The Street

Apple Inc. (AAPL) has been one of my favorite stocks over the years. I’ve recommended it several times over the past couple of decades – and every time, we’ve sold it for a gain. We first bought the stock in November 2004 and sold it in October 2008 for a 253% gain. Then we bought it again in October 2009 and booked a 152% gain in February 2013.

Since then, we’ve largely avoided Apple, though. The consumer electronics maker simply lacked the earnings and sales momentum we require for our portfolio.

Revenue grew just 2% in fiscal 2024 and 6.4% in fiscal 2025 – solid for a company of Apple’s size, but nowhere near what we look for. My Stock Grader agreed: AAPL spent most of the past five years stuck between a C and D grade.

But that’s all about to change.

Right now, AAPL carries a B grade in Stock Grader – a real shift from where it’s spent most of the last five years. You can see that in the Grade History in the bottom section of the image below. Also note that at the end of July, the stock rose to a new high above $340.

There’s also a changing of the guard at the top. Tim Cook officially stepped down as Apple’s CEO on September 1, handing the reins to John Ternus, a 25-year Apple veteran who has spent his career as the company’s SVP of Hardware Engineering.

Cook was the operations mastermind who scaled Apple into a $4 trillion company. Ternus is a hardware guy through and through, and he’s taking over at the exact moment Apple is making its biggest hardware bet in over a decade: the iPhone Ultra.

Don’t Buy on Launch Day

All of this is expected to be a big boon for Apple. In fact, since the rumor mill started buzzing about the company’s upcoming product reveal, the analyst community has raised fiscal year 2026 earnings estimates.

The current consensus estimate calls for full-year earnings of $8.81 per share and total sales of $477.68 billion, which represents 18% annual earnings growth and 14.8% annual sales growth. That would be Apple’s best growth in years. And given how these estimates have already been raised once on foldable-iPhone buzz alone, don’t be surprised if Apple ends up beating even these fresh numbers once the actual sales data comes in.

It’s time to go back to the well for more profits, but let me be clear about one thing before investors dive in and scoop up shares.

Related: Louis Navellier delivers hot take on rising bond yields

Historically, AAPL has not reacted positively to its new product launches. In fact, the stock tends to slide lower on the day the company unveils its latest and greatest new products.

Dow Jones Market Data even reports that AAPL has declined an average of 0.7% on the company’s annual product launch day since the first iPhone was released in 2007.

Take September 2025, for example.

Apple introduced its iPhone 17 lineup, including the iPhone Air, and noted that it would not raise prices despite rising cost pressures from tariffs. This should have been celebrated by Wall Street and Apple enthusiasts, yet AAPL shares slipped 1.5%.

Multiple sources have confirmed that Apple will finally introduce its first folding iPhone: the iPhone Ultra.Wengen Ling / Getty Images

The reality is that new products are typically leaked before the actual event, just like they were this year. So, excitement about the new product line is generated ahead of the unveiling, and the stock tends to rally ahead of the event rather than on the day.

After that, though, AAPL tends to meander higher in the following months when the products actually hit the shelves, and there’s more clarity on demand and actual sales data.

Dow Jones Market Data shows that AAPL has rallied an average of 12% in the six months following a product launch.

I suspect this year will be no different. AAPL is a Conservative buy below $342.

For more information about my stock grading system, click here. 

Related: Apple’s new CEO faces a staggering $14 billion iPhone test

Billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman has long gambled on Alphabet, as artificial intelligence has grown Google’s cloud business and helped lift its stock.

Then he went away.

Pershing Square’s latest regulatory filing shows the billionaire investor sold both Alphabet (GOOGL) share classes in the second quarter. He also acquired a $934 million Netflix (NFLX) position at quarter-end. The fund had 13.08 million Netflix shares on June 30.

At first glance, the move seems odd.

Alphabet announced $119.8 billion in quarterly sales, up 24%, with Google Cloud revenue increasing 82% to $24.8 billion. Netflix has dropped precipitously from its 2025 peak, with investors now questioning how much growth remains in streaming.

But Ackman’s transaction may suggest something more essential than whether firm is growing faster.

He seems to be transitioning from a corporation that needs superhuman expenditure to maintain its AI edge to one that he thinks has already won the costliest competitive battle in its sector.

Bill Ackman makes dramatic reversal on Netflix

Ackman has a track record with Netflix.

Pershing Square purchased the streaming startup in early 2022, but unexpectedly sold it months later when Netflix said it had lost subscribers for the first time in more than a decade. The withdrawal resulted in a loss of almost $400 million.

Four years later, Ackman is back.

He said Netflix was among six new investments Pershing Square made starting in the second quarter, including Visa, Mastercard, S&P Global, Intercontinental Exchange, and Alcon, Reuters noted, describing the adjustments as Ackman’s largest portfolio makeover in years.

