Good morning investors! Stocks rose slightly as Treasury yields fell for a second day.
Today we cover:
New home sales drop
Apple introduces new products
Finding unclaimed money
📊 Economy and News
US New Home Sales Drop 10.5% in July on High Mortgage Rates
Sales of new U.S. single-family homes fell 10.5% in July to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 607,000 units—the lowest pace since January—according to the Commerce Department. This missed economists’ forecast of 620,000 and followed an upwardly revised June figure. Sales were also down 6.3% from a year earlier.
The median new-home price slipped to $393,800 (down 0.9% year-over-year and the lowest in four years). High mortgage rates remain the main drag: the average 30-year fixed rate held near 6.77%, close to a recent high.
A separate Conference Board report showed consumer confidence at a seven-month low, with only 5.2% of Americans planning to buy a home in the next six months (down from 6.5%).
Global hits:
Canada slaps retaliatory tariffs on US goods worth $20 billion as trade war intensifies.
Brazil’s federal tax revenue hits record high in July.
Mexico posts $8.93 billion current account surplus in Q2.
Gold and BTC revive: Bitcoin briefly surged past $81,000 as renewed inflows into spot bitcoin ETFs and improving risk appetite extended the cryptocurrency’s recent rally, with the cryptocurrency now up 20% in three days. Interestling, Kalshi traders see low likelihood of major crypto bill becoming law this year.
Similarly, gold prices fell Tuesday after rising to their highest in over three months. Spot gold fell 0.1% to $4,647.05 per ounce, still near its highest since mid-May
Reminder: Bidding for properties in July posted its strongest monthly improvement in a year. Specifically, investors are flooding into the retail and industrial sectors. The weakest sector for bidding and credit activity continues to be multifamily.
📈 Stocks
S&P 500 7,677.28 (+0.32%)
DJIA 53,577.40 (+0.31%)
NASDAQ 26,151.31 (+0.67%)
BRENT CRUDE 86.01 (-0.37%)
* Prices as of Aug 26th, 12:20 AM UTC
Apple Unveils New Mac Mini and Mac Studio with AI-Focused Chip Upgrades
Apple has announced updated Mac Mini and Mac Studio models featuring next-generation chips optimized for artificial intelligence workloads.
The Mac Mini now supports the new M6 and M5 Pro chips (the first Apple computer with an M6, built on TSMC’s 2-nanometer process). Configured with the M5 Pro, it processes large language model prompts up to 8.5 times faster than prior Pro models. Base price rises to $899 (up $100).
The Mac Studio gains the M5 Max (nearly 4× faster LLM performance) starting at $2,499, and the top-tier M5 Ultra starting at $5,499. Multiple Ultra-equipped Mac Studios can be linked to pool memory and run trillion-parameter models.
Apple highlighted its neural engines and unified memory architecture as key advantages for running and fine-tuning large AI models locally. The new machines ship starting September 22.
Interesting: Alphabet’s Waymo plans to roll out robotaxi rides in Germany in 2027 with it being Waymo’s third international city and first in the EU after establishing an early robotaxi lead in the U.S., operating in 11 U.S. cities, with more on the way.
Surprising: SpaceX plans to build a $100 billion spaceport in Louisiana.
💵 Personal Finance
How to Find Unclaimed Money—and Use It Wisely
Americans hold about $70 billion in unclaimed property—forgotten paychecks, rebates, brokerage accounts, and insurance benefits. In the last fiscal year alone, states returned more than $4 billion to rightful owners.
To search, start at MissingMoney.com, a free nationwide database run by the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators. Enter your name (or a relative’s) and check states where you’ve lived or done business. Specialized claims, such as lost pensions, go through agencies like the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation.
If you find assets, the relevant state will contact you with claim instructions. You’ll need proof of identity and ownership; rules vary by state and property type.
Once the money arrives, avoid common psychological traps. People often treat “found” cash as fun money rather than fungible income, or become overly attached to inherited assets because of sentimental value. Financial therapist Megan McCoy recommends treating any windfall like regular earnings: put it toward goals such as an emergency fund, debt payoff, or retirement. Pre-labeling accounts (e.g., “retirement” or “vacation”) can help you allocate the money productively.
💰 Be a Better Investor
"A wise person should have money in their head, but not in their heart."
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