Rise and Shine: Everything you need to know before the ASX opens

Good morning everyone and welcome to Rise and Shine on Friday, August 15, 2025. Here’s what you should know before the ASX opens today…

At 7am AEST, ASX futures were down 0.1%, pointing to a soft start for Friday.

If you’re still rubbing sleep out of your eyes, here’s what went down last night…

Wall Street stalls, Intel steals the show

US indexes barely twitched overnight.

The Dow eased 0.02%, the S&P 500 added a wafer-thin 0.03%, and the Nasdaq slipped 0.01%.

Blame it on July’s hotter-than-expected producer prices (US PPI data), which sucked some fizz out of rate-cut euphoria – more on this below.

The real headline, though, was Intel.

Bloomberg reported that Trump’s team is eyeing a government stake in the chipmaker.

After roasting CEO Lip-Bu Tan earlier in the week for being “highly conflicted,” he invited him to the White House. Trump later called the sit-down “a very interesting one”, and praised Tan’s “amazing story.”

Intel shot up over 7% last night, proving that nothing makes investors happier than the prospect of taxpayer cash funding new fabs.

Nvidia also popped 0.25% after swatting down rumours its next-gen Rubin chip was delayed.

Netflix rose 2% after bragging it doubled ad commitments.

Meanwhile, Warren Buffett turned heads with a US$1.6 billion splash into UnitedHealth while exiting T-Mobile.

UnitedHealth shares spiked nearly 8% on the news.

Fed’s hot potato

The US July Producer Price Index jumped 0.9% month-on-month, the biggest leap in three years.

Annual wholesale inflation hit 3.3%, leaving corporate America in a bind: costs are rising faster than they can be shoved onto consumers.

That margin squeeze is a déjà vu from 2022, when CPI lagged PPI and the market went cold.

Analysts are warning if this persists, the S&P’s profit machine could grind a little louder than usual.

Traders have now ditched any hopes of a jumbo 50bp cut in September. Odds of a smaller quarter-point trim are still above 90%, though.

“For investors, this is not a signal to panic,” said Gina Bolvin of Bolvin Wealth Management.

“It’s a time to focus on fundamentals, maintain diversification, and look for companies with strong pricing power and healthy margins.”

Bitcoin tumbles

Bitcoin had hit a record high above US$123,000 yesterday, only to tumble 4% overnight after the hot PPI print.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent added a twist, saying the government wouldn’t be buying more Bitcoin for reserves…but wouldn’t be selling either.

Still, Bitcoin is up 25% year-to-date and nearly 60% since April.

And finally…

Back home, Cochlear and Mirvac headline earnings on Friday, which should keep things interesting.

And if that’s not enough excitement, Trump is scheduled to meet Vladimir Putin in Anchorage early Saturday AEST.

First a one-on-one, then lunch, then a joint presser.

Expect fireworks,or at least the world’s most awkward small talk.

Commodity/forex/crypto market prices

What got you talking

Also in the news…

Rare earths miners and explorers are dealing with a sudden rise to fame, as governments throw cash at the critical minerals.

This week on Guy on Rocks, host Guy Le Page dives into the scoping study from Cyclone Metals on its Iron Bear project in Canada.

Australian researchers have found more than half of TikTok’s birth control advice comes from unqualified influencers rejecting medical contraception.

Medical imaging tearaway ProMedicus (ASX:PME) has reported record results and says there’s more growth to come beyond its recent contracts wins.

Trading halts

Adelong Gold (ASX:ADG) – Challenger Gold Mine JV dispute
Bayan Mining and Minerals – price query
EPX Limited (ASX:EPX) – cap raise
Falcon Metals (ASX:FAL) – cap raise
Siren Gold (ASX:SNG) – cap raise
Somerset Minerals (ASX:SMM) – cap raise

This article does not constitute financial product advice. You should consider obtaining independent advice before making any financial decisions.