Major technology and semiconductor stocks posted strong gains, with Taiwan's Taiex hitting a record intraday high and AMD surpassing a $1 trillion valuation for the first time. Bitcoin also surged past $85,000 as falling oil prices triggered massive short liquidations, while corporate dealmaking continued across media, healthcare, and security sectors. However, regulatory and platform conflicts surfaced as Amazon blocked Meta's AI agent and Paramount settled a multi-state antitrust suit.
01Company specific
Amazon Restricts Internal Use of Meta's Muse AI Agent Over Security Concerns
Amazon began blocking Meta Platforms' newly launched Muse assistant from its online store on Sunday night after Meta declined a formal request to remove the site from the bot's automated capabilities. The giant displayed pop-up notifications to users stating that continued access by an unauthorized AI agent violates its conditions of use. Amazon cited security concerns regarding customer credentials and data, while noting that third-party shopping agents must identify themselves and secure prior authorization. The retailer also prohibits automated tools from browsing and purchasing items from its catalog to protect its recommendation systems and advertising streams. The block extends beyond Meta, with Amazon having previously restricted agentic purchasing tools from OpenAI and Google since 2025 as part of a broader defense of its retail storefront.
Paramount Accelerates California Settlement Talks Near Warner Bros. Merger
Paramount Skydance reached a settlement on Monday with a coalition of 12 state attorneys general to resolve an lawsuit challenging its $110 billion of Warner Bros. Discovery. California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced the agreement at a press conference, clearing the final major domestic legal hurdle for the megamerger ahead of a September 30 ticking fee deadline. Under the terms of the consent decree, Paramount committed to invest $1.5 billion in domestic film production over five years, representing $300 million more annually than the combined studios spent in 2025. The company agreed to release at least 30 films annually for the first two years, rising to 32 films per year for the subsequent three years, with a $30 million penalty per film for failing to meet the threshold. The agreement also requires Paramount to maintain its Los Angeles production lots, invest $9.5 million a year in workforce training, start a $5 million annual fund for indie movies, and establish independent editorial boards for CBS News and CNN. Additionally, the combined company must negotiate distribution for its basic cable channels separately for five years rather than bundling them. Paramount shares were flat at $10.15 following the announcement, while Warner Bros. shares rose 11% to $30.80.
Bitcoin Reaches $85,000 as Short Squeeze Triggers $648 Million Liquidations
surged past $85,000 on Monday morning for the first time since late January, driven by falling oil prices and a broader return of risk appetite to global markets. The token climbed nearly 6 percent to trade above $85,000 as slipped below $92 per following signals of potential diplomatic negotiations regarding the US-Iran conflict. The wider rose to approximately $2.8 trillion, accompanied by substantial liquidations across platforms. Short positions bore the brunt of the , triggering hundreds of millions of dollars in forced liquidations within a 24-hour window. Meanwhile, open interest on Deribit showed heavy concentration in call , reflecting an influx of bullish positioning as traders rotated away from downside protection.
Taiwan's Taiex Index Hits Record Intraday High Led by Tech Rally
cnbc.com reports that Taiwan's Taiex rose to a record intraday high of 48,601.53 on Tuesday, driven by gains in the technology sector following an -driven on Wall Street. TSMC shares rose 0.40%, MediaTek gained 7.88%, and Delta Electronics rose 2.67%. The technology sector accounts for about 88% of the benchmark market , with the industry dominating that share. Taiwan produces over 90% of the world's most advanced semiconductor chips measuring 7 nanometres and smaller. Taiwan has overtaken Canada to become the world's sixth-largest stock market, according to HSBC data from May. Traders are watching for August export orders due later today, with markets expecting a resilient print of 63.0% year-on-year compared to 61.9% in July.
AMD Reaches $1 Trillion Valuation on Strong AI Demand
Advanced Micro Devices topped a $1 trillion for the first time on Monday after its shares hit an intraday high of $613.92. The stock surged 9% during the session, capping a five-day winning streak in which shares gained about 24%. The broader sector rallied as the PHLX Semiconductor rose more than 3% amid optimism surrounding server CPU suppliers and demand. Meta's new AI agent application, Muse, reached the top spot among free apps on Apple's App Store, driving particular interest in server central processing units. In the second quarter, AMD reported of $11.54 billion, up 50% from $7.69 billion a year ago. Its unit contributed $6.7 billion of that total, representing a 107% increase from the prior-year period. Non-GAAP diluted rose 246% to $1.66 during the same quarter. CEO Lisa Su stated on the company's call that management expects to double data center sales in 2027. Nvidia currently holds a market cap of about $5.4 trillion as the primary AI chip leader.
