MicroStrategy, referred to in the article as Strategy, sold 1,638 bitcoin last week for $104.7 million to increase its cash reserves. The company previously disclosed a $101.3 million bitcoin purchase in June at an average price of $65,332, while bitcoin has fallen to a three-week low. Following the sale, Strategy shares fell sharply, and analysts cautioned against buying.

Yum China (YUMC) reported second-quarter results with total revenue of $3.1 billion, up 13% year on year, helped by a net 560 store openings, and said it is optimistic about the rest of the year. The update pushed its Hong Kong-listed shares to a near three-and-a-half-month high and lifted its U.S.-listed shares to a near three-month high. The move was driven by company-specific earnings momentum, directly affecting Yum China’s stock.

Amazon shares surged after the company reported earnings, boosting founder Jeff Bezos’ wealth. Novo Nordisk fell nearly 9% after its late-stage experimental heart drug failed in a large study. Strategy said it would sell up to $5 billion of bitcoin, a move that weighed on the cryptocurrency.

GF Securities analyst Jeff Pu downgraded Apple to “Hold,” citing what he described as a once-in-a-century surge in memory prices and an expected $200–$300 rise in costs for the iPhone 18 Pro lineup. Apple CEO Tim Cook said on the company’s Q3 earnings call that memory pricing is seeing “exponential increases,” which he characterized as a “100-year flood.” The shift has pressured expectations for Apple’s hardware gross margins and has spilled over to assets tied to the memory supply chain.

Novo Nordisk shares slid, wiping $30.7 billion from the company’s market capitalization in a single session and leaving it down nearly 69% from its June 2024 peak. The company is pushing to commercialize oral versions of its GLP-1 medicines, having launched a Wegovy pill in the United Arab Emirates and the U.K. with plans to sell in the U.S. and globally. It has also entered a public dispute with Eli Lilly over the accuracy of advertising claims. The moves and the clash are part of intensifying competition in obesity and diabetes drugs, adding near-term pressure to biopharma-focused index tools such as ONUS.

Mercedes-Benz is recalling over 310,000 vehicles due to a door-lock issue involving potential corrosion of a microswitch. The defect could prevent the cars from detecting when a door is open and may cause the electronic parking brake and “AutoPark” features to stop working automatically. The recall covers certain A-Class and C-Class sedans, GLC SUVs and CLE coupes, according to the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

Taco Bell was linked to a cyclospora outbreak that drove a sharp drop in customer visits, with foot traffic down 31% on July 17. More than 1,600 patients across five states reported eating at Taco Bell, while the suspected lettuce was pulled and supplier Taylor Farms issued a recall in 27 states. The incident underscores how food-safety events can disrupt fresh-produce supply chains and weigh on restaurant operations in the near term.

The Cheesecake Factory (CAKE) climbed to an intraday record high on Wednesday after its latest earnings report beat expectations. The stock is up nearly 91% this year after starting the year at just over $52. Its market value has risen to nearly $5 billion, marking a more than 500% rebound from below $1 billion in 2020. The company operates 375 locations in the U.S. and Canada.

Saudi Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Alsaud disclosed a 5% stake in electric-vehicle maker Lucid Motors (NASDAQ: LCID) worth more than $150 million. The disclosure came after Lucid shares had fallen 99.6% from their November 2021 peak and as the company reported a first-quarter net loss of over $1 billion and carried out two rounds of layoffs. The move helped ease market concerns about bankruptcy risk and pushed the stock up 20% in a single session.