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TheStreet aims to feature only the best products and services. If you buy something via one of our links, we may earn a commission.Why we love this dealOutdoor cooking involves more than just the grill itself. Preparing ingredients, keeping utensils within reach, finding a place for plates, seasonings, and drinks — it can be a lot. Thankfully, investing in a prep station that’s portable and convenient can help alleviate the problem, offering extra workspace, a place for people to plate their food, or serving as an extra drink station to prevent people from running to the fridge. This can help keep your barbecue running smoothly while also keeping your outdoor area tidy. Some are even portable enough to take on camping trips.The Pargrill Folding Grill and Griddle Cart brings a workspace to the backyard, on camping trips, and to the tailgate. It works with tabletop grills, propane camping stoves, pizza ovens, or just as an organizational tool for food prep. Originally $197, this cart is on sale for just $110 at Walmart.Pargrill Folding Grill Cart, $110 (was $197) at Walmart

Courtesy of Walmart

Shop at WalmartWhy do shoppers love it?Convenience is key, especially during busy family gatherings or outdoor trips. Whether you’re preparing burgers for a family cookout or breakfast at the campsite, this table provides a dedicated surface. It’s compatible with a variety of outdoor cooking options, including 17-inch and 22-inch tabletop grills. It includes a 15-inch by 13-inch pull-out side table that creates additional prep space or an extra station to hold utensils or accessories, along with a spacious 30-inch by 14.5-inch middle shelf for storing propane, ingredients, and serving items. If that wasn’t enough, it also has a paper towel holder, a bottle opener, and a griddle caddy that holds sauces, oil, or seasonings. Additionally, three tool hooks can be found on the side of the cart to hang tongs and scrapers.Related: Blackstones are rapidly taking over grilling season — here’s whyThe grill table measures 31 inches long, plus the 15-inch pull-out tray, 18 inches deep, and 30 inches tall, and can hold a total of 250 pounds. It conveniently folds up into a 6.4 inch by 18.9 inch compact rolling cart that easily fits into the trunk, or can be leaned up against the wall out of the way when not in use. The full table weighs just under 45 pounds, making it manageable to maneuver with one to two people. The pros and cons of this dealProsStorage: With three utensil hooks, a pull-out tray, a caddy, and a lower shelf, this grill cart has tons of space for all your needs. Convenient and portable: The folding design makes it easy to store away or take with you on trips.Cons Not for long-term storage: Although the storage is great when you need it, it will need to be emptied before folding the table up. Weight: At just over 44 pounds, you may need two people to load this in the trunk.One shopper said, “This cart is perfect. It was very easy to assemble for a single 50-year-old woman. It is heavy enough that it has not blown away in Wisconsin winds on my concrete patio. It folds up and rolls around on its two wheels very easily. It’s perfect to use as an extra table next to the Blackstone or as an extra bar cart.””​​This is nicer than I was expecting,” another buyer said. “It comes almost already assembled.”Shop more dealsNuuk Rolling Grill Cart, $70 (was $91) at WalmartFrizi Portable 2-Burner Tabletop Grill, $114 (was $200) at WalmartPargrill Three-Shelf Grill Prep Station, $100 (was $170) at WalmartWhether you need a spot to set your portable cooker or want to have more room for food prep and serving, the bestselling Pargrill Folding Grill Cart is sturdy, convenient, and has a heavy-duty weight capacity and plenty of storage accessories for only $110. Shoppers save 44% at Walmart.

Louis Navellier has been active in the stock market for approximately 46 years, beginning with the publication of his quantitative research in 1980, the MPT Review. He regularly shares his thoughts with TheStreet readers in this column.There is a false narrative out there that Asia is taking over and that the U.S. tech sector will be overpowered by Chinese AI firms and Korean memory companies. I recommend investors ignore it.The U.S. remains the leader in artificial intelligence, and the AI data center buildout is real. Right now, AI is constrained by memory and computing restrictions, hence the backlog to build more data centers; otherwise, OpenAI, Anthropic, Grok, and other AI developers will continue to hit a computing wall.This is why I am not worried about the narrative that Nvidia (NVDA, C) is creating its own sales through circular financing. All Nvidia is doing is asserting its market dominance. They have pricing power, all the flexibility, and the best technology. Nvidia is my largest holding, and I have no intention of selling the stock, which I expect will be $300 by the end of this year and at least $500 by the end of this decade. Overall, my stock grading system rates NVIDIA as a C. 