Related: Bill Ackman’s Pershing Square invests $1.1B in fintech giant

The Netflix position is particularly interesting because of the rapid failure of Ackman’s initial premise.

Pershing now argues that the competitive landscape has changed. The firm said Netflix has effectively “won the streaming wars,” according to commentary surrounding the investment.

Netflix brought in $12.6 billion in revenue in the second quarter, up 13% year over year, with an operating margin of 33%. The business said it anticipates full-year sales of $51 billion to $51.4 billion and a full-year operating margin of 31.5%.

Alphabet’s AI success comes with a $200 billion problem

The company’s operational performance scarcely seems broken, which makes selling Alphabet now more appealing.

Google Cloud soared 82% as revenues hit $119.8 billion in the second quarter. Alphabet recently started making money selling its bespoke tensor processing units to outside clients, another move in the company’s effort to compete directly in AI infrastructure.

But the problem is the expense of that increase.

Alphabet increased its 2026 capital-expenditure forecast to between $195 billion and $205 billion, up from $180 billion to $190 billion previously. Heavy infrastructure spending pushed quarterly free cash flow to negative $5.9 billion, its first negative quarter as a public company.

That raises an interesting investment issue.

AI is driving Alphabet’s quicker growth, but investors also have to determine how much cash will be needed to fuel that expansion.

Netflix setup is almost opposite. Despite slower revenue growth, streaming’s giant infrastructure and content land grab have matured, profitability has increased, and the company can focus on pricing, advertising, and live programming.

Bill Ackman walks away from Alphabet for a beaten-down stock.PATRICK T. FALLON / Getty Images

Ackman may be betting against Wall Street’s favorite narrative

That is not to say Ackman has gone bearish on artificial intelligence.

Pershing Square still has big investments in Microsoft, Meta Platforms, and Amazon, according to its June filing.

It might be a value and capital intensity issue.

More Manager Buy/Sells:

Michael Burry increases his bet against popular chip giant

Warren Buffett reveals he broke his own investing pattern

Mark Cuban bets on MLB with Athletics minority stake

The AI gold rush has been rewarding firms offering huge AI potential even as expenditure on chips and data centers rockets upward. Thus, when a company’s competitive position improves and its stock price falls out of favor, Ackman is inclined to go elsewhere.

Netflix shares in the material were down around 42% from their 2025 top, and Alphabet had quadrupled over about 18 months.

It’s typical Ackman. A quality firm that is not popular, rather than a popular company, that’s already priced for great performance.

Ackman’s Netflix bet carries one uncomfortable reminder

The big danger is still there.

Netflix is in a tough fight for eyeballs with YouTube, social media, and conventional entertainment. Its advertising business is developing swiftly but is less than investors had earlier thought, and revenue growth has slowed from prior times.

Ackman also knows well how rapidly a Netflix thesis can crumble.

But that background makes his comeback all the more telling.

He isn’t just purchasing a beaten-down stock. He’s returning to a firm that once cost him hundreds of millions of dollars because he feels the business has evolved.

And by exiting Alphabet at the same time, Ackman is making a subtler wager. The next great investment may not be the company spending the most to win the AI boom. It may be the company that has already finished fighting its own expensive war.

Related: Billionaire Bill Ackman doubles down on these stocks in Q2

UBS Wealth Management USA has raised its forecast from one rate hike to two and expects the first to come later in September. 

But a more hawkish Fed doesn’t necessarily imply a deteriorating investment outlook, according to UBS Executive Director and Senior U.S. Economist Andrew Dubinsky.

“Investors should maintain diversified exposure and use market volatility around economic data and Fed decisions to rebalance portfolios toward their long-term targets,’’ Dubinsky said in a Sept. 7 note.

Strong employment and inflation data have reinforced the case for tighter policy, and “we now expect two rate hikes in 2026” in September and December, the UBS note said. 

“Investors should maintain diversified exposure and use market volatility around economic data and Fed decisions to rebalance portfolios toward their long-term targets,’’ the UBS note said.

Resilient economic activity, AI investment, strong employment and healthy profits support “our constructive view on global equities, even if higher yields create short-term volatility,’’ the UBS note added.  

UBS revises forecast to 2 Fed rate hikes this year

The persistently high inflation of the last five years is haunting not only your household budget, but also your investment portfolio and other financial matters.

Escalating oil and energy prices from the Iran war and tariffs from the last trade war — the newest ones don’t count yet — are top of mind for Fed Chairman Kevin Warsh and other key Fed policymakers.

But with the newest inflation data coming later this week, Fed watchers are divided as to whether the central bank will vote to raise benchmark interest rates later this month to tamp down the sticky inflation that Warsh has vowed to tame.

“If the Fed moves onto a hiking path, the relative advantage of short-duration bonds over cash would likely narrow. But recent moves higher in yields may be opening up portfolio diversification opportunities in medium- to long-maturity high-quality bonds,’’ the UBS note said.

