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Market Data Table

Breakfast News: Can TSLA Turn AI Hype Into Profit?

July 20, 2026

Friday's Markets
S&P 500 7,458 (-1.01%)
Nasdaq 25,520 (-1.40%)
Dow 52,146 (-0.77%)
Bitcoin $64,003 (-0.22%)

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Chart comparing Tesla's, Alphabet's, and the S&P 500's market performance over the past three years, with Alphabet up 188%, the S&P up 64%, and Tesla up 46%.

1) What to Watch in Tech Over the Week Ahead

Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) leads off the latest tech-stock earnings season with second-quarter results on Wednesday. Wall Street expects a revenue rise of around 12% year over year (YOY), with investors likely to focus increasingly on robotaxis, Optimus robotics, and further artificial intelligence (AI) integration -- while keeping tabs on Space Exploration Technologies (NASDAQ:SPCX), or SpaceX.
Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG), a Rule Breakers Foundational Stock, also reports Q2 the same day, following a 22% YOY revenue jump in the previous quarter. Management offered no formal guidance at the time, but analysts expect a similar rise again this quarter.
IBM (NYSE:IBM) also posts on Wednesday, after the Hidden Gems rec released selected Q2 figures on July 14. With revenue up just 1% and below analysts' expectations, the stock dropped 25% on the day.
Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) -- a Stock Advisor rec by Team HG, and up 158% year to date -- is due to report on Thursday. The central processing unit (CPU) specialist is looking to ramp up its newest manufacturing processes, though investors should watch margins.

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2) Stock Futures Gain After Rough Week for Chips

Chip-stock storms once again pushed markets down, with the Nasdaq falling 2.9% over last week and the S&P 500 falling 1.6%. Both are still up year to date, by 9.8% and 8.9%, respectively. Despite escalating hostilities between the U.S. and Iran, S&P 500 and Nasdaq futures rose 0.2% and 0.4%, respectively, this morning.

Pressure off the Federal Reserve, for now: After last week's Consumer Price Index (CPI) print showed annual inflation softening to 3.5% in June from the expected 3.8%, investors should watch S&P Flash estimates of the Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) for services and manufacturing on Friday. Both are predicted to be above 50, signaling expansion.
West Texas Intermediate approx $83 per barrel: Oil prices are ticking up once more as the Middle East temperature rises again, though we're still some way below the year's peaks of well over $100 per barrel.

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3) GameStop Versus eBay, Round Two?

GameStop (NYSE:GME) has built up a 9.8% stake in Team Rule Breakers and Dividend Investor rec eBay (NASDAQ:EBAY), a Friday regulatory filing showed, approximately doubling its holding since May's rejected offer for the online auction giant. At the time, eBay's management described the $56 billion hostile bid as "neither credible nor attractive."

"I want to own eBay -- that's all I've been thinking about": GameStop CEO Ryan Cohen hasn't been dissuaded from his bold ambition, even with eBay valued at around 5 times the market cap of the video game retailer, as he added, "we're coming for eBay one way or another."
"There doesn't appear to be much in this offer that would entice eBay's shareholders to take it seriously": Speaking of May's offer (of half cash and half GME stock), Fool analyst Buck Hartzell noted GameStop only had $9 billion in cash and over $4 billion in debt.

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4) More Q2 Earnings You Won't Want to Miss

Domino's Pizza (NASDAQ:DPZ) posted a 3.0% increase in global retail sales this morning, continuing its modest growth from Q1, as CEO Russell Weiner said, "I believe order growth is the most important driver of long-term success." New store openings reached 209 in the quarter, with 183 international. The Dividend Investor rec -- which has raised its dividend for 14 consecutive years -- jumped over 6.5% in response.
ServiceNow (NYSE:NOW) will reveal its latest quarterly figures on Wednesday after beating forecasts so far this year. But the Team HG recommendation has been falling on market worries about the threat from AI to traditional software developers.
American Express (NYSE:AXP) -- a Team RB rec -- closes out the week with a Friday report, following a first quarter that saw double-digit gains in revenue and earnings over Q1 2025, lifted by premium card member spending.

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5) Today's Take: The Private Company I'd Buy

[Stripe] powers the billing behind major AI companies like OpenAI and Anthropic, so as AI apps and agents multiply, Stripe profits. It's profitable and cash-rich, which is rare for a private company its size. -- Meilin Quinn, Team Hidden Gems

Here's a sneak preview, but head to the article to reveal the private company you'd most like to invest in or to submit questions to any of the featured analysts today!

See more in Today's Take

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6) Your Take

If your portfolio comprised just Tesla, Alphabet, and Intel and you bought each of them at the start of the year with the same amount of money and had to buy more shares in one, completely close your position in another, and hold the final stock, what are you choosing to do and why?

Debate with friends and family, or become a member to hear what your fellow Fools are saying!

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