Hey nutcrackers 🌰— today’sNuts has everything from Xiaomi’s Tesla dreams 🚗⚡ to bargain-hunting shoppers 🛒, nuclear hype ☢️, and Microsoft’s workplace revolt 💻✊.

Buckle up, let’s crack open today’s big stories.

🏁 Xiaomi Zooms Past Rivals as Stock Surges on EV Craze

From budget phones to EV beast mode.

Xiaomi ($XIACF), once dismissed as a “Lego assembler,” is now China’s shiny tech pride. After tripling its stock in a year, the company is racing head-to-head with Tesla ($TSLA) and Apple ($AAPL).

• EV play: Already second to Tesla’s Model Y in China despite launching just two cars, Citic Securities projects Xiaomi will outsell Tesla next year.

• Phones still hot: While Apple trimmed its China footprint, Xiaomi’s premium phones surged 81% in shipments, fueled by in-house chips and local loyalty.

• Factory flex: Xiaomi is pouring ¥250B ($35B) into chips, AI, and OS development — doubling down on self-reliance as U.S.-China tensions flare.

👉 Bottom line: Beijing loves a tech hero, and Xiaomi’s morphing into one. But going global while dodging geopolitics? That’s the real endurance test.

🛒 Bargain Retailers Cash In as Shoppers Hunt for Steals, Deals & Meals

Inflation hurts, but it’s making discount stores rich.

As wallets tighten, chains like Dollar General ($DG) and Ollie’s ($OLLI) are cleaning up:

• Dollar General: Up 47.7% YTD, Q2 net sales rose 5.1% and topped Wall Street forecasts.

• Ollie’s: Sales jumped 17.5% YoY, stock up 21.4% this year.

But it’s not just lower-income families — middle and upper classes are hunting for bargains, too. Private-label brands are booming, from Casey’s ($CASY) pizzas to Albertsons ($ACI) and Conagra ($CAG) staples.

👉 The new flex: Forget luxury logos. Coupon clipping is in, and everyone’s flaunting their deals.

☢️ Oklo’s Shares Jump 1000% on Nuclear Hype

AI isn’t the only power-hungry player in town.

Oklo ($OKLO), the nuclear startup, has gone full rocket ship 🚀 — up 1,118% in the past year. Why? Two words: AI energy.

• DOE backing: Oklo snagged three spots in the Department of Energy’s Reactor Pilot Program, deploying test reactors by next July.

• Bank of America: Target at $92 (18% upside).

• Unique pitch: Reactors run on nuclear waste and only need refueling every 10 years.

CEO Jacob DeWitte says AI flipped the script: energy demand is surging now, and utilities can’t wait decades.

👉 Zoom out: With Sam Altman (OpenAI) and Vertiv ($VRT) ties, Oklo isn’t just a utility stock — it’s becoming the AI era’s energy supplier.

💻 Microsoft Struggles to Quell Protests Over Israel Work

The cloud isn’t the only storm Microsoft is facing.

Protests have escalated at Microsoft HQ, with two employees fired after barricading themselves in the president’s office. The group “No Azure for Apartheid” is pushing the company to sever contracts with Israel’s military.

• Tensions rising: 20 protesters arrested outside HQ encampments; others showed up at execs’ homes.

• The spark: Reports allege Azure stores Palestinian call data that Israel uses to select bombing targets.

• Microsoft’s defense: Says no evidence Azure is used to “target civilians.” But new investigations are underway.

• Heavy response: Microsoft reportedly asked the FBI to track protesters.

👉 Why it matters: Tech-worker activism isn’t new, but this clash shows how geopolitical conflicts are spilling deep into Silicon Valley boardrooms.

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📰 Other Nuts You Should Crack

• 📉 Jobless claims dip, hiring stalls: New claims fell to 229K, but “low-hire, low-fire” mode means jobs are still tough to land.

• 🚗 Tesla slumps, BYD soars: Tesla’s Europe sales dropped 40% YoY, while BYD registrations surged 225%. Ouch.

• 👟 Nike trims fat: Cutting 1% of corporate staff as new CEO Elliott Hill pushes a leaner, innovation-focused revival.

• 📈 GDP gets a boost: Q2 GDP revised up to 3.3% annual growth — good news, but complicates Fed rate cut hopes.

• 💰 Intel’s Trump deal: Bagged $5.7B from an ownership pact with the White House. Details still fuzzy.

• 🌐 Google Cloud builds a blockchain: The GCUL testnet is live, promising a neutral finance ledger — though critics call it “centralized.”

• 🔗 Circle expands USDC adoption: New partnerships with Mastercard + Finastra boost stablecoin use across 50 countries.

💡What else are we reading and seeing?

• In their 20s and already making $1 million a year

• Wealthy Americans travel to Europe to dodge tariffs on luxury goods

• Nvidia’s top two mystery customers made up 39% of its Q2 revenue

• A “personal brand” is the cheat code for quieter professionals at work

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🌰 That’s a Wrap

From Xiaomi gunning for Tesla, to nuclear’s AI-powered comeback, to Microsoft’s activist headache — it’s clear: business is nuts (literally).

Thanks for cracking open Cash Nut 🥜 with us today. See you tomorrow for more markets, money, and mischief.