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A major investment recently valued a growing media company at $500 million. Now, one of its consumer businesses is reportedly being shut down less than two years after launch.The development comes as the broader functional beverage market continues to grow. High-profile entertainers and creators have increasingly entered the category, with brands including Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s ZOA Energy, Logan Paul’s PRIME, Kim Kardashian’s Update, Tom Holland’s Bero, and Emma Chamberlain’s Chamberlain Coffee.The global functional drinks market was valued at $164.7 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach $315.9 billion by 2033, according to Grand View Research. The research firm expects the market to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 8.5% from 2026 through 2033, with North America accounting for the largest revenue share in 2025.Unwell Beverage Co. is reportedly shutting down Alex Cooper’s Unwell Beverage Co. business is expected to cease production after releasing seasonal Halloween flavors this fall, according to Bloomberg, which cited people familiar with the matter.Target (TGT), the brand’s primary distribution partner, is reportedly selling through its remaining inventory rather than replenishing its supply.If the reported shutdown proceeds as planned, it would bring the beverage company’s run to roughly 18 months. The brand launched in early 2025 as a partnership between Cooper’s Unwell Network and Nestlé (NSRGY).Unwell Beverage Co. was originally founded as Unwell Hydration before expanding its portfolio into additional beverage categories, including energy and protein products. The company’s website currently lists hydration, energy, and protein products.Unwell beverages were promoted alongside Cooper and her guests on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast, tying the products closely to her broader media business.TheStreet also reviewed product availability on Target’s website, where several Unwell beverage flavors appeared to have limited or unavailable inventory at the time of publication.The brand’s current product line remains visible on its own website, and the site does not indicate that the business is preparing to shut down. However, Nestlé’s website does not list Unwell Beverage Co. within its brands.

Unwell Beverage Co. is reportedly shutting down.Thien-An Truong / Getty Images

Why the Unwell beverage shutdown is surprisingThe timing of the reported closure is notable because Unwell recently received a major financial boost.Earlier in August, Patrick Whitesell’s WTSL made a strategic investment in Cooper’s broader Unwell media company, giving it a reported $500 million pre-money valuation. The investment was intended to support the company’s expansion, including potential acquisitions and investments.”We’re scaling on all fronts, combining nimbleness, social-first premium content, and our understanding of culture to serve this highly influential audience,” said Cooper in a statement announcing the investment.”With WTSL’s backing, the company is now also poised to accelerate our media platform’s growth through acquisitions and investments.” The investment applies to Unwell as a broader media company, rather than specifically valuing Unwell Beverage Co. at $500 million. That distinction is important because the reported beverage shutdown does not mean Cooper is winding down Unwell altogether. In fact, the broader company appears to be pursuing expansion beyond the beverage business. Unwell ended its representation with United Talent Agency (UTA) on July 27 as it looks to operate more independently and expand its media operations, Bloomberg reported. The company has also reportedly been in discussions with rival agency Creative Artists Agency (CAA).A broader push beyond the podcastUnwell Beverage Co. was part of Cooper’s larger effort to turn the audience surrounding “Call Her Daddy” and her Unwell media platform into a broader consumer business.The company describes Unwell as a Gen Z-focused media and lifestyle brand that extends beyond podcasts into products, social media, merchandise, events, and partnerships. The beverage business was one of those extensions.Cooper is among a number of creators and celebrities who have expanded into consumer products beyond their primary entertainment businesses.However, entering a large beverage market does not guarantee that a celebrity-backed product will have a long shelf life.Here’s some of my previous coverage of brand shutdowns:Popular beverage chain closing multiple locations nationwideAnother brewery and distillery brand closes all its taproomsAnother high-profile celebrity cosmetics brand closesThe reported end of Unwell Beverage Co., therefore, marks a significant change for one part of Cooper’s business strategy, even as the broader Unwell company moves forward with a fresh investment and plans for expansion.As of publication, Cooper’s broader Unwell company has not publicly confirmed that its beverage business is shutting down.Related: Popular beverage chain closing multiple locations nationwide

