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A view of NVIDIA headquarters in Santa Clara of Silicon Valley, California, United States on August 28, 2024. 

Tayfun Coskun | Anadolu | Getty Images

This report is from today’s CNBC Daily Open, our international markets newsletter. CNBC Daily Open brings investors up to speed on everything they need to know, no matter where they are. Like what you see? You can subscribe here.

What you need to know today

Markets try to shrug off Nvidia
U.S. markets were mixed Thursday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average hit a new closing high, but the other two major indexes didn’t fare as well. Asia-Pacific markets bucked the trend, climbing Friday. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index was the top performer, rising 1.8%. Separately, Tokyo’s August inflation rose to 2.6%, the highest since March.

Outsized expectations
Nvidia shares lost around 6% Thursday despite the chipmaker posting quarterly revenue that was more than two times the figure a year earlier and the company announcing a $50 billion stock buyback, which usually pushes up share prices. That shows just how high investors’ expectations for Nvidia were.

Intel’s no longer inside
Intel, once the dominant semiconductor company, has been struggling in the wake of Nvidia’s artificial intelligence-driven surge – its stock is down almost 60% this year. No surprise, then, that Intel executives are working with advisors from Morgan Stanley and other banks to come up with a turnaround strategy for the company.

Price vs. spending
July’s consumer price index may have been a pleasant surprise, coming in at 2.9% for the year – lower than forecast and the slowest pace since March 2021. But the U.S. Federal Reserve pays more attention to the personal consumption expenditures price index, which comes out Friday. Here’s what to expect.

[PRO] Utilities as an AI play
For investors who want to buy into the AI boom but missed the initial spike, utilities are a natural second option. AI data centers suck up huge amounts of energy, which means energy companies will benefit too. Unfortunately, it seems too late to buy utilities too, according to Morningstar – except for two stocks.

The bottom line

It’s the tragedy of the overachieving child: You’re expected not just to ace every examination, but also excel in extracurricular activities.

So, when you’re just like every other academic genius with perfect grades, that’s merely the baseline you should be hitting.

Such is the plight of Nvidia. Despite posting ridiculous revenue growth numbers that would send any other company’s stock straight into the stratosphere, Nvidia’s shares fell about 6% yesterday.

The culprit: For the company’s fiscal second quarter, revenue rose “only” 122% on an annual basis, compared with three quarters of more than 200% year-over-year growth. The chipmaker’s expected gross margins for the full year were also slightly lower than anticipated.

As Ryan Detrick, chief market strategist at Carson Group, wrote, “Death, taxes, and NVDA beats on earnings are three things you can bank on.” In other words, just beating earnings estimates isn’t enough for Nvidia anymore. It’s more about “the size of the beat.”

To be fair, other companies face the same issue too, though perhaps not on the same magnitude as Nvidia.

“When you have 75% or 80% of companies beating their estimates on any given quarter, that tells you it’s not such a special thing anymore,” said Interactive Brokers chief strategist Steve Sosnick. “Beating estimates is no longer a sufficient condition for a post-earnings rally.”

In any case, Nvidia’s loss yesterday may be good for the broader market. Hear me out. Yes, the S&P 500 was mostly unchanged, while the Nasdaq Composite slipped 0.23%. But the Dow Jones Industrial Average, buoyed by gains in technology stocks like Apple and Microsoft, added 0.59% for a new record close.

That suggests the tech sector and, indeed, the broader market is relying less on Nvidia for gains. The family, finally, isn’t pinning all its hope on one child.

— CNBC’s Arjun Kharpal, Kif Leswing, Fred Imbert and Lisa Kailai Han contributed to this report.

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Lucid (LCID) reassures investors on growth plans after its stock hits a new low

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Lucid (LCID) reassures investors on growth plans after its stock hits a new low

After Lucid Group’s (LCID) stock price reached a new all-time low this week, the company’s communication boss is out to set the record straight.

Lucid stock hits a new low as investors wait

Lucid is facing new headwinds in the US at a critical time as the EV maker looks to enter its next growth phase. It’s ramping up output of its first electric SUV, the Gravity, and is set to launch its midsize platform in late 2026.

Like all automakers, the company is facing new headwinds in the US under the Trump administration, but that isn’t stopping Lucid from continuing on its mission of “changing the world through innovation and efficiency.”

Lucid’s head of communications, Nick Twork, reassured investors on Thursday that while others are pulling back, the company is still plowing ahead.

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“We know it’s been a challenging period for our long-term holders,” Twork said, adding, “We are focused on execution and being transparent.” Twork reaffirmed investors that Lucid has “a strong liquidity runway,” including a $2 billion PIF credit facility, and another $2 billion in refinanced convertible notes that now mature in 2030/31.

While other automakers are scaling back EV plans, including Ford most recently, “we’re building through it and ramping,” Lucid’s communications boss said.

After a magnet shortage and other supply chain constraints hampered Gravity production early on, Lucid now expects the electric SUV to make up the majority of production and deliveries in the fourth quarter.

Speaking at the 53rd Annual Nasdaq Investor Conference last week, Lucid’s interim CEO, Marc Winterhoff, said the company “is on track” to hit its guidance of producing 18,000 vehicles this year. That’s at the lower end of its initial 20,000 to 18,000 target, but Winterhoff said output is picking up and Lucid now has “weeks where we are producing 1,000 vehicles” in a single week.”

Lucid-stock-Q3-earnings
Lucid Q3 2025 production and deliveries (Source: Lucid Group)

Hitting that 18,000 target won’t be easy. Through the third quarter, Lucid produced 9,966 EVs, meaning it will need to build over 8,000 more in Q4. That’s more than double the 3,891 it made in the third quarter.