Our rating systems are composed of two main components. The fundamental grade, which looks at qualitative factors such as sales growth, return on equity, among others, and a “quantitative” grade, which factors in how the company trades relative to the market. The total grade above is weighted 70% on the quantitative score. It’s important to remember that the fundamental grade changes each quarter, and the quantitative grade changes each day.   Related: Backlog Mania: Stocks to Watch This Earnings SeasonWe have three weeks of earnings coming out. We need to let the earnings come out and do their thing rather than worry about the market’s daily gyrations.The market has no patience for disappointing earningsAs second-quarter earnings reports unfold, fundamentally superior stocks are being rewarded, while companies with disappointing results are being punished.Tesla (TSLA, D) and SpaceX (SPCX, Not Rated), for example, have recently weighed on the broader stock market. Although Tesla continues to report strong sales, its operating margins are collapsing, and the company now has negative cash flow as it ramps up production of the Optimus robot, initially designed for factory use.My stock grading system rates Tesla as a D.

Meanwhile, SpaceX has declined approximately 50% from its highs and is not expected to become profitable until late 2027 or 2028. Money managers who have “bet the ranch” on Elon Musk, including Ron Baron and Cathie Wood, consequently, have negative year-to-date returns.We are in the midst of a strong earnings announcement season, and the stock market has little patience for companies that fail to announce strong sales, earnings, positive surprises and guidance.Nvidia is not Tesla or SpaceX.Related: Tesla sales rebound hides costly problem for investors

Apple (AAPL) reported the type of quarter that should have sent its stock price skyrocketing.Revenue rose 16% from a year earlier to $109 billion, while profit increased 26% to $29 billion. iPhone sales jumped 22%, Mac revenue climbed 25%, and the iPhone 17 produced the biggest product launch in Apple’s history.Shares still sank more than 7% in after-hours trading.Investors weren’t worried that buyers had stopped buying Apple items. They worried that Apple could not produce enough of them.Supply bottlenecks that are already hurting the availability of Macs will get worse and spread to the iPhone and iPad businesses, CEO Tim Cook said. One of the pressure points was improved CPUs, for which Apple relies largely on Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.The warning posed an unusual dilemma for Apple: demand is higher than projected, yet the corporation has limited ability to boost supply.But an unsold item doesn’t make money, no matter how many buyers desire it.“This is not a regular supply issue, it’s a demand forecast issue, to be candid,” Cook said. “We’ve got a quarter ahead where we’ll be scrambling on the supply side.”Apple’s demand surge created a revenue ceilingApple’s results revealed its most significant items remain quite popular.Cook said the company underestimated demand, particularly for the iPhone and Mac. That distinction matters because the warning does not indicate a weakening brand or a disappearing customer base.It does indicate a failure in prediction.Apple uses its size, its relationships with suppliers, and its inventory management to ensure it can maintain products in stock for big product releases. Cook’s recognition that the corporation has little flexibility suggests that those instruments are inadequate to rapidly address the present supply deficit.Related: If you financed your iPhone with Apple, read this nowSome purchases simply may slip into a later quarter. Other customers may delay an upgrade, choose another model, or walk away instead of waiting for an unavailable product.The risk is highest in the first weeks after a product debut when excitement and marketing are at their peak. Even when the underlying demand is solid, estimates of long delivery delays can sap momentum.Apple also saw a brief lift to its profits in the quarter. The BBC estimates that tariff refunds raised its gross margin by nearly two percentage points, which equates to roughly $1.1 billion.Cook said Apple intends to reinvest the reimbursements back into the United States. The business has already pledged $600 billion for domestic manufacturing over four years.That spending could eventually make Apple’s supply chain more resilient. It does little to address the current supply shortfall.Apple is paying for the AI era before Siri deliversApple’s supply warning comes amid fierce competition among tech companies for advanced chips and manufacturing capacity.Those processors are needed by the company to power its latest iPhones, Macs and artificial intelligence features. But Apple’s redesigned Siri is still in public beta, or early prerelease, and not yet a proven source of new revenue.More Apple:Apple stock move vindicates Palantir CEO warning for AI industryApple’s iPhone cost problem reveals AI’s hidden billApple’s 2027 hardware refresh sends Wall Street a warningCook touted on-device artificial intelligence as a “competitive weapon.” Additional functions directly on an iPhone or Mac might be better for privacy, speed, and product differentiation.This method can finally make customers upgrade their devices.Before Apple’s new AI platform will be able to generate a tangible financial return, the company needs to secure the components needed to produce such gadgets.The corporation also has distribution problems. Cook said discussions with European Union authorities over the new Siri are still ongoing as Apple strives to make the digital assistant widely available simultaneously.