Financial advisers tell us how they handle clients who love to gamble

Housing affordability is a national crisis, and homeownership can feel especially out of reach for working families with young children. At today’s home prices, the typical working American household would spend about 52% of its annual income just on housing and childcare, according to data from Redfin and Winnie.But the cost of childcare varies widely by metro area and even by neighborhood.”[Home] cost is only part of the equation,” Sara Mauskopf, co-founder and CEO of Winnie, said in a Redfin study. “Families should also make sure childcare is actually available near where they want to live. If care is scarce or unaffordable, an otherwise affordable area may not be a practical place for a family with young children.”The cost and availability of childcare can materially change the affordability and practicality of a home.That’s why the real estate technology company Redfin has partnered with Winnie, the biggest U.S. marketplace for childcare and education.Redfin unveiled this partnership on Aug. 17 and explained that homebuyers can now see childcare and early education options near the listed home they’re viewing on the Redfin website.How the new childcare information helps homebuyersBefore this partnership, you could already see information for nearby schools on Redfin listings with data provided by the nonprofit GreatSchools. However, the data was limited to K-12 schooling.With Winnie, you now also have access to preschools and daycares in the area. This is especially useful for families with children in different age groups, or ones with young children who plan to stay in the home for a long time. You can now find information about childcare, preschool, and K-12 schools in the area.”For parents and guardians, childcare can have a major impact on both the family budget and everyday routines,” wrote Redfin. “The cost and availability of care can vary dramatically from one community to another, meaning two similarly priced homes may come with very different financial and logistical tradeoffs.”Related: JPMorganChase drops $750B to fix U.S. housing crisisWhether you’re looking for affordable daycare options or curious about nearby schools for your teenager should you move into a certain house, Redfin provides helpful information.Specifically for childcare data through Winnie, you can see the name of the facility, the age group served, and the distance from the home.By clicking on the school name, you’ll find the website, a description of the childcare provider, and any parent reviews. (There probably won’t be many parent reviews on Redfin yet, though, since this is a new feature.) You can also click “Check availability” to read more details on Winnie’s website.

Nationally, the combined cost of housing and childcare accounts for 52% of working families’ yearly income.Oscar Wong / Getty Images

The new Redfin childcare tool has its limitations, thoughRedfin doesn’t display a specific tuition price directly in its listing. Depending on the provider, Winnie may show a price range, or you may need to contact the provider through the marketplace for tuition information.Still, the feature helps you narrow down which schools are nearby, saving you time you would otherwise have spent hunting down this information on your own.More on Buying a Home:How young adults are actually buying houses right nowFannie Mae condo shakeup could block your loanRealtor.com divulges crucial housing market shiftChildcare information is now available on Redfin’s desktop and mobile websites. It isn’t available on the app yet, but it will be in September, according to the Redfin press release.A Redfin representative confirmed with TheStreet that childcare information is available on for-sale Redfin listings but not rental listings. This is a disadvantage for working families with young children who need childcare but are only renting.Redfin tools help buyers understand what it’s really like to live in an areaDespite the new tool’s limitations, the breadth of information Redfin provides for each home sale listing is impressive. The platform gives buyers a general sense of what it’s like to actually live in an area — beyond what a house looks like or costs.Along with the new childcare information through Winnie, Redfin sale listings include the following:Nearby schools: As previously mentioned, Redfin has teamed up with GreatSchools to provide information on nearby K-12 schools. This also includes GreatSchools ratings from 1 to 10.Transportation scores: Each listing includes a “Lifestyle” section, which rates the area’s walkability and bikeability, as well as how noisy or busy the neighborhood is. Redfin gets this data through its partnerships with Walk Score and Local Logic.Climate risk: Redfin works with First Street to evaluate the likelihood of a flood, wildfire, or severe winds reaching your house in the next 30 years. It also measures the probability of extreme heat or unhealthy air quality affecting the area this year and in the next 30 years.Historical weather: You can see the monthly historical temperature, precipitation, snowfall, humidity, and UV index from The Weather Company.Sun exposure: Redfin’s Sunscore is a rating out of 100 for how much natural sunlight the property receives over one year, according to data from Shadowmap.Related: Redfin breaks down unexpected homebuyer advantages

One of the biggest financial hazards in any long-term relationship or marriage is a simple lack of awareness — when one partner has no clear picture of what assets exist, what debts are owed, or how to access critical accounts.

