MarketBeat Week in Review - 08/18 - 08/22

Stocks rallied to end the week after Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell suggested that an interest rate cut is likely in September. Speaking at the Jackson Hole symposium, Powell remarked that the “policy rate was restrictive.” That and other comments were enough for investors to push stocks higher.

The rally could be short-lived. September is historically the weakest month for stocks. Plus, the August reading of the Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) index will be released at the end of next week. This is the Fed’s preferred inflation gauge, and it could reignite inflation fears.

The market has been anything but quiet this summer, and investors can expect more volatility heading into Fall. The MarketBeat analysts are here to point out opportunities that exist regardless of what’s going on in the market. Here are some of our most popular stories from this week.

Articles by Thomas Hughes

As if investors needed another reason to own NVIDIA Corp. (NASDAQ: NVDA) stock, Thomas Hughes wrote about the tech giant’s market leadership position in robotic automation. Hughes reminded investors that this is only a small fraction of the company’s revenue today, but will be a massive revenue generator in the next decade.

Short sellers had a good start to this week, and Hughes gave investors a list of five stocks with high short interest. If these companies post strong results, short covering could lead to higher stock prices.

Hughes also wrote about the opportunity in Medtronic PLC (NYSE: MDT) following its quarterly earnings. The solid results didn’t lift the stock, but Hughes outlined the high points in the report that should appeal to income-oriented investors.

Articles by Sam Quirke

Salesforce Inc. (NYSE: CRM) has been one of the worst-performing technology stocks in 2025. But Sam Quirke explained why the company’s fortunes look brighter and analysts are beginning to notice the value in CRM stock.

After an initial post-earnings slide, Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) stock has started to rally. This week, Quirke pointed out a key technical signal that suggests a year-end rally in AMZN stock may be getting underway.

After a mostly disastrous start to 2025, Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ: TSLA) stock has been rallying since the company’s earnings report. This week, Quirke pointed out a bullish move in the TSLA stock chart that could set the stage for a retest of recent highs.

Articles by Chris Markoch

Before Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell spoke this week, investors got an opportunity to hear what Chris Markoch advised about the speech. As Markoch reminded investors, whatever Powell says, every Fed decision gives investors a roadmap, and there are sectors that will benefit either way.

Markoch also wrote about Palantir Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: PLTR) before it started to sell off. The company’s latest earnings report showed strong growth in both areas of its business, but Markoch explained why the path to $200 may not be a fast one.

Investors rotated away from mega-cap tech stocks this week. However, Markoch noted that options activity and analyst ratings show that many investors are starting to make bullish bets for Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT) in September.

Articles by Ryan Hasson

Rocket Lab USA Inc. (NASDAQ: RKLB) is one of the most enticing names in the emerging space sector. However, Ryan Hasson noted that investors face a fork in the road. RKLB stock is up more than 72% in 2025 but is down over 6% in the last month. With no immediate catalysts on the horizon, Hasson explained how investors may want to balance the company’s breakout potential versus making a patient entry.

Rocket Lab is one of many space stocks that could make attractive investment options. Hasson highlighted five space stocks that can give long-term investors exposure to the potentially explosive gains in this sector in the next decade.

Articles by Gabriel Osorio-Mazilli

The sell-off in Palantir was one of the big stories of this week. With questions being raised about how low PLTR may go, Gabriel Osorio-Mazilli suggested investors look at BigBear.ai Holdings Inc. (NYSE: BBAI) as a hedge against the lofty valuation of PLTR stock.

Demand for AI infrastructure stocks remains strong. However, Osorio-Mazilli noted that most of the spending, for now, is focused on companies that are building data centers. That leaves room for a stock like Super Micro Computer Inc. (NASDAQ: SMCI) that provides vital, yet overlooked, technology for data center operations.

Intel Corp. (NASDAQ: INTC) was a big mover this week, but Osorio-Mazilli pointed investors to a potentially bigger prize in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Ltd. (NYSE: TSM). In his own words, Osorio-Mazilli wrote that TSM stock is “a way to tap into this growth through a much more advanced and diversified company.”

Articles by Leo Miller

Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ: META) has been one of the best-performing mega-cap tech stocks in 2025. That’s been due to the company’s advertising business. However, Leo Miller explained why Mark Zuckerberg reminds investors not to take their eye off the company’s opportunity with smart glasses, which he believes may become more important than smartphones.

Berkshire Hathaway’s disclosed purchase of UnitedHealth Group stock shocked markets last week. However, Miller explained why investors may want to pay attention to other interesting buys that Berkshire made in the second quarter.

Insider buying and selling can signal to investors about broader market sentiment toward a stock. This week, Miller highlighted three stocks with significant insider trades in the past month and the relative importance of each stock.

Articles by Nathan Reiff

Earnings season is a good opportunity for momentum investors to capitalize on solid reports. This week, Nathan Reiff highlighted three companies whose stocks are soaring after earnings and are backed by strong analyst sentiment that could send them even higher.

Significant attention is being paid to pursuing peace in several global conflicts. However, Reiff reminds investors that they see an uptick in global defense budgets, which could be bullish for these three next-generation defense stocks.

Many investors are participating in this market through passive fund investing. It’s a solid strategy, but you must know what you own. This week, Reiff pointed out four stocks that every AI ETF is buying, and the names may surprise you.

Articles by Dan Schmidt

Savvy investors have picked up on a trend with restaurant stocks this earnings season. Dan Schmidt analyzed the shift from fast food to fast casual and how three fast food companies are fighting the trend and winning.

Articles by Jeffrey Neal Johnson

Things are getting real in the electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) space. However, Jeffrey Neal Johnson reminded investors that this activity is drawing the attention of bulls and bears, perhaps for different reasons.

For example, Joby Aviation Inc. (NYSE: JOBY) stock has been falling since its earnings report on August 5 as several analysts have downgraded the stock. However, those analysts may be underweighting significant developments such as the successful test flight that shows flying cars are well past the concept stage.

Archer Aviation Inc. (NYSE: ACHR) is the other half of the current eVTOL duopoly. Archer’s stock is rising after its successful test flight and military contracts have drawn more attention to the company’s opportunity to build out its Midnight vehicles at scale.

Articles by Jordan Chussler

Industrial stocks have been solid options for investors looking for alternatives to the tech sector. This week, Jordan Chussler highlighted the strong performance of CSX Corp. (NASDAQ: CSX) and why this undervalued stock may be setting up to be a strong value play even as it hits an all-time high.

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The article "MarketBeat Week in Review – 08/18 - 08/22" first appeared on MarketBeat.