TheStreet

Fed rate hike path tied to looming inflation data

As I’ve reported, Fed officials are divided over how the central bank should act in the short term but agree that new evidence of sticky price pressures could shift the Federal Open Market Committee into a rate hike Sept. 15-16.

Warsh displayed a noticeable hawkish shift during an Aug. 28 speech at Jackson Hole in which he pledged the central bank would work to tame elevated inflation, which has been above the Fed’s 2% target for five years.

“We have work to do,” Warsh said.

The CME Group FedWatch Tool calls for the probability of a 25 basis-point hike this month at  60.4%, a 70% chance in October, and an 86% likelihood in December, the FOMC’s final meeting of the year.

Fed’s dual mandate focuses on jobs, prices

The Fed’s dual mandate from Congress requires maximum employment and stable prices.

Lower interest rates support hiring but can fuel inflation. This risks fueling further inflation, potentially leading to an inflationary spiral.

Higher rates cool prices but can weaken the job market. This increases the cost of borrowing and further stifles economic activity.

The Sept. 4 blowout jobs report demonstrates the U.S. labor market is plowing through the economic uncertainty and financial jitters from the Iran war, despite higher gas and other energy prices. 

Related: Fed rate-hike threat heats up as August inflation data looms 

U.S. job growth surged in August and the unemployment rate held steady at 4.1%, topping all estimates and hinting that the labor market has more momentum than previously thought.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics will release August data for the Producer Price Index on Sept. 10 and the Consumer Price Index Sept. 11.

Cool PPI and CPI headlines could keep the Federal Funds Rate on hold at 3.50% to 3.75%.

How Fed monetary policy affects you

The rate-setting FOMC voted 9-3 in July to hold the benchmark Federal Funds Rate target in a range of 3.5% to 3.75%. The three dissenters wanted to raise rates by 25 basis points because of inflation concerns.

Policymakers had cut rates by 25 basis points at its last three meetings of 2025 to shore up the softening labor market. 

These “insurance” cuts stopped after the majority of policymakers decided the risk from higher prices was outweighing signs that the jobs market was stabilizing.

The funds rate is the interest rate at which banks lend balances at the Federal Reserve to other banks overnight. 

A change in the funds rate triggers moves in short-term borrowing costs ranging from credit cards to student loans and home equity loans. 

Higher interest rates also increase the yield on fixed income and alter how equity markets value future corporate earnings.

“We expect the growth effects of two rate hikes to be modest and still see economic growth remaining near trend,’’ the UBS note said.

Related: Investors drop two-word verdict on Warsh’s Fed rate shift

Anthropic might soon test how much Wall Street actually believes in the artificial-intelligence boom.

The Claude maker is nearing decisions on key banking roles for an IPO that investors expect to value the company at $2 trillion or more, according to the Financial Times. Morgan Stanley (MS) seems likely to take the “lead left” position, while Goldman Sachs (GS) will oversee stabilization after trading.

That would be an amazing price, even by AI norms.

Anthropic raised $65 billion in additional cash in May, when it was valued at $965 billion. That would mean a public value of $2 trillion, a gain of almost 107% in a few months.

And that’s the whole tale.

Anthropic isn’t only getting ready for an IPO. It may be asking public investors to bless one of the quickest valuation increases in business history.

Anthropic’s $2 trillion number changes the IPO stakes

Morgan Stanley has been discussing share prices with potential Anthropic investors, according to the Financial Times, but its lead role is still unclear. JPMorgan Chase (JPM), Citigroup (C), and Barclays (BCS) should also gain significant positions after financing Anthropic.

The “lead left” position is important because the bank in the position often has considerable influence on the price, the allocation of investors, and the overall marketing of the offering.

But the banks are vying for more than status.

Related: Anthropic sends clear message to Wall Street ahead of IPO

Anthropic’s $2 trillion valuation would beat the $1.77 trillion value SpaceX obtained when it went public in June, establishing a new record for the IPO market. SpaceX priced its initial offering at $75 billion, but that later grew to $85.7 billion after underwriters exercised their overallotment option.

Anthropic itself has moved with surprising speed.

The corporation raised $30 billion at a value of $380 billion in February, Reuters reported. A $65 billion round in May put its valuation at $965 billion. At the time, Anthropic estimated its run-rate revenue at more than $47 billion.

That implies Anthropic’s private value has tripled more than three times since February.

Wall Street is betting AI can support another historic IPO

The IPO would come at a crucial time for equities in artificial intelligence.

SpaceX’s blockbuster launch demonstrated investors’ appetite to sustain a huge value partially based on aspirations for AI. Anthropic could now be able to take that excitement even further.

There’s a second award for Wall Street, too.

Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs are also seen vying for top spots in OpenAI’s eventual IPO, the Financial Times said. Landing a high berth on Anthropic might bolster either bank’s status as one of the major advisors to the nascent generation of trillion-dollar AI startups.

But Anthropic’s value is a hard bar to clear.