Historically, this was often tied to outdated gender roles where one person handled all the household finances. Today, the dynamic is different. People are getting married later in life or remarrying after a divorce. By then, both partners have developed financial independence, separate habits, and their own accounts.

While keeping separate bank accounts or individual credit cards isn’t inherently bad, financial secrecy and ignorance are dangerous.

The consequences become heart-wrenching when the unexpected happens. After the sudden passing or medical emergency of a spouse, a surviving partner shouldn’t have to deal with the overwhelming stress of playing financial detective while grieving.

Here is how to set up a shared financial tracking system with your partner — and a step-by-step checklist to make sure you’re covered.

How Often Should You Review Your Accounts?

Your finances are not static. You might open a new credit card, change bank accounts, start a new investment account, or pay off a loan. Because of this, creating a master file once isn’t enough.

A simple, recurring schedule keeps both partners aligned without making it feel like a chore:

Once a Year (The Deep Dive): Sit down annually — around tax season, a birthday, or the New Year — to do a complete review of all assets, debts, estate plans, and login details.

Quarterly / Seasonally (The Quick Check-In): At the change of every season, do a minor update. Note any new accounts opened or closed, update changed passwords, and verify that all account details remain accurate.

An added benefit? Doing this exercise regularly forces both of you to evaluate your money habits, spot unnecessary subscriptions or fees, and close out accounts you no longer use.

The “Must-Discuss” Financial Checklist for Couples

Use this checklist to build your shared “In Case of Emergency” file (whether stored in a secure physical lockbox or an encrypted digital password manager):

Bank Accounts and Liquid Assets

List of all checking, savings, and money market accounts (both joint and individual).

Names of institutions, account numbers, and online login credentials.

Location of physical debit cards, checkbooks, and safe deposit box keys (if you have one).

Debts and Recurring Obligations

List of all credit cards, personal loans, auto loans, and mortgages.

Recurring monthly household bills (utilities, subscriptions, insurance) and their payment process (auto-pay, etc.).

Payment due dates and login access for every provider.

Investment and Retirement Accounts

Employer-sponsored plans (401(k), 403(b), pensions).

Individual retirement accounts (Roth/Traditional IRAs) and taxable brokerage accounts.

Up-to-date beneficiary designations on every account (crucial, as these designations override wills).

Insurance Policies

Life insurance details (policy numbers, carrier contacts, coverage amounts).

Health, disability, long-term care, homeowners/renters, and auto insurance policy details.

Essential Legal Documents and Key Contacts

Wills, trusts, living wills, and financial/medical Powers of Attorney (including physical storage locations).

Contact information for trusted professionals: tax preparer/CPA, estate attorney, financial advisor, and insurance agents.

Final Thoughts

Taking control of your household’s financial roadmap isn’t about giving up independence or micromanaging each other’s daily spending — it’s about protecting one another from chaos when life throws a curveball. You don’t need to tackle every single line item in a single afternoon. Start by gathering basic account information and setting a date on the calendar for your first quarterly check-in.

By building a habit of transparency and keeping a clean, updated record of your assets and obligations, you give your partner the ultimate gift: security and peace of mind no matter what the future holds.
The post The Financial Checklist Every Couple Needs To Know appeared first on Clark Howard.

I was really excited when the real estate industry lost its landmark lawsuit over how commissions were cooked up across the country.

Finally, the market was deregulated.

Under the new setup, everything is open for negotiation. If you are selling your home, condo, or townhouse, you negotiate a deal directly with the listing agent who represents you. You agree to pay them a specific commission, period.

Likewise, if you are looking to buy real estate and want an agent in your corner, you hire your own representative and agree on what you will pay them.

That is how it should work. But a dangerous loophole is creating a trap for unsuspecting buyers.

Why the Old Way Was Broken

It used to be that everything flowed through the seller. The home seller paid a single inflated commission, split between the listing agent and the buyer’s agent.

What many buyers didn’t realize was that in many states, the agent they thought was working for them was actually surreptitiously working for the seller under the fine print of the contracts.

You might tell your agent in confidence, “Well, we can afford up to $400,000, but let’s offer $375,000.”

