Every weekday, the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer releases the Homestretch — an actionable afternoon update, just in time for the last hour of trading on Wall Street. Markets: Wall Street is putting together a strong bounce-back session Monday after wrapping up last week on a sour note thanks to a weak jobs report. All three major benchmarks — the S & P 500 , tech-heavy Nasdaq and 30-stock Dow — added more than 1% in afternoon trading. It’s a broad-based rally, with 10 of the 11 sectors in the S & P 500 in the green. Energy is the laggard, weighed down in large part by declines in shares of ExxonMobil and Chevron , by far the two largest constituents in the sector. We took advantage of the positive day to lighten up on shares of Abbott Laboratories , our third sale since July 21. If not for our trading restrictions, we would’ve used some of the cash raised in that sale to buy more Starbucks , consistent with what Jim said last week following the coffee chain’s post-earnings decline. BLS drama: President Donald Trump on Monday was again posting on social media that last week’s big July nonfarm payrolls miss and the massive combined downward revisions to May and June were rigged. Those comments echoed the ones that came Friday as he fired the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics. On CNBC Monday morning, National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett, one of Trump’s top advisers, was asked directly if the BLS numbers were rigged. Hassett pivoted. He acknowledged the longstanding problem of jobs data collection that pre-dated Trump but said, “All over the U.S. government, there have been people who have been resisting Trump everywhere they can.” Hassett, who has been talked about as a possible Trump choice for Federal Reserve chairman, also said, “To make sure that the data are as transparent and as reliable as possible, we’re going to get highly qualified people in there that have a fresh start and a fresh set of eyes on the problem.” Ironically, the weak jobs numbers bolster Trump’s case for the Fed to cut interest rates. Jim Cramer said Monday that he is not here to opine on whether Trump is doing the right thing or not. However, Jim said he is here to help Club members make money. He concluded that the jobs numbers point to a weakening economy and suggest the Fed should not wait any longer to cut rates. If the Fed cuts rates at its September meeting, as the market expects, Jim said the stock market should go up, even ahead of the move, and investors should make money. Keep on spending: The generative AI boom isn’t slowing down anytime soon, according to Morgan Stanley’s analysis of capital expenditure (capex) plans. In a note to clients, analysts said the 11 largest hyperscalers — including Club holdings Meta Platforms , Microsoft , Amazon and Apple — are projected to significantly increase their spending on cloud computing and other AI-related infrastructure into next year. Analysts expect the global capex from these companies to grow 56% year over year in 2025 and 31% in 2026. The estimates are based on second-quarter earnings reports from the aforementioned tech giants, along with those from Alphabet -owned Google, IBM , CoreWeave and Oracle , along with the Chinese tech firms Tencent , Alibaba , and Baidu . Additionally, Morgan Stanley analysts said they wouldn’t be surprised to see 2026 capex commitments “move materially higher” by this time next year due to the continued growth in AI model output and cloud providers still mentioning that demand for compute is outstripping supply. “This earnings season, most management teams highlighted the need to accelerate infrastructure deployment timelines/address tight supply and support increasingly complex cloud/AI workloads, and executives across MSFT, META, AMZN and GOOGL signaled: (1) greater confidence in generating a return on these investments; and (2) a willingness to sustain elevated levels of spending into 2026,” the analysts wrote. This is all promising news for the generative AI trade. As these hyperscalers pour billions into AI infrastructure, it signals that management teams are taking the technology — and the demand for it — even more seriously than before. We hope this means improved AI offerings from our portfolio companies, too. Apple, in particular, is in desperate need of one, which is why we were pleased to hear CEO Tim Cook say on the conference call that the company is “significantly growing” its AI investments. Apple has comparatively spent much less on capex in recent years compared with the likes of Meta, Microsoft and Amazon. The iPhone maker has had a lackluster rollout of its suite of AI tools called Apple Intelligence since last year. Buzzy new AI features could mean more upside in device sales and revenues in its high-margin services unit. With Apple, “we’re actually trying figure out what they really want to do,” Jim said during Monday’s Morning Meeting. As for Microsoft, Amazon and Meta, we’ve been largely impressed by their AI plans. “The market wanted to see a lot of [AI] spend because that’s where the return is,” Jim said. He continued, “You may think they spent too much money. That doesn’t matter. People want to see a lot of spend.” It’s not just Big Tech and their cloud customers that benefit from all the AI outlays. Industrial stocks and Club holdings like Eaton , GE Vernova and Dover all benefit in their own ways from the continued construction of data centers and the electricity infrastructure needed to fuel the power-hungry buildings. Earlier