Apple’s demand surge may cost it billions in lost salesVALERIE MACON / Getty Images

Apple’s next leader inherits a dangerous kind of successIncoming CEO John Ternus will not inherit a corporation starved for customers.He’ll inherit a corporation with more customers than management had anticipated, wanting more products; a corporation whose supply chain may not be able to keep up.That’s better than demand collapsing, but it can still affect growth, profits, and investor confidence.What Apple investors should watchAvailability of the newest iPhone, Mac and iPad models.Whether delayed purchases move into later quarters.The effect of component shortages on revenue.Gross margins after the tariff-refund benefit fades.Whether Siri AI encourages device upgrades.Apple’s progress expanding domestic manufacturing.The bullish view is that the shortfall shows the continued strength of Apple’s brand. Customers are buying iPhones and Macs more quickly than the business expected.The bear case is that record demand doesn’t matter if Apple can’t produce enough things to meet it.Cook made his name by converting Apple’s supply chain into a competitive advantage. His new warning suggests that even the world’s most sophisticated hardware operation has its limits.Apple’s difficulty is not finding buyers.It is making sure its hottest sales cycle doesn’t finish with empty shelves.Related: Apple rewrites how Americans pay for iPhones

TheStreet aims to feature only the best products and services. If you buy something via one of our links, we may earn a commission.Why we love this dealYou change or adjust your clothing with each new season, so why not your bedding? Although not everyone has the money to swap out their comforter every time the calendar flips forward another month, a little refresh and change out every now and again can be good for the spirit and for the season. Some folks like to change up the pattern, print, or color, and some find it a necessity because certain bedding isn’t made for all year use. Overly heavy duvets or down comforters might be perfect for use during cold, winter weather, but they can become stifling and leave you sweaty once the spring and summer seasons roll in. If you’re looking for a summer spruce up when it comes to your bed set, and want a new fun pattern or color to play around with, look no further than Macy’s, which has a gorgeous printed green and white set for 65%.The Macy’s Kathryn Botanical 8-Piece Comforter Set originally retails for $100, but it’s available for more than half that right now. You get not one but eight items — in every set but the twin-sized— to fully deck out your bedroom and refresh your room for the summer season. Macy’s Kathryn Botanical 8-Piece Comforter Set, $35 (was $100) at Macy’s

Courtesy of Ma

Shop at Macy’sWhy do shoppers love it?Frequent shoppers know — quality bedding doesn’t come cheap. A quick search and a bit of research will tell you that long-lasting bedding, especially an eight-piece set like this, can range anywhere between $80 to over $300 on average. Sometimes a comforter or a set of sheets can cost that alone, so when opportunities to get quality for a low cost arrive, it’s nothing to ignore.The set, which uses green botanical and floral motifs to “bring nature indoors”, adds a pop of color to a room without being over the top. It’s even reversible, with one side featuring green motifs against a white background, and the other white elements against a green background. As an eight-piece set, you receive a comforter, two pillow shams, a bed skirt, a flat sheet, a fitted sheet, and two pillowcases when you order it in as a full-, queen-, or king-size. The only difference with the twin-size option is that you only get one pillow sham and one pillowcase, instead of two each, thus instead of an eight-piece you end up with a six-piece set.Because the set is made with polyester, with the comforter having the extra addition of polyester fill to give it its fluffy texture, the bedding is soft, durable, and wrinkle-resistant. Polyester is also resistant to fading and shrinking, and it maintains its quality better over time because it outlasts natural fibers and is machine-washable. Sweatier sleepers should be aware that polyester isn’t breathable the way natural fibers are, so the material traps body heat making you more likely to occasionally overheat if you’re a hot sleeper, but on the other hand, it provides incredible insulation and warmth which is what you want in a comforter or set of sheets. Related: Macy’s 3-piece cottagecore floral comforter set is on sale for just $24Although there are seasonal sets, this one is marketed for year-round use offering all-season warmth. It’s super soft, especially the comforter which is plush and bouncy thanks to the polyester fill. It can be machine washed, and as always, to better retain color and quality, wash with cold water on a gentle cycle, and then either tumble on low to dry in the dryer or lay out and let air dry. Details to knowMaterial: Polyester fabric and polyester fill.Includes: Every set (except the twin-size) includes a comforter, two pillow shams, a bed skirt, a flat sheet, a fitted sheet, and two pillowcases. The twin-sized set includes a comforter, bed skirt, flat sheet, and fitted sheet but only one pillow sham and one pillowcase. Size: Twin, full, queen, and king. Care: Machine wash.Shoppers love that the reversible element of the set allows you to play around with patterns and change it up easily. The set doesn’t wrinkle or shrink, and stays super soft and airy even after multiple washes. Many shoppers say that it’s definitely better for warmer months than all-year use, but that it has a comfortable weight to it that for the most part feels smooth on skin and keeps you warm. “Soft, calming, and pretty without being boring,” one shopper described it. “Not heavy in a suffocating way, just that perfect cozy weight that makes you feel tucked in and comfortable.” Shop more deals Charter Club Jacobean Border 3-Piece Quilt Set, $71 (was $285) at Macy’sArch Studio Printed Cotton Sateen 3-Piece Sheet Set, $29 (was $60) at Macy’s WalmartA new season is the perfect time to swap out your bedding, and the Macy’s Kathryn Botanical 8-Piece Comforter Set is a strong contender that pairs perfectly with the season.

