Traders Hedging Stocks at Record Highs Dabble in Exotic Options
The steady grind higher in the S&P 500 Index has pushed most gauges of implied and realized volatility to the lowest levels in months — in some cases years. The collapse in volatility after the April tariff shock has surprised many investors, given the geopolitical tensions and uncertainty around the impact of levies on corporate earnings.
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Asian stocks climb, dollar droops on Fed easing bets
By Kevin Buckland TOKYO (Reuters) -Asian equities rose on Thursday, with Japanese shares hitting a record high, as tech-led gains on Wall Street, upbeat earnings and growing expectations for U.S. rate cuts boosted sentiment. The prospect of a meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin over the war in Ukraine also underpinned sentiment, benefitting the euro, while weighing on oil prices as traders gauged the outlook for sanctions on Moscow. Sterling held its ground at a one-week high going into the Bank of England's policy announcement later in the day, with a quarter-point cut widely expected, and the focus falling on a possible three-way split within the board. At the same time, markets largely shook off Trump's latest tariff threats, including an additional 25% tariff on India over purchases of Russian oil and a threatened 100% duty on chips. Japan's broad Topix index rose 0.9% to reach an all-time high, with the more tech-focused Nikkei also gaining by about the same margin. Taiwan's stock benchmark surged 2.3% to a more than one-year peak. South Korea's KOSPI added 0.6%. Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose 0.4%, and mainland Chinese blue chips advanced 0.3%. Australian shares edged slightly lower after hitting a record high on Wednesday. U.S. stock futures were buoyant, with those for the S&P 500 up 0.3% and those for the Nasdaq also rising 0.3%. On Wednesday, the S&P 500 climbed 0.7% and the Nasdaq Composite jumped 1.2%. "Wall Street seems to have gotten its mojo back," analyst Kyle Rodda wrote in a note. "However, there are persistent risks to the downside. Downside surprises in official data are increasing," he said. "Valuations are also stretched, with forward price to earnings hovering around the highest in four years. And trade uncertainty persists." The U.S. dollar remained lower against major peers on Thursday, with expectations of easier policy from the Federal Reserve stoked both by some disappointing macroeconomic indicators - not least Friday's payrolls report - and Trump's move to install new picks on the Fed board that are likely to share the U.S. President's dovish views on monetary policy. Focus is centring on Trump's nomination to fill a coming vacancy on the Fed's Board of Governors and candidates for the next chair of the central bank, with current Chair Jerome Powell's tenure due to end in May. The dollar index, which gauges the currency against the euro, sterling and four other counterparts, gained slightly to 98.245, after dropping 0.6% on Wednesday. The euro was little changed at $1.1657, following the previous session's 0.7% jump. Sterling was steady at $1.3356. The BoE looks poised to cut interest rates for the fifth time in 12 months later on Thursday, but nagging worries about inflation are likely to split its policymakers and cloud the outlook for its next moves. Two Monetary Policy Committee members may push for a half-point rate cut, and two may lobby for no change. The dollar added 0.1% to 147.53 yen. Gold gained 0.4% to around $3,382 per ounce, buoyed by the weaker dollar. Crude oil clawed back some losses from Wednesday, when both Brent and West Texas Intermediate slid about 1%. Brent crude futures were last up 20 cents, or 0.3%, at $67.09 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude gained 22 cents, or 0.3%, to $64.57 a barrel. Sign in to access your portfolio
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3 ASX Penny Stocks With Over A$700M Market Cap
Australian shares recently made a strong push past the 8,800 level, marking a year-to-date increase of about 7%, though recent trading has seen some cautious selling. In this context, penny stocks—despite their somewhat outdated name—remain an intriguing area for investors seeking opportunities in smaller or newer companies. These stocks can offer surprising value and potential returns when backed by solid financial foundations, making them worth exploring for those interested in uncovering hidden gems within the market. Top 10 Penny Stocks In Australia Name Share Price Market Cap Financial Health Rating Alfabs Australia (ASX:AAL) A$0.40 A$114.64M ★★★★☆☆ EZZ Life Science Holdings (ASX:EZZ) A$2.36 A$111.33M ★★★★★★ GTN (ASX:GTN) A$0.375 A$71.5M ★★★★★★ IVE Group (ASX:IGL) A$2.90 A$447.13M ★★★★★☆ West African Resources (ASX:WAF) A$2.61 A$2.98B ★★★★★★ Southern Cross Electrical Engineering (ASX:SXE) A$1.82 A$481.22M ★★★★★★ Regal Partners (ASX:RPL) A$3.05 A$1.03B ★★★★★★ Austco Healthcare (ASX:AHC) A$0.385 A$140.68M ★★★★★★ CTI Logistics (ASX:CLX) A$1.85 A$149.01M ★★★★☆☆ Reckon (ASX:RKN) A$0.61 A$69.11M ★★★★☆☆ Click here to see the full list of 456 stocks from our ASX Penny Stocks screener. Let's explore several standout options from the results in the screener. Djerriwarrh Investments Simply Wall St Financial Health Rating: ★★★★★★ Overview: Djerriwarrh Investments Limited is a publicly owned investment manager with a market cap of A$862.81 million, focusing on managing investment portfolios. Operations: The company generates revenue primarily from its portfolio of investments, amounting to A$53.07 million. Market Cap: A$862.81M Djerriwarrh Investments Limited, with a market cap of A$862.81 million, is financially robust, as evidenced by its well-covered interest payments and operating cash flow exceeding debt. The company's seasoned management team and board of directors contribute to its stability. Despite