Editorial companion

What stands out

Marley Kayden and Alex Coffey on Schwab Network zeroed in on a split earnings tape, where one of Microsoft and Meta Platforms beat on both sales and profits while the other missed on EPS, leaving investors to debate whether rising capital expenditures are delivering AI return on investment. They pivoted to Qualcomm, Arm, Lam Research, and Starbucks to illustrate how chips, cloud, and consumer demand are reacting in real time. A GDELT note about insider selling at Lam Research is a useful reminder that insider flows can shift sentiment even after headline beats and misses.