TheStreet aims to feature only the best products and services. If you buy something via one of our links, we may earn a commission.Why we love this dealThere’s one thing that every room in your home could surely use more of, and that’s storage. Whether you’re a consummate packrat who likes to keep every odd and end, or you’re simply organization-minded and like to keep everything in its place, a good storage cabinet should probably be in your future. Luckily, Amazon has some of the best deals on pantries and storage cabinets anywhere on the internet. Not only does the online giant have a huge selection of models to choose from, but it also offers some of the best prices you’ll find on furniture anywhere. The Kepptory Freestanding Farmhouse Storage Cabinet is available at Amazon for only $99. Over 1,000 of these cabinets have been bought in the past 30 days, so you’d better consider getting yours now if you want one before they sell out. According to Amazon’s price tracker, the cost was previously $136, so this reduction is obviously causing a run on the pantry.Kepptory Freestanding Farmhouse Storage Cabinet, $99 at Amazon

Courtesy of Amazon

Shop at AmazonWhy do shoppers love it?This storage cabinet is the perfect solution to all of your storage and organization woes. With impressively large dimensions of 23.62 inches long by 15.7 inches wide by 47.24 inches high, you can fit just about anything inside, no matter which room you use it in. In the kitchen, it makes for a great food pantry, while in the dining room you may choose to keep your dinnerware there so it remains close at hand. Not only is the cabinet large, but it’s also designed for efficient organization.The double doors have an attractive farmhouse motif on the outside, and six spacious shelves on both sides of the inside. Each shelf also has a dowel railing, so any jars or other delicate items you choose to store behind them will stay in place. The cabinet is made from engineered wood, which is sturdy, lightweight, and water resistant. That makes it ideal for use in the kitchen or bathroom where spills and splashes can happen. The cabinet comes in seven sizes and configurations as well as three color variants, so there’s something for every buyer and every room. On the inside, there is a lower cubby, plus four additional shelves for added storage. The spaciousness of this cabinet should not be understated: it’s massive. For added safety, the pantry includes a wall-mounting kit. It allows you to attach the upper half of the cabinet to the nearest wall, thereby avoiding any tipping hazards that may arise once you have the shelves completely full. This piece looks great and holds a lot of household goods. If you get it at the current price, then you’re ahead of the organization game.Related: Walmart has a storage cabinet with drawers and a cupboard for just $67Amazon shoppers were very happy with this cabinet. One claimed “I might buy a second one,” before adding that it’s “beautiful” and “spacious.”Shop more deals Gaious Metal Kitchen Pantry, $100 at AmazonRistern White Metal Storage Cabinet, $70 (was $90) at AmazonWashsemba Bold 2-Door Storage Sideboard, $100 at AmazonIf you value extra storage space and keeping your space organized, then the Kepptory Freestanding Farmhouse Storage Cabinet is a great buy. At just $99, you won’t regret adding this to your home’s floor plan. 

Pizza seems like the perfect food for challenging economic times.It’s cheap compared to most lunch and dinner options, and it both travels well and works great as leftovers. But the overall pizza business has struggled.”The headlines are not kind to pizza right now. Pizzerias have fallen from Americans’ favorite restaurant category to sixth place, trailing coffee shops and Mexican restaurants. Restaurant counts have been declining since 2019,” according to Nation’s Restaurant News (NRN).It’s not one thing hurting the industry. Inflation has led to customers ordering less often, and third-party delivery services have cut into margin, while taking valuable data that used to belong to the pizza chains.”The result is visible in the numbers. Consumers are ordering smaller pizzas with fewer toppings, franchise owners are watching margins compress from both ends, and structural shifts like the rise of GLP-1 medications are quietly pulling portion sizes and order frequency down further,” NRN added. That has forced a number of national pizza chains, including Papa John’s and Pizza Hut, to close hundreds of restaurants. Now, another national pizza chain, Papa Murphy’s, has decided to close 68 restaurants.Papa Murphy’s closing restaurantsPapa Murphy’s uses a different business model than traditional pizza chains. Instead of delivering hot, fresh pizza, the chain sells take-and-bake pizzas that customers have to cook at home.The company shared an explainer of its business model on its website.More Restaurants:74-year-old fast food giant closes 207 U.S. restaurantsIconic burger chain closes 89-year-old restaurant for good86-year-old nationwide ice cream chain closes 46 stores”As the franchisor of the largest Take ‘n’ Bake pizza brand, we aim to provide our guests with unparalleled service, quality, and innovation so they can create the best at-home meal experience. We also believe that pineapple belongs on pizza. In fact, we believe whatever you want on your pizza belongs on your pizza,” the chain shared.It’s a challenging model, since customers still have to cook the pizza once they take it home, but that has not stopped Papa Murphy’s from growing to more than 1,000 locations across 34 states, according to the company’s store locator page.Now, however, the chain has decided to shrink its portfolio.”As part of our ongoing efforts to improve the quality and profitability of the business, we recently completed a detailed review of our corporate-owned store portfolio. Following that review, we’ve made the decision to close 68 underperforming corporate-owned stores,” CEO Eric Lefebvre shared during the company’s second-quarter earnings call.Some of the locations are scheduled to close as early as next week, while the entire shutdown plan will take between six and nine months to complete.”This was a store-by-store process where we evaluated the performance outlook and economic profile of each location. Where we saw a path to improvement, we chose to continue investing efforts into making our existing assets as productive as they can be. Where the fundamentals no longer supported that path, we made the decision to close the store, he added. The impacted stores lost over $10 million in the past 12 months, and Lefebvre said their “performance was, for the most part, deteriorating.”

