Today is Tuesday, July 14, 2026.
The Early Bird Index today is 87.24.
New to this newsletter? Sign up here
Bitcoin's Rate Hike Nightmare 📉
Monday marked another bad day for cryptocurrency, including a nearly 3% decline in Bitcoin’s $BTC ( ▲ 1.65% ) price due to macroeconomic concerns.
Details: A Monday report in which Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller warned that interest rate hikes could be possible caused the price of Bitcoin to fall.
Plus: An increase in leveraged liquidations on Monday and more concerns about risk assets during uncertainty in the Middle East were also problems.
Background: The price of Bitcoin is actually up 5% since the start of July, but the positive momentum stalled thanks to the new interest rate hike concerns.
Powering the Story: Rising interest rates are bad for Bitcoin because they increase the opportunity cost of holding non-yielding assets, diminish market liquidity, and trigger a broad “risk-off” environment.
Early Bird’s Nest Egg Gains: A 2026 Fed rate hike would generally make Bitcoin’s outlook less favorable, at least in the medium term, because higher rates tend to tighten liquidity, strengthen the dollar, and reduce appetite for risk assets such as Bitcoin.
Bitcoin can still do well if ETF (exchange-traded fund) demand, corporate treasury buying, or broader risk appetite offsets an interest rate hike.
Final Thoughts: Bitcoin is down 28% since the start of 2026.
PRESENTED BY CASH APP
3 money habits teens can start building now
With a Cash App Card, teens can take their first steps toward independence with a secure debit card. They’ll learn how to spend, save, and manage money, all with your guidance and oversight to help them get started.
Learn to spend responsibly.
A debit card gives them a safe way to practice managing money under your supervision. It gives you the opportunity to teach them how to make smart spending choices.
Start saving for their goals.
Setting goals can help them see how saving a little at a time can help them reach their short-term and long-term goals.
Manage their own money.
Whether they get paid with direct deposit or use Cash App to get allowance or gifts, they get real experience with money.
Cash App is a financial services platform, not a bank. Banking services provided by Cash App’s bank partner(s). Prepaid debit cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC. Cash App Visa® Debit Flex Cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC, and The Bancorp Bank, N.A., pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. See terms and conditions for the Sutton prepaid card (https://cash.app/legal/us/en-us/card-agreement), Sutton debit flex card (https://cash. app/legal/us/en-us/debit-flex-card-agreement-sutton), and Bancorp debit flex card (https:// cash.app/legal/us/en-us/debit-flex-card-agreement-bancorp).
Notables
Notable Earnings Today: Wells Fargo (NYSE: WFC), Citigroup (NYSE: C), Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS), JPMorgan Chase (NYSE: JPM), Bank of America (NYSE: BAC), Fastenal (Nasdaq: FAST), Phoenix Education Partners (NYSE: PXED), Ericsson (Nasdaq: ERIC), Aehr Test Systems (Nasdaq: AEHR), AngioDynamics (Nasdaq: ANGO), Equity Bancshares (NYSE: EQBK), Kestra Medical Technologies (Nasdaq: KMTS), Loop Industries (Nasdaq: LOOP).
Notable IPOs Today: N/A.
Notable Equity Crowdfunding Campaigns Ending Today: Vatom (Wefunder), Wild Rye (Wefunder), Dosa Rush (Honeycomb Credit), Once Upon a Time Books (Honeycomb Credit).
Notable Economic Events Today: ADP Employment Change Weekly (8:15 a.m. ET), Consumer Price Index / Core CPI (8:30 a.m. ET), TIC Net Long-Term Transactions (4:00 p.m. ET), API Weekly Crude Oil Stock (4:30 p.m. ET).
Lulu's Fashion Probes Options
Lulu's Fashion Lounge $LVLU ( ▼ 3.7% ) surged 30.96% in after-hours trading on Monday after the women’s dresses and clothing platform disclosed that it was exploring strategic options, which normally include getting acquired.
Details: A special committee of independent directors has been formed to consider all options, although the company stresses that the review process may not lead to any transaction.
Background: It’s been a mixed year for Lulu's Fashion. Although the company has been exploring different partnerships, it still reported a net loss this year.
Final Thoughts: The stock was surprisingly up 55% this year, although most of the gain occurred in early January. Since February, the stock is down 50%.
Penguin Solutions Posts New Offering
Penguin Solutions $PENG ( ▼ 1.46% ), a provider of memory and AI infrastructure, fell 6.85% in after-hours trading on Monday after announcing a proposed offering of $650 million in convertible notes.
Final Thoughts: The stock had been up over 280% this year.
Trends to Watch
Investing in Credit Card Debt: Robinhood Eyes Its First Bond Sale Backed by Credit Card Bills (Bloomberg)
Welcome to Mexico: Chipotle is opening its first restaurant in Mexico (CNBC)
AI Spending Fears: SK Hynix Stock Drops as AI Fears Resurface (Barron’s)
Pour One Out: After 7 1/2 tumultuous years, Brown-Forman CEO announces his retirement (Lexington Herald Leader)
Job Cuts: Volkswagen CEO flags 50,000 extra job cuts to staff as costs squeezed (Reuters)
Thank you for reading!
Forward to a friend and tell them to sign up here.
Pick winning stocks: Upgrade to Early Bird Prime.
Become a smarter investor: Get Early Bird Exclusives
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.