It’s been just a few months, yet investors would be paying more than double the company’s May value of $2 trillion.

That means growth forecasts matter.

Anthropic’s revenue in July was at an annualized pace of approximately $65 billion, below some investors’ more bullish estimates of nearly $80 billion. The competition is heating up, too, as OpenAI has unveiled a new flagship model, with both businesses racing to snatch corporate and developer clients.

Anthropic prepares for a massive IPO as Wall Street fights for a piece.Bloomberg / Getty Images

Anthropic’s IPO timeline is already shifting

One significant element has changed since the Financial Times first reported the story.

The FT indicated Anthropic might publish its prospectus as early as September and begin trading around late September or early October, but Reuters later reported that the timing had slipped.

Anthropic is now scheduled to file its prospectus in late September, start promoting the offering around mid-October, and perhaps finish the listing just ahead of the U.S. midterm elections in November.

More Tech:

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The corporation is also closing on an around $15 billion revolving credit facility that includes Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, and Citigroup, according to Reuters.

It provides the banks with additional financial ties to Anthropic even before the IPO begins.

Anthropic could become Wall Street’s biggest AI test yet

The temptation is to see Anthropic’s IPO as another marker of the AI boom.

That’s what makes the value something other than that.

The $2 trillion price tag would require public market investors to back a corporation that was valued at $380 billion in February and $965 billion in May.

But that doesn’t mean investors will pass it up. Anthropic’s revenue growth, its technology being adopted by companies like Amazon’s AI unit, and the fact that it is able to raise huge sums of cash all point to unusually high demand for its technology.

But an IPO transforms the crowd.

The private investors are counting on years of growth ahead and can pay high prices. At some point, public investors want to see on a quarterly basis that those expectations are being fulfilled.

That’s why Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs could be pushing so hard for the top spots.

Anthropic may be one of Wall Street’s most renowned transactions. It might also be the most transparent test yet of how far investors will drive the AI boom until pricing itself becomes the danger.

Related: Anthropic makes quiet move Nvidia investors must consider

Another steakhouse chain has exited a major market less than two years after opening its first location there, ending an expansion that had only recently begun.

The closure comes as several other restaurants in the surrounding area have also shut their doors in recent months.

Founded in 2011, Medium Rare is a Washington, D.C.- based steakhouse chain known for its fixed-price steak-and-fries offering. The restaurant has expanded from its D.C. roots into markets including Virginia, Maryland, Texas, Massachusetts, Philadelphia, and New York.

Medium Rare closes only Houston restaurant

Medium Rare has closed its only location in Houston, Texas, at 3201 Louisiana St., nearly two years after opening, according to an announcement on the restaurant’s Instagram account.

“After two unforgettable years, we’re closing our doors in after dinner service this Sunday,” the restaurant said in the post.

“We can’t thank you enough for all the love and support.”

The Houston location opened in 2024, becoming Medium Rare’s first restaurant in the city, its second in Texas, and its eighth location overall at the time.

Medium Rare’s only remaining location in Texas is its Dallas restaurant at 5632 Alta Ave.

The restaurant has not issued a detailed public statement explaining the closure, and it remains unclear what will happen to the vacant space.

Medium Rare closes only restaurant in Houston.Portland Press Herald / Getty Images

Recent nearby restaurant closures

The Medium Rare shutdown follows two other restaurant closures in the same neighborhood just weeks earlier.

Bōl Indian Kitchen and its next-door neighbor, Pok Pok Po Fried Chicken Parlour, both closed after operating for less than two years, according to CultureMap Houston.

Both concepts were created by Executive Chef Jassi Bindra, who won Food Network’s Chopped in 2023, and were operated by Kahani Social Group.

Neither business provided an exact reason for the closures. Kahani Social Group co-founder Surpreet Singh said the company was looking for opportunities to bring both concepts back in ways that would make them more convenient and accessible. 

Several other restaurants and bars have also closed in Houston’s Midtown area in recent months, according to local reports, although the neighborhood continues to include businesses that have operated for decades.

Restaurant operators face ongoing challenges

Medium Rare has faced closures in other markets as it has expanded.

In 2024, the chain closed its restaurant at The Rotunda in Baltimore’s Hampden neighborhood less than a year after opening.

The location was initially closed temporarily before Medium Rare announced that the shutdown would be permanent.

Here’s some of my previous coverage of Houston restaurant closures:

Fuzzy’s: Closed all of its remaining restaurants in the area.

Pappasito’s Cantina: Permanently closed its original restaurant after 43 years.

Landry’s Inc: Closed several restaurants across its brands in the area.

The restaurant was earning in a week what some other Medium Rare locations generated during a single brunch, resulting in hundreds of thousands of dollars in losses, WMAR2 News reported.

The closures come as restaurant operators across the country contend with higher operating costs, changing consumer spending habits, and increased competition.

For individual restaurants, those pressures can make it harder to remain open when sales do not generate enough revenue to cover labor, food, rent, and other operating expenses.