earnings growth slowing to 0.6% over the past year compared to a 5-year average of 7.9%, Djerriwarrh maintains high-quality earnings and strong net profit margins at 73.8%. However, its dividend yield of 4.73% is not well covered by earnings or free cash flows, signaling potential sustainability concerns for income-focused investors. Get an in-depth perspective on Djerriwarrh Investments' performance by reading our balance sheet health report here. Examine Djerriwarrh Investments' past performance report to understand how it has performed in prior years. Kingsgate Consolidated Simply Wall St Financial Health Rating: ★★★★★☆ Overview: Kingsgate Consolidated Limited is involved in the exploration, development, and mining of gold and silver mineral properties, with a market cap of A$700.41 million. Operations: The company generates revenue primarily from its Chatree segment, amounting to A$210.69 million. Market Cap: A$700.41M Kingsgate Consolidated Limited, with a market cap of A$700.41 million, has demonstrated significant earnings growth of 1203% over the past year, far outpacing its industry peers. Despite this impressive growth and a strong return on equity of 74.4%, the company faces challenges such as short-term assets not covering long-term liabilities and recent executive changes with Mischa Mutavdzic appointed as CFO. While trading at a substantial discount to its estimated fair value, Kingsgate's debt management is commendable with well-covered interest payments and reduced net debt to equity ratio over time. Click here to discover the nuances of Kingsgate Consolidated with our detailed analytical financial health report. Gain insights into Kingsgate Consolidated's outlook and expected performance with our report on the company's earnings estimates. Regal Partners Simply Wall St Financial Health Rating: ★★★★★★ Overview: Regal Partners Limited is a privately owned hedge fund sponsor with a market cap of A$1.03 billion. Operations: The company generates revenue of A$257.55 million from its investment management services segment. Market Cap: A$1.03B Regal Partners Limited, with a market cap of A$1.03 billion, has shown remarkable earnings growth of 4050.4% over the past year, surpassing industry averages. The company is debt-free and trades below its estimated fair value by 25.2%, suggesting potential undervaluation compared to peers. Despite low return on equity at 7.8%, Regal maintains high-quality earnings and improved net profit margins from the previous year. Recent insider selling raises concerns; however, strong asset coverage for both short- and long-term liabilities provides financial stability. The company seeks strategic acquisitions to enhance shareholder value while maintaining disciplined M&A practices. Click to explore a detailed breakdown of our findings in Regal Partners' financial health report. Explore Regal Partners' analyst forecasts in our growth report. Seize The Opportunity Get an in-depth perspective on all 456 ASX Penny Stocks by using our screener here. Ready For A Different Approach? Find companies with promising cash flow potential yet trading below their fair value. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Companies discussed in this article include ASX:DJW ASX:KCN and ASX:RPL. This article was originally published by Simply Wall St. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@ Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
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Sticker Mule partners with xAI to deploy Grok to 370 employees and millions of customers
Sticker Mule partners with xAI to deploy Grok to 370 employees and millions of customers AMSTERDAM, N.Y., Aug. 06, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sticker Mule will bring Grok to 370 employees and millions of customers worldwide. Implementation begins in August with Grok being deployed across all departments including engineering, marketing, finance, support and manufacturing. 'Everyone with an email at Sticker Mule is getting Grok, including many front line factory employees,' said Sticker Mule CEO, Anthony Constantino. 'We wanted to be among the first to implement Grok company-wide as we most trust xAI's capabilities.' The company will also begin implementing Grok-powered customer support and utilize Grok as its business brain to enhance decision-making. 'AI is going to beat up pure software businesses, but it will help innovators that sell physical products like Sticker Mule,' Constantino said. 'AI can't manufacture, but it will help innovators, like Sticker Mule, to reach feature parity with incumbent software platforms.' Sticker Mule recently entered the e-commerce market by launching Stores which has already helped sellers earn nearly $200,000 while in beta. Constantino expects AI to accelerate development of Stores and position it to challenge incumbents like Shopify. To supplement Stores, the company is also building a suite of business tools to further help its sellers including Give, an automated online giveaway platform, that was launched recently. Give automates giveaways to help sellers grow their Email and SMS marketing lists. Sticker Mule is also soon to release Notify, a full blown Email and SMS marketing platform that's in beta testing and other tools will follow. 'We believe, with xAI, we can likely double sales with minimal staff growth which will enable us to significantly improve compensation for our team and store sellers,' said Constantino. About Sticker Mule Sticker Mule is the best way to buy and sell custom merchandise, including stickers, t-shirts, magnets, buttons, labels, packaging, keychains, temporary tattoos, and an award-winning hot sauce. Founded in 2010, today we are powered by 1,200+ people in 30+ countries, with factories in New York, South Carolina and Italy. Press contact Paul Antonelli press@ A photo accompanying this announcement is available at