AMD Q2 Revenue ($B)
Q2 revenue rose 50% year-over-year to $11.54 billion
Nike Stock Slump Raises Questions Over Its Spot in the Dow Jones Industrial Average
Nike shares sitting around $36 have reduced the sportswear maker to a 0.4 percent weighting in the price-weighted Industrial Average, the smallest among the 's 30 components. The declining stock price coincides with Nike's removal from the 100 after an 18-year run, leaving Palo Alto Networks to take its place. Because the Dow is price-weighted rather than market-capitalization-weighted, the low share price diminishes Nike's influence in the blue-chip even though the index committee maintains no automated removal rule based purely on share price. The pressure stems from a broader operational slump that has pulled fiscal 2026 down to $46.4 billion from $51.4 billion in fiscal 2024, while dropped to $3.1 billion from $5.7 billion over the same period. Direct-to-consumer operations have faced acute strain, with fiscal 2026 Nike Direct revenue falling 6 percent to $17.7 billion and digital sales tumbling 12 percent amid weaker customer traffic. At the same time, wholesale segments have shown signs of stabilization, as fiscal 2026 wholesale revenue rose 5 percent to $27.5 billion and third-quarter wholesale grew 4 percent. CEO Elliott Hill is leaning on a financial buffer that includes $7.56 billion in cash and equivalents and $2.9 billion in operating to fund product improvements and distribution upgrades. Full-year edged up to 42.9 percent from 42.7 percent, though fourth-quarter gross margin slipped 130 year over year to 40.2 percent. Management continues returning to shareholders through a quarterly of 41 cents per share payable on October 1.
Korea Zinc's $7.23B US Smelter Clears Key Environmental Review
Korea Zinc cleared a major regulatory hurdle for its planned $7.23 billion smelter in Tennessee after the U.S. government issued a finding of no significant impact for Project Crucible. The U.S. Department of War completed the final environmental review under the National Environmental Policy Act on September 11. Project Crucible involves building an integrated nonferrous metal smelting facility in Clarksville to produce zinc, lead, copper, and alongside 11 critical minerals and -grade sulfuric acid. The review examined air quality, greenhouse gas emissions, water resources, biological and cultural resources, waste and hazardous materials, traffic, and socioeconomic impacts. The clearance allows the project to proceed without advancing to a more intensive environmental impact statement process. Four of the 10 disclosed approval steps have been completed so far. The finding also serves as reference material for determining whether the Department of War will provide financial backing and whether the Tennessee Valley Authority will commit to power infrastructure support. The Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council previously designated Project Crucible as a FAST-41 subject in April, marking the first time a project led by a South Korean company joined the fast-track system for large-scale infrastructure licenses and permits.
S&P Global Acquires OpenZeppelin to Expand Tokenized Finance Risk Capabilities
Global agreed to acquire OpenZeppelin on September 17, 2026, bringing a smart contract security firm whose open-source libraries have supported more than $37 trillion in cumulative transferred value into the ratings giant. OpenZeppelin will operate as a standalone business unit within S&P Global, retaining its name and its existing operating structure under Chief Executive Officer Demian Brener, who will report to S&P Global Ratings President Yann Le Pallec. Financial terms were not disclosed, and S&P Global stated that it does not expect the transaction to have a material effect on its financial results. Founded in 2015, OpenZeppelin has conducted more than 900 security engagements, including a late-2021 review of Convex Finance that identified and resolved a vulnerability protecting about $15 billion in . The combines OpenZeppelin's smart contract security expertise with S&P Global's existing data, benchmarks, and risk analysis capabilities as financial institutions and issuers expand their onchain activity. Jefferies advised S&P Global on the financial aspects of the transaction, with Clifford Chance serving as legal counsel, while FT Partners and Cooley advised OpenZeppelin.
Telix Acquires ITM for $1.6 Billion to Expand Radiopharmaceutical Reach
Telix Pharmaceuticals is acquiring German radiopharmaceutical developer ITM Isotope Technologies Munich for $1.65 billion upfront in a deal that includes up to $700 million in milestone payments. Under the agreement, Telix will also assume more than $300 million of ITM's at closing. Post-, Telix shareholders will own approximately 76.3% of the combined company, while ITM backers will hold the remaining 23.7%. The transaction brings together Telix's cancer diagnostics with ITM's isotope manufacturing infrastructure, which spans more than 65 countries. ITM reported $273 million in sales last year, and the combined entity projects and income topping $1.3 billion this fiscal year. The purchase centers on ITM's lead radiopharmaceutical , ITM-11, which targets the somatostatin receptor for gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors. The asset received a complete response letter from the last month due to manufacturing concerns at a third-party facility, though ITM plans to resubmit its application after remediation talks. Telix expects to close the transaction by the end of the year, subject to regulatory conditions.
cbsnews.com reports that Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang told CBS News the tech industry should accelerate development rather than heed warnings to slow down. Huang stated that the Santa Clara-based chipmaker will push forward as fast as possible while ensuring product safety. The remarks come as for the company surpassed $5 trillion amid the ongoing AI boom. Industry concerns about rapid development intensified after Anthropic researcher Jacob Coxon resigned earlier this month to warn that security protocols are being rushed. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei subsequently echoed cautions about exponential growth and industry risks.
Surging tech valuations, mega-cap deals, and a crypto rally reflect strong risk appetite across global markets. Yet, mounting antitrust settlements and security blocks on autonomous AI tools leave open how regulatory friction will constrain corporate growth going forward.
This, every morning.
SuMarket writes Market Overview every morning, along with every other section of the market and the companies and topics you follow. Free to read.