Restaurant prices have also continued to rise. Food away from home increased 3.4% over the 12 months ending July 2026, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

At the same time, consumers have become more selective about dining out as prices rise. Industry data from Circana showed restaurant traffic declined 0.3% in 2025 from the previous year, although traffic increased 0.5% in the fourth quarter. 

The data point to an uneven environment for restaurant operators, with consumer demand varying across markets even as the industry continues to adjust to higher costs.

According to RestaurantData, approximately 8,171 restaurant closures were recorded across the U.S. and Canada during the first half of 2026.

Texas accounted for an estimated 1,039 of those closures, the highest total among the states and Canadian provinces tracked in the report. The figure represented 12.7% of the combined U.S. and Canadian total.

Despite the closures, Houston’s restaurant industry continues to evolve as operators adjust to changing consumer habits and rising costs.

“Houston’s restaurant scene is not dying,” said Strategic Marketing Consultant and Publisher Lisbet Newton on Houston City Beat.

“The city’s dining culture is restless and adaptive. But adaptation has a human cost, and right now, a lot of the people paying that cost are owners and workers who built institutions Houston genuinely loved.”

Related: Mexican restaurant chain closes all locations in major market

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 deal

Finding space can be difficult, especially in smaller homes. If you live in an apartment, dorm, or just want some extra storage space in your guest bedroom, using a portable closet is a great idea. They offer storage for hanging accessories, storing folded clothing or blankets, and hanging jackets, and it can easily be moved or taken down for storage. They’re great in places that might not have a lot of closet space to begin with, to help store off-season clothes, or as a makeshift option if you’re remodeling or moving.

If you need some extra space, the Lokeme Portable Closet offers tons of storage room. With cubbies, shelves, and a hanging rack, it offers spots for all types of items. At just $26, it’s a versatile and affordable option, and shoppers can save 10% off at Amazon.

Lokeme Portable Closet, $26 (was $29) at Amazon

Courtesy of Amazon

Shop at Amazon

Why do shoppers love it?

This portable closet is easy to set up and take down, offering a versatile and portable option for your home. Weighing just nine pounds, it’s also super easy to move around the house, whether you need it for your guest room, yourself, or you want to store some clothes in the basement without them getting wrinkled and ruined. The open shelves work well for shoes, folded linens, towels, or clothing, while the baskets are great for undergarments, purses, or jewelry. The hanger bar can fit shirts, jackets, and, at 65 inches tall, it can also fit shorter dresses or pants. 

Related: Amazon has a 3-drawer mini dresser with a built-in charging station for only $40

The hanger bars hold up to 25 pounds, and each shelf and cubby can hold up to 15 pounds, thanks to the sturdy metal frame. The set can be put together quickly with the included connectors and can be used for short-term or long-term use. The unit measures 17 inches deep and 50 inches wide, offering a good amount of storage space while taking up minimal space against the wall. The open design makes it easy to see your clothing, allowing you to get ready more easily. It’s also an ideal option for kids, as it’s simple to use and has lower baskets that can also be used for toys. 

Details to know

Size: This closet measures 50 inches wide, 17 inches deep, and 65 inches tall.

Storage Capacity: It has three cubby spaces, three small shelves, and three sections for hanging clothes. 

Weight capacity: It only weighs nine pounds, but the hanging areas hold 35 pounds, and the shelves and cubbies each hold 15 pounds. 

“It has a solid feel and offers much more storage space than originally expected. It’s more stable than I thought, and what I like most is the versatility. In general, this is a very practical and space-saving wardrobe system. It is especially useful for rooms, apartments, or those that need additional storage without putting heavy furniture. Provides excellent value and functionality for the price.”

Shop more deals

Songmics 5-Tier Portable Closet, $49 (was $54) at Amazon

Dumos Portable Zip-Up Closet, $30 (was $35) at Amazon

Youdenova Hanging Closet Organizer, $15 (was $19) at Amazon

The Lokeme Portable Closet offers easy and convenient storage for any spot in your home. It’s useful for clothes, bedding, towels, toys, and more for just $26 at Amazon, and it has three types of storage.

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 deal

With one look at the weather app, you can see how we’re heading into fall territory. The mornings feel cooler, and even on the days when we get into the high 70s or 80s, it doesn’t feel as hot or humid as it did during the peak of summer. I personally find myself gravitating back toward pants and zip-ups as we head into that transitional period between summer and fall weather.

If you’re in need of new fall-ready pieces without going on a full-fledged shopping spree, Walmart is the place to look. It has lightweight pieces that provide comfort and warmth that you’ll be reaching for once fall officially hits. The Athletic Works Fleece Hoodie is one of them, and it’s only $15. With 32 colors and a range of sizes to choose from, we wouldn’t blame you if you added more than one of this Walmart bestseller to your cart.