Because of how the legacy setup worked, that agent could turn right around and tell the seller’s agent, “Oh yeah, they can really go up to $400,000.” Your bargaining position was completely undermined. On top of that, commissions were baked into the system with virtually no room for negotiation.

Now everything is negotiable — or at least, it’s supposed to be.

The Trap: What Is a “Waterfront Agreement”?

Here comes the law of unintended consequences. A lot of real estate agencies and agents are playing really dirty pool when you hire them as a buyer’s agent. They are having buyers sign waterfront agreements.

What is a waterfront agreement? It is the most anti-consumer thing ever drafted.

Now, let me be clear: If a buyer’s agent takes me around, shows me places, and I end up buying a home through them, I owe them a commission. They spent their time, shared their expertise, and earned their pay. I have zero problem with that.

Here is where the problem comes in:

An agency has you sign a buyer representation contract. Hidden in the fine print is a broad, long-term clause — in the most egregious cases, lasting an entire year.

If you decide you don’t like working with that agent and walk away, or if you end up finding and buying a property months later — either on your own or with a different agent — you still owe that original agent a full commission on the purchase.

You could buy a home entirely on your own, direct from a seller, or hire a completely different agent to handle a deal, and months later get a legal notice in the mail demanding tens of thousands of dollars from someone who wasn’t involved in the transaction in the slightest.

This is unconscionable. Shame on the states that haven’t outlawed this practice yet.

Clark’s Bottom Line: How To Protect Yourself

Why am I pounding the table on this so hard? Because if you are going to buy a home, you must pay strict attention to what you sign before an agent ever shows you a single property.

Read the fine print: Never sign a buyer’s agent agreement without reviewing the duration and termination terms.

Watch for ongoing obligations: If an agreement states that you owe them a commission on any property you purchase in the future — even after you stop working together or if they weren’t involved in the deal — do not sign it.

Limit the scope: Ensure your contract only applies to specific properties shown by that agent, or includes a clear, zero-penalty termination clause if you choose to part ways.

If there is an ongoing obligation attached regardless of whether you continue to retain them, walk away.
The post New Real Estate Trap: How a Signed Paperwork Loophole Can Cost You Thousands appeared first on Clark Howard.

For those looking to diversify their retirement plan, a gold IRA provides the same tax advantages as a conventional IRA. But the big difference is that it allows you to buy and hold gold and other physical precious metals, and even request in-kind distributions, which allows you to receive withdrawals as physical gold instead of money.
Because of its tax advantages and the inherent diversification it can bring to a portfolio, gold IRAs can be valuable resources for your retirement. As a long-term inflation hedge, gold can help offset or minimize portfolio losses during periods of economic uncertainty.
According to precious metals dealer Goldco, “a well-balanced mix of assets can offer you the potential to improve returns and help protect your principal without subjecting yourself to unnecessary concentration risk.”
While conventional IRAs allow individuals to buy shares of gold mining stocks or gold-backed exchange-traded funds, some value physical, tangible assets. Gold also eliminates your reliance on financial institutions and makes it easier to take your net worth off-the-grid.
If you are interested in diversifying your retirement plan with gold, you can follow these steps to set up a gold IRA and start accumulating precious metals.

