

>>> Call
* BofA, UBS See Small-Cap Outperformance as Powell Turns Dovish

* Bouygues Overhangs Clearing, JPMorgan Upgrades to Overweight

* DiaSorin Raised, BioMerieux Cut as Morgan Stanley Flips Ratings

* Krones Set for Above Market Growth, Rated New Buy at Jefferies

* Zurich Airport Seen Higher on Strong 1H Performance: Vontobel (+)

>>> What to look at today - 26th of August 2025

The dollar pared most of its losses as Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook said she won’t resign after President Donald Trump moved to oust her. A gauge of the dollar retreated as much as 0.3% and gold rose as much as 0.6% after Trump posted on his Truth Social account that Cook will be removed effective immediately. The greenback then cut some of the losses and gold trimmed gains after Cook said she won’t resign. Asian stocks fell 0.7% and equity-index futures for US and Europe retreated. The Treasury curve steepened, with a drop in two-year yields reflecting growing speculation of a Fed interest-rate cut as soon as next month, while 30-year yields climbed on concern looser monetary policy would risk fueling inflation. French bond futures opened lower in Asia trading. Trump’s move adds to the negative sentiment toward US assets, after his tariff war and widening deficit revived a “Sell America” theme earlier this year and Wall Street questioned US exceptionalism. Traders have been seeking alternatives to the dollar, the world’s reserve currency, and Treasuries, and any perception of eroding Fed independence could accelerate that shift. Trump’s announcement came after the US Department of Justice indicated it planned to investigate Cook, following a criminal referral from Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte alleging that she may have committed mortgage fraud. UBS Global Wealth Chief Investment Officer (South Asia Pacific) Kelvin Tay comments on US President Trump’s move to fire the Fed’s Lisa Cook. It wasn’t immediately clear whether Cook intended to challenge the dismissal in the courts.

That investigation marked the latest in a series of moves by the Trump administration both to increase legal scrutiny of Democratic figures and put pressure on the central bank. Cook said Trump has no authority to fire her, and she won’t quit. Cook’s lawyer, Abbe Lowell, said they plan to take “whatever actions are needed to prevent” Trump’s “illegal action.” Cook is likely to sue to challenge the removal and “we believe she can win,” wrote Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Elliott Z Stein. Mere allegations of fraud are likely insufficient to meet the “for cause” removal standard unless actual wrongdoing is established, which at minimum likely requires an investigation and possibly a conviction, he wrote. Risk to the independence of the Fed was also flagged as a concern by S&P Global Ratings earlier this month while affirming the AA+ rating for the US — a score it’s given since 2011, when it first downgraded the world’s largest economy from AAA. Meanwhile, contracts for the Nasdaq 100 fell 0.2% as Trump also threatened to place export curbs on chips. Stocks were already under pressure after initial optimism about the Fed lowering interest rates vanished and US stocks retreated Monday. Stocks rallied on Friday after Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell opened the door for a possible interest-rate cut. The sense of euphoria eased as doubts over the pace of those reductions lingered on Wall Street as traders braced for a not-so-friendly price reading later this week. Policymakers are grappling with inflation that’s still above their 2% goal — and rising — and a labor market that’s showing signs of weakness. That unnerving reality, which pulls policy in opposite directions, is made worse by a high degree of uncertainty about how each of those factors will evolve over the coming months. The Fed’s preferred gauge of underlying inflation probably ticked higher last month, with the personal consumption expenditures price index excluding food and energy rising 2.9% from a year ago. That would be the fastest annual pace in five months. Elsewhere, French bond futures opened lower after Prime Minister Francois Bayrou called a confidence vote that may topple France’s government as soon as next month. Aside from the macro picture, the next big test for the stock market will be a read on what’s been driving gains for the past few years: artificial-intelligence euphoria. Nvidia Corp. is due to unveil its results Wednesday after the close. The company’s size — it has the biggest weighting in the S&P 500 at almost 8% — and its position at the center of AI development have made it a bellwether for the broader market. US After Hours IBKR +4.1% to join S&P 500; TLN +4.6% to join S&P MidCap 400; KNTK +5.9% to join S&P SmallCap 600; NVTS +0.5% names a new CEO; HEI +1.1%, SMTC +0.5% slightly higher on earnings.