Athletic Works Fleece Hoodie, $15 at Walmart

Courtesy of Walmart

Shop at Walmart

Why do shoppers love it?

We can only imagine how many shoppers are reaching for this hoodie during cool days and nights. It has a classic design with a drawstring hood and kangaroo-style pocket. The adjustable hood can be secured during extra-cool days, and the kangaroo pocket can be used to keep your hands warm and carry small items. 

Made of 60% cotton and 40% polyester, it’s lightweight yet warm. It’s a fantastic addition to a wardrobe to wear when there’s a late-summer chill, and it makes a great fall layer to wear under a light jacket. And when we get into the even colder months, it can be worn with a long-sleeve shirt and a puffer coat for maximum warmth.

In addition to casual wear, you can also use it during workouts, whether you’re going on a run or an hours-long hike. It can keep you cozy, as well as wick away moisture. Its anti-odor feature is also a major plus.

Available in 32 colors and men’s sizes, from XS to 5XB, there’s something for everyone, and they can get multiple hoodies while they’re at it.

Related: Walmart’s bestselling water-resistant hooded windbreaker is on sale for just $17

Details to know

Sizes: From men’s XS to 5XB.

Colors: 32.

Material: 60% cotton and 40% polyester.

Walmart shoppers said it’s a “great lightweight hoodie.” One reviewer said it’s “soft and warm,” while another shared that it has enough “room to comfortably move around” in. According to a reviewer, it’s great for layering. When they ordered a larger size, they were able to fit three or four layers underneath it. 

Shop more deals

Reebok Fleece Hoodie, $11 (was $29) at Walmart

Athletic Works Zip-Up Fleece Hoodie, $15 at Walmart

Fruit of the Loom EverSoft Fleece Full-Zip Hoodie, $18 at Walmart

Fall will be here before we know it, and the $15 Athletic Works Fleece Hoodie is a great piece to add to your rotation for lightweight comfort and layering.

TheStreet aims to feature only the best products and services. If you buy something via one of our links, we may earn a commission.

Oftentimes, the simplest solution is also the best one. Whether you’re shopping for a way to keep your devices charged, a basic tablet for work or play, or even a daily timepiece, no-frills buys usually lead to high customer satisfaction. That’s even true for outdoor furniture. With the temperate fall months looming, many are drifting toward long evenings spent on the patio sipping cool drinks and enjoying the autumn breeze. While that sounds inviting, not everyone has the space for a large sectional and oversized coffee table. 

Luckily, Amazon has patio sets in just about every conceivable size, and one of its most sophisticated designs happened to catch our eye. It’s a beautiful three-piece patio set that could work as a standalone set in a small space, or as a nice accent next to a larger set. You can use it as you choose, which is perhaps the most impressive aspect of this set. With everything getting more expensive these days, any product that can serve multiple purposes is well worth it. This set can do just about anything you need it to, and it does so in style.

Relax4life 3-Piece Breathable Mesh Patio Set

Courtesy of Amazon

Check price at Amazon

The Relax4live 3-Piece Breathable Mesh Patio Set is a wonderful example of how a small outdoor furniture set can deliver big benefits. It includes two high-back chairs and a small glass-topped bistro or end table. Each piece has a frame made from durable powder-coated stainless steel that’s corrosion resistant as well as rustproof. The table has a tempered-glass top, and it’s both scratch resistant and shatter proof. The seat backs and bottoms are made from a highly durable mesh that’s breathable and attractive, making this a great year-round option. This set’s deep black color gives it a sleek modern look. It also has adjustable feet on each piece, which allows you to adjust it for placement on uneven surfaces.

Benefits of a 3-piece mesh patio set

One of the most obvious advantages of a three-piece patio set is that it saves space. While some people have large spaces they need to fill with their outdoor furniture, others are just looking to enhance a small balcony or deck. For these people, a smaller patio set works just fine. What’s more, those who do in fact have a bigger space to work with may already own a full-sized sectional with ottoman. For those folks, a small three-piece set can be a nice addition to place in the corner and break up the seating space for multiple conversation areas.

Mesh patio sets, specifically, offer a cooler option to other designs. While wicker and rattan are also breathable, they usually come with cushions. The cushions, coupled with the wicker, are often far less breathable than their mesh counterparts. That’s because mesh allows maximum airflow through the primary surfaces that have contact with your skin. Any breeze passes through the mesh and directly to your body. Wicker and cushions, on the other hand, tend to block a significant portion of the airflow, leading to a warmer seating experience.

Mesh has one final benefit over most other patio set materials, which is its ease of cleaning. Wicker has lots of nooks and crannies that aren’t always easy to reach, and seat cushions usually need their covers removed for machine washing. However, mesh patio furniture can be quickly and easily hosed off in order to look virtually new. It’s one of the most low maintenance types of outdoor furniture you can buy, giving it another advantage over more traditional patio furniture.

