🎯 Charleston Biz of the Week

Charleston Business of the Week: Brain & Beyond

This week, we’re spotlighting Dr. Christy Kestner, a Charleston-based neuroimmunologist and founder of Brain & Beyond, a fast-growing digital platform bringing clarity and creativity to the world of neuroscience, immunology, and biotech.

🌎 Markets in a Minute

📈 Markets Rebounded

• U.S. stocks surged, reversing April’s earlier slump.​

• S&P 500 $SPY ( ▲ 1.48% ) +1.4%, Nasdaq $QQQ ( ▲ 1.48% ) +2.2%, Dow $DIA ( ▲ 1.38% ) +0.3% ​

• Tech led the rally, fueled by strong earnings from Microsoft and Meta.​

📊 Big Earnings & Moves

• Tesla $TSLA ( ▲ 2.39% ) fell after pulling its 2025 delivery growth target and reporting weak operating income ​

• Netflix $NFLX ( ▲ 2.03% ) rose on strong ad-tier momentum and subscriber growth ​

• ASML $ASML ( ▲ 3.54% ) and SAP $SAP ( ▲ 4.43% ) dipped despite earnings beats, as cautious guidance weighed on sentiment ​

🤖 AI & Tech Watch

• Meta $META ( ▲ 4.34% ) surged after raising 2025 capex guidance to $64–72B, citing AI infrastructure expansion ​

• Microsoft $MSFT ( ▲ 2.32% ) boosted investor confidence with Azure revenue up 33%, driven by AI demand ​

• Apple $AAPL ( ▼ 3.74% ) faced investor uncertainty over delayed AI features and tariff impacts ​

• Reddit $RDDT ( ▼ 4.18% ) gained after a reported $70M AI content licensing deal with OpenAI ​

🌍 Global Macro & Policy

• Fed signaled no imminent rate cuts, maintaining a cautious stance amid sticky inflation ​

• Yen rebounded sharply, sparking speculation of Japanese intervention ​

• UK inflation cooled faster than expected, raising hopes for rate cuts ​

📌 Other Developments

• Bitcoin $BTC.X ( ▼ 0.74% ) hovered around $91K, with projections as high as $225K amid mining challenges ​

• Boeing $BA ( ▲ 1.41% ) faced renewed FAA scrutiny after new whistleblower claims ​

📈 Market Vitals

$DIA ( ▲ 1.38% ) _{Tracks 30 blue-chip stocks, showing industrial health.}

$SPY ( ▲ 1.48% ) _{Mirrors S&P 500, gauging broad market performance.}

$QQQ ( ▲ 1.48% ) _{Follows Nasdaq-100, reflecting tech and growth trends.}

$BTC.X ( ▼ 0.74% ) _{Indicates crypto sentiment and risk appetite.}

🎯 Brokerage Review: Coinbase

tl;dr: Coinbase is the most accessible U.S.-regulated crypto exchange, offering 200+ assets, easy onboarding, and a trusted brand name. It’s a top pick for beginners and casual investors seeking a safe, simple way to buy and hold crypto. Downsides include higher fees for convenience and fewer advanced tools than competitors. Still, it's a solid, Ledger-approved choice for those dipping into digital assets.

✅ What is Coinbase?

Founded in 2012 and based in San Francisco, Coinbase $COIN ( ▲ 1.8% ) is the most well-known cryptocurrency exchange in the U.S. It went public in 2021 and has become the default crypto gateway for millions of Americans.

🔥 Clickworthy

• Tesla $TSLA ( ▲ 2.39% ): Elon Musk acknowledges his budget-cutting exercise known as DOGE hasn't been as successful as he hoped.

• Retirement: How long does $2 million in retirement last in every state.

• a16z: VC firm Andreesen Horowitz updated their branding to … mixed reviews.

• Robinhood $HOOD ( ▲ 4.23% ): Robinhood crushed earnings as market volatility spurs trading volume.

• Tech Week: Charleston Tech Week wraps up today with another exciting year of tech insights and news.

• Money Moves: 4 money moves financial experts say you should make after graduating college.