In partnership with

Today is Wednesday, July 16, 2025.

The Early Bird Index today is 89.29

New to this newsletter? Sign up here

Global Payments Targeted 🔍

Shares of the financial technology company Global Payments $GPN ( ▼ 2.37% ) jumped 5.41% in after-hours trading on Tuesday following a report about an activist investor.

Details: The Financial Times reported Tuesday that activist investor Elliott Management built a large stake in Global Payments. The company did not respond to the report.

Definition: An activist investor is an individual or firm that acquires a substantial stake in a company to effect changes that improve the company's stock.

Background: Global Payments is down 30.64% this year. In April, the company acquired Worldpay for $24 billion.

Early Bird’s Nest Egg Gains: The most acute stock decline this year occurred after Global Payments acquired Worldpay, due to concerns about the deal’s size and integration risks.

• The payments industry has seen intensified competition from emerging digital payment firms, squeezing Global Payments’ margins and pressuring pricing power.

Final Thoughts: Global Payments is estimated to report earnings in August.

Expert investment picks that have returned 200%+

AIR Insiders get picks from expert investors and industry leaders sent straight to their inbox every week. Picks like:

Jason Calacanis recommending Uber at $25/share (200%+ return)

Anthony Scaramucci recommending Bitcoin at $29,863 (200%+ return)

Sim Desai recommending OpenAI at an $86 billion market cap (200%+ return)

Looking to invest in real estate, private credit, pre-IPO ventures or crypto? Just sign up for our 2-week free trial so you can experience all the benefits of being an AIR Insider.

Sign Up For Free

Notables

Notable Earnings Today: United Airlines (Nasdaq: UAL), ASML (Nasdaq: ASML), Bank of America (NYSE: BAC), Alcoa (NYSE: AA), Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS), Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ), Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS), Progressive (NYSE: PGR), AAR (AIR), SL Green Realty (NYSE: SLG), PNC (NYSE: PNC), First Horizon (NYSE: FHN), Synovus (NYSE: SNV), Triumph Financial (Nasdaq: TFIN), First Industrial Realty (NYSE: FR), Prologis (NYSE: PLD), Home Bancshares (NYSE: HOMB), M&T Bank (NYSE: MTB), Rexford Industrial Realty (NYSE: REXR), Kinder Morgan (NYSE: KMI), Great Southern Bancorp (Nasdaq: GSBC).

Notable IPOs Today: GrabAGun Digital Holdings Inc. (NYSE: PEW), Pyrophyte Acquisition Corp. II (NYSE: PAII).

Notable Equity Crowdfunding Campaigns Ending Today: N/A.

Notable Economic Events Today: Producer Price Index / Core PPI (8:30 a.m. ET), Industrial Production (9:15 a.m. ET), Crude Oil Inventories (10:30 a.m. ET), Fed Beige Book (2:00 p.m. ET).

J.B. Hunt's Higher Expenses

Despite posting better-than-expected financial earnings results on Tuesday, shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services $JBHT ( ▼ 2.19% ) fell 1.12% in after-hours trading.

Financials: J.B. Hunt reported earnings of $1.31 per share and revenue of $2.93 billion in the past quarter. Both were better than expected.

Powering the Story: Operating income in the period fell 4% because of higher professional driver wages and equipment-related costs. There were also increases in medical claims expenses.

Also: Revenue was flat year-over-year.

Final Thoughts: J.B. Hunt, down about 13% this year, is trying to reduce its expenses.

Ethereum’s Strong Tuesday

Amid increased institutional demand for cryptocurrency, the price of Ethereum $ETH.X ( ▲ 6.37% ) jumped about 4% on Tuesday.

Final Thoughts: Ethereum is up about 20% in the last 30 days.

Trends to Watch

Tariffs = Higher Costs: Rising Inflation Underscores Risks in Trump’s New Tariff Threats (New York Times)

Crypto Bill: Trump Says GOP Crypto Dispute Resolved After White House Meeting (Bloomberg)

Rare Deal: America’s only rare earth producer gets a boost from Apple and Pentagon agreements (Associated Press)

So Stable: JPMorgan CEO Dimon says bank will pursue stablecoins, even as he questions their appeal (The Block)

Golden Times: Central banks are increasingly buying gold from local mines as prices surge (CNBC)

Thank you for reading!

Forward to a friend and tell them to sign up here.

Pick winning stocks: Upgrade to Early Bird Prime.

Be social: Like our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter.

Want more investing tips? Listen to the podcast.

Show Your Support: Buy Me a Coffee.

Questions or comments? Hit reply to reach out.

_{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.}