Markets Hit Record Highs, PLTR Soars 39%, and AI Is Already Paying Off

The markets are doing well, major indexes are near record highs, and earnings season has produced plenty of beats and raised forecasts. But whether stocks are soaring or falling, investors should remember one important lesson: this too shall pass.

Negative headlines can make investors feel like they need to sell when prices are falling or chase stocks when prices are rising. Palantir is a perfect example. When PLTR was trading just above $100, negative articles were everywhere. After crushing earnings this week, the stock has now gained nearly 40%.

The July employment report showed that the U.S. lost 23,000 jobs when economists expected more than 80,000 jobs to be added. While that is concerning for the economy, weaker employment data may also reduce the likelihood of the Federal Reserve raising interest rates soon.

SpaceX’s first lockup period also expired, making more than 900 million additional shares eligible for public trading. Many investors expected heavy selling pressure, but SpaceX shares finished the week up approximately 23%.

AI continues to be another major theme. Palantir is producing real growth, semiconductor stocks moved higher, and Airbnb showed how AI agents can improve customer service, increase productivity, and reduce operating costs. Airbnb shares jumped more than 17% after earnings.

Now imagine similar efficiency improvements being adopted across companies such as UPS, Amazon, Home Depot, and thousands of other businesses. We believe the AI buildout is still early, and companies are already demonstrating that the technology can produce meaningful financial results.

The long term plan remains the same: stay invested, stop trying to time every market move, dollar cost average, and trust the process.

Hosted by James Walters, CIMA®, CRPC®, and Brandon West, CPA, co-owners of West & Walters Tax and Wealth Management, a Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) and tax firm based in Carlsbad, California. Our goal is to share market insights, investing tips, tax strategies, and straightforward financial education to help viewers make smarter financial decisions. All Information is educational in its intent and distribution! Please do not consider this personal financial advice. We believe all clients have unique situations and thus require unique advice.