Compare gold IRA plans
The first step to setting up a gold IRA is to compare various gold IRA plans. Many gold IRA companies let you create these accounts, but varying fees, diversification options, minimum purchase requirements and buyback policies don’t make it an easy decision.
One-time setup fees, annual administration fees, storage fees and insurance, wire fees and dealer markups (i.e., spreads) are some of the most common expenses. Some gold IRAs have no setup fees but have high spreads and charge steep storage fees that end up costing more than a gold IRA with a one-time setup fee, more forgiving markups and lower storage fees.
You can request a gold IRA company’s fee schedule to see its complete list of charges. AI tools may be able to help you find a fee schedule, and it’s common for precious metal custodians to make their fee schedules easy to find. Importantly, do not work with a gold IRA custodian unless you review its complete list of fees.
It’s also recommended to read online reviews for each gold IRA provider before making your final decision. These reviews can help you gauge the quality of a company’s customer support, product offers and whether the gold IRA custodian has your best interests in mind.
Notably, you won’t be able to use a conventional broker like Fidelity or Vanguard for your gold IRA. Rather, gold IRAs are self-directed — which allows them to hold alternative assets — and not every company offers them. Make sure the options provided by a gold IRA align with your goals: Some people only want to buy gold, while others want the flexibility of buying other eligible precious metals, including silver, platinum and palladium to diversify their holdings.
Sign up and fund your account
Once you pinpoint the right gold IRA for your long-term financial goals, the next step is to sign up for an account. You will have to provide the usual personal information: your name, email address, physical address, Social Security number and a government-issued photo ID among other details. New customers will also have to provide a bank account so money transfers can take place when you want to make new investments or withdrawals.
It’s important to understand that many gold IRAs have minimum purchase requirements that you must fulfill before you can open an account. However, these minimums often exceed what the IRS lets you contribute to a plan each year. This setup means gold IRAs expect most of their customers to conduct rollovers from existing plans.
Goldco’s site notes that “rollover contributions to a precious metals IRA are not limited by the normal annual contribution limit, so you can roll over $10,000, $100,000 or $1 million or more from existing retirement accounts, and you can do it tax-free.”
If you want to roll over money from an existing 401(k) or IRA plan, you must convert the amount you want to roll over into cash. For instance, if your 401(k) plan has $200,000 in equities, and you want to roll over $10,000 into a gold IRA, you must sell enough equities until you have $10,000 in cash. Then, the rollover will take place smoothly.
Choose from eligible precious metals
Once the money clears your gold IRA, you can choose from eligible precious metals that your custodian supports. Storage for any physical precious metals you purchase in an IRA will be facilitated by your custodian with a third-party depository. That’s because the IRS doesn’t allow people to store their own physical gold if it is part of a gold IRA. (You can still buy physical gold and keep it in your home, but it won’t receive the same tax advantages as it would in a gold IRA.)
The IRS has specific requirements on the fineness of the gold you can buy in an IRA. There are also similar rules for other precious metals. When you withdraw from a gold IRA, you can either receive cash or an in-kind transfer. The latter option lets you obtain physical gold equal to the amount that you withdraw from your account.
Build your gold IRA over time
A gold IRA will start small, but it can grow over time with recurring assets and appreciation. Over the past five years, gold has outpaced the S&P 500, and if inflation and economic uncertainty continue, precious metals could continue their recent rally.
The IRS lets you contribute up to $7,500 per year in tax year 2026 for an IRA. Be aware that this limit is combined across all of your IRAs. For instance, if you put $4,000 in a conventional Roth IRA, you can only diversify up to $3,500 in a gold IRA, assuming you do not invest in any other IRA. The annual contribution limit goes up to $8,600 if you are 50 years or older due to catch-up contributions.
Another important detail to consider is whether you want a traditional gold IRA or a Roth gold IRA. Most gold IRA custodians let you choose between both plans, and there are major tax differences. Contributions toward a traditional gold IRA are not taxed, but you will have to pay taxes on withdrawals. Roth gold IRAs, on the other hand, let you make post-tax contributions, and then you don’t pay taxes on withdrawals. Capital gains are also tax-free in a Roth IRA.
You may want to speak with a professional to determine which account is right for you. However, traditional IRAs are usually better for high-earners who can avoid high tax rates right now, while Roth IRAs are optimal for younger investors since they have more time for their investments to compound in the long run.