More 3-Piece Mesh Patio Sets

If the Relax4life 3-Piece Breathable Mesh Patio Set isn’t your style, then there are plenty of other options in Amazon’s inventory. Whether you want standard chairs, a set of rockers, or any other variation, there are plenty of mesh patio set options for the taking. Many of them are on sale as well, so if you browse through the following list of our favorites, you’re sure to find one that suits your patio needs as well as your budget.

Gizoon 3-Piece Mesh Patio Set

Courtesy of Amazon

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Shintenchi 3-Piece Textilene Patio Set

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Mark Spitznagel has built his career preparing for disasters most investors hope never arrive.

Right now, however, he doesn’t want investors to panic.

The Universa Investments founder expects risk assets to experience another powerful “euphoric rally” before a potentially historic market collapse.

That is a curious message from somebody whose organization profits from dramatic market disasters.

“I will be the biggest bear that you’ll hear from in the months ahead,” Spitznagel told Business Insider. “I’m just not right now.”

And the timing counts. The S&P 500 is up over 13% year-to-date in 2026, with excitement in artificial intelligence continuing to buoy technology firms. HSBC on Sept. 8 raised its year-end S&P 500 target to 8,100, citing strong corporate earnings and continued AI infrastructure spending.

Spitznagel sees something very different after the rally ends. He believes the next collapse could be bigger than any he has experienced.

Mark Spitznagel expects one more massive rally

Spitznagel’s warning contains an important distinction.

He recognizes market excesses, such as leverage and more aggressive wagers, but doesn’t see an evident reason for an imminent disaster.

Instead, he expects “one more really big, risk-on, insane, euphoric rally” across risk assets before conditions reverse.

It’s hardly the first time Spitznagel has made that case.

He told Reuters in September 2025 that stocks could rise 20%, pushing the S&P 500 above 8,000, before collapsing. He predicted an 80% crash after a historic blow-off rally.

A year later, the first portion of that argument seems a lot less radical.

Related: Michael Burry sends a strong warning to Palantir stock investors

The S&P 500 recently traded at 7,700, bringing the 8,000 level within reach. This is also the way many of the big Wall Street investment banks are heading: HSBC now has its year-end objective at 8,100, while Reuters reports Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and Citigroup are all looking for the index to hit or surpass 8,000.

The rub is that achieving that level wouldn’t make Spitznagel any more bullish.

It might make him a lot more bearish.

Michael Burry and Spitznagel see the same AI danger

Spitznagel’s worry is about artificial intelligence.

He agrees with “The Big Short” investor Michael Burry that the massive expenditure by AI hyperscalers on chips and data centers, circular financing and hidden liabilities are worth investigating.

What sets the two investors apart is the time.

Spitznagel believes Burry is “going to get the timing wrong.”

That difference is important because investing against a bubble too early may be monumentally costly.

Some segments of the IT business are still seeing real growth from AI investment. Snowflake upped its full-year product-revenue guidance as AI demand lifted growth. Nvidia agreed to pay $12.93 billion for Hugging Face, as it extends beyond processors into the wider AI ecosystem.

Meanwhile, another pressure is growing.

Equity valuations and borrowing costs are threatened by the approaching 5% 10-year Treasury yield. Forward price-to-earnings for the S&P 500 was 19.7, above its long-term average.

Spitznagel also thinks the economy is “rolling over” as the lagged effects of past interest-rate hikes continue to work their way through the system.

‘Black Swan’ investor makes a stunning call on what comes nextBloomberg / Getty Images

A 4,144% return explains Spitznagel’s unusual strategy

This figure helps better understand Spitznagel’s present bullishness, says Universa.

The business is a specialist in tail-risk protection, using severely out-of-the-money options that are supposed to provide tremendous rewards in the event of major market dislocations.

Those positions lose money most of the time.

And then something snaps.

In the pandemic-driven collapse of early 2020, Universa posted a 4,144% return in the first quarter on funds committed to their hedging strategy. That result was not a 4,144% return on an investor’s whole portfolio, a crucial difference, but it did show how substantially tail protection may pay off during a crisis.

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Spitznagel says that investors may leave the bulk of their portfolio exposed to equities while putting a modest percentage into such protection.

And thus we have the seeming contradiction at the core of his perspective.

His hedging might be quite negative, but the rest of the portfolio can still be optimistic.

Spitznagel’s warning gives investors a difficult choice

Spitznagel isn’t saying stocks have to fall tomorrow.

Which is what makes his warning intriguing.

He believes the market could become even more euphoric first.

Wall Street now has proof on both sides of that argument. Investment in AI is still powering growth, and corporate profits are still healthy enough for HSBC to lift its S&P 500 projection. But Treasury rates are approaching levels that might threaten high valuations in equities.

Spitznagel’s thesis is that the final rally and the eventual crash are not contradictory.

One might assist in generating the other.

If investors gain more confidence that AI expenditure, profit growth, and market momentum can be sustained forever, valuations and risk-taking might rise higher.