Papa Murphy’s has joined Pizza Hut and Papa John’s in closing restaurants.Shutterstock

Papa Murphy’s is not alonePizza chains face a number of challenges that have impacted profitability.”Labor costs average 23-28% of sales across the industry, and the average hourly wage rose 3.86% in 2025, with no indication of stabilizing. Ingredient costs are up broadly, with tariffs adding unpredictability to supply chains that operators were already managing on thin margins,” according to NRN.The growth of third-party delivery has posed challenges as well.”With 64% of customers now preferring to place orders digitally, operators who lack a first-party ordering channel are handing that relationship to a third party along with the margin and the data equity that comes with it,” NRN added.That has led to major chains struggling. Papa John’s, for example, has seen sales drop.”North America comparable sales decreased 6.4% from a year ago as comparable sales from Domestic Company-owned restaurants were down 5.2% and North America franchised restaurants were down 6.7%,” according to the company’s first-quarter earnings report.The chain plans to close around 300 locations.“We are making progress on our previously announced efforts to address locations that are failing to meet brand standards, lack a clear path to sustainable improvement or represent an opportunity for strong sales transfer to nearby restaurants,” CFO Ravi Thanawala said during the company’s first-quarter earnings call.Pizza Hut, which was just sold by Yum Brands, according to CNBC, has also been closing locations.“In the first half, in the U.S., we expect approximately 250 targeted closures of underperforming units tied to the Hut Forward program, which will result in a decline in global Pizza Hut units in the first half,” Yum Brands CFO Ranjith Roy said during the chain’s fourth-quarter earnings call.Domino’s has been the pizza leaderDomino’s posted a modest 0.1% same-store sales increase in the second quarter, but CEO Russell Weiner thinks the numbers are better than they look.“In the second quarter, Domino’s drove meaningful order count growth,” he said in the Q2 earnings release. That, he noted, is a more important sign than growing the bottom-line sales number.“I believe order growth is the most important driver of long-term success in our business. In a quarter where the broader U.S. QSR industry continued to face pressure on consumer demand, Domino’s generated order count growth across both our delivery and carryout businesses, bringing millions of new customers to our brand,” he added.Domino’s has been winning because it has focused on value over everything else, RTMNexus CEO Dominick Miserandino told TheStreet. “Fast-food pizza used to be the ultimate, cheap Friday night family luxury. When a delivery order for a family of four at a standard chain starts pushing past forty or fifty dollars, it completely breaks the value,” he said.Domino’s, he added, has long accepted that its business revolves around selling acceptable pizza cheaply. That niche gives the company a clear identity in the struggling pizza space.BTIG analyst Peter Saleh sees Domino’s as the clear category winner.“We think Domino’s is executing its domestic strategy brilliantly, gaining market share and driving traffic with all income groups, while the broader industry is struggling,” Saleh told Yahoo Finance.Related: Chili’s Italian sister chain keeps closing restaurants

Typically, oil and gasoline prices peak in July or early August. The summer vacation driving season has peaked or is about to peak. Families with children will start to head home to get ready for the new school year. Days are getting shorter. But the rest of 2026 is uncertain. Oil prices were up more than 20% in July and more than 40% for the year because of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, which erupted on Feb. 28.The war is about to enter its sixth month. And there are few signs of a resolution. President Donald Trump said on July 31 that U.S. forces would attack Iran over the weekend. Related: Goldman Sachs doubles down on oil price forecast for 2026Iran wasn’t supposed to be able to fight for very long. But it’s still lobbing missiles and drones at military posts operated in the region by the United States and Arab countries. A drone attack on Wednesday on Damietta Port, an Egyptian port on the Mediterranean Sea was also believe to be war-related. Two ships caught fire. It wasn’t clear who was behind the drone attack. Egyptian officials initially said the attack came from Iran, The Wall Street Journal reported. Gas prices little changedGasoline prices were little changed on July 31. GasBuddy said the U.S. national price of gasoline was at $4.093 a gallon, off very slightly from Thursday. The price was 45% higher on the year and up 30% from a year ago. AAA said its measure showed the national average at $4.106 a gallon, basically flat on the day. The price is up 45% o the year and 30.5% from a year ago.Gasoline prices may range between $4.25 a gallon and $4.50 a gallon in August, said oil trader John Kilduff because of war tensions in the Middle East. And don’t forget that drone attacks by Ukraine have disrupted Russia’s oil industry, he added. After that, the picture is just not clear at all, he told theStreet. Many countries have drawn down their oil reserves, and just refilling storage could put a price under crude oil. More Oil & Gas:Why a big drop in oil prices did little at the gas pumpU.S. blocks Strait of Hormuz: Here’s what’s next for oil pricesWhere Are Gold, Silver and Crude Oil Prices Headed Next?