Lucid had about $4.2 billion in liquidity at the end of Q3, but after agreeing with PIF to increase the delayed draw term loan credit facility (DDTL), the company said total liquidity would have been around $5.5 billion.

Lucid-Q3-2025-earnings
Lucid Q3 2025 earnings (Source: Lucid Group)

The capital is enough to fund it through the first half of 2027, Lucid said. Later next year, Lucid will begin production of its midsize platform, which will underpin at least three new vehicles priced around $50,000.

Lucid’s first midsize model will be an electric crossover SUV, followed by a more rugged version inspired by the Gravity X concept. The third is rumoured to be a midsize sedan that will compete with the Tesla Model 3.

During a fireside chat at the UBS Global Industrials and Transportation Conference earlier this month, Lucid’s CFO, Taoufiq Boussaid, said the midsize EVs will be positioned in “the heart of the market,” starting at around $50,000.

Lucid-LCID-stock-investors
Lucid (LCID) stock price in 2025 compared to Rivian (RIVN) and Tesla (TSLA) Source: TradingView

While Rivian (RIVN) and Tesla (TSLA) shares are trading up by over 50% and 27%, respectively, since the beginning of 2025, Lucid’s stock price has fallen by over 60%. Earlier this week, Lucid’s stock touched an all-time low of $11.09 per share.

Twork said Lucid will share more information about its growth plans during its Capital Market Day in the first quarter.

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Jeep is offering up to $16,750 cash back on select 2025 Wagoneer S

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Jeep is offering up to ,750 cash back on select 2025 Wagoneer S

Like a 90s “gifted” kid that was supposed to be a lot of things, the electric Jeep Wagoneer S was supposed to be sporty, luxurious, and appeal to a whole new Jeep buyer. Despite being a decent vehicle, it never really found its place — but now that Jeep is offering nearly $17,000 off select models, it might be time to give the go-fast Wagoneer S a second look.

Whether we’re talking about Mercedes-Benz, Cerberus, Fiat, or even Enzo Ferrari, there have been no shortage of corporate outsiders have labeled Jeep as a potentially premium brand that could, “if managed properly,” command luxury-level prices all over the globe. That hasn’t happened, and Stellantis is just the latest in a long line of companies to sink massive capital into the brand only to realize that people will not, in fact, spend Mercedes money on a Jeep.

“Stellantis bet big on electric versions of iconic American brands like Jeep and Dodge, but consumers aren’t buying the premise,” wrote CDG’s Marcus Amick, back in June. “(Stellantis’ dealer body) is now stuck with expensive EVs that need huge discounts to move, eating into already thin margins while competitors focus on [more] profitable gas-powered vehicles.”

To get its prices back in line with the market’s expectations, Jeep is slashing prices with lots of cash on the hood. That includes a hefty $15,250 incentive on select Wagoneer S trims listed as a “2025 National EV Credit Select Inventory Retail Bonus Cash” offer by Greenville Chrysler in Greenville, Texas — which seems like it would be stackable with $1,500 in National Stellantis Loyalty Retail Bonus Cash as well, for a total of $16,750 in incentives before any additional dealer discounts come into play.

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All of which is to say: if you’ve found yourself drawn to the Jeep Wagoneer S, but couldn’t quite stomach the $70,000+ window stickers, you might want to check in with your local Jeep dealer and see how you feel about it at a JCPenneys-like 30% off!

Original content from Electrek.


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Happy holidays! Volvo CE gifts new electric excavator to Mass school

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Happy holidays! Volvo CE gifts new electric excavator to Mass school

Volvo CE is getting into the spirit of the holidays with the donation of a band-new, $100,000 Volvo ECR25 Electric mini excavator to the Westfield Technical Academy’s horticulture department in Massachusetts.

School staff, including Nathan Sperry, the head of Westfield’s horticulture department, told Mass Live that he’s excited about the donation. And, because it has no harmful emissions, his students will be able to use the electric mini excavator indoors for training over the cold winter months, ensuring they’ll be able to take on jobs on live construction sites as soon as the weather clears. “Currently, students train on a simulator,” he told reporters. “Now, they can get on the real machine after lessons.”

Those students will be learning on a state-of-the-art machine. One that’s equipped with a 2.5 tonne (~5,500 lbs.) capacity that’s powered by an 18 kW (~20 hp) electric motor fed by a 20 kWh li-ion battery pack that promises up to four hours of continuous operation.

And, if you’ve ever driven past a job site and seen an idle machine, you already know that four continuous hours of work is plenty — but when it’s not enough, the ECR25 Electric can be connected to a 50 kW DC fast charger and be back to work in under an hour.

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The donation of the ECR25 Electric, valued at a total of $100,000, was made possible by a number of stakeholders, including J.L. Raymaakers Construction, Tyler Equipment Corp., and Volvo CE. You can learn more about the donation in the WWLP-22News report, below.

Electrek’s Take


There seem to be a number of fresh news stories about Volvo donating electric equipment to schools — and that’s awesome. Apple pursued a similar strategy getting into school computer labs a generation ago and now my kids are learning on iPads all day while Mac and iPhone sales continue to be the envy of the industry.

Mark my words, gang: a generation of operators and technicians who grew up wrenching on battery electric Volvo machinery won’t want to grease up and slide under a diesel.

SOURCE: WWLP-22News, via Construction Equipment; featured image by Volvo CE.


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Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.

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