Nikkei -0.88% Hang Seng -0.12% CSI -0.04% Shanghai -0.07% Shenzen +0.51%

Eur$ 1.1630 CNH 7.1556 CNY 7.1537 JPY 147.87 GBP 1.3454 CHF 0.8058 RUB 80.7193 TRY 41.0218 WTI$ 64.46 -0.52% Gold 3,374 +0.23% BTC 110,255 +0.62% ETH 4,440 +2%

S&P -0.05% Nasdaq -0.10% EuroStoxx -0.39% FTSE -0.27% Dax -0.22% SMI -0.12%

Macro :
- BofA, UBS See Small-Cap Outperformance as Powell Turns Dovish

- Norway’s Wealth Fund Excludes Israeli Banks, Caterpillar

- Crypto Fund Pantera Seeks to Raise Up to $1.25 Billion for Solana Deal

- BlackRock Halts Funding for Private Credit Fund

Keep an eye on :

- AMZN US : The Future of Streaming Is Different Ad Loads for Each Viewer

- AMZN US : Amazon, Korea Hydro to Partner on Small Modular Reactors for AI

- AS US : Amer Sports Holder Anamered Said to Seek $163m in Block Sale

- ARBN SW : Arbonia 1H Ebitda Meets Estimates

- BAKKA NO : Bakkafrost Sees FY Harvest About 104,000 Metric Tons

- BELL SW ; Bell Food Group Names Sven Friedli as CFO

- BIOAB SS : BioArctic, Novartis Sign Option, Collaboration, License Deal

- Bitpanda : Peter Thiel-Backed Bitpanda Rules Out UK Listing: FT

- BA US : Korean Air to Buy $50b Boeing Jets, GE Engines; Shres Drop

- BNZL LN : Bunzl 1H Revenue Matches Estimates

- BWLPG NO : BW LPG 2Q EPS Misses Estimates

- 1211 HK : BYD +3.11%

- CAP FP : Capgemini to Buy Cloud4C; No Terms

- CSX US : CSX Falls on Report Berkshire Not in Market for a Train Firm

- DEME BB : DEME Group 1H Turnover Beats Estimates

- DMP GY : Dermapharm Maintains FY Adjusted Ebitda Forecast

- EPISB SS : Episurf Medical announces final outcome of the rights issue

- GENI LN : GENinCode Says Performance is in Line With Expectations

- GPRO US : GoPro Calls Snapped Up as Shares Surge 36%

- GSF NO : Grieg Seafood Cuts FY Harvest Forecast After Sale of Operations

- IBRK US : *INTERACTIVE BROKERS TO REPLACE WALGREENS IN S&P 500 *INTERACTIVE BROKERS SHARES RISE 5% ON S&P 500 INCLUSION

- IFX GY : Infineon is accelerating the development of humanoid robotics with NVIDIA (NVDA) technology

- ISN SW : Intershop 1H Net Income CHF175.9M Vs. CHF52.7M Y/y

- JDEP NA : Keurig Slides Amid Deal Risks, JAB Cashing Out of JDE Peet

- KUD SW : Kudelski 1H Ebitda Loss $19.1M Vs. Loss $11.7M Y/y

- 3690 HK : Meituan Likely to Post Big Profit Decline in Food Wars: Preview

- MNG LN : M&G, Schroders, Hargreaves Lansdown Eye Master Trust Market: FT

- NOVN SW : BioArctic, Novartis Sign Option, Collaboration, License Deal

- ORSTED DC : Orsted Faces Growing Crisis After Trump Halts Work at Wind Farm

- ORSTED DC : Orsted Seeks to Calm Investors Ahead of $9.4 Billion Share Sale

- 1913 HK : Prada +2.88%

- ROG SW : Roche Breaks Ground on North Carolina Obesity Drug Factory

- Space X : SpaceX Delays Starship Launch Due to Unfavorable Weather

- TEF SM : Telefonica Main Holders Back Vodafone Espana Deal: Confidencial

- VLA FP : Vaccine Stocks Down After Report on Push to Scrap Covid Shots

- VAR NO : Var Reaches 400,000 boepd Output Milestone Ahead of Schedule

- WG/ LN : Dubai's Sidara Consortium Cuts Wood Group Offer Price After Completing Due Diligence

- 9868 HK : XPeng : +2.57%
- YAR NO : Fertilizer Stocks Rise on USGS’ Critical-Minerals Proposal

- ZEAL DC : Roche Breaks Ground on North Carolina Obesity Drug Factory

- FHZN SW : Zurich Airport 1H Ebitda Beats Estimates

>>> Stoxx 600 Pre-Market Indications

Bouygues (BYG TH) +0.9%
- Bouygues Overhangs Clearing, JPMorgan Upgrades to Overweight
Orsted (D2G TH) +0.8%
- Orsted Seeks to Calm Investors Ahead of $9.4 Billion Share Sale
BNP Paribas (BNP TH) -1.2%
- Watch French Stocks as Political Risks Make Sudden Comeback
Leonardo (FMNB TH) -1.3%
BBVA (BOY TH) -1.4%
Novo (NOV TH) -1.4%
Nordea Bank (04Q TH) -1.5%
EssilorLuxottica (ESL TH) -1.5%
Puma (PUM TH) -1.6%
- Pinault Family Is Said to Mull Options for Puma Sports Brand (3)
Commerzbank (CBK TH) -2.3%
- Downgrade to Underperform at Bofa

>>> Europe : Brokers Upgrades & Downgrades - 26th of August 2025