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There’s one major tailwind for the Mag 7 ahead of earnings

A weaker dollar could quietly boost profits for the global tech giants.

Hyunsoo Rim

Tariffs are set to rise again, with country-specific duties kicking in next month — yet Wall Street remains firmly unbothered.

Major stock indexes notched new highs last week, fueled in part by a strong start to second-quarter earnings season, with 83% of S&P 500 companies beating expectations so far. And one tailwind helping corporate America’s bottom line is the falling US dollar.

An unintended byproduct of the “T word,” a significant amount of demand for the US dollar has evaporated in the last few months, with the DXY — a weighted average of the USD against six global currencies — down 7% since the start of the year.

Perhaps counterintuitively, a lower dollar translates into higher revenue for companies that do a lot of business overseas. In fact, per Goldman Sachs estimates published Friday, every 10% drop in the dollar translates into roughly 2% to 3% gains for S&P 500 earnings per share — and that’s already showing up: last week, companies like 3M, PepsiCo, and Netflix have all attributed their strong Q2 results to favorable foreign exchange.

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But the larger beneficiaries could be the tech giants of the Magnificent 7, which Goldman estimates generate 49% of their combined revenue overseas, far above the S&P 500 average of 28%. Alphabet and Tesla are the first two of the Mag 7 set to report Q2 earnings on Wednesday.

Of course, it’s not all upside: any parts or services bought from abroad will be more expensive as well, offsetting some of the benefit. These global companies will also face “above-average risk” if trade tensions escalate further, and while a weaker dollar boosts profits on paper, it can also mask deeper concerns — namely, the reasons that the dollar fell in the first place, such as uncertainty around federal debt and US growth prospects.

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WSJ reports GameStop is preparing an offer for eBay and has quietly been building a stake in the company

GameStop is preparing an offer for eBay and has been quietly building a stake in the company, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal, a move it calls “part of CEO Ryan Cohen’s audacious plan to turn the trailer into a $100 billion-plus juggernaut.”

From WSJ:

GameStop, which has a market value of around $12 billion, has been quietly building a stake in eBay’s shares ahead of a potential offer, the people said. EBay is several times GameStop’s size, with a market value of around $46 billion. 

GameStop could submit an offer for eBay as soon as later this month, the people said. 

If eBay isn’t receptive, Cohen could decide to take the offer directly to eBay’s shareholders, one of the people added. Details of the potential offer for eBay couldn’t be learned. 

Shares of GameStop rose 7.4% after hours following the report, while eBay soared 12%. 

GameStop, which has a market value of around $12 billion, has been quietly building a stake in eBay’s shares ahead of a potential offer, the people said. EBay is several times GameStop’s size, with a market value of around $46 billion. 

GameStop could submit an offer for eBay as soon as later this month, the people said. 

If eBay isn’t receptive, Cohen could decide to take the offer directly to eBay’s shareholders, one of the people added. Details of the potential offer for eBay couldn’t be learned. 

Shares of GameStop rose 7.4% after hours following the report, while eBay soared 12%. 

US airlines pop on report Spirit preparing to shut down as government rescue deal fails to gain support

US airlines are spiking on Friday following a Wall Street Journal report that low-budget carrier Spirit Airlines is preparing to shut down. According to CBS News, the airline could cease operations as early as Saturday, barring an intervention.

In late April, President Trump said he would “love somebody to buy Spirit.” The administration weighed a $500 million rescue package, though it received significant blowback from members of Congress and ultimately didn’t receive support from Spirit’s creditors.

On Friday, Trump told reporters that the administration has given Spirit a “final proposal.”

Shares of Spirit’s rivals surged on the report, with budget carriers like Frontier Airlines and JetBlue climbing by double digits. The big four — Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, American Airlines, and Southwest Airlines — rose by low single digits. Alaska Air and Allegiant also saw a bump.

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Estée Lauder gets a glow-up after earnings beat, guidance hike

Estée Lauder shares are soaring after the beauty giant released Q3 earnings results that topped expectations and raised its full-year outlook, while also expanding its restructuring plan.

The key numbers:

  • Revenue of $3.71 billion (compared to analysts’ estimate of $3.69 billion).

  • Adjusted earnings per share of $0.91 (estimate: $0.65).

Estée Lauder also lifted its full-year earnings outlook to a range of $2.35 to $2.45 per share, up from $2.05 to $2.25 previously.

The bottom line is getting flattered by job cuts, with management increasing that target to as many as 10,000 roles, up from a prior range of 5,800 to 7,000, as part of a broader effort to streamline operations and shift toward faster-growing sales channels.

The rally comes after a tough stretch for the stock, which is down more than 20% year to date, with the results inspiring hope that its turnaround efforts will bear fruit.

CEO Stéphane de La Faverie said fiscal 2026 is “promising to be the pivotal year we intended,” with the company expecting to restore organic sales growth and expand margins for the first time in four years.

Amid these positive signals, Estée Lauder flagged risks from tariffs, geopolitical tensions, and potential disruptions tied to the Middle East.

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