For a fourth straight month, long-term US fund inflows surpassed $100 billion, the first time in history that has happened. That said, July’s $113 billion intake did not stand out as much on a relative growth basis or relative to flows from the last 12 months. Taxable-bond funds continued to drive most inflows, though sector-equity funds also had a notably strong showing, buoyed by investors’ continued interest in semiconductor stock exposure.Bond Inflows Won’t QuitFor a third straight month, taxable-bond inflows exceeded $60 billion, bringing in $67 billion in July and continuing the category group’s strong showing. Ultrashort bond funds led all bond categories in inflows, raking in over $15 billion for the month, as inflation risk continues to be top of mind for many investors, while short-term yields remain elevated relative to the last 15 years.CLO ETFs Are Feeling the Love …The securitized bond-focused category—which largely consists of collateralized loan obligation exchange-traded funds—experienced its fourth-largest monthly inflows on record in July, gathering nearly $3 billion. Most of this came from the two giants of the category, Janus Henderson AAA CLO ETF JAAA and PGIM AAA CLO ETF PAAA, which make up the bulk of category assets. This continues a major trend; the category has grown tenfold in the last three years as investors have been attracted to these high-quality assets with little interest rate sensitivity and a meaningful yield advantage versus money market funds.… but Long Bonds Are Getting Picked Up, TooSurprisingly, long government funds saw their largest monthly inflows on an absolute and relative basis since May 2025, bringing in nearly $6 billion, an organic growth rate of 3.0%. While inflation and interest rate risk remain a significant consideration for many investors, long-term yields are particularly elevated, making for a more enticing entry point. The 30-year Treasury yield was above 5% for most of July, good for the longest stretch since 2007.US Equity Funds Post Muted Inflows in JulyUS equity funds saw a weak net inflow of $3 billion in July. Passive inflows into large-blend funds of $36 billion bailed out the group, as all categories but two were in outflows. The only other positive category, small value, added less than $200 million in the month, part of a $7 billion outflow over the past year. Large-growth funds led losers for the month and year, dropping $15 billion in July and $93 billion over the past 12 months. Is International Equity’s Run Over?International-equity funds’ 12-month streak of inflows ended in May, and July’s $2 billion outflow supported the notion that sentiment has softened toward the asset class. Still, two areas within the category group maintained notable inflows: focused-region funds, led by a South Korea equity ETF, saw a $6 billion July inflow, while foreign large-blend funds, buoyed by a steady stream of passive assets, added $7 billion. Investors Keep Uploading Tech Stocks Into Their PortfoliosSector-equity funds’ streak of $18-billion-plus monthly inflows hit four in July, as investors put another $21 billion into the category group. Technology funds again dominated, accounting for $16 billion of the monthly inflows, bringing their total to $86 billion for the trailing year. Within tech, semiconductor funds processed most of the new cash, with three ETFs netting $16 billion combined, led by iShares Semiconductor ETF’s SOXX $7 billion inflow. Similarly, leveraged equity funds saw a record monthly inflow, largely owing to significant interest in a triple-leveraged semiconductor fund.Roundhill Investments Running RampantRoundhill Investments’ run has stood out in the industry, driven by the commercial success of its star fund, Roundhill Memory ETF DRAM. Roundhill Memory ETF’s rapid growth since its April inception has been unprecedented, coming from an asset manager that was unknown to many before its launch, amassing almost $25 billion in its first four months. Despite the ETF’s nearly 27% investment loss in July, investors still flocked, desiring the exceptional performance from its first few months. It was responsible for the lion’s share of the firm’s $6.4 billion July inflows and makes up 72% of the thematic equity firm’s total assets.This article is adapted from the Morningstar Direct US Asset Flows Commentary for June 2026. Download the full report here.

Presented by Rezolve AiEnterprise AI investment in commerce has never been higher. And enterprise AI outcomes in commerce have rarely been more inconsistent. That gap is not a coincidence. It is the predictable result of a pattern that has repeated itself across every major technology shift in retail: the industry adds new capabilities faster than it integrates them.That pattern is now playing out in commerce AI.The point solution patternThe dominant approach to commerce AI over the past three years has been an additive one. Brands have layered AI-powered search on top of existing catalog infrastructure. They have added conversational interfaces on top of existing checkout flows. They have deployed recommendation engines alongside personalization tools that were themselves deployed alongside earlier recommendation engines. Each addition was justified by a discrete metric improvement, and none were designed to work as a cohesive system.This is the point solution pattern, and commerce has lived inside it for two decades. It produced genuine progress in isolated capabilities: faster search, better recommendations, lower friction at specific points in the journey. What it did not produce is coherence across the journey. Consumers experience that incoherence as inconsistency, context loss, and the feeling that each part of the shopping experience doesn’t know what the others are doing.AI amplifies the cost of that incoherence. When a general-purpose AI tool makes a recommendation based on incomplete or inconsistent data, it doesn’t surface a suboptimal product. It confidently surfaces the wrong one, and often excludes the incomplete one altogether. The hallucination problem in commerce AI is largely a data coherence problem in disguise. Tools that don’t share a common understanding of inventory, pricing, policy, and product truth will produce outputs that contradict each other and mislead consumers.Where the metrics lieThe fragmented approach to commerce AI creates a specific kind of reporting problem: individual tools perform well in isolation while the system underperforms in aggregate.A conversational AI tool can show strong engagement metrics. The search layer can show improved relevance scores. The checkout system can show reduced abandonment within its own funnel. None of these metrics captures what happens at the handoffs between them, where context breaks, sessions drop, and purchase intent that was successfully generated in one layer fails to convert in the next.This is why brands investing aggressively in commerce AI are sometimes reporting strong tool-level performance alongside flat or declining overall conversion. The tools are working. The system isn’t. And the standard analytics stack, built to measure individual touchpoints rather than journey coherence, will not surface that distinction.Bain research shows that organic web traffic to retail sites has declined 15 to 25% as AI-driven zero-click search has grown. Brands are losing top-of-funnel visibility to AI disintermediation at the same time their internal AI tools are generating positive performance reports. That combination — external pressure compressing the funnel while internal fragmentation leaks it — represents a structural problem that point-level optimization cannot solve.What separates the companies closing the gapThe brands that are generating consistent, measurable outcomes from commerce AI share a common architectural characteristic: they have built or adopted a unifying execution layer that sits across their AI investments rather than beneath them.This isn’t a new technology category. It is a different design philosophy. Instead of asking what AI capability to add next, these brands have asked what the connecting tissue between AI capabilities needs to look like in order for those capabilities to produce a coherent consumer experience and a reliable transaction outcome.The answer, in practice, involves three things: a shared data layer that gives every AI tool in the stack access to the same real-time product, pricing, and inventory truth; a policy and governance framework that ensures AI-generated recommendations operate within the brand’s established rules; and a transaction layer that can receive intent from any AI surface and convert it into a completed order without breaking context or requiring the consumer to restart.Brands that have those three things in place are not just getting better results from individual tools. They are compounding improvements across tools, because each capability in the stack is operating on consistent inputs and contributing to a coherent output.The architectural question commerce can’t deferThe window for treating commerce AI fragmentation as a temporary problem is closing. As agentic commerce matures and AI systems begin to initiate and complete transactions on behalf of consumers, the stakes of incoherence rise significantly. An AI agent acting on behalf of a consumer doesn’t have the patience to navigate a broken handoff between a recommendation layer and a checkout system. It will fail, and it will not return.The brands that establish architectural coherence now, before agentic transactions become the norm, will enter that era with a compounding advantage. Those that continue to add point solutions will find that each new tool adds a new potential point of failure.Commerce AI isn’t fragmenting because the tools are bad. It is fragmenting because the connective infrastructure was never built. The brands that recognize that distinction — and act on it — are the ones that will define what commerce looks like in the next decade.Sponsored articles are content produced by a company that is either paying for the post or has a business relationship with VentureBeat, and they’re always clearly marked. For more information, contact sales@venturebeat.com.

SpaceX (SPCX) is one of the most closely watched stocks of 2026, and the debate around it keeps getting louder.The company went public in June in one of the largest listings in market history, and the price has swung hard in both directions ever since.Now, a well-known name from the investing world has stepped in with a warning that is hard to ignore.His message goes against almost everything retail traders have been told about the stock, and it comes at a moment when a new supply of shares is about to hit the market.For anyone holding SPCX, or thinking about buying the dip, the next few weeks could decide a lot.George Noble calls SpaceX one of the best shorts in the marketGeorge Noble is not a casual critic. He once ran the Fidelity Overseas Fund and worked alongside legendary investor Peter Lynch, so his view carries weight on Wall Street.Noble has now labeled SpaceX “one of the best shorts in the market,” according to Business Insider.He puts fair value for the stock at about $30 per share. With SPCX trading around $140 as of the Aug. 14 close, that call points to a fall of roughly 79%.Noble turned bearish on SpaceX before its June IPO, and he hasn’t changed his mind, even after the stock bounced 32% off its lows, The Motley Fool reported.His argument rests on valuation, share supply, and a business model he believes most buyers misunderstand.Why the SpaceX valuation worries Noble so muchAt a market value of roughly $1.4 trillion to $2 trillion, SpaceX has traded at about 90 to 140 times its yearly revenue, according to Seeking Alpha.That is an extreme price tag for any company, no matter how strong its growth.Noble’s sharpest complaint is about how ordinary savers ended up owning it. He notes that retirement money, what he calls “Grandma’s 401(k),” was pushed into the stock through passive index funds.Here is how that happened.How SpaceX ended up in so many retirement accounts:SpaceX sold less than 5% of its shares at the IPO, so very little stock traded freely.Index rules were changed to fast-track the company into the Nasdaq-100.Funds that track that index were then required to buy the stock.That forced buying, worth more than $22 billion, pushed the price higher no matter what the fundamentals said.Noble describes those early gains as a “manufactured squeeze,” where the price climbed because of index buying rather than real demand.

SpaceX shares have moved sharply since the company’s June 2026 public debut, and the stock now faces heavy insider selling pressure.Justin Sullivan / Getty Images

What SpaceX actually sells, and where the losses come fromMany retail investors treat SpaceX as a pure space exploration bet. Noble points out that the pitch to big institutions leaned heavily on something else.About three-quarters of the market opportunity presented to institutional investors relied on artificial intelligence and orbital data centers, not rockets.That gap between what retail investors think they’re buying and what institutions were actually pitched is a big part of why Noble is worried.More Space Stocks:Morgan Stanley sends blunt SpaceX message to investorsJPMorgan resets SpaceX price target after earningsJim Cramer sees the writing on the wall for SpaceX investorsSpaceX’s own numbers back up part of his caution. The company released its first quarterly report as a public company on Aug. 4, and revenue grew 92% to $7.8 billion, CNBC reported.But heavy spending produced a net loss of $541 million, and capital expenditures hit$18.4 billion, well above the roughly $13 billion analysts expected.Starlink, the satellite internet business, remains the one consistent profit engine, with 12 million subscribers and $1.66 billionin quarterly operating income.The rest of the company is still burning cash, and in the current market, investors are moving away from companies that spend heavily with little near-term profit to show for it.The share unlocks that could push SPCX lowerThe most immediate risk is supply. When a company goes public, insiders usually cannot sell right away, and those restrictions are now lifting.On Aug. 6, the first major lockup expired and freed up to 911.5 million shares for trading.Related: HSBC sends troubling SpaceX stock predictionThat single release more than doubled the stock available to trade.A second unlock of about 319 million shares is set to follow later, adding even more supply.Why this matters for the stock price:More shares for sale, with steady or falling demand, tends to push prices down.These unlocks release more stock than the entire amount that existed since June.Selling pressure could continue through year-end as later batches of shares become eligible for sale.That makes a sustained rally difficult in the short term, even if the long-term business grows.Noble also argues that the “Elon premium,” which is the boost the stock gets from Elon Musk’s following, is fading, especially after profit misses at Tesla (TSLA).How the bulls answer the bear caseBulls hold price targets as high as $230 to $300. The average target across 32 analysts sits near $229.CNBC’s Jim Cramer has urged investors to look past the cash burn and treat SpaceX as a “100-year” holding tied to lunar activity and orbital data centers.Cramer’s caution is also worth noting. He has told viewers to wait for lockup pressure to clear before buying.So investors face a wide split. One camp sees a drop to $30, and the other sees a rise toward $300.What SPCX investors can do right nowYou do not have to pick a side today. The smarter move is to size the risk before acting.Practical steps for investors include:Watch the lockup calendar, since the biggest near-term pressure comes from new share supply, not the earnings results.Separate Starlink, which earns money, from the AI and launch units, which still lose money.Decide your own time horizon, because the bull case depends on years of execution, while the bear case centers on the next few months.Size any position so a further drop would not force you to sell at the worst moment.If you believe in SpaceX’s long-term story, expect some volatility. Buying in stages, rather than all at once, can help smooth that out.If the valuation and the cash burn worry you, it is reasonable to wait until the share unlocks subside before buying.Noble’s $30 target may turn out too harsh. The bulls’ $300 targets may also turn out too high. But there’s one thing both sides agree on: The next few months will show whether SpaceX’s business can catch up to its price.Related: Peter Schiff says SpaceX is a warning for hyped stocks