Monday, we published an in-depth look at how GE Vernova’s gas turbines became such a hot commodity in the AI race. Up next: Club name Coterra Energy is among the companies reporting earnings after the close Monday, with its conference call set for Tuesday morning. We’ll wait for the call before publishing our earnings analysis, given management’s comments, particularly on its planned fix for problematic wells in part of the Permian Basin, will help shape our thinking on the results. Some other notable companies reporting Monday night include high-flying Palantir , obesity drug compounder Hims & Hers , Taser maker Axon Enterprise , e-commerce marketplace MercadoLibre and non-opoid pain medication maker Vertex Pharmaceuticals . On Tuesday morning, we’ll get results from Club names DuPont and Eaton. Economic bellwether Caterpillar, private-equity giant Apollo Global Management and hotel operator Marriott International also are on the docket. It’s an overall quiet week of economic data, though on Tuesday the Institute for Supply Management’s monthly look at activity in the U.S. services sector is due out at 10 a.m. ET. (See here for a full list of the stocks in Jim Cramer’s Charitable Trust.) As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade. Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust’s portfolio. If Jim has talked about a stock on CNBC TV, he waits 72 hours after issuing the trade alert before executing the trade. THE ABOVE INVESTING CLUB INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY , TOGETHER WITH OUR DISCLAIMER . NO FIDUCIARY OBLIGATION OR DUTY EXISTS, OR IS CREATED, BY VIRTUE OF YOUR RECEIPT OF ANY INFORMATION PROVIDED IN CONNECTION WITH THE INVESTING CLUB. NO SPECIFIC OUTCOME OR PROFIT IS GUARANTEED.
Considering that the Cybertruck has turned out to be a commercial flop and Tesla is currently experiencing issues selling it, despite reduced production, the automaker could benefit from a Cybertruck order from the US military.
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It looks like it is about to get one.
According to new documents first obtained by ‘The War Zone‘, the U.S. Air Force Test Center (AFTC) is looking to acquire 33 target vehicles—including two Tesla Cybertrucks—for delivery to the White Sands Missile Range (WSMR) in New Mexico,
The list of requested vehicles includes various sedans, pickups, SUVs, and bongo trucks, but there are no specific brand requirements for those, except for the Cybertrucks.
They plan to use these vehicles as targets for precision-guided weapons. Why would they need a specific vehicle such as the Cybertruck?
In the document, they had to explain the reason behind requesting a vehicle from a specific brand. They wrote:
[Redacted] intends to use specific Tesla manufactured vehicles for target vehicle training flight test events. In the operating theatre it is likely the type of vehicles used by the enemy may transition to Tesla Cyber trucks as they have been found not to receive the normal extent of damage expected upon major impact. Testing needs to mirror real world situations. The intent of the training is to prep the units for operations by simulating scenarios as closely as possible to the real world situations.
It sounds like the justification is that the US military believes that its enemies might start using the Tesla Cybertruck, and it wants to make sure its weapons work on it.
Here’s the document in question:
Electrek’s Take
That’s pretty funny. The US military is buying Tesla Cybertrucks to use as targets to shoot missiles at because they think enemies might start using them.
The jokes write themselves. You read that headline, and you would think that it’s Trump trying to get back to Musk by literally blowing up his dumpster of a truck.
However, the most astonishing aspect is that the US military is not wrong here.
Now, less than a year later, the US military wants to ensure it is equipped to take down Cybertrucks.
Anyway, good for Tesla. It needs all the Cybertruck sales it can get, considering it is currently selling them at a rate of 20,000 per year when Musk aimed for 500,000 a year.
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The Genesis Electrified G80 will no longer be sold in the US. Genesis has already pulled the luxury EV sedan from its website.
Genesis pulls the Electrified G80 EV from its US lineup
The Electrified G80 went on sale in the US in the first half of 2023, but has struggled to gain any momentum. Last year, Genesis introduced an updated model with longer range, more interior space, and added luxury, claiming it’s now at the flagship level.
Those in the US may never get to see it. Genesis has already removed the Electrified G80 from its website, with only the GV60 and Electrified GV70 now listed.
The luxury car maker confirmed to Car and Driver on Wednesday that the electric G80 sedan is no longer being offered in North America.
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Genesis explained that “the customer is at the core of every decision we make, and we remain flexible as we adapt to ever-changing consumer needs and market conditions.”
Genesis Electrified G80 updated model (Source: Hyundai)
The 2024 Electrified G80 was the final model year, and the 2025 version was never sold in the US. Powered by an 87 kWh battery, the Electrified G80 was rated with an EPA-estimated range of 282 miles. Although the updated model boasted a larger battery (94.5 kWh) with increased range (up to 295 miles) in Korea, it still falls short of rivals like the Lucid Air or Tesla Model S.
