Applied Materials' China Pain

Plus, Berkshire buys UnitedHealth.

August 15, 2025

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Today is Friday, August 15, 2025.

The Early Bird Index today is 91.84

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Applied Materials' China Pain

Despite posting good financial earnings results on Thursday, the semiconductor company Applied Materials $AMAT ( ▼ 0.94% ) plunged 14.01% in after-hours trading.

Financials: Applied Materials reported earnings of $2.48 per share and revenue of $7.3 billion in the past quarter. Both were better than expected.

Powering the Story: The company said it expects a revenue decline in the current quarter, “driven by both digestion of capacity in China and non-linear demand from leading-edge customers given market concentration and fab timing.”

Early Bird’s Nest Egg Gains: The projected revenue drop reveals underlying risks such as weak order flow from China, unpredictable timing from key customers, and outsized reliance on a few buyers.

  • These risks threaten sustained growth and create greater uncertainty for the company and the broader semiconductor sector.

  • Investor confidence is also shattered because of the unpredictability of orders.

Final Thoughts: Before Thursday’s financial results, the stock was up 14% in 2025.

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Notables

Notable Earnings Today: Flowers Foods (NYSE: FLO), BitFuFu (Nasdaq: FUFU), VolitionRx (NYSE American: VNRX).

Notable IPOs Today: Kyivstar Group Ltd. Common Shares (Nasdaq: KYIV), LightWave Acquisition Corp. Class A Ordinary Shares (Nasdaq: LWAC), Nusatrip Incorporated Common Stock (Nasdaq: NUTR), Oxley Bridge Acquisition Limited Class A Ordinary Shares (Nasdaq: OBA), Pioneer Acquisition I Corp Class A Ordinary Shares Nasdaq: PACH), Propanc Biopharma, Inc. Common Stock (Nasdaq: PPCB).

Notable Equity Crowdfunding Campaigns Ending Today: Hylio (StartEngine), HEVO (Wefunder).

Notable Economic Events Today: Retail Sales / Core Retail Sales (8:30 a.m. ET), Retail Control (8:30 a.m. ET), Export Price Index / Import Price Index (8:30 a.m. ET), NY Empire State Manufacturing Index (8:30 a.m. ET), Industrial Production (9:15 a.m. ET), Michigan Consumer Expectations / Sentiment (10:00 a.m. ET), Retail Inventories Excluding Auto (10:00 a.m. ET).

Berkshire Buys UnitedHealth

It’s been an awful year for UnitedHealth Group $UNH ( ▼ 0.12% ) , but investors of the troubled company received some good news on Thursday, sending the stock up 10.69% in after-hours trading.

Details: Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway $BRK.B ( ▲ 0.4% ) recently opened a new stake in UnitedHealth, according to a regulatory filing on Thursday.

Background: UnitedHealth is down over 40% this year due in part to rising medical costs, issues with Medicare Advantage, and leadership changes. 

Final Thoughts: Warren Buffett has always been known for buying stocks at bargain prices.

Intel Might Get White House Backing

Intel $INTC ( ▲ 7.38% ) jumped 4.48% in after-hours trading on Thursday after Bloomberg reported that the Trump administration is in talks to have the U.S. government potentially take a stake in the company.

Details: Intel did not comment on the report.

Final Thoughts: The stock has experienced a comeback in 2025. Intel is up 18% this year.

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The contents of Early Bird are intended for informational and entertainment purposes only. They do not constitute trade or investment recommendations and they are not financial or legal advice. Readers are encouraged to consult licensed professionals for personalized guidance regarding their financial or legal situations.