Tankers at anchor in the Persian Gulf. quantic69 / Getty Imagesquantic69 / Getty Images

Light sweet crude, the benchmark U.S. crude ended July at $84.67 per 42-gallon barrel, up 22 for the month, per CME Group data. Brent, the global benchmark rose 24% to $87.93 according to data from Interncontinental Exchange in London.J.P. Morgan Global Research has forecast Brent crude to average $86 per barrel in the third quarter of 2026, $80 in the fourth quarter and $78 at year end. Goldman Sachs sees Brent at $80 in the fourth quarter, with light sweet crude at $75.Oil stocks were generally higher on July 31. An exception: ExxonMobil (XOM), down 1%. Chevron (CVX) added 2.4%.The Strait of Hormuz: still shut downThe war has basically shut down the Strait of Hormuz, through which about 20% of the world’s crude passed from nations in the Persian Gulf to global markets before the war. Two tankers successfully came through the strait on July 31, according to Reuters. Two more were stopped by Iran naval personnel and four retreated. That’s a substantial reduction from the 120 tankers that passed through the strait daily before February. Related: The war driving up gas prices isn’t the one you think

TheStreet aims to feature only the best products and services. If you buy something via one of our links, we may earn a commission.Why we love this dealA solid pair of earbuds can turn any boring commute, long run, or grocery trip into a more palatable and fun experience. Whether you love to blast music, you’re catching up on your favorite audiobook series, or you need to block out surrounding sounds while making calls, nice earbuds are almost priceless. If you’re in need of some high-quality earbuds with noise cancellation and a convenient charging case, this great deal we found at Amazon has you covered.The Xinwld Wireless Bluetooth Earbuds offer quality-of-life features for a 36% off at Amazon. Shoppers can upgrade their earbuds for just $14 on sale right now, saving a total of $8.Xinwld Wireless Bluetooth Earbuds, $14 (was $22) at Amazon

Courtesy of Amazon

Shop at AmazonWhy do shoppers love it?Equipped with Bluetooth 5.4 technology, these A97 wireless earbuds can pair seamlessly to any of your Bluetooth devices, offering a stable connection and lower latency, faster pairing, and a higher listening experience. They feature Hi-Fi deep bass stereo that brings your music to life with a 13-millimeter vibrating diaphragm. These noise-canceling earbuds offer environmental noise cancellation, which filters out background noise during calls, allowing the listener to hear you more clearly. Related: Walmart’s bestselling $179 pair of wireless earbuds is now $22The dual LED display lets you know what your battery is at for the case and each earbud, giving you peace of mind during your long commute or charging times. The earbuds offer up to eight hours of playback time on 80% volume, and up to 40 hours of playback time with a fully charged charging case. This means you can actively charge the case while you listen to your music! The touch control allows you to easily change songs, answer calls, and change the volume without using your device. Meanwhile, the ergonomic, waterproof design keeps out rain, dust, and other debris, making these earbuds a great option to use for long runs. Shoppers can choose from black, lake blue, rose gold, or violet for the biggest discount, but they also offer a rose colorway.The pros and cons of this dealProsPlayback time: These earbuds boast a 40-hour playback time when using the charging case.Waterproof and ergonomic: This design is great to wear while running or working out. Bluetooth 5.4 chips: The updated Bluetooth technology allows these to pair quickly, prevent high latency, and offer smooth listening.Cons They only have mic noise cancellation: These earbuds do not have active in-ear noise-cancellation, only phone call noise-cancellation. One shopper said, “They’re comfortable to use, lightweight, and hold a charge in active work for a very long time. The package includes everything, including spare ear cushions and an instruction manual with a cable.” Another reviewer said, “Ideal for everyday use, they offer a good combination of portability and functionality. Overall, a simple but effective product.”Shop more dealsTagry Bluetooth Headphones, $26 (was $36) at AmazonTozo Active Noise-Canceling Headphones, $30 (was $40) at AmazonThe Xinwld Wireless Bluetooth Earbuds offer a long listening life, simple controls, and a clear, noise-canceling microphone. The LED screen is convenient for charge percentage, and the quick-pairing Bluetooth 5.4 technology allows a fast connection with any of your Bluetooth devices. Shoppers can save $8 right now, paying just $14 for these earbuds.

