Today is Thursday, September 17, 2026.

The Early Bird Index today is 85.60.

New to this newsletter? Sign up here

Homebuilder Lennar $LEN ( ▼ 2.14% ) posted disappointing financial results on Wednesday. Combined with blunt executive comments, the stock fell 2.07% in after-hours trading.

Financials: Lennar reported earnings of $1.19 per share in the past quarter and revenue of $8 billion. Both were lower than expected.

Details: New orders decreased by 9% while deliveries fell 3%. The company also lowered its outlook for deliveries in the current quarter.

Quote: “Our third quarter 2026 results reflect consistent focus on our operating strategy of maintaining volume and production while navigating a challenging economic environment. While our earnings of $1.19 per share were below expectations, they reflect the nature of the environment in which we are operating, which has deteriorated since our last earnings call.” - CEO and President Stuart Miller.

Powering the Story: Miller went on to attribute the troubling operating environment to higher mortgage rates, which are up due to inflation and geopolitical tension, as well as declining consumer confidence.

Early Bird’s Nest Egg Gains: The Fed raised interest rates on Wednesday. On balance, the Fed rate hike is another negative for homebuilders, especially if it confirms a “higher-for-longer” mortgage-rate regime. But the direct effect is likely smaller than the market’s response to inflation.

Final Thoughts: Lennar’s stock was already down about 24% this year.

Home furniture brand Blu Dot blew up on CTV with help from Roku Ads Manager. Here’s how:

After a test campaign reached 211,000 households and achieved 1,010% ROAS, the brand went all in to promote its annual sales event. It removed age and income constraints to expand reach and shifted budget to custom audiences and retargeting, where intent was strongest.

The results speak for themselves. As Blu Dot increased their investment by 10x, ROAS jumped to 2,308% and more page-view conversions surpassed 50,000.

“For CTV campaigns, Roku has been a top performer,” said Claire Folkestad, Paid Media Strategist, Blu Dot. “Comping to our other platforms, we have seen really strong ROAS… and highly efficient CPMs, lower than any other CTV partner we've worked with.”

Using Roku Ads Manager, the campaign moved from a pilot to a permanent performance engine for the brand.

Learn More

Notable Earnings Today: N/A.

Notable IPOs Today: Three Lions Acquisition Corp. Ordinary Shares (Nasdaq: TLAC), Market Technology Acquisition Corp Class A Ordinary Shares (Nasdaq: MTAK), Catalyst Acquisition Corp. Class A Ordinary Share (Nasdaq: CATL).

Notable Equity Crowdfunding Campaigns Ending Today: Head Turning Crochet Boutique (Honeycomb Credit), Chainsaw LA #2 (Honeycomb Credit).

Notable Economic Events Today: Jobless Claims (8:30 a.m. ET), Philadelphia Fed Manufacturing Index (8:30 a.m. ET), Philly Fed Employment (2:30 a.m. ET), Building Permits (8:30 a.m. ET), Housing Starts (8:30 a.m. ET), Pending Home Sales (10:00 a.m. ET), Fed's Balance Sheet (4:30 p.m. ET).

Generac Holdings $GNRC ( ▲ 0.05% ), which makes backup power generation products, surged 32.49% in after-hours trading on Wednesday after disclosing a deal with Amazon $AMZN ( ▼ 0.99% ).

Details: Amazon now has the right to buy up to $340 million of Generac stock. It also gets 307,954 shares of stock vested immediately.

Powering the Story: As part of the deal, both companies formed a long-term supply agreement. Generac will supply Amazon with backup generators that total $2.4 billion in 2027 and 2028. 

Final Thoughts: Amazon ticked up 0.75% in after-hours trading. Investors were pleased that Amazon is investing more in generators for its data centers.

Nike $NKE ( ▼ 1.22% ) ticked up 0.70% in after-hours trading on Wednesday after appointing Alexandre Arnault, deputy CEO of Moët Hennessy, LVMH's wines and spirits division, to its board of directors.

Final Thoughts: Nike’s stock is down over 43% this year.

That’s Not Economics: Trump demands 1% or lower interest rate after first Fed hike since 2023 (CNBC)

Big Withdrawal: Bitcoin ETFs shed $450M in biggest outflow since June (Cointelegraph)

Whipsawed: Bitcoin, ether swing after unanimous quarter-point Fed rate hike as Warsh takes aim at inflation (The Block)

Threats Loom: Boeing’s Commercial Delays Threaten to Clip Its Wings (Wall Street Journal)

A Golden State Goodbye: Paramount Sets California Exit Plans Over Antitrust Battle With Blue States & Stymied $111B WBD Merger (Deadline)

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

Connect with other investors: Join The Nest

Want more investing tips? Listen to the podcast.

Show Your Support: Buy Me a Coffee.

Questions or comments? Hit reply to reach out.