Genesis sold just 397 models in 2024 and another 77 in the first half of 2025. In comparison, Lucid sold over 5,000 Air sedans in H1, while Tesla has sold 2,715 Model S sedans in the US.
The interior of the new Genesis Electrified G80 update (Source: Hyundai)
Although Korean automakers, including Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis, dodged the maximum 25% tariff, they will still face a 15% duty on imported vehicles. As its slowest-selling EV, it’s no surprise to see Genesis dropping it from its lineup.
With the $7,500 federal tax credit expiring at the end of September, Genesis is pushing big discounts on its remaining EV models.
Genesis is offering an $18,000 EV Lease Bonus on the 2025 Electrified GV70 and $13,750 bonus for the 2025 GV60. Leases currently start as low as $389 per month.
Looking to test one out for yourself? You can use our links below to view 2025 Genesis GV60 and Electrified GV70 models in your area.
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While larger solar generator setups can help through many situations, more and more people are finding convenience in owning smaller backup power solutions, especially here in NYC, with many folks having limited space to keep them. That’s where units like Bluetti’s Elite 30 V2 Portable Power Station come in, which offers a 288Wh LiFePO4 capacity to cover personal device charging with 600W of steady output that can ramp as high as 1,500W.
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Bluetti’s Elite 30 V2 power station has nine different port options to cover all the bases: two AC outlets, two USB-C ports, two USB-A ports, two DC ports, and a car port. It even beats out many counterparts/competitors of the same size range with five ways to recharge its battery: via a standard outlet, utilizing up to a max 200W solar input, using both an outlet and solar panels together, connecting a generator, or using your car’s auxiliary port.
Segway’s Ninebot F3 smart eKickScooter with Apple Find My + proximity locking gets first post-tariff cut to $750
Segway is offering a special promotional discount through August 17 on its new Ninebot F3 Electric KickScooter at $749.99 shipped, after using the code F3AUG100OFF at checkout, which beats out Amazon’s pricing by $50.This model launched back in April carrying a $850 original price tag (which Amazon still keeps it listed for) and has since hiked up to a $1,000 MSRP direct from the brand after May’s tariff hikes. The two pre-tariff discounts we saw took the costs down to $700 and $600 back in April, and while it may not be falling that low any anytime soon again, you’re still looking at a solid $100 savings from its starting rate for the third-lowest price we have tracked.
NIU drops the KQi 300X all-terrain e-scooter with a 37-mile range and regen brakes to $750 in latest sale
NIU has launched its Fan-tastic Day Sale through August 17 that is taking up to 42% off its KQi e-scooter lineup. Some of the brand’s models are still out of stock from last month, but among those still available, we spotted the KQi 300X All-Terrain Suspension Electric Scooter at $749.99 shipped, while also matching in price at Amazon. While it carries a $1,299 MSRP normally, at Amazon we’ve been seeing it mostly staying between $1,049 and $1,198, with discounts having been slowly ramping up over the course of the year. You’re looking at the best price of 2025, which saves you $549 off the MSRP and has only been beaten out by the $731 low we last saw pop up in October 2024.
Add commercial-grade power to your arsenal with Greenworks’ 82V 20-inch cordless chainsaw at a new $430 low
Amazon is now offering the Greenworks Commercial 82V 20-inch Cordless Chainsaw for $429.99 shipped. While it carries a $600 MSRP tag directly from the brand, where it’s currently priced at, we’ve seen it keep lower to $500 at Amazon. It’s been on the market for six months now, with the discounts we’ve spotted only taken the costs down to $450 until today. Now, with the 20% markdown here, you’ll save $70 while equipping your arsenal with commercial-grade power.
Keep uniform lines around yard and gardens with Worx’s 12A 7.5-inch edger/trencher at $90 (Today only)
As part of its Deals of the Day, Best Buy is offering the Worx 12A 7.5-inch Edger/Trencher for $89.99 shipped, with this model being out of stock on Amazon and sitting at a higher $140 MSRP directly from Worx’s website. It normally fetches $130 at full price here, with discounts mostly keeping the costs between $110 and $100 during 2025, though we have seen it go as low as $75 during Prime Day. You’re looking at the fourth-lowest overall price that we have tracked and the third-lowest of the year, with the deal today saving you $40 off the going rate for the rest of the day only.
The savings this week are also continuing to a collection of other markdowns. To the same tune as the offers above, these all help you take a more energy-conscious approach to your routine. Winter means you can lock in even better off-season price cuts on electric tools for the lawn while saving on EVs and tons of other gear.