The economy has changed Dollar General’ customer base.”We are seeing customer penetration growth across low, middle and high-income segments as customers across all income cohorts seek value at increasing rates,” said CEO Todd Vasos during the chain’s first-quarter earnings call.It’s a shift where wealthier customers have sought out the discount chain, which has traditionally served a financially strained customer base that lives close to its more than 20,000 U.S. locations.”Notably, across these cohorts, the largest increase in customer count came from the highest income segment, which earns more than $100,000 annually,” he added.To better serve all its customers, Dollar General has been leaning into a strategy made famous by Costco. No, the chain hasn’t started charging for memberships. It has, however, bet big on its private-label program.Dollar General adds more $1 itemsDollar General isn’t a dollar store, despite its name. In recent quarters, however, the chain has added more $1 price points in a section of the store it calls “Value Valley.””And then lastly, and I can’t emphasize this enough, that $1 price point has turned out to be a real savior for our core customer and is really resonating with the trade-in customer. We’re seeing that accelerate at a great rate, 18.4% comp in Value Valley,” Vasos said. More Retail:Coca-Cola quietly hints at reinventing previously failed flavorBath & Body Works quietly gains a competitive advantageDollar General brings back old pricesHe also noted that Dollar General now has more than 2,000 items across the store, at or below the $1 price point.”As part of our overall approach to this price point, we continue to emphasize and strengthen our Value Valley offering, which is comprised of more than 500 rotating items, all at $1. Of note, this offering once again outperformed the chain average in Q1 with a comp sales increase of 18.4%, driven by broad-based performance across many sections and exceptional performance in health and beauty,” he added.

Dollar General has more than 2,000 items that cost $1 or less.Shutterstock

Dollar General expands its private-label offeringWhile Costco has led the way with its Kirkland Signature brand, many other retailers, including Target and Walmart, have deep private-label strategies.That’s something the majority of consumers value.In the United States, private-label sales reached $330 billion, capturing a 24% unit share and a 23% dollar share of the total market, Circana reported in March.“Store brands influence where people grocery shop. 56% of shoppers say their primary store’s private brand selection is very or extremely important to their decision to shop there,” according to The Food Industry Association’s (FMI) annual “Power of Private Brands 2026: Consumer Trends – From Stores to Homes.”Now, Dollar General has expanded its efforts in that area.”Beyond our Value Valley program, we also introduced several new $1 private label items during the quarter as well as a new frozen section, which now features a full door dedicated to new frozen items at the $1 price point,” Vasos said. Not all of the company’s private-label products cost $1, but Vasos talked about the importance of that price point.”Keep in mind that there’s a lot of other areas, especially in our private brand areas that come with a $1 price point that’s very meaningful for our customer as well,” he added.Attracting higher-income shoppers is only part of the challenge. Keeping them coming back requires giving them products they trust, which helps explain why Dollar General is investing more heavily in its own brands alongside its expanding lineup of $1 items.Related: Pepsi and Coca-Cola bet big on soda Americans say they wantPrivate labels have come a long waySupermarkets carried private labels in the 1990s, but my experience with them was that they were more about value than quality. My local Star Market, for example, carried a Lucky Charms knockoff featuring a wizard, and the cereal was sold in plastic bags rather than a cardboard box.Stores still carried white-label beer cans and other generics.CNN explained the operating environment for house brands in the 1990s.“Most customers were fiercely loyal to specific brands, not retailers. A store that didn’t carry major labels would likely get crushed, which gave manufacturers immense leverage,” CNN reported. “Additionally, many store brands were also considered dull, cheap knockoffs of national brands.”Costco helped change this by building Kirkland’s reputation as a high-quality brand.“Kirkland is a brand in its own right,” said Barclay’s Retail Analyst Karen Short, as Keith Swiednicki International noted. “It is one of the reasons people go to Costco. That’s not necessarily something you can say about many private labels.”The concept has resonated with Americans.“Nine in 10 American households (92%) currently have store brand products at home, up from 89% last year,” according to the FMI report.That’s not simply about value; it’s also about the quality of the private-label brands.“Consumers aren’t just choosing store brands out of habit or necessity; they’re choosing them because they’ve earned the trust of American families,” said Tom Cosgrove, director of industry relations for FMI.Related: Chili’s Italian sister chain keeps closing restaurants

Amazon (AMZN) stock closed the July 31 trading session up 15.32% at $271.58, as it soared following the release of its second quarter (Q2) 2026 earnings report on July 30.The stock is up 17.66% year-to-date as of Saturday morning, August 1. Meanwhile, the SPDR S&P 500 index (SPY) is up about 9.55% in the same period.On a superficial level, the earnings look great, but during the artificial intelligence (AI) boom, reading the fine print is more important than ever, as is understanding the larger picture.In a research note shared with me, Morgan Stanley analyst Brian Nowak and his team are bullish on Amazon stock and have lifted their price target to $335 from $330, reiterating an overweight (buy) rating based on a 25x multiple.

Amazon reported revenue of $200.6 billion, up 20% year over year.Daniel Mainye/Unsplash

Key facts from Amazon’s Q2 earnings reportAmazon reported revenue of $200.6 billion, up 20% year over year (YoY). Net income increased 243.95% YoY to $62.6 billion.Unfortunately, the impressive net income growth comes with a caveat. As the company noted, Q2 2026 net income includes non-operating pre-tax other income of $53.4 billion, primarily from its investments in Anthropic.That means Amazon’s investment in Anthropic, which is a private company, has grown in theoretical value since the investment. The problem is that it is not on the stock market, and the valuation may or may not be of practical value, as we will see later.During the earnings call, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy addressed growing capital expenditures (CapEx):“We now believe we will spend approximately $220 billion in cash CapEx in 2026. The higher cost of memory [is] pushing this number up from our prior estimate of about $200 billion. Even at that amount, we will still not have enough capacity to meet all the demand we have in 2026, and I believe this dynamic will also be true in 2027, too.”High CapEx is already negatively impacting Amazon’s free cash flow, and increased CapEx isn’t desirable. Free cash flow in Q2 2026 hit a negative $7.6 billion. We need to remember that it was still positive in Q1 at $1.2 billion and reached $18.2 billion in Q2 2025.Along with high CapEx, Amazon has thrown a lot of money into Anthropic’s competitor OpenAI.Amazon’s Form 10-Q says:“Subsequent to June 30, 2026, we invested the remaining $21.3 billion Commitment Amount in shares of Series C Preferred Stock of OpenAI.”According to the Financial Times, this final tranche was finalized in the last week of July.Amazon provided guidance for Q3:Net revenue in the range of $197 billion to $202 billionOperating income in the range of $22.5 billion to $26.5 billionMorgan Stanley believes that AWS’s Rule of 70 demonstrates GenAI ROICNowak said that AWS’s rule of 70 demonstrates the return on invested capital (ROIC) for generative AI (GenAI).What Nowak is saying here is that AWS hit 70 using the rule of 40.The Rule of 40 means the annual revenue growth rate plus the profit margin equals 40% or more.He continued by saying that AWS’s approximately 840 bp growth acceleration to 36.8% YoY growth “speaks to its pole position in the age of GenAI adoption in training and inference.”Analysts raised their 2027 EPS estimates by 2%, and AWS’s 2027 revenue by 2% to 41% YoY growth.The team also raised their 2027 and 2028 CapEx estimates to $325 billion and $350 billion, respectively.Analysts noted that AWS’s $496 billion backlog was 5%, or approximately $20 billion better than expected, adding that this represents an important signal of multi-year growth to come at AWS.Analysts noted Amazon’s downside risks:Investments step up and continue for longer than expectedMerch margins worse than expectedAWS revenue decelerates and/or margins declineThe team also shared its bear case, along with the base case. The bear case estimates a price target of $215.00.What do other analysts think, and how does Morgan Stanley’s opinion compareAccording to MarketBeat, 56 of the 59 analysts covering Amazon stock rate it a buy. Three give a hold rating. The average price target is $322.12.Morgan Stanley’s Amazon price target misses the bigger pictureThe core of Morgan Stanley’s thesis is AWS growth, and the fact that they raised their growth estimates and believe it will continue to grow rapidly for a long time is very strange.The thesis ignores the fact that there are two main drivers of this growth: OpenAI and Anthropic, both unprofitable companies funded by Amazon.Furthermore, the thesis ignores the potential and very likely entry of a new competitor into the hyperscaler space.Bloomberg recently reported that Meta (META) is developing a plan to enter the cloud infrastructure business and to sell its excess AI capacity.While Meta still hasn’t launched such a business yet, Mark Zuckerberg, the company’s CEO, commented on it during the Q2 earnings call: “We’re getting a lot of offers for compute at a significant premium over what we paid for it.”If we read between the lines, it sounds as if Meta could rapidly overtake the market by selling it at a lower premium. A potential price war would drive AWS’s profit margins lower and nullify the “rule of 70”.In addition to the emerging competitor, understanding the OpenAI/Anthropic situation is of paramount importance.Private valuations for OpenAI and Anthropic make them look like great investments. The problem is that credit markets disagree.SoftBank has been trying to get a $10 billion loan, with its OpenAI shares as collateral, for a few months now. Bloomberg reported that it tried to get the loan by reducing the amount to $6 billion, but the talks still stalled.While SoftBank can’t even secure a $10 billion loan, the actual amount of money it needs to finance its project is much larger.The Wall Street Journal reported that Nvidia is in talks to provide a roughly $250 billion backstop for OpenAI’s data-center project. The data center will be built by SoftBank Energy.The issue here is that both Anthropic and OpenAI need more money and more capacity. This is leading to higher and higher CapEx, and more investments, and possibly interventions like this one from Nvidia.There is a limit to how much debt can be raised to keep this going, and profitability doesn’t seem to be in sight.Related: Apple stock move vindicates Palantir CEO warning for AI industry