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Today is Monday, March 17, 2025.

The Early Bird Index today is 69.19

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Oracle's Potential TikTok Deal

It’s not a done deal yet, but a report indicates that software company Oracle $ORCL ( ▲ 4.65% ) is accelerating talks with the White House to run TikTok.

Details: Politico reported on Sunday that Oracle will talk to lawmakers this week about a potential deal, although significant concerns remain about ByteDance’s role in the deal. Oracle did not respond to the report.

• The deal may also call for Oracle to oversee and protect the data of American users on TikTok.

Background: The report comes as Oracle recently posted disappointing financial results. Oracle wants to grow revenue through its artificial intelligence offerings.

Early Bird’s Nest Egg Gains: A TikTok deal would allow Oracle to significantly expand its cloud infrastructure and strengthen its position in the competitive cloud market.

• The deal would provide Oracle an opportunity to diversify beyond its traditional enterprise software focus and enter the consumer technology market.

• It could also allow Oracle to expand its data security leadership and get more clients.

Final Thoughts: Oracle’s stock is down 10% in 2025.

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Notables

Notable Earnings Today: Getty Images (NYSE: GETY), Open Lending (Nasdaq: LPRO), Science Applications (Nasdaq: SAIC), Townsquare Media (NYSE: TSQ), FibroGen (Nasdaq: FGEN), Harrow (Nasdaq: HROW), High Tide (Nasdaq: HITI), Hyperfine (Nasdaq: HYPR), Inspired Entertainment (Nasdaq: INSE), Lithium Argentina (NYSE: LAR), NRx Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: NRXP), Qifu Technology(Nasdaq: QFIN), Quanterix (Nasdaq: QTRX), RF Industries (Nasdaq: RFIL), Sangamo Therapeutics (Nasdaq: SGMO), Sonida Senior Living (NYSE: SNDA), Vicarious Surgical (NYSE: RBOT).

Notable IPOs Today: Columbus Acquisition Corp Ordinary Shares (Nasdaq: COLA).

Notable Equity Crowdfunding Campaigns Ending Today: Greyledge Technologies (StartEngine), The Treehouse (Honeycomb), Vast Therapeutics (StartEngine).

Notable Economic Events Today: Retail Sales / Core Retail Sales (8:30 a.m. ET), NY Empire State Manufacturing Index (8:30 a.m. ET), Business Inventories (10:00 a.m. ET), Retail Inventories Excluding Auto (10:00 a.m. ET).

Apple's Slimmer iPhone Future

The new iPhone from Apple $AAPL ( ▲ 1.84% ) could be vastly different than previous versions.

Details: Bloomberg reported on Sunday that Apple is thinking about either making the iPhone 17 (or a future version of the iPhone) without a USB-C charging port. This would be considered a slimmer version of the phone to boost sales.

Background: Sales of the iPhone are down in all global markets. Users are taking longer to upgrade phones and that is hurting Apple.

Final Thought: Apple’s stock is already down 12% this year. Maybe a slimmer model can boost iPhone sales in the future?

Solana Dips Amid User Activity Decline

The price of the cryptocurrency Solana $SOL.X ( ▲ 2.21% ) fell nearly 5% on Sunday and it had the worst day among major cryptos. This is amid a decline in user activity on the Solana network.

Final Thoughts: In the past 30 days, Solana’s price is down 35%.

Trends to Watch

New Age of Investing: The Days of Set-and-Forget Investing Just Ended for Many Americans (Wall Street Journal)

Inflation is Staying: U.S. consumers think inflation will shoot up in the year ahead (CNBC)

Great Bitcoin Debate: Bitcoin reclaims $80K zone as BNB, TON, GT, ATOM hint at altcoin season (Cointelegraph)

Tough Times: Wall Street’s recession odds are starting to look like a coin flip as Trump refuses to back down on his trade war (Fortune)

WTF: Trump’s Multimillionaire Treasury Secretary Calls Stock Market Drop ‘Healthy’ (Rolling Stone)

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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.}