Inflation Data, Tariff Worries Weigh on Stocks - Minute Briefing
Plus, automaker shares extend losses. And the Coreweave IPO disappoints in a stumble for the market for new public listings. Danny Lewis hosts.
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Corporate World Goes Quiet on Climate Pledges
Companies in various industries are removing climate change and net zero language from their reports, the Wall Street Journal reported this month, lamenting the fact that corporates were 'watering down' their commitments in the area. It may be temporary—or it may be the natural thing. Analysis of the proxy statements of a number of large businesses conducted by the WSJ showed that many of them were, it seems, less willing to discuss climate change and their response to it in as much detail as they were a few years ago. The WSJ suggested it was an about-turn prompted by the energy policies of the Trump administration and the axing of the Inflation Reduction Act. Companies 'implicated' in watering down their climate change language included American Airlines, Kroger, American Eagle Outfitters, and e.l.f. Beauty. Their crime was either reducing the amount of text dedicated to climate change and the respective company's efforts to counter it or entirely removing such text. The above are not the only ones that have gone rather general on climate change. Coca-Cola only mentions climate and emissions in general terms and briefly in its latest proxy statement. GM also does not go into a lot of detail on its net-zero efforts, and neither does United Airlines. Yet there are perfectly respectable reasons for this, even from a climate activist of these companies produce separate reports regarding climate change and emission reduction because it is the done thing these days. Indeed, one of them told the WSJ as much. 'We periodically adjust the copy used in the company's external messaging and communications,' a spokesperson for American Eagle Outfitters told the publication. 'AEO's commitment to reducing greenhouse-gas emissions remains unchanged.' Other comments from the mentioned companies follow the same lines: these businesses have already internalized emission-cutting language and action, and no longer feel the need to talk loudly about it. And, of course, there's the Trump factor at work. The current administration axed billions on subsidies for transition-related businesses. As a result, these businesses are suffering a fate even worse than theirs already was because of raw material inflation, higher borrowing costs that had nothing to do with the Trump admin, and, notably, a pullback from investors that realized they had grossly overestimated the speed, at which their investment in net zero would be returned. Trump's policies certainly hurt the coolness aspect of net-zero pledges and pronouncements but it was the lack of promised profits that likely played a bigger part and led to companies toning down these pledges and pronouncements. 'The whole sector — solar, wind, hydrogen, fuel cells — anything clean is dead for now,' one energy transition-focused hedge fund manager told Bloomberg earlier this year. 'The fundamentals are very poor,' Gupta, who manages some $100 million, told Bloomberg, adding, 'I'm not talking about long term. I'm talking about where I see weakness right now.' Apparently, the long-term outlook for net zero remains bright, but the short term is more problematic. Yet considerable problems abound not just in the industries directly related to the energy transition, such as it is. Even companies in other industries, such as air travel and cosmetics, are finding it difficult to stick to their pledges—at least without losing a lot of money. Tracking and reporting Scope 3 emissions, for instance, requires substantial resources and carries equally substantial costs. After all, it involves tracking the emissions of an entire supply chain from suppliers to consumers. Many corporations are realizing investing the money, time, and effort in this endeavor may not be worth it, especially with a federal government that does not care about any sort of energy transition at all. Another thing they are realizing is that, put crudely, emission tracking does not pay—not without a solid subsidy back that is at present absent. It was the Wall Street Journal again that reported how transition-focused startups were folding as Trump axed those subsidies. EV batteries, direct air capture, and even solar power, which was supposed to have become well established, are now suffering the consequences of overhyping. With the benefits that were promised to come from net zero never materializing, unlike costs related to the transition push, could anyone really blame corporate leaderships for removing net-zero language from their reports? Indeed, a recent survey from the Conference Board that the WSJ cited in its report found that as much as 80% of corporate executives said their companies were 'adjusting' their transition narrative—for fear of backlash that has prompted 50% of the respondents to entirely stop talking about net zero. That backlash can hardly be blamed on Trump. It is a natural consequence of the overhyping that never delivered on the promises made. What is happening, then, is a natural process that, one might argue, was even late in coming. By Irina Slav for More Top Reads From this article on
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IPO market shows 'cautious optimism' amid market uncertainty
Initial public offering (IPO) activity is picking up despite tariff concerns, with public debuts from names like Circle Internet Group (CRCL) and CoreWeave (CRWV). Greg Martin, Rainmaker Securities managing director, joins Asking for a Trend to discuss why companies are rushing to go public now. To watch more expert insights and analysis on the latest market action, check out more Asking for a Trend here. 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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CoreWeave, Inc. (CRWV): A Bull Case Theory
We came across a bullish thesis on CoreWeave, Inc. (CRWV) on Outperforming the Market's Substack by Simple Investing. In this article, we will summarize the bulls' thesis on CRWV. CoreWeave, Inc. (CRWV)'s share was trading at $ 135.05 as of 5th June. A scientist at a computer station, surrounded by a neural network of artificial intelligence code. CoreWeave's IPO has become one of the most closely watched in recent memory, offering a rare inside look into the infrastructure powering today's AI revolution. Originally founded as The Atlantic Crypto Corporation in 2017, the company pivoted from crypto mining to GPU-based cloud computing in 2022, just as demand for accelerated AI workloads began to explode. This well-timed shift has fueled explosive growth, with revenue soaring from $20 million in 2022 to $1.9 billion in 2024. CoreWeave now operates 32 data centers with over 250,000 Nvidia GPUs and more than 360 MW of active power, enabling it to serve top-tier clients such as OpenAI, Microsoft, Meta, Cohere, and Mistral. Its vertically integrated, Kubernetes-native platform is purpose-built for AI and delivers significantly higher performance, including up to 20% better Model FLOPS Utilization than legacy hyperscalers. Deeply tied to Nvidia—its largest partner and shareholder with a 5% stake—CoreWeave is often first to bring new GPU architectures like the H200 and GB200 NVL72 to market. While this relationship gives CoreWeave a competitive edge, it also presents concentration risks, as all current customer contracts mandate Nvidia hardware. Its business model centers on long-term, take-or-pay contracts averaging four years in duration, with 96% of 2024 revenue underpinned by these commitments. Customers prepay before CoreWeave installs capacity, derisking its growth. Now publicly listed, CoreWeave represents a compelling lens into the evolving AI infrastructure stack, combining purpose-built architecture, strategic alignment with Nvidia, and financial predictability, making it a cornerstone player in the AI economy. While CrowdStrike (CRWD) faces scrutiny over its elevated valuation and operational headwinds, CoreWeave (CRWV) offers a contrasting AI infrastructure bet rooted in explosive growth and Nvidia alignment. Both are central to the AI narrative—CRWD on the security front and CRWV on the compute backbone—but CoreWeave's take-or-pay contracts and visibility into future revenues provide a level of financial derisking not currently seen in CRWD's high-multiple, sentiment-sensitive profile. Previously, we covered a on CrowdStrike (CRWD) by Stock Whisperer on Substack in May 2025, pointing to bearish technicals, workforce reductions, and sentiment risk. While both highlight valuation concerns, Stock Whisperer adds near-term catalysts for caution, framing CRWD as vulnerable despite its long-term strength. Viewed together, CRWD and CRWV offer a study in contrasting AI exposure—mature cybersecurity versus hyper-growth infra. CoreWeave, Inc. (CRWV) is not on our list of the 30 Most Popular Stocks Among Hedge Funds. As per our database, 36 hedge fund portfolios held CRWV at the end of the first quarter which was 0 in the previous quarter. While we acknowledge the risk and potential of CRWV as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and have limited downside risk. If you are looking for an extremely cheap AI stock that is also a major beneficiary of Trump tariffs and onshoring, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. READ NEXT: 8 Best Wide Moat Stocks to Buy Now and 30 Most Important AI Stocks According to BlackRock. Disclosure: None. This article was originally published at Insider Monkey. Sign in to access your portfolio