That would make the ultimate turnaround more difficult.

The eventual turnaround would be more painful. That’s exactly the sort of thing that Spitznagel has spent his career preparing for. But for the time being, one of Wall Street’s most famous bears isn’t telling investors the rally is over. He thinks the most euphoric part may still be ahead. And that may be the most unsettling part of his warning.

Related: Michael Burry sends a strong warning to Palantir stock investors

Only 10 jobs, including used car salesman, lobbyist, and telemarketer, outranked debt collectors on Insider Monkey’s 20 Least Respected Professions in America list.

“Debt collectors often struggle with trust due to aggressive collection tactics, harassment allegations, and a reputation for putting financial interests above consumers’ well-being, cultivating negative perceptions. It is one of the least trusted professions in the U.S.,” according to the report.

Insider Monkey shared how the study was conducted.

“Please note that the list is highly subjective and does not comment on any individual’s personal integrity. The list is purely based on the perception of the common people’s trust in these professions,” it added.

And while the study might not be fully scientific, debt collector is a job that’s so unpopular, even the people doing it don’t like the profession.

Career matching platform CareerExplorer ranks debt collection in the bottom 1% of professions for job satisfaction, according to Wired.

Synergy Reorg has a limited public-facing presence, and its bankruptcy filings provide little detail about the types of debts it works to recover.

Debt collectors aren’t very popular

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) shared a study showing how consumers feel about debt collectors.

27% of consumers contacted about a debt said they felt threatened by the creditor or collector.

53% said at least one collection effort in the previous year was mistaken in some way — including the wrong amount, a debt they didn’t owe, or a debt belonging to a family member.

37% said their most recent creditor or collector usually contacted them four or more times a week.

About 40% said they had asked a collector or creditor to stop contacting them; of those, three-quarters said the collector didn’t honor the request.

“The Bureau today casts light on troubling problems in the debt collection industry,” said former CFPB Director Rich Cordray in a release about the 2017 report.

“More than one-in-four consumers report feeling threatened by a debt collector, and a majority of those contacted about debt say the calls persist even after requests to stop. The Bureau is working to clean up abuses in this industry, and to see that all consumers are treated with fairness, decency, and respect.”

Synergy Reorg LLC is part of a bigger filing

Synergy Reorg, LLC, a Washington, DC-based collection and debt recovery entity, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Sept. 4, 2026, in the District of Columbia, according to documents filed on PacerMonitor.

As stated in bankruptcy filings, the company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Synergy CHC Corp.

“Current operations are focused on debt resolution and legal restructuring amid significant financial distress, with liabilities far exceeding assets. The filing follows reports of liquidity challenges and debt restructuring efforts by its parent company throughout 2025 and 2026,” according to CH11.ai.

Jointly, the various Synergy brands’ largest obligation is $18.9 million owed to ACP Agency, LLC.

Debt collection has generally been a very unpopular industry. Shutterstock

Synergy Reorg Chapter 11 bankruptcy at a glance

Synergy Reorg filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Sept. 4, 2026, in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Columbia.

Case No. 1:26-bk-00464

The case is a voluntary Chapter 11 filing and has been designated as a complex Chapter 11 case.

Synergy Reorg lists assets of $1 million to $10 million and liabilities of $10 million to $50 million.

The company lists 1 to 49 creditors.

The debtor’s address is 20 F Street NW, 7th Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001.

The case is assigned to U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Elizabeth L. Gunn.Source: PacerMonitor

Synergy CHC has asked the courts to jointly administer its multiple filings, but each debtor will maintain its own schedules and its own statement of financial affairs, according to the Synergy Reorg Chapter 11 bankruptcy petition.

The parent listed its assets in the amount of $2.45 million and liabilities in the amount of $34.43 million.

Lauren Berret shall serve as the chief restructuring officer for the various brands.

A look at Synergy Reorg’s parent company

Synergy Reorg has a very limited public presence, and it’s unclear exactly what types of debts it works to recover.

The parent company, Synergy CHC Corp., the maker of Focus Factor, which is described on its Amazon sales page as a “Brain Supplement for Memory, Concentration and Focus,” also sells a number of other supplements and functional beverages.

Synergy CHC warned of potential significant financial problems after it received notice from Costco that the warehouse club would be dropping the company’s products.

“On July 15, 2026, Costco Wholesale Corporation informed Synergy CHC Corp. that Costco will discontinue carrying the Company’s Focus Factor products. Costco has been a significant customer of the Company for more than 16 years,” it shared in an SEC filing.

It’s important to note that Costco did not share a reason for dropping Synergy CHC’s brands.

“Costco accounted for approximately 58% of the Company’s net revenue during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025. The Company expects Costco’s decision to have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, results of operations, liquidity, and financial condition and is evaluating available financing and other strategic alternatives,” the filing continued.

ALSO READ: Loss of Costco deal helps push beverage brand into Chapter 11