The Trading Post | 07.25.25

Good morning,

Alphabet dials up the AI arms race, Tesla tanks on declining sales, Intel joins the layoff parade, the S&P notches its 13th record close of the year, and August 1 is shaping up to be a macro landmine.

Power Option Plays has generated over $413K in profits this year with an 82% win rate in our sim account—and you can try it for just $9 for 30-days. 

Let’s jump in.

Pre-Market Performance

As of 07.24.25 market close.

Market News

• Intel tanks 7.4% on bleak Q3 outlook and 22% workforce cut; foundry biz may get the axe. Market Screener

• Tesla drops 8.2% after second straight quarter of declining sales and revenue CNN

• Alphabet beats and boosts AI capex to $85B for 2025, because "cloud war" sounds cooler than "earnings miss" Reuters

• S&P and Nasdaq hit new highs, shrugging off all of the above. Classic market mood swings CNBC

• Trump doubles down on the Aug 1 tariff deadline. 50% tariffs on EU, Japan, Canada still on the menu CNBC

• Zero-day options volumes stay frothy as retail can't quit the roulette wheel Market Watch

• Healthcare stocks remain dogs, down 7.2% YTD despite being the most defensive sector on paper TrustNet

• VIX at 15.39, right before a tariff event, a Fed meeting, and mega-cap earnings. What could go wrong? YCharts

• JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon sold ~$150M of stock. Sure, probably nothing Reuters

• Nvidia says Huawei is a top competitor. Friendly reminder this isn't just a chip war, it's a full-blown semiconductor MMA cage match Reuters

A Message From Wealth Builders HQ

Crush the Market Like a Pro with Power Option Plays 

While most traders struggle to stay profitable, our Power Option Plays members are banking serious gains. The numbers don't lie: 

2025 Performance Results: 

• $413,362 in total profits 

• 106 completed trades 

• 87 winning trades out of 106 

• 82.1% win rate 

• $3,889.64 average profit per trade 

Power Option Plays isn't just another alert service. It's a twice-weekly options education and alert system designed for active traders who want to follow a proven, repeatable plan. Each trade setup comes with educational context, so you learn while you trade. 

Since its founding, POP has maintained an average success rate above 70%, helping members generate millions in simulated profits using our systematic approach to swing and day trading options. 

What You Get: 

• Biweekly recorded training sessions 

• Real-time trade setups with actionable plans 

• Focus on repeatable strategies using proven stock candidates 

• Continuous education alongside live market examples 

• Quarterly live Q&A sessions - "Mastering The Trade" 

Ready to join the winning team? Try Power Option Plays for just $9 during our 30-day trial period. 

All trading results shown are for educational purposes only. All trades referenced are simulated and not actual trading results. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Trading involves substantial risk and is not suitable for all investors. 

Earnings We’re Watching

• Centene Corporation (CNC) - Friday (BMC) 

• Charter Communications Inc. (CHTR) - Friday (BMC) 

Trade Ideas

Want to learn how we trade these? Learn the setup we call the “High Volatility Switchback” trade.

Get these ideas delivered to your inbox daily with Trade With Rob. It’s 100% free. Sign up here.

Daily Moment of Zen

Why It Matters:

This quote slices right through the noise like a scalpel through a meme stock chart. New traders obsess over indicators, Fibonacci levels, and which moving average is “the real one.” But pros know the holy trinity of trading isn’t some magic oscillator — it’s Mind, Method, and Money.

• Mind: Discipline. Psychology. Not revenge-trading after missing the NVDA breakout.

• Method: A repeatable edge. Not “vibes-based entries.”

• Money: Position sizing, risk limits, and not yolo’ing 80% of your account into zero-day Tesla puts.

Beginner traders see the market in 2D — just charts and news. The third dimension is yourself. And that’s